CHAPTER FIVE

      ONE POUNDING HEART pressed to the other. Heated gazes locked. Lips a breath apart.

      Holly gave herself a mental jerk. Not even a night’s sleep had lessened the intensity of that moment in the pool with Finn. Oh, how she’d wanted to feel his touch again.

      But then she’d spotted the passion in his eyes. One kiss wouldn’t have been enough—for either of them. The acknowledgment of just how deep this attraction ran had startled her. She’d pulled back at the same time as Finn.

      Now aboard Finn’s luxury yacht, the Rose Marie, Holly took a seat off to the side of the room as the meeting commenced. With a handful of notable and influential businessmen in attendance, she couldn’t let herself dwell on the almost-kiss. As each man took a seat at the long teakwood table, she quietly observed. Her job was to step in only when needed. Other than that, she was to remain virtually invisible on the sidelines.

      So this is the hush-hush, wink-wink meeting.

      A small smile pulled at Holly’s lips as she glanced around the room. Finn sat at the head of the table in a white polo shirt and khaki shorts. A very different appearance from what she was accustomed to seeing on those rare times when she caught a glimpse of him at the office.

      On either side of the table sat four men. Mr. Wallace, Mr. Santos, Mr. McMurray and Mr. Caruso. All influential men in their own rights—from toys to office supplies, electronics and snack foods. No wonder there were bodyguards littering the upper deck.

      “Welcome.” Finn began the meeting. “I’ve invited you all here in hopes that we will be able to rescue Project Santa.”

      He’d given her the information about this holiday project just before the meeting. He made it perfectly clear that it was not to be leaked to anyone for any reason. What took place on this boat was to remain top secret for now.

      Talk about surprised.

      Holly stared at Finn as though seeing him for the first time. He was a man known for his shrewd business dealings, not his philanthropy. And here she thought this meeting was about conquering the world—about a major corporate takeover. She couldn’t have been more wrong.

      Finn and his cohorts were planning a way to bring Christmas to many underprivileged children. If it worked, it would be the beginning of an ongoing project aimed at putting food and educational materials in the hands of children.

      Holly was truly in awe of Finn. He was such a contradiction at times. He worked long, hard hours, but he didn’t expect his employees to do the same. He didn’t celebrate Christmas, yet he planned Project Santa. At the office, he was all about profits and yet here he was planning to donate a portion of those profits to people in need.

      For a man who hated Christmas, he certainly was doing a fine job of filling the boots of Santa this year. And she was more than willing to help him pull off this Christmas miracle. Although it was odd to have all of this talk about Christmas and presents surrounded by sunshine and the blue waters of the Caribbean.

      Holly redirected her attention to the meeting, taking notes on her laptop and pulling up information as needed. She was tasked with running interference when tempers soared. Each of these men were billionaires and used to getting their own way, so compromise was not something they entertained often.

      Some wanted to switch the Project Santa packaging to gift bags to cut costs. Others wanted to make the content more meaningful—something that wouldn’t just entertain but help the recipient.

      “Gentlemen.” Finn’s face was creased with stress lines. “This was all decided long ago. It’s too late to change our plans. The gift boxes are strategically packed according to the location of each child.”

      Mr. McMurray leaned forward. “And how do we know these packages will get to the children?”

      “Yeah, I’ve heard that a lot of these outreach programs are fronts for scams.” Mr. Caruso, a gray-haired man, crossed his arms. “What if they steal them?”

      “I hear your concerns. That’s why some of my best Lockwood employees will escort each shipment to their destination. They are each tasked with making sure the packages get to their intended targets.”