Gift Wrapped
Authors: Karla Doyle
Tags: #self published, #Karla Doyle, #contemporary romance, #erotic romance, #Romance, #Gift Wrapped, #humorous romance, #9780992152772, #Holiday Romance
GIFT WRAPPED
After catching her boyfriend cheating two weeks before Christmas, Brinn is seriously lacking in holiday spirit. So when she looks into the eyes of a last-minute shopper after closing on Christmas Eve, she’s sarcastic rather than sympathetic. But Brinn is ever the good girl and her conscience wins out. She offers the handsome stranger ten minutes to select a gift and ends up with a present of her own—a date. On Christmas Eve.
Davis hates Christmas. Especially this year, since a neighborhood heist liberated him of his hard-earned belongings and the few gifts he’d purchased. But the robbery led him to a cute store manager with a sense of humor, smokin’ body and no plans for the evening. Mistletoe might be in order after all.
Their Christmas Eve date is like gift-wrapped, sexy satisfaction. But the best gifts keep on giving, and one naughty night may not be enough—for either of them.
Acknowledgements
To my amazing family, fabulous friends and wonderful readers…thank you! Without your love and support, this book wouldn’t exist.
Extra hugs to Todd, Amanda, Andie, Grace, Claire, and L. xoxo
• • •
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With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher,
Karla Doyle
.
ISBN 9780992152772
Gift Wrapped, © Karla Doyle, 2014
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Cover Design by Karla Doyle
Note:
This book contains sexually explicit content and language, and is intended for adult readers only.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Closing time, finally. As much as Brinn enjoyed her job, standing behind a roll-down door, folding sweaters and tagging merchandise wasn’t her ideal Christmas Eve.
Not that she had anywhere special to be. Catching her snake of an ex-boyfriend with his pants around his ankles and his dick in another woman’s mouth had vaulted Brinn to the top of the “newly single” column. With everybody she cared about two hours’ drive away—in good weather—she was the definition of solo this holiday season. Might as well put in time here, prepping for the Boxing Day sale, rather than hurry “home” to her empty apartment. Christmas really sucked it this year.
She ducked behind the counter and killed the loop of festive tunes. She’d loved holiday songs her entire life, however, eight to ten hours of merry music every day for two solid months tended to squeeze the last drop of festive spirit from your soul. Thank god she’d said her last, politically correct, “Have a great holiday” for this year.
She straightened, surveyed the chaotic state of the small chain store she managed, and looked into the face of a dreaded beast—the solitary male with an unfinished shopping list.
There was one every year. Usually a mid-fifties man with desperate, pleading eyes and a frown because he’d just realized—at closing time on Christmas Eve—that he didn’t have enough gifts under the tree. This year’s last-minute shopper didn’t look more than mid-thirties, tops. A hint of anxiety played on his face, but it didn’t diminish his good looks. Shaved head, strong jaw, warm eyes. Wide shoulders filling out a black cargo-style jacket. Very nice.
His fingers curled around the rungs of the metal roll-down door. He flashed a charming smile to go with the eye contact.
Good try, buddy, but it is
so
not happening.
Didn’t matter how attractive he was, Brinn didn’t return the smile. That’d only encourage him. Instead, she gave him a view of her back and resumed setting the store to rights.
Apparently dude missed the memo on interpreting body language, because the metal rattled behind her. Thirty seconds later, he lightly shook it again. Seriously, he thought that’d work?
“We closed at five.” She tossed the words over her shoulder. Best acknowledgement he was going to get.
“Yeah, you and the rest of the world.”
Exactly.
Now get moving.
Too bad she couldn’t say that out loud.
“Look, I know I’m late, but I only need one more thing. It’s kind of an emergency.”
She shook her head, hoping to hell he saw it. “Sorry, can’t help you. The superstore on Fourth Avenue is open until seven tonight for
emergencies
like this. Perfume is a lovely gift—I recommend Acqua di Gioia by Giorgio Armani.” The very thing she’d hoped to get from Liam. The idiot had bought it, she’d found it tucked between his t-shirts. He’d just put another woman’s name on the gift tag for tomorrow. Lousy jerk.
“Thanks for the suggestion, but the person I’m shopping for doesn’t wear perfume.”
Well la-de-da for her. Brinn sighed and rattled off the next item on her personal wish list. “You can’t go wrong with chocolates. The Lindor balls wrapped in foil are my personal favorite. Especially the white-chocolate kind.”
A deep laugh rumbled from the other side of the metal mesh. “Good to know.”
Brinn smiled at the comment. The pushy guy had a nice laugh and a sexy voice, she’d give him that much. “Look, I’ve already closed off the register…I couldn’t sell you anything if I wanted to.”
“I have cash. I’ll be fast and I’ll give you a big tip at the end.”
“Wow, that’s quite the proposition. I know my skirt’s a little on the short side, but I’m not that kind of salesgirl.” She waited, but sexy-voice guy didn’t say another word. Or rattle the cage.
She half-turned to sneak a peek. Gone. Which
should
be a relief, but stirred her guilt instead. Her disappointment too.
She moved to the door and spotted him three stores down, walking away. “Hey,” she called. No answer—except from her conscience. Ah, crap. She turned the lock and rolled the door up enough to scoot underneath. Biggest mistake ever, coming right up. Well, second biggest. Moving out here to be with Liam currently held the number-one spot.
She did a ridiculous, high-heeled jog past several darkened stores. The sound of her heels echoed in the quiet mall, but the guy still didn’t look back. “Hey, wait up,” she said again, once she had him within arm’s reach.
He stopped so abruptly that she plowed into him. And bounced off, because he was
that
solid. Oh boy. Now that they were face-to-face, without the benefit of a heavy-duty metal screen separating them—or any witnesses to speak of—he was a bit intimidating. Not super tall or monstrously built, but she didn’t doubt for a minute he was capable of kicking some serious ass.
“I, um…” Dry mouth plus empty brain much? His intense stare didn’t help matters. She cleared her throat and tried again. “C’mon back and I’ll try and help you find something for your wife.”
“I’m not married.”
“Okay, for your girlfriend.”
His jaw ticked. The corners of his mouth lifted in a sexy half grin. “Not shopping for one of those, either.”
Awareness zinged her, heating her cheeks and making her nipples tingle before settling between her legs. “Sister, aunt, granny, roommate, long-lost childhood friend you recently reconnected with on Facebook…whoever she is, I’m giving you ten minutes to find her a gift from my seriously depleted stock. Take it or leave it.”
“I’ll take it. Thank you.” His genuine, full-face smile nearly melted her knees out from under her.
“Great.”
“You’re really saving me here.”
She flapped a hand at him as they walked. “No problem. Glad to help.” Clearly she’d had too much stale mall air. This after-hours personal-shopping stint would likely set her back thirty minutes, not ten. She still had the daily reports to complete and a couple hundred gaudy Boxing Day sale tags to attach. At this rate, it’d be close to seven o’clock before she flopped on her couch with a bowl of soup and the annual cable presentation of
Frosty the Snowman
.
Yet she still had a stupid smile plastered across her face. Good lord. A couple of weeks without a boyfriend had reduced her to this? Maybe it wasn’t too late to send a note to Santa. Perfume and chocolates weren’t the only things on her wish list.
She motioned her guest into the store. Corporate policy dictated she keep the door locked at all times outside of non-operating hours. Brinn paused, one hand on the metal. Close herself in with a total stranger? Screw the rules for once. The mall was a virtual ghost town. If the man standing in her disheveled store turned out to be a robber instead of a handsome last-minute shopper, she’d rather he had a quick exit route via an open door. Decision made.
She wiped her clammy palms on her skirt and joined him by a rack of hoodies and yoga pants. “Tell me what you had in mind and hopefully I can send you out of here with a smile on your face.”
From the creases forming at the corners of his eyes, the words sounded as sexually suggestive to him as they did to her ears. Oh the awesomeness that flew out of her mouth sometimes.
“I think you can count on that happening…” His mischievous hazel eyes dropped to her nametag, then back. “Manager Brinn.”
Top salesperson in her district for the past nine months, yet hearing her name in his deep, smooth voice left her without a single intelligent thing to say.
The whole situation was crazy. Letting her assistant manager leave early, even though it meant closing and tackling the sale prep alone. Inviting a hot guy—who appeared to be unattached—into the store afterhours.
Maybe it wasn’t crazy. Maybe it was one of those fated situations. Or maybe she needed a semi-nutritious meal and a day off really, really badly.
As casually as anything, he unzipped his coat and scrubbed one hand along his clean-shaven jaw. He smiled. Just a little one, but it warmed her all over. The man made no bones about checking her out. Top to bottom, not lingering over any one area, though his slow perusal indicated he appreciated the view.
Thank god she’d opted for her business-sexy look today, rather than slumming it in the comfier clothes the store sold. The short black skirt, sheer hose and strappy heels made her legs look long and lean, despite her shorter stature. Her crossover top’s plunging neckline accented some decent cleavage. With her hair in an upsweep, she almost pulled off elegant—or she had nine hours ago, when everything was fresh.
As much as she’d love thirty seconds in front of a mirror with lipstick and a piece of dental floss, the clock was ticking. A security guard would be banging on her door at six o’clock, telling her to clear out, no exceptions. Because after all, who in their right mind would want to stay late at work on Christmas Eve? Only someone with no personal life whatsoever would sign up for that.
She pushed the self-pitying thought aside and reclaimed her voice. “Better start shopping, you’re running down the clock.” For show, she tapped her watch. “Santa’s on his way. I need to get home to my bed so he’ll sneak in and fill my stocking.”
Her private shopper laughed and winked. “Santa has all the luck.”
Oh. Dear. God. Was everything out of her mouth going to sound dirty? And holy, could he get any sexier than right now, smiling at her like a tomcat that’d caught a mouse? She’d have to make a stop at the superstore before it closed and buy a pack of triple-As for her battery-operated boyfriend.
“So, give me the specs on this not-a-wife, not-a-girlfriend, who doesn’t wear perfume.”
His hands disappeared into the front pockets of his jeans, taking her mind along with them. “I’d say Alicia’s about your height and build, but younger, and less…curvy.”
“All right. And on that note, guess I’ll start my New Year’s diet a week early and pray that Santa brings me some anti-aging cream.” When he dared to chuckle, Brinn pulled a pair of black, size-small pants from the rack and stabbed them at him. A soft, white hoodie with lots of form-fitting seam details followed. “How about this set? It looks fantastic on trim, younger women.”