Chapter 1

“Shit!” I say as I fall to the ground half inside the elevator and half in the hall. Humiliated, I force my eyes open, only to see a pair of caramel-colored dress shoes and my dignity right there before me. Seriously, this is the worst day of my life.

This morning I found out the pitch I was going to give after the new year was moved to tomorrow, and then I found out it wasn’t Yamina who I was pitching against. Nope, it was the only person in the office who could actually kick my ass and get the account.

But that is nothing to me as I lie there in a stupid skirt for all the office to see.

“Here, let me help you.” A deep voice I’d know anywhere fills my ears a second before an offered hand drops into my line of sight.

Please, God, let this not be happening.

I lift my eyes and find that not only is it happening but also it’s happening in front of the hottest man in the building, my new enemy, the man I slept with a week ago. He’s also the man I have deep feelings for but pretend not to.

“I’m fine,” I say, trying to stop the heat from flooding my cheeks.

The doors close on my body, and I attempt to maneuver, but I can’t get up without showing all my glory.

“Holly,” Dean Pritchard says. “Give me your hand.”

Not wanting to make this any worse than it already is, I put my hand in his. “Thanks.” He helps me up, smirking at me, but at least he isn’t laughing.

“Are you okay?”

Like he cares. If he did, he would’ve called. He wouldn’t have ignored me since our drunken night of unbelievable sex. I wouldn’t have been invisible. “I’m fine. Other than being embarrassed.”

I smooth my skirt down, knowing that it lifted enough for everyone to see my bare ass.

“It looked like it hurt.”

Only my pride. “Press two please,” I say, desperate to get off the topic.

The last thing I want is to stand here and talk about the awkward fall.

“I never pegged you for going commando.”

“Not like you haven’t seen it already,” I say, adding another reason why I should get a do-over for today.

I had underwear on when I left the house, but they ripped when I went to the bathroom because I’m the biggest klutz ever and put my high heel through the crotch. That was ten minutes ago. Oh, how I wish I had a time machine.

“True.” He grins. “Still an interesting new tidbit about you.”

Yeah, I’m just full of them.

“Whatever, did you get the proposal done? I know it was last minute for you.” I’m still smoothing my clothes out as the elevator door shuts with me safely inside this time.

“I did. You?”

Nope.

“Yes.”

“Good. May the best man win.”

“Oh, I plan to.”

Dean laughs. “We’ll see. Maybe the winner buys the other some scotch?”

My eyes narrow. That was what we’d been drinking the night we got drunk and screwed against his office door, floor, and desk. “That will never happen again.”

Well, it will in my dreams because it has six times since then, but there’s no way I’ll admit that. That night was a huge mistake, but it was the best sex of my life.

He chuckles. “If you say so.”

I turn away, wishing the elevator would hurry up. My office is on the fifty-eighth floor. While the ride doesn’t typically feel like a million years, right now, I feel like I’m dying a slow death.

“Doesn’t this thing move faster?” The music isn’t helping. There’s nothing about this being the best time of the year.

The holidays do nothing but remind me that I’m alone. Every time I look at decorations, I try not to remember how much Troy would enjoy being out there on Thanksgiving night, stringing up the lights. He proposed to me on Christmas three years ago.

It was the perfect proposal. The one that girls around the world swoon over because it was just that romantic. And it was.

We were standing in our living room, dancing to “Silent Night,” and the fire was burning, giving me that perfect glow. Our beautifully lit tree was sending a shimmery white glow around the room as he held me in his arms. He leaned down, kissed my lips, and told me he wanted to spend every Christmas just like that.

Then he dropped to his knee, took out the ring, and I sobbed while nodding yes over and over.

I believed that Santa was real and he brought me the best gift ever.

A year later, when he decided he didn’t love me anymore, I learned Santa was a fraud and that the fat man had been fired, was on a diet, and shaved off his beard.

Troy ruined my favorite holiday, and of course, I don’t get to pretend it doesn’t exist because it’s almost my birthday. Therefore, Christmas is forever a celebration. Blah.

“Are you heading to the boss’s office?” Dean asks.

“No, you?”

“Yeah, I have a meeting today since I’m leaving for California. I figured it was better to do the pitch now.”

Oh, sure, he can go first, wow them, and then I’ll really be out. No way. I’m not going to let him weasel his way into this account like he always does.

Well, weasel is a strong word. He’s smart, cunning, and actually good at his job, which is just one more reason to hate him.

Oh, and he is really fucking good in bed.

Like, really good.

“That’s totally unfair—” The elevator slams to a stop, jerking up and down, forcing me to almost topple over. If it weren’t for Dean’s strong arms wrapping around me and stopping my second fall of the day, I probably would have.

The lights flicker and then the small emergency light goes on.

Great. This is just what I needed.

Fucking holidays.