Page 13 of Desire
Chapter Five
Jasper Christmas
Jasper stared out the window of Christmas Industries Incorporated’s headquarters in Lower Manhattan. The view was a sliver of the Hudson River and another tall glass skyscraper of equal size. It wasn’t remarkable, and that was the point. Theold man considered taking a moment to admire a view a waste of an emotion. Instead, he’d wanted his executives imprisoned by the drive to line their pockets with the cash he’d given so freely, but only if they did whatever he ordered without question. A building blocking a skyline seemed a small sacrifice for bending to Randolph’s desires.
A small smirk flashed across Jasper’s lips as herecalled something. There was no way in hell he would’ve continued slaving for his father. Before Randolph had become ill, he was in the midst of planning a hostile takeover. Jasper didn’t have to do that anymore. The entire Christmas family fortune was smartly left to one living descendent in efforts to preserve the family’s wealth. Now it was all his.
Jasper suddenly kicked himself inthe ass for not leaving that in the note on Holly’s pillow yesterday morning. He couldn’t find the words to explain to her that it was not the time to flaunt their relationship in the open. Of course she knew that. Holly was a smart girl, a fucking realist. But he simply hadn’t wanted the last words he said to her to be goodbye.
Arthur Valentine had to be dealt with and swiftly. When Valentinehad shown up at the mansion on Christmas Day, with his daughter in tow, Jasper had known one thing for sure. Valentine was a desperate man. Jasper had let Holly escape for her own safety, but every molecule that comprised his being had wanted to chase her and convince her to stay. A man ultimately knew when he’d found the one.
On the afternoon Holly had stopped her car at the front of themansion, Jasper had hurried outside to tell her to leave. He’d just been informed by William, the guests’ butler, that they would be hosting someone for five days. When he’d said her name, Jasper knew exactly who she was. They were in no way prepared to accommodate an award-winning investigative journalist. Randolph was on his deathbed, and it was incumbent on the entire household to keep thatquiet. Important business deals were in the works. By then, Randolph was merely a figurehead who the world thought called the shots. Jasper needed everyone to keep believing just that. He feared a reporter the caliber of Holly Henderson would be able to see through their façade in less than twenty-four hours.
Also, Asher had brought Gina, his high-class hooker, to the mansion simply toget under Spencer’s skin. They for sure wouldn’t be on their best behavior. Gina had been privy to a lot of the family’s darkness. But Jasper had her managed.
When Jasper bolted outside and knocked on the window of Holly’s car, he had intended on directing her to a nearby hotel. Of course he would’ve paid for her accommodations. But when the glass rolled down, the smell of cold fast foodand her natural body scent, which he found appealing, hit him. Then she looked at him with an openness that made it hard to breathe. He had known then that not only did she have to stay but that he had to have her.
Jasper closed and opened his eyes to clear his head of memories of Holly Henderson. It was not the appropriate moment to remember how much he missed her. In the distance, hecould hear the office secretary scrambling to prepare for the two o’clock board meeting, which started in a few minutes. His stomach turned.What the fuck is wrong with me?He wished he could say to hell with it, run away from all of his obligations, and be free like his siblings. Bryn, although careless, was braver than he was. She had bowed out of society in her customary dramatic style. Hehad tried to do the same. It would’ve been the day after Christmas when he and Holly would’ve traveled together as lovers. He pictured nights of making love to her on a cold, damp beach with the only heat generated from their desire. He would kiss her often and make love to her every moment he could. He always got a hard-on when she talked about anything—her past, her present, and her desires fortheir future together. Holly Henderson added pure pleasure to his life. Randolph would’ve used every trick in his book to keep them away from each other.
Was his father the devil? The answer to that question was the reason he’d chosen not to halt Holly’s investigation into their family. He trusted her to answer the questions he’d always been too afraid to prove.
Randolph Christmashad a darkness. Whenever Jasper had looked into his father’s eyes, he could see it staring back at him. And that darkness had rubbed off on Spencer and Asher as well. Miraculously, Jasper had been able to keep the Christmases’ image intact despite his family’s insistence on destroying it. He did that by staying in the shadows and being a consummate and consistent watcher and fixer. That was whyhe hadn’t stepped foot in the Lower Manhattan office in three years, two months, and eight fucking days.
The office had been his father’s playland. The men who worked there were the worst of the worst and not the best and the brightest. They were misogynistic, greedy, and soulless fuckers who would do whatever it took to win. Jasper had so much shit to clean up to keep his father’s toyfrom imploding. He massaged his temples. The thought gave him a migraine.
“Mr. Christmas,” Jacqueline, the office secretary, called.
He quickly turned to see the curvy, wide-eyed brunette, who was the star of most men’s sexual fantasies, standing in the doorway. She was the general prototype of women who worked in their offices.
“Yes?” he asked.
Jacqueline made herselfstand taller. His tone was curt, sharp enough to cut anyone down an inch or two. Jasper didn’t know Jacqueline very well, but from the handful of times he’d dealt with her, the professionalism she demonstrated had always been robotic. She was probably in her late twenties and had just realized that to get through a day in their offices, she had to not feel, see, or complain.
However, hewanted Jacqueline to be comfortable around him. He wanted her to know for certain that he wasn’t like the other assholes she worked for.
Jasper tried being more genial. “I meant how may I help you?”
She maintained her steadfast composure. “Sir, Brett keeps asking for an agenda. I could whip up one quickly, an impromptu one.”
Jasper studied the stress on her face. He’d beenworking in the office for the past week. The guys there were into ordering the assistants around, all of whom were female, as if they were indentured servants.
“Didn’t I say there will be no agenda?”Shit.He could feel his face frowning, and his tone could freeze fire.
Again, she pulled her shoulders back to stand taller. “Yes, sir.”
He pressed his hands together and watchedher with laser focus. “How long have you been working for this company?”
Her brows ruffled then lifted. “Six years, sir.”
“In my book, that gives you seniority over a weasel like Brett, who’s barely hanging onto his job.”
Jacqueline’s lips parted as though she had no idea how to respond to that.
“I’m telling him there’s no agenda. What you tell him is on you. Just knowthat you can tell him to go eat shit and keep your job.” He winked at her. Plus, Brett wasn’t going to be around after the meeting anyway, nor was anyone else who would be in the room.
Jacqueline cleared her throat. “Yes, and um…”
“No agenda,” Jasper finally barked, figuring she was having a problem saying no to the fuckers who worked in the office, which was one reason why all ofthem had to go.
