Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 21057 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 105(@200wpm)___ 84(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21057 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 105(@200wpm)___ 84(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
I can wear my Christmas pajamas and listen to Holiday music all day long.
I can also crush on my gorgeous boss in peace, staring at him over Zoom while I hide behind my ‘broken’ camera.
I’ve been in love with Mr. King for months.
Yeah, he’s older and more experienced than me, but it doesn’t matter.
It’s all just a fantasy in my head anyway.
Until he makes attendance at the office Christmas party mandatory.
I find the perfect dress and like a Christmas miracle, it works magically.
It catches his dominant and possessive eyes.
Now, all my obsessed boss wants for Christmas is me…
In his room…
Unwrapped like a present.
With all that dirty-talking, Mr. King is going to be put on the naughty list if he’s not careful. He’s one possessive alpha who always gets what he wants and what he wants is his shy inexperienced employee on her knees with a candy cane in her mouth.
SAFE, no cheating, and a magical Christmasy HEA that will make you wish that X-Mas was every day!
Enjoy and have a safe and happy Holiday!
– OTT
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
CHAPTER ONE
Colleen
* * *
I’m surrounded by Christmas.
My apartment looks like Santa’s village with all of the handcrafted ornaments I made, the festive decorations hung on every available square inch, and my two lit-up Christmas trees. Yes, two. Don’t judge. I just adore Christmas.
I have my Evergreen Fir scented candle burning mixed with the gingerbread cookies that just came out of the oven. Bing Crosby is singing White Christmas through my speakers and I’m wearing my cozy flannel pajamas with the drunk elves on them that say Let’s Get Elfed Up.
Never mind that it’s only December eighth. Or a Tuesday. Or that technically I’m at work right now.
“Colleen,” Andrea the office administrator says through my laptop. “Are you there?”
I roll my eyes as I finish painting a happy little face on the marshmallow for the hot cocoa ornament I’m making. I love making these cute tree ornaments. I make them for fun, but I end up with so many different ornaments every Christmas that I end up selling them at the various craft fairs around town. I could get a third Christmas tree for my small apartment (honestly, it’s something I’ve considered) but that would be crazy. And I’m not crazy. I’m just obsessed with Christmas.
I have two obsessions in life—Christmas and, well, let’s just leave it there for now.
“I’m here,” I say as I click on the microphone.
There are fourteen little squares on my laptop screen, each one with a bored coworker staring back at me. My square is black as usual.
“Turn your camera on please,” Andrea says in an annoyed voice.
“The one on my laptop is still broken,” I say as my heart starts racing.
She rolls her eyes. “What about the one I sent you three weeks ago?” Andrea asks, nearing the end of her patience.
I grimace as I turn and see it on my kitchen counter, still in the box, still with the plastic wrap around it.
“I think it got lost in the mail or something,” I say as my cheeks heat up. “You know the post office with Christmas. It must be crazy over there. Maybe it fell behind a machine or something. Or, maybe somebody stole it.”
“Somebody stole my present for Jeffrey!” Madelyn says, butting in. I can always count on Madelyn to hijack the conversation. “Just walked right onto my porch after it was delivered and took it! Can you believe that? The nerve of some people.”
More people start butting in, telling their package theft stories and I breathe a sigh of relief. Andrea seems to be off my back. For now.
I sit back and paint a little bow tie on my marshmallow man as everyone tries to one-up each other with their stories.
There’s no way I’m ever setting that camera up. Not only will everyone I work with see my fanatical obsession with everything Christmas behind me, but the owner, Marshall King, will be on the call and I just can’t bring myself to show my face.
He’s my other obsession.
If I had to choose between my love for Christmas and my addiction to that hot sexy man, I’d pick him in a heartbeat. And that’s saying a lot. If you could see my apartment, you’d understand. I mean, I even have a Christmas toilet brush that I bring out on December first. I’m that serious about it.
Yet, Christmas is nothing compared to him.
I’ve been in love with Marshall for the past ten months and he doesn’t even know I’m alive. He’s never even seen my face.
I work remotely and he lives in Chicago, which is over two hours away. I haven’t met any of my other coworkers either, except over the internet.
Sometimes it gets lonely working alone all day, but my best friend lives next door and she’s always dropping in, so it’s not too bad. I also get to work on my side hustle during company hours, making these ceramic ornaments and painting them when it’s not too busy.
“Mr. King is coming on the line,” Andrea says in a tight voice. “Gary, will you get out of the bathroom!”
I chuckle as I look at Gary’s little square.
“I’m just brushing my teeth!” he says with his toothbrush shoved into his foamy mouth.
“It’s inappropriate,” Andrea snaps. “You’re on work hours, remember.”
He spits into the sink and then turns to the camera with a frown. “I just ate expired yogurt, what do you want me to do?”
“He’s coming on now,” Andrea barks as she looks at her phone. “Everyone act professional for fuck’s sake!”
I gasp as Mr. King’s square appears on my screen, shifting all the others around. I immediately make his expand until it takes up the entire screen.
“Wow,” I whisper as my heart flutters in my chest. It’s like he’s staring right at me with those warm brown eyes. They’re piercing through me, feeling like they’re gazing into my soul, but in reality, I know he can’t see me. He doesn’t even know I’m alive. I’m just a tiny black square in the corner to him.