The Fine Print (Dreamland Billionaires #1)(86)

“What kind of selfish people host a gala on New Year’s? Don’t people like to spend it with their families?”

“Sure, if they’re ninety and in a retirement home.” I grab her hand and cross the road with her. Despite her neon jacket, I don’t trust her not to get stuck in oncoming traffic because she’s amazed by all the lights and people.

“Do you ever ask instead of order? First, it was going to New York. Now it’s a gala for New Year’s. Do I have a choice when it comes to you?”

“Sure. Tonight you can decide how you want to have sex first.” I grin. The muscles in my face feel looser this time like I’m finally adjusting to this kind of gesture.

She smacks my arm with the edge of her scarf. “How generous of you.”

“Come on. We’re almost there. Just one more street over.”

We make it to Rockefeller Center. A crowd of people surrounds the massive tree dazzling with multicolored lights.

Zahra cranes her neck back to get a look at the seventy-five-foot-tall tree. “Wow. This puts the Dreamland tree to shame!”

I’m tempted to make the next tree at Dreamland as gigantic as this one to make her this happy.

I wrap my arm around her and tuck her into my side. “What do you think?”

“That this is the closest thing we have to magic. Seriously, how do they even find a tree that large? The North Pole?”

I choke on a laugh. “More like somewhere in Connecticut.”

“Way to ruin the dream.” Zahra stares up at the lights while I look at her. I’ve never cared for silly traditions like visiting the Rockefeller tree but watching Zahra smile as she experiences new things revives a damaged part of me. It makes me want to find other things that would amaze her if only to recreate the same kind of look of wonder on her face.

I’m screwed. Absolutely losing my goddamn mind.

Her eyes light up like the damn tree as she turns and checks out the ice-skating rink behind us. “So, how hard would it be to convince you to go ice skating right now?”

I can’t ice skate to save my life. Where Declan and Cal crushed their minor league hockey teams, I preferred more creative pastimes. I have a higher chance of chipping a tooth tonight than getting laid, yet I don’t care.

“Give me your terms.”

She rolls her eyes. “Everything is a deal for you.”

I tap her red nose. “You’re a fast learner.”

Her smile rivals the star at the top of the tree.

Yup. I’m royally screwed.





“There’s one last thing I want to do.” Zahra clutches onto my hand.

Snowflakes fall around us, covering our coats and hats.

“Ice skating wasn’t enough for you?”

She shakes her head. “Can we take a walk through Central Park? Please?”

“I lost all feeling below my knees about thirty minutes ago.” I blow a breath just to prove my point. The smoky air disappears into the night.

“That’s because you spent more time on your hands and knees than actually skating.”

My lungs burn from laughing. The warmth spreading through my chest combats the chilly air.

She drags my hand in the wrong direction. “Come on. It’s only a quick walk. I googled it.”

“No.”

“Don’t be such a drag.” Her pout, while cute, does absolutely nothing to me.

“Consider myself unmoved by your display.”

“Please? There’s one last little thing I want to do.” Her bottom lip wobbles. Her lashes flutter, collecting snowflakes in their wake.

My resolve melts. I cup her windburned cheek. Her smile grows as I drag my thumb back and forth across her frozen skin.

Damn. My balls have officially become a prisoner of war.

“Fine. But only for fifteen minutes. Your nose is about to detach from your body.” I flick the red tip.

Zahra beams. For her smile, I’d do just about anything.





I was a fool for thinking fifteen minutes was enough time. There was no way in hell I was dragging Zahra out of the park without her kicking and screaming. The one little thing she wanted to do turned into two things, and then three. Then, before I know it, I’m making a snowman in the middle of Central Park after doing a ridiculous sleigh ride through the entire place.

“Did you find the buttons?” Zahra lets out a ragged breath. She drops three branches by my boots.

I place the three small pebbles I sifted through inches of snow to find.

“Yes! Perfect.” Zahra looks at the rocks like they’re diamonds.

Never in my life would I have considered building a snowman to be this much fun. Watching Zahra experience snow for the first time is like being around a little kid on Christmas morning. I’ve never felt such joy like this before. At least not since I was a little kid myself.

I want to steal more of Zahra’s firsts. Anything to recreate that smile she has while looking at a pile of rocks and a lopsided snowman. I want to own her smile just as much as I want to own every other part of her.

She laughs as she rolls the head of the snowman around and around, making the ball larger with each pass.

“Are you sure you’re twenty-three years old?” I tease.

“Oh, come on. The closest thing I had to a snowman was one made of sand. Let me live a little.”