Chapter 1 #2
I could tell the guy was trouble. A real flirt. Like a cute football jock back in high school who knew he could get away with anything. All he had to do was flash those pearly whites and cast a smoldering look and he would waltz right out of any consequences.
The chatter died and everyone gave him their attention.
He stood near the gift table, holding a glass of champagne with one hand and gesturing dramatically with the other.
“Thank you all for coming tonight. I know it’s been a crazy week, and I know half of you are already mentally on a beach somewhere warm.
But before we all scatter to our holiday destinations, we have one very important matter to attend to. The annual Secret Santa gift exchange!”
A mix of cheers and good-natured groans greeted this announcement.
Lucas beamed. “Hey! I handpicked these matches myself, and I have a very good feeling about this year’s pairings.”
Norma leaned closer to me. “Lucas lives for this stuff. Company culture, team building, party planning—it’s like catnip to him.”
I smiled, watching as Lucas began calling names and directing people to the gift table. Each person would retrieve their gift, open it, and then there would be the obligatory oohs and aahs or teasing depending on what was inside.
I was so focused on watching the exchange unfold that I almost didn’t notice when the energy in the room shifted.
“And next up, we have a gift for our fearless leader himself. Boss man, come on up here and claim your present!”
The applause that followed was louder than earlier.
I found myself looking around for boss man.
Someone in a muted suit, perhaps, with a combover and silver-framed glasses.
Most likely gray around the temples or already balding.
Basically, I searched for someone who looked like he would only be invited because he was the guy who wrote the checks.
Then I saw him.
And I stopped breathing.
Not bald. Not muted. Not a pity invite.
He was easily over six feet tall with broad shoulders that filled out his rich navy blue suit impossibly well.
Dark hair tumbled in front of his eyes, but he brushed it back by running his fingers through it, and it stayed in place as he moved through the crowd.
I caught the sharp angles of his profile when he turned and offered a group of his employees a nod.
His gaze swept upward, and I saw his eyes.
Silver gray. Like the dawn of a winter morning and a sky full of snow.
I leaned toward Norma and kept my voice low. “Who is that?”
She didn’t hear me because she was too busy clapping enthusiastically. Boss man made his way to the gift table with purposeful strides. He owned the room, and we all knew it.
Why am I so hot all of a sudden? I pulled the collar of my dress away from my chest and neck and began fanning myself.
Beside me, Norma chuckled softly. I stopped fanning myself and let my cheeks burn.
Boss man reached the table, and I watched with growing horror as his hand went straight for the one wrapped in gold-star paper with a red ribbon. The one I had agonized over.
The one meant for DK.
“Son of a biscuit,” I whispered. Why had I assumed DK was a woman?
The very manly man stared at my present, turning it over in his hands like he was appreciating the paper. Or he was looking at stains from my sweaty fingers. It was impossible to read the expression on his face. Then he began to unwrap it, right here, in front of everyone.
He opened the box, and for several seconds, he just stared down at the contents, his face an impassive mask. He reached into the box and pulled out the bright pink coffee mug.
The aggressively bright pink coffee mug, covered in hearts. It was Cupid’s Arrow’s signature color but I doubted that would be much consolation to DK.
“Who is he?” I asked again.
“That’s Dane Kavanagh, your boss,” Norma said beside me, her voice full of delight. She was clapping wildly. “Well, our boss. Everyone’s boss. Didn’t you look him up online?”
“Well, yeah, but those pictures didn’t capture his… presence.” I couldn’t look. I could barely breathe.
But I forced myself to watch. My new boss actually chuckled. He shook his head like he couldn’t quite believe it, then dipped his hand back into the box for the card I had written.
No, no, no!
The card was definitely not anonymous because I wanted to make friends and I’d thought DK was just some nice coworker. A female coworker. Sweat prickled along my spine despite the perfectly climate-controlled temperature of the dining area.
Mr. Kavanagh read the card quickly, his expression flickering through several emotions I couldn’t quite name. Then, instead of reading it aloud like several other people had done with their Secret Santa cards, he tucked it carefully back into the box.
And looked directly at me.
Our eyes met across the crowded room. He stared coolly at me like he was trying to figure me out. Even though I wanted to look away, I felt rooted to the spot, pinned there like a helpless lamb.
This was my new boss?
I told my ovaries to stop cheering. There was no room for lust in this scenario.
This was a dream job and he was the man I needed to impress the most. That stupid hot pink mug had sabotaged my best-foot-forward plan, and now I had to undo the plan that actually unfolded, which was the put-my-foot-up-my-own-rear-end-secret-santa-miscalculation-fail. Yup. A mouthful.
I bet he’s a mouthful, too.
I inhaled sharply at my own brazen thought. The sight of a man had never made me feel such an intense rush of need before. In fact, the sight of most men made me feel the opposite sensation, or no sensation at all. But DK?
I was pretty sure those letters stood for Damn Knockout. Or Dreamy King. Or Devastating Kisses.
DK turned and walked back into the crowd with his gift, disappearing like the vision he was.
As soon as he was gone, I remembered how to breathe again. In and out. In and out.
That made me think of Dane again and my cheeks heated.
Norma squeezed my arm. “That was perfect, Ina. Did you see his face? I don’t think I’ve ever seen Dane smile like that at a company event.”
“I gave my boss a bright pink mug covered in hearts,” I said faintly. “On my first week.”
“You gave your boss a thoughtful, cheerful gift that made him smile,” Norma corrected. “Trust me, that man could use a little more light in his life.” She paused, studying my face. “Are you okay? You look a little pale.”
“I’m fine,” I lied. “I just… I didn’t realize DK stood for Dane Kavanagh. I thought it was someone else. I thought it was going to be a woman, actually, based on how many women work here versus men. And what do you mean, smile? He barely smiled at all!”
Norma laughed. “Oh, honey. Welcome to Cupid’s Arrow.”