The Sheikh's Virgin Bride(114)

“Merry Christmas,” she replied, leaving her friend with a gentle wave of her hand.

She was still wondering where Zadid had gone off to as she packed up her work bag to take home. If nothing else, there were a few other reports she could work on Christmas Day to get them over with. Then, she could take their week off and simply enjoy herself, if that were possible.

It was a lonely apartment she lived in, after all.

She locked her door, her coat buttoned up, her green scarf wrapped tightly around her neck. She turned to leave, but her feet refused to budge. Instead, she found herself glancing up in the direction of Zadid’s corner office, on the far side of the building. Curiosity winning out, she walked on silent carpet to the opposite end of the building, where Zadid’s office towered above, encased in glass.

There, standing alone, Zadid stared down at the lobby far below. His dark hair and eyes were shaded, even in the light of his office. He held a tumbler filled with amber liquid in his hand, looking somber and lonely. Seeing him like that cracked Yvonne’s heart, and before she knew it, she was on the stairway to his office, knocking gently on his door before entering.

Zadid continued to stare out the window.

“You know, there’s a party going on out there,” she said.

Zadid turned, his eyes clouded with an emotion she couldn’t quite pin down as he stared at her.

“I know,” he replied.

“Hiding from the festivities, are we?” she teased gently.

Zadid’s face remained unchanged, and he didn’t answer her question.

Curious, Yvonne moved to stand beside him, and they both turned to gaze down at the party below.

“Do you have any plans for the holidays?” Yvonne asked.

Perhaps changing the subject would make him more comfortable? Yvonne had seen Zadid in any number of foul moods—they worked in a high-stress environment together nearly every day—but this somber version of him was almost unbearable. After a pause, he released a breath.

“None, I’m afraid. I was going to head back to my home country for the week, but family drama has convinced me otherwise.”

“Family can be tough,” Yvonne offered, and she meant every word.

She waited for him to say anything to that. Instead, he took another sip from his drink, the sharp scent of the whiskey tickling Yvonne’s nose. An idea occurred to her then, and before she could chicken out, she gazed up at her handsome employer.

“Would you want to have Christmas dinner at my place?”

His eyes darted down to hers in surprise.

“You don’t have plans?”

She shook her head.

“All my plans are tomorrow. I’ve got nothing to do with myself on the day itself. Why don’t I cook you a traditional Christmas dinner, Hunt style?”

The corner of Zadid’s full lips turned up, and Yvonne’s stomach stirred with butterflies. The man was positively delectable—and he was her boss! She was being a fool, she knew, but she couldn’t help it. She would do anything to remove the sad look from his eyes.

“I would like that very much. I’ve never actually celebrated the holiday in America before.”

“What? You don’t know what you’re missing!”

“I’m sure I don’t. Based on the décor around here, it appears to be quite the celebration.”

“That’s an understatement. Come to my place, and I’ll show you exactly how great an American Christmas can be. Deal?”

She held out her hand for him to shake. He stared at her with an amused expression for a moment before clasping her hand firmly, his warm palm fitting perfectly against her own.

“Deal. I look forward to it, Yvonne. Thank you for taking me in.”

She blushed, waving off his statement.

“Now, neither of us has to spend the day alone. Then, we can move onto those reports you wanted me to tackle.”

She purposefully moved the conversation back to business, removing her hand from his. She had no reason to believe that she had a future with Zadid. He was her boss, for heaven’s sake! It would do her well to remind herself of that fact at least twice a day, if not the fifty times she could feel herself crushing on him day in and day out.

His eyes hardened slightly at her topic change.

“Yes, indeed. Have a good evening, Yvonne. I’ll see you soon.”

“Goodnight, Zadid.”

She turned away from him, making a quick exit as she wondered what she had been thinking. Then, she grinned.

Yvonne was going to show the Sheikh just how great Christmas really could be. Maybe in the process, she could even show herself.





Chapter Two





Yvonne stepped out of the office building on light feet as a wave of cold air flowed over her face. All around her, office parties were in full swing, lights and music and the sound of happy chatter echoing through the air. She passed by other city dwellers, enjoying the window displays in the D.C. shops.

She inhaled, enjoying the crisp cold scent of a winter’s night.

On a whim, she decided to do a tour of the window displays. The streetlights around her were strung with twinkle lights, casting a warm glow onto the sidewalks as she made her way along. On either side of her, shops had filled their windows with nutcrackers, reindeer, and a million splashes of red, white, gold and green.