by Alina Jacobs
The chocolate didn't take too long to melt, I was happy to see. Using a plastic brush, I started coating the cookies, trying not to rush as I painted the inside of each cookie cup. I decided to pour the cocktails as needed. I was seriously afraid the chocolate wasn't going to hold up for very long.
All the contestants were rushing back and forth putting finishing touches on their dishes. I was almost done; I had beautiful stacks of cookies all lined up and ready to go. I was giving my cocktails another mix when Amber ran past my station, bells jingling. I saw what was about to happen a second before her hand “accidentally” caught the pan of extra white chocolate. It flew into an arc toward my cookies.
“I'm so soorrryy!” Amber said. I heard it in slow motion, and I dove in front of the stacks of cookies, sacrificing myself for the pastry shot glasses.
I was splashed from head to toe in white chocolate. But better me than the cookies. I stood there, blinking.
“So this is what you're after, Owen?” an upper-class voice scoffed. “Honestly, it's almost a cliché.”
48
Owen
I prided myself on being a decisive person. Once I decided that I wanted something or that I was going to invest in something or develop a new technology, I didn't waffle; I committed and, more importantly, followed through.
I wanted Holly. There was no reason I could see why it wouldn't be a good idea to spend the rest of my life with her. Therefore, the only logical solution was to start shopping for engagement rings and make her my wife before New Year's.
“Geez, you really fell hard for her,” Walker said when he stepped into the elevator with me as I was taking Rudolph back upstairs to my office.
I jerked my head up. “You don't know what's going on.”
“Either Holly worked her Christmas magic, or the wicked witch of Christmas cast a spell on you, causing you to hum Christmas carols.”
“I'm not humming,” I scoffed.
“Except you are.” Walker pressed his phone and played back an audio recording of someone humming. Rudolph cocked his ear and whined.
“You can't tell it's me.”
“Rudolph knows who it is!” Walker laughed. “Are you ready for doggie daycare?” he said, riling up the dog. Rudolph barked playfully. “You are?”
“He ate all my dinner yesterday, so don't act like he's so awesome,” I said. Walker snickered.
Rudolph, to his credit, did follow me out of the elevator when I whistled to him.
“He seems to have been learning a lot in doggie daycare,” Walker commented as we walked down the hall to the C-suite offices.
When we approached my office, Rudolph stopped in his tracks.
“I guess I spoke too soon,” Walker joked. “What’s the matter, Rudolph, buddy? Do you need to go out?”
“Or maybe he's scared,” I said. There, in my office, was Sloane. She was leaning against my desk.
“'Tis the season for winning the TechBiz contest,” she said when she saw me. She sauntered up and kissed Walker on the cheek then me, though I would have bet anything she didn't try to feel up Walker's Christmas package.
“I'm here to do the walk-through,” she said. “I heard you have a holiday party today. Since I'm in charge of the company culture rankings, I needed to be here. Though sometimes people do really naughty things at holiday parties.”
“We keep a level of professionalism at all our company-sponsored events,” I said firmly.
“That’s no fun,” she said with a pout and flicked her hair. It smelled like expensive imported perfume. Perhaps it was supposed to be alluring. But I was now firmly in the camp of wanting my woman to smell like sugar, spice, and spruce trees.
“Why don't you give me a tour through your office,” she said, “then we'll go join the party.”
I spent the next several hours with Sloane. First I gave her the grand tour of the office. Fortunately, Walker and Beck were there through parts of it. Then she interviewed several of my employees, asking how they liked the company. As the CEO, I was not in the room for that, so I had a reprieve. Still, it grated on me that Sloane was here. I wanted to spend every waking moment with Holly.
“I had lunch ordered for you all,” my secretary said helpfully. “From the nice French restaurant on 42nd Street.”
The caterers set up the lunch while Sloane conducted her last interview.
“Are you hungry?” I asked politely when she was finished.
“How thoughtful,” she said, stroking my cheek. “I was just texting your mom about what a wonderful son she raised.”
We literally went on one date. Why are people so delusional?
“Interesting,” was all I said.
I was going to try to keep the meeting strictly professional. But then Walker and Beck texted, bailing out. They had emergency meetings scheduled with their brother Greg about an investment side deal they were involved in.
Owen: I'll never forget this. I was going to name my first child after you but no more.
Walker: You'll be fine. Just sit on the opposite side of the table.
Sitting on the opposite side didn't help much.
“This is a very romantic date,” Sloane purred as she dished some of the pear and endive salad onto her plate. She ate it slowly, staring at me the whole time. I jumped when her bare foot stretched out to rub my crotch.
“How's your food?” she asked.
“Fine.”
“Don't tell me you're still hung up on that chunky little baker,” she said with a laugh. “Honestly, Owen, you know your parents won't approve. Not only that, but you can't take her to a nice party. Look what she wears! She might show up to the TechBiz black-tie party in a cheap dollar-store gingerbread maid outfit.”
“It's not any of your concern.”
“But it is your concern if I don't give you high marks in culture. Sure, your company has the highest salaries and with the gene therapy collaboration with PharmaTech, you have high marks in innovation. But your company culture marks are terrible. If I were you, I'd want to impress me, the person with all the power,” she said.
“Wouldn't it be unethical if I agreed to go along with what you're implying?” I said through gritted teeth.
“As if this competition is ethical.” She snorted. “Honestly, there are so many bribes floating around. Like this very nice lunch.”
“Speaking of food,” I said, wiping my mouth. “They're going to start judging soon. Can't miss it.”
“I did want something a little different for my dessert.” Sloane walked around the table and ran her hands up my suit jacket. “You sure you don't need a little stress relief, Mr. Billionaire? You have a lot of weight on those broad shoulders.”
“I'm perfectly fine, thank you,” I said, twisting out of her grasp and opening the door. “After you.”
She sauntered beside me, using any and every excuse to touch me. It wasn't a long elevator ride, but my jaw was clenched the entire time. We arrived in the main lobby just in time to see Holly get coated with white chocolate.
“You need to go sit over at the judges’ table. We need to start filming,” Dana said, hurrying over to me. She looked Holly up and down. “Holly, honestly. Go change. You're one of the first to present.”
“Are you all right?” I asked her after Dana left.
“Totally,” she said, rolling her eyes. She was caked in white chocolate.
Sloane looked between us then ran her hand down my back, letting it linger at my hip. “I'll come find you later, Owen.”
Holly looked annoyed after Sloane sauntered off.
“Do you need to use my shower?” I asked her.
She sighed. “I need a long soak, but I would never be able to finish in time. The show must go on.” She picked up her red velvet coat.
“You're going to ruin that.”
“Actually, I ruined it four hours into a nine-hour marathon baking session when I wasn’t paying attention and splattered egg everywhere.”
“I didn't rea
lize baking was such a hazardous sport.”
“That's why I have a hat,” she said, putting the red Santa hat on her head and tightening the belt on the coatdress. She blew me a kiss. “You can lick all this off me later.”
I started.
She laughed. “That perked up your south pole, didn’t it?”
I sat at the judges’ table, all my employees gawking as the first contestants presented their dishes. Holly's was definitely the most imaginative.
“This is really cool,” Nick said. “Like very cool.”
“I love that you can taste all the flavors,” Anu remarked. “The cookie isn't too doughy; it's the perfect texture and a great counterpoint to the cocktail shots.”
“Also, kudos for not skimping on the alcohol,” I said, toasting her with the vodka cranberry shot. All my employees hollered.
“Hey, everyone,” Anastasia said after the last contestant had presented. “The judges aren't deciding this round, you are. You've heard their comments. So vote on the app, then let's party. Hit it!”
Christmas rock music blared out of the sound system. I milled around, talking to my employees as they sampled the desserts. Holly's cookie shots were a big hit. I toasted several of the employees in line, and we did cookie shots together.
“Coolest CEO ever!” one programmer said, taking a selfie with me.
I wanted to talk to Holly, but Dana motioned to me.
“She wants more B-roll, I bet,” Holly said.
Before I left, I whispered in her ear. “Don’t forget I'm licking that all off of you.”
49
Holly
“So you’re the famous Holly,” Sloane said later. The line had died down somewhat. I was sticky and smelled like chocolate, and I felt sweaty and dumpy beside her.
Sloane's lip curled as she looked me up and down. “Just because he's sleeping with you doesn't mean he wants to marry you,” she said. “You with your cookies and your silly outfits. You're not the type of girl a man like Owen marries. He can't take you to a nice fundraiser. You’re the train wreck that's freaky in bed. He doesn't want to show you off to his friends.”
“Oh, you must have pegged me for the wrong type of girl. See, I don't fight over men. You want Owen? Fine. He can make his own choices. He's a big boy. Very big, as I would assume you know—but maybe not,” I said as her expression darkened.
“He's just using you,” Sloane sneered before she left. “He's going to get his jollies, and then come New Year’s, the resolutions will hit, and he'll realize he needs to make better life choices. And those choices won't include baked goods or bakers.”
“Don't listen to her,” Fiona said. I poured a cookie shot for myself and one for her. “Maybe she'll get run over by a reindeer.”
“I'll toast to that.”
I left the rest of the drinks and cookie shot materials out so people could help themselves. It looked like I’d severely overbaked. There were still piles of cookies and enough alcohol to take a bath in. Which I still sorely needed.
As I walked around the party, I took video for my Instagram story. I went to one of the out-of-the-way niches, hoping it would be a little quieter. The music was booming. I wasn't the only contestant that had supplied copious amounts of alcohol. It was only six in the evening, and the Quantum Cyber lobby was hopping like a club at midnight.
I was intent on recording myself, explaining why exactly I was covered in chocolate, when something big appeared in my peripheral vision. I jumped, and Owen grabbed me, clapping a hand over my mouth before I could scream. I darted my tongue out and licked his palm.
He started to pull me to him. “Covered in chocolate, remember,” I said, pushing him away. “Don't want to mess up your suit. Though later, if you aren't tired of me, we can drink the rest of the booze, get naked, and smear chocolate all over each other.”
“I'd rather do it now,” he said, kissing me.
“You're supposed to be schmoozing with your employees.”
“I know,” he whispered. “But I'm really horny.”
I was immediately wet. “I'm not sure how to help with that,” I said, fidgeting. His eyes were an intense, deep blue.
“Really, you aren’t?”
“Someone could see. Also, I'm covered in chocolate,” I reminded him.
“This niche is pretty out of the way,” he countered, “and you're only covered in chocolate on the front.”
“What if we get caught?”
“Guess we'll have to be quick.” He kissed my neck and turned me around.
“Someone will hear,” I protested as his hand pushed between my legs. But I didn't protest all that hard. I was aching for him. My panties were drenched through. The music was loud, and I could tell Owen was going to make me come quickly.
“You can't tell me you don't want it,” he whispered in my ear.
I did kind of want it. Actually, there was no kind of about it. I wanted his cock right now.
“I’m wearing a romper,” I hissed.
“It's thin fabric,” he murmured in my ear. He reached down and tore the crotch, his fingers pushing inside to stroke my pussy. I bit down on a whimper. Owen unzipped his pants. I felt his thick cock tease my pussy through the ripped slit in my clothes.
“I love how wet you are,” he whispered, that deep voice sending shock waves straight to my pussy as he teased me with his cock. He ripped open a condom packet, rolled it on, then thrust into me. I moaned.
The sound system blared “All I Want for Christmas.”
All I wanted was Owen's cock, and he was giving it to me. I bit down another moan as he thrust into me. My tits tingled as his cock filled me. I whimpered again, and he ripped the romper a little more so he could rub my clit.
I gripped the edge of the bench, hoping I didn't get chocolate on anything as Owen fucked me from behind. I spread my legs as much as I could, needing him to go deeper. I let out a cry. Owen clamped his hand over my mouth again, the other digging into my hip as he fucked me.
Just the fact that we were in a semipublic place and could get caught any minute heightened the pleasure for me. I bucked against him. I felt myself tighten, and then I came, Owen finishing quickly after.
“See,” he breathed. “Quick and dirty.”
I adjusted my coatdress. My face was flushed. “I think I'm the only dirty one.”
Owen still looked cool and collected as he readjusted his suit.
“That was good,” he growled in my ear. “But I think I'm going to need more.”
50
Owen
“I'm sort of impressed that you didn't get chocolate all over your suit,” Holly said as we walked back into the thick of the party. “Though I'm also kind of sad. I wanted to lick it off of you.” She giggled.
I got her another drink. She fielded questions from my employees, and I went to schmooze. I did actually need to have some face time. I spent the next few hours avoiding Sloane and trying to find an excuse to get close to Holly.
Around nine, Dana motioned to me. “We're making the announcement,” she said.
I went back to the judges’ table with Anu and Nick.
Anastasia tapped on the microphone. “Thank you to the contestants and to everyone who voted. We have a clear winner: Holly with her Christmas cookie shots!”
All my employees cheered.
“Thanks, everyone, for an awesome holiday party!”
Most of my employees left, but a few stuck around. By the time I’d finished talking to the last one, Holly was gone. I seriously hoped she was upstairs waiting for me. Our quick and dirty sex had only dumped gasoline on the fire of my lust for her.
I waved to the cleaning crew then went to collect Rudolph and take him out for a walk. He was a little more coordinated now. It was insane how fast puppies grew, and I jogged beside him, hoping to expend more of his energy.
“Especially after you ate enough food for an adult man,” I told the puppy. “You need to work all of that off.”
“What in
the world!”
Crap.
My parents came out of a restaurant.
“You see?” my mom said to my father. “She's corrupted him. It's just like Sloane said.”
“I have other things to do tonight,” I snapped at them.
“It's that baker. She's degraded you,” my mother said, shaking her head.
“You can't trust women like Holly,” my father added. “Sloane is perfect. She loves you. Holly is just using you. Haven't you seen the pictures she posted on social media? You'd never see Sloane pulling a stunt like that.”
“Holly is a grown woman,” I said, trying to stay cold and calm. “What she does is her business.”
“But you know you can't trust her to be a good mother.”
I thought about her with the Svensson brothers, how patient and loving she had been.
“Actually, I think she would be a great mother. As to whether you two would be good grandparents, well, that's up in the air.”
“Honestly, Owen!”
“It's all that sugar,” my father said. turning up his nose. I turned on my heel and left, not even saying goodbye.
Jack had been right. I needed to take a break from them. They were liars. They lied about the fact that Belle had been the one who paid for my college education, not them. They had been lying about Sloane, and now they were trying to act as if Holly was a terrible person, even though she was the best thing that had ever happened to me.
My phone buzzed with a message from her.
Holly: Ready to come lick the chocolate off of my cookies?
There was a very erotic picture of her with her face cropped off. I would have known her body anywhere, even with her full tits covered in chocolate. She wasn't wearing anything else.
Holly: Better come hurry before this gets all over your bedspread.
I went up to the condo. I was half undressed by the time I got upstairs to the bedroom.
