Page 5 of Under the Mistletoe
I watch her closely. She pushes her glasses back up again, and I know she’s lying, but I don’t know why.
“Whatever they’re paying, I’ll double it.” My shoulders are tight, my gaze unwavering.
Those eyes widen once more, this time flaring with something I can’t name. “Again, that’s very generous…”
“So… yes?”
“No. No, thank you—”
My cell vibrates, catching both of our attention. I’m needed elsewhere, but I don’t want to move. I feel even more unsettled than I did when I first laid eyes on her. She’s the first woman to have rejected anything I’ve offered in a very long time. I’m now even more intrigued.
“I don’t often have people reject a job offer at York Enterprises.”
Her cheeks flush a little more, and she looks unsure for the first time since she walked in.
“But I’m okay with working hard to get what I want.”
She rolls her lips, a sweet grin trying hard to break through, and I clench my back molars to prevent a smile.
“And you want me?” Her voice is soft, almost angelic as our gazes don’t waver. Hell yeah, I want her. But I need to think with my head instead of my dick.
“Six figures. Full healthcare…” I start to reel off my offer again.
“I can’t. I appreciate the offer, though. Was there anything else you needed?” She’s dismissing me. Here, in my office. On the top floor of a building I own, towering over the New York skyline that is my playground. And she’s dismissing me?
I’m stunned for a moment. Did I have this all wrong? Does she not feel the desire swirling between us? I’ve never felt this instant heat with any woman before, certainly not in my office during a workday.
I clear my throat. “That will be all, Miss Jackson.”
“Have a lovely weekend… Mr. York.” I watch her turn and walk out of my office, standing here, frozen and astounded. Comically stunned. Wondering if I made a mistake by offering her a position, because the way her hips move as she walks away from me should be illegal. And no matter how brilliant her mind, no matter how much I want her on my team… I also want her in my bed.
And those are two desires I can’t afford to mix.
My cell vibrates again, but I ignore it. As I lower into my chair, her floral scent lingers like a dare. Then I reach for her personnel file and flip it open.
Because for the first time in a long time, I need to work a little harder for something I want.
3
Jessica
My knees ache from kneeling on the hard floor, unpacking what feels like the hundredth box today.
“How much did you order?” I ask my uncle Bob.
He looks at me and smiles. “Your forecasting last month was right, kiddo. The weather down south is hotter than anyone expected, so I did what you suggested, ran a sale through the new online shop. Even though it’s almost snowing here, our sales are higher than any other holiday season.” His smile widens, and I match it.
Uncle Bob took me in as a scrawny, prepubescent tween. When my parents decided that looking after a kid didn't align with their free-roaming lifestyle, he and his wife, Vivian, stepped in. Childless themselves, they became my new parents, especially when the weekly calls from my real ones turned into monthly check-ins.
I love my parents, but they’re not the nurturing type. While I was getting my first period and starting to notice boys, my parents were camping outside Las Vegas, protesting about water mismanagement and climate change. When I was getting ready for prom, it was Uncle Bob and Aunt Vivian who stood misty-eyed, watching me pose for photos. My parents? Off in some remote place in a country where cell service wasn’t available.
I’m not bitter. I know I’m lucky to have two sets of parents, both showing love in their own ways. But it was confusing growing up with bio parents who didn’t put me first and made me feel like an unwanted burden.
“So, the weather patterns were right?” After spending a week analyzing historical climate trends, I suggested setting up an online shop to access new regions. I helped build the site with Aunt Vivian and ran a targeted digital ad campaign across strategic markets. It looks like all that work paid off.
“As was your idea for online sales. Most of what we’re unpacking today will ship out next week.”
I’m impressed. There’s a lot of lawn sprinklers here. Uncle Bob’s worked in landscaping his entire life. When the physical labor got too much, he shifted into selling sprinkler systems and hasn’t looked back.
