A Very Merry Billionaire Christmas (Special Edition Holiday Novella) by Melanie Marchande Page B

her. Being 'a man,' whatever that means. He feels responsible for the fact that you seduced her."
    "For the record, she seduced me ." Ben crosses his arms.
    "Definitely do not mention that to him. Now that he's really responsible for someone else, he feels it even more. And you had to go and rub it in his face."
    "I was not rubbing anything!" Ben insists. "You're reading too much into this. He needs to get over himself. He's upset over those articles, over that stupid celebrity doctor who's never even met him, doing an armchair diagnosis for a quick paycheck. He's not upset over me and Lindsey ten million years ago. There's no reason for him to take it out on me. We're adults, aren't we?"
    Jenna stares at him for a little bit too long. "I don't think you really want me to answer that question."

    ***
    Thorne Industries, Office of the CEO
    The afternoon of December 12th

    Maddy Thorne tents her fingers, unconsciously mirroring her husband across his massive desk. "You really, really need to get some perspective on this," she informs him.
    Daniel just stares. "She's my sister , Maddy."
    His wife takes a deep breath ."Please don't take this the wrong way, but...Lindsey can take care of herself."
    "Evidently, she can't." Daniel Thorne's jaw twitches. "I mean, him ?"
    "I feel like I should be offended on behalf of my friend." Maddy's lips draw into a thin line.
    Her husband glances at her, sharply. "Of course not. A man like him is absolutely fine for her. But for Lindsey? For my sister ?"
    "Daniel, it's...it's practically ancient history."
    "You sound just like him."
    "Well, it is! I mean, when that happened, you were probably still sandwiched between two supermodels at the Bellagio. It's not worth getting upset about something that happened when we were all different people."
    "I never stayed at the Bellagio. It's a tourist trap." Daniel glares at her. "You're missing the point completely. Lindsey's not like that. She never has been. Between the two of us, she was the rock. Strong, independent, everything I always wanted to be. She doesn't need...someone like him."
    Realization dawns across Maddy's face. "You're not really upset because it's Ben, are you? You're upset because he's dominant ."
    Daniel's jaw twitches. "Of course not," he mutters, turning back to the papers on his desk. "That would be..."
    "Silly," his wife suggests. "Some would say unwise, even."
    His eyes narrow slightly as he looks up at her again. "This isn't about you and me."
    "Exactly," she says. Then, when he just frowns a little, she adds on: "By which I mean, it's none of your business ."
    "He should've considered that before he told me," Daniel growls, softly.
    Maddy's eyes catch something on his desk, and she stands suddenly, rounding the corner to grab it. Daniel keeps his elbow firmly planted on the pile of papers, but she slides it out successfully.
    "Really?" Maddy folds it in half without even looking at the headline. "You've got to stop looking at these, Daniel."
    "I don't have to stop anything," he snaps, jumping to his feet. Maddy stands her ground, crunching the newspaper in her fist. "I have to know what they're saying about me, and I'm allowed to be in a bad mood about it, and it's still not your business to tell me how to fucking react to everything."
    She sighs heavily. "I don't have the energy to fight with you today. But I'm only trying to protect you from a spiral that you know leads absolutely nowhere." Taking a step forward, she lays her hand on his arm - he jerks suddenly, as if to pull away, but doesn't. She goes on. "I know you're scared for Laura. I understand. I get it, okay? But you've heard everything the doctors said - she's very bright, and very quick. Her verbal skills are going to catch up. And it's got nothing to do with you."
    Daniel's silent for a long moment. "You don't know that," he says, finally, his eyes on the floor.
    It's the most honest he's been in a long time.
    He's so often looking at the floor. With a