All She Wants for New Year's -- A Contemporary Erotic Holiday Romance (All She Wants #2) (3 page)

“Um, I… wasn’t really planning on it…” she said honestly, without thinking about it. She trailed off as she realized what she was saying.

“Oh,” he said sadly. “Well, uh, never mind then.” There was an awkward pause. Her brain began yelling at her even louder.
Say something! Anything!

“But I mean, uh, I think I might end up going, actually!” she blurted out.

It wasn’t the most elegant response, but it served its purpose. He didn’t seem to notice anything strange in her tone or wording – just that she was planning to go to the party. And unlike Jessica, he didn’t sound flustered at all. He sounded calm, cool and collected as he spoke.

“Oh, really?” he said, sounding pleased. “That’s great. I’ll see you there, then. Have a good afternoon, Ms. Bradley.”

“You too,” she squeaked. And just like that, the phone clicked off.

Jessica’s heart was pounding, and her mind was going a thousand miles an hour, as she replayed every moment of the phone call over and over in her head. The party was Saturday night, and it was now 5pm on Friday… she had just over 24 hours to get ready. She really hadn’t even planned on attending the office New Year’s party this year, but in an instant, her plans had changed.

“Looks like I need to go buy a dress,” she said out loud to herself.

Just then, her boss Peter walked up to her cubicle. He poked his ugly, bald head through the doorway, disturbing her happy thoughts. He looked like Danny DeVito on a bad day. As he approached, she caught a whiff of him – he smelled like aftershave and body odor. “What’s this I hear about a dress?” he asked pryingly.

“Nothing, Peter,” sighed Jessica. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Oh, really?” he huffed, annoyed at her dismissive tone. “You think it’s smart to talk back to your boss like that?”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re right,” she said. “My mistake. I finished up those reports you requested, so I was just getting ready to go home.” She grabbed a manila folder from her desk and stood up, holding the folder out between them impatiently.  She was at least four inches taller than Peter. Her body language couldn’t have been clearer, but Peter wasn’t going anywhere.

He snatched the folder from her, glancing through it indifferently for a second. He harrumphed and looked back up at her. “All right, enough with the reports,” he said. His tone changed, getting creepier somehow, if that was possible. She knew what he was going to ask before he even asked it. “So, are you, ah… going to the New Year’s party tomorrow?”

She sighed. “I haven’t decided yet.” Peter was the main reason she typically didn’t go to the party; he always got sloshed and tried to make a pass at her. No matter what sort of humiliating behavior he displayed at the party every year, he always woke up the next morning with no recollection of the event – for better or for worse.

“Why do you even go to the party, Peter?” she asked him. “You don’t remember anything that happens there, anyway.”

He laughed coarsely. “That’s exactly why I go!” he guffawed. “You gotta let loose once in a while. Anyway, I’ll see you there, sweetheart.” He wandered off, the conversation about the party having put him in a better mood.

She watched him walk away and turn the corner, shaking her head the whole time. “Don’t call me sweetheart,” she muttered to herself.

Jessica could barely sleep that night, she was so worked up with anticipation for the party the next evening. She’d run to Bloomingdale’s on the way home, and splurged on a much-too-expensive cocktail dress. It was metallic-silver, perfectly offsetting her auburn hair, and it hugged her curves like it was made for her. The only downside was that it cost half her weekly paycheck. She’d grimaced as they’d ran her credit card through the machine, but when the saleswoman’s eyes widened approvingly upon seeing the dress, it had all been worth it.

“Damn, girl,” the woman had said. “Whoever he is, he doesn’t stand a chance.”

Jessica finally got some sleep, and on Saturday she spent most of the afternoon getting ready. She was surprised at how nervous she was; she’d gone on plenty of dates recently, but had never taken them all that seriously. With Brandon, though, it was a whole different story.
It’s not even a date,
she scolded herself.
You’re just going to go and have a good time at the party, and see what happens from there.

Date or not, though, she hadn’t felt butterflies like this in a long time.

But as she checked herself out in the mirror, the knot in her stomach unwound a little bit. She’d found the perfect pair of cherry-red stilettos to go with the dress, and she had to admit, she looked fantastic. Little by little, her confidence was returning.
If only Freddie could see me now,
she thought with a laugh.

And when she walked into the lounge where the party was being held, and all the heads in the room turned to greet her, she knew she looked like a million bucks.

Unfortunately for Jessica, though, that good feeling was all too short-lived. For when she scanned around the room, she realized with disappointment that Brandon was nowhere to be found.
Great
, she thought.
He’s not here yet. Maybe he won’t even show up.

It was only 8 PM, though, and she decided to stick around for an hour or so. But then, to her horror, she saw Peter standing there at the bar – and worse, she saw that he’d noticed her walk in.

Before she had a chance to get away, he’d had made his way over from the bar and into her personal space within a split-second.

“Heyyyy, it’s Jessica!” cried Peter, obviously a few drinks into the night already. He went in for a hug, but she politely sidestepped it and shook his hand instead.

“Hello, Peter,” she said stiffly. “Are you having a good time?”

Peter started off on a long-winded, semi-coherent speech about how wonderful their company was, how Jessica was the best employee he’d ever had, and how when he got back to the office next week, he was going to take everyone out to lunch to celebrate. She nodded along as best she could, her eyes darting to the doorway periodically. If Brandon didn’t show up soon, she might consider making a quick dash to the exit.

Mercifully, in the middle of Peter’s tirade, Brandon walked through the door. She felt waves of relief washing over her. His eyes lit up when he saw her, and he swiftly made his way over to where she was standing. She widened her eyes and gave him the “get me out of here” face, motioning her chin in the direction of Peter. Brandon only needed to glance at her face for a split-second to understand the message.

“Hey, Jessica!” he interjected, interrupting Peter mid-sentence. He flashed him a big smile, slapping him jovially on the shoulder. “Mind if I steal her for a second?” he asked him, and grabbed her hand before Peter had a chance to process what was going on.

He pulled her across the room to a quiet corner. She followed him, amused. When they made it to a secluded spot, she burst out laughing. “Thanks for that,” she said. “Peter can be a pain.”

“No problem,” he said cheerfully. “You look amazing, by the way. Are you having a good time?”

She hadn’t gotten a good look at Brandon until now. She suddenly realized what he was wearing – a killer navy blazer over fitted dark jeans – and that he looked absolutely gorgeous. Those butterflies she’d been chasing away all afternoon came back all at once.

She couldn’t help bending her head a bit out of shyness, just for a split-second. It gave her the time she needed to get her head straight again.

“Thanks,” she said. “You’re looking very handsome yourself, Mr. Tanner. And actually, I hate these office parties. I think I could use a drink…”

“Coming right up,” said Brandon. He offered her his arm, which she accepted with a giggle, and led her down to the bar. She couldn’t help but laugh a bit at the formality. “The royal treatment,” she said.

He grinned, but didn’t say anything. He waved over the bartender. “Two glasses of champagne, please,” he said confidently. “Tonight, we’re celebrating!”

“Coming right up,” the bartender said. “By the way, you two look great together.”

“Thank you,” said Brandon, not missing a beat. Jessica blushed. She watched as the bartender poured the champagne for them, and she snuck a glance at Brandon when she thought he wasn’t looking. The atmosphere between them was electric. Right now, in this moment, the rest of the club seemed very far away.

He thanked the bartender, took the glasses in his hand, and led Jessica back over to a secluded part of the room. He handed the glass to her, and raised his own into the air. “Cheers,” he said. They clinked their glasses together, and each took a sip. The bubbled tickled the roof of her mouth.

As they finished their toast, Brandon leaned his head down next to her ear.

“Tonight is going to be unforgettable,” he whispered. The warmth from his breath sent a chill down her spine. She looked up into his eyes, searching for something – she wasn’t sure what.

And before she had time to react, he was kissing her.

Their kiss lasted just for a second, but when their lips met it felt to Jessica like time slowed to a halt. The kiss from Brandon had taken her by surprise, but she wasn’t complaining – and even if her mind hadn’t been prepared for it, her body knew exactly what to do.

All the jitters she’d been feeling, all the nervousness, seemed to melt away instantly at the moment their lips made contact, and all she could think about now was the sweet, supple firmness of his lips against hers. She could still taste a hint of the champagne they’d been sipping. It was a delicious, intoxicating feeling. She never wanted it to end.

When they finally broke away from each other, it was just for a second. She realized that they were both grinning from ear to ear. She looked into Brandon’s eyes; he held her gaze steadily. “That was nice,” she giggled, articulating what they’d both been feeling. He just smiled in response.

He leaned in for another kiss, this one a little deeper than the first. His lips were like heaven. But after a second, she pulled away, putting her hand on his chest.

“Not here,” she told him. “There are too many people from work here.”

He looked around the room, mock wariness on his face. “You’re right,” he said. “We’d better get out of here.” He took her by the hand and started leading her down the hall towards the back door. “Come on,” he said, in a conspiratorial whisper. “I know a way out of here.”

Laughing, she followed him down the hallway, both of them still holding a glass of champagne. He pushed a door open and led her outside, to the backside of the building. It was deserted, except for a few wooden crates and cardboard boxes. As she stepped outside, she gasped – they had a miraculous view of the waterfront.

“You can see everything from back here,” she marveled. The city shone before her, a glittering array of a million lights. The moon peeked out above them from between gray wisps of clouds. “It’s… breathtaking,” she said softly.

“You’re
breathtaking,” replied Brandon. “You’re so beautiful, Jess. I’ve wanted you from the moment I first saw you.”  She was shocked. How could such a hot guy feel like that about her?

“You’re just saying that,” she said to him.

“No way,” he said. “Why do you think I remembered you so well? And when I saw your name come up on my phone that day… well, my heart skipped a beat. I was so nervous when I came to fix your computer.” She was amazed at what she was hearing. He put down his champagne glass and took her in his arms.

She looked up into his smiling face, framed by the city lights behind him. They lingered like that for a moment, not saying anything, just happy to be looking into each other’s eyes. When he kissed her again, it felt like she’d been waiting for it her whole life.

Whether it was the fresh air or the first effects of the champagne hitting them, their kissing became more urgent, more passionate than it had been inside. She could feel desire rising deep within her like a dull wave. She wanted him,
now
. She hadn’t felt like this in a long time.