Page 36 of Desire
Chapter Twelve
Jasper Christmas
How long could Jasper resist Holly Henderson? She had the poise and shrewdness her friend sitting beside her lacked. It was easy to subvert Kylie Roberson. She was a spoiled brat, who had mistaken kicking, scratching, and pitching tantrumsfor ability. He could’ve brought her career to an end a long time ago and should have after that stunt she’d pulled with the coroner’s office, but he had a heart. However, she was testing him. Kylie Roberson was lucky Holly was on her side.
There was something Jasper would only admit to himself—he would do just about anything for Holly Henderson. He had never been in love before and couldonly measure whether or not that was happening inside of him by how he felt.
How do I feel?
Randolph had despised men who asked themselves or any other man that question. Men didn’t feel. Men thought. The brain, not the heart. Although, he wasn’t sure if purchasing BCN was a decision made by his head or heart.
“Mr. Christmas, any word on your sister?” Rachel Givens asked.
The question came out of nowhere and seemed deceptive, especially since she’d nearly lost her shit less than two minutes ago after learning he was in the process of purchasing her place of employment.
“Is what you’re asking on or off the record, Miss Givens?” Jasper asked, never intending to answer her question.
She glanced at Miss Roberson. The two seemed to be in on a conspiracyagainst him.
“It’s neither on or off the record,” Dave said. “There’ll be no journalism tonight.”
“At least he could tell us why he decided to buy one of the biggest media companies in the world,” Kathy Donovan said.
Jasper avoided looking at Holly but could feel her glare upon him. He wanted to speak to her alone about what he had done. Ever since learning about it, she hadn’tappeared happy. But that look on her face made him want to transform her expression. He pictured something caught between ecstasy and desire.
Finally, he ripped his gaze off Holly and frowned at the first course, which had just been set before him. Jasper cleared his throat and looked up to address Kathy.
“Christmas Industries was interested in BCN four months ago when we learned,as I’m sure you did as well, Kathy, that the company had been operating in the red and was going under steadily and surely.” He said all of that for Holly’s ears. He wanted her to believe that she had nothing to do with his snap decision to move forward with purchasing the company.
However, he had known for a fact that Kathy Donovan was in the process of pooling a group of investors inan attempt to make a strong offer. Ever since he’d errantly announced his company’s purchase of BCN, Kathy had been glaring at him in silence. Jasper knew the shrewd businesswoman well enough to know she was contemplating, purposely playing it cool, buying time, and waiting to make an exit. Tonight, she would scramble and pull every trick in the book to supplant the purchase. But he already knew whichcard she, as well as others, would play. All of his bases were covered. The FCC would certainly approve Christmas Industries as the new license holder of BCN. He’d made all the calls to ensure a favorable outcome.
“Is that so? Because it seems sort of impulsive from where I’m sitting,” Kathy said.
Jasper cocked his head. “When have you known me to be impulsive, Kathy?”
Sherubbed her neck, regarding him shrewdly. Jasper knew that she knew he was always ten steps ahead of his competition, even if he had stepped into the race in the final seconds. But a large part of Jasper didn’t feel settled about what he had done. He’d been reckless lately. Even showing up at the gala with Julia, whose boredom was written all over her face, was impetuous. He was faltering and wonderedif Kathy was observing him in such a manner because she sensed it.
Rachel stood abruptly. “I have to go to the restroom. Kylie, Holly, would you like to join me?” She watched both women with laser focus.
Jasper’s heart raced as he watched Holly. He wanted her to stay, but she put her head down and excused herself from the table. They all sauntered off together, and not even a minutelater, just as Jasper expected, Kathy pretended as if she’d received a call on her cell phone and excused herself.
Dave and Daniel were discussing a six-part documentary Daniel was working on. Jasper figured there was no time better than the present to figure out why the guy seated to his left had knocked on Holly’s door and asked her to be his date for the evening.
“So, Rod, tellme about yourself,” he said.
Rod smirked as if he already understood why Jasper was talking to him. “What do you want to know?”
Jasper took a swig of champagne and vowed not to drink more. He fucking hated the taste of champagne. “How long have you known Miss Henderson?”
He frowned. “Why are you asking?”
“You don’t have an answer?”
After a moment, he shruggedindifferently. “I met her about two years ago at a conference.”
“You must’ve liked her.” Jasper stopped himself from mentioning how Rod had shown up at Holly’s room in the middle of the day to ask her out for the evening. He wanted to give a lesson on how to appropriately ask a woman on a date, any woman except his woman.
“She’s beautiful. Sexy, actually,” Rod said. “But she’s notinto me.”
