I’ve never seen her like that.”
“She only drinks during religious festivals.”
“What?”
“You know. Christmas. Easter. All Souls’ Day.”
“Seriously?”
“You could write a book on that woman’s quirks.”
“So I’m beginning to understand.”
He stepped so close to me my chest tightened. “You got her a
Christmas present, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Nice touch. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know. I wanted to.”
“What did you get her?”
“A spa day at Cleo’s.”
“Wow.”
I felt one side of my mouth curl up. “I thought it might be good
for both of us.”
He smiled. “Did you get me something?”
I rested an elbow on the bar. “I suppose I could’ve, but what do
you get a guy who has everything?”
“Mmm.” He took a sip of my drink. “How about a dance?”
“I don’t have anything prepared,” I joked.
“Choreography won’t be necessary.”
I drained the rest of the whiskey sour until my face puckered.
“Okay.”
He extended a hand and I took it. Then he led me onto the dance
floor with such purpose I knew I was in for a treat. Finally, he spun around to
face me and pulled me towards him until there was no space for anything besides
our breath between us. I put one hand on his shoulder and he dropped his free
hand to my hip.
For the first time in my life, I knew what Cinderella must have
felt like.
“I want to congratulate you again on the party,” he said. “You
should be really proud of yourself.”
“Thanks. I’m really pleased with how it turned out.”
He looked into my eyes.
“And I was under budget, too.”
He smiled and shook his head. “You’re unbelievable, Ella.”
I felt his fingertips touch lightly against my lower back, but I
couldn’t tell whether it was intentional or not so I said nothing and just
tried not to faint.
“I couldn’t help but notice you didn’t bring a guest tonight,”
he said, leading me around the floor.
I furrowed my brow. “Who should I have brought?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Someone you wanted to catch under
the mistletoe?”
I pursed my lips and reminded myself to breathe, but he was so
close I could only take shallow breaths.
“Isn’t there anyone you want this Christmas?”
I couldn’t answer him. My throat was closing up and the truth
was inappropriate. “You didn’t bring a guest either. Isn’t there anyone you
want this Christmas?”
“There is actually,” he said, leaning in to whisper in my ear.
“But I knew she would be here tonight.” He pulled me closer and I closed my
eyes. I could feel the shape of him, the strength of him all around me. I’d
never felt more safe or scared.
When I opened my eyes again, I was facing the door. I watched as
the last few guests left and the cleaning crew arrived, dragging vacuums and
garbage bags.
“Looks like the parties over,” I said softly. But I wished the
night would never end. I just wanted to dance with Will like that forever. I
was happy there- out of my comfort zone- but not in too deep.
“Why don’t we go up to one of the suites for a nightcap,” he
suggested. “We can make one more toast to your success.”
My head was saying no, but my body was saying yes. I leaned back
and looked up into his handsome face. “One drink,” I said.
“Anything you want,” he answered.
Chapter 18: Will
I took her to a suite instead of my room because I wanted her to
let go. I wanted her to forget that I was her boss. It was everything I could
do to keep my hands to myself in the elevator, but she seemed so nervous. Like
a wary kitten. So I gave her some space to breathe. Plus, it was easier to
admire her from a far.
I held the door open for her when we reached the room and she
took two steps inside and then bolted toward the window, assuring me that I had
chosen well. The suite’s main feature was the floor to ceiling windows that
offered a sweeping view of the city. It was a stark contrast to the
“She only drinks during religious festivals.”
“What?”
“You know. Christmas. Easter. All Souls’ Day.”
“Seriously?”
“You could write a book on that woman’s quirks.”
“So I’m beginning to understand.”
He stepped so close to me my chest tightened. “You got her a
Christmas present, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Nice touch. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know. I wanted to.”
“What did you get her?”
“A spa day at Cleo’s.”
“Wow.”
I felt one side of my mouth curl up. “I thought it might be good
for both of us.”
He smiled. “Did you get me something?”
I rested an elbow on the bar. “I suppose I could’ve, but what do
you get a guy who has everything?”
“Mmm.” He took a sip of my drink. “How about a dance?”
“I don’t have anything prepared,” I joked.
“Choreography won’t be necessary.”
I drained the rest of the whiskey sour until my face puckered.
“Okay.”
He extended a hand and I took it. Then he led me onto the dance
floor with such purpose I knew I was in for a treat. Finally, he spun around to
face me and pulled me towards him until there was no space for anything besides
our breath between us. I put one hand on his shoulder and he dropped his free
hand to my hip.
For the first time in my life, I knew what Cinderella must have
felt like.
“I want to congratulate you again on the party,” he said. “You
should be really proud of yourself.”
“Thanks. I’m really pleased with how it turned out.”
He looked into my eyes.
“And I was under budget, too.”
He smiled and shook his head. “You’re unbelievable, Ella.”
I felt his fingertips touch lightly against my lower back, but I
couldn’t tell whether it was intentional or not so I said nothing and just
tried not to faint.
“I couldn’t help but notice you didn’t bring a guest tonight,”
he said, leading me around the floor.
I furrowed my brow. “Who should I have brought?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Someone you wanted to catch under
the mistletoe?”
I pursed my lips and reminded myself to breathe, but he was so
close I could only take shallow breaths.
“Isn’t there anyone you want this Christmas?”
I couldn’t answer him. My throat was closing up and the truth
was inappropriate. “You didn’t bring a guest either. Isn’t there anyone you
want this Christmas?”
“There is actually,” he said, leaning in to whisper in my ear.
“But I knew she would be here tonight.” He pulled me closer and I closed my
eyes. I could feel the shape of him, the strength of him all around me. I’d
never felt more safe or scared.
When I opened my eyes again, I was facing the door. I watched as
the last few guests left and the cleaning crew arrived, dragging vacuums and
garbage bags.
“Looks like the parties over,” I said softly. But I wished the
night would never end. I just wanted to dance with Will like that forever. I
was happy there- out of my comfort zone- but not in too deep.
“Why don’t we go up to one of the suites for a nightcap,” he
suggested. “We can make one more toast to your success.”
My head was saying no, but my body was saying yes. I leaned back
and looked up into his handsome face. “One drink,” I said.
“Anything you want,” he answered.
Chapter 18: Will
I took her to a suite instead of my room because I wanted her to
let go. I wanted her to forget that I was her boss. It was everything I could
do to keep my hands to myself in the elevator, but she seemed so nervous. Like
a wary kitten. So I gave her some space to breathe. Plus, it was easier to
admire her from a far.
I held the door open for her when we reached the room and she
took two steps inside and then bolted toward the window, assuring me that I had
chosen well. The suite’s main feature was the floor to ceiling windows that
offered a sweeping view of the city. It was a stark contrast to the
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