SECRET DIRTY SANTA (A Reverse Harem Christmas Tale Book 1) Read online

  "Oh, no," I replied. "Is she bad?"

  "Nope. She's horrid. She's one of those 'I think I'm all that and don't care if you've been here longer than me' types. Bossy should be her last name. I almost snapped at her twice already. I'm sure if you were here, you'd put her in place before she'd dare roll her eyes."

  "Roll her eyes? Who does this bitch thinks she is?" I was already getting angry at the mention. Jenica and I had been there from the ground up. Who would possibly think they could come into our place of work and try to run it?

  "Don't worry about her. She's nothing I can't handle, but I'm still wrapping shit up. We got a bunch of applications for the volunteers, so I'm swamped. What's up?"

  "Ah. We're just at the bar."

  "YumYum got drunk, didn't she?"

  "You guessed it. The new author life is hard. Devyn is here to pick her up."

  "Aww, what a good promoter you are."

  "I'm not promoting anything. He's hauling her home. I'm not struggling with our drunk unicorn friend. Remember last time she got drunk?"

  "Oh, she wasn't that bad. She was all quiet and calm," Jenica said in a sweet voice.

  "Until she saw that sexy guy who she thought was her prince unicorn and wanted to ride his horn," I reminded.

  "Ah, right. That went downhill. Never mind. Let Devyn take her." Jenica laughed. "Did you hear about the rumors?"

  "What rumors?" I asked, my ears perking up to hear what I hoped was some hot-served tea of gossip.

  "Matthias isn't the only single multi-earner hunk on the block anymore. A few birdies told me his sexy hot friends, Logan and Titus, are officially single this holiday season. Titus just broke up with his long-term girlfriend, who, by the way, was a complete bitch, and Logan hasn't found someone to really settle with since he's the 'cool but collected' type. Our coworkers have been buzzing about it all evening and I heard they may be attending the party."

  "Why does your tone tell me you specifically wanted me to know this?"

  "I'm simply informing you that there are now multiple options for you to choose from. Imagine, three sexy multi-millionaires. In fact, you can just have them all. Wear those nice heels and continue doing those squats you do during your break. You'll be sold. That ass will grab any man!"

  "Have you been hanging out with YumYum? I bet you have." I laughed.

  "She's a bad influence. Speaking of YumYum, did you leave her by herself for longer than five minutes?" Jenica inquired.

  OH SHIT!

  I leaned out to see the empty glass of orange juice on the counter and the unoccupied bar stool. "Fuck! We got a wandering unicorn!"

  "Didn't I tell you to keep chocolate with you whenever you go out? It totally works in finding her."

  "She won't be able to smell chocolate in this huge crowd," I countered, already moving back into the club to find my drunk bestie, who I was sure was grinding up on someone.

  "You'd be surprised," Jenica sang. "Go find YumYum. I'll tackle this paperwork and text you in a bit."

  "Gotcha. Thanks for the info, Jenica," I thanked.

  "I got you, girlfriend. Find our drunk unicorn and get home safely. I'll see you tomorrow."

  "Alright. Text you later." I hung up and began scanning the room. It wouldn't be too hard to find YumYum, with her neon purple and pink hair. In less than a minute, my eyes caught the hint of purple-pink in the corner of the club, and as I approached, I could hear her giggling. Relief ran through me when I noticed Devyn had a secure arm around YumYum's waist, looking intrigued at whatever she was saying.

  It took me another four steps to realize who she was with and my heart skipped a beat.

  Matthias?!

  I double blinked, triple blinked, even lifted my hands to rub at my eyes to make sure the alcohol in me wasn't making me hallucinate.

  There was my CEO in a perfect white dress shirt that was slightly unbuttoned, giving me a glimpse of his chest. He wore navy dress pants, making me curious if he'd come here from work after a meeting that required him to change or if he'd purposely decided to come to the club alone.

  I only wondered because Matthias was the type to go black and white during work except for important business days.

  I knew today wasn't one of those, so he must have been here on his own to relax rather than do business. I could tell from his chilled posture and calm demeanor in comparison to his normal work mood.

  As if sensing my presence, those marvelous blue eyes lifted and met mine.

  I swear the club went silent as my mind, body, and soul acknowledged Matthias’s expressions; I watched the shift from surprise to pure excitement, something I rarely got to see in Matthias’s ocean-colored orbs. He’d never looked at me like that before.

  I had to remind myself to breathe, inhaling through my nose and out through my mouth, as the surrounding sound began to filter back into the little bubble I had mentally created. Devyn looked over his shoulder, following Matthias’s gaze to land on me.

  "Elle, over here.” He used his free hand to wave me forward and I forced my legs to move one step at a time until I reached the group.

  Act cool, Elle. It's just your wetness-inducing boss in casual clothes that fit every damn muscle of his fine, lickable body. Nothing to worry about.

  "Hey," I greeted, nodding my head to Matthias first and then Devyn. "Glad you found her."

  "Wasn't hard. YumYum's louder than the music," Devyn noted.

  YumYum slowly turned to look at me and wrapped her arms around me. "Wifey, you found me."

  "Wifey?" Matthias’s smooth voice reached my ears and I looked to see his pure amusement.

  "She likes to call me wifey when she's drunk. YumYum? Devyn's taking your unicorn-self home."

  "Awww, but I was getting the tea," she whined.

  YumYum and her gossip ways. Still wants the tea on Matthias even when she’s drunk.

  Devyn chuckled and shook his head. "You can get the tea when you're sober."

  "Boo." She pouted her lips.

  "I have more orange juice at home," Devyn suggested.

  YumYum turned to him, wrapping her arms around Devyn's neck. "Away we go!"

  She kissed him hard on the lips and he gave her a sad look. "You're so drunk."

  "But you love me anyway," YumYum slurred and began to giggle.

  "True," Devyn whispered. "Let's go, YumYum. See you around, Elle. Nice meeting you again, Matthias. If you need assistance with web designing, you know I got you."

  "Thanks, Devyn," Matthias replied, lifting his drink to his lips. We watched Devyn navigate YumYum out and I let out a sigh of relief.

  "You're friends with Yumo?" Matthias questioned.

  "Yes. You know her?" I asked, turning my attention to him.

  "I've seen her around. She's dating Devyn."

  "They broke up."

  Matthias arched an eyebrow and gave me a knowing smile. "Doesn't look that way."

  "Looks can be deceiving," I replied, noticing how crowded it was becoming. Matthias moved forward, sliding an arm around my waist. I met his gaze and we stared into each other's eyes while I did my best to ignore the electricity pulsing between us.

  "Why don't we chill at the bar? Less crowded," Matthias suggested, his body already moving and taking me along with him.

  "Sure," I replied, my mind absorbing the facts that Matthias Felton had his muscled arm around my waist and his cologne was amazing tonight.

  By the time we settled down and ordered drinks, I'd registered how lucky I was to get this chance to be casually drinking with my multi-billionaire, sexiest man alive CEO—and his eyes were only on me.

  That attention alone would go for millions of dollars at auction.

  Finishing my third drink, I stared at Matthias, who had pulled his phone out to check a message.

  "What's the real reason you’re participating in Secret Santa?"

  He looked up at me and the glint in his eye made me bite my lip slowly.

  "There's someone I want to be around. It seems m
y Christmas wish got granted early."

  Wait. There's no way he means...nope. Totally not me. Change the subject.

  "Who are you texting?" I diverted.

  "My friends Titus and Logan. They're nearby. We were supposed to meet outside and head to a hotel party, but they got delayed. Decided to enjoy a drink here and that's when I saw Devyn looking for his girlfriend."

  "They're still not dating," I mumbled out of habit, but he smirked and nodded.

  "Uh-huh."

  "Are you always this calm and collected when you meet your employees outside of work?" Damn, I was being bold tonight. It clearly was the alcohol's doing.

  "I'm calm and collected around my business partners and individuals who've contributed to the growth of my corporation. The only difference here is I'm enjoying some whiskey and sitting next to a woman whose body alone demands the attention of every male here."

  "Including yours?" I whispered.

  "Including mine," he replied. He finished his drink, pulling out a bill that would cover all the drinks we'd had this evening and offered me his hand. I placed my empty glass onto the counter and tucked my left hand in his.

  "Where are we going?"

  "Want to enjoy a night with me and my friends?"

  "You realize we have work tomorrow?"

  "Late start." He winked and all logic left my mind.

  Elle, you will NOT miss out on this opportunity!

  "Lead the way, Mr. Felton."

  He leaned forward and I froze, his hot breath brushing against my neck as he whispered, "Matthias, Elle. Outside those office walls, you can drop the formalities."

  "Matthias..." I repeated. He laughed and his deep chuckle could make a girl cum on the spot. With a squeeze of my hand, he helped me off the stool and we headed for the exit.

  I pray the night ends with me between the sheets with Matthias Felton.

  "I swear to the Almighty, I did something sinful last night and can't remember it at all," I whined, wishing the coffee would brew faster in the private lounge. Jenica laughed, her heels clicking against the floor as she approached me.

  "Here. I made the perfect concoction for you."

  I opened my eyes slightly and looked at the little white cup she was holding.

  "What is that?"

  "It's what I drink to relieve hangovers," Jenica replied, and placed the cup in front of my crossed arms. "You'll remember everything once you drink it. Trust me."

  "Please don't tell me this is voodoo or something," I commented, staring at the brown liquid like it was death itself.

  "Remember, I use witch magic. Not voodoo. A bit of chanting and voila! Just drink it. You'll remember why you have love marks all over your neck."

  I gasped and glared at her. "Don't say it so loud! And I don't...have that many," I whimpered and grabbed the drink.

  In one chug it was down and it almost came back up. "This shit is worse than 100% alcohol. No, worse than cold medicine. Blah."

  "It tastes horrible, but it works!" Jenica sang.

  "It does no..." I trailed off as my eyes went wide and everything that happened last night hit me like a shit ton of bricks.

  * * *

  Club with Matthias.

  Met Logan and Titus.

  Hotel party at the suite. More drinks. Lots of drinks. Far too many drinks.

  Flirting with Matthias. Making out with Matthias...

  * * *

  "Oh, fuck!" I exclaimed and covered my mouth. Jenica laughed, bringing me a fresh cup of coffee.

  "How bad is the damage?"

  "I fucked Matthias in the washroom!"

  "I don't think that's very sanitary."

  "That isn't even the problem! I fucked our boss! Our CEO! Sexiest man alive in the fucking bathroom," I stressed.

  "Was it a nice bathroom?"

  "Well...yea. I mean it was all marble and gold, flawless mirrors, oh and the shower settin— WAIT! That isn't the point, Jenica! Didn't you hear what I said?!"

  "If it wasn't for the door thankfully being closed this afternoon, the entire floor would have heard the news of you fucking Matthias Felton in the expensive washroom that had a nice shower. Did you go back to his place after?" Jenica grinned.

  "Oh fuck, I did...with his friends. O.M.G!" I slammed my head on the table. "I'm doomed. No...I need to go to church and confess my sins."

  "Eeep. Did you have a threesome? Please tell me you had a foursome."

  I was silent and Jenica practically squealed.

  "You had sex with ALL THREE OF THEM? Honey, how did your hungover ass forget that glorious moment?! How are you walking in heels?! Did you take them from both ways? Oh, all holes on deck, ready for some long, hard coc—"

  "Jenica! Feel sympathy for me! What if he fires me?! I just fucked my boss and his two best friends, who are all billionaires. What if someone saw? Or heard? This is why YumYum said she shouldn't leave me alone when drunk. My career is doomed."

  "Oh, relax and drink your coffee. If you were doomed, Matthias would have called you to the office already," Jenica brushed off.

  With a sigh, I picked up my coffee and began to drink it down, hoping it would give me the rejuvenated energy I needed to deal with today.

  They were good in bed, too. Are they used to having sex in one bed? Oh man, I'm so embarrassed. If YumYum finds out about this, I'm never living it down.

  There was a knock on the door, and it opened slowly, YumYum's head poking in.

  Oh, my Lord.

  "YumYum? What in heaven's name are you doing here?" Jenica asked.

  YumYum grinned and slipped in, wearing head-to-toe business attire. She closed the door and locked it before turning to us.

  "Morning, bitches! Guess who's helping with the Christmas planning?!" She raised her hands up and I stared at her now-black curly hair.

  "When did you order that wig?" I asked.

  She blinked and shrugged, lowering her hands. "I don't remember. I just found it and it matched my outfit."

  "I feel the both of you are missing the point here," Jenica pointed out. "But damn, the wig is natural. Is it synthetic?"

  "Girl, you know it. My booty a new author, remember? I can't afford a human hair wig. Wait till I'm rich and famous. Once I have my own signings, you'll see the hair I'll be rocking." YumYum flipped her hair and turned her gaze to me. "You ditched me!"

  "Stop changing subjects. I haven’t had enough coffee to handle the back and forth conversations," I whined.

  YumYum rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "You didn't congratulate me for snagging this epic opportunity! What kind of best friend are you? AND you ditched my drunk ass. I woke up at Devyn's place!"

  I continued sipping my coffee and she groaned, turning to Jenica. "See that?! There's no love between us unless coffee is involved. I feel heartbroken."

  "You are so dramatic." Jenica shook her head. "How were you able to get in as one of the volunteers?"

  "I asked Devyn to hook me up because I wanted to stalk Elle and get all the tea about Matthias, Titus, AND Logan. I can't believe all three of them are here in the office!"

  "Wait, what?" I asked.

  YumYum pouted at me. "I'm not telling you until you finish your coffee." She huffed and returned to looking at Jenica. "In addition to my bestie ditching me last night, I totally tried contacting her all morning and nope. Phone off. I was this close to calling a nationwide search on her booty to make sure no one kidnapped her."

  "You could have just called me." Jenica laughed and leaned in to whisper. "She was too busy enjoying her foursome last night."

  "Jenica!" I exclaimed.

  "FOURSOME?!" YumYum gawked and rushed to the table. She removed the coffee mug from my hand like she was keeping it hostage and slammed her hand on the table.

  "Alright, spill the tea! You had a foursome?! Not two or three? BUT FOUR?! Who are the lucky bastards that got to you before I could even do a background check on their asses? Did they drug you? Were you more wasted than me? Who. Do. I. Need. To. Ki
ll?!"

  Jenica cleared her throat and we both looked at her. "She means, Who. Do. I. Need. To. Kill?" She clapped her hands for emphasis.

  YumYum nodded in approval. "Exactly!"

  "No killing anyone. Yes, I was drunk...pretty bad, but I knew what was going on. They had my permission,"

  "They who?!" YumYum pushed.

  "Matthias, Titus, and Logan," Jenica answered for me, and I watched YumYum's jaw drop like I'd accused her of stealing people’s wigs.

  "You did not."

  "I surprisingly did and don't regret it...I think? Though, today may be my last day," I whined and reached out for the coffee YumYum was still holding. "At least let me enjoy my last work coffee."

  "Why would it be your last day? Actually, hold up. How were the three of them in bed? Why haven't we discussed this until now?"

  "You just got here," Jenica pointed out.

  "Yes, but I should have had the whole story written in my text messages waiting for my hungover ass to get up. Well, after some lovey-dovey time, but I would have known the exclusive tea by now," YumYum argued.

  "Exclusive, my ass. You and Devyn had sex again?" I drew out.

  "Aren't you two dating?" Jenica asked YumYum.

  "We broke up," she replied. "Minor, unimportant details! OH! I forgot. The reason why I was even here in the first place. Elle, Matthias asked for you."

  "WHAT?!" Jenica and I exclaimed. YumYum reached for my coffee and looked into it. "I can't believe you drink this stuff black. Ew. Where’s the cream and five packs of sugar?" she whined and moved to the fridge.

  "I need the rest of that," I argued, getting out of my seat and taking the mug from her hand. Chugging the rest of the caffeinated liquid, I groaned.

  "I have to mentally prepare myself to be fired."

  "You're not getting fired." YumYum sighed. "That new girl Clara is useless, so Matthias asked me to get you to request the booze arrangements or something. Titus and Logan are with him, by the way. I guess you should run along. I said you'd probably be on break and out of the building to give you some leeway."

  "YumYum, you're the best!"