Take Me Home for Christmas

by Aiden Frost

  “Um, Shandra and I aren’t a couple...”

  “No matter,” he said. “It’ll do the two of you good.”

  “Okay,” said Amanda. “I’ll be there.”

  “Good,” said Carter. He slid his way past Max and on down the hall.

  Amanda turned back around, shaking her mouse to wake her sleeping computer. A shadow crossed her screen and she said over her shoulder. “Carter, I promise, I’m coming.”

  When she didn’t receive an answer, she turned. Her eyes were crotch level with Max Avery. She daydreamed for a moment, before looking up at him. His shirtsleeves were rolled up, revealing sinewy forearms. He never walked around the office without his suit jacket. She couldn’t believe she didn’t realize this before. Something was definitely wrong with him as Shandra had pointed out days ago. She knew what those arms felt like beneath her fingers. The muscle was hard and unforgiving. “Stupid,” she muttered to herself.

  “Excuse me?” he asked.

  “I...nothing. My computer. It...we...we don’t like each other.”

  “What were you and Carter talking about?” he asked. Shelly had kept prattling on about her kid’s football game, so he hadn’t heard anything past Carter thanking her for the other night. He couldn’t imagine what it was about. He knew she was loose when it came to her relationships with men, but he thought she’d draw the line somewhere. They hadn’t spoken since ‘the night’. And he didn’t suppose there would be any repeat performances, but he found himself jealous at the notion she’d moved on to someone else instead of coming back to him.

  She eyed him, squinting. “How is it your business what I was discussing with Carter?”

  “My office,” he said assuredly. “My business.”

  She continued to stare at him, imagining the different scenarios in her head. Even if she wasn’t very fond of the cocky bastard before her, she wanted to keep her job.

  She stared into his eyes, holding his gaze. “Shandra and I babysat for Carter and his wife so they could go to the gallery opening.”

  He stared openly at her. With her too tight shirt and bare legs, he couldn’t imagine what Carter’s wife thought when she entered their house. And then add that to Shandra... “You and Shandra?” he asked, amused. “You two, you like kids?”

  Amanda shrugged. “I guess so. It was fun.”

  Max continued to look down at her, his look passive, unreadable. She wanted to press him into her chair and wrap her legs around him, force some reaction out of him. She wanted to feel him moan in her ear.

  She shook her head, returning his impassive gaze. “Is that all?” she asked.

  He gave her a curt nod and walked away. That woman was insufferable, he thought. Her petite size and innocent face was a façade for the firecracker she was inside. He thought he liked that. He didn’t want to like that.

  Amanda’s cell phone vibrated within her purse. It must have been sitting on something solid, because it made Carter peer over the divider at her. “My phone never rings,” she said, as she rushed to find it in her bag. She pulled it out, looking at the screen. It was a local number, but one she didn’t recognize. She pushed the reject button and started to slide it back in her back when it began vibrating again. Same number. “Hello?” she asked, tentatively.

  “It’s me,” said Shandra in a harsh whisper.

  “How’d you get my number?” whispered Amanda.

  “I have my ways,” said Shandra. “Now will you admit there’s something wrong with him?”

  “I don’t know what you—”

  Shandra cut her off. “You noticed,” she said.

  “His shirt sleeves,” Amanda said. “Something is going on.”

  “Yeah,” agreed Shandra.

  “It still wasn’t me,” Amanda said, defensive. While she’d broken a heart or two, or ten, it usually wasn’t after the first encounter. She’d given up repeat performances just for that reason.

  “Maybe you can fix it though,” said Shandra.

  A group of people walked down the hall, and Amanda hid her phone in her lap until they passed. “I am not going to sleep with him again,” she said into the phone after they’d passed.

  “Why not?” asked Shandra. “I need you to do this for me. I need him in the best mood possible before I talk to him about the assistant position.”

  She sighed into the phone. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Thanks,” said Shandra, her voice suddenly perky. “Now tell me, what’s your task this week? And if I need to speak with Max tomorrow, you need to do yours tomorrow.” Amanda remained silent so long, Shandra’s voice finally came out with a tentative, “Hello?”

  “Yeah,” she whispered. “I’m still here.” She closed her eyes. “I’m going to call my mother.” Shandra remained silent. “I haven’t seen her in five years,” Amanda said. “I’m going to invite her to my house for Christmas.”

  “Wow,” breathed out Shandra. “Yours is way harder than mine.”

  Chapter Seven

  AMANDA PULLED A STACK of papers off her desk, allowing them to scatter around her cubicle. When they didn’t spread out enough, she kicked them around with her feet. A good enough mess, she thought. And a good enough excuse. Amanda stared at the clock on the wall, watching it tick off the final minute before 5 p.m.

  “Well, this is it,” said Carter, peering over the divider. “Want to walk— What in the world happened?”

  Amanda shrugged, innocently. “I spilled?” she didn’t mean it to come out as a question, but it did.

  Carter chuckled. “Okay,” he said, pulling his coat over his shoulders, “I’ll see you tomorrow then.” He continued to chuckle to himself as he walked away.

  Amanda pushed back her chair, then crawled down to the floor on her hands and knees. She slowly began collecting the papers as people trickled from the office.

  “Amanda!” boomed a voice.

  Her head hit the underside of her desk as she tried to stand up abruptly. Rubbing her head, she backed out from underneath it, maneuvering herself around her chair as she stood. Max stood in his doorway, perusing the office. He pointed at her when he caught sight of her. He moved back into his office, leaving his door open. Amanda took a moment to smooth down her skirt and straighten her hair. She strolled to his office with a confidence she didn’t feel.

  She pressed the door closed behind her, twisting the lock behind her back.

  Max was pulling papers out of a file, but when he heard the lock click, he looked up, alarmed. She smiled at him, a dirty, lascivious smile. He almost reciprocated, before he remembered why he’d called her here. He wanted her to want him again, but he wasn’t about to be used by her.

  She pulled her silk shirt free from her skirt, unbuttoning a few of the bottom buttons so it gave him only a glance of the soft, white skin beneath. He wanted to pick her up into his arms, taste her. He pulled his eyes away from her stomach. She knew how to tease, entice. He wasn’t going to fall for it again. He spread open the folder on the desk.

  “What do you know about this?” His voice was gruff, but he heard the husky desire in it, and wondered if she heard it too. He spread out the sheets, the bright red UNPAID stamped across the tops, the single word mocking him and every dream he’d ever had since he was a kid. He still remembered the first day his father brought him here, brought him into his office. He’d gotten everything he’d ever wanted, to carry on his father’s name. To make him proud. And now he was going to watch as it all slipped away.

  Amanda kept her eyes on him as she continued to unbutton her blouse. She wore a simple lace bra beneath it. He wondered if she’d chosen it just to get his attention, or if that’s always how she looked beneath her clothes. He mentally shook the thought free, looking back down to the papers, trying to concentrate. She’d used him. She’d taken him home to get information from him—information that would convince his father that Max didn’t deserve this position. He thought back to that night. He couldn’t remember a word he said. He looked bac
k to her, remembering how soft and cool her skin had been against his own. His chest heated. He allowed her to move away from the door, but he held up his hand to her as she started to move around his desk. She stopped for a moment, but then she dropped her blouse free from her shoulders.

  They remained silent as she approached him. She ran her hand up his firm stomach all the way to his neck, feeling his pulse beating heavy beneath his skin. She cupped his jaw in her hand, the slight end-of-day stubble scraping against her palm, sending tingling sensations through her soft skin. His hard gaze suddenly softened, uncertain. And just like that, it was back. He grabbed her wrist tight in his hand, pulling it away from his face, but keeping it within his firm grasp.

  “What are you doing?” His voice was gravely, deep.

  Amanda’s lip curled. “Pleasuring you,” she said. Her voice was light and teasing despite the fact he still had her wrist pulled tight.

  “Why?” He dropped her wrist, walking away from her.

  Amanda stood her ground but didn’t approach him. She knew last time wasn’t such a great experience, but she wasn’t expecting such resistance from him. Men did not resist her.

  He moved to stand on the other side of his desk, only then turning back to her. “I spoke to my father the other day.”

  Amanda waited, quite uncertain what this had to do with anything. She had things to do. She needed Max to cooperate so she could help out Shandra and get on home. She moved to approach him but he settled a gaze upon her that had her freezing in her tracks. “You don’t want me?” she purred.

  This unsettled him. Max was used to woman throwing themselves at him. It was well known he was from an affluent family, but those women were different. They wanted one thing. But Amanda, he wasn’t sure what she wanted.

  She moved to him, sliding herself around his desk and into his personal space. She stood before him, her petite stature begging to be consumed. He had a quick vision of picking her up, pinning her to the wall...but he shook the thought free. She was using him, he told himself.

  “My father told me he spoke to you.” Max blurted this out, expecting to catch her off guard.

  She looked up to him, confused as she moved forward, pulling free his tucked shirt. Her hand delicately played with the line of skin at the top of his pants. “I’ve never met your father before,” she murmured as she took to loosening his belt.

  His chest heated, his emotions between getting answers and taking her blurring in his mind.

  “You’ve never spoken to my father?” his voice came out husky, needy, and he knew she heard it, because she looked up at him with a sly smile on her lips.

  She shook her head no, her hair bouncing against her shoulders.

  He grabbed the side of her face, startling both of them. They stared at each other a moment. He knew she had some sort of ulterior motive for this, but as he looked into her eyes, he saw that she desired him. Her confidence faltered as he looked at her, and suddenly, she looked younger, innocent. He pressed his hands against the sides of her neck, feeling her racing pulse against his hot skin. Her eyes trailed down to his lips. Her eyes went back to his, uncertain.

  He leaned down, pressing his lips to her. She kissed him, soft, unsure. He wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her tight against him. He unclasped her bra, then brought his hands to her breasts, pressing against them, teasing her hard nipples as he pushed the straps over her shoulders.

  As she felt him harden against her, she left out a soft moan against his lips. Her hands went up along his face, softly exploring. The continued to kiss, quiet, and tender. Her hands wrapped within his hair, her fists clenching. Her hands continued to wander, over his chest, down across his stomach. She had felt him before, but not like this. She took her time, exploring him. Enjoying him. She broke free from his lips, trailing the tip of her tongue across his strong jaw and down his neck. She could feel the heat radiating from him as she felt too warm in her own clothes. She pulled his belt free with a whip of her hand, sending it tumbling to the floor. She pressed her hand against his crotch, feeling him grow larger in response. She unzipped his pants, her fingers suddenly nervous as she fumbled with the button. He placed his fingers over hers, unbuttoning his pants and allowing them to slide down his legs. Her hands grasped his for a moment, locking her fingers in their embrace. Her fingers were soft, dainty in his strong hands.

  She looked up at him, not expecting him to be looking down so tenderly at her. She pressed her lips against his, breaking the glance. He moaned into her mouth as she grabbed him through the light fabric of his boxers. She squeezed him harder, feeling him tremble against her. She pulled his boxers down, exposing him. As she wrapped her hand around his exposed skin, he growled into her mouth. She kissed him harder, pushing herself against him, wanting him. He suddenly slid his hands down the outside of her thighs, sending a tingling sensation through the length of her legs. With one quick movement, he slid her skirt up, around her waist. She could feel the heat coming from him. She felt exposed, unsure of herself.

  They clung to each other in his office, silent to not announce their presence to any remaining workers. He looped his fingers in the waistband of her panties, allowing his hands to trace down the soft curves of her butt as he dropped her panties down to the floor. She stepped free of them and he grabbed her suddenly, his strong hands grabbing her and picking her up off the floor and bringing her body to him. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling his hard stomach against the softness between her legs. She was wet and warm with desire. His hardness tapped against her as they moved away from the desk.

  As he held her with one arm, he grasped himself within his hand, seeking out her center. It pressed against her, sending shivers of delight throughout her body. He pressed harder, penetrating her. She gasped, clinging tighter to him as he squeezed her body between him and the wall. The pressure on her was exhilarating, and he let go of her body, spreading her legs wide as he pushed harder into her. He grabbed her hips, pulling her even tighter to him, pushing into her harder and harder. She welcomed him, wrapping her legs around his back, and squeezing until there was no space left between them.

  As she rode toward the brink, her body trembling, he suddenly pulled back from her, allowing the space between them to grow. He held onto her lower back, allowing her to tip away from him. His lips traced lines of pleasure across her chest and over her breasts. He grabbed her firm nipples in his lips, pulling on them, before pressing his teeth softly into her skin. She trembled with pleasure, and moved against him, trying to restart their rhythm. He pressed her hips tight to him, not allowing her any movement. She gyrated her hips, trying to gain any friction between them. She grew hot with desire, wanting, needing to be pushed over the edge. He bit tenderly into her nipple and she screamed with pleasure, breaking the consuming silence of the room.

  “Shhh,” he growled at her, before clamping his lips onto her neck. She groaned with pleasure as she continued to try and bring them to their peak. His grasp remained firm as he wrapped his arms around her, moving them down into his office chair. He suddenly allowed her movement away from him. She began rocking gently on him, allowing them to slowly come back together. His lip curled in delight at her pleasure of controlling him, controlling the flow, controlling his pleasure.

  He pressed against the back of her head, bringing her lips to his. She hesitated a moment, before opening her mouth to him. She kissed him deeply, allowing their tongues to explore, hot and fully. He placed his strong hands against her hips, the warmth of them sending heat waves along her body. She wrapped her legs tight, pulling him impossibly deep inside of her. She moved slowly, tenderly, feeling all of him. He panted into her mouth as he moved closer and closer to the peak of his pleasure. She enjoyed being in control. She suddenly pressed harder against him, riding him quicker and more forcefully. He grabbed her hips tighter, mimicking her rhythms with his hands. He moved her back and forth against him. Her breath came out in a trembling “Ooo—ooohhh,” against his lips,
high pitched and without control. She pressed her face against his neck as she tried to stifle her exclamations of pleasure. He left out one big groan as he came into her. She exclaimed one last time, before her body relaxed down onto him. They remained there in each other’s arms. Silence rang deep throughout the room. Throughout the building. Only leaving them. Wrapped in each other’s embrace.

  Chapter Eight

  AMANDA’S LEGS WOBBLED as she entered the building. By the time she’d gotten home last night she was an emotional wreck. She’d thought about calling her mother then, figuring pain on top of pain would perhaps just cancel out her tumultuous emotions. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She was furious with Shandra for forcing her to go against her rules. Do not sleep with the boss—but she broke the rule. Do not sleep with someone for a second time—she broke the rule. If this is what having friends got Amanda, she was seriously rethinking it. It was Shandra’s fault she’d lain in bed last night, replaying every moment she’d spent with Max Avery. Just the thoughts of him had her so worked up, she’d needed to pleasure herself to get to sleep. Thinking of him as she did it brought her to the brink in a matter of seconds. And she wanted him now. She wanted to walk through the sea of people in the office, slam his door shut, and take him over and over again as she screamed out in pleasure. A devil-may-care attitude as everyone listened on. She wanted to make her mark on him—claim him as her own. But she knew she wouldn’t. She knew she needed to erase him from her mind. She wanted him, but there was no way she’d let him know.

  “Did you do it?” Shandra whispered from over her shoulder. They stood at the elevator bays. When Amanda brought her eyes to Shandra’s face, Shandra’s eyes went wide. “That bad, huh?”

  “I did it. Okay?” said Amanda, her voice gruff. She turned away from Shandra. She needed to get her thoughts straight. Shandra remained silent behind her. “I’m sorry,” whispered Amanda. “A bad night.” She was silent. Knowing Shandra was wondering if it had anything to do about her calling her mother. “I didn’t call her. But I will today.”