All I Want for Christmas is…: The Complete Series

by North, Leslie

  “Jesus, man! I trusted you. I reported to you right away on our missions, never held anything back.” Murphy stepped closer and Heath fully expected a hard punch to the jaw, but for some reason his friend stopped. “Fuck!”

  Murphy stalked away, over to the open kitchen. He pulled a beer from the fridge, started to open it then set it aside, grumbling. Considering it was not yet six in the morning, it was probably a wise idea. Heath watched his friend from beneath his lashes as he paced the room. Finally, Murphy slumped back down on the couch and scrubbed his hands over his face before meeting Heath’s gaze again. “This is not okay. I’m not sure it will ever be okay. But I want Aileen safe. Now that we know where she is and what she’s working on, we can deal with the senator situation and end this shit once and for all, yeah?”

  Heath exhaled and glanced at Daveed. “Yeah?”

  After a moment of silence, Daveed took a seat on the opposite end of the sofa from Murphy. “Yeah.”

  “Right. So how are we going to take down this son of a bitch Lawrence?” Heath sat back and scowled. “I’ve got to tread lightly. Not only because of Aileen, but the senator said he had dirt on my father as well. Whatever it is, I can’t risk it coming out.”

  Daveed sat forward and rested his forearms on his knees. Tall, dark, and muscular, he carried himself with a regal air that bespoke his royal heritage, even though he’d turned down the throne of his homeland, Al Dar Nasrani. “I’m guessing Senator Lawrence plans to trot out the old rumors about your father paying off congressmen to get favorable bills passed.”

  “Trouble is, he did that. It’s true.” Heath shook his head. “I never claimed my family was spotless and I won’t go there now. Right before I joined the Navy, I remember overhearing a meeting between my father and Senator Lawrence in his office. My dad wanted to secure the natural gas drilling rights for a company he’d bought stock in and he was trying to grease the wheels by bribing Lawrence.”

  “Did the senator accept?” Murphy asked, still frowning darkly.

  “Hell, yeah. He couldn’t get his hands on that cash fast enough. Said he would put it toward his legacy fund or some such shit.” Heath gave a derisive snort. “God, I even used that hidden meeting as leverage to get my dad to sign off on my enlistment in the Navy. What a mess.”

  “Is your dad still tight with the Federal Prosecutor?” Daveed asked.

  “As far as I know.”

  “Good. I’d advise you to tell your father to talk with him and explain this situation with Lawrence. That will head off any more threats on that front.” Daveed squinted down at his own phone screen. “On the other front, I’ve received word from my father as well. That’s what I came to tell you at the BrightStart offices a few days ago, but you were otherwise occupied.”

  “Shit. You took Aileen to your work too?” Murphy all but spat the words out. “Why didn’t you rent a frigging parade float and drive her down Park Avenue?”

  “When I need your advice on how to live my life, I’ll be sure and ask,” Heath snapped, unable to stop himself. God, he’d been such an idiot where Aileen was concerned and he wished he could go back and change it all now, but it was too late. Knowing that was a hopeless cause, he refocused on Daveed. “And?”

  “My father has spoken with the Minister of Energy for Al Dar Nasrani and they’ve agreed to a deal. They’re going to make the offer to buy out EnKor Energy today.”

  “Holy shit.” Murphy stared wide-eyed at his friend. “Does Shayma know?”

  “I’ve no idea.” Daveed shrugged. Shayma bint Amr Kahn had once been his fiancée. Now, Daveed was engaged to Melody Hascall-Ebons, Heath’s ex, and Murphy and Shayma were a happy couple. Things were beyond complicated in Heath’s little corner of the universe.

  Daveed continued. “Since her father is the Minster of Energy, perhaps they’ve talked, but I really don’t know. I’ve been busy planning a wedding.”

  From the grimace on his face, Heath guessed his upcoming nuptials weren’t going exactly as he’d wanted. Then again, love’s path rarely ran smooth. Heath bit back a smile. He knew firsthand how carried away Mel could get when she was working on one of her “projects” and she’d spare no expense when it came to her own wedding, Heath was sure. “Trouble in paradise?”

  “No.” Daveed shuddered. “It’s just that she made me go with her to pick out a cake. Do you guys have any idea how many different types I had to try? I’ve got a sweet tooth, but damn. And then the decorations. Having to choose between eggshell and ecru and blush and peony when all the fucking shades look exactly the same. Exactly, I tell you. No difference whatsoever.” Daveed raked a hand through his hair. “Talking about torture.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Murphy chuckled. “You got it so tough. Shayma made me get a pedicure the other day. Me. Sitting in a fucking salon with my feet soaking in bubble bath and sipping sparkling water, hoping like hell no one I know comes in and sees me. God, I’d never live that down.”

  “You’ll never live it down now, buddy.” Heath laughed. “Sorry. Couldn’t resist.”

  The guys sat there, staring at each other in silence, until finally Daveed said, “Well, with the sale of EnKor, that should effectively shut down this deal of Senator Lawrence’s. I’ve already told my father all of the man’s sins and he’s livid. He won’t be speaking to the senator anytime soon. Plus, he said they’ll have some of the island’s top scientists look a bit more closely at this bogus clean energy invention of theirs. Perhaps it might turn out to be workable after all.”

  “That would be awesome. The investors who put their life savings into the company will get to keep their standard of living and might even strike it rich if the invention pans out.” Heath sighed. “The only thing left is Aileen’s story. She was really banking on this making her career.”

  “Why not have her report on the sale of EnKor to my father?” Daveed suggested. “It will be hitting all the newsfeeds soon anyway. Why not give the jump to someone I know and like? Plus, it will be one more incentive to ensure Frank Kent signs. He’s a shifty piece of work and in case he gets any crazy ideas about backing out at the last minute, this should put those to rest. Aileen prints all the facts, lets the readers decide. Kent will have to choose between money or jail time.”

  “Couldn’t happen to a better bastard,” Murphy growled.

  “Agreed.” Heath leaned forward and extended a hand to his friend, figuring he could patch things up with his best bud even if he’d never have the same opportunity with Murphy’s sister. Chances were good he’d never see Aileen again after this. He felt gutted, flayed open, raw and exposed. “I’m sorry. I promise to do better next time.”

  Reluctantly, Murphy grasped Heath’s hand and shook on it. “Accepted. Now, let’s go see my sister and give her the details on her new story.”

  * * *

  Aileen sat in the living room of her apartment, staring at the Christmas decorations her brother and his new girlfriend had left behind and feeling overall like shit. Not that she wasn’t happy to be home. She was. It was just that the final scene of her and Heath’s meeting with Senator Lawrence kept replaying in her mind on endless repeat—the way the man she’d thought she’d loved basically gave away all her hard work without a fight; the way Heath had sold his integrity down the river in order to keep his precious family name untarnished; the cold finality in his eyes when she’d told him she never wanted to see him again.

  And she didn’t. Want to see him again. Nope. Not at all.

  So what if her chest ached from missing him? The guy was a traitor. He’d broken her trust, broken their deal, broken her heart into a million pieces. Why would she miss that? She’d be crazy to miss that. Right?

  Huffing, she laid her head back against the sofa cushions and stared up at the sprig of mistletoe dangling from the ceiling above her head. Stupid holidays. Rationally she knew that none of this was Christmas’s fault, but dammit. She needed someone to blame besides herself for this mess and the holiday seemed like an easy choi
ce, with all of its dumb traditions and twinkling hope and festive promises of happiness.

  Happiness? Bah humbug.

  Determined to get over it and move on with her life, Aileen pushed to her feet and began dismantling the Christmas tree Murphy and Shayma had abandoned. The last thing she needed now was a reminder of her brother’s newfound happily ever after with his mate. Fairy tale endings were for idiots.

  Grumbling about grinches and Goldwins, she grabbed a box to place the ornaments in. She’d been fine before Heath had to go and show up. Perfectly content with her life, both in and out of the bedroom. She had a job she loved, work that was satisfying, goals and dreams and plans. Then Mr. Tall, Blond, and Bossy had to show up and throw it all into utter chaos. Being Murphy’s friend, he knew about her past, about the home life she’d never had and always craved and he’d used it against her. That had to explain why he’d been so generous with her, taking her into his brownstone, buying her all those expensive clothes, lavishing her with the affection she’d yearned for her since she’d been a lonely kid growing up without a mom and with a dad who was too busy keeping a roof over their heads to worry about his children’s emotional needs.

  Looking around for a suitable stepladder, she settled on one of the stools at the breakfast bar and pulled it over to climb up on and pull down the annoying mistletoe. She’d just gotten up atop it and was teetering on her tiptoes when a brief knock sounded on her front door followed by Murphy barreling into her apartment without waiting for an answer. Behind him was Daveed and Heath.

  “Sis?” Murphy said, eyeing her precarious position. “That doesn’t look very safe.”

  “I’m fine, I—” As if on cue, the stool beneath her wobbled and Aileen pinwheeled her arms, searching in vain for her balance. Her heart leapt to her throat and her stomach nosedived and all she could picture were the headlines in the paper the next day: “Dogged journalist dead after decorating disaster.”

  Before she crashed to the ground, two strong arms came around her and lifted her against a warm, muscled chest. A chest she was very familiar with, seeing as she’d cuddled against it after lovemaking. Incensed and embarrassed, Aileen struggled in Heath’s hold until he put her down.

  Brushing a hand over her jeans and black T-shirt, she mumbled her thanks then focused her irritation on her brother. “Don’t you call before showing up?”

  “Don’t you leave notes to tell people where the hell you’re going before disappearing?” Murphy stalked out of the kitchen and over to stand toe-to-toe with his sister, each glaring at the other. God, she’d missed him, so much it hurt.

  Without warning, Murphy pulled her into a tight bear hug, nearly severing her breath, and Aileen held on for dear life. “I’m sorry, bro,” she said between sniffles. “I honestly never meant to be away that long. I figured I’d go undercover for a week or so and find what I needed and be back before you even missed me.”

  “How’d that work out for you?” Murphy said, his mouth buried in her hair. “I swear to God, if you ever pull some shit like that again, I will paddle your ass so hard, sis, you won’t sit down for a decade.”

  “Yeah?” She grinned, squeezing her eyes shut as tears flowed. She and Murphy were as close as two siblings could be. They’d bonded because of their mom’s death and become a team to support each other during their father’s long absences in the military. Nothing could break that bond now—not time or distance or even life’s unpredictability. Aileen sniffled then eased out of her brother’s crushing embrace, suddenly remembering they had an audience. She stepped back and swiped the back of her hand over her damp cheeks. “Well, you’d have to catch me first, bro. And we both know I’m way faster than you.”

  “Bullshit.” Murphy laughed, his hands on her shoulders. “Damn, sis. I missed you.”

  “I missed you too.” She took another step back, only to run into Heath. Aileen moved away fast, as if she’d been burnt, and kept her gaze trained on her brother as she crossed her arms. “What’s he doing here?”

  “Heath?” Murphy’s gaze darted from Aileen to the man behind her then back again. “The guys and I were discussing the whole Senator Lawrence case and we’ve got a solution that should work out for everyone.” He snorted. “Well, everyone but that asshole senator.”

  “May we sit down?” Daveed asked from where he was still standing near the door.

  Eyes narrowed, she gave a curt nod. “You worked it all out, huh? Just like that.”

  “Well, it helps when your father is the ruler of a small nation,” Daveed said, settling himself on her sofa. “Al Dar Nasrani will be buying out EnKor and all of its assets.” He checked his watch. “In fact, I believe the negotiations are happening as we speak.”

  “And my father is good friends with the Federal Prosecutor who’ll be going over all the paperwork for the deal, so it’s really just a formality. Frank Kent is smart enough to know he either takes what Daveed’s father is offering or he’ll be sitting his ass in prison for the foreseeable future on charges of fraud. With the congressional committee now appointing a special counsel to investigate all of these allegations, he doesn’t have a choice. If all the bribes and shady deals come out, everything he’s worked so hard for will be gone. He won’t risk that,” Heath said, still standing behind Aileen.

  “Pretty cool, eh?” Murphy grinned and plopped down into an arm chair. “You can thank us later.”

  “Thank you?” Aileen scowled. “You didn’t do anything. It was all Daveed’s father.” She rounded on Heath, all her pent-up frustrations erupting with volcanic ferocity. “And you!”

  Heath frowned and backed away, holding his hands up in surrender. “Look, I’m sorry about how things went down in the senator’s hotel room. I owe you an explanation and—”

  “You owe me a hell of a lot more than that, buddy!” She advanced on him, finger poking into his chest for emphasis. “You betrayed me. You gave away all my hard-earned research like it was worthless trash. You made me believe that you actually cared about me, gave me gifts, complimented me, shared my damned bed. And then that’s how you end it? You son-of-a—”

  “You slept with my goddamned sister?” Murphy yelled, his good humor vanishing into rage. “I swear to God, Heath, I’m going to fucking kill you!”

  “Stop it!” Aileen screamed at her brother. “I’m a grown adult woman. You don’t dictate to me how I live my life or who I go to bed with. Understand?”

  “Aileen, I did care about you. I still do. I—” Heath started.

  “Don’t give me your pretty lies. They don’t mean a thing,” she snapped, snarling at him again. “What you did in that hotel room made me doubt everything, did you know that? Who I am, what I do. Hell, I even considered resigning from the newspaper because of what you did.” Aileen blinked hard against the sting of tears. She wouldn’t cry. Not here. Not now. Not in front of this man who’d already gotten way more of her tears and time and devotion than he deserved. And yes, maybe she did still love him. She’d get over it, eventually. “And now you waltz in here and say everything’s fixed and expect me to just forgive you? Well, fuck you, Heath Goldwin. Fuck you and your family name. Because that’s obviously what’s most important to you, isn’t it? Screw the MacLeans and all those poor people who could lose their life savings.”

  “Actually,” Daveed said from his seat on the sofa, still calm as an oasis. “The current stockholders stand to make a good profit on the sale of the company and my father’s Minister of Energy plans to invest more funds into researching this bogus invention the company was touting to see if they can actually make it a viable energy source.”

  Some of the wind left Aileen’s sails and she looked back at Heath. “Fine. But that still doesn’t excuse your behavior in that hotel room.” Her nose twitched with the effort of restraining herself from punching him, her heart raw with pain. “How could you hand all that information over? You knew how hard I worked to get that, how much that story meant to me. And now it’s gone. You bastard.”r />
  “Darling, I’m so sorry.” Heath laid a tentative hand on her shoulder. “I should have told you about having Daveed hack into your files, but when this whole thing started I wasn’t sure I could trust you, then later, after what happened between us, I didn’t know how to tell you for fear it would all end and I’d lose you.” Heath’s big shoulders slumped. “And now, that’s exactly what happened anyway.”

  “Don’t touch her, dammit!” Murphy growled, still upset. “You and I, we’re gonna have words after this, dude.”

  “Leave him alone!” Aileen said, giving her brother a look. “I told you. It’s my business, no one else’s. Including yours. You didn’t ask my permission to run off with Daveed’s ex and fall in love, did you? No, you didn’t. So, please stay out of this and mind your own business, all right? Who I chose to fall in love with is my problem, no one else’s.”

  Murphy snapped his mouth shut and sagged back into his chair and Aileen faced Heath again, only to find the color drained from his tanned cheeks and his eyes wide.

  “What did you say?” Heath’s question was hesitant, totally unlike his usual bossy demeanor.

  “I told my nosy brother to mind his own damned business and stay the hell out of my love life.”

  “Is that what this is? Love?”

  Yes. “No. Not anymore. I don’t know.” Aileen shook her head and walked over to the windows to stare out into the overcast winter day. She needed some space to think about all of this and come to her own conclusions.

  Daveed cleared his throat. “Also, you should know that while I was in your files, I made backups of everything.” He set a small USB drive on the coffee table. “Just in case the senator decided to renege on our deal. I doubt he will though. Daveed’s father’s secret guard has already made it clear to the senator that if he makes any attempt to fulfill the threats he’s made against Heath or his family, the consequences will be…harsh. And swift. Senator Lawrence might be a lot of things, but brave isn’t one of them. I believe he’s more than content to do his time in a white-collar prison and maybe get a book deal for his memoirs. As for all of your research, it’s there, intact. Though you won’t be able to write the story you originally intended now.”