Page 8 of His Christmas Gift

Melissa reached the top of the stairs as Jasper greeted a couple guests and he turned towards her as the man’s gaze lifted spotting her there. She smiled the polite social smile that she always wore at these events and moved down the stairs towards the group.

“Now we know why you’ve come home with a smile,” the man at the door said chuckling, giving Jasper’s shoulder a friendly, ‘well done’ pat.

“Micah, be nice,” the woman with him stated and she settled her hand into Jasper’s as he reached out towards her.

The surprise and awe in his gaze as he looked at her, enough to make her blush.

“You look stunning, Melissa,” Jasper said softly, tucking her hand around his elbow before guiding them towards their first arrivals. “Micah, Ella, I’d like you to meet Melissa. She graciously agreed to arrange tonight for me, and I have a feeling it will be a night to remember.”

“So nice to meet you,” Ella said stopping her husband from asking anything about that comment and likely saying something daring towards her from his expression. “Jasper never brings dates to these things, if we didn’t seem him out and about with women so often, we’d think he was a monk. Oh, not that he dates that much just casually you know…but not like that…”

“Ella, I believe you are digging yourself deeper rather than out of that hole,” Micah said with a laugh.

“I understand,” Melissa said avoiding his gaze, not sure if he would correct them in their thinking that she was his latest girl. He didn’t begin to speak, and she felt the silence drag on for a moment too long. “Please come into the sitting room, we’ll be having appetizers soon and they are all unbelievably delicious.”

“Thank god, my wife hates being late and we’re always the first to arrive, long before dinner is even started,” Micah stated as they moved into the sitting room.

“Oh my, this is going to make Victoria’s last party look medieval,” Ella said taking it all in as they moved to get drinks. “She’ll be jealous to her roots and plead for the name of the planner you used Melissa, be warned.”

“Melissa and her caterer arranged it all,” Jasper said enjoying having her close to him, especially dressed as she was, as she should always be dressed. She was incredible. If her mannerisms through the rest of the evening even began to match her beauty and the room’s he knew he would do precisely as the old man suggested earlier and get her a ring very soon.

Never in his thirty-five years had he met a woman, who was more girl than woman, who could fit his lifestyle as well as Melissa seemed to already. His instincts in business had never let him down and they’d woken instantly when he’d seen her fall.

Two days didn’t seem like long enough to fall for someone. Especially when that person had to be as innocent in everything else as Melissa was, but he knew what he felt when he saw her. It’d never been this potent before her. He’d never wanted to protect someone so much, so quickly. He never wanted to see her upset or fighting against her emotions as she seemed to be when Callum was mocking her.

He would destroy his brother if he so much as sneered at her again. Perhaps part of him saw Melissa’s beauty and he desired it as well, but Jasper wouldn’t let him get near enough to her to hurt her. That was why he’d moved her into his suite rather than allow Elaine to put out an ad for the full-time position as her assistant.

He wanted to know precisely where Melissa was for the next three months. He needed to know no one was taking advantage of her, sending her on coffee runs she shouldn’t have to do.

If tonight went as planned, if she made it through without seeming scared or overwhelmed, he didn’t know if he’d be able to take things slowly as he’d first told himself to do. There were certain things about daddy’s girls that had to be taken into consideration, especially when they came from such different lifestyles.

Although, Melissa certainly didn’t reflect her background in that gown, she was born to wear beauty such as it. He wouldn’t begin to argue about its cost. Keith was right, it was made for her, but even more than that, Melissa was made for this life, and he’d see that she got it.

Chapter 4

“So, tell me, where on earth did you meet the delightful Melissa?” Luke asked as Jasper’s gaze kept slipping back around to her in the crowd of pre-dinner discussions.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” he replied making Luke’s brow lift in question. “She’s interning at the company to satisfy her father who wants her to go into business. She’s not interested in it though,” he admitted making Luke nod, a smile hitting his face.

“I knew from the second you introduced us that she was a daddy’s girl,” Luke stated surprising him a bit. “You’d be wise to step it up though before you lose her Jasper. I guarantee that some billionaire will be more than willing to come and steal her away without a second thought.”

“How’d you come up with that one?” Jasper asked letting his gaze stay on Melissa as she mixed and mingled with the women there.

She didn’t seem bothered that they were nearly all dripping in diamonds while all she wore were simple gold hoops and a bracelet with her gown. She fit perfectly well within them, commanding attention just with herself than those with diamonds begging for it.

“Mama’s girls promote themselves,” Luke said enjoying his friend’s obvious enthrall with the girl. “They’re taught to go after a good life, so they wind up marrying millionaires. Daddy’s girls behave just as your Melissa is, welcoming, polite, warm, and billionaires sweep them up instantly in order to make them trophies. So, are you going to jump into the flames to ensure some billionaire doesn’t swoop in and steal her from you?”

“I suppose tonight will tell,” Jasper replied, and Luke nodded reading the truth in his friend’s gaze. “And for your information, I’m closer to billionaire status than you might think.”

“You wanted to see how she’d interact with your friends, handle herself in this situation I take it?” Luke mused seeing Jasper’s attention barely fade from her.

“Yes and everything I’ve seen has simply made me want her more. She arranged all of this in one day. There is not a chance I wouldn’t see if there’s more there,” Jasper said watching her extract herself from the group moving towards the doors. He eased that way, meeting her at the entryway and smiled down at her exquisite being. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m just going to pop in to check on the dinner preparations. It’s seven-fifteen now,” she said returning his smile.

“Nearly everyone’s here, we’re just waiting on Evan and Nicole, and I know Callum will be the last to show, he always is,” Jasper stated wanting to keep hold of her forever now and the evening had barely begun.

Melissa nodded giving him another smile, no matter how much she shouldn’t, before making her way back through the dining room and into the kitchen.

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