His First Christmas: The Lonely Billionaire - A Heart-Warming Romance Novel by Holly Rayner, Lara Hunter Page B

doubt. While she was grateful to Jason, she was uncomfortable with the feeling that she owed him a great debt. And she couldn’t help but be disappointed at the realization that she was now stuck in the middle of nowhere instead of celebrating Christmas back at home.
     
    Anna turned to Jason, whose face was only slightly red in contrast to her frozen tomato look. She wanted to articulate how she weird felt about the whole scenario, and pinpoint the doubt that was nagging at her, but couldn’t find the words. “Thanks again,” she said, hesitantly.
     
    “I’ll go warm up the food,” Jason said amiably. Anna made her way over to the dining table and sat down in the same ornate chair. She fidgeted, trying to regain the feeling in her face, hands, toes and everywhere else.
     
    “I can’t say I’m not embarrassed that I didn't listen to your advice,” she said sheepishly, when Jason returned with the food.
     
    “It’s okay, Anna, I understand. You just wanted to get back to your family.”
     
    Anna nodded. “Can I ask you something?” she blurted out. “It’s amazing that you were able to find me out there. It seems kind of… coincidental , don’t you think?”
     
    Jason blinked. “Um…not really?”
     
    Anna sighed, looking down at her plate of salmon and vegetables. She brought a forkful to her mouth and ruminated on what her family must be thinking with her not being there by now. Cathy will definitely give me a firm talking to…
     
    As soon as she took the first bite, her stress thoughts came to a halt. She was blown away by how good it was. Her first instinct would be to exclaim how delicious the food was, but she held her tongue, not wanting to compliment him just yet. She knew it may be irrational, but she resented Jason for the fact that she was stuck in this cabin. They’re probably cooking the experimental dish without me right now, she thought sadly.
     
    “Wine?” he offered, holding up a bottle she didn’t recognize. That bottle probably cost more than my car, she thought.
     
    “Um, I’m okay, thanks,” she said, smiling politely to mask how she was really feeling. Through the window the snow continued falling in huge clumps. Anna could see it piling up rapidly, as if trying to choke the house. I’m going to be stuck here forever, she thought dejectedly.
     
    They ate in near-silence. Anna sensed Jason sneaking a few glances at her, but he didn’t say anything. Finally, he asked, hesitantly, “Uh…is something wrong, Anna? Have I done something to upset you?”
     
    She tore her eyes from her food and looked at Jason. Am I really going to say this?
     
    Anna exhaled slowly. “Okay, so let me get this straight. You just happened to forget to sign the most important part of the document of one of our biggest deals this year. Which happens to lead to me driving all the way up here, instead of you driving back down—but you say you can’t do that, even though you can’t tell me why,” Anna said, frostily.
     
    Jason stared back at her, unsure of where she was going with this.
     
    “You insist that I stay for dinner, and when I decide to leave, I just happen to get stuck in the snow, and you just happen to turn up at the right place at the right time, and rescue me. It all just seems…a little too convenient,” Anna finished.
     
    Jason looked at Anna, wide-eyed. “Are you suggesting that I…somehow manufactured this situation? That I got you stuck here on purpose?” Jason asked, confused.
     
    Anna frowned, unsure what to make of Jason’s response. She sensed that what she was accusing Jason of was extreme, but at the same time, things weren’t adding up and she wanted to know why.
     
    Jason shook his head. “Um,” he said, blinking, looking away and then back at Anna. “Look, I know it’s weird that I didn’t just drive down to the office and sign the contract,” he said. “It’s a difficult situation to explain, but just believe me when I say it wasn’t