Desire: The Dark Christmases

by Z. L. Arkadie

  “But what about your company? Your reputation?” Rachel asked.

  “I assure you my reputation will be intact.”

  His confidence got me all hot and bothered. My God, I was completely attracted to Jasper Christmas. Before, I’d had a small amount of room to deny that fact, but now there was none.

  “And if Holly’s assigned the story?” Rachel asked, regarding him shrewdly.

  His eyes smoldered when he looked at me, and I felt myself blush.

  “Then she would have to call my secretary and arrange an interview, and I would grant her one.”

  Kylie grunted as she rolled her eyes. “What makes you so different?” she blurted.

  I frowned at her, wondering where in the hell that question had come from.

  “Different from whom, Miss Roberson?” Jasper asked.

  Kylie sat back and watched him with wide, glossy eyes. “Forget it.”

  Jasper nodded then stood. “Well, if you ever want to pick up where we left off, Miss Roberson, I’ll be available.”

  “Will you?” she said with spite.

  “Yes,” he said without hesitation. I knew him well enough to know he truly meant it. Then he turned his attention to me. “I think I have room for you this afternoon. You have my number.”

  Jasper said goodbye, and we all had the same hazy tone when we returned the sentiment. It was clear I wasn’t the only one caught up in the magnetic allure of Jasper Christmas, but I was the only one he had chosen to make beautiful love to.

  After Jasper left, Rachel’s phone rang, and she was forced to begin her crazy day of putting out fires. I was supposed to meet my team, but she suggested that I not ignore Jasper’s invitation to interview him.

  “Just make sure you keep it professional,” she said.

  “Of course,” I replied, even though I was worried he would make it difficult for me to do so.

  As I walked to my new office, it suddenly dawned on me why Jasper was open to the interview. If he owned the company that broke the story, then he could come out smelling like a rose. As soon as I was behind my desk, I called him to schedule our appointment.

  He asked if I had his address.

  “I wouldn’t be worth my salt if I didn’t already have your address.”

  “Then get to me as soon as you can, any time of the day. You’re my priority, baby.”

  I flashed back to him doing me on the sofa before I’d come into work. Jasper was so insatiable, but the fact that I was so aroused by the memory made me wonder if he was alone. I wanted him inside me. I wanted him now.

  But then the matter of Kylie came to mind. I turned away from my office and headed to hers. I needed to get to the bottom of her disdain for Jasper.

  “Thank you, Kathy,” Kylie said in a rush after I entered her office. She glared at me. “Did you knock?” Gosh, she looked so angry.

  “No, I didn’t,” I said. “I’m sorry.”

  “What do you want?” she snapped.

  I wasn’t going to let her bark detour me. I folded my arms then calmly walked over and sat in the chair on the opposite side of her desk. “I want to know why you hate Jasper Christmas so much.”

  “I don’t hate Jasper Christmas,” she blurted like an eight-year-old who was lying in order to appear innocent.

  “Yes, you do,” I said in a tone that left no room for debate. “And if not Jasper, then which one? Spencer? Asher?”

  I studied her expression, searching for any variance when either name was spoken. She gave nothing away.

  “Randolph?”

  She snarled as she rolled her eyes. “Give it up, Holly.”

  “Bryn?” I asked, my voice inflecting my surprise.

  Her eyes expanded enough to let me know that perhaps I had guessed right.

  “What has Bryn done to you?”

  She fell back in her seat and cut eye contact with me. “What are you talking about?”

  “Stop fucking with me, Kylie. What has gone on between you and Bryn?”

  Kylie watched me with her lips pursed. She hadn’t told me to fuck off yet, so I waited patiently for the next phase of her reaction to my question. Finally, she closed her eyes and sighed in defeat.

  “She…” Kylie sighed again, this time adding a groan.

  “What did Bryn do?” Knowing Bryn Christmas, the possibilities were endless.

  “Dale loved me first,” she said.

  I felt my body shift away from her. “Dale Rumor?”

  She barely nodded.

  “You want to ruin the Christmases because you’re in love with Dale Rumor?” It made no fucking sense at all, especially for a woman like Kylie, to be that sentimental when it came to matters of the heart.

  The defiant look was back in her eyes. “I have a meeting.”

  I jutted my chin forward. “Why are you lying to me?”

  “I’m done talking. You can leave now.” She picked up her phone, called her assistant, and asked her what was next on her calendar.

  Kylie had already frozen me out and was pretending as if I weren’t sitting there. So I got up, walked out of her office, and kept going until I ended up in mine. I was afraid she would do something stupid. Mischief and revenge were written all over her face. I had to get Jasper on the record immediately. So I called him and told him I was on my way.

  “There’s a car waiting for you out front,” he said.

  I massaged my temples. Bart was my personal chef. Kylie had a silly grudge against my lover’s family, and now Jasper had a special car waiting for me. For some reason, it all felt overwhelming. It was as if I had a lack of control. I needed to feel some semblance of control in my own life. For that reason, I bypassed Jasper’s hired car and took an Uber.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Shit, I should’ve taken Jasper’s car. The Uber driver must have been new to the city. The scrawny kid kept getting us stuck in traffic. He talked a lot about his parents and, after he learned I wasn’t a permanent New York resident, all the parts of Manhattan he thought I should visit. The drive from Midtown to Lower Manhattan took three fucking hours. I couldn’t believe it. I was pissed as I raced through the building and up the elevator. I already knew Jasper would reprimand me for not putting away my pride and getting into the car he’d sent, which had a professional driver behind the wheel.

  Sweat glistened on my forehead and the rest of my body as I made it to the concierge and told him I had an appointment with Jasper Christmas. He asked my name, and once I told him, I was put in a special elevator without delay that opened to Jasper’s office.

  He was on the phone when I stepped out of the elevator. I hadn’t seen him frown that way since the early days of our time spent in the Christmas mansion. He pointed sharply at an empty chair across from his executive’s seat as he said, “Shit, just deal with it now.”

  I felt my head float due to worry as he slammed the phone back on the base and scowled at me as though his mood were my fault.

  “What is it?” I asked, still adjusting my butt in the seat.

  “I tried to be nice to your friend. For your sake, I tried.”

  I pressed my back against the chair. “Do you mean Kylie?”

  “Yes.”

  “What did she do?”

  “She told Kathy Donovan about the sexual misconduct allegations. Kathy was given names, dates, times, and she called me to get my side before going to print unless I—” He pressed his lips together as if he had said more than he wanted.

  “Unless you what?” I asked.

  “Forget it. I’ll handle it from here.”

  I threw up a hand. “Wait, Jasper. Just calm down.”

  “I am calm, Holly,” he said even if the fire in his eyes could scorch ice.

  “No, you’re not, Jasper. Just let me handle this, okay?”

  “No. Absolutely not.”

  I got up out of my chair and approached him. He was still pissed as I wrapped my arms around him. “Jasper, you’re good at what you do. Well, so am I. Give me a
chance to make this right.”

  He grimaced while rubbing his chin.

  I smiled slightly. “I can see all the tension I massaged out of your body is back in full force.”

  “This is not a fucking laughing matter, Holly. That woman is going to ruin everything.”

  “I’m not laughing, Jasper. I’m just trying to help you return to your senses.”

  “I am in my senses. Get used to it.”

  My mouth opened as I struggled to find the right words. I’d always been made of Teflon, but the way he’d spoken to me hurt. I let go of him and silently walked toward the elevator.

  “Holly?” he called.

  I pressed the open button. I was never going to let a man speak to me that way, never.

  The door slid open, and I stepped inside.

  Jasper rushed over and put his outstretched arm between the doors to stop them from closing. “Baby, I’m sorry.” He took me by the hand and guided me back into his office. “Forgive me?”

  “Jasper, the way you spoke to me is never going to fly. I respect you, and you respect me.”

  “I have nothing but the utmost respect for you. You know that. I’m angry because my instincts told me not to trust your friend, but I did, for you.”

  “I never asked you to do that.”

  “I know, but it doesn’t change anything. I love you. I want you to be happy and fucking safe. I want to be with you.”

  I closed my eyes to absorb his declarations. Goodness, he did love me.

  “I love you too, Jasper,” I said past my clenched throat.

  Our lips caressed each other’s, and our tongues danced as we engaged in our usual sensual, pulse-pounding kiss.

  “Let me go,” I whispered as my head spun.

  “I told you I’ll handle this,” he also whispered.

  “Jasper, trust me, please. I know how to get ahead of Katherine Donovan.”

  “And I know how to do the same. It’ll only take one phone call.”

  I wanted to groan out of frustration, but that would only make a man like Jasper think I was weak. It was time he saw me as a capable ally and not someone he had to constantly keep safe.

  I let go of him, stepped back, and folded my arms. “You said the story’s true, right?”

  His eyes narrowed then regained their normal form. “Yes, it is.”

  “Then tell me what you know,” I said.

  He scratched the top of his head while frowning.

  “Stan Rochester or Bert Lau? Do those names ring a bell?”

  He stopped scratching. “Of course they do. My line to them is more direct than yours.”

  I smirked. “What a cocky asshole you are.”

  Finally, he chuckled. “What a sexy vixen you are.” He tugged me against him.

  He was rock hard.

  “That was fast.” I grinded my pussy against his cock.

  Jasper sucked air. “That’s how inspiring I find you.”

  We rubbed our faces delicately against each other—our cheeks, noses, foreheads, and finally our lips and tongues.

  He released a brisk breath through his nose as he forced his mouth off mine. “Are you ready to listen up?” he whispered, gliding his cheek against mine.

  “Mm-hmm,” I said, caught in euphoria.

  “The other day, I learned the assistants didn’t get their bonuses. When I took a look at the records…” He stopped the sensual foreplay and looked into my eyes. His expression was serious.

  “Yes?” I asked in a tone that let him know I was ready to keep it business.

  “Just have a seat,” he said.

  I did as he asked, and he called in his assistant, Jacqueline Lane. Jasper told her to tell me everything she had divulged to him, and he stepped out of the office so that I could interview her alone.

  Jacqueline was a jackpot of information. She knew everything. She had kept meticulous notes of rumors and all the dastardly acts she could confirm.

  “So why did you tell Jasper about this?” I asked after about an hour together.

  “Because when I brought up us not having our bonuses, he said he would get them to us by the end of the day. We had the money in our accounts, plus extra, before the end of the day. I knew then he had no idea how horrible his father was. Jasper Christmas is a good person. But what happened to the women who work for this company shouldn’t just be swept under the rug. Jasper knows this.”

  I nodded thoughtfully. “Are you willing to go on-air tonight and talk about it?”

  “Not only me, but others.”

  My smile formed slowly. “All right, then. Let’s begin.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jasper called Stan Rochester, since his show on BCN had the highest ratings, and arranged for six women out of the many who were willing to appear on camera to speak about their harrowing experiences at Christmas Industries. I decided to leave Rachel out of it. She wanted her show to break the story, but Kylie had ruined that opportunity when she handed the details over to Katherine Donovan.

  Jacqueline and I went into a conference room to talk some more. I couldn’t help but notice how much of a flawless beauty she was—not only her, but all the women who worked in the office. I could tell my lover’s beautiful executive assistant had been waiting a long time for this day to come. However, she warned us that we had to be careful about who we approached. Most of the women in the company had been used and abused for the purposes of the male executives’ pleasures, but only a small percentage of them were willing to speak out against the men.

  “Tactics were used on them,” Jacqueline said.

  “What do you mean by tactics?” I asked.

  “When I first arrived, a guy named Mark Newlin asked me out. He was handsome, charming, and made me feel as if I were the only woman in the world. He would bring me coffee every morning, take me to lunch every day, and then take me to his penthouse apartment to fuck me every night. I thought we were a couple.”

  “Humph.” I looked at the table. “That sounds like Jasper.”

  She shook her head adamantly. “No, Jasper Christmas is nothing like those guys. He’s different.”

  I swallowed nervously as I shifted in my chair. “You like him a lot, don’t you?”

  “Not the way you’re thinking. He’s a good man, very handsome and all, but there’s no romantic spark between us.” Her brows drew closer and tightened as she watched me with laser focus. “Plus, he’s engaged to Julia Valentine.”

  I forced an amiable smile as I nodded, trying very hard not to make her doubt their sham of a relationship.

  She shifted abruptly in her seat. “But about Mark Newlin…”

  I sat up straight, happy we were back on topic. “I’m listening.”

  Jacqueline nodded eagerly, as though she wanted to hurry and get the story off her chest. “Then one day, a new girl’s hired, and she’s given the desk across from mine. He woos her like he did me, right in front of me. He doesn’t even look my way or tell me that he’s no longer interested. It was as if I didn’t exist to him anymore.” She pressed a hand over her heart. “So I’m hurt, right? I would cry myself to sleep, and I hated coming to work every day. Seeing them together made my stomach turn. Then, five days later, he started bringing me coffee again, asking me to lunch. He even wanted to take me on a weekend trip to his house on a lake in Vermont.”

  “Wow,” I said.

  She threw up her hands emphatically. “Yeah! I thought it was fucking hilarious. What he didn’t know, though, was I was in school then, earning my degree in criminology. I started my studies after I was hired because I would’ve never gotten the job if I had put that on my resume.”

  “Right,” I said, careful not to say too much. Jacqueline was unburdening, and so far, she was sounding like a very credible source.

  “Anyway, I was beginning to catch onto what he was doing. I told him I had plans that weekend, so he took the other girl.”

  I felt my eyes narrow to slits. “The other girl, who is she?”
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  Jacqueline raised a finger. “I’ll get to that part.”

  I nodded.

  She continued explaining how she started paying attention to the bigger picture, noticing who was dating whom, the drama associated with every relationship, and how they were similar to hers.

  “They were employing tactical mind games by using passive-aggressive behavior to sexually disempower the sort of women who were not used to being rejected,” she said. “Get it?”

  “I do.”

  “So the women around here were steadily trying to reclaim their sexual power, and that’s how the guy who was tasked to mind-fuck them got them to do just about anything.”

  She talked of sex dungeons and outright prostitution. The compensation was the attention and affection of the lover who would push the young woman away then bring her close again.

  “But it never worked on you,” I said.

  She closed her eyes to take a deep breath then released the air in her lungs when she opened them. “No, it didn’t. But most of the women will not speak up.” She started scribbling names on a notepad. “But these five will.”

  I felt my expression soften as I watched her. “Thank you, Jacqueline.”

  “No,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s my pleasure.”

  We smiled warmly at each other.

  “By the way,” I said. “What ever happened to the woman that was seated across from you?”

  A light turned on in her eyes. “Her name is Lindsay Johnson. She and Mark actually fell in love. She wasn’t here a month before they both quit. The end.”

  I could see no signs of her being brokenhearted by the end. “Do you think they would go on record?”

  “No. He signed a nondisclosure.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “We’re all friends.”

  “Wow.” I nodded, impressed. “That’s big of you.”

  “Well, here’s the thing about the mind-fuck game—once a victim figures it out, the results can be freeing.”