Naughty

by Marie York

  Shit.

  “Annabelle!” I called after her, but she vanished into the ladies room. That was definitely not the reaction I was expecting. I guess I didn’t really know her at all. I knocked on the door. “Annabelle, can I come in?”

  “No!” she yelled, but I wasn’t one to listen, so I reached for the handle. My phone buzzed in my pocket, so I took it as a sign, and let go of the door. I shoved my hand into my pocket, and retrieved it. Knox, my best friend, flashed across the screen.

  “Hey buddy, what’s up?” I answered and, with one last glance, at the bathroom door, I headed to my office.

  “Saw on the news the weather by you is pretty fucking bad. I mean it has to be to make the news here in Vegas. Just wanted to make sure you got out okay.”

  “Wish I could say I did. I’m actually currently stranded at my office. Looks like I’ll be spending the night unless they get the streets plowed or the sidewalks shoveled.”

  “That blows, but it could be worse. You have heat, and that leather couch in your office. Wouldn’t be the first time you slept on it,” he said with a laugh, and I knew exactly what he meant.

  “I usually don’t do much sleeping on it, though. Anyway, how are you doing?” I asked, even though a part of me wanted to pretend that today didn’t exist. I wasn’t always a Scrooge like Annabelle claimed I was. Sometimes, shit happens and it makes you that way. It was easier to pretend Christmas didn’t exist than to remember it as one of the worst days of my life. I put the phone on speaker, and rested it on my desk.

  “You know, it’s rough. I can’t believe it’s been another year,” Knox said, and then went silent for a moment. “Zoey would have fucking loved snow in the city on Christmas.” Hearing her name was like a dagger to the heart. It stabbed and burned, ripped and tore.

  I had never lost anyone in my life other than a great uncle that I barely knew. So, when I lost one of my best friends, it hit me harder than anything. Knox and I both left the mountains of North Carolina, hoping to hit it big, and make enough money to get her the care she needed. Their parents’ medical insurance sucked and the hospitals where we lived weren’t good enough. She deserved better. She deserved a chance to live, but she died before we could help.

  And, when I made my first million, I realized that money could buy me everything, but it couldn’t buy me the one thing I wanted. It couldn’t buy me her life back. She was gone. Twenty years old, and gone because of fucking cancer.

  “Eight years to the day,” I finally said.

  “Do you remember our last Christmas together? I mean, the one before she…” Neither one of us could ever bring ourselves to say the actual word.

  “I do,” I said with a laugh. “It was snowing like it is right now, and we were trapped inside. Our moms kicked us out of the kitchen, and our dads were watching some awful black and white Christmas movie. So, Zoey had the bright idea to make Christmas ornaments.”

  “What the fuck was she thinking?” Knox laughed. “She couldn’t even color in the lines, and she wanted to make fucking ornaments.”

  “And I think you actually said that to her. We wanted to play video games, and she stole the controllers.”

  “She totally did. She had a one track mind that girl. And, when she wanted something…”

  “She damn well got it.” We both went silent again, and I closed my eyes remembering the day. She had already been diagnosed, and had been in remission at that point. Who would have thought that would be her last Christmas with us? None of us expected the cancer to come back. “I have to say, my light bulb reindeer was pretty fucking awesome,” I said, breaking the silence.

  “Yeah, I think you missed your real calling in life.”

  “Do you remember that horrible snowman Zoey made out of popsicle sticks? It didn’t even look like a snowman.”

  “I know. I still have it. I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away.”

  That was the difference between me and Knox. He held onto her memory so tightly, whereas I tried to forget her completely.

  4

  Annabelle

  What the fuck was I thinking? First, I missed Christmas Eve, and then I turned into a fucking psychotic, sex-crazed lunatic. Was I trying to get myself fired? How in the hell was I ever going to be in the same room with him again? I had to quit. I had no other option. That tiny taste of him barely satisfied the growing desire in me. I wanted more. So much more. My body craved him in a way that felt like it should be illegal in some states.

  Not to mention, he was a Scrooge. A Christmas hating, slave driving, unsympathetic Scrooge. There was no future with us. It was just sex, and I’d be damned if I became the slutty assistant that let her boss use her every time he needed a release.

  I was raised better than that. Mom would be so disappointed in me. “Shit!” I scrambled for my phone, realizing I never called home to tell them I wouldn’t make it. I found it and panicked when I saw six missed calls, three voicemails and eight text messages… all from Mom. I wouldn’t be surprised if she called the authorities and reported me missing.

  I called her as fast as my fingers would let me. She picked up on the first ring. “Annabelle! Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, Ma.”

  “Oh, thank heavens!” she sighed into the phone. “She’s okay!” she called out.

  “I told you,” I heard Vinny say. “Tell her to stay put wherever she is. She’s not going out in this.”

  “She better not be going anywhere,” I heard Dad say.

  A typical argument broke out, and tears pricked my eyes. My family was loud, and they argued more than talked, but I loved them so much and to think I wasn’t there… Mom came back to the line. “You home, Annabelle?”

  “I’m actually stuck at the office. I couldn’t get out. I tried. I really did.”

  “I believe you. I bet it was that jackass of a boss you have. I swear to God, I will whoop his ass if he left you there alone.”

  “I’m not alone. He’s actually stuck here with me. I almost wish I was alone.”

  “Nobody should spend Christmas Eve alone.”

  “Why? He does every year, from what I can tell.”

  “Must be a reason,” Mom said.

  “Yeah, because he’s Scrooge McDuck.”

  Mom laughed. “Maybe so, but, behind every Scrooge, there’s a story. Maybe you should try and find out what made his heart go so cold.”

  “He doesn’t have a heart. Besides, I’d rather lick the bathroom floor.”

  “Honey, what else do you have to do tonight? If you can’t have Christmas with us, then have your own Christmas.”

  “My own Christmas is being at home with all of you, fighting with Vinny over the last cannoli, and watching A Christmas Story. It’s tradition.” Those damn tears came back full force, but I let the anger and disappointment push them away.

  “And, sometimes, we make new traditions. Just get through tonight, and, as soon as the snow is cleared, we’ll do Christmas Eve all over again. We won’t even open gifts tonight. We’ll wait for you to get home.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise. Now be safe and damn it, when I call you, you answer that phone. You had me scared to death over here. I thought you were dead in a ditch.”

  “Sorry, Ma. I’ll answer next time. I guess you should get back to the family. Give Grandma a hug for me.”

  “I will. Merry Christmas, Annabelle.”

  “Merry Christmas, Ma.” I hung up the phone, and thought about what mom said. I didn’t want my new tradition to be hiding out in a bathroom because I couldn’t keep my hands off my boss. So, I checked my face in the mirror, fixed my makeup and decided to stop hiding.

  I debated whether to go to my desk and stay there or to go to Sebastian. I started walking and, when I passed my desk without a second thought, my decision was made.

  I went to knock on the door when Sebastian’s voice floated out. “Eight years to the day.” I froze in place and listened as he continued on. There was sadn
ess in his voice, something I never thought I’d ever hear. He talked about a girl with so much love in his voice and such pain. Suddenly, it dawned on me why he hated Christmas so much.

  Mom was right. There was a story behind the Scrooge. He did have a heart; it was just broken. My own heart ached for him, and for the pain he was obviously hiding from.

  Nobody should hate Christmas. It was the happiest time of the year. And, from what Sebastian was saying, it was obvious that he once loved the holiday. He just needed someone to bring that joy back to him.

  Mom’s words echoed in my head. Honey, what else do you have to do tonight? If you can’t have Christmas with us, then have your own Christmas.

  That was exactly what I was going to do. I headed for the elevator. I was a girl on a mission, and I wasn’t going to stop until Sebastian Hamilton let Christmas back into his heart.

  5

  Sebastian

  I hung up with Knox twenty minutes ago, but couldn’t bring myself to leave my office. For so long, I pushed every thought of Zoey aside. Tried to pretend like she never existed, because it was the only thing that made the pain go away. She was like a sister, and, losing her, broke me.

  Tonight, seeing that damn Santa hanging from Annabelle’s neck, those ridiculous bells in her ears, and that hot as hell red and white lingerie, I didn’t mind Christmas. I actually began to miss it.

  Speaking with Knox, and actually talking about Zoey, even though it hurt, felt good to remember her. I ran a hand through my hair, then looked up and smiled. “Miss you Zo.” A lump formed in my throat, but, before the emotions could push their way up, there was a gentle knock at my door.

  “Can I come in?” Annabelle asked, poking her head around the partially opened door.

  “Sure,” I said. She stepped in, and the first thing I noticed was her bare legs. “Sorry about that,” I motioned to her legs. “I’ll buy you a new pair.”

  She shrugged. “No biggie. It happens, right? If it wasn’t you, it would’ve been a jagged nail or a rough table bottom. I have a million more pairs. Anyway, I want to show you something. Will you come with me?”

  I arched an eyebrow at her and was greeted by a pouty puppy dog look. She pushed her hands together and tilted her head. She was a dangerous combination of beauty and cuteness. How could I say no to her?

  “Why not?” I said, and got up from my desk.

  She held her hand out and, when I hesitated to take it, her lip curled upward. “I promise, I won’t freak out on you again. I panicked. You’re my boss and it was…”

  “Weird.”

  “Super.”

  I took her hand and pulled her toward me, wrapping my arm around her waist. “But it felt so right,” I said, loving how she felt pressed against me. Not wanting to ever let her go again. Wanting to stay in this moment for as long as I possibly could.

  She blinked her whiskey colored eyes up at me. “That’s what scared me.”

  “Sometimes the things that scare us are the risks worth taking.”

  “Speaking of.” Her face brightened, and then she linked her fingers through mine. “Come on,” she said and yanked me along with her.

  “Where are we going?” I asked, not that it mattered, because I would follow her anywhere.

  “I have a surprise for you.”

  “For me?”

  She turned back, her teeth skimming over her bottom lip, and she nodded. We got on the elevator, and I couldn’t help but stare at the wall and remember every second she let me take her. It took all the energy I had not to hoist her up, and show her exactly how she made me feel.

  Her eyes met mine, and it was clear she knew exactly what I was thinking. The elevator dinged and we got out, heading to where the large conference room was. She pushed the door open and waited.

  The first thing I spotted was the small fake Christmas tree on the conference table. It was adorned in small red and green ornaments, and had a tiny red skirt beneath it. A stuffed animal penguin and polar bear both with scarves sat on either side of the tree. Behind it on the video conference screen was a movie I was all too familiar with. “A Christmas Story” had just started.

  I wanted to be angry, to grab the tree, and throw it right in the fucking trash, but when I looked at Annabelle, and the huge smile on her face, all I could think to do was take her in my arms.

  “I hope you’re not mad,” she said. “But Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the year, and I didn’t want to lose out on some of my favorite traditions because I couldn’t be home. And…” She took a deep breath. “Confession time. I may have overheard your phone conversation. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. But it sounded like you once loved Christmas, too, and I wanted to bring that back to you. To show you that it’s okay to still love it.” Her voice was getting more and more panicked with each word and I reached up, running a finger down her cheek.

  “Shh. It’s okay. I’m not mad.”

  “You’re not?” she asked.

  “No. I realized tonight that Christmas isn’t the problem. It was me hiding from a truth I didn’t want to accept. I did the one thing that she wouldn’t have wanted me to do.”

  Annabelle reached up and rested her hand against mine. “Who is Zoey?”

  “She was my best friend. Her and her twin brother, Knox, who you heard me talking to, we did everything together. We lived in a small town, not a lot going on, but we always had each other. She was like my sister, and losing her was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through.”

  “So, it was easier to just avoid it.”

  “Exactly, but, today, when I saw this necklace.” I took the Santa in my hands and smiled. “And these earrings.” I ran a finger across her lobe. “I didn’t want to make them go away. And this.” I held my arm out to the display on the table. “It didn’t make me angry. It made me happy, and I have you to thank for that.”

  “Me?”

  “You. You made me realize that Christmas isn’t a time for sorrow. It’s a time to embrace the ones you love. Honor your traditions and keep the memories alive. I don’t want to be Scrooge McDuck anymore.”

  “What do you want to be then?”

  I tucked her hair away from her face. “I want to be someone you’d be happy to miss Christmas Eve with your family for. And a guy that’s worthy enough to maybe one day bring home to share in all your traditions. I want to be that guy for you.”

  “How about we start a new tradition?” she said, wrapping her arms around my neck.

  “What did you have in mind?”

  She pressed her lips to mine, and it was soft and sweet. I relished in it for a moment before the animal inside of me took over. I hoisted her up and placed her on the conference table. Her legs wrapped around my waist, and she used her foot to urge me closer.

  “Take it all off,” I said, pulling my lips from hers. I took the necklace in my hands. “Everything, but this.”

  She laughed, and it was the sweetest fucking sound I had ever heard. She stripped down to her festive lingerie, and then reached out to me. Her fingers latched onto my zipper, and she did away with my pants, as I undid my shirt.

  My shirt fell to the floor, and she leaned up, blazing a trail of fiery hot kisses up my stomach. Her hands ran over the hard ridges of my abs, to my pecs, as she followed with her lips. I rested my finger under her chin, and urged her mouth to mine.

  I swiped my tongue across her crease and she parted, sliding her tongue slowly and lovingly against mine. She tasted like candy canes, and I couldn’t get enough. I pushed my finger back into her wetness, wanting to feel her tighten around me again.

  “I’m going to drag this out all night long, Red. Make love to you slow and sweet because that’s what you deserve. You deserve someone who will take the time to worship every inch of you.”

  I stared down at her, taking in every beautiful curve. Her teeth caught her lip as I swiped my finger across her clit. Her eyes closed and her head fell back. A tiny moan slipped from her lips as her body ar
ched off the table. I loomed over her, capturing her mouth and muffling her moans. Her nails dug into my back, and I broke the kiss, trying to catch my breath. “I need to be inside of you,” I said, hot against her ear.

  “I need you inside of me now. Fuck slow and sweet. We have all the time in the world for that,” she said, and I knew right then and there that she was the perfect girl for me.

  I didn’t make her wait another second. I ripped her thong aside, and pushed into her. Her head flung back and she screamed. “You feel so fucking good, Red.”

  “Mmm,” she moaned, arching up as I pounded into her. “Oh God yes. Fuck me harder! Harder! Harder! Yes! Just like that. Don’t stop!”

  I thrust into her, gripping her tiny waist, and giving her exactly what she asked for. My balls tightened, and I couldn’t hold back a second longer.

  “I’m going to come,” I warned her.

  “Me too,” she breathed.

  I knotted my fingers in her hair, and brought her forehead to mine. She blinked up, making our gazes one. I drove into her, until I couldn’t hold back for another second. Her muscles tightened like a vise grip on my dick, and we came together.

  I held her face in my hands. “Merry Christmas, Red.”

  “Merry Christmas, Sebastian.”

  6

  Annabelle

  The next morning, the roads were cleared, and we were able to get out. Sebastian had Thomas pick us up, and we met him downstairs. Thomas pulled up and hurried out.

  “Morning, Mr. Hamilton,” he said and opened the door.

  Sebastian shook his hand. “Merry Christmas, Thomas,” he said, and I couldn’t help but notice the shock on Thomas’s face. “Sorry to have to pull you away from your family. We just need a ride to Jersey, and then you can have the next week off… paid.”

  Thomas stuttered, and then caught himself. “Why thank you, sir.”