Naughty Santa

by Janelle Denison

  An excited gleam entered his mother’s eyes. “So, when do we get to meet this woman?”

  He rolled his beer bottle between his palms and shrugged. “Just as soon as I can convince her that it’s serious between us.”

  Brian let out a loud guffaw. “Oh, man, it’s so sweet to finally see the invincible love ’em and leave ’em playboy on the other side of the fence.”

  Despite the truth of his brother’s statement, Christian wasn’t the least bit amused. “Her name is Amanda, and she’s my boss’s daughter,” he said, just so everyone knew exactly what he was up against.

  That earned him a gasp from his sister Diane, whose expression had softened considerably. “Oh, Christian, that can’t be good for your upcoming promotion.”

  That particular concern had crossed his mind, as well, during the drive to Boston, because the possibility did exist that Douglas might not take too kindly to the fact that Christian wanted to pursue his daughter, considering his past indiscretion at the office. But Christian had come to a very important decision, and he shared it with his family.

  “When I get back home, I plan to talk to Amanda and try to convince her to give us a chance,” he said. “My job is very important to me, and I do care about the promotion, but if push comes to shove and I have to make a choice, I care about Amanda more.”

  As for her father, somehow, someway, he’d make Douglas Creighton understand just how much Amanda meant to him.

  * * *

  Excitement welled up inside of Amanda as she surveyed the floor-to-ceiling rack in her closet displaying all the bright, colorful designer shoes she’d bought over the years. They all looked shiny and brand new, with nary a scratch or scuff to mar the closed-toe shoes or the expensive leather straps on the high heels.

  Now that she’d decided to put the shoes to real use, it was like having a sweet tooth and being set free in a candy store to gorge on all your favorite treats. But the difficult part was which treat did she indulge in first?

  She bit her bottom lip and glanced down at the new outfit she’d bought yesterday at a department store’s day-after-Christmas sale. Her father had given everyone an extra day off from work to enjoy the holiday weekend a little longer, and Amanda had spent the day shopping and updating her wardrobe to reflect the new her.

  She’d replaced her practical, businesslike suits with ones that were more feminine. She’d added lace to her tops, chosen bolder colors and went a few inches shorter on her skirts. Instead of long, double-breasted jackets, she’d selected a few cropped, fitted ones that showed off her figure, rather than hid her curves. She’d implemented subtle, sensual changes in her choice of clothing, and today she was wearing a fitted suede jacket in a gorgeous color of azure-blue, a pretty cream-hued camisole beneath and an A-line black skirt that ended a few inches above her knee, instead of below. Now, all she needed to do was pick out a pair of shoes to complement the outfit.

  After much deliberation, she finally settled on a pair of Manolo Blahnik sling-back heels with colorful, sexy straps that crisscrossed over her foot. She carried them into her bedroom, and with an undeniable burst of exhilaration she slipped them on, then turned to face her reflection in her dressing mirror to finally check out the end results.

  So, you’re really going to wear those shoes outside of the apartment?

  “Yeah, I am.” Amanda smiled at Angie, who’d appeared on her right shoulder and was taking in all the new changes in Amanda’s appearance. Despite the slight concern creasing her guardian angel’s brows, there had been no censure or scandal in her voice. Just an acceptance of the decisions Amanda had made over the past few days. “I’m going to wear those designer shoes to work, and to dinners, and anywhere else I can.”

  Well, good for you, Desiree piped in and applauded Amanda’s new attitude.

  “Thank you very much.” Amanda gave the cheeky devil a slight bow for her praise. “In fact, all my old, sensible pumps are getting dropped off at Goodwill since I won’t be needing them anymore.”

  Oh, yeah! Desiree punched her first in the air triumphantly, her voice infused with pride. You go, girl!

  Laughing at Desiree’s enthusiastic response, Amanda walked toward her dresser and picked up the scarf that Christian had given her for Christmas. A gift that had so much thought and meaning behind it. She slid the vibrant silk through her fingers, and a huge lump gathered in her throat when she thought of their last moments together, and the paralyzing fear that had gripped her.

  When Christian had dropped her off on Sunday and started his goodbye with the dreaded about this weekend phrase, she’d been so certain that he was going to try and let her down gently, or remind her that their time together was only a two-night deal. She’d been so afraid of being rejected after the most incredible weekend of her life that she hadn’t given him the chance to say anything at all. She didn’t want to hear the words that would pierce her heart, and it had been so much easier for her to be the one to walk away first, rather than be devastated by a brush-off.

  But now that she’d had a few days alone to think about her behavior, she realized just what a coward she’d been. And how unfair, too. She hadn’t given Christian any opportunity to say what was on his mind, and had anticipated the worst—even after he’d been so caring and understanding with her. She’d been very wrong to assume anything, and knew that good or bad, she needed to hear whatever Christian had to say to her.

  The old Amanda would have gone to work and pretended nothing had ever happened between them. But this new Amanda, the woman in the mirror who felt so confident and sexy because of Christian’s encouragement, was going to face issues head-on and take the kind of risks she’d avoided in the past. Risks like telling Christian how she really felt about him. She hoped that he felt the same. And if he didn’t, well, at the very least she’d like to think they could be friends.

  Are you going to be okay?

  She knew that Angie was concerned about her emotional state after her weekend with Christian, but Amanda truly couldn’t have felt more optimistic about her future, regardless of the outcome with Christian. “I’m going to be fine. More than fine,” she reassured Angie with a genuine smile. “In fact, there’s something I need to tell the two of you.”

  Desiree and Angie grew somber, as if they both knew what she was going to say.

  “You two have been in my life for so long, but it’s time for me to be on my own.” Being with Christian had made her realize that she needed to make her own choices, that she no longer needed the emotional crutch of having Desiree and Angie around. She now understood that it was all about her letting them go. Not the other way around.

  You’re right. Our work is done here, Desiree said, and Amanda could have sworn she saw a glimmer of moisture in the she-devil’s eyes.

  Yes, you’re ready to be on your own, Angie agreed softly, and with pride.

  When Amanda glanced back into the mirror, the duo was gone. But, surprisingly, she didn’t feel as though anything was ending. Rather, it was the start of a new beginning.

  * * *

  Christian was nervous as hell, and that was saying a lot since he was normally so cool, calm and collected even under the most stressful of situations. But, it wasn’t every day that he put his heart, and his job, on the line for a woman.

  He’d arrived at work early so he could catch Douglas Creighton before everyone started arriving at the office. But now that he was sitting across from his boss, his stomach was in knots because he couldn’t even begin to anticipate the end result of this conversation.

  He exhaled a deep breath and jumped right in. “Thanks for seeing me so early. There’s something important I’d like to talk to you about.”

  “Sure,” Douglas said easily. “What’s on your mind?”

  There was no sense in beating around the bush, and he got right to the point. “I want to see your daughter.”

  The older man frowned, clearly confused. “You see her every day at the office.”

 
Christian shook his head and chuckled, releasing the tension that had been tightening his chest. “Okay, maybe I need to be more specific. I want to date your daughter. Exclusively.”

  This announcement was met with silence and a narrowing of Douglas’s gaze. Before the other man could launch himself across the desk and strangle Christian for even suggesting such a thing, he figured he might as well get everything out in the open and really give Creighton a reason to kill him.

  “I spent some time with Amanda over the weekend, and I want to continue spending time with her without sneaking around,” he said on a rush of breath. “I wanted to be honest with you so you would know my intentions right up front.”

  Douglas leaned back in his chair and stared at Christian for what seemed like hours, when in fact only a minute had passed before the older man rubbed a hand along his jaw and finally spoke. “I certainly respect your honesty, but given your past indiscretion here in the office, I can’t help but be a bit concerned about Amanda’s reputation.”

  “I understand,” Christian said, knowing that Douglas’s worries were valid, all things considered. “But I do care for her, and I wouldn’t be in here, risking my promotion to be with her if I didn’t feel she was worth it.”

  “Yes, I suppose you are putting that promotion on the line.” Douglas studied him again, and Christian wished he knew what the other man was searching for. “You know, Amanda has had trouble in the past with men wanting to date her to get to me. They were more interested in what I could do for them than they were in her.”

  “No, I didn’t know that,” Christian said, but realized how this situation must look to Douglas. However, he could only prove his sincerity over the course of time. If he walked out of here with Creighton’s blessing.

  “However, I can honestly say that none of those other men had the guts and integrity that you do, to come to me and risk your job as you have.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Christian said, hoping his candor counted for something in the end. “I think finding the right woman makes all the difference in the world.”

  “Ahhh, that they do,” Douglas said with a smile. “You do know that behind every great man is an even greater, stronger woman, right?”

  Christian grinned. “So my own father has said, numerous times.”

  “Smart man, and he’s passing some good, solid advice on down to his son.” Douglas sat forward in his chair again, his gaze direct and all business. “Now, about that promotion. I had every intention of giving it to you. However, after this conversation—”

  Christian held up a hand to stop his boss, disappointed, but knowing he could better deal with the loss of the promotion if he didn’t actually hear the words out loud. “I completely understand.”

  Douglas tipped his head and clasped his hands together on his desk. “Do you?”

  Christian nodded. “You want to make sure I’m not like all those other guys, and I’m not out to use your daughter for a promotion, or anything else for that matter.”

  “Actually, I already know you’re not like all those other men she’s dated.” The confidence in Douglas’s voice rang true. “You’ve proved yourself within the company, and again today, right now, that you’re a man who’s loyal and values honesty. I can’t ask for more than that. The sales director position is yours, Christian.”

  Stunned, it took a few extra seconds for the reality of Douglas’s words to sink in, and when they did, Christian stood up and shook his boss’s hand. “Thank you,” he managed to say, still dazed.

  “You’re welcome. You’ve earned it. I was going to wait until after the first of the year to announce the promotion, but I figure there’s no better time than the present.”

  Christian sat back down in his seat, trying to take it all in.

  “Back to my daughter,” Douglas said, redirecting the conversation to what Christian had originally come into his office for. “I met her for breakfast this morning, and now I know why she looked so sparkly, bright and alive. You’re the reason.”

  Sparkly and bright? Christian frowned in confusion over those words. “Excuse me?”

  Douglas laughed in amusement. “Ahhh, you obviously haven’t seen her yet today, have you?”

  “No. I wanted to talk to you first.”

  Creighton glanced at his wristwatch, noting the time. “Well, she should be in her office by now. And since we’re done here, I suggest you don’t keep my daughter waiting any longer.”

  Christian grinned. “Yes, sir,” he said and hightailed it out of there.

  * * *

  Riding on a huge high of adrenaline, Christian headed toward Amanda’s office, and felt a surge of disappointment when he realized she wasn’t inside sitting behind her desk. As he cast a quick glance around, he noticed that the double doors connecting to the private room behind her office were opened. Hearing noises from within, he stepped into the room and quietly closed and locked the doors behind him.

  Moving deeper inside, he caught sight of her in the kitchenette making a pot of coffee. Her back was to him, and he waited patiently for her to finish. Finally, she turned back around and started for the doors, then came to an abrupt halt when she saw him standing there.

  “Christian!” she said, her eyes wide and startled. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

  He opened his mouth to reply, then snapped it shut again as he took in her outfit. Now he understood what her father had meant by sparkly, bright and alive. That was exactly how Amanda looked to him now. The stunning changes in her showed in her eyes, the way she carried herself and those telltale heels she was wearing on her feet that made her legs look so damn long and sexy. Then there was the scarf that he’d given her that she’d tied loosely around her neck and tucked into the lapels of her jacket. The dazzling colors looked so good on her, and a part of him wondered why she’d worn the scarf when it held so many provocative memories for the two of them.

  “Wow,” he finally said around the knot in his throat. “You look amazing.” So much so that he ached to touch her, kiss her and feel her all soft and warm in his arms. They’d only spent a few days apart, and he truly missed everything about her.

  “Thank you.” She accepted his compliment with a smile and strolled toward him. “I’m glad you’re here, because I want to talk to you.”

  He shook his head. “No, I want to talk to you, and this time you’re going to listen to me. I even locked the door so you couldn’t bolt on me again.”

  She laughed, but he didn’t know what he’d said that she thought was so funny. “That really wasn’t necessary.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m not taking any chances this time.” With that said, he took her hand and led her across the room. He was glad when she didn’t try and pull away because he was fully prepared to do whatever it took to make her listen to him.

  When they reached the couch, he sat down, then pulled her onto his lap. She gasped, surprised by his bold move, but let him have his way and remained sitting on his thighs. A slightly amused smile tugged at her mouth, and he had no idea why she wasn’t taking all this more seriously.

  He made sure he had her full attention before getting started. “What I have to tell you is very straightforward and simple. When we agreed to get together this past weekend, I never thought it would be anything more than a brief affair. I also never expected that I’d fall so hard for you. But I did.”

  A slow breath eased out of her, and her gaze softened as she lifted her hand and touched the tips of her fingers tenderly to his jaw. “I did, too,” she whispered. “I’m halfway in love with you.”

  Relief shuddered through him. Oh, God, he felt like the luckiest guy in the world, and he grinned like a fool. “Looks like we’ll have to work on that other half, now won’t we?”

  She laughed huskily. “Don’t worry, I have a feeling it won’t take much at all for me to fall totally and completely in love with you.”

  He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, so that she was pretty much plaster
ed against his chest. “So, you’ll date me?” he asked and placed a soft, teasing kiss on her lips. “You’ll be my girlfriend and turn down any guy that shows even a glimmer of interest in asking you out? Because I have a feeling that those sexy shoes of yours are going to attract a whole lot of attention.”

  She framed his face in her hands, her eyes shining with affection and adoration, and a whole lot of happiness. “The only attention I care about is yours.”

  “Good answer,” he said and kissed her fully and deeply, until they were both breathless and aroused. “I’m so crazy about you, Amanda. I want to be with you. I want you to meet my family. And I really, really want to take your clothes off and make love to you, right here and now.”

  She shivered at his words, but the desire heating her gaze gave way to a bit of concern. “We need to tell my father about us.”

  “I already have.” A huge grin spread across his face. “He gave me his blessing, and the promotion. I’m now officially the director of sales.”

  “Congratulations!” she said excitedly. “That’s incredible!”

  “No, you are.” He touched the scarf around her neck and looked into her eyes, needing to know something. “Did you do all this for me? Wear the scarf, and the shoes, and your new outfit?”

  She shook her head. “No, I did it for me. It was time for a change. Past time, really.”

  Her answer was exactly what he wanted and needed to hear. “Then you did it for all the right reasons.”

  She threaded her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. “And I have you to thank for making me realize who I really am deep inside.”

  He placed his hand on her bare knee and slowly skimmed his palm upward, loving the feel of her soft, smooth skin beneath the tips of his fingers. “Ummm, it was my pleasure.”

  She raised a brow. “I do believe if you continue in that direction, the pleasure is going to be all mine.”

  “Yours, mine, ours.” He shrugged. “It’s all the same.”

  Before she could issue a comeback, he gently, playfully tumbled her back onto the couch and pushed the hem of her skirt up to her hips. With a purely wicked grin he dipped his head and gave the inside of her thigh a love bite, which he immediately soothed with his tongue.