5. Ivy

5

ivy

24 days until christmas

A fter yesterday’s café run-in, I hadn’t seen Teddy again all afternoon. Wherever he was—in his office working or taking his time experiencing all Christmasland offered—our paths hadn’t crossed.

For whatever reason, I found myself almost bummed that we hadn’t. He was handsome, and sitting across the table from him had made my heart beat a little faster. If I was being honest, I wanted to get to know him better. He was attractive, yes, but it was something deeper . Like something in him called to something inside of my soul. Even if he drove me crazy and had stolen my muffin.

Hadn’t he known those were my favorite? I’d seen him there a few days this week, and I’d always had one each morning.

I still found it strange that he hadn’t told me exactly where he was from. Something like that. I frowned at the memory of his words. The only thing further north than Canada was the Arctic Ocean, and it’s not like people actually lived on the polar ice caps.

He was dangerous. That much I knew to be true. Because after Christmas, he’d be gone. And I’d still be here, just like I’d always been. So it was better not to get attached. Not to let this crush of mine deepen or engage him in playful banter because it would end up the same way either way.

Still, I couldn’t help the way my heart soared when someone knocked on the door frame of my office door.

I looked up, expecting to see Teddy there, but it was just Sarah. “Oh. Hi.”

“Don’t look so disappointed to see your best friend,” she muttered, dropping herself onto the chair across from my desk.

Shaking my head, I smiled at her. “You’re early today.”

“What can I say? Turning over a new leaf.” She draped an arm over the chair. “Now, who were you expecting that you were all excited to see?”

“No one. It’s nothing.” I pushed my hair back behind my ears, brushing my fingers over my candy cane earrings.

Sarah pursed her lips. “Are you sure? Because I heard you and the new executive were getting cozy in the café yesterday.”

“How?” I scowled. “Those gossiping?—”

“Relax, kitten. Put those claws away.”

I let out a breath. “You know I hate when people talk about me behind my back.”

“I do. But I also think everyone’s just interested in your new beau.”

“Theodore Clausen?” I raised an eyebrow, though that name felt wrong on my lips, like it wasn’t quite right. “He’s not my beau . We’re not even friends, really. And he totally stole my muffin from me yesterday. I can’t stand the guy.” Lie. It was so obvious that I wasn’t telling the truth, but I couldn’t let myself feel anything else for this man. He’d just be another person who would leave.

So why did I care?

“Am I interrupting?” came a deep, smooth voice. Teddy . Butterflies erupted in my chest. Fuck, I needed to end this. Whatever it was.

“No, not at all,” Sarah said, a broad, beaming smile on her face. I attempted to kick her under my desk, but no luck.

“Brought you something.” He held up a bag from the Gingerbread Bakery. “Got you one before they ran out.” He winked. “Since you like them so much.”

Oh. My cheeks warmed. “Thank you. You didn’t have to.” Indulging myself on sweets from the bakery was my one treat each day, and I definitely didn’t need one, but they certainly made a long day better.

“It was all I could do to make up for yesterday.” He also made a cup of iced coffee appear, setting them both on my desk. My mouth watered.

Coffee and a muffin? I was being spoiled. “Wow. What service.”

My dark-haired friend looked back and forth between the two of us. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Sarah said, a smug look on her face.

“Sarah, this is Theodore. Theodore, this is Sarah. She’s one of our Santa photographers.”

“Nice to meet you, Sarah.” Teddy stuck out his hand for a handshake. “Keep up the good work.”

“Of course.” She looked entranced, like maybe I wasn’t the only one who those handsome looks affected. Glancing down at her watch, she shot off the chair. “Shoot. I should probably get to work. Bye, Ivy.” She turned to the man whose presence made my office seem even smaller. “Nice to meet you, Theodore.”

He nodded, giving her a small wave .

“You really didn’t have to do this,” I repeated. “I wasn’t that upset yesterday.”

His eyes twinkled with amusement. “Sure you weren’t, Poison Ivy.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Why not?”

“Because you make me sound like the Batman villain. And I don’t even have red hair.” I furrowed my brow.

“It’s beautiful.” He cleared his throat like he hadn’t meant to say that. “And it’s a little red in the sun.”

“What?”

“Your hair.”

“I...” How did someone respond to that, anyway? I gaped at him. “Yeah.” I’d always loved the color of my hair for that reason—blonde with red lowlights. When the girls I’d known in high school were dying theirs, I’d been too attached to my hair color to even consider it.

Needing a distraction from the way Teddy was looking at me, I popped a piece of the muffin into my mouth. It was still warm, and the flavors exploded on my tongue. A small moan slipped from my lips. “So good.”

He looked pleased, like an alpha male puffing up his chest at having fed his female. Not that I was his . He wasn’t mine, either, though. “Thought you couldn’t stand me, sweetheart.” Teddy winked.

“Can’t. You owe it all to this to the muffin, Theodore.”

“Sure, sure.” He propped his hip against my desk, towering over me. My entire space was filled with the smell of him—masculine, like mountains and snow and pine trees—and all I wanted to do was to take a deep inhale.

“Hey, Ivy?”

“Mhm?” I asked, realizing I’d been biting my lip.

“Do you want to get dinner sometime? ”

“Oh. I’m…” I looked down at my lap. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re my boss.”

“Not really.”

“Okay. You’re my bosses’ bosses’ boss. Semantics, really.”

“There’s no rule about fraternization between employees unless I’m your direct supervisor or making decisions about your employment.”

“Still… We’ve only known each other a week.”

“And a week isn’t long enough?” When had he leaned in so close? “Say yes.”

“Why?” I whispered the word.

Teddy pushed a piece of hair behind my ear, his finger lingering for a beat longer than was probably acceptable. Was any of this? Probably not. Still, I didn’t stop it. “Because I want to get to know you better. Because you intrigue me like no one else ever has.”

“Okay.” My voice was shaky when I finally responded.

“When’s your next day off?”

I blinked. “Tuesday. But?—”

“Great. It’s a date. I’ll pick you up at eight.”

He left my office, taking that dizzyingly intoxicating scent of pine with him, and I realized later that he hadn’t even asked for my address.

22 days until christmas

When was the last time I’d even been on a date? Years. It wasn’t like that many guys were clamoring to ask me out, considering I wore an elf costume for my career.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I inspected the way the tight red dress hugged my curves. I’d left my snowflake necklace on, letting it rest over the top of my collarbone. It always felt like I was missing something without it.

I’d paired the dress with my favorite pair of heels, giving me a few extra inches of height. Teddy was tall , and I wanted to even the playing field a little. I looked myself over in the mirror one last time.

I’d redone my hair, pulling a few pieces back and out of my face, plus touching up my makeup by deepening the color on my eyes and swiping a fresh coat of red lipstick on. The effect was instantaneous, more sultry, and a little sexy.

It worked well with my dress, which dipped down to show a hint of cleavage. Was it too much? We hadn’t even talked about where we were going for dinner. Maybe I’d just assumed?—

The doorbell rang, and there was no more time to panic about my chosen ensemble.

He was here. Teddy .

I blew out a breath, going to answer the door.

“Hey.”

“Hi, Ivy.” He sucked in a breath. “Wow. You look—wow.”

He’d combed his dark brown hair back and swapped his shirt out for a new one. This one was a dark, forest green, like the color of pine trees.

“These are for you,” Teddy said, offering me a bouquet of poinsettia flowers. “I thought you might like them.”

“Wow.” A giggle escaped me, and I scolded myself for acting like an excited schoolgirl on her first ever date. Come on, Ivy, get it together . “Thank you. I’ll just put them in water, and then we can go. Do you want to come in for a second?”

“Sure.”

I opened the door all the way, and he brushed by me, entering my apartment. It was bare, and heat rose to my cheeks as I watched him take it all in.

“It’s not much,” I murmured, “but it’s mine.” And it was hard to even afford a one-bedroom apartment in this economy, especially in Central Florida. My manager’s salary helped some, but only enough that I didn’t have to share anymore.

“You don’t have a tree,” was the first thing he finally said, turning to look at me. Those green eyes shouldn’t have held my attention so much.

I swallowed roughly, looking away. “No point in getting one for just me.”

He raised an eyebrow but said nothing else. I was grateful if only so I didn’t have to talk about the subject further. Because he knew I loved Christmas, but my apartment was anything but. I hadn’t had the time or energy to decorate. When I got home from work most nights, all I wanted to do was sit in a bubble bath with a glass of wine or read a book. Occasionally, I sat down in the little craft corner I’d set up, but that was on a good day.

Heading into the kitchen, I found a vase for the flowers he brought me and filled it with water before setting them on the table.

“That’s better,” he mused.

He drummed his fingers against the table, distracting me from my thoughts. I took the moment to admire his large hands. Teddy cleared his throat, and I averted my eyes, knowing my cheeks would be red from being caught staring. I couldn’t help it. They were well-manicured hands but looked strong, like he wasn’t afraid to work. Like he could get his hands dirty.

“They’re beautiful. Thank you again.”

“Of course. Shall we?” He held out his arm, and I nodded. Grabbing my purse, we headed out the door and downstairs. He steered me to a small red truck—the kind that looked like it should have a tree tied to the back.

“This is yours?” I asked, my jaw dropping open. It was adorable.

He nodded, opening the door for me. “It was the only one left when I went to get a rental.”

“I love it.” I slid inside, and Teddy’s scent surrounded me. He closed the door, and I took a deep inhale of the deep, masculine smell. It was insane how much I liked it.

He chuckled, and the sound ran down my spine, and I couldn’t believe how it affected me. Teddy seemed so serious, down to his dark green eyes that looked at me with so much… what? Concern? Interest ? I didn’t know, but part of me wanted to hear his laugh. To know what he looked like with a smile on his face.

“Where to, boss?” I asked, crossing my legs and flipping my hair over my shoulder as I turned to face him fully.

“I’m not your boss, Ivy,” he said, furrowing his brow. Teddy stared at my bare legs, and his jaw tightened before he looked away. “It’s important to me you know that.”

I swallowed roughly. “I know,” I whispered.

“Good.” He nodded.

And then we headed out on our date .