“I’m glad you think so,” Graham told her, shaking his head. “I’m afraid they would eat me alive.”
Holly looked surprised. “But you’re Graham Bell. All of my students adore you. I had three write that you are their favorite inventor this year.”
“Are you sure they didn’t mean Alexander Graham Bell?” Graham teased, making Holly laugh.
The fact that another man had her laughing made Nathan’s mouth go sour. Graham was a handsome and single man. Holly had known who he was. Granted, most of the world could recognize the billionaire who now specialized in rockets and space technology. Still, he didn’t like the awe in the way she looked at him. Jealousy tried to rear its ugly head.
“I’m afraid I’m not any good with kids,” Graham continued. The polite but nonplussed blink was quick across Holly’s face. “I don’t like them and they don’t like me.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she told him, her voice losing the laughter. The jealousy disappeared. Holly wouldn’t want anyone who didn’t like children. They were her world. Graham wasn’t his competition. At least, not in this.
“Would you please excuse me?” Graham asked. “I see the a seat at the poker table just opened up and I’m feeling lucky. My friend Alex is there and I need to steal his money.”
Nathan recognized the man at the craps table as another billionaire. A lovely young woman was laughing at something witty he'd just said.
“Good luck,” Holly said, giving Graham a smile. It grated on Nathan’s nerves that she even did that for him.
“Thank you.” Graham grinned back at her before turning to Nathan. “Would you care to join me?”
“Not tonight,” Nathan replied. He took a step closer to Holly.
“I think you’ve already won the grand prize tonight,” Graham said softly, shaking Nathan’s hand before going to the tables.
Holly stared after him. “Wow. Two billionaires. I met two billionaires today. No one is going to believe me.”
Nathan chuckled. “And you haven’t even seen the entire guest list,” he told her.
“What, is there a trillionaire that’s coming as well?” She winked at him. “Or maybe some famous actor or band?”
“You don’t recognize the band now?” Nathan asked, motioning to the stage where mus
icians sang holiday songs.
Holly frowned, taking a step toward the music. Then her eyes went wide. “Is that really the Tones?”
“When you have three billionaires in attendance, you tend to get good music,” Nathan told her. He enjoyed watching her reaction as she realized it was the famous rock group. Later, they would play their own music.
They continued to walk around the room, making their way to the windows where it was slightly quieter and more intimate.
“Is this how your normal life works?” Holly asked him. “Famous rich people, rock stars and money?”
Nathan shrugged. “It’s not usually this crowded.”
She shook her head. They found a little love seat nestled into the window overlooking the ski basin. Snow still came down hard and fast. Night had come and now the flakes danced under the lights of the ski-resort.
Her leg rested next to his. The chair was too small for them to truly sit apart, and Nathan found his heart beating faster just being near her. This felt intimate, despite the fact that there were other people just on the other side of the room.
“Oh look,” Holly said, pointing upward. “Mistletoe.”
Nathan’s eyes went up and saw that someone had hung a small sprig of green over the love seat. Given that it was a love seat, he could understand the placement.
“You said you don’t really like holiday things,” Holly said, her eyes still on the greenery. “How do you feel about mistletoe?”
“I think I can learn to like it,” he replied.
And then he kissed her.
Chapter 15