Page 3 of Intrigued
“She didn’t tell any of us we were having guests,” he said.
I felt my lips pressing together in a slight grimace. Part of me wanted to say, “Okay. Thanks, and hope to never see you again.” But I remained silent and waited for him to continue.
“Well, you can’t park your car here. It’s going to be snowing in a few hours. Turn around, go back to the split in the drive, and make a left to the back of the house. I’ll meet you there.”
He walked off before I could agree. As he strode under the veranda, I caught a glimpse of his straight and elegant gait. Yep, it was the same Jasper Christmas who carried himself like a man convinced he owned the world. He was dressed in a pair of well-fitting casual dress pants and a black V-neck sweater under his brown leather flight jacket that had a shearling collar. Watching him made me feel as if I were admiring a wonderful spectacle. He opened those large doors and disappeared into the mansion. Gosh, he was even more impressive to look at in real life.
“Get a grip, Holls,” I whispered. My shaky hands clenched the steering wheel as I made the three-point turn. I’d certainly interacted with men just as intimidating as Jasper. I dreaded the possibility of meeting the rest of the family before I could decompress from my long drive.
That morning, I’d woken up at six a.m. and headed to my office downtown. I rented my own space, where I worked as an independent journalist. My job allowed me to write articles for multiple news outlets. I preferred it that way. I loved being free of a corporation and boss. But Jimi Newton, one of my regular editors, was in town and had stopped by my office to discuss an article. A source had all of a sudden refused to go on the record. It wasn’t a problem, I just had to figure out a different way to prove Franklin Dyson had paid a judge to rule in his favor. I would have been working on it at that moment if I weren’t at the Christmas estate.
By the time I made one left then the next, my nerves had settled some. I drove under five miles per hour and could see Jasper’s long form waiting alongside the drive. I wondered who I would meet next. Maybe it would be Spencer, the playboy of the family, or Asher, the chemist who had the brains.
Once I was closer, he gestured, motioning for me to follow him as he walked toward what looked like a garage so large they could park yachts and small airplanes in it. Jasper’s long legs and masculine physique made the view worthwhile. I couldn’t believe I was having such a response to him. I was too sensible to get all hot and bothered by a man’s appearance.
How long has it been since I had sex anyway?It had been so long, I couldn’t count the months. I’d been too busy meeting deadlines and flying to locations to interview sources. Lots of men had tried to gain my attention, but Jasper Christmas was the only one who’d made me stop and take notice.
Suddenly, one of the many garage doors automatically rose. Jasper pointed to where he wanted me to park. As I pulled into the stall, I realized that soon he and I would have to stand face to face.
“Hi. Thank you for having me,” I muttered, practicing my greeting, even though he didn’t seem happy about me being there.
Suddenly, I felt myself doing everything right. I made sure my vehicle was perfectly straight then turned off the engine. I fought like crazy to steady my nerves as I popped the trunk. I collected my coat and purse off the passenger seat then quickly tucked a fast-food bag under the seat. I sighed sharply, upset for suddenly feeling so self-conscious about how Jasper perceived me. He probably never ate a french fry from a drive-through in his entire life. I opened the door and stepped out, ready for my eyes to meet his blue-green ones.
“Hello, ma’am,” a middle-aged gentleman in a black suit said.
Where in the world did the brother go?
“Hi.” I sounded flustered because the man whom I believed would be standing there was gone.
“My name is William, and I’m the guests’ butler,” he said, remaining a safe distance away from me.
“Um…” I shrugged on my coat. “I’m—”
“Holly Henderson, I know. Miss Christmas informed me of your arrival.”
I perked up. “Oh, because Jasper didn’t know I was coming.”
“Yes,” William said.
“Did you mean, yes, he knew I was coming?” I asked as I hung my purse on my shoulder.
“No, he did not.” William’s tone remained formal.
It suddenly dawned on me that he was answering like a person whose job it was to be seen and not heard. Perhaps he preferred it that way.
I nodded mildly and moved to the trunk of my car. “Well, I have to get my things out.”
“Miss Henderson, please do not worry with the luggage. Our staff will bring it to your room and unpack for you.”
Unpack for me?I wasn’t really keen on people rifling through my personal things.
“We promise the utmost discretion,” he said, apparently reading my expression.
I had to fight the urge to pass on the special treatment. Not only could I carry my own bags and wheel my luggage to my room, even if I had to perform a balancing act to do so, but I could also unpack my things. However, the look on my face was concerning my vibrator, which was packed with my folded panties and bras. Whoever was tasked with unpacking my bags would know that I had to use an electronic penis to get laid these days. Not that it was a bad thing. My vibrator never failed to satisfy. Most of the handful of men I’d been sexual with had failed in that category.
I pressed my lips into a tight smile and let William handle all my bags except for my computer and purse. He was going to escort me to my room, but I insisted on finding it myself. So he instructed me on where to go.
Carefully, my feet climbed the steps at the back of the house. The door was nearly as large as the one out front. I opened it and entered a wide-open space with white marble floors. Gentle instrumental music played in the background. It almost sounded like elevator music. The curving stairwell that William had mentioned was ahead of me. For some reason, the right side of my face burned as if I could feel someone staring at me. I quickly looked in the questionable direction. No one was there. Perhaps my mind was playing tricks on me. I so desperately wanted to see Jasper Christmas again, though… or maybe not. I would probably get tongue-tied again. I should have been thinking about what questions to ask him before meeting his parents so as not to come off like a total dweeb.Why do I even care?
