Page 1 of Knot My Secret Santa

CHAPTER ONE – Avery

I closed my eyes and reached into the top hat. Wiggling my fingers, I dug through the slips of paper to the bottom and pinched a name. It didn’t matter who I pulled. I loved the challenge of buying gifts for someone new. Even though I couldn’t really afford it, playing the office Secret Santa game was a present for myself.

“Who’d you get?” My aunt, Noelle giggled and tried to peek at the paper in my hand. It had been Thanksgiving the week before, and she was already wearing a Christmas sweater.

Hiding the slip in my hands, I grinned as I stepped back. “I’m not telling. What if it’s you?”

“Avery, if it’s me, then you’re putting it back in and picking again. You’re already getting me both a Christmas and birthday present, you don’t need to get me anything else.” The family reasoned Noelle’s Christmas fever was because she was born on December twenty-fifth. Since my whole family on my mom’s side was nutty for the holidays, I called it the holly-jolly gene. I’d inherited it too.

I peeked at the name and bounced on my toes. Whispering, I leaned in, “I got Ruby!” She was the most senior of the architects in the office and had been extremely encouraging with my designs. “This is going to be so much fun.”

Noelle gave a quiet squeal and hugged me. “Perfect. Absolutely perfect. She’ll love all the gorgeous things you knit.”

“I’m going to make her something special for her trip to Hawaii in February too. A colorful sarong and maybe a matching beach bag.” My mind was already whirling with possibilities.

“Love it! You’re so clever when it comes to gifts.” Noelle shook the hat and danced around my desk to the other intern’s in the office. She nudged Jessalyn who was staring at her screen. “Jess, honey, pick a name for the Secret Santa.”

Jessalyn smiled, but there was no excited sparkle in her eyes. “Great.” She picked a slip of paper off the top and glanced at it. “Thanks, Noelle. You’re awesome for organizing this.”

“My pleasure.” My aunt winked at me and whisked away to the next set of desks to have them pick names.

Once Noelle was gone, Jessalyn rounded her desk to mine. “I got your aunt. Can you write me a list of her favorite things, so I know what to get her? This whole gift gifting game is kind of ridiculous. My family and I just give each other gift cards to spare ourselves the stress of the holidays.”

I bit the side of my tongue. Typical Jessalyn. I’d known her for years. We went to St. Anne’s School for Girls together as Omegas and then we both went to Cornell University for architecture. Me on a partial scholarship and her fully paid for by her parents. She could focus on the work when she wanted to, but outside of it, everything was about Jessalyn.

“I’ll make the list for you and email it.” I exhaled, extinguishing any trace of bitterness. I wanted my aunt to get gifts she would love. Noelle deserved it.

“Cool. Thanks.” Jessalyn smiled and then suddenly linked her arm through mine, turning us so we faced the main meeting room. It was a room with a long table that sat twenty with one wall lined with glass. Currently a dozen architects were inside. She sighed and leaned against me. “My God, he is fucking gorgeous.”

My gaze went directly to our boss, Nathaniel Donner. He sat in his chair with his fingers laced near the head of the table as one of the other architects explained something on the screen at the front of the room. His crisp button-up shirt clung to his muscled shoulders and chest, and a lock of luscious black hair had fallen over his forehead. Whatever was being said made his sinful lips press together in a thin line and tensed his divinely sculpted features. His intense stare frightened a lot of the people in the office, and while it made me nervous too, my abdomen trembled for other reasons.

Jessalyn made a moaning sound in her throat. “I want to go in there, jump on that sexy Alpha, and ride him all day long.”

Heat crept up my neck as I tore my eyes away from Nathaniel. “Jess, you can’t be talking about our boss that way.” No matter how hot he was. Part of me felt that we were this attracted to him because he was the only Alpha in the office and we were the only two Omegas. When an Alpha and an Omega were compatible, there was little anyone could do to keep them apart. Yet even the Betas eyed him hungrily when he wasn’t looking. “We should get back to work. I need to finish up by the end of the day. Busy weekend ahead.”

Jessalyn released my arm but didn’t return to her desk. Her staring was obvious, and she didn’t seem to care. Nathaniel glanced over once before returning his attention back to the speaker.

She grabbed my hand with both of hers, her sky blue eyes shining. “I’m going to do it, Ave. I’m going to give himmefor Christmas.” What? My jaw dropped. “We’re perfect for one another. We’re both architects and from old respected families. I’ve been waiting for the right Alpha, and he’s the one. I know it.”

“But… he’s our boss,” I sputtered and my gaze darted back to the meeting room. Nathaniel was glaring at us. Shit. Heat rose further in my face as I swiftly turned back to my computer screen. Jessalyn didn’t move.

“You keep saying that, but it doesn’t matter.” She slowly walked around the desks, hips swaying. “He’s clearly watching me. Now to think of a way to get him alone…”

What she was going to do was get herself fired. As unclaimed Omegas, we weren’t allowed in the presence of any Alpha without at least one escort. Usually it was our fathers or brothers, but here in the office, my aunt was my appointed escort and another architect named Gina was Jessalyn’s. Though, the whole staff looked out for us. Neither of us had ever been alone with Nathaniel, nor even five feet near him. None of us wanted to risk the possibility he might trigger our heat.

Well, apparently Jessalyn did. I leaned forward and whispered to her as she sat down across from me. “You can’t do that. This internship is a once in a lifetime chance. If you mess with the boss—”

“If I mess with the boss and he claims me, I won’t have to worry about my position. I wouldn’t even need to work.” Jessalyn looked like a cat who just drank the milk from Santa’s cup. She twirled a blond curl around one finger and then adjusted her breasts in her very thin silk blouse. “He’s still watching and he likes what he sees.”

I refused to turn around and look. Not for a second did I doubt she would do it. And as an Omega, I was surprised she hadn’t been claimed already. She was blond, curvy, and beautiful. She’d once told me her parents made her get a degree before they would let her meet any Alphas, but that didn’t stop her from having a very busy social life in school.

For the rest of the afternoon, I had trouble concentrating on the finishing touches of my design as thoughts of Jessalyn seducing Nathaniel kept replaying through my head. It could only end with trouble. She might get herself fired or even blacklisted in the industry. Her minimalist design style was something a lot of people liked, and she could do very well for herself if she wanted.

What bothered me more was thinking whatifNathaniel claimed her? My stomach flipped and turned like a ten times twisted pretzel. It shouldn’t be working me up like this. I was career focused. I purposely avoided any contact with Alphas up to this point in my life, and since I was the only Omega in a family of middle class Betas, I’d managed to fly under everyone’s radar.

Yet there was a voice inside of me suddenly yelling louder than ever before. Shouting that Jessalyn didn’t deserve Nathaniel.I did.

Stamping out that selfish urge before I worked myself up any further, I fetched another cup of coffee, gave Spyre—my lucky stuffed unicorn—a pet, and demanded my brain concentrate on the design. I’d smothered any Omega tendencies that cropped up over the years, and I would continue to do so until I was established in my field and ready for a mate. Not even the hottest Alpha would distract me from my dreams.

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