Santa's Naughty Helper Read online

  Santa’s Naughty Helper

  By Ari McKay

  Lawyers in Love

  Shy lawyer Kevin Anderson is presented with an unexpected opportunity when he draws hunky litigator Erik Wilson’s name for their office’s secret holiday gift exchange. Kevin has pined for his friend for a long time, but he fears ruining their working relationship if Erik doesn’t return his feelings. The anonymity of the exchange gives him the chance to let Erik know someone is interested, so Kevin turns the gift into a game: twelve days of presents, each more suggestive, culminating with a Christmas Eve meeting—if Kevin finds the courage to see it through!

  Erik is intrigued by his secret Santa, who has given him something to look forward to during the holidays for the first time in years. But as Christmas approaches, he realizes he doesn’t want a mystery man; he wants his best friend, Kevin. When his attempts to instigate something with Kevin fail, Erik accepts the dinner invitation of his secret admirer. Little does he suspect that Santa’s naughty little helper might be just the man to make all his Christmas dreams come true in a holiday friends-to-lovers romance that progresses from sweet to spicy for two sexy lawyers.

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  By Ari McKay

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  “KNOCK, KNOCK!”

  Kevin glanced up from the brief in front of him and smiled as he saw Shelley, one of the office paralegals, hovering at his door. It wasn’t even Thanksgiving yet, but she wore a Santa hat and a pair of shiny earrings shaped like a menorah.

  “Isn’t it a little early for so much holiday cheer?” he asked, raising one eyebrow at her.

  “I’m on official business.” Shelley grinned as she crossed to his desk and held out a Kwanzaa gift bag. “I’m Santa’s helper. The big bosses decided to hold the holiday party early this year because of when Hanukkah falls, so we’re having people draw names for the secret gift exchange before Thanksgiving. That way they have time to think about what to give their lucky recipient.”

  “Ah, that makes sense.”

  The law firm, Caldwell and Monroe, was big on the holidays, and the party was always an elaborate catered affair, complete with a champagne fountain and ice sculptures. The gift exchange was a highlight of the party, and everyone hoped to be the lucky person drawn by the senior partner, Cal Monroe. The previous year Cal had given his recipient season tickets for the Yankees, and while not everyone could afford that kind of extravagance, everyone in the firm enjoyed the exchange.

  Shelley shook the bag and held it out. “I envy whoever you get. Anne wears the watch you gave her last year every day.”

  “Hey, isn’t this supposed to be secret?” Kevin gave her a mock glare as he reached into the bag and ran his fingers through the slips of paper. He selected one, pulled it out, and held it closed within his hand.

  “We have our ways of knowing things,” Shelley replied airily, waving away his protest.

  Chuckling, Kevin shook his head. “It figures. You guys are too good at research to miss a trick, aren’t you?”

  “Absolutely!” Shelley looked pointedly at his hand. “Aren’t you going to open it and see who it is?”

  “Not until you leave! I don’t need the Sherlock Holmes of the holiday elves figuring it out before it’s even December.”

  Shelley shrugged, a gleam of amusement in her eyes. “Don’t think I won’t!” she promised with a wink. “You’re a thoughtful man, Kevin. Your recipient will be very grateful you drew their name.”

  “Well, I’ll do my best.”

  Shelley nodded, and then she turned and headed out, presumably to spread more cheer. Kevin looked down at the piece of green paper dubiously. He liked giving gifts and making people happy, but it wasn’t always easy. He’d barely known Anne, one of the legal secretaries, when he’d drawn her name, and it had taken more than a little covert research of his own to figure out what she might like. He knew he could have just given her a gift certificate, but he’d always felt they were a form of cheating.

  The whole point of the exchange was for the firm’s employees to get to know one another on a personal level, but unlike most of the other lawyers, Kevin was shy. He wasn’t a flashy criminal attorney; he preferred the relative peace of corporate law, drawing up contracts and investigating patent disputes. He’d been in court often enough over the years, but he wasn’t the lead attorney when it came to litigation. He didn’t care for the spotlight, the television interviews, or the notoriety that sometimes surrounded the cases. Just doing his job well brought him a great deal of satisfaction.

  As a result, he wasn’t exactly thrilled with the thought of having to ask subtle questions about a relative stranger to determine what they’d like, so it was with more than a little trepidation that he opened the paper and read the name.

  Erik Wilson.

  “Oh.” Dumbfounded, Kevin stared at the paper, relief warring with unease. In one way, drawing Erik’s name made things simpler for him. Erik was his closest friend; they worked out together at the gym, and they met up regularly, whether it was to try a new restaurant or relax with a pizza and a movie. They shared a love of art, especially the classics, and had visited a few special exhibits together over the years. Kevin knew Erik’s tastes well, which should have made choosing a present easy.

  Unfortunately, he was also madly in love with Erik, which meant he had to figure out what to give Erik without making his feelings all too obvious. It would take a Christmas miracle to make a man like Erik ever look at him. Erik had it all: he was smart, sexy, and outgoing. He was tall and broad-shouldered with dark hair and bedroom eyes, and half the women in the office would have been vying for his attention if he weren’t gay. Where Kevin was shy, Erik was friendly, and while Kevin disliked having to stand up and speak in court, Erik thrived on it. They worked together because their expertise and skills sets meshed well, but Kevin knew it was Erik who had the drive to win their cases that went to trial. Kevin didn’t resent it in the slightest, because he was a background kind of guy. Erik could have any man he wanted, and he’d never given any indication that he saw Kevin as more than a friend.

  Kevin knew he could play it safe and get Erik something nice but not terribly personal, but part of him wanted to use this opportunity to get Erik’s attention and maybe make him notice Kevin as more than just a buddy. If he were a different man, he would have done it out in the open, but he couldn’t bear it if Erik rejected him outright. No doubt Erik would be nice about it and let Kevin down easy, but there was no way Kevin wanted to face that kind of scene. With the anonymity of the exchange, however, maybe he could let Erik know there was someone who was interested in him, and perhaps Erik would notice Kevin’s quiet dedication. Even if he didn’t, maybe Kevin could get past his insecurity enough to say something to Erik directly.

  He’d have to think about it and come up with a plan. Fate had handed him an opportunity, and he knew he’d never forgive himself if he wasted it.

  THE PARTY was in full swing when Erik arrived, and he paused to survey the scene with quiet pleasure. The hotel ballroom had been tastefully decorated in shades of blue, silver, and white to promote a festive winter atmosphere without favoring one holiday over the others. That was one of the things he liked best about working for Caldwell and Monroe: they promoted tolerance and inclusion among their employees.

  A buffet complete with ornate ice sculptures and a champagne fountain took up the length of one wall, and a live band was playing unobtrusive background music, although Erik knew that would change once enough people had a few drinks in them. The music would ge
t louder and livelier, and the large dance floor would end up crowded by the end of the night.

  Another table had been set up to hold the secret exchange gifts, and it was full, as usual. The exchange coordinators badgered everyone to get their gifts in early and then set up the table themselves so no one could see who brought in which gift. Erik had drawn Mary Hines, who was Cal Monroe’s personal assistant. She used a coffee mug that read “I knit so I don’t kill people,” so Erik had bought her a nice knitting project bag and a gift certificate to an independently run yarn shop. He didn’t know the first thing about knitting, but the salesperson at the yarn shop had assured him that no knitter could have too many project bags, and he did want to personalize the gift instead of falling back on a generic gift card.

  He made his way through the crowd, pausing to say hello and chat with various people as he headed to the buffet. Nobody ate much of anything on the day of the office party because they knew the food would be plentiful and delicious, and Erik loaded his plate just like everyone else. The carved beef Wellington and chocolate Black Forest torte would be worth a few extra reps at the gym tomorrow.

  Once he’d filled his plate as much as he could, he scouted around for a table, pleased when he saw his friend Kevin sitting alone. He didn’t hesitate to join Kevin, smiling and taking a seat without asking.

  “Hey, Kev! Enjoying the party so far?”

  Kevin returned the smile and glanced at the other empty chairs at the table. “You know me. Always in the middle of the loudest group, right?”

  “At least you’re here,” Erik said. “You can enjoy the food and have a drink or two, and maybe we’ll even see you out on the dance floor.”

  A flush rose in Kevin’s cheeks, and he shook his head. “I’d feel like an idiot. It would take more than a couple of drinks to get past feeling like everyone was pointing and laughing at me.”

  Erik gave Kevin an exasperated look. As cute and smart as he was, Kevin had no reason to be insecure, and Erik tried to coax him out of his shell as much as possible. “They’d be cheering you on, glad to see you were cutting loose and having a good time.”

  Kevin looked down at his plate, a lock of sandy blond hair falling forward to obscure his face. “I know, but I’d still feel like it was pointing and laughing. I like everyone, really, but I don’t have your gift with people. Or your confidence.”

  “There’s no reason why you shouldn’t,” Erik replied, wishing he could get through to Kevin somehow. “You’re well-liked at the office too, and everyone respects your intelligence and your mad research skills, including me. God knows I don’t have the patience to dig up the kinds of things you manage to find! There’s no telling how many times your work has made the difference in winning and losing one of our cases.”

  “Really?” Kevin looked back up, pleasure warring with uncertainty in his eyes. He shrugged, but a pleased little smile hovered on his lips. “Well, you’re the one who’s persuasive enough to convince judges and juries, and I couldn’t do that in a million years. But I’m glad my efforts count for something. I’d hate for Cal to sack me because I wasn’t pulling my weight!”

  “That’s why we make a good team.” Erik reached out and squeezed Kevin’s shoulder. “You’re better at research, and I’m better at talking.”

  Kevin’s smile became warm. “We do make a good team, don’t we? Mary said we had the highest winning percentage in the firm.”

  “We do.” Erik nodded proudly. “And we’re both responsible for that.”

  This time when Kevin blushed, it was obviously in pleasure. He picked up his champagne glass and held it out toward Erik. “Then I propose a toast. To Wilson and Anderson, the best darned litigation team in New York City.”

  “To Anderson and Wilson.” Erik lifted his glass and touched it to Kevin’s, pleased that Kevin had accepted the well-deserved praise. “Long may they litigate together!”

  Chuckling, Kevin took a sip of the champagne, and then he lowered his glass and looked past Erik. “Looks like Shelley and Mary are getting ready to start the gift exchange.”

  “Oh, good!” Erik scooted his chair closer to Kevin’s and shifted so he could get a clear view. “This part is always fun. Do you have any idea who got you this year?”

  “No, but I never try to find out,” Kevin replied. A pensive expression crossed his face briefly, but then he smiled. “Whatever I get, I’ll probably like it.”

  “Probably,” Erik said. “Everybody seems to make a decent effort.”

  They fell silent and settled in to watch as Mary sorted through the gifts and handed the first one of the evening to Shelley, who announced the name of one of the other junior lawyers. They had to unwrap their gifts and hold it up for everyone to see, and Erik enjoyed the ritual. His colleagues were effusive in their responses, and sharing the gift-giving always put Erik in the holiday spirit, especially since his own family didn’t bother with holiday traditions anymore.

  When his name was called, he smiled with anticipation as he approached the table and Shelley held out his gift. The box was long and narrow, wrapped in an expensive gold foiled paper embossed with tiny Christmas trees. A card was attached to the top by a red ribbon, which was unusual.

  “You have to read the card to the rest of us,” Shelley informed him.

  “Okay, sure.” Erik untied the ribbon and opened the card, not at all reluctant to share its message. Typed on the plain white card were six lines:

  Christmas is the time for giving, and what I have for you,

  Is a little mystery, and every gift’s a clue.

  For twelve days, just like the song, another gift I’ll send,

  Until the night of Christmas Eve, when our game will end.

  The challenge that I make is to guess my identity,

  And if you do, it just might lead to an epiphany.

  The crowd responded with laughter and rowdy catcalls about Erik having a secret admirer, and Erik felt his cheeks growing hot. Part of him was wildly curious about who was behind the poem, and part of him was flattered that perhaps he did have an admirer.

  “It’s the gift that keeps on giving,” he joked, slipping the card into the pocket of his tailored black jacket. Although everyone’s interest seemed to be more on the card, he opened the box and pulled out a bottle of Santa Margherita pinot grigio, his favorite wine. “Thank you, mystery elf! I’ll drink a toast to you when I open this.”

  With that, Erik returned to his seat and looked at Kevin, shaking his head in disbelief. “Well, that was a surprise.”

  Kevin studied him closely. “I bet it was.” He gestured at the bottle. “Any idea who might have done it?”

  “Someone who knows what kind of wine I like, but that doesn’t narrow down the list much.” Erik pulled out the note and studied it in silence for a moment. “I wonder what this means,” he mused. “Twelve gifts for me? Why? And what kind of epiphany are they talking about?”

  “Who knows?” Kevin shrugged and drained his glass of champagne. “Sounds like someone is flirting with you.”

  “Maybe, but if they want to flirt, why don’t they just talk to me?” Erik frowned slightly, puzzled by this new mystery. “I’m not scary. I don’t bite. Well, not without permission,” he added with a teasing grin, knowing the remark would probably fluster Kevin, who was adorable when he blushed.

  As if on cue, Kevin’s cheeks turned pink, and he looked down at his hands. “Maybe they’re afraid of rejection, or maybe they like to play games. It could be any number of reasons.”

  “I guess you’re right.” Erik put the note aside, since the gift exchange wasn’t over yet. “It’s another case to be solved, right?”

  “Apparently so.” Kevin gave him a quick smile, just as his name was called. “Looks like it’s my turn. Bet I don’t get a poem or a secret admirer.”

  “Don’t be so sure,” Erik said. He applauded along with everyone else when Kevin opened his present, but he was distracted, his mind straying back to the cryptic note and i
ts meaning.

  If he did have a secret admirer, Erik wished they would step forward. But then again, a holiday game like this was a novel approach, and he had to give them credit for style. Erik decided to hold off before going to the company grapevine for information and enjoy the game for a while. Maybe he’d end up with someone to share the holidays with after all.

  KEVIN GLANCED at his watch for what must have been the fiftieth time in five minutes, but the hands stubbornly refused to move more quickly around the dial. It was maddening, especially when he’d already been working for over an hour, having come in extra early so he could leave the second gift on Erik’s desk without being seen.

  During the night, he’d changed his mind dozens of times about going through with his plan to woo Erik. What would he do if Erik didn’t return his feelings? It could wreck an excellent partnership, and no doubt Cal Monroe and Ted Caldwell would be annoyed at having their best litigation team acting awkward around each other. But Kevin had to do something, before Erik found someone else and Kevin felt compelled to leave the firm. He couldn’t keep working with Erik while knowing Erik was going home each night to someone else. Finally he decided to continue. After all, he could stop the game at any point if he lost his nerve or Erik didn’t seem to enjoy it.

  At last, his watch indicated it was 9:10, which meant Erik had been in for at least ten minutes. He didn’t want to raise any suspicions by rushing to Erik’s office the moment he got there, but by now Erik had gotten settled in. Kevin picked up a folder with a brief Erik would need for their current case and made his way to Erik’s office.

  The door was open, but Kevin paused and knocked on the doorframe before sticking his head in. “Hey, Erik, you busy?”

  Erik swiveled his chair around, caught in the act of stuffing a Godiva chocolate in his mouth. He shook his head and waved Kevin in, holding out the box of chocolates.

  “Want one?” he asked, his voice muffled as he tried to talk without revealing a mouthful of candy.