Page 49 of Santa Baby Maybe
11
The Christmas Party
W.B.
“For someone who has saved my ass, and the asses of a lot of people in this room, you look entirely too grim.”
I glanced up from the drink in my hand to see Wes standing in front of me with a huge grin on his face.
“Dude, we did it. Look around. The champagne is pouring, the people are happy. And I got fucking married tonight. How about that for an announcement?”
My lips twitched, which was the closest I could get to an actual smile. Then I considered the bombshell Wes had recently laid on me about the merger. “I can’t believe you did that. ”
Wes shook his head. “Trust me, there was no backing out of that deal. At least now this merger will happen with some honor in my company and the knowledge that my father’s dirty hands have been irrevocably removed from it. Thanks to you.”
I shook my head. “I was just doing my job.”
“Hmmm,” Wes said as he took a sip of whatever he was drinking. “You’re being awfully humble right now. In fact, don’t think it’s gone unnoticed that you haven’t been yourself these past couple of weeks. With everything that’s been going down, I haven’t had a lot of time to check in with you, but are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I clipped.
“Make any progress on finding Mrs. Darling?”
No. I had definitively and deliberatelynotmade progress on that front. In fact, I’d canceled every date that had already been scheduled and told my matchmaking consultant I was unavailable for the foreseeable future.
If only I’d canceled that last date…
No. I stopped the thought before I could have it. Because as soon as I let myself go down that road, I thought about what Thanksgiving might have been like between me and Joy. How that day might have ended differently.
We could have talked, been honest with each other. We could have been friends. She could still be in my life. Except I’d done everything in my power to make that not possible.
I’d had her. I’d fucked her. I’d been inside of her and made her come. Two nights after that I’d kissed someone else. It had felt like a mouthful of sawdust. I’d barely touched the woman’s lips before I was nearly choking on the guilt and shame of what I was doing.
Joy had been right. I’d been trying to purge her from my system.
It hadn’t worked. It had only served to remind me that the person I wanted to be kissing, tasting, was Joy.
I’d spent the Wednesday before Thanksgiving shopping for our damn holiday dinner, then confirming with…what was her name? Kim something, that yes, we were still on for that night.
I was every bit the asshole Joy had once accused me of being and the worst part was that it hadn’t worked.
I didn’t think about Joy any less. I didn’t want Joy any less. Even though every argument she’d offered on Thanksgiving, and in hindsight I could see she’d been prepared with those arguments, was valid, it didn’t change how I felt.
“Let’s just say I’m reconsidering my options.” I answered his question elusively.
My gaze wandered over Wes’s shoulder as Joy walked into the throng of partygoers, my eyes instantly finding her. It was everything I could do to keep my jaw from dropping.
Gone were the flowy blouse and loose skirt. Instead she was in a strapless, black party dress that was going to make every man in this room salivate to have her. Her breasts. Her beautiful, big, luscious breasts were on display and suddenly I had this desire to throw my coat over her shoulders and get her the hell out of there before anyone else could see what I’d had the fortune of touching.
Her.
No matter what I did. No matter how I tried to control my brain into thinking a certain way, any time I saw her, all I could think of was…her.
Sensing he’d lost my attention, Wes turned and looked behind him. “Well, my my my. I was not expecting Joy to come dressed likethat.Oh my goodness!”
He turned back to me and I could see every lascivious thought in his head.
“You just got married tonight,” I reminded him.
