by Fox, Cathryn
“No, someone probably got drunk at the Christmas party and thought this would be funny.”
Kellan turns to me. “Do you know anything about this, Eden?”
“Uh…no,” I lie. I’m not prone to lying, but I’m am prone to a roof over my head and helping with my nephew’s medical bills.
“You should have brought this to my attention only. Showing it around the office was very disrespectful to whoever did this, drunk or not.”
My heart wobbles a little at that. He’s protecting me, or rather whoever he thinks might have done this. He’s an admirable man, like I always knew he was.
James looks down. “Yeah, sorry.”
“I should fire you for this.”
I stiffen. I can’t let James take the fall for my mistake. “Kellan,” I say. “I…” Do I tell him the truth? Turn this around on me? Yes, absolutely, no matter what happens to me. I can’t let James go down. Something in Kellan’s face softens as his gaze meets mine.
“But I won’t,” Kellan says, and turns back to James. “Don’t you have work to do?”
As Kellan glares at him, James practically runs to his desk. He turns back to me, and waves his hand, gesturing me back to his office. I step ahead of him, force my legs to work as I feel the weight of his eyes drilling in to my back, like he can see all my dirty little secrets.
He sets the picture of my breasts on his desk, face down. “Uh, do you want me to get rid of that for you?” I ask.
He shakes hi head. “No that’s fine. I can take care of it myself.”
I sit across from him again, and catch the way he’s eyeing me as I smooth my hand over my skirt. What is going on with him today?
“As I was saying,” he begins, as he slowly slides his top-drawer open. His gaze lingers on whatever is inside, but from my seat, I can’t tell. Another small smile quirks his lips but when he focuses in on me, it’s gone. “You’re proving to be an excellent employee, Eden and we don’t want to lose you so if you should ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Okay, thank you.”
He scrubs his chin and the little raspy sound trickles through my blood and stirs a desire deep within me. “I understand Christmas can be a rough time a year for some. I’m sure you don’t need the reminder, but moonlighting is prohibited. I’d prefer it if my employees come to me before secretly taking on second jobs.”
I swallow.
“I would never do that,” I say. My work on the Christmas Hotline is on a volunteer bases. I’d never do anything to breach my contract.
Was having sex with Santa a breach of contract? I’m pretty sure that clause—no pun intended—was nowhere in my contract. I hired Santa from Santa’s Helpers, an outside company, so I didn’t break the no fraternizing rule. Not really. Still, sex in the copier room was reckless, irrational and…fun.
He gives a curt nod. “Then we both understand each other.”
“Perfectly.” As I wait to be dismissed, my mind races. Does he remind all him employees this time, or is he singling me out? He does seem to be feeling me out on a lot of things. Volunteering isn’t against company policy, but last night I did tell Santa I was working two jobs. The only way Kellan could know that is if he was the Santa from last night.
Which of course, he wasn’t. Right?
I fidget, wanting to get back to my desk so I can think that worry through, when Claire, from production walks in with a tray full of chocolates.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’ll get out of your way,” I say and practically leap from my seat.
“Actually why don’t you stay. We are experimenting with ideas and product for Valentines Day.”
Christmas isn’t even here yet, it’s still two weeks away, but in the candy business you have to be working forward and planning for the next holiday months in advance.
“Okay,” I say and settle back into my seat.
“I’d like your input.”
“You would?” I ask. The head of the marketing team would be a better person to ask, but I’m not about to question my boss.
He gestures for Claire to set the tray of chocolate on his desk. I take a peek at the heart shaped chocolates. They look delicious.
“Thank you, Claire,” he says. Claire is about to leave when he holds his hand up to stop her. “Claire you’ve all been working overtime with the holiday rush, so why don’t you and your staff take the afternoon off.”
What the hell? Where was this generosity coming from? If I didn’t know better, I’d think he’d gotten laid last night. Heck, maybe Destiny went ahead and took one for the team.
Claire blinks once, twice, then glances around like she’s being punked.
“Is there something wrong?” he asks.
“Uh, no. Thank you Bites…I mean Mr. Bites. I’m sure everyone will appreciate the break.”
Kellan puts his hand over his mouth and I can’t tell if he’s scowling or grinning. She turns and hurries out, closing the door tightly behind her. Kellan stands, and suddenly the too big room feels too small. He circles his desk and leans against it, settling himself directly in front of me. I stare straight ahead at his crotch, and try not to squirm in my seat.
“Open your mouth,” he says, and my gaze flies to his as my mind races back to the naughty things I did with Santa, the way he commanded me to open my mouth.
Just. Like. That.
I go still for a moment. Surely to God…
Nah.
Kellan wouldn’t in a million years dress up as Santa. And I would have recognized him right? Then again, it was dark and I had that champagne. Besides, I’d personally seen him leave the room. He had a big package in his hands and was rushing off somewhere. Still, I make mental note to call Santa’s Helpers and check in with them, make sure my guy got paid, and things went smoothly.
“Open,” he says and a little firmer, and I instantly do as he asks. He slowly slides one of the chocolates into my mouth. It’s has a delicious raspberry flavor. “Hmm,” I say as I chew. “That is so good.”
He shifts on the desk, tugs on his pants near his thighs. I try not to let my gaze drop to his crotch again, but the only way I wasn’t going to look was if someone gouged my eyes out, with a pen. I take in his bulge.
Does my boss have an…erection?
Nah, he just must be working with some top-notch equipment.
“Eden.” The roughness in his voice pulls my attention and my gaze snaps back to his.
“Yes.”
“Do you like the new raspberry favor we’re promoting for Valentines?”
“It’s delicious. Raspberry is my favorite.”
“Yeah, mine too.” He scrubs his chin. “We’ve been working with marketing on Valentine ideas for couples. We have no trouble selling chocolate to men, but how do we get the women to buy it for their loved ones? I was wondering if you might have some suggestions.”
“Body paint,” I say quickly, too quickly, like I’d been sitting here all morning thinking about pouring chocolate over Kellan’s body and licking it off.
His head jerks back. “Body paint?”
“Well,” I begin, wishing I’d just kept my mouth shut. “I mean every woman loves chocolate right, and they don’t normally buy the chocolates for their loved one on Valentine’s day, but when packaged as body paint, they’ll be eager to buy it because they get to eat it, too. It’s a win win.”
“Doesn’t body paint already exist?’
“Raspberry chocolates exist too.”
“True.”
“Not as good as our, of course. But seriously, the chocolate that comes in the tubs of body paint is awful.” Blink. “Um, not that I know personally. A friend told me.” Stop rambling, Eden. Shut up right now. “So if you used your delicious chocolate, and made it into body paint, I bet it would fly off the shelves. I’d buy it.” Oh, God, why did I end with that. Ground, open up and swallow me, please.
“Hmmm…that’s very interesting. You’re good at this. Maybe you should help out the market
ing team.”
I smile at his compliment. “I minored in Marketing at Penn State.”
“You’re quite an asset to this team. He pushes off the desk and for a split second his crotch is inches from my mouth. If I wanted to lick him, all I’d have to do is move forward, and stick my tongue out. If…I wanted to.
I do.
But then he turns and I’m gifted with a view of his…asset. He walks around his side of the desk, his gorgeous buttocks dragging my focus. He sits and I turn my attention to my hands, willing my nipples to cool it already. “Will that be all, Mr. Bites?”
“Call me Kellan.”
“Will that be all…Kellan?”
A sound catches in his throat when I say his name. What the hell? I lift my head, and my heart thuds when I meet his gaze, find it a little flirtatious.
Okay, eating chocolate this early in the morning must be messing with my brain. Kellan and flirtatious do not even belong in the same sentence.
“That will be all, Eden.”
I stand and I’m about to turn when a pencil rolls off Kellan’s desk. I’m about to ignore it, and bolt when he says, “Would you mind getting that for me?”
OMFG.
4
Kellan
My cock twitches in my pants, and I adjust myself as Eden leaves my office. Obviously she doesn’t know it was me last night, but I gave hints, to see if she’d take the bait. Why the hell did I do that?
Oh, because you want her to know it was you, and you want to fuck her again.
Okay, there was that and yes, it was all kinds of wrong, but it was all kinds of right, too. Still today was supposed to be about getting my head back in the game, and off my sweet manager.
Then why can’t I stop thinking about her?
Probably because she’s sweet and sexy and you’ve liked her since she stepped foot in the building two months ago.
I slowly pull my drawer out, run my thumb over her white lace panties, then pick up the card that had fallen from her purse last night. She left the copier room before me, and it was only after I turned the lights back on that I remembered something had fallen from her purse.
I pick the card up. Holiday Haven. She straight up and told me she wasn’t working two jobs, but isn’t this proof that she is? I wiggle my mouse to wake my computer and type in Holiday Haven.
What pops up in my search surprises me. It’s a holiday text hotline of sorts, a volunteer crisis counseling service where people who are feeling lonely and struggling with the holidays can reach out and text with someone else. A little thrill goes through me that she hadn’t been lying about moonlighting. Then again, she talked about trust being the most important thing in the world to her, so why would I think she was lying. That knots my stomach. She had sex with me in disguise. I didn’t tell her who I was. Talk about a motherfucking breach of trust. But she wanted to play, be naughty with Santa, and fuck man, I wanted to give her that much. How was that for logical reasoning at it’s worst? Seriously though, I thought it would sate my desire for her, when in fact it only made it stronger.
I look over the card again. Is she one of the counselors or is she the lonely one, in need of help? I hope it’s the former and there is only one way for me to find out.
But it will have to wait until later because right now I need to do a bit of research on chocolate body paint, and set up a late afternoon marketing meeting. I turn my attention back to my computer.
By the time lunch hour rolls around, I push from my chair and go in search of Eden. I stick my head into her office and her lids flutter in surprise to see me.
Abandoning her ramen noodles, she stands, and comes around the other side of her desk. Her skirt sticks to her leggings, giving me a great view of her sexy legs.
“Can I help you Mr…I mean Kellan.”
Keep it together Kellan. No matter how much you want to lock the door and bend her over the desk you can’t.
But those legs…
I clear my throat. “I set up a marketing meeting for later this afternoon. I want you to attend.”
Her eyes go wide. “Really?”
“We’re going to discuss the body paint you mentioned, and since the idea was yours I want you there. You seem to have an insight into it, that I don’t.”
“Oh, ah…” She looks everywhere and anywhere but at me. “I don’t really have an insight.”
No, maybe not. But she would soon enough.
“I mean I’ve tasted it before, but not in a way…I mean…’’
Coming to her rescue, I say, “You okay to stay late, or is there somewhere you have to be?”
She crinkles her nose, and goes quiet for a second. “As long as I’m out of here by nine, I should be okay.”
That must be when she hops on the Holiday Haven line.
“The meeting shouldn’t go that long. See you then.”
I leave her, and make my way to the gym to get a good hard run in—to clear all the dirty thoughts from my head. As I walk to the elevator, the staff clear a wide berth and shoot nervous smiles my way. Christ, they all think I’m a stick up the ass droid.
Bend over, see if I can get a rise of him.
My cock twitches at the memory of Eden spilling that little secret, and I jump on the elevator when it opens. Thankful I’m alone, I adjust my growing cock and take a few deep breaths. I change in the locker room, and jump on the treadmill when Jeremy from accounting comes in.
I give him a curt nod, but he looks nervous about something. He glances left, then right, takes in the two women on the exercise bikes—one of whom is smiling madly at him—then moves to the treadmill beside me.
“Kellan,” he says.
“Jeremy,” I greet in return, and refocus on the screen in front of me. I study the stock markets, but my mind is preoccupied. Shit, little Eden is becoming a distraction. I’m either going to have to fire her or fuck her. The first is not an option. This job is obviously important to her, and she’s brilliant. Not only that. Despite my staff thinking I’m Ebenezer Scrooge—a chip off the old man’s block—I’m not like him and not about to lay anyone off at Christmas. I’d take from my own pocket before I’d let that happen. One of the reasons I work my staff hard is so we can stay in business. If I don’t prove myself, my father will take this away and who knows what the next CEO would do, how many heads would roll to get a more profitable bottom line.
Fuck that.
After my thirty minute run, I shut my machine off and wipe my face. I turn to find Jeremy watching me. “Something on your mind?” I ask and toss the towel over my shoulder.
“I…I wanted to ask about the no-fraternizing rule.”
“What about it?”
“Is it really a thing? There’s someone I want to ask out?”
“I glance over his shoulder, catch the way one of my employees is gawking at Jeremy.”
“There are rules for a reason.”
“I know but, if we keep it a secret.”
“From the way she’s staring at you, there is no way you can keep it a secret,” I say.
Christ, if I’m not careful I’m going to give myself away, too. It’s hard to be in the same room as Eden without admiring her.
Then maybe you shouldn’t have invited her to the marketing meeting.
“Who?” Jeremy asks, and glances over his shoulder. “Oh, Jessica and I are just friends.”
“Could have fooled me.”
“Well it’s Eden I want to ask out.”
“No fucking way,” I say, then immediately fist my hands. Dammit, that came out too loud and too strong, and why am I being a possessive dick.
Jeremy steps back. “Okay, okay,” he says. “I just thought I’d ask. No fraternizing. I get it.”
Too bad I didn’t.
Hypocrite. Goddam hypocrite.
I hurry to the shower and spend the rest of the afternoon going over numbers and kicking my ass as I do it. When four o’clock rolls around and the staff are leaving, all except marketing, I make my
way to Eden’s office, fully intending to tell her she’s no longer needed at the meeting, but her chair is empty.
“Have you seen Eden?” I ask one her administrative assistant.
“I think she’s in the copier room.”
And just like that I get a hard on.
No way, no fucking way can I go in there looking for her, not without bending her over that copier again, and giving my identity away.
“Please tell her she’s no longer needed for the marketing meeting.” I smooth my hand over my tie and make my way to the small boardroom. I open the glass door, to find the marketing team all inside waiting for me. Eden’s nowhere to be found. Good.
I take my seat at the head of the table near the door. Destiny, our marketing direction, sits at the other end of the table, a white board and marker behind her, ready to jot down and expand on our ideas.
I’m about to start the meeting just as the door flings open and little Eden comes rushing in, looking far more rattled than I’ve ever seen her. She has a pink flush on her face, and a handful of files.
“Sorry I’m late. I had to run off some copies, and it took longer than I anticipated.”
“You were in the copier room?”
She gives me an odd look. “Yes.”
Is her face flushed because she’s remembering what she did in there with him—or rather Santa—on Friday? Could that be why she’s so rattled?
Damn I hope so.
Shit.
“Have a seat Eden.” I gesture toward the chair to the left of me. She makes a move to go and her files sail from her hand. Son. Of. A Bitch. Had she done that on purpose?
“Dammit,” she whispers.
She glances at me, like she’s waiting for instructions. Yes, normally I’d snap the files up for her, but now…not going to happy. No matter how hard that’s going to be on me.
“Hurry up Eden. You’re holding the meeting.”
“Oh, okay,” She says and goes down on her knees, her sweet ass aimed my way. It takes every ounce of strength—and I mean every fucking ounce I possess—not to let loose an agonized groan of want.
The room grows silent as we wait for her, and I notice the way her best friend Destiny is watching me. Does she know Eden slept with Santa, and more importantly, does Destiny know I was him?