Page 10 of The Naughty List

“We’re so happy to meet you too,” Laurie coos as she gives Kate a big smile. If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s charm the ladies and Laurie is no exception.

I feel a hard pinch on my backside and look over at Kate who is bright red.

“I’m sorry we haven’t come down sooner. We’ve just been so caught up in our tight love bubble; it’s like the entire world ceased to exist,” I say, wrapping my arm around Kate’s shoulders and planting a big kiss on her cheek.

She laughs, her face softening into a big smile as she rests her hand on my chest and leans into me. She reciprocates my kiss by reaching up onto her tiptoes and kissing my cheek, wrapping her arm around my neck, and then she whispers in my ear.

“You better pray for a Christmas miracle, sweetheart; otherwise, this is your last one.”

Yup, she’s going to kill me.

4

KATE

I can feel my face burning red but what I can’t tell is if it’s embarrassment, desire, or anger. Part of me loves to feel his big, strong arm wrapped around me while his hand grips my waist. It’s possessive and sexy—something I’ve never felt in my past relationships.

To Jason, my first boyfriend, I was more like a best friend who made out with him and occasionally gave him hand jobs in my parents’ basement. Around his football buddies he’d act like I was just one of the guys.

To Brody, my college boyfriend, I was basically a wallet and a sex toy. We barely spent any time together outside his friend group and the only time he sweet-talked me was when he needed money or wanted to get laid.

But that’s why I fell so hard for Chad; he was different. He was charming and sincere; he knew all the right things to say to make a girl swoon and send butterflies soaring through my stomach. He’d compliment my outfit or when I tried a new hairstyle. He never had a passcode on his phone and gave me the password to his computer and email to prove that I could trust him. That’s why I felt so blindsided when things changed. It wasn’t a gradual change either. We didn’t grow apart or have some huge disagreement about where we see our lives going. One day, he just had a passcode on his phone and he changed his computer password. When I questioned him about it, he just blew me off and said he’d had a passcode on his phone for almost a year now. When I pressed further, he said it was because his company demanded he do it since he could access private client information from his phone. I knew at the time it was a lie but I excused it. I ignored the little butterflies that no longer were flutters of excitement but little nagging reminders that something wasn’t right.

Month after month things began to change even more. He started working late, going to more work events and dinners that previously I’d accompanied him to but now he told me I’d be bored. He even started traveling for work suddenly, something that his job had never required of him previously. I saw a new name, Tessa, popping up on his phone rather frequently and when I’d question him, he’d say she was just a friend, a coworker, that she was going through a divorce, etc. Again, I knew it was all lies but he had such a way of pulling me into his arms, kissing me, telling me how much I meant to him and how much he loved me that I’d ignore the feelings and tell myself that I was paranoid. It also didn’t help that he texted my family more than I did and had become almost inseparable with my own brother.

“Mom, we’d love to freshen up if the rooms are ready? Yesterday was a bit of a hectic day, and we had a rough start today. Right, babe?” I turn to look at Damon and give him a sickly sweet smile.

“Yeah, this sweet little lady’s car broke down yesterday, ended up getting towed, and just set the entire day up for failure, but you know how she is.” Damon pulls me in tighter to his side and it takes everything I have not to pinch him again. “She kept that radiant smile and positive outlook going like you wouldn’t even know her world was falling apart.”

“Oh, honey,” my dad finally says, “why didn’t you tell us you were having car trouble? I would have gladly called Niles and told him to run you over a new one.” My dad’s business partner, Niles, lives full-time in Chicago and he’s constantly trying to get me to call Niles about living in one of his many vacant condos.

“It’s fine, honestly. I called a garage and they’re taking it in next week when I get back. Mom, the rooms?”

“Well,” she says with a pause. “Your room has been made up and is all ready to go. I made sure to have fresh towels placed in your bathroom as well.”

“So, just the one room?” I ask, trying to somehow wordlessly convey to my mom that I really need two different rooms for us.

“Yes, dear,” she says with a coy smile. I let my shoulders drop, realizing that she thinks I’m making sure that we are sleeping in the same room.

“Great, thanks so much, Mom.” I lean forward and give her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll show us to our room then,” I say as I turn to face Damon.

“Hey, Damon, great to meet you, man,” Chad says as he slaps Damon on the shoulder before turning to me. “And Kate, sweet Kate, so great to see you too.” He pulls me in for a tight hug that lingers way too long. “Tess and I are heading out, but we’ll see you at the annual Flowers Christmas bash!” He gives my dad finger guns and it makes me want to puke.

“Let’s go,” I mutter under my breath to Damon as we walk down the main foyer toward my bedroom.

The moment we walk into my bedroom I slam the door behind us, causing Damon to jump and spin around. “What the fuck, Damon? My boyfriend!” I yell.

“Wow, okay. You’re welcome first of all, and second”—he makes a lowering motion with his hands—“keep your voice down; they’ll hear you.”

“You’re welcome? What happened to the plan we agreed to stick to, Damon? That you’re just my friend? What the hell were you thinking?”

“First of all, what good-looking single people are just friends to the point that they go to family holidays together? Hmm? That’s suspicious. Second, it just kind of popped out of my mouth when I saw that dickweed Chad standing there with his toothy grin and ridiculous handshake.” He mockingly thrust his hand out and distorts his voice. “Hi, I’m Chad, a cheating manwhore that’s bamboozled all of you.”

“Typical,” I say as I grab my bag off the floor and toss it onto my bed.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that you are so arrogant and entitled that you don’t listen to anyone else. You think you know better than everyone else even in their own lives. You managed to weasel your way into my family Christmas and then instead of doing what we agreed on, you go off the rails because you act on impulse and think you know better than me. I’m just so tired of it.” I sit down on the bed and cradle my head in my hands. I want to cry I’m so frustrated and still tired from being hungover. Not only do I have to face Chad and Tessa all weekend, but I now have to put on a show and act like I’m dating my boss. I feel the bed move a little as Damon sits down beside me and puts his hand on my shoulder.

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