Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
R hys saw the change in Sara’s expression, in her body, when she put two and two together. Only it wasn’t the reaction he’d expected.
People tended to change around him in ways that set him on edge. Fake politeness, greedy smiles. Whatever it took to be a friend who’d get the benefits of his family’s wealth in one way or another.
And the women… Women turned flirtatious, coy—even predatory. But Sara?
She turned distant, like a wall went up right in front of his eyes. The warmth and light in her expression faded, and her eyes took on a wary coolness. “I am. Is that a problem?”
She made the final turn and rolled the rumbling truck to a halt, drawing the attention of everyone on the street.
“No, not at all. It’s just not every day a billionaire wants to slum it in a Christmas tree truck.”
His gaze narrowed at her tone and her choice of words. “Maybe I’m more than what the media makes me out to be. Does it matter who I am? To you?”
She glanced out at the gathering crowd and huffed. “Of course not. I just…thought you were a normal guy, buying trees as someone crazy about Christmas or as part of your job or something.”
“It is part of my job. The resort needs to be decorated for the holidays.”
“You know what I mean.”
She was disappointed that he had money? Instead of fawning over him the way people—women—typically did because of his wealth, Sara apparently had an issue with it instead. But why?
Someone jumped onto the back of the truck and caused it to bounce a bit as the guys he’d commandeered from the hotel’s maintenance and venue team began unloading the trees. “We’ll continue this discussion later. Shall we?”
Rhys got out, ignoring the gawkers on the street not only taking in the activity but the fact he’d ridden in the truck rather than the Mercedes parked two car lengths away to give the guys space to unload.
As always, phones were pointed in his direction, and he ignored them as best he could while crossing round the front and holding Sara’s door for her.
She emerged with a frowning glance at him before her gaze shifted to the crowd rapidly beginning to form, phones raised to stream and photograph and do all the things that meant privacy was a thing of the past.
Rhys gently grasped her elbow and escorted her out of the street to the sidewalk where Quinley and her best friend now waited, wearing jackets to offset the cool breeze blowing in off the ocean. Ana and Quinley were both engaged to Blackwell brothers, Cole and Elias respectively.
Both women were beautiful in their own way, but he suddenly realized they lacked the color and dark-haired fire he found so attractive in Sara.
He’d been blown away when Quinley left him at the altar last spring, but over the months since, they’d made it to the other side of the chaos and emotions. Somehow they’d remained friends. Close friends, much to Elias’s irritation, and now the diamond engagement ring from Elias Blackwell sparkled in the sunlight as Quinley held the camera he’d requested.
“Sara Zinnick, I’d like to introduce you to Analise Taylor and Quinley Anders. Ana owns the Coastal Couture boutique inside the hotel, and Quinley handles PR for us here in Carolina Cove.”
“And we’re best friends, so sometimes when you call for one, you get us both,” Quinley said with a smile. “Nice to meet you, Sara.”
Sara stood stiffly beside him, cheeks rosy red beneath the glittery makeup. Her smile seemed tight.
“Nice to meet you both,” Sara said.
“Shall we get started on pictures? Because that is a great costume, and the truck and trees.” She blew a chef’s kiss. “ This is holiday magic right here. I can’t wait to update the hotel’s website and social media ads. We’re running way behind on holiday enticement photos. I’ve been using stock photos that just aren’t cutting it.”
Sara looked even more uncomfortable.
“Don’t worry. I’m pretty good at this—and you look fantastic. Seriously. Maybe just a few beside the truck for now? But more later when the trees are lit up and decorated,” she hurried to add. “It would be great advertisement for the tree farm.”
Rhys watched as Sara faltered, but the thought of the photos helping her parents did the trick and lured her over her hesitation.
“I suppose a few would be okay,” Sara said.
Rhys had one of the guys bring a tree to the side of the truck and cut the ties holding it closed. Unfurled, the tree was positioned so that the truck logo was visible, and Sara the elf smiled for the camera.
“Oh, these are fantastic ,” Quinley called. “Rhys, jump in there beside Sara. We need one of you both.”
Sara swallowed, her smile wobbling as he did as ordered, with Quinley snapping away both with her phone and the professional camera she used.
“Perfect. These are awesome,” Quinley said, showing the images to Ana who immediately agreed. “I’ll create a few teasers to hint at something big going on at the hotel and then do a huge splash when everything is decorated and twinkly. Wait, grab the tree and take it to the other side. Let me get a few of you guys with the hotel as the backdrop. Santa’s coming to town, after all.”
Sara made to take the tree, but Rhys beat her to it. They repositioned on the other side, and Quinley had to wait for gawking traffic to crawl by before she could cross the street.
“Your ex…handles your PR?”
He glanced down at Sara’s shorter, curvy frame and smiled. “We’ve both agreed we’re much better as friends than we would’ve been as spouses. Please tell me you don’t believe everything you see on the internet. Quinley is happily engaged, and I am happy for her. In fact, she and Ana will be sisters by marriage because they’re marrying brothers.”
Quinley made it to the other side and drew their attention by calling out instructions and snapping away. Had he given her more warning, she would’ve had a professional photographer there, but Quinley was quite a good photographer herself.
After a few minutes, Quinley called it a wrap for the time being. Rhys noted Sara visibly relaxed once it was over. “You don’t like photos?”
Sara plucked at her costume and grimaced. “Not like this. This is more my mom’s thing.”
“Then I’ll make sure Quinley gets some of you in regular clothes. You make a beautiful elf, though.”
Sara met his gaze, cheeks flushed once more, and he found he quite liked the look on her.
Quinley joined them. Sara took a step back and turned to put some distance between them as they moved toward the sidewalk once more, but he caught her glance back over her shoulder. Once on the sidewalk, Quinley scrolled through the photos with feverish intensity while Sara shifted awkwardly.
The moment the last tree left the bed, Sara said, “They’ve finished unloading. I should go.”
“No need to rush. Let me buy you lunch.” Rhys ignored Quinley’s quirking eyebrow as she pretended to focus on the camera and blatantly eavesdropped.
“Thanks, but I really should go,” she said, making a move toward the cab of the truck. “I need to make a deposit and call about getting a new shipment of trees for the lot, and post a sign at the lot on when they’ll arrive.”
Rhys followed her back around to the driver’s side and closed his fingers over the handle. “Fine. Go do what needs doing, but promise me you’ll come back tonight.”
“Why?”
Because he wanted her to; otherwise he’d have to find an excuse to visit a tree lot with no trees to buy. “We’ll have some of the outdoor trees set up and lit by then, and we'll need more photos. I’ll have Axel or the hotel’s car service pick you up.”
Sara’s gaze flicked to the man in question. “He’s your driver, not your boyfriend.”
The comment earned a poorly disguised cackle from Quinley before Ana hushed her.
“You are correct,” Rhys said, lips quirking. “We’ll grab dinner after the photos.”
Her head canted to the side. “Now it’s dinner, too? Hasn’t anyone ever said no to you before?”
“Not very often.”
“That’s a shame. It builds character,” she said, waving a hand to indicate the truck door and the fact he was in her way and blocking traffic due to all the cars stopping to get a look.
He reluctantly opened the cab and watched once again as she climbed inside with a flash of striped elf leg. “Have it your way. We’ll just have to use all the photos from today of you in costume if you don’t come back to take more. Like Quinley said, it’ll be good advertisement for your parents’ business.”
Sara frowned at him, her small hands clenching over the large steering wheel, a disgruntled expression on her freckled, glittery, beautiful face.
“Fine, I’ll come back. But only because I hate wearing these in photos.”
He grinned at her. “Perfect. I’ll send a car for you at seven. See you then, Sara.”
He stepped back and shut the door with a gentle slam, moving to the sidewalk as she started the truck and put the vehicle in gear. It rumbled away, and he watched until she was out of sight.
“Rhysand Xavier Lachlan,” Quinley drawled in a low, knowing voice.
He gave her an innocent glance and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Yes?”
Quinley’s gaze narrowed on him until she reminded him of the old schoolmarms seen in classic movies.
“You like her.”
He glanced around, but now that the trees and the truck were gone, the crowd had thinned, and no one was close enough to hear her words. “I am…intrigued.”
Her grin widened, and Quinley shot a look at her best friend before turning back toward him. “Oh, we can tell.”
“You can?”
Quinley flipped the camera around and showed him a photo she’d taken of them when they weren’t posed but just standing there, staring at one another as though neither of them could look away.
“See what I mean?”