The Billionaire's New Year Gift. Emma Darcy

he didn’t feel like stopping at any of the restaurants he’d seen and eating by himself. Nor did he feel like cooking tonight, although cooking was one of his passions.

      Normally he loved cooking for himself, and he never minded eating alone. But tonight…tonight he wanted company.

      Oh, hell, admit it. You’re lonely.

      He wondered what his brothers would say if he ever admitted this to them. They all seemed perfectly happy to be single. Well, maybe not Justin anymore. Now that Lily, the mother of his child, was back in his life, he seemed different. Alex knew without being told that calling Lily when he first knew he had to find a bride quickly was one of the best decisions Justin had ever made. It was obvious that he cared about her. Alex didn’t know the background of the two of them—only that they’d been lovers at one time.

      But J.T. and Gray? They were stereotypical, self-possessed and self-absorbed bachelors—J.T. with his island and Gray with his business interests.

      Alex had always known he was different from his brothers, and this deep-seated loneliness had always isolated him even more. Part of Alex knew the loneliness would only be assuaged by having someone to share his life, someone who loved him unconditionally. He also knew he probably wouldn’t feel this way if he’d had that kind of love from either his mother or Harry.

      Don’t go there.

      Alex forced himself to stop thinking about what he didn’t have in his life. Long ago he’d made up his mind that he wasn’t going to feel sorry for himself. Instead, he would build the kind of life he wanted with the kinds of people he wanted to be around, and he would be content with that. But no matter how many times he’d reinforced his goals, he couldn’t seem to erase that bone-deep loneliness that always seemed to be waiting for him anytime he lowered his guard.

      Tonight was one of those nights.

      In an effort to put off the time when he’d have to face his empty apartment, Alex decided to stop at the bookstore he’d noticed in a shopping center a block over from his street. He was just about out of reading material and he knew Greg Isles had a new book out, one Alex was looking forward to reading.

      After killing three-quarters of an hour and spending more than a hundred bucks on books, Alex’s stomach began to grumble. Time to head home. But as he walked out to the parking lot, he spied a Thai restaurant he hadn’t noticed before. He loved Thai food and hadn’t had any in weeks.

      Abruptly changing his mind about going home, he switched direction and headed for the entrance to the restaurant.

      Alex finished some really excellent hot and sour soup and an order of crispy egg rolls and settled back into his booth to wait for his entree. He was glad he’d decided to eat at the restaurant rather than getting takeout. Even though he was alone, he felt better here than he would have in his empty apartment.

      He sipped at his Singha beer and idly watched the other diners: an Oriental family of four with exceptionally well-behaved young boys, a college-age couple who were obviously lovers, a middle-aged couple who kept smiling at each other, and a table of four seniors who were laughing and talking like old friends.

      Alex felt wistful as he watched.

      A moment later, the bell on the front door jangled as a new customer walked in. Alex looked up. Blinked. And looked closer. Yes, that was definitely P.J. approaching the hostess. He watched as she picked up one of the takeout menus and studied it.

      In his second impulsive act of the evening, he slid from the booth and walked to the front.

      She looked up at his approach. The expression that flitted across her face—which she quickly banished—gave Alex the distinct feeling she was as pleased to see him as he was to see her.

      “Hey, P.J.,” he said.

      “Hi, Alex.”

      “You placing a takeout order?”

      “That’s the plan.”

      The hostess, a pretty girl who looked about seventeen, looked curiously from one to the other.

      “How about joining me instead?”

      P.J. hesitated, and for a moment, Alex thought she was going to refuse. Then she smiled. “Actually, I wouldn’t mind company. I’m really not much in the mood to eat alone.”

      “Good. I’m not, either.”

      He led her to his booth and waited until she slid in across from him before taking his seat. The pretty hostess had followed them and she handed P.J. a menu. “I’ll send your waiter,” she said before leaving them.

      P.J. glanced at the menu, then set it aside. “So how are you liking your job now that you’ve been with us a while?”

      Alex was glad he could answer truthfully. “I’m enjoying it a lot.”

      “That’s good. I confess, I’m surprised.”

      “Surprised? Why?”

      “You just don’t seem the type to be working at the center.”

      “What type is that?”

      She leaned back, a smile teasing the edges of her mouth. “I had you pegged for a college man. You seem much better suited to a white-collar job.”

      “I could say the same about you.”

      “Oh, really?”

      Alex returned her smile. “Yes, really.”

      “Well, you’d be wrong. My job suits me perfectly.”

      “You certainly do it well.”

      Once again, that pleased expression flitted across her face. “Thank you.”

      “You’re welcome.”

      Just then, their waiter approached.

      “I’ll have what he’s having,” P.J. said, pointing to Alex’s bottle of beer.

      “And I’ll have another,” Alex said.

      “I also want the pad thai,” P.J. said.

      Alex grinned. “I already ordered some. Want to get something different and we can share?”

      “Sure. How about the green curry chicken?”

      “Great.”

      Once the waiter had gone, P.J. settled back again and said, “So where were we?”

      “Saying neither one of us looks the type to be working in a big warehouse.” Alex figured he might as well be up-front about her comment. No sense pretending it hadn’t been said.

      She studied him thoughtfully. “Did you ever go to college?”

      “Yes.”

      “And?”

      “And what?”

      “And…did you get your degree?”

      Keeping to his promise to himself that he would tell the truth whenever he could, Alex said, “Yes, as a matter of fact, I did.” He didn’t think he needed to add that he’d also gotten a master’s degree.

      “So what happened?”

      “I didn’t like the business world.” Alex still didn’t like the business world. Thank God he didn’t have to be a part of it.

      “I didn’t like the business world, either,” she said.

      “What did you study in college?”

      “What makes you think I went to college?”

      “Oh, c’mon, P.J. It’s as plain as the nose on your face. You’re obviously well educated.”

      She shrugged. “On my father’s recommendation, I was in public relations. I hated every minute of it.”

      Alex