The Christmas Gamble

by Sienna Ciles

  “Usually, there’s a doorman here,” Alex said as he opened the front door to the building. “But he leaves in the evening.”

  He held the door for me as I walked inside and then I followed him over to the elevator. The lobby was exquisitely decorated with stone statues and a huge chandelier on the ceiling. I could tell right away that this had to be a building where very affluent people lived.

  “Where are we going?” I asked as we stepped onto the elevator.

  “It’s a surprise,” he said sweetly, taking me by the hand.

  “All right,” she said. “I just need to call my friend and let her know where I am, and who I’m with,” she said.

  I gave her space to make her call, and tried not to eavesdrop. When we got off the elevator, we were on the top floor of the building.

  “Okay, now close your eyes,” he said sternly.

  “Really? Why?” I asked with a giggle.

  “Because, like I said—it’s a surprise,” he explained.

  “Okay,” I said, closing my eyes.

  He led me down a hall and around a few corners. I kept giggling and he kept telling me not to peek. I assured him that I wasn’t peeking. Eventually, he opened a door and I could feel the wind blowing. I knew we were outside again.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, walking slowly out into the night air.

  “Not yet,” he said. “Just a little further.”

  We took a few more steps and finally, he let go of my hand and told me I could open my eyes.

  “Oh, my God!” I exclaimed as soon as I opened them. We were standing out on some kind of veranda on the roof. The view of the city was absolutely breathtaking!

  “Nice, right?” he said, glancing over at me.

  I cupped my hands to my face and my mouth dropped open.

  “It’s beautiful!”

  I had never seen the city from so high up and it was truly spectacular. I could literally see for miles. Nightfall had arrived and the entire city was lit up like the fourth of July. The brightness from the windows of the tall, elegant buildings illuminated the night sky and the headlights of the vehicles driving around on the streets below added even more radiance to the sight.

  “I come out here sometimes just to clear my head,” he explained.

  “Thank you,” I said, looking over at him adoringly.

  “For what?” he asked, moving in closer to me.

  “For keeping your word. You really did give me a date I’ll never forget,” I told him. I meant every word.

  He pulled me in closer to him and the intoxicating scent of his cologne filled my nostrils. Completely entranced by the moment, I wrapped my arms around his neck and our lips met. He was a wonderful kisser. I parted my lips willingly as our kiss deepened and his tongue slid into my mouth. I let out a soft moan as he pulled me closer and his hands found the small of my back.

  “Stay with me tonight,” he said.

  I wasn’t sure if it was a question or a command but at that moment, I no longer cared.

  “Okay,” I said softly.

  He swept me up in his arms and carried me back to the elevator. A few minutes later, we were in his condo.

  His place was immaculate. He had a huge television—it had to be at least seventy or eighty inches—in his living room, and a black leather living room set with matching tables and lamps. His large, spacious kitchen featured an island with a marble countertop and matching stools and a flat-top electric stove with black lights hanging down from the ceiling. It was definitely the ultimate bachelor pad of a wealthy businessman. I’d never seen anything like it before.

  He led me to his bedroom, where he had a king-sized bed and black and platinum bedroom furniture. There was another big flat-screen television on the wall across the room and an extravagant glow-in-the-dark fish tank with exotic aquatic inhabitants swimming around inside.

  It was mind-blowing. I couldn’t help but think about how nice it must be to come home to such beautiful, elegant surroundings.

  “Your place is absolutely gorgeous,” I told him with a huge grin.

  “Thanks. I’m glad you like it. Would you like another glass of wine?” he asked.

  “Sure,” I replied as I plopped down on his bed.

  He poured glasses of wine for both of us and came over and sat next to me. “Do you want some music to listen to?”

  “Sure.”

  “What kind of music do you like?” he asked.

  “Oh, I don’t know. I like R&B,” I said. It seemed so strange that I was in the penthouse of a guy I’d just met. We barely knew each other, to the point I had to tell him what kind of music I liked. It was too weird.

  Picking up a black remote control, he pressed a button and the lights in the room immediately dimmed. He fiddled again with the remote, and slow rhythm and blues began to play.

  As I sipped my wine, I looked around in awe, taking in my surroundings and losing myself in the moment.

  “You really are a beautiful, intriguing woman, Holly,” Alex said, looking deeply into my eyes.

  I wasn’t sure if he was just saying what he thought I wanted to hear, but I was totally caught up in it all. I took his glass and mine and set them down on the nightstand beside the bed and pulled him closer to me. Our lips touched again and it was like a thousand bolts of electricity shot through my body.

  Completely enthralled by his energy and the romantic vibe between us, I lost myself in his kiss. He wrapped his arms around me and we fell back onto the bed. I let myself thoroughly succumb to his touch and his kiss and he climbed on top of me, running his hands up and down my body.

  “Oh, Holly, I want you,” he mumbled softly between kisses.

  “I want you, too,” I said breathily, pressing my lips back against his.

  He reached back and slid the zipper of my dress down. I unbuttoned his silk shirt and pulled it off his shoulders. As we undressed one another, we kissed passionately. Our tongues intertwined as our mouths muffled out moans of passion and desire for each other.

  He slid my dress down over my shoulders and past my hips and I unbuttoned his pants and slid them down his legs. His body was amazing and so fucking sexy. I ran my hands over his muscular, toned upper body and eight-pack abs. He sighed at the feel of my hands against his skin and I moaned as he trailed kisses from my mouth, down my neck until his lips found my breasts.

  A soft groan escaped my lips as his tongue traced circles around my pert, erect nipples and I ran my fingers through his thick dark hair as his hand traveled down my belly and slid into my satin panties. I arched my back as I felt his fingertips against my nub, applying just the right amount of pressure to set my entire body on fire.

  The music continued to play in the background as he trailed more kisses down to my navel and then slid my panties down over my hips. His mouth found my center, causing cry after cry of pleasure to escape my lips. It had been so long since a man had touched me so intimately, and Alex’s technique was second-to-none.

  I threw my head back and gripped the sheets as he pushed my legs back and used his tongue to bring me closer and closer to an intense, powerful orgasm.

  “Oh, Alex!” I cried out in passion as his fingers slid deeper into me, pressing against my walls while his tongue simultaneously flicked against my sweet spot.

  “Mmm, Holly, you taste incredible,” he said softly against my folds.

  I was just about to reach my peak when he suddenly stopped. Panting hard, I gasped as I lifted my head to look downward to see what he was doing. He had a wrapped condom in his hand and he quickly bit it open with his teeth. I was glad that at least one of us had a clear enough head to think about safe sex, because I was so far gone that it hadn’t even crossed my mind that I hadn’t been on birth control since my ex and I had broken up.

  He pulled the condom over his length, and I realized how long and thick his manhood was. I wondered if I was going to be able to take it all, especially since it had been such a long time since I’d had sex.


  “Holly, you’re so wet for me,” he whispered in my ear as he spread my thighs open and pressed his erection against my slit.

  He gripped my breast with one hand and used his other hand to guide himself to my opening. I let out another gasp as I felt him slide into me, slowly at first, pushing deeper inside of me, little by little, until he couldn’t go any further He groaned in my ear as he filled me up with his length, and it turned me on to no end.

  “Holly, you feel incredible,” he whispered against my neck. All I could do was moan unintelligibly at the amount of sheer pleasure he was giving me.

  He started thrusting into me, speeding up his rhythm, and then slowing it down, cupping my buttocks. I cried out in delight as he plunged into me over and over again, lifting my hips and forcing himself even deeper. I called out his name as I arched my back and covered his neck in kisses.

  My whole body began to tremble uncontrollably as he brought me right up to my peak and then sent me over the edge. I cried out loudly as I climaxed hard and fierce, and my entire body tensed up. I wrapped my legs around his waist as my orgasm completely took hold of me and he squeezed me tightly in his arms, thrusting deeper into me and making me scream with overwhelming pleasure.

  As my climax finally started to wane, my body relaxed and I sighed deeply. Alex looked down at me with an expression of pride on his handsome face.

  We made love for at least another hour and in nearly every position imaginable before he was finally ready to explode. He came inside me, filling the condom with his essence as he gripped my ass from behind and groaned loudly, calling my name over and over. It was such a turn-on that I climaxed yet again, for the third time that night. His body tensed up for a moment and then he finally relaxed and collapsed on top of me, breathing a sigh of extreme satisfaction.

  * * * * *

  The rays of the morning sun hit my cheeks and caused me to awaken from my deep, comfortable slumber. I opened my eyes and looked around, squinting slightly from the brightness of the sun peeking through the open blinds of Alex’s bedroom window.

  I sat up, holding the covers to my chest as I realized that Alex was no longer in bed beside me. That’s when it hit me and I realized exactly what I’d done. As I stood up and began to dress, I noticed a piece of paper sitting on the nightstand beside the bed. Picking it up, I saw that it was addressed to me.

  Holly,

  I’m sorry I had to run to the office early this morning but I didn’t want to wake you. If you happen to wake up while I’m gone, I wanted you to know that I’ll be back as soon as I can!

  Alex

  Typical. I slid my panties up over my hips.

  This situation reminded me so much of my ex that it almost made me sick to my stomach. The main reason that he and I had broken up was because he could never put me before his job. A part of me felt like I shouldn’t even make a big deal out of things, though, because it wasn’t like we were actually together or anything. It had just been a one-night fling, really. A totally amazing one-night fling, but a fling nonetheless.

  I quickly finished dressing, gathered my things, and headed out the door.

  As I was making my way out of the building, I noticed an older portly gentleman dressed in a red bellhop outfit with gold trim standing just outside.

  “Good morning, madam,” the bellhop said to me with a genuine-looking smile.

  “Um, good morning,” I replied nervously.

  “I’m George. George Worthington, the building bellhop. Can I help you to your vehicle, ma’am?” he asked kindly.

  “Oh…oh, no, I uh, I didn’t drive here,” I replied, suddenly realizing that I didn’t have a way back to my vehicle, which was parked all the way back in the Lovehouse restaurant parking lot.

  Just then, Alex came walking up.

  Perfect timing.

  “Hey, Holly. Did you get my note?” he asked as a sweet smile spread across his prince-like face.

  “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I did,” I said, reaching up to scratch my head awkwardly.

  “Well, where’re you headed off to so fast?” he asked.

  “I, um, kind of got a thing? And I have to go home and get ready for it,” I replied uneasily.

  “Oh, okay, well, I guess I’ll see you later, then,” he said amiably, leaning in to kiss me on the cheek. “George, please have my driver take her back to her car in one of the limos.”

  “Right away, sir,” George replied.

  Chapter 5

  Alex

  As much as I hated having to go into the office on Saturdays, this was one of those Saturdays where I had to make a quick appearance and pick up some of the paperwork I’d forgotten to grab earlier that morning.

  As I was making my way down the long hallway toward my office, my assistant came out of one of the other offices.

  “Hey, tiger!” she said with an openly flirtatious grin.

  “Oh. Hello, Alicia,” I said, attempting to be friendly. I hadn’t expected to see the bubbly, big-breasted blonde at the office so early on a Saturday morning. “What are you doing here on a weekend morning?”

  “Oh, I just came in to do a favor for Charles. He asked me to update some of the files in his computer and he needed it all done by Monday, so…” She came right up to me and reached out to straighten my tie.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, looking at her uneasily.

  “There,” she said with a satisfied smile. “That’s better.” She ran her hand down my tie as she looked at me intently with those deep blue eyes of hers.

  She was dressed in a long, form-fitting yellow dress and a pair of matching stiletto sandals that made her appear to be at least four inches taller than she actually was. Her breasts were pressed together in a push-up bra and the top of her sundress dipped down into a V-shape, exposing the top half of both her tits. The dress looked like it belonged in a dance club rather than a business office, but that was just how Alicia was.

  She was actually very good at her job, which was why my father let her get away with her racy outfits and flirtatious behavior. Of course, I’d never seen her flirt with anyone else in the office other than me. She was always lively and vivacious with everyone who worked in the building, but she just seemed a little bit overly playful when it came to her interactions with me.

  “Looking forward to that celebratory drink next week!” she said with a wink as she turned around and sashayed down the hall.

  I cleared my throat and continued toward my office. The paperwork I needed was sitting in a neat little stack on my desk. I snatched it up and headed for the copier room. Just my luck, Alicia was already in there running off copies of a flyer.

  “Hey, are you following me, big guy?” she asked teasingly, turning toward me with a coy grin on her face.

  “Not at all, Alicia,” I replied, straightening the papers in my hands.

  “Bummer,” she said, playfully poking out her bottom lip.

  “I just need to get these copies made so I can take them to the event I’m going to later this afternoon,” I explained.

  “Oh? You’re going to that thing downtown later today?”

  “Yep. That prospective client I told you about yesterday is supposed to be there,” I said.

  “Oh, really? Sounds interesting,” she replied as she picked up the copies she’d made. As she moved toward the door, she stopped directly in front of me and gazed up into my eyes.

  “Are you… hungover?” she suddenly asked. “You look tired.”

  “Not really. Just had a late night, that’s all,” I replied.

  “Oh, really? That account rep keep you out late?” she inquired, cocking her head to the side.

  “Uh, no, actually. I met a nice young lady and spent the evening with her,” I said proudly.

  She looked almost disappointed by my statement. She darted her eyes away for a second and then her smile immediately returned.

  “How nice for you, then,” she said sweetly as she abruptly turned on her heels and continued on her way.
/>   * * * * *

  The large gymnasium at the inner-city community center was crowded with children and adults alike. Everyone seemed excited and in good spirits. As I made my way up to the podium to speak, I saw a slender brunette helping some of the other volunteers set up tables, and I recognized Holly immediately. I went over to her and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and her eyes widened in surprise.

  “Hey, are you stalking me or something?” she asked teasingly.

  “Or something,” I teased back.

  Just then, one of my assistants, a young guy named Jonathan Mathers, called out to me,

  “Mr. Westbrooke! I have something you need to see!”

  “Excuse me for a moment,” I said to Holly as I went over to see what was going on.

  My prospective client was supposed to have been at the event half an hour ago as the surprise guest speaker, but he still hadn’t arrived and I hadn’t heard from him, either.

  “Sir, your guest speaker’s rep just called and said that a personal matter came up and he won’t be able to make it.”

  “Shit!” I cursed under my breath. “Okay, I’ll just say an apology on his behalf.”

  I went up to the podium in the front of the gym and everyone quieted down. I cleared my throat before beginning to speak.

  “Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you all for coming out today. As you know, Westbrooke, Inc. is delighted to be able to fund this sports equipment program for our inner-city schools. Unfortunately, our surprise guest speaker is unable to make it today, but he wanted me to apologize on his behalf.” Mutters and sounds of disappoint filled the gymnasium. “However, we still have an exciting afternoon planned for you, with lots of fun activities, free food, and free t-shirts. So let’s get this party started, everyone!”

  This time, a roar of applause rang out around the large gym and I smiled, took a bow, and left the podium.

  Continue reading Hard for Her

  Also by Sienna Ciles

  Lost and Found

  Taught

  Accidentally His

  One Night with Him