Miss Claus and the Millionaire Read online

  “Oh?” Roman said, straightening in his seat.

  “I need help starting my Miss Claus nonprofit campaign. The whole point of my online business was to help raise funds to support single mothers at Christmas. I think Ryzhov can help me fast-track that.”

  Roman nodded.

  “What else?”

  Nicole pursed her lips. She hadn’t considered getting a “what else.” She’d known what she was going to ask for, of course, but had assumed she would be shot down at her first request. However, as she read Roman’s face in the soft, warm lighting, something told her to go for it. He had come all this way and continued their meeting even after being drenched with a tray of oysters. He was willing to listen. What did she have to lose? She took in a deep breath and before she lost her nerve, the words came tumbling from her lips.

  “I don’t want my product to be mass-produced, or created in a way that is unethical. I want to hire and train artisans the way my mother trained me, and I want to make sure they are paid a living wage.”

  Nicole held her breath again, waiting as Roman processed her request. A curious expression played out across his face. She didn’t know him well enough to tell what the half frown, half smile meant.

  “It’s… going to mean that the product will be very expensive to produce,” she continued, tentatively. “And there isn’t going to be a big market for the kind of artisanal products I make.”

  “The CEO of Ryzhov disagrees.” Roman smiled. “I don’t think your terms are unreasonable at all. I think we’ll be able to draw up a contract you’ll be pleased with.”

  Nicole frowned and tipped her head to the side. She couldn’t be sure what she’d just heard, but it sounded like a major conglomerate corporation was going to meet her demands.

  “And… I’ll still have a say on the creative direction of Miss Claus & Co.?” she asked, trying to slow her breathing. Her heart jackhammered in her chest, and she hoped that her soon-to-be business partner didn’t notice.

  “Absolutely.” He nodded. “I’ll do my best to see that your conditions are met.”

  “I… I don’t know what to say,” Nicole said, her hand rising to cover her mouth.

  “Say yes,” Roman said, extending a hand. “We’ll take good care of you and your brand. You have my word.”

  Nicole looked over at the man who had only a few days earlier paid more for one of her hand-painted dolls than she could have dreamed. He wasn’t being pushy, and his voice and eyes were kind. She wasn’t used to trusting strangers, and Miss Claus & Co. was something she held near and dear to her heart. However, Nicole knew that if she was going to move forward she had to make a leap. She had to trust. She had to take a chance.

  “Okay,” she said, slipping her hand into his. His grip was smooth and warm and firm, and their eyes met as they sealed the agreement. “It’s a deal.”

  They shook hands slowly and deliberately. It was a strange notion, shaking hands to strike a business deal. The motion should have been professional, businesslike. Instead, his hand in hers brought on an unexpected wave of emotion that caused her world to spin. Nicole felt her breath catch in her throat, and the lights around her began to blur at the edges.

  “Are you okay?” Roman asked. He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her. Nicole looked down at his hand and then back up again at the face that she was quickly becoming fond of. The world snapped back into focus and she breathed again.

  “Yeah, I think I just need to move. This is all a little overwhelming. Can we go down by the water?”

  “Of course,” he said, helping her up.

  As soon as they left the bench, Nicole felt the blood rush back into her arms and legs. She picked up her heels and trudged barefoot through the grass toward the seawall, taking deep breaths of the balmy evening air into her lungs. With every step, she became more and more aware of Roman at her side, and the way they walked in step together. She liked being near him.

  “I’m glad you suggested coming here instead,” Roman said, guiding her toward the water. “I don’t spend much time downtown.”

  “Oh yeah, it’s great,” she said, finally feeling a little clearer. “I’ll be back down here this Saturday, in fact. For the children's parade.”

  “Just… to watch?” he asked.

  “Not exactly,” she explained. “The organization I volunteer with is hosting a float. I’m going to be in charge of the kids and help them decorate. It’s the organization I hope to partner with, actually.”

  “Oh, well, perhaps I should come and check it out, then,” Roman said, nodding to himself. “You know, so I can report back to the board of directors and let them know what we would be investing in.”

  “You would really do that?”

  They came to a stop at the edge of the seawall, the dark, softly lapping water of the bay spread out before them. A dozen sailboats decked in swags of multicolored lights for the season bobbed out on the water, bringing a festive feel even to the waterfront.

  “Yeah, it sounds like fun, actually. I’ve never been to a parade or worked one before. It’ll be something new.”

  Nicole shook her head. “Well, okay then. We’ll be down here at eight a.m.,” she said, still in disbelief.

  Nicole had heard sentiments like this before. She knew that people often had good intentions when it came to volunteering and she only half expected Roman to follow through. She studied his profile set against the dark urban shoreline and hoped that he would prove her wrong.

  “How did you choose your business name, may I ask?”

  “Oh,” she said, the question catching her off guard. “Miss Claus & Co.?”

  “Yes,” he said. “It’s especially convenient this time of year.”

  “Well, it has to do with the foundation I’m trying to start,” she explained. She paused for a moment, happy to have a change of subject. She normally didn’t talk about her past with other people, especially someone she didn’t know that well. Still, she found herself wanting to open up to Roman.

  “I grew up very poor,” she started. “My mother could never afford to make Christmas happen for me. I want to help create a foundation where single parents can apply and get aid during the holidays for their children. It will kind of empower mothers especially to be ‘Miss Claus’… you know?”

  “That’s actually very clever,” he said thoughtfully. “The name is one of the things that caught our company’s eye about your brand.”

  Nicole looked at Roman, more intrigued than ever. She was used to people pitying her when she told them about her past. It was nice to not have to continue to explain herself further.

  “I wasn’t so sure about the name, honestly. What’s Santa’s wife named, anyway? No one knows!” she joked, trying to lighten the mood. “Miss Claus just sounded right.”

  “Well, I like it. I think it pairs well with the handcrafted nature of your work,” he said.

  Nicole looked at her feet, hoping the dark would mask her blush. A comfortable quiet fell between them, with the murmur of the city at their back and the quiet serenity of the bay spread out before them. Roman had a faraway look in his eyes as he stared out into the wide, dark expanse of sea. The business meeting that Nicole had been both looking forward to and dreading all week had taken a strange and wonderful turn. Now, standing next to this unquestionably attractive man in an accidentally romantic location, Nicole didn’t know how to proceed. It didn’t feel like a business meeting at all, even though they had talked about business. It was starting to feel dangerously like something else all together.

  A maritime horn blared over the water in the distance, breaking the heavy silence between them. They both jumped at the sound and shared a weak smile.

  “Well, I suppose I should have Joseph bring me home soon,” she said with a nervous laugh.

  “Right. Yes… home,” Roman said, shaking his head. “I’ll call him for you.”

  He quickly averted his gaze and pulled out his phone, nearly dropping it.

  “Thank you,” Nicole said, amusedly watching him. A wisp of hair stuck out from behind his ear at an odd angle, likely still saturated with cocktail sauce from colliding with the oyster tray. She admired Roman’s high cheekbones and dark eyes as he spoke on the phone, and decided that his sharp features gave him an aristocratic air. Angular perfection was a look that Nicole wasn’t normally drawn to, but she couldn’t deny that her soon-to-be business partner was alarmingly attractive. Somehow his sudden onset of nervousness paired with his easygoing manner made him even more endearing to her, and in that moment she knew that she was in trouble.

  “Thanks, Joseph,” he said, hanging up. “He says he’ll meet us by the entrance.”

  They strolled back through the park toward the city in silence, Nicole’s borrowed platform pumps swaying at her fingertips. Thunder rumbled in the distance and the scent of rain blew at their backs from the waterfront, bringing with it the promise of a cold front.

  “I’ll bring your requests back to the office tomorrow and get the lawyers to draw up a contract. It might take some time.”

  “That sounds fine.” Nicole smiled. “So I guess I’ll see you Saturday?”

  “Absolutely,” Roman said.

  The sidewalk crunched under Roman’s feet, stopping him dead in his tracks. Instinctively, he held his arm out like a barricade to prevent Nicole from going any further, and a small gasp of surprise escaped from her lips. The back of his arm was warm and unexpected against her chest and she frowned in confusion at the sudden halt. The entire pathway directly in front of them was littered with broken glass. Nicole’s eyes bugged wide at the realization of what had nearly happened.

  “Stay here,” he said.

  N
icole waited and watched as Roman kicked the largest shards of glass out of the way. She slipped back into her heels, silently cursing herself for being so dumb.

  “I shouldn’t have been going barefoot in the city,” she apologized as he continued to scan the sidewalk.

  “I think you’re safe to walk now,” he said, extending a hand.

  Nicole paused and accepted his gesture, taking one careful step after the other around the glass. For a moment, her mind drifted to the image of a Regency-era suitor using his cloak to carpet a muddy road for a lady of high society. A knight helping a damsel cross a treacherous body of water. She shook the notion away and held on to his hand only until she was out of the spray of glass.

  “Thank you,” she said, grimacing. “I think I need to invest in some better shoes. High heels just aren’t for me.”

  “No need to explain.” He shrugged, their eyes meeting again.

  A set of headlights blinded them, and the low whine of brakes and tires crunching on asphalt signaled that Joseph had returned. Nicole regretted calling the night to an end in that moment. Something about Roman had grown on her that evening, something that felt familiar and foreign all at once. It had been a long time since she’d enjoyed an evening in the company of a man, especially one she was growing more and more attracted to with every passing minute. It had been a long time since she had even wanted to.

  Magnetic.

  The word crossed her mind as she found herself struggling to pull away from their evening. Perhaps she could tell Joseph never mind, that she didn’t need a ride. Their eyes met again and the urge to stay felt greater than ever. She didn’t want to get into the luxury car again. Not just yet.

  “Sir, will you be requiring a ride as well?”

  Joseph opened the door for Nicole and waited patiently as the city buzzed around them. Nicole’s heart thudded in her ears at the prospect of riding in the car with Roman. An image of them entwined in the back seat flashed before her eyes and made her heart race even faster.

  “No, I’ll drive myself home,” he said.

  “Very good.” Joseph nodded.

  Nicole exhaled, but her heart continued to pound away just the same. She was relieved and disappointed all at once as she waved goodbye and slid into the black leather seat.

  Get a hold of yourself, she told herself, trying to regulate her breath and her heartbeat.

  Nicole could barely hear their murmured voices as she sat in the car and waited. She watched through the tinted windows as Roman’s darkened figure disappeared down the sidewalk toward the restaurant once again. Something heavy and unnamed settled into her chest.

  “Back to home, miss?” Joseph asked.

  “Yes, please,” she said, still searching for him in the crowd. Roman had disappeared into the night, just as quickly as he had come into her life, and for Nicole, Saturday couldn’t come soon enough.

  Chapter Six

  Nicole returned home that evening to find Talisha and Raquel cuddled together on the couch. She tossed her keys on the entryway table and smiled at the warm and welcoming scene that greeted her: a Christmas movie was playing on the TV, the scent of Talisha’s signature gingerbread filled the air, and their shared tree in the corner had been completely decorated. Nicole’s heart sank a little when she saw the tree and realized that she had missed their yearly tradition.

  “Sorry you had to finish the tree without me,” she said, plopping on the couch next to them. “I wanted to get around to it… this week has been so crazy.”

  “That’s okay, we saved the star for you,” Talisha said, passing her a bowl of popcorn. “How was your dinner meeting?”

  “What did you order? The rack of lamb? The filet Oscar?” Raquel asked.

  “I had a hot dog,” Nicole said, kicking off her heels. “And it was the best dinner I’ve had in a long time.”

  “A hot dog?” Talisha repeated.

  “There was… an accident,” she explained, hugging a throw pillow. “A server spilled a whole tray of oysters on the marketing exec… on Roman. We ended up just leaving and having a hot dog in the park instead.”

  Talisha and Raquel shared a smirk, then looked back at Nicole.

  “What?”

  “I knew it,” Talisha said, throwing a piece of popcorn at her.

  “Knew what?”

  “I saw the way he was looking at you at the Christmas market,” she said. “A walk in the park sounds more like a date than a business meeting.”

  Nicole buried her head into her pillow and let out a low wail.

  “So what happened? Did you get a deal or what?”

  Nicole came back up for air and looked around their apartment. If everything went to plan, this time next year she probably wouldn’t be sitting in the living room watching old Christmas movies with her girlfriends. Everything was about to change. Everything.

  “I got the deal!” she squealed.

  “Yes!”

  “I knew it!”

  Talisha and Raquel wrapped her in a combination high-five hug, followed by another pillow-screaming session. The bowl of popcorn fell to the floor and the Christmas movie was forgotten as Nicole relayed the events of the evening to her two closest friends. When she finally got to the part of the evening where Roman swept the broken glass out of her way, Nicole paused.

  “And then,” she said. “I knew.”

  “Knew what?” Talisha asked, a wry grin spread across her face.

  “I knew I was going to fall for him.”

  Nicole’s face disappeared into her pillow once again.

  “Good!” Talisha exclaimed. “It’s about time.”

  “Talisha!” she said, sitting back upright. “I can’t have the hots for my business partner. It’s completely inappropriate and just a bad idea all around.”

  “She’s got a point,” Raquel chimed in. “Workplace romances are a no-no.”

  “But this is different,” Talisha argued. “It’s not like he’s going to be your boss.”

  “I know, but it just feels like I shouldn’t…” Nicole said, her mind drifting back to their walk in the park. “Oh, but I want to.”

  “Just wait for the ink to dry on your contract and then jump on that beautiful man,” Talisha said, shrugging. “Once it’s a done deal then all bets are off the table.”

  “Ugh, I don’t know,” Nicole said, hauling herself off the couch. “I’m seeing him again on Saturday.”

  “Don’t you have the children’s parade thing on Saturday?”

  “Yep.” Nicole cringed. “He offered to volunteer and help out.”

  “Girl, I don’t think you’re going to be the one with the problem keeping things just business.” Talisha said, shaking her head. “Sounds like Mr. Marketing Exec is the one having a hard time staying away from you.”

  “I’m not going to hold my breath,” Nicole said, heading toward her room. “If he actually does show up to volunteer, I just might die from shock.”

  ***

  “How did it go?”

  Roman returned home after his semi-disastrous dinner with Nicole later that evening to find Janeane propped up on her favorite velvet chaise by the Christmas tree. Despite the still balmy Florida winter evening, a small fire was crackling in the oversized fireplace next to the tree that she had decorated with care. That night, Roman couldn’t help but appreciate coming home to such a warm scene, and was grateful to see that his confidante was wide awake. He had a lot to tell her, after all.

  “A server spilled an entire tray of raw oysters on my head,” he said, plopping down next to her.

  “That good, huh?” she chuckled, putting down her book.

  “Ruined my favorite dinner jacket,” he said. “I think I still have some cocktail sauce in my hair.”

  “So did you come to an agreement? Did you make the deal?”

  “Almost,” Roman said, taking out his phone. “I… ended up volunteering to help her with something this weekend.”

  “You? Volunteer?” Janeane sat up. “Well, this business must be very special indeed.”

  “It is… she is.” he said.

  “Mm-hmm.” She nodded knowingly.

  “Janeane, what am I supposed to do?” he asked, running his hands through his hair. His fingers snagged in a lock still encrusted with cocktail sauce. “Ow.”