The Billionaire's New Year Gift. Emma Darcy

inclined his head in the direction of P.J.’s office.

      “Sometimes. Not always. But even if she does show up, she’s pretty low-key when she’s there. She doesn’t act like the boss or anything.”

      “That’s good,” Alex said for Rick’s benefit.

      “Some of the guys stay and eat,” Rick said as they walked out to the parking lot together. “Jake’s has great fried shrimp and onion rings, but me, I gotta get home. Maria’s mother is visiting and she said she’d babysit tonight if me and Maria want to catch a movie or something. Maria’s all excited.” He grinned. “Thing is, we don’t get out much.”

      Alex had seen Jake’s Grill on his drive back and forth to work. Located on River Street, it was only about five minutes from the distribution center. Although it had been raining earlier in the day, the sun had broken through the clouds by the time he reached the five-year-old red Ford pickup truck he’d purchased to conform with his new status in life.

      He grinned as he unlocked the driver’s-side door. He actually liked the truck. Hell, he might even keep it when this masquerade was over.

      After getting in, he rolled down the window. He also liked fresh air. In his capacity as Managing Director of the Harrison Hunt Foundation, when he wasn’t sitting on his butt in the office, he spent a lot of time traveling to various facilities. That was the hardest part about his job at the distribution center—having to be indoors all day long.

      The drive to Jake’s was short. When he got there, the parking lot was already half-full, even though it was early by most standards. He parked the pickup, locked it and strode toward the entrance.

      The inside of Jake’s sported dark woods, dart boards on the far wall, and long tables rather than booths. Alex smiled at the player piano cranking out “The Entertainer” and the pretty waitresses in their short black skirts and white blouses. He saw there was also a juke box and some video games on the far wall.

      Spying Rick at a long table near the bar, he walked over to join the HuntCom group. He’d met most of them already. A quick glance told him if P.J. was coming, she hadn’t made it yet.

      “Hey, Alex,” Rick said. Sliding his chair over, he made room for Alex to join them. “You know everyone?”

      “I don’t believe we’ve met,” said a striking blonde sitting on the other side of Rick. “I’m Carrie Wancheck. I work in payroll.”

      “Alex Noble,” Alex said, leaning over to shake her hand. “I’ve seen you around.” He was almost certain she was one of the women who had checked him out during his first couple of days on the job.

      She was very pretty, but too young for him, nearer his sister’s age than his. He guessed she was probably in her early twenties. He knew a lot of men who had married women fifteen and twenty years younger than them—in fact, the older the men, the more they seemed to like young women. But he wanted someone who wasn’t a kid. Someone with ideas, who maybe read the newspaper and had opinions on more than fashions and movies.

      Someone like P.J.

      The thought came unbidden, almost surprising him. Yet he knew it had been brewing for a while.

      “So how do you like working at HuntCom?” Carrie asked.

      “I like it fine.”

      She smiled. “And we certainly like having you.”

      Her tone left no doubt that she was flirting with him. “Thanks,” he answered casually. “It seems like a good place to work.”

      “You want a beer?” Rick said, pushing his chair back and standing.

      “Yeah, but I can go get it. Or wait for the waitress to bring me one.”

      “Okay. Enjoy. I’ve gotta get going or Maria will kill me.”

      There were good-natured mutters of “henpecked” and “who wears the pants in your family, Rick?” as he headed for the bar.

      The moment he was gone, Carrie slid over onto his vacated seat. She smiled up at Alex. “So I hear you’re from Sacramento?”

      “Not from Sacramento. I was born in the San Diego area.”

      That was actually true. Alex’s mother had been visiting friends in La Jolla when her water broke—three weeks early—and she gave birth to Alex there. Without Harry’s presence, as she had bitterly said more than once.

      “I worked in Sacramento before moving here, though.” Alex felt he could carry this myth off without tripping himself up because he’d spent a couple of weeks in Sacramento in the course of doing the foundation’s work.

      “What made you come to this area?”

      “My brothers all live around here.” Now why did he say that?

      “Brothers?” Her eyes met his coyly. “Are they all as good-looking as you are?”

      Alex was saved from having to answer by Rick’s reappearance. “Hey,” he said to Carrie. “You stole my seat.”

      She grinned. “Yes, I did.”

      He made a face at Alex, handed him his beer—Miller on tap—and sat in her old seat.

      “You guys want to hear a joke?” said one of the men on the other side of the table.

      “Is it clean? There are ladies present,” someone else—Alex thought his name was Mike—said.

      “Ladies?” the jokester countered, laughing. “I don’t see no ladies.”

      “Hey, watch it,” Carrie said.

      “Oh. Didn’t see you there, Carrie,” he answered with a mock frown.

      The banter continued and Alex was able to turn his attention away from Carrie without being rude, but when Rick got up a few minutes later, saying he had to leave, she put her hand on Alex’s arm and leaned closer.

      “I know a much quieter and nicer place where we could have some privacy.” Her smile was suggestive. “And they have much better food.”

      Alex was taken off-guard and for a moment and couldn’t think how to answer her. “Thanks, Carrie, but I have to be going myself.”

      She pouted. “Oh, do you? Darn. I was really hoping to get to know you better.”

      And Alex had been hoping to have dinner there, with the others, especially if P.J. should show up, but now there was no way he could. Damn. He’d have to figure out a way to head little Miss Carrie off at the pass. She wasn’t even being subtle about her intentions. But she was definitely too young for him, no matter how pretty and sexy she was. More important, he couldn’t imagine his aunt approving of someone like her, even if he were interested.

      After draining his beer, he stood. “Have a good weekend, everyone. I’ve got to be going, too.”

      “Sure you won’t change your mind?” Carrie asked.

      Alex just shook his head and said his goodbyes, making a quick exit.

      As he drove home to his apartment, he wondered if J.T. and Gray were faring any better than he was in finding a suitable candidate to be the next Mrs. Hunt. Justin, of course, had already found his—the mother of his year-old daughter, Ava. A daughter Justin’d had no idea even existed, because Lily, Ava’s mother and Justin’s former lover, had never told him about her after their breakup.

      Alex smiled thinking of Ava. He hadn’t met his niece yet but he’d seen a photo of her, and she was a winner. With her dark hair and dimples, she was clearly a Hunt. In fact, she looked exactly like Justin. And from the look on Harry’s face when he’d seen that photo, she’d already captured his heart.

      For a moment when Justin had told them about Lily, Ava’s mother, Alex had hoped Harry would drop the challenge for the