Holiday Playbook--A Christmas workplace romance

by Yahrah St. John

  “Only if you’ll share.” Xavier eyed the other half of her bagel.

  Giana rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She inclined her head and watched as Xavier greedily began devouring it. “I’m waiting.”

  “I can’t tell you much right now as I don’t want to compromise my lady, but I’ve sort of been seeing someone.”

  Giana’s eyes surveyed his. “You are?” She hadn’t heard a thing from anyone in the family.

  “Yeah, I’m keeping it on the down low for right now, because she’s kind of a celebrity,” Xavier said after he’d devoured the bagel in a few minutes. “And you know how the family gets.”

  “I sure do. I can imagine you’re not looking for a repeat of Roman’s and Julian’s experiences.”

  Their father had wanted Roman to get Shantel to sign a prenup. Roman had refused and nearly left the family and his job at the Cougars. In the end, Josiah had backed down and even stepped down as general manager so Roman could take over.

  Elyse hadn’t fared much better at first. When their father discovered she was his former business partner’s daughter and might be holding a grudge, he’d interfered. Julian and Elyse almost called it quits. Luckily, love won out.

  Xavier shook his head. “Affirmative.”

  “So that leaves you creeping in at all hours of the night?”

  “For now, I’m respecting her wishes to keep this quiet. And you?”

  Giana straightened. “What about me?” She was eager to change the subject.

  “You don’t get to call me out without revealing what you’ve been up to, not that I can’t tell. I’m not mad if you want to get your swerve on, big sis.”

  Giana felt herself flush. She couldn’t believe her baby brother was talking about her sex life. “Xavier!”

  “What?” He shrugged. “Don’t act like you don’t have needs, Gigi. I know you put up this front to everyone that you’ve got everything under control and you don’t need a man, but it’s okay if you want one.”

  Giana shook her head. “I’m not having this conversation with you.”

  “Better me than having Mom or Dad come in here and find you creeping in the middle of the night.”

  “Point taken.”

  “Listen, I’m glad we had this talk,” Xavier said, rising to his six-foot-four height. “And I’ll be sure to keep this little tête-à-tête to ourselves. You have a good night now!” He waved as he headed out of the kitchen.

  Xavier was right. If their parents caught Xavier sneaking in, it would have been no big deal, just a man sowing his wild oats. But if they’d found Giana? It would have been the end of the world. Her mother would have talked to Giana about maintaining her reputation while her father would have given her the disapproving look usually reserved for Julian.

  Giana wasn’t ashamed of going to bed with Wynn, but she wouldn’t be made to feel as if she’d done something wrong, either. It was just sex, after all. And good sex. She would hold her head up high and act like men did. It was a one-night stand.

  Yet, her heart told her, the evening had meant so much more.

  Eight

  Wynn awoke to sunlight coming through the window and the realization he was in bed alone. The sheets beside him were cold, which meant he had been that way for some time. “Giana?”

  No answer.

  He jumped out of the bed and rushed to the bathroom. No Giana. Slowly, he walked back to the master suite and glanced around. Her clothes, which had been strewn across the floor, were gone.

  Why had Giana sneaked out like a thief in the night? The least she could have done was wake him up. Allowed him to walk her out. Or make her breakfast in bed. Of course, they probably would have ended up right back in bed, forget breakfast.

  Being with other women, Christine included, didn’t compare to being with Giana. She had bewitched him last night, because she’d been as eager as he was. Every touch, every taste, every look had led them here...to mind-blowing sex. It’s why he was now awake with a stiff erection.

  He went back into the bathroom and stepped into the shower, hoping the punishing cold spray would help rid him of his desire so he could go back to normal. He’d tasted Giana and scratched an itch; it would have to be enough. However, once he turned off the water and dried himself, Wynn realized it was a lie. He couldn’t forget the mocha beauty, and he would have to find some way of seeing her again. And he knew exactly how.

  * * *

  “You wanted to see me, Roman?” Giana inquired, walking into his office and making herself comfortable on his sofa. After not getting much sleep the night before, it had been a long morning, and no amount of coffee had been able to keep her alert. She hadn’t been in a business mood, so she’d shrugged into a casual mango-colored wrap dress and swirled her hair into a twist along with some heeled sandals.

  “Giana. I would ask you to come in, but you’re already here.” As usual, Roman was annoyed because she hadn’t waited for his assistant to announce her. She never had and never would.

  “You’re my brother. Why stand on ceremony?”

  “Why indeed.” Roman walked over to her. Fortunately for her, he seemed to be in a relaxed mood, having removed his suit jacket, which was hanging over his chair. “As you know, I have a monthly call with Mr. Jackson on his son’s career, and he inquired about Curtis’s endorsement of LEAN. I wanted to check in with you to see if you’d made any progress.”

  “Yes, I did.” Giana barely managed to stifle a yawn.

  Roman’s brow rose. “Long night?”

  Giana smiled. “You have no idea.”

  “Really? What has my little sister been up to these days?”

  “Nothing I care to share with my big brother,” she responded. “And as for Starks Inc., inroads have been made. Wynn will be a lot more amenable to having Curtis sponsor his products.”

  Her brother cocked his head to the side. “Wynn? You’re on a first-name basis?”

  Giana smoothed imaginary wrinkles in her dress and avoided the question. “Our objective was to get Curtis on an account his father approves of. LEAN is a perfect fit, and let’s just say I’m confident it’s going to happen.”

  “I’m impressed. I know how much you wanted this deal. You fought for it. And won.”

  “Thank you. I hope Daddy will agree.”

  “Agree about what?” Their father’s voice boomed from the doorway.

  “Does anyone knock around here?” Roman asked in an exasperated tone.

  “I own the building,” Josiah replied and then turned his dark gaze on Giana. “So what do you hope I agree about?”

  “Giana has convinced me LEAN would be in good hands with Curtis Jackson representing us,” Wynn said from the doorway.

  “For Christ’s sake.” Roman threw up his hands in defeat over yet another unannounced guest.

  Giana felt a whoosh, as if she’d been knocked down on her butt. Wynn looked like a dream, his handmade suit and silk tie perfectly complementing his tawny coloring and searing brown eyes. Her mouth felt suddenly dry as his eyes held hers from across the room.

  “Is that right?” Her father looked at Wynn and then at Giana.

  Giana swallowed and then rose to her feet. “Yes, it is. It was so good of you to stop by, Mr. Starks.” She walked toward him and Wynn managed to keep his expression neutral, though Giana could feel his eyes devouring her with each step she took. When she made it within a few inches of him, she stopped. “I was telling my family Starks Inc. is entertaining the idea of having Curtis as a celebrity endorsement.”

  “Fantastic news, Gigi,” her father said. “I’m glad you’re seeing the partnership Starks Inc. and the Atlanta Cougars can have together, Mr. Starks.”

  Wynn looked at Giana. “Oh, I see lots of potential. But a big sticking point for me is exclusivity—so that Curtis and the Atlanta Cougars won’t deal with any sports drink
company other than Starks Inc.”

  “I’m sure that can be arranged,” Giana said. “Can’t it, Roman?” She looked at her brother.

  “Not so fast, Starks,” Roman replied. “You’re welcome to speak with Curtis about an exclusive contract with him, but we can’t limit our players’ options for other endorsements.”

  “That wasn’t what I was hoping for.” Giana felt the heat fizz inside her veins when Wynn stared in her direction. “Can we talk about this in further detail at lunch, Giana?”

  “Of course.” Her father ushered her toward Wynn. “She would love to, wouldn’t you, Gigi?”

  To her annoyance, Wynn placed his hand on the small of her back. “I’ll take good care of her, Mr. Lockett. Roman.” He nodded at her brother, and soon he was ushering Giana down the hall and toward the elevator bank.

  “Exactly what do you think you’re doing?” Giana whispered. She smiled at several colleagues as they walked past. As soon as they arrived at the elevators, the doors to one swished open and Wynn eased her inside.

  “Finishing what we started,” he answered. When they were in between floors, he pushed the stop button. He stepped forward and, in a single fluid movement, slid his fingers through her hair. “Just one kiss.”

  As annoyed as she was by his high-handedness, Wynn didn’t need to coax her mouth open. Giana met him halfway and closed her eyes just as his lips moved over hers.

  * * *

  She tasted like honey, warm and sweet, and Wynn hungered for her. When he’d seen her sitting in her brother’s office with her legs crossed, all he could think about was having those very same brown legs wrapped around him as she rode him hard.

  Giana gave a tiny sigh deep in her throat and then parted her lips so he could taste her. His tongue glided into her mouth, deepening the kiss, and her lips clung to his as if she was as frantic and as desperate as he was to quench the fire deep within. Her hands took on a life of their own and slid around his neck, and then she was leaning into him. Wynn hauled her closer until she was splayed across his body.

  Finally, he broke the kiss to stare into her desire-filled eyes. “What are you doing to me, woman?”

  “Nothing,” Giana said, easing herself away from him and trying to repair her hair, which had come free of the knot. “This is just the usual guy-girl chemistry.”

  He took a step forward, back into her personal space. He placed a finger under her chin and tipped it upward to stare into her eyes. “You should know chemistry can lead to some explosive reactions.”

  “Don’t...”

  Wynn brushed a thumb across her lips. “Don’t what? Acknowledge what’s between us? If that kiss showed you anything, it’s that we can’t ignore it.”

  “And what are you suggesting, we give in to it?” Giana asked, reaching past him to push the button and jolt the elevator back into action.

  “Why not?”

  “Because we’ll be in business together. I don’t want to feel like this is a quid pro quo.”

  “It’s not like that,” Wynn said. “I agreed with you before we went to bed together, and vice versa. Or are you saying you had sex with me as incentive for me changing my mind?”

  Giana eyes flew to his. “Of course not!”

  “Then it’s settled. Business is business. And personal is personal.”

  The elevator chimed, and the doors opened. Once again, Wynn placed his hand on Giana’s back to lead her through the lobby to his limousine waiting outside the arena.

  “Where are we going?” Giana asked when he helped her into the limo.

  “Lunch.” He climbed in beside her.

  “Is that all it is? Lunch?”

  Wynn grinned. “Yes, unless you would like to go back to my place, and we can pick up where we unceremoniously left off this morning when I woke up to find my bed empty.”

  He was still smarting over her rebuff, and now was as good a time as any to speak his mind.

  * * *

  As the car pulled away from the arena, Giana shifted away from Wynn. His thigh was nudged a little too close to hers, and she needed to create some physical distance between them. The close quarters weren’t good for her heart rate. “Was your visit today about Starks Inc. or your enormous ego?”

  “My ego is fine,” Wynn responded. “I was merely stating you ran away like a scared schoolgirl.”

  Giana turned to face the window. “I wasn’t scared. I merely had a lot on my plate today.” All of which got pushed aside when Wynn walked into the room. She would need to call Mara and rearrange her afternoon. She turned to face him. “Everything isn’t all about you.”

  “True, but can’t you admit last night shook you, too?”

  Too? She’d certainly thought about him all morning and had been beating herself up over whether she should have slept with him, but at the end of the day, she didn’t regret it. She was confident in her sexuality and understood the laws of attraction, but that didn’t stop her from wanting more from this man. “What do you mean?”

  “I was as floored as you were by the intensity of our night together, Giana, but unlike you, I didn’t run away. When I woke up this morning, I was ready to pull you into my arms, have a repeat performance and leisurely make breakfast for you.”

  “Oh yeah, and what would you have made?”

  “I’d have made you a mean spinach and mushroom omelet, poured you a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice and a cup of coffee, and brought it all on a tray to serve you in bed.”

  Giana smiled. Perhaps she had been too eager to leave. She’d have thought like most men, he wanted her to go without the pesky emotions or recriminations over the night before. “Do you treat all your ladies like this or am I special?”

  “There are no ‘all my ladies,’” Wynn responded, and Giana could have sworn she saw something flicker in his eyes. Was it hurt? “When I date a woman, I date one at a time.”

  “Of course, I didn’t mean to insinuate otherwise.”

  “Good. Then you won’t mind us picking up where we left off this evening.”

  Giana glared at him. “Your arrogance knows no bounds. Do you really think I’m going to fall into bed with you again?” At his smirk, she held a palm up. “Wait, don’t answer that.”

  * * *

  He frowned. “Why are you playing so hard to get, Giana?”

  He sucked in a deep breath while he waited for her answer. Her hesitancy gave him a chance to look his fill. She was stunning in a mango-colored wrap dress. Giana was proportionally built, with round hips and small yet perfectly formed breasts. Breasts he’d held in his hands while his mouth played havoc with her nipples.

  When he glanced up, he found her watching him. “You want to bring your eyes back here.” She motioned upward to her face.

  He grinned sheepishly at being caught openly ogling, but he was a man after all. And he was with a beautiful woman with her hair done up in some clever arrangement. His hands fisted at his sides as he remembered what it felt like to drag his fingers through the soft, curly masses. “I want you to agree to go out with me.”

  Giana shook her head. “That isn’t what you said. You said you want to pick up where we left off—which was the bedroom.”

  “Semantics. So, let me be clear, Giana. I want to spend time with you, in and out of bed. Exclusively.”

  “Exclusively?”

  “I don’t like to share. Will you agree to my terms?”

  “Why don’t you try persuading me over lunch?” Giana replied, surprising him with her response.

  They arrived at Chops Lobster Bar in Buckhead a short while later. With its dark wood paneling and white tablecloths, it was the perfect meeting spot. Wynn put his hand on her back and steered her toward the maître d’, who led them to a table situated in the corner away from the crowd.

  “I hope this is acceptable, Mr. Starks?”


  “Yes, thank you,” Wynn said, helping Giana into her seat then taking his own. He accepted the menu from the maître d’ and placed it on the table. He wasn’t interested in the food.

  Giana was peering at her menu as if it held the secrets of the universe.

  “Are you seeing someone, Giana?”

  Her eyes popped up from the menu to peer at him. “You sure know how to get down to business.”

  “I see no reason not to be direct. I thought you would appreciate it.”

  “I do. And no, I’m not seeing anyone. Quite frankly, I haven’t had the time. My career takes up much of my time.”

  “Really? A beautiful and accomplished woman such as yourself is single? I would have thought you would have a gaggle of men lining up around the block to date you.”

  “Afraid not.” She shook her head.

  “What about serious relationships?”

  “One. Martin and I were both in business school and getting serious. I was thinking of introducing him to my family, but then Martin started hinting about marriage and babies.”

  “And you lost interest?”

  “He assumed I would give up my dreams and fall in line like a Girl Scout. Needless to say, the relationship didn’t last. And since then, well, I’ve found success is a deterrent to having a relationship.”

  The waiter returned to take their order. Giana opted for salmon with curry lobster sauce and a sesame sushi rice cake, while Wynn went for the lobster BLT with a side salad. Once the waiter had gone, Giana moved from the topic of her love life straight to business to find out what campaigns Wynn might have in mind for Curtis. They also discussed Wynn’s need for exclusivity.

  “I have to look out for Starks Inc.’s interest,” Wynn explained. “My main competitor, Blaine Smith, is always sniffing around, trying to take a bite out of our market share. I’m just ensuring the snake is kept at bay.”

  “I’ve met Blaine,” Giana said. “I’m not a fan, but it sounds like you have some history.”