Page 430 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
Chadwick gave me a knowing smile and, much to my surprise, didn’t poke fun at me. “I didn’t realize I was starving, either.”
Within five minutes we were parked facing the road. Chadwick and I unwrapped our burgers while Emmett sat in the front seat with the partition closed. We could hear his classical musical playing while he sipped a milkshake, most likely having already eaten his dinner hours ago.
I licked mustard from the corner of my mouth. “So, are you nervous?”
Chadwick arched a puzzled eyebrow.
“About taking your dad’s place at the company,” I clarified.
He shrugged. “Nah.”
Chadwick might have been a wildly successful, cocky, confident, strong man, but even men like him weren’t immune to a bit of nerves. I didn’t believe his nonchalant shrug one bit.
“I’d be nervous,” I said before taking a bite of my burger and chewing patiently. He didn’t speak to fill the silence but rather waited for me to continue. “Your father is leaving you with big shoes to fill. And, at the risk of inflating your ego even more than it already is, I think he’s proud of you. Everyone at the company has no doubt you’ll be an excellent CEO. We’ll miss Alastair, but change is a good thing, and your dad deserves to enjoy his retirement.”
Chadwick studied me quietly before speaking. “I’ll admit that the pressure is intense. Don’t tell anyone, but I have this little voice in the back of my head that is always whispering in my ear that I’m going to drive the company into the ground. I have generations of Bamford success at my fingertips, and all I can think about is how I’ll ruin it.”
No part of me had expected that response. I sipped my soda. “That won’t happen.”
“What makes you so confident?”
“Well, America loves you. Look at today’s turnout and the reception at Rockefeller Center. People are excited, Chadwick. You’re a new face and a breath of fresh air. You’ll breathe new life into the company and reach younger generations. Don’t tell your dad this, but I think Bamford’s could use a younger face behind the wheel.”
“I’m going to call him right now and tell him you called him an old fart.” Chadwick reached for his phone.
“Don’t you dare!”
He laughed and held up his hands, showing me he’d left his phone in his pocket. “I kid, I kid.”
Emmett cracked the partition and asked us if we were good to go. We nodded, and he drove the limo out of the lot and toward my house. We’d be there in three minutes, and I couldn’t wait to take this horrible costume off and fall face first into my bed.
“In all seriousness,” I said, “you’re going to do great. Haven’t you been paying attention to the headlines? People are eating this Naughty Santa shtick up.”
He shook his head as he bundled up his wrappers and garbage and put it in the takeout bag. “Yeah, I’ve seen them all right. Kind of ridiculous, don’t you think?”
“Kind of?”
Chadwick leaned back in his seat and stretched out his long legs. “Naughty Santa. This definitely isn’t where I thought I’d be this time last year.”
I shrugged. “It might not be the most kid friendly name, but hey, I get it.”
He perked up a bit.
I realized my mistake far too late and busied myself with collecting my garbage. “Don’t read into that.”
“Oh, I’m reading. I’m reading between the lines that you think my new nickname makes sense. Which means, by default, that you think I’m sexy.”
My cheeks burned and I cursed them for betraying me. How far away was my house? I leaned back and peered out the window. I could see my townhouse approaching at the end of the street. The front steps glowed red and white from the lights wrapped around my railing.
“I’ll let you off the hook,” Chadwick said when the limo pulled over to the curb.
I couldn’t get out fast enough. I went to close the door, but Chadwick leaned out.
He grinned at me. “For the record, I think you make a pretty sexy elf yourself.”
I stammered and tried to think of something to say, but the only words that squeaked out of me were, “Thanks for the burger.”
Chadwick didn’t have time to say anything before I turned, darted up my stairs, and scrambled to let myself inside. It was only then, as I stood in the ambient lighting of my own Christmas tree, that I processed the fact that Chadwick Bamford had just called me sexy.
