Santa's Naughty Helpers

by Elizabeth Knox

  “A-hem, excuse me, Mr. Summerlin.”

  “What? Oh, I’m sorry. Hello, Ed.”

  Damn, of all the times to be caught in a fantasy, and by none other than the resident employee police, Ed Schwartz. He was a nice guy and a good accountant, had even been with his firm the better part of fifteen years but overly protective of the women and way too watchful of the men. Ed was best known as the unofficial S.H.P. of Summerlin Advertising—Sexual Harassment Police. Good thing Grant’s brief case currently hid the obvious proof of his interrupted fantasy. He had weekly write-ups in the complaint box about Ed being creepy from a lot of the women. He just hadn’t seen any proof to approach him about it yet.

  Ed cleared his throat again. “Yes, ah, I just wanted to inform you,” he paused while stealing a short but disturbing glance at Melanie, “the meeting was very productive and my report will be on your desk by morning.” He was nothing if not efficient.

  “Thanks, Ed,” Grant said, “but it’s really not necessary. Go home to your family and enjoy the holiday. That report can wait until the new year.”

  Thank God, they’d finally reached Ed’s floor. Once the man got to talking with his terribly dry accountant humor, he’d never shut up.

  “Oh hey, looks like your floor, Ed. Have a Merry Christmas, and I’ll look forward to reading your report.”

  They shook hands as Grant propelled the shocked man backward out the doors before they slid shut.

  He collapsed back in his corner of the elevator, eyes closed momentarily, and anticipated the departure of the remaining employees—leaving him alone with the woman he’d been secretly adoring for months. The mere thought sent decadent warmth throughout his entire body.

  Chapter Two

  Once the doors slid shut with the creepy accountant on the other side, Melanie sighed a breath of relief. That guy made her extremely uncomfortable . . . seemed to always be watching her—ugh. However, now she was all about a different kind of nervousness. The legal department, which included one of her friends, was the next and last group to depart the elevator that would leave only her and Mr. Summerlin.

  Alone.

  When they started moving again, her friend Amy turned toward her which she should have expected.

  “Hey, sweetie, are you headed home? Any big plans for the holidays?”

  “Hi, Amy. Yes, I’ve done all I can do tonight and I’m exhausted.”

  She really liked Amy a lot, they even ate lunch together on many occasions. This time though, it kind of made her uncomfortable to discuss her holiday plans, or lack thereof, in front of the boss. Even though he’d spent a lot of time on her floor—which she loved—they’d never had more than polite and short idle chit-chat and a lot of secret drooling—

  At least on her end.

  Any time she was around him, alone or not, her insides filled with butterflies, totally screwing with her inner calm.

  “Honey, are you okay?” Amy interrupted her thought processes.

  “Oh gosh, yes, I’m sorry, Amy. I’m tired, it was a long week. I’m just anxious to get home and get some sleep. Oh look, this is your floor,” she added quickly. “Don’t work too hard, Amy, and I’ll see you after the first of the year? Make sure to call me soon.”

  She leaned forward to hug her friend as the doors once again slid open and she and the lawyer Amy worked for exited.

  “Thanks, Melanie, I’ll check on you later. Have a great holiday.” The secretary waved as she hopped into the hallway.

  How awkward was that? She’d make a point of calling Amy later and apologizing for being so short with her. No one knew of her fantasies about their boss so she’d just explain it away as the stress of the job.

  Melanie leaned back against the wall, suddenly realizing that everybody else was gone. Her hands flattened against the cold metal panels. This was exactly the reason she wanted the elevator to hurry in the first place but now she was scared to death. Being alone with Grant had been a pipe dream for so long she just wasn’t sure what to do now. She needed to stay calm.

  Her palms were sweating like crazy.

  Okay. You can do this, deep breaths, eyes forward.

  She could talk to herself til she was blue in the face; she’d never been able to make herself calm down. Besides, the doors were reflective so he could see her. She looked upward praying silently for help, wondering how she got herself into this. The next thought that popped into her head had her thinking he would accuse her of being a total nutcase. People didn’t climb out the top of the car to get away from another person, they only did things like that in movies when the elevator was about to plummet down the shaft it was hanging in. She wasn’t against getting away, she just wasn’t crazy about heights. That and it sounded like a lot of upper body strength she did not possess.

  Thank God.

  Grant breathed a sigh of relief. They were finally alone. Isn’t this what he’d been waiting for, for so long? Now, did he have the balls to talk to her as a person instead of a boss talking to an employee? It was extremely forward of him to think she would just agree to a date but that was as good a place as any to start. It would be his luck she probably didn’t even like him.

  Nah, how could that be?

  She stared as much as he did. There was something there, he knew it. He hoped that she was just shy, he hadn’t been any better in that area. Their professional lives took center stage every day and with him being the owner of the company, he didn’t really have personal relationships with his employees. It wasn’t against the rules though. There wasn’t anything about it in the code of conduct or company bylaws.

  Okay, you schmuck, do it now.

  Balling his fingers up into fists, he propelled himself from the elevator wall toward the control panel consisting of floor buttons, a fire key lock, and an emergency phone. Then big as you please, the red STOP button. The very one that could change his life forever. He’d played this part on repeat so many times in his head, now it was really happening. Could he really go through with it? He’d have to if he wanted to be with her.

  No time like the present.

  As he stood in front of the panel, her reflection stared back at him in the silver-plated doors. She’d straightened her stance and watched curiously, her eyebrows raised. In total awe of her beauty, he couldn’t wait to touch her, to smell her, to even just talk to her. He placed his briefcase on the floor and knew he had her complete attention.

  After a moment, he mustered up some more courage. His hands were shaking and he could feel the sweat beading on his forehead. Suddenly the small empty elevator seemed like a sauna and less airy than when it was crowded with people. Did he wish all those people were back in there with them? Oh, hell no!

  “Just do it, damn it,” he mumbled. His hand rose of its own accord, as if his body reacted with his mind on some sort of auto pilot and like an out-of-body experience as he firmly hit the red button. The elevator jolted to an abrupt halt. He gripped the handrail to steady himself, and noticed she did the same.

  Finally, he turned, looked directly into her eyes, and grinned at her. If this went badly, he could be the laughingstock of his whole company. She could even bring up sexual harassment charges against him. He’d never pegged her as that kind of person but what did he really know about her other than that she could do her job.

  It was too late now to back out. They were alone and he’d stalled the motion of the elevator so he had to do something.

  Chapter Three

  Why is he smiling? And why in the world did he stop the elevator?

  Panic rose within her. Maybe he knew something she didn’t and they were in danger. Wait . . . would he be smiling if they were about to plunge to their deaths? That would be seriously sadistic but maybe he was some mass murderer masked as the owner of a corporation. But wait, if that were true, wouldn’t there be a high turnover rate with the employees? She’d seen the same people day in and day out for as long as she could remember.

  Oh no, he was going to fire
her, that’s it!

  Well crap, that’s even worse.

  What could she have done that was so terribly wrong? Her boss never complained about anything. She liked her job ninety-nine percent of the time and couldn’t afford to lose it with a dog to feed and an apartment to pay for. It wasn’t the greatest place but it was a roof over her head and gave her no complaints.

  She would just have to look for another job . . .

  No way could this really be happening to her. She knew for a fact she hadn’t done anything wrong or she would have heard about it before now. Unless there was some smaller-than-small print, or unwritten rule somewhere, the only thing she was guilty of and it was not against the law as far as she knew, was to look at another person in an elevator—even if said person was the owner of the company and she secretly harbored the desire to rip off his clothes and do unspeakable things to him on the elevator floor.

  Right?

  Is it getting hotter in here? She almost giggled because it made her think of that rap song about it getting hot and them taking off all their clothes. Not that it was an appropriate time to think about that, and not that she would do anything like that in a public elevator.

  Damn her dumb luck, the air probably stopped circulating when the elevator stopped moving. Just what she needed tonight, death by suffocation. Before she got too emotional or weepy, Melanie needed to demand to know what the hell he was thinking. She never imagined being claustrophobic but it was apparent it could quickly become a big problem.

  “Uh.”

  Oh crap, her voice did one of those high-pitched squeaks. She cleared her throat and tried again.

  “Mr. Summerlin?” He stepped closer to her in the cramped space.

  Okay, whoa now handsome, that was not meant as an invitation—But regardless, coming closer was exactly what he was doing.

  “Mr. Summerlin, I don’t understand, is there something wrong with the elevator? Have I done something wrong?”

  Was that her trembling or the elevator shaking? Just lovely.

  “Well, Miss Chambers . . . That sounds so formal. May I call you Melanie?” He didn’t wait for her to give the okay, only continued talking. “Technically it’s after work hours so can we forgo the formalities? Please, call me Grant.”

  “Okay, Grant. Why did you stop the elevator?”

  “Well, I thought it would be the best way for us to talk uninterrupted.”

  He took another small step toward her.

  “What did you need to talk to me about, did I do something wrong?”

  “Oh, no you didn’t actually, you’re a great employee. Mr. Parrish has no complaints; therefore, I have none either.”

  “Okay, so what else is there?”

  He closed the rest of the distance between the two of them, stopping so they were only breaths apart but not yet touching her. He smelled good. It assaulted her senses having him this close and she could do nothing but revel in it.

  “Melanie . . .” he whispered, reaching for her fingers, holding them loosely. His hands were warm and the roughness of his fingers surprised her and excited her at the same time. She could only imagine how good they would feel running over every part of her body.

  As he said her name again, he leaned in, their breath mixing together as he whispered, “I love how your name rolls over my tongue.”

  Good Lord, she loved how he made it sound; she couldn’t think of a time she’d liked hearing her name more. It made her feel sexy and wanted. She had no response; only a soft moan escaped from deep within. Then he released her hands and smoothed his up and over her wrists, her arms and back again, creating goose bumps across her entire body.

  “Melanie, you’re making me crazy.”

  Before she could react, he lowered his lips to hers, brushing ever so softly—but effectively—shooting fireworks through her entire body. He retreated mere centimeters to peer into her eyes, making her feel like she’d finally come home.

  Could she be so lucky? She’d waited a lifetime just to talk to this man but relationships had never been one of her strong suits. She wasn’t daring or outgoing. She did easily talk to people she worked with but it wasn’t really a social setting. They were all there to do a job.

  How is it that a man who had everything and could get any woman he wanted, want her?

  Melanie moved her hand from his shoulder, not sure how it got there to begin with and touched her lips where his had been. She questioned herself: If this is just another dream, will I wake up still lonely and wanting?

  “You’ve dreamed of me?”

  She gasped, “Oh God, I said that out loud?” She tried to hide her face by looking away, feeling horribly, horribly embarrassed.

  “No, please . . . don’t.” Grant cupped her cheek, moving her to face him again.

  “I don’t want you to be embarrassed. I love hearing that you dream of me. I swear I’ve thought of nothing else but you, day and night for months. I sit at my desk and avoid my work, trying to come up with some logical reason I need to speak with Joe just so I can see you again.”

  She projected a look of disbelief; could it really have been that easy all along?

  “Why didn’t you ever say anything?” she whispered.

  “I couldn’t. You were always so professional and aloof, I thought you hated me. The best fantasy I’ve ever had was trapping the two of us in this very elevator but I never imagined it would actually happen.”

  Melanie shook her head at him.

  “I thought you never noticed me. I wanted to die every time you came to my desk or called for Joe.” Then she smacked his arm. “I thought you were going to fire me in this elevator for God’s sake.” They both chuckled.

  She rested her hands on his chest, where he could feel the warmth radiate to the depths of his soul. His rapid heartbeat pounded against her palms.

  “I didn’t think I was even your type.”

  He couldn’t help but smile at her innocence.

  “Lady, you have no idea how perfect you are for me. I want you so much. But I don’t just want you, want you, physically I mean, well I do . . . but not just that way. I want to know every little thing there is to know about you. I’ve wondered what you do when you leave this place and what you dream about when you’re alone in your bed.” Grant’s face then turned red. “Or at least I hoped you’re alone in your bed.”

  Melanie smiled shyly and nodded.

  “Maybe it’s crazy and I know we don’t know much about each other yet—but hell, it’s Christmas Eve. No better time for a miracle. Why not take a chance? I’ve driven myself crazy watching you. Do you think it’s possible to fall in love with someone without really knowing them first?

  He wiped away the tear that slipped down her cheek.

  “Oh, Grant it has to be possible because I fell in love with you months ago. You’re my boss, technically, so I guess I thought I never really had a chance.”

  “Well, then . . .”

  Grant thought silently for a minute.

  “Will you give us a chance to see where we can take this? Maybe spend quality time together, have dinner and go on dates . . . any chance I can convince you to spend Christmas with me?”

  He loved the excited look that flashed across her face. She threw her arms around his neck. He held her tight, circling his hands around her waist. His heart overflowed with happiness.

  Never had the holiday held so much promise for two people. She kissed him so gently, he could barely contain himself. When she broke away, she leaned closer and whispered into his ear.

  “Why don’t you pop that red button over there, Mister, and show me how persuasive you can be?”

  Grant pulled that button like his life depended on it, and as the elevator started its descent, they whispered against each other’s lips, “Going down!”

  Chapter Four

  As Melanie waited at the stoplight, she was completely unaware of her puffs of breath as they floated in front of her frozen face. She could barely feel her fing
ers even with lined gloves on her hands. Her car seemed displeased as it spit and sputtered, refusing to push warm heat out of the vents. Chicago was cold in the winter and she knew better than to jump in the car and take off. She was lucky it was still running. If she had been anywhere near the vicinity of her right mind, she would have remembered to warm the car for a few minutes first when the outside temperature was hovering in the twenty degree or below range.

  She remained however, blissfully unconcerned with anything but thoughts of Grant and the unforgettable kisses still warming her lips. The incessant honking from behind startled her out of the elevator replay in her mind.

  “Goodness, so sorry I’m keeping you.”

  People were impatient. Waving her hand because she was too embarrassed to look in the rearview mirror, she hit the gas, propelling her Chrysler through the green light toward home.

  She couldn’t help but giggle just thinking of the way he’d held her close to him. His hands on her body was a dream come true. She could still feel each and every spot he’d touched and wished they were still back in that small space. As if the holidays weren’t already lonely enough, just the thought of going back to her apartment alone was depressing. She was excited to see her puppy of course, but it wasn’t quite the same.

  They had briefly mentioned spending the holidays together and that he would call her but that was a phrase she’d heard more than once in her past. The guys always said they’d call but she never got that call and never saw the guy again.

  Having that happen would surely make going in to work after the holidays a tad bit awkward.

  Another honk from behind reminded her she wasn’t the only one on the slushy roads this evening so she picked up her speed a little and hoped the person behind her would turn off in another direction soon.