Page 1 of His Christmas Gift

Chapter 1

Melissa hurried towards the elevator, trying her best to keep the two carry-out trays of coffee from slipping in their slightly too big holes. Why the café decided to change out the carrying cases, she didn’t know but she hoped they would go back, soon. She had to carry each one separately now versus stacking them based on size in effort to get back into the office on time.

The lobby grew crowded as people hurried through to get to meetings, to take breaks, or simply come and go as they pleased it seemed to her, but they were all in a hurry and she had very hot, precarious cargo. Melissa skirted two thirty-somethings, both arguing on their cell phones, most likely lawyers or paralegals from the law firm on the third floor as they spat out words like brief, derogatory, and subpoena, in order to reach the elevator and used her elbow to hit the up button.

As she started to step backwards from the controls, someone bumped into her making her stumble slightly as she fought to control the trays. She barely caught them when the doors to the elevator opened, sending a stream of people out and she gritted her teeth as someone carrying what appeared to her as blueprints came rushing through the crowd butting in front of her.

They turned to slip onto the elevator and as they did, the tube hit the tray she held, sending it flying backwards towards her. Instinct made her step back from the hot liquid as lids popped off; she felt something beneath the heel of her shoe and her foot slid out from under her when whatever it was, was tugged hard. She couldn’t stop the fall and she felt the second tray dousing her red blouse. Tears welled up behind her eyes and she fought them even as the laughter sounded from the other side of the elevator.

“You certainly bit it,” a very familiar voice said, his tone laughing, mocking.

Melissa wanted to scream, to say the hell with the internship and go home, but she couldn’t, which meant putting up with Callum.

“I like my coffee in a cup honey, and I’d suggest you get it to me soon,” he added as she glanced up at him, biting her tongue to stop her outburst from coming. The phone in his hand didn’t help any and she nearly fell again as she attempted to stand in the puddle of liquid—black coffee, steamed milk, and ice all mixing together and running down her leg from her skirt.

“This will make a great pic for the newsletter, won’t it?” Callum’s tagalong Patrick said, laughing with him.

“You’re nothing but a stupid klutz, aren’t you, Melissa?” Callum stated smirking down at her.

“Excuse me?” a new voice said as a hand settled onto her elbow, helping her up from the floor.

Melissa turned her head slightly finding none other than Jasper Thomas beside her. He whipped out a handkerchief, reaching towards her and she held her breath as he wiped at her face, coming away with a glob of whipped cream, before handing the item over to her to help clean her hands.

“Are you alright?” he added to her as Callum’s eyes widened in shock.

“Fine, thank you.” She didn’t really mean it, but knew she had to say something.

“Jasper, what are you doing here?” Callum questioned as his eyes turned towards his brother.

“It’s my company and none of your concern. If I ever hear you say anything like you just did towards one of my employees again, you will be out of here, family or not,” Jasper warned, making Callum’s jaw tighten furiously. The badge the girl wore told him she worked for him easily and he wouldn’t put up with that at all.

“I’d suggest you get to work now, all of you,” he added to Callum, Patrick and David who hit the elevator button quickly. The car doors slid open and Patrick drug Callum onto it as he glared angrily at him still. His brother hated being reminded that he worked for him.

Jasper waited until the doors shut before turning back to the girl, his eyes taking in every tiny detail now that he was close enough to see her properly. If the view from behind and the side were stunning, straight on was heaven. Her face was perfection, tiny and just slightly heart shaped with a small jawline that slipped up to cheekbones that would draw envy from models if properly accentuated.

Her cupid’s bow was prominent, showing off how lush her bottom lip was, and led to a celestial nose that made her adorable on top of stunning. That nose suddenly had him fantasizing about kissing her awake each morning, watching it crinkle as her eyes opened letting him gaze into them. And those eyes, they were far more than just stunning, mesmerizing was perhaps the right word for it, their blue hue nearly violet.

He felt an almost violent reaction to her sheer presence within himself and he had to contain the desire to head upstairs and beat his brother for his comment to her.

“I apologize for my brother, please let me have my driver take you home,” Jasper said reaching for her elbow to help her past the puddle of liquid. He didn’t give her the chance to argue as he gained Keith’s attention, his driver’s eyes widening when he saw the state of her outfit. “Keith, please take…”

“Melissa…Carson,” she said when he paused looking her way for the answer.

“Please take Melissa home and see that she gets inside safely.” Jasper opened the backdoor of the stretch SUV himself, feeling the urge to not have any other man near her. He snatched the small towels off the bar area and handed them to her, knowing she had to be miserable in the sticky, wet clothes she wore. “You do not have to come back today, please stay home and rest.”

“I’m fine, Mr. Thomas,” Melissa said using the towel to mop at the liquid against her chest.

“I insist; my brother can deal for himself. No more coffee runs, please.” The sincerity in his tone, the look in his eyes made her smile lightly before slipping into the car not about to argue the chance to get out of the wet clothes without having to take a taxi or the subway.

She tossed her coffee splattered items into the sink of the kitchen, wrapping a towel around her to ensure her privacy despite the curtains she’d hung the instant she took the apartment, and headed to the bathroom, standing under the stream of water until it cooled. She slipped into a pair of yoga pants and a tank top, relieved to not have to go back and face Callum this afternoon.

The man had been a pain since she’d arrived, and she hated his attitude. What he would do if he knew who she truly was, was the only thing beyond her agreement with her father that kept her going back day after day.

The sky began to darken just before six and she settled into the lone recliner, a cup of tea in her hands and a book in her lap. Her clothes were drying over the sink, and she felt the tension of the day melting away finally. If she could hold on another three months, then she would be done with the internship and hopefully able to convince her father to let her do what she wanted, which granted she wasn’t sure what that was, it was simply not going to school for her MBA.

A knock sounded on her door just after six-fifteen and she set her tea aside, the book with it as she moved cautiously to the door. She knew very few people in the city and even fewer in her building who might come to see her. A peek out the tiny peephole had her heart racing finding Jasper behind it. He raised his hand to knock again, and she took off the chain, unlocking the multiple deadbolts and opened it wondering why he was there.

“My god Keith was right; this place is awful.” The words slipped from his mouth, likely without meaning to it seemed by the way his jaw clamped shut quickly, but she knew what he meant.

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