Chapter 25 Merry Mistletoe Mistakes
MERRY MISTLETOE MISTAKES
DECLAN
The party was winding down and my body was exhausted the way it always was after talking business for too long.
These types of gatherings were supposed to be fun but it was hard to let loose completely.
I always felt like I had to be on or else everyone would know that I didn’t actually fit in with them the way I pretended I did.
The opposite of how I felt when it was just me and Claire.
Claire seemed a little off after her conversation with Sarah. I tried to ask what they talked about but Claire shrugged it off as not important. Something in my gut told me it was very important.
I supported Claire’s weight with an arm around her waist as she leaned into me. She’d hit the champagne pretty hard and I could tell she was feeling it. I think we were both a little worn down from the pressure of this entire trip.
Feelings were starting to surface that I wasn’t ready for. I also wasn’t sure I could face the facts if she didn’t feel the same. Everything in me felt like she did, but maybe she was just that good of an actress.
I needed to put some distance between Claire and I if I was going to survive this. We’d spent two weeks together but it felt like I’d known her my entire life. I’d never felt so immediately comfortable with a woman, and it wasn’t because she spent the last three years working ten feet from me.
It was her energy. It was the way she smiled. It was her sarcasm and wit. It was her beauty—and her inability to be anything but herself. She wanted to get to know who I was deep down—who I was raised to be.
No one had tried doing that in a very long time.
A hand landed on my shoulder and I glanced over to see Rich, the VP from Seattle, standing at my side.
“A bunch of us are going to hit the town. Join us for a drink?” He smiled warmly as his eyes trailed from me to Claire.
Claire attempted a smile back but I could tell it was fake.
“Thanks for the invite, but I think we’re going to just head home.”
Claire placed her hand on my chest, pulling my attention toward her. “No, you should go. I’m exhausted but that doesn’t mean you have to stay in.”
“Are you sure?” I searched her eyes for an ounce of insincerity but I came up short.
“Positive.” She leaned on her toes and kissed my cheek. Her movements were lagging, devoid of the normal spark of life she usually always carried.
We gathered our jackets and followed the group down to the street. Claire walked with us until we got closer to the town square. The bar we were going to was to the right and our chalet was to the left.
I gestured for Rich and the rest of the group to keep walking so I could have a few minutes alone with my girl.
Once we were alone, I grabbed her and lifted her into my arms. She let out a giggle as her feet dangled.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Bear?” I kissed down her cheek to her jaw.
“Yes, I’m fine. I’m just tired and I think I had too much champagne.”
“Do you need me to walk you home?”
“No,” she insisted. “Seriously, Declan. Go have fun. I will be fine.”
I placed her back on her feet but cupped her jaw with both palms. “Okay, baby. Please call me if you need me to come home.”
She nodded as I leaned in to kiss her. “I promise,” she whispered against my lips.
As I watched her walk away, I debated if I was making the right choice sending her home alone while I went out with the boys.
Maybe this was good for us.
Space was good for us.
I exhaled, a cloud forming around me in the chilly night air. When Claire disappeared down the road, I turned and walked toward the town square.
I pushed through the front door of the rustic mountain bar that was always a hit this time of year. What I thought would be a few coworkers turned out to be almost everyone who was at Paul’s chalet. The bar was packed from wall to wall.
I weaved through the crowd in search of a drink.
“Declan.”
I jolted at the sound of my name.
To my dismay, the voice came from a particular female who didn’t seem to understand that I was a taken man.
“I got this for you,” Sarah said, handing me a rocks glass filled with an amber liquid.
“Thanks,” I said, taking a sip.
I didn’t like the girl, but I would absolutely take her drinks.
“No problem,” she said, her voice softer than it was earlier. “Maybe we can talk later?”
I nodded noncommittally before making eye contact with Rich. He waved me over and I was all too eager to get the fuck away from Sarah. I didn’t know what she wanted with me, but I knew it wasn’t good.
I knew it was probably going to get me in trouble.
“No Claire?” Rich asked when I reached him.
“She didn’t feel great. I probably won’t be out long. I want to make sure she’s okay.”
“Good for you, man. You two seem good together.”
The conversation shifted away from my love life, toward the current office drama in Seattle. Apparently there was a scandal where a woman in the office was dating two men without the other knowing.
Everyone was hooked on the HR nightmare.
Something about it made me chuckle. I wasn’t sure what the nuances of my and Claire’s relationship were, but HR would probably not be pleased to find out I was fucking my assistant.
Hopefully, I’ll head to Denver and no one will ever find out that Claire worked for me.
While that was the ideal outcome, thinking about leaving Claire had me downing my whiskey in a few gulps. I’d worked hard for this promotion. I’d wanted this.
So, why didn’t it feel right anymore?
I chose the responsible action of ignoring the very confusing feelings I was having and pushed to the bar for another drink.
I was drunk.
I tried to act like I wasn’t, but my mouth felt like sandpaper and everything around me was slightly fuzzy.
I was leaning against the bar, my jacket abandoned on the back of a barstool. Staring at my glass, thoughts of Claire flooded my brain. I missed her. I wanted her around all the time.
She was so cute in snow boots.
I chuckled to myself as I thought back to watching her wipe out on the slopes last week. She bounced back but she was drenched in snow. The sheer determination to win was one of the hottest things about her.
And her tits.
They were also really great.
I was suddenly very hot. I took my cuff links out of my shirt and slipped them into my suit jacket pocket before rolling my sleeves up to my elbows.
Claire and I were happening so fast and it was fucking with my head. I hadn’t come into this looking for love, but it sure as fuck did slap me across the face.
I swallowed my last mouthful of whiskey and pushed off of the bar. I was about done with this night. I was supposed to have some time away from Claire and clear my head, but instead she consumed all of my thoughts tonight. I wanted to crawl into bed and pull her into me.
I stopped in the bathroom before heading out. As I stepped into the dimly lit hallway, someone appeared in front of me. My shoulders were pushed against the wall and I was just loose enough to fall back against it.
Before I knew what was happening, someone’s arms were around my neck and their lips were on mine.
Immediately, I knew this was wrong. She didn’t taste like Claire—or feel like Claire in my arms. I planted my hands on the strangers hips and pushed them off of me.
I winced when I lifted my head and locked eyes with Sarah.
“I’ve wanted to do that all night,” she said, running her hands up my chest. “I was praying to catch you under the mistletoe earlier.”
I caught her wrists in my hands, stopping her. “What are you doing?” My voice had a cold bite to it that had her eyes going wide. In all of the years I was with Sarah, I wasn’t sure I ever raised my voice at her.
“Having a little fun. I thought you were into it.” She looked truly beside herself that I stopped her.
“I’m engaged, Sarah.”
She scoffed. “To that lowly girl? Please. She’s someone to pass the time with. Now that you’re ready to get married, we can be together.”
I gently pushed her back a step to add more distance between us. Now, it all made sense. Why Sarah was so nasty to Claire. Why she kept popping up when I didn’t want her around. She thought there was a chance we were getting back together.
Delusional.
“I need you to listen to me, Sarah. I don’t want to be with you. We broke up for a lot of reasons and none of those have changed. I want to be with Claire, and you being a nasty bitch isn’t going to change that.”
She looked like she was about to burst into flames. I knew Sarah was a spoiled brat who wasn't used to being told no, but I wasn’t budging on this one.
I moved to walk away, but turned to her before leaving the hallway.
“If anyone saw you kiss me, I’ll say there was a mistletoe and it meant nothing. I value my relationship with Tom too much to break it to him that you’re a dirty cheater. But, I swear if you say a word to Claire then I will destroy you.”
I didn’t wait for a reply. I didn’t stop to close my tab. I walked right out into the mountain air and broke into a run all the way home.
I needed my girl.