Celeste’s Secret (A Holly Hills Christmas #2) Read Online C.M. Steele

Categories Genre: Alpha Male, Insta-Love, Novella, Virgin Tags Authors: Series: A Holly Hills Christmas Series by C.M. Steele
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Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 25003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
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“I can’t answer that, but maybe it’s because he didn’t want to get close to you.”

“I understand.”

“His belongings have already been removed from the house and destroyed, so all that you will receive is an empty house to do with as you please.”

“I already have a home in Holly Hills and an apartment in NYC, so I’ll probably put it on the market.”

“That’s a wise idea. You’re young, and you can make a lot of money off it.”

“Thanks.”

I go over the documents in the will and read before signing my portion to receive the title of the house, which is completely paid for with no liens, and the money will be deposited into a new account tied to my normal bank account access to a larger daily spending limit.

Without a job and a newfound project to do, I decided to travel to Holly Hills for the rest of the weekend and the next week. Packing my bag, I stuff it into my new car. I’m glad I saved up for it before I purchased it because these assholes had no consideration for letting me go. Anyway, I drive to Holly Hills and stop at my favorite shop because this girl needs some serious sugary treats to deal with the emotional heartache I’m going through right now.

“Oh my goodness, Celly, it’s been too long,” Beth screams, running around from behind the counter. I crack a smile as big as my face because she reminds me how much I’m missed somewhere.

“Thanks. I miss you girls too. Is Holiday here?”

“Yep. She’s in the back, but she’ll be upfront in a moment.”

“So, what brings you into town? Are you staying for a while? We could go boy hunting?”

“Nope. I’m staying away from men.”

She arches her brows. “Well, that sounds like there’s a story behind that.”

“There is, and that’s why I need a bunch of sweets while I hide away in my house for the next few days.”

“Girl, we got you on that. Maybe we can watch a movie or two this weekend.”

“Totally. I’m all for it.”

“Holy bells. It’s Celly,” Holly screams, coming out of the kitchen with a tray of brownies.

“It’s my favorite.”

“Hey,” Beth huffs.

“I’m talking about the brownies.”

“Of course you are. It’s like I knew you were coming today. They have maple and pecan topping.”

“It’s just what I needed.” Tears fell from my eyes.

“Oh, girl. What’s going on?”

“It’s been a long two days. Let me get some of these treats, and if you girls want to meet me at my house later, that would be awesome.”

“We will be there around six. Okay?”

“Perfect.”

“And with pizza.”

“Even better.”

“And wine.”

“Double score.” I do my best to put on a brave face, but my heart’s holding it together until I get home.

Chapter Four

Lennox

“What the fuck? I should have bolted the door shut.”

“Yeah, you two seemed pretty cozy in the elevator; I didn’t even get a look at her face. Hell, she didn’t even see us.”

“I know. That was the fucking point. There was no way in hell I was going to let her see you or let anyone see my woman flush with need. Fuck. I have to find her before I go insane.”

“Go insane. You’ve been pacing like a madman for the past month.”

“She ran from my bed without a goodbye. When she said it was a one-time thing, she wasn’t fucking kidding. I couldn’t believe it, I wouldn’t believe it. Especially since…”

“Since what?” His brow cocks up, and he gets up from around his desk.

“Since she gave me her…” I stop myself because even though we’re brothers, it’s not something I should share about my woman.

“Dude…” I’ve never asked him about his wife.

“Nothing.”

“What is it?” His face forms a look of utter shock. “She gave you her V-card, didn’t she?”

“Yes, so I expected her to stay.”

“Well, since you gave her yours, she was probably not impressed.”

“She most definitely was, but that didn’t stop her from running.” I run my fingers violently through my hair, losing my mind. Dropping myself into my chair with a pain in my chest aching so bad.

“Have you looked into the neighboring businesses to see if she worked around here?”

“There are a thousand businesses. Where do I start?”

“I don’t know. The number of Celestes in the city is huge, and what if she gave me a fake name?”

“Hell, she didn’t even give you a last name.”

I told him a few things so he’d help me while we worked on finding her. I’m back in Chicago while he’s heading to New York. I tried staying, but I need to handle some business here right away. We weren’t billionaires for nothing, which meant there were always matters to handle and fires to put out.

Sawyer recommended hiring a PI, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to hire a private investigator to look into the matter. What could I tell him? I was looking for a beautiful blonde I slept with in a hotel bar named Celeste. Yeah, that’s all I had to go on. She could have been from anywhere; hell, she could have been passing through town to get the information and leaving as soon as she got it.


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