“Me too.”
And then he was gone, leaving her standing in a blast of cold air with unanswered questions fluttering around her like the snow flurries gently covering up his retreating footprints.
Chapter Five
“Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty!”
Tessa rattled the bottle containing the ibuprofen next to the ear of her unconscious houseguest. She wasn’t going to baby Damien—he’d done this to himself—and she had to get to work. It was her last day. She wasn’t going to be late.
Damien groaned, his left hand emerging from under the blanket and swatting at her like she was a bumblebee. Well, he’d better get his ass off her sofa or he’d feel her sting. This was why she’d never been serious about Damien. While he was driven, smart, and very successful he still indulged in occasional bouts of frat boy behavior. She wasn’t old, but somewhere along the way she’d decided she wanted to be with a grown up and not someone stuck in thirteenth grade.
“Damien. Get up.” Tessa emphasized her words with a firm yank on the blanket, leaving him exposed to the morning air. He reacted like a vampire exposed to light—groans of pain, curses, and finally a lurch off the couch and towards her bathroom.
Tessa padded into the kitchen. The yummy cinnamon from her oatmeal wafted up to entice her. Anticipating the first bite, she was disappointed it didn’t warm her down to her toes like it normally did. She was cold, empty, and out-of-sorts after a night spent alone her bed.
Coming down from the way Nick made her feel was painful, and thinking of how he looked when he left made it worse. Something wasn’t right, and she had no idea what it was. Damien’s interruption had ripped them out of their little cocoon of mindless feeling, and allowed Nick to think about what they were doing. Letting Nick muddle over things was a double-edged sword. If you needed the best game code, he was a genius. In matters of emotion, he was a train wreck of over-thinking.
“Hey.” Damien’s arms settled around her waist as he pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.
What. The. Hell.
“Whoa!” Dropping her bowl and spoon onto the counter with a loud clatter, Tessa wrenched herself out of his grasp, pressing back against the counter. He must still be drunk to think she was going to indulge in a little morning wake-up-call with him.
“Have you lost your mind?” She pushed him away with a hard shove when he took another step in her direction. Damien’s face cycled through all of the emotions appropriate for such an awkward moment: shock, confusion, and then shame. “Are you still drunk?”
“No. I’m sober,” Damien said as he leaned heavily against her countertop. His face had the pallor of someone who was rocking a terrible hangover, and she felt a pang of regret over his predicament.
“Please explain to me what the hell you thought you were doing? We’re over. Been over. So over.”
“I thought we’d get back together.”
“What? Why?”
“Because that’s what we do. We break up and get back together.”
Damien looked truly confused, and she had no doubt that it was genuine. He’d never understood why it never stuck with them. Other than having a good time, which was fine in college, they’d never been about forever.
“That’s how it always was. We were the good-time couple, but we never had what it takes for the long haul.” Tessa poured a cup of coffee and shoved it in his hands, ignoring his sad puppy-dog face. It was one of the tricks he used to get his way, but it didn’t work on her anymore. “Drink this and get over it. You don’t want to settle down. You’re fickle, and you only want what you don’t have. Once you get it, it loses its appeal.”
Damien shrugged and took a sip of the hot coffee, a slight smile lighting up his face when he realized she’d made his favorite blend. He was so easy to please, a big kid. She sent up a prayer for the woman who would inevitably get sucked in by his charm and have to wrangle him for the rest of her life.
“You don’t want that stuff,” he said.
“What stuff?”
“Marriage. Kids. Mortgage.”
“Yes, I do. You don’t want them. That was part of the problem—besides the fact that we didn’t love each other.” She didn’t want to get into who she wanted to have that with—not with Damien. She wanted to tell Nick. She wanted Nick.
The longing coursing through her was palpable.
“We had fun. That’s what love is when people don’t wrap it up in all the hearts and flowers.”
She froze, unable to believe what she was hearing. They were living on planets apart from each other. “I want the hearts and flowers. I want more than just fun. I want commitment, longing, soul mates.”
“Babe, that only exists in the sappy Christmas songs you listen to. When you figure it out, let me know.”
Tessa barely registered the press of his warm lips against her ice-cold cheek just before he placed his mug in the sink. Deep down in her heart, she knew Damien wasn’t right about love. She was also certain he’d never been the right man for her. Lucky for her she’d never actually fallen in love with him. He was destined to be some other poor girl’s heartbreak.
She heard the click of her door closing as Damien left her apartment, the silence giving her time to focus on what she wanted. Tonight, at the party, she’d find a way to make Nick see that they were meant to be together.
She’d spent years with the wrong man, but if she played her cards right, she had enough time to make sure she spent Christmas with the right one.
Chapter Six
“Man, I’m sorry I busted in on your TV night with Tessa.”
Nick looked up from his desk, so engrossed in his task it took him a minute to process what Damien had said. “No worries, mate. I’m surprised to see you here so early. You were pretty pissed last night.”
“Yeah. Not a good idea with all the shit I’ve got to do today.” Damien lowered himself to the couch with less bounce in his step than usual.
“You okay?” Nick asked. It was rare to see his friend at less than full capacity. Many times he wished he had Damien’s boundless energy and unparalleled people skills. But, he wasn’t easy with people he didn’t know very well and the effort left him exhausted. It wasn’t until he was able to be alone that he could re-charge his batteries.
“Tessa turned me down flat.”
“What?”
“This morning I made my move and she shut me down so fast it left skid marks.”
Nick barely resisted the urge to jump up and down and shout. When he’d left last night with her taste on his lips and the scent of her skin clinging to his body, he was sure that his chance with Tessa had been lost a long time ago. Seeing her taking care of Damien reminded him of the history they had together as a couple. Yes, he could try to build on their friendship, but that was nothing to the bond of a lover. Maybe he was wrong.
“Ouch. Sorry.” And he was sorry. He knew how amazing Tessa was.
“Yeah.” Damien leaned back on the couch, legs extended with his feet propped up on the coffee table. Nick flinched, barely biting back the request to put his feet down. He’d let it slide today. An early Christmas present.
Damien continued, his tone a little more upbeat. “But it’s just a temporary setback. She’s all hung up the idea that love is something more than having a good time, getting along. Once she’s figured it out, we’ll get back together like always.”
“Love is more than having good time. It’s about trust, commitment, passion.” Nick knew firsthand what love was all about. It was how he felt about Tessa. It was why he couldn’t imagine his life with anyone but her.
Damien’s snort made it clear he thought Nick was mad. “Maybe the two of you should be together. She said the same thing.”
Nick couldn’t have heard better news if he paid for it. His heart pounded in his chest, the sharp tattoo drowning out the Christmas music playing over the office sound system. Damien could dance on the bloody table if he wanted to. Call it a lifetime Christmas present.
The memory of Tessa clinging to him, opening to his tongue, writhing under his touch made him ache for her and what lay just beyond the boundary lines between friends and lovers. Tonight he’d let her know how he felt, and tomorrow, with any luck, he’d wake up beside her. And then on Christmas day he’d go for broke with the gift sitting in a little box in his dresser drawer.
Yeah, it was fast, but when “St. Nick” threw out the rulebook, he aimed for the cheap seats.
He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he didn’t notice Damien until he was standing right next to his desk. Planting both hands on the desktop, he leaned over with a determined look on his face.
“Whoever this Secret Santa joker is, he better pull out all the stops if he thinks he’s going to get Tessa. You know what I always say…” Damien moved to the door and opened it. “Go big, man. Go big.”
Nick stared at the closed door, his thoughts tumbling over themselves in a haphazard fashion. Damien had just told him what he needed to do. Nick bit back a grin and checked his watch. She should be getting today’s gift any minute now and then it was only six more hours until the party began. After she saw tonight’s gift, Tessa would know he was willing to do anything to give her the love she wanted—the kind Damien scoffed at.
Pushing aside his work, Nick grabbed his keys and jacket and headed out of the office. He had a few more touches to add to the party. It needed to be perfect if he was going to win Tessa once and for all.
Go big, indeed.
Chapter Seven
“Carrie, the box was full of Christmas ornaments from Tiffany’s.”
“Oh my God. That is straight out of the chorus in the song!” Carrie sighed as she sipped her champagne. “How romantic. I would have melted on the spot.”
Tessa had done just that. She’d sunk to the floor next to the large, light blue box and spent an hour unwrapping each ornament and examining the exquisite detail. “You haven’t heard the best part. Every ornament has a heart or two hearts intertwined. And the note said, ‘I believe in you. Do you believe in me? Secret Santa Baby.’”
“Okay. This isn’t simply a goodbye gift. This is someone interested in you. Why else would they go to all this trouble?” Carrie said. “Any idea who it is?”
“I know who I’d like it to be.” Tessa gripped the stem of her champagne glass as she scanned the gaily decorated room for any signs of Nick. She hadn’t seen him all day, and he’d yet to make an appearance at the party he’d arranged for his employees.
Red, gold, and green ornaments and ribbon covered the numerous trees. Festive crackers, a touch added to honor Nick’s heritage, sat at every place setting and in bowls around the room. Candlelight and little white twinkle lights blurred everyone’s hard edges—they were all beautiful and handsome tonight.
Anxiety pinched her stomach with the fear that he was simply avoiding her after last night’s events. He’d had plenty of time to talk himself out of moving this from the best of friends to lovers and soul mates. And that was what she knew they would be for each other. If they only got the chance.
“You’re driving me crazy. You need to sit him down and tell him how you feel.” Carrie’s expression was fierce, her determination assisted by the two glasses of bubbly she’d consumed since they arrived. “If you don’t tell him, I will.”
“Who and what are you telling?” Damien asked as he slid in beside her, his hand resting on her waist.
Tessa scooted away from his touch, covering her intention by pretending to flag down a waiter for another glass. She didn’t want to embarrass him, but she wasn’t in the mood to play these games.
“Tessa needs to tell St. Nick what she wants for Christmas. She can’t expect the guy to read her mind.” The sparkle in Carrie’s eyes showed how clever she thought she was with her little joke. Tessa made a mental note to switch her gift to one huge lump of coal. Bah. Humbug.
“Have you seen Nick?” Tessa couldn’t stop herself from asking. The waiting was killing her.
“No. But you know him. He’s probably with the party people making sure everything is checked off and in accordance with his spreadsheet,” Damien said with a laugh and saluted some girls from marketing with his whiskey glass.
Tessa relaxed a little. Damien was probably right. It was Nick’s turn to throw the party, and he would be engrossed in making sure everything was done to the precise letter of the deal. He’d turn up soon and she’d make sure she got him alone. When she did, she’d sit on his lap and show him what she wanted for Christmas.
The swingy jazz band on stage played a little “ching-a-ring” to get everyone’s attention. Curious about what was going on, Tessa craned her neck around the people in front of her until she had a clear shot of the band. The rumbling voices dipped lower and then fell silent as Nick stepped on to the stage and took a microphone. He scanned the crowd until he found her, his smile only for her.
Tessa’s body vibrated with desire, excitement, anticipation, all clamoring for attention from her overloaded mind. Passion, hot and consuming, won the battle. Even at this distance, she knew that everyone else in the room vanished and he saw only her. The truth of it reverberated in her soul and burned like a brand across her heart.
“Hello, everyone. I trust you’re all enjoying yourselves.” Nick paused while the crowd shouted jolly, slightly tipsy greetings back to him. “As you know, today was the last day for one of our GameNerdz family…” Boisterous catcalls and boos reverberated through the crowd, and Tessa generally acknowledged the well-wishes of those around her, but she never lost eye contact with Nick. He cleared his throat, continuing on with a slightly huskier voice. “…but I refuse to say goodbye. Tessa, you have been my best friend ever since I came to the United States, and I can’t stand to lose you. But I want to be more than friends because for almost as long I have been in love with you.”
The crowd gasped, the ones nearby pushing closer to see her reaction. Tessa blinked back the tears in her eyes, refusing to have one second of this moment blurred or out focus. She wanted it burned in her memory so she could experience this joy over and over again.
Carrie took the glass from her hand and pushed her forward as the crowd parted, leaving a path that led straight to Nick. Her legs were numb, her steps strictly on autopilot until she stood at the foot of the stage looking up at Nick.
He gazed down at her, her reaction or the rush of goodwill pouring off their friends and co-workers giving him confidence to continue in a stronger voice. “You know I ran the numbers and all the angles in my head and everything logically points to our being a successful couple.”
At his words, Tessa choked back something wedged between a laugh and sob. It was just like Nick to approach a matter of the heart with his head.
“But this isn’t about the odds. This is about the two of us, and how we feel about each other. It’s about being so in love that we do crazy things to prove it.” He glanced at the musicians on the stage around him and in unison they all poised dramatically by their instruments. “So, I’m going to do something that will probably be on YouTube within the hour, and I don’t care. I might even submit it to that stupid home video TV show.”
And then he winked.
Tessa jumped as the band kicked into a jazzy rendition of “Santa Baby” and Nick joined in. His voice wasn’t going to win American Idol, but he was in key and sang with such enthusiasm that any mistakes went unnoticed. To her, he sounded like a million dollars.
Applause broke out when he hit the first chorus, and by the final verse many in the crowd had joined in with happy, slurred voices. Tessa couldn’t sing—she could barely find her voice to speak with the amount of happy lodged in her chest. She hoped Nick could see her response to his very public announcement in her eyes. If not, she’d figure out a way to make sure he knew how she felt.
Later. With fewer clothes. And a bed.
The song ended with a flourish, accompanied by the swell of the loudest, most raucous applause yet. Nick leapt off the s
tage and took the three long strides to get to her. He was so close she could feel the heat of his body on her skin, smell the unique scent of Nick and his wonderful cologne. They stared at each other, and Tessa felt the importance of the moment. The next time she pressed herself against his long form and sank into the circle of his arms, it would be the first moment of the rest of her life with this man.
Yearning swept through her, lighting up her insides, pouring warmth and strength into her limbs. Taking one step, she flung herself into his arms, her mouth seeking his and meeting in a warm, wet joining of their breath. He ate at her mouth—nibbling, diving deep, seeking out the inner recesses as if he wanted to memorize every inch of her. Tessa clung to him, her body softening as his hard planes rubbed against her thighs, her breasts, and made her shiver with sensation overload.
Catcalls and wolf whistles punctuated the music resumed by the band. Tessa broke the kiss, remaining close by winding her arms around his neck.
Nick gazed down at her, his grin growing impossibly wider, his brown eyes bright and full of mischief. He was mighty proud of himself.
“I decided to go big.”
Tessa laughed, throwing her head back to let her joy bounce off the ceiling, break apart, and rain down on them. Returning her gaze to his face, she kissed him softly, sneaking her tongue in for a little taste. “You went huge, baby.”
The fire in his eyes flared at her use of the endearment. She let it roll around in her head to see if it would stick. Baby? Darling? Sweetheart? She wouldn’t worry about it now. They had plenty of time to figure this stuff out.
“I love you, Tessa.”
“I love you too. So much, Nick.”
Nick dove back in for another kiss. She opened to him, sucking on the tip of his tongue and weaving her hands through his hair to anchor him to her. His groan, low and deep in his chest, reverberated against her breasts and the corresponding ache in her belly made her sag against him for support.
Secret Santa Baby Page 3