Page 7 of The Naughty Or Nice Clause

“There was a fire?” she demanded frantically. “Was anyone injured?”

Mr Klaus made his way into the hall and closed the door behind him, stopping the snow from following him in.

“No, thankfully. Only my pride, and your reputation.” He seemed to lose his composure. “Your scheme could have burnt down the building. We aren’t the only ones who occupy the high rise!”

She was taken aback. It was the first time he raised his voice at her. They had fought plenty of times, but he’d always been able to get his infuriating points across without raising his voice a decibel.

“Is this what you had in mind for a Christmas party?” he hissed, his cheeks flushed. “When I arrived this morning, there were firefighters coming and going from the lobby. Someone thought it was a good idea to reheat a pizza in the toaster.” His eyes were also reddened, presumably by the hangover.

“I told Sam to make sure everyone got out,” she said pathetically.

“They got out, but they left their pizza burning. I don’t like waking up to the fire department telling me our office is riddled with black smoke and a burnt-out kitchen!” The last few words seemed to further his anger, and he ran a hand through his hair, which was haphazardly tied at the back of his neck.

“I’m not entirely to blame for this! It wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t had to bring your drunken self home!” she flared up at him, only to falter when she realised that it probablywasher fault for one, leaving the party, and two, throwing it in the first place.

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I need coffee and painkillers if we are to continue this conversation,” he breathed, and pushed past her like it was his own home. “This is why you need me to run the company. Because you can’t take responsibility for your actions,” he added over his shoulder.

He was wrong about the company, but he was right about last night. It was her fault. Guilt made her stomach twist and tumble.

He opened a door off the hallway, and before she could stop him, he was in her sitting room. Lyla fidgeted with the sleeves of her pink robe as he took in the decor with a concerned frown.

“You really are obsessed with Christmas,” he said, looking at the decorated fireplace with gold tinsel and stockings. “Did you paint your walls to match your tree?”

“Green is my favourite colour, and yes, it just so happens to match my tree,” she admitted, looking at the dark forest-green walls. The Christmas tree was much too big for the room, and her ornaments were displayed with pride on every surface: everything from ceramic reindeer to snow globes. “I like Christmas – sue me.” She folded her arms over her chest, trying to warm herself; he had let in the cold, and she only wore her oversized Rudolph T-shirt beneath her thin robe.

“There is a fine line between like and obsession, but at least there is treatment you can seek,” he said dryly, picking up the mug on her counter shaped like a Santa hat. She snatched it from him and placed it back on the table before he tainted it with his Scrooge-ness.

“Therapy is normal, and after your reaction to your sister’s letter last night, I should book you a session.” She was half serious. She’d been in therapy ever since she’d lost her mum in a car accident. She had struggled to get into a car for years, and though she had now come to peace with that, she hadn’t mastered driving.

“I didn’t mean any offence. I’ve never met anyone with so many…” Klaus went to the sofa, picked up a candy-cane-shaped pillow and waved it.

“Can we focus less on my decor and more on what to do about the office?”

“It’s already taken care of; I have a friend who is an architect. She has a team of builders already seeing to the structural damage.”

“Great. I want to meet her!”

“There’s no rush. Seems you got your wish after all.” His words sounded like an accusation.

“My wish?” Lyla spotted Jones staring at Klaus from a crouched position. She silently hoped the cat would pounce on him and ruin his immaculately tailored suit.

“We have to close the offices until after Christmas because of the smoke damage. She’ll be able to get started on the remodel over the season. Some people don’t mind working over the holidays.”

She wondered if he was afraid the Christmas spirit in her home was contagious.

“If you have everything under control, and I mean this with utter sincerity,whyare you banging on my door at…” She looked at the antique clock on her mantle. “SIX AM! Are you insane?” She flopped on the couch. Jones hopped up beside her and took a defensive position on her lap. She appreciated the support, but if he was sitting with her, he couldn’t attack Klaus.

“I woke up at four thanks to a call from the fire department. I thought it only fair I disturb the culprit,” he informed her. “I thought you would be pleased to hear. The staff have been notified of their twelve days off being restored.” He seemed more upset by that than their building nearly being burnt to the ground.

“You didn’t by any chance bang your head last night? I don’t think the company insurance covers such drastic changes in personality. If you have everything under control, then please – leave.”

He was pacing slowly by the fireplace. “Funny. My sister will like you. However, I’m not done yet. We have one more matter to deal with.”

She wasn’t sure if she had heard him correctly. “Your sister?”

He shook his head. “Never mind. We’ll return to work after New Year’s, but we’ll have to work from home. We can’t greet clients in a construction site.”

He is actually giving everyone a holiday. That’s uncommonly courteous of him. Has his own sudden loss caused him to see that people need time with their families?Or…wait. Is he only doing this because now he has to go home for the holidays? He doesn’t have to go; he could stay home and pretend he never got the letter.Then again, she knew he was a stickler for duty.Maybe hedoeshave a conscience and won’t let his family grieve without him.

---