[Chisty]
I woke up to sunlight pouring through the tall windows and the smell of pine and coffee.
For one second I forgot where I was. Then I felt the silk sheets, saw the huge fireplace still glowing with embers, and remembered… I was in a mansion. Fake engaged to a billionaire. And I had kissed him last night.
My lips still tingled.
Mr. Whisky was curled on the pillow beside me, purring like he owned the place. I scratched his ears.
"Traitor," I whispered. "You like it here, don't you?."
A soft knock came at the door. Before I could answer, it opened. Mrs.Jane walked in carrying a silver tray. On it was a neatly arranged breakfast. Coffee, toast, eggs, strawberries, and a single red rose.
"Good morning, Miss James," she said, and as usual with her grumpy face, no smile. "Breakfast is served. Tree decorating starts at ten. Dress warm" Immediately after saying that, she dropped the tray and walked out.
I sat up. The clock said 9:30 a.m. I had less than one hour.
I ate fast. The eggs were perfect. The coffee was also went well. Everything tasted expensive.
I opened the closet again. Today is very cozy, so I picked warm clothes. Cream sweater, dark jeans, knee-high boots. A long red coat hung on the door with a note in Damon handwriting…
Wear this. Snow is deep. – D
I rolled my eyes but put it on. It actually fit properly.
At 9:55 I walked downstairs. The house smelled like Christmas exploded. cinnamon, oranges, fresh pine. Voices came from the main hall.
I stepped inside and stopped.
The giant tree from last night now stood naked, no ornaments, no lights. Boxes and boxes of decorations lined the walls. Ladders, staff in uniforms. And in the middle stood Damon.
He wore a black sweater and dark jeans. Sleeves pushed up. Hair messy. He was holding a string of lights and laughing at something Gloria said.
He looked… happy. Real. Not the cold man from the bakery
Immediately his eyes met mine his laughter stopped, and his eyes went dark.
"Good morning," he said.
"Good morning," I answered.
Lady Veronica sat in a big chair like a queen. She clapped once.
"Begin!" she said.
Music started. Old Christmas songs, soft and warm. Staff started hanging gold balls. Gloria climbed a ladder with tinsel. Mr Stephen drank from a flask and watched. After like an hour later, Damon walked over to me.
"You can go get some rest if you're tired, okay?" he asked.
"Nahh I'm fine," I said. "Thanks for the concern though"
He smiled, A little. "Okay." He simply said.
He handed me a box of silver stars.
"Hang these. High up. I'll hold the ladder."
I raised an eyebrow. "So bossy."
"Always."
We worked side by side. He held the ladder steady while I climbed. I reached high to hang stars near the top. The tree was so tall my head almost touched the ceiling.
From up here I could see the whole room. Snow falling outside the windows. Fireplaces roaring. Lady Veronica watching us with sharp eyes.
Damon's hand brushed my leg as he passed me another star. I don't know if it was a mistake or on purpose.
I looked down. He was staring up at me. Gray eyes locked on mine. The way he was staring at me made my skin tingle
"Careful," he said. I don't know if it's me thinking too much, but it's as though he was trying to seduce me with his voice.
My stomach flipped with how seductive he sounded
I climbed down. Our bodies were close. Too close.
Gloria walked past with a smirk. "Get a room."
Damon didn't look away from me.
"Probably a good idea" he said.
Heat rushed to my face.
Lady Veronica stood all of a sudden stood up. "Mistletoe!" she called.
A staff member carried in a big bunch of real mistletoe tied with red ribbon. Lady Veronica pointed above the doorway.
"Hang it there. It's a tradition that anyone under it must kiss."
My heart stopped.
Damon's jaw tightened.
I pretended to be busy with ornaments.
But Lady Veronica wasn't done.
"Christy, dear," she said. "Come."
I walked over.
She handed me the mistletoe. "You and Damon will hang it together. First kiss of the season."
The staffs were clapping. Gloria filmed on her phone. Stephen grinned like a drunk Santa.
Damon walked over. Slow.
We stood under the doorway. The mistletoe dangled above us.
"Tradition," Lady Veronica said. "Kiss your fiancee."
The room went quiet.
Damon looked at me. Not cold. Not fake. But I don't just know how to explain the way he stared at me.
He stepped closer. His hand touched my waist. Warm through the sweater.
I felt like I couldn't breathe.
He leaned down, slow, giving me the opportunity to pull away.
But I didn't.
His lips met mine.
Soft at first. Then deeper. His hand slid to my back, pulling me against him. My fingers curled into his sweater.
It wasn't for show.
It was hungry, real and hot.
Everyone in the room was cheering.
We broke apart. My face burned. His eyes were dark and staring at me hungrily
Lady Veronica smiled, and was nodding her head in approval. "Good. Very good."
Damon didn't let go of my hand.
Later, we drank hot chocolate by the fire. Real marshmallows. Whipped cream. Gloria kept taking selfies. Stephen fell asleep in a chair.
Gloria pulled me aside.
"You kissed like you meant it," she said.
I looked at the floor.
"Careful, sweetheart," she whispered. "Even though I have this feeling that everything you guys are doing is just a charade, I'll advise for you not to fall for him.That cousin of mine breaks things. And hearts."
I swallowed. My heart skipped immediately she said the first part of her statement. But something in me kinda felt hurt when she said the other part of her statement. "What do you mean by, he breaks things and hearts?"
"Story for later" she said, and walked away, leaving me perplexed.
I was in the library when I heard a knock on the door, and then without waiting for permission to come in, the door opened and Damon walked in. Of course, which other jerk was I expecting??
Snow was still falling outside the big windows. Books everywhere. A fire crackling.
He closed the door, and then began to walk towards me.
"That kiss," he said.
"Tradition," I said fast.
"Bullshit."
He stepped closer, and I stepped backwards. Till I felt my back against the wall
"I told you, no intimacy unless necessary."
"That felt necessary," he said.
My heart pounded.
He reached out and touched my cheek. His thumb was so soft.
"I'm trying to follow the rules," he said, with a rough voice.
"Me too."
And then, we just kept on staring at each other for some time until his phone rang, easing the atmosphere.
He brought out his phone from his pocket and immediately he saw who the caller was, his expression changed.
"Stanford Wilson," he said.
My stomach dropped. Stanford Wilson. My ex. High school boyfriend. The one who left for New York and never looked back.
"How do know that name and why is he calling you?" I asked.
Damon's eyes went cold.
"Because he's coming here. Tonight."
"What?!!"
"Old friend," Damon said. "Invests in my company. Heard about the engagement. Wants to meet you."
I felt sick.
Stanford. Here. Now??
Damon watched my face.
"You okay?"
No. I wasn't.
Stanford was the last person I wanted to see.
[Damon]
I watched her face go white.
Stanford Wilson.
I knew everything about him. High school quarterback. Took her virginity junior year. Left for overseas. Ghosted her. Now he was back, sniffing around my fake fiancée.
Mine.
I didn't like sharing.
I stepped closer, even though there was barely any space left between us. Although I already knew everything about her history with that jerk, I still decided to ask.
"Tell me," I said.
She looked up. Her blue eyes scared.
"He's my ex," she said. "From senior year. We broke up when he left for college."
I nodded. "He hurt you."
"Yes."
I touched her chin. Made her look at me.
"Not anymore," I said. "You're with me now."
Fake. All fake.
But the words felt real.
She swallowed. "He can't know about the contract."
"He won't."
I dropped my hand.
"Dinner at seven," I said. "Wear the black dress. The one with the low back."
She opened her mouth to argue.
I walked out.
I had work to do.
Stanford Wilson was coming to my house.
He wanted to play.
Fine.
But he didn't know the rules had changed.
Christy James wasn't his anymore.
She was mine.
For thirty days.
Or maybe longer.
[Christy]
I stood in the library long after he left.
My lips still burned from the mistletoe kiss.
My stomach twisted about Jake.
I went upstairs. Found the black dress. It was silk. Long. Low back. Slit up the leg.
I put it on.
I looked dangerous and way too seductive
If Stanford wanted to play games, I could play too.
With Damon Michaelson beside me, I
felt… safe.
And that scared me more than anything.
Because I felt like Rule no 5 was cracking and that too, to early
And Christmas was still twenty eight days away.