Page 30 of A Billionaire for Christmas

‘Couldn’t bear to be in the same room as us for more than five minutes?

Can’t blame him, poor sod,’ Lucca mumbled, his mouth full.

He turned to Molly. ‘Lord knows how, but my sister here managed to bag herself one of America’s nicest bachelors.

Poor Reuben. He has no idea of the madness he’s marrying into. Where is he then?’

Freda’s cheeks coloured. ‘He’s gone ice-fishing in Canada.’

‘Wow. He could not have gotten any further away from you.’

This earned Lucca a punch in the arm as he continued to poke around in the fridge. ‘Molly, do we have any more of these delicious snacks? That swim has made me ravenous.’

Molly pointed to another platter of hors d’oeuvres on the bottom shelf. She was enjoying this sibling exchange very much.

‘Molly. Could you please bring the margarita to my room? I’d rather watch Netflix than listen to my annoying brother all day.’

‘Sure. Salt or chilli?’ Molly had already found a shallow cocktail glass.

‘One of each, please,’ Freda exclaimed, delighted. ‘I’m in the annexe bedroom just over there.’ She pointed to the east wing of the lodge.

Lucca shook his head. ‘Welcome to the annual LeRoux family get-together, where we all ignore each other for a whole week, until the following year, when we get together to ignore each other all over again.’

Even though Lucca was smiling as he spoke, Molly noticed the heaviness in his tone. If she had ever been lucky enough to have siblings, she would not be ignoring them. A big, lively, family Christmas was right up there with her desire for a Michelin star.

‘Have you seen Levi?’ he asked, interrupting her thoughts. ‘By the way, these are scrumptious. Seriously good.’ He had devoured almost the whole tray. Molly inwardly groaned. She would have to make some more.

‘No. Sorry.’

‘He’ll be working, I guess. He’s always working.’ Lucca studied her. ‘Your eyes are puffy. Did he upset you?’

Damn.

‘No. Not at all.’ She rubbed her eyes self-consciously.

‘Good. Actually, I think I will have one of those margaritas too. Can you bring mine down to the spa, please?’

Toby wasn’t kidding when he said the family would keep her on her toes.

Molly busied herself squeezing fresh limes, running the lime round the edge of the glasses before dipping two of them in her French sea salt and one in the chilli salt she found in the spice cupboard.

She assembled the cocktails, added lime wedges and ice and placed all three on a tray.

As she approached Freda’s room, she heard shouting coming from behind one of the other bedroom doors.

A man’s voice. Yelling about fairways and greens, driving for show, putting for dough and going long or going home.

Then she heard Valerie loud and clear. ‘Oh, do fuck off with all that golf shit, Armand. Nobody cares about your hole in one.’

Molly knocked on Freda’s door. The young woman yanked it open, took the whole tray from her, rolled her eyes at all the shouting and shut the door.

When Molly eventually made it down to the spa with a new, hastily assembled drink for Lucca, he was in the sauna. She knocked on the door. ‘I’ll put your cocktail down on the… erm, this table out here.’

‘That’s okay. Bring it in.’

Molly hesitated. She didn’t fancy seeing Lucca undressed. ‘I’ll just leave it here. Outside.’

‘This isn’t Finland. I’m not naked. Bring it in. Don’t be shy.’

She blew out her cheeks. This family. They were so used to people obeying every command.

What was the proper etiquette?

She was just about to open the door when she heard a movement. Levi was standing a few feet away, arms folded. He was not happy. ‘Ticking off something from your bucket list?’

How dare he!

‘If you’ll just let me explain. I know it seems bad?—’

‘No need,’ he said, cutting her off. ‘The letter was quite explicit. You’ll obviously do whatever it takes to get what you want.’

Molly took a sharp breath. She couldn’t believe he was saying that to her. ‘It wasn’t like that,’ she explained in a low voice.

‘Forget it. The evidence would suggest otherwise.’ His voice had a hard edge, his face even more so.

‘The evidence does not suggest otherwise. I think, if you’d read the letter properly, you’ll find that there’s no mention of…’ Her cheeks were on fire. ‘Of doing it on that bucket list.’

‘Doing it?’

He was going to make her suffer.

‘You know fine well what I mean,’ she murmured through tight lips.

‘I’m afraid I didn’t have time to read the small print but I’m pretty certain there was mention of targeting a billionaire. Any billionaire.’

‘No. Well, yes, but you aren’t the billionaire from the list because I wasn’t naked with you in a hot tub, was I? It was a sauna. And a shower. And yes, we shared a bed. But fully clothed. With a giant wall of pillows.’

Stop. Stop it. Stop listing things.

‘I’m not sure that’s quite the legal loophole you think it is.’ Levi folded his arms in a condescending manner.

‘I’m just trying to explain that?—’

‘And if you think you can play me or my family for fools, you can think again.’ Levi was obviously in no mood to hear her out. ‘As soon as the pass back to the resort is open, I’d like you to leave.’

Molly felt physically wounded by his words. How could a man sometimes so kind and considerate be this cruel and heartless?

‘Fine. Gladly!’

‘ Leave , as in, you’re fired.’

‘You can’t fire me because I quit! Again! ’ Without thinking, she picked up the margarita and threw it in his face.

At that moment, Lucca opened the sauna door. ‘Oh good, my drink.’ He looked from Molly to Levi. ‘Ah. You’re wearing it.’