Read Online The Gift: Book 1 (The Billionaire's Love Story) by Lily Zante - Free Book Online
Authors: Lily Zante
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me.”
Jacob’s face glowed with excitement. “To work? With you? Really, Mom?”
“Yes, really.”
He ran off, super excited. With Rosalee’s grandson falling ill and her going to stay at her son’s two days earlier than planned it now meant that she had two days without childcare. She had no option but to take Jacob to work.
But she was worried too, especially knowing that Briony and the other women were away now until the New Year. She hoped she wouldn’t run into Tobias Stone—not now, with him being so mad at her. She needed all the work she could get and while it hurt her, the delay in receiving payment, she knew next month would be sweeter for it. She’d dipped into her savings and bought the Christmas gift that Jacob had coveted, as well as a few other little things she knew he would like and she couldn’t wait to see his face when she gave them to him. She wanted to make this Christmas special and hoped that it would herald a new beginning for them both.
Tomorrow, she had the pressure of getting Jacob into the building. She had decided to leave early in the morning, before the masses turned up for work, and she would find some way of keeping him hidden in the office. Thankfully it would be empty. She only had two days left at work and then she’d need a Christmas miracle to save her from more debt worries.
Chapter 13
Tobias Stone walked around the foyer outside the grand ballroom of the hotel and had already lost the enthusiasm to attend his own Christmas party.
He ’d been on a mission to speak to Savannah Page—to make himself feel better—to have her see that he wasn’t always a total hard-nosed bastard. Her name had been on the list of attendees from the 21st floor. He’d purposely asked for that list from Candace for this very reason. But she obviously wasn’t coming. He looked around for Briony, hoping that she might give him a clue as to why.
He was about to walk up to her when Candace rushed to his side. Dressed in a bright red cocktail dress, she was impossible to miss. She’d been here all day overseeing the plans for this evening.
“Tobias,” she trilled, flashing him an ultra-bright smile that made him wince. “Nice of you to attend your own Christmas party.”
“I thought I’d show my face.”
“I hope you’re staying for dinner, after your usual annual address, since you’re not jetting off this time.”
“I’ll stay for dinner.” Or maybe not. Maybe he would disappear after the appetizers.
“How did Naomi take it? The news about you staying in New York?” Everyone, even Candace, believed that Naomi was his girlfriend and he liked to keep it that way. He paid Naomi enough for her to keep her mouth shut.
He shrugged. Naomi had no opinion. He didn’t pay her for her opinion. But it hadn’t stopped her from whining or making the occasional remark when she’d found out that he wasn’t going away this Christmas. She was onto a good deal, and the girl was smart, she knew it wasn’t in her best interests to piss him off.
“You’re not very talkative this evening, are you?” Candace was the only other person who spoke to him on an even level, like that Page woman. But sometimes Candace’s over familiarity grated on him. He clenched his jaw. “Let me get you a drink,” she suggested, hooking her attention onto a poor, unsuspecting waiter. “It might loosen you up.”
“No,” he shook his head.
“You need to lighten up, Tobias.” She grabbed a drink for him nonetheless.
“I didn’t know I paid you to disregard my orders.” Taking the glass of champagne from her, he saw the mischief in her eyes and guessed that she’d had more than a couple of drinks by now.
“Sometimes you need to be told, Tobias.”
“There are boundaries, Candace. Don’t forget them,” he said, before she made a comment that would make them both uncomfortable. She was excellent at her job but sometimes he wasn’t sure if she wasn’t slowly crossing the line. If
Jacob’s face glowed with excitement. “To work? With you? Really, Mom?”
“Yes, really.”
He ran off, super excited. With Rosalee’s grandson falling ill and her going to stay at her son’s two days earlier than planned it now meant that she had two days without childcare. She had no option but to take Jacob to work.
But she was worried too, especially knowing that Briony and the other women were away now until the New Year. She hoped she wouldn’t run into Tobias Stone—not now, with him being so mad at her. She needed all the work she could get and while it hurt her, the delay in receiving payment, she knew next month would be sweeter for it. She’d dipped into her savings and bought the Christmas gift that Jacob had coveted, as well as a few other little things she knew he would like and she couldn’t wait to see his face when she gave them to him. She wanted to make this Christmas special and hoped that it would herald a new beginning for them both.
Tomorrow, she had the pressure of getting Jacob into the building. She had decided to leave early in the morning, before the masses turned up for work, and she would find some way of keeping him hidden in the office. Thankfully it would be empty. She only had two days left at work and then she’d need a Christmas miracle to save her from more debt worries.
Chapter 13
Tobias Stone walked around the foyer outside the grand ballroom of the hotel and had already lost the enthusiasm to attend his own Christmas party.
He ’d been on a mission to speak to Savannah Page—to make himself feel better—to have her see that he wasn’t always a total hard-nosed bastard. Her name had been on the list of attendees from the 21st floor. He’d purposely asked for that list from Candace for this very reason. But she obviously wasn’t coming. He looked around for Briony, hoping that she might give him a clue as to why.
He was about to walk up to her when Candace rushed to his side. Dressed in a bright red cocktail dress, she was impossible to miss. She’d been here all day overseeing the plans for this evening.
“Tobias,” she trilled, flashing him an ultra-bright smile that made him wince. “Nice of you to attend your own Christmas party.”
“I thought I’d show my face.”
“I hope you’re staying for dinner, after your usual annual address, since you’re not jetting off this time.”
“I’ll stay for dinner.” Or maybe not. Maybe he would disappear after the appetizers.
“How did Naomi take it? The news about you staying in New York?” Everyone, even Candace, believed that Naomi was his girlfriend and he liked to keep it that way. He paid Naomi enough for her to keep her mouth shut.
He shrugged. Naomi had no opinion. He didn’t pay her for her opinion. But it hadn’t stopped her from whining or making the occasional remark when she’d found out that he wasn’t going away this Christmas. She was onto a good deal, and the girl was smart, she knew it wasn’t in her best interests to piss him off.
“You’re not very talkative this evening, are you?” Candace was the only other person who spoke to him on an even level, like that Page woman. But sometimes Candace’s over familiarity grated on him. He clenched his jaw. “Let me get you a drink,” she suggested, hooking her attention onto a poor, unsuspecting waiter. “It might loosen you up.”
“No,” he shook his head.
“You need to lighten up, Tobias.” She grabbed a drink for him nonetheless.
“I didn’t know I paid you to disregard my orders.” Taking the glass of champagne from her, he saw the mischief in her eyes and guessed that she’d had more than a couple of drinks by now.
“Sometimes you need to be told, Tobias.”
“There are boundaries, Candace. Don’t forget them,” he said, before she made a comment that would make them both uncomfortable. She was excellent at her job but sometimes he wasn’t sure if she wasn’t slowly crossing the line. If
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