The Billionaire's New Year Gift. Emma Darcy

sans kids, of course.”

      Sans kids. I’ll always be sans kids. For some reason, the thought hurt. Really hurt. That surprised P.J. She’d thought she was long past the pain of knowing she would probably never have a child of her own.

      “So what now? Are you in love with him?” Courtney asked eagerly.

      “I don’t know how I feel. I’m certainly in lust with him.”

      “Well, that’s a good start. Are you seeing him again?”

      P.J. nodded. “Tonight.”

      “Is he taking you out or are you just going to cut to the chase?”

      “We’re having dinner together. But I was halfway thinking I should call him and cancel.”

      “What? Why?”

      “For all the reasons I gave you before. Number one, this relationship can’t go anywhere. And number two, he works for me.”

      “Wait a minute…why can’t it go anywhere?”

      “You know why…marriage is not for me.”

      “So? You can just live together. And as far as the job thing goes, find another job. Jobs are a dime a dozen. But trust me on this, Paige. Great guys are hard to find. No, not hard. Impossible!”

      P.J. stared at her sister as though she’d lost her mind. “Quit my job?”

      “I would. Shoot, P.J., if you’ve found someone special and he could be ‘the one’ what’s a job compared to that? Besides, you and I both know you don’t need to work.” She finished off the last bite of her muffin and wiped her mouth with her napkin.

      “I like working.”

      “Okay, fine. You like working. But it doesn’t have to be there, does it? Dad can set you up with any kind of job you want.”

      “I don’t want any favors from Dad.”

      Courtney rolled her eyes. “You are the most stubborn person I’ve ever known. Dad would love to have you working for him.”

      P.J. was sure her sister was right. But she’d put in more than seven years at HuntCom. She was respected there, not for being the daughter of the owner as she would be at one of her father’s facilities, but for her intelligence and hard work. She didn’t want to leave HuntCom. “There’s something else…” she finally said.

      “What?”

      “I don’t really know anything about Alex.”

      “Like what?”

      “Well…he obviously comes from a classy back ground. So why is he working a blue-collar job? He’s got to be hiding something.”

      “Paige, listen to you. You’re hiding something.”

      P.J. frowned. “I know, but I have a damned good reason. I don’t want to be treated differently than my coworkers, and they would treat me differently if they knew about the Kincaid money.”

      “So? Maybe he has a damned good reason, too.”

      “What if he’s hiding something bad?”

      “Like what?” Courtney said again.

      “I don’t know. I just—” She broke off. “Something doesn’t seem quite right with him.”

      “Have you asked him why he’s working there?”

      “Yes.”

      “What did he say?”

      “He admitted he’d gone to college but didn’t like the business world.”

      “P.J., this guy sounds perfect. In fact, he sounds just like you!”

      P.J. made a face. “I’m not sure he told me the truth.”

      “But…what other reason could he have for doing the kind of work he’s doing?”

      “He could be a spy.”

      “A spy!”

      “Yeah, a spy. Corporate spies exist, you know.”

      “Do you really think that?”

      “I don’t know.” The truth was, P.J. didn’t know what she thought. “I Googled him, you know.”

      Courtney smiled. “And?”

      “Nothing. Well, there were Alex Nobles, but none that matched him.”

      “That doesn’t mean anything.”

      “I know, but still…”

      “You want to know what I think?”

      P.J. nodded.

      “I think you’re scared.”

      P.J. wanted to deny this, but she had a sinking feeling her sister was right. The truth was, Alex was dangerous to her well-being. It was as if he’d gotten into her brain and rewired it or something. Hadn’t last night proven that? Just being near him had messed with her mind to the extent she’d behaved in a way she’d never have imagined herself doing.

      Courtney drained her latte and stood up. “I’ve got to go. But I have one last thing to say. If you push Alex away because you’re scared, then you’re not the woman I thought you were.”

      And with that, she blew P.J. a kiss, and walked out of the coffee shop.

       Chapter Nine

      Alex decided to go for broke. After doing a bit of research, he called and made a reservation at the River Lodge, which stood on a rise overlooking the Jansen River a few miles north of town. Supposedly, the Lodge was one of the nicest restaurants around and famous for its great seafood and tender steaks. And on Friday and Saturday nights, a combo played live music. It sounded perfect and romantic, just what he wanted. After all, he didn’t have a lot of time to woo P.J. Harry’s deadline was only nine months away.

      Alex also made the round trip into downtown Seattle and unearthed one of his favorite outfits: custom-made dress pants in a shade of soft gray, a dark gray silk T-shirt, and a black cashmere jacket. The clothes were expensive, but if she happened to comment, he could sheepishly admit that he occasionally splurged on good clothes.

      On the way back to Jansen, he stopped at a florist’s shop. The florist—a pretty woman about fifty with bright green eyes—asked if she could help him.

      “I’d like a bouquet of flowers. Roses, probably.”

      “For a woman?”

      “A special woman,” Alex said.

      “What color is her hair?”

      Alex blinked. “Her hair? It’s red. Actually, kind of a red-gold.”

      “Then I suggest peach roses.” So saying, she walked to a large cooler and removed a container.

      The moment Alex saw the color, he knew they were perfect.

      “Have a wonderful evening,” the florist said after Alex had paid for the flowers and was leaving.

      “I intend to,” he said, smiling.

      He left his apartment at six-forty-five and arrived at her condo ten minutes later. The florist had talked him into letting her put the flowers in a vase instead of taking them to P.J. in a box. “You’ll be glad you did,” she’d said. “Otherwise, your special lady will have to find somewhere to put them and she might not have a tall enough vase.”

      Holding the vase in one hand, Alex rang P.J.’s doorbell with the other. She opened the door on the second ring.

      Holy