Page 64 of Santa Daddies

Since Tank is all about accessibility, he even invited his remote workers. They were all given funds to make it to the party tonight. He wants the best people on his team working for his business, and sometimes that means they don't work in the office or even live in the city.

Seeing them is a treat. No more observing; it’s time to get moving.

I mingle with the crowd, going up and saying hi to the ones I know and introducing myself to those I don't. It's habit at this point. Working at the reception desk at the office means that I couldn't be as introverted as I wanted to be.

It's only my softer side that gets that way. Without a Daddy to help nurture it, those times are few and far between.

The more people that show up, the bigger the party becomes. It's not wall-to-wall bodies. There's enough that you have to navigate your way through the crowd.

I decided to finally take a break for some treats. It’s been long enough for others to have sampled it all. I grab one of the snickerdoodles—aka my favorite for tonight because my favorite is ever-changing—and then turn toward the drink table.

A glance at the little labels reveals everything is brought to us by Sinclair. I ponder over whether or not I should have coffee or hot chocolate. Eventually I settle on the good stuff.

Hot cocoa is a must.

Honestly, the side of me that craves a Daddy really loves the stuff. Coffee would also keep me up forever tonight. Considering I need to crash after all this, I should avoid the caffeine. It's been a busy time, and we don't actually have to be in the office until after the new year.

My vacation starts as soon as this party is over. Not that I have anything planned of course. I don't want to be an imposition to any of the guys.

I haven't even thought about leaving the city. I figure I’ll hunker down on the couch with some snacks and watch the snow while Christmas movies played.

As I pour myself a cup of hot chocolate, I feel someone step up beside me. I turn to greet the newcomer and tell them how awesome the hot chocolate is, but my voice freezes in my throat.

Afamiliarface.

The man is someone I have heard of and seen a picture of but never had the chance to be around.

Jerome Daniels stands beside me looking even better than the photograph I’d seen of him. He's semi-formal in his attire with a really nice burgundy button-up and a pair of black slacks. It all fits him perfectly, molding to his frame. I don't take a chance to look down at his shoes because I've already been staring for far too long, but it's his face and the smile he's throwing my way that truly leaves me speechless.

"Hi there," he says. "I'm Jerome."

Thankfully he doesn't try to shake my hand. If he did, he'd feel just how sweaty it's become in the three-point-two seconds I've been standing near him.

This is the man I saw on Jim's screen and had inappropriate thoughts about. He is the man that I had delusions of being a perfect Daddy for me. He's the man that I can't have because I don't even know him. This is the first time we've ever spoken.

Dear brain, get out of the gutter or the Daddy-topia place. Whatever.

“What's your name?" he asks when I don't respond.

I try to speak, and it comes out as a squeak.

His lips tip up further as his hand moves to my lower back. "You okay there?"

I nod, then clear my throat. "Yeah, sorry, I'm… I'm Jared."

His thumb rubs softly against the back of my sweater. I hate myself a little bit for wearing something so thick, but it’s basically a freaking blizzard outside. If it wasn’t for the coat check that I found after dropping off the cookies while I was mingling, then even more fabric would be between us.

Jerome nods his head. "It's nice to meet you, Jared. What do you do here?" he asks. "Here at NightShade, I mean."

I stop the hot chocolate pouring in my cup before it can overflow and secure it with a lid. Then I take a quick bite of cookie because my nerves are still a mess. This only seems to amuse the man further. His eyes brighten as he steps even closer to my side.

"Why don't we move off to the side? I would love to speak with you more, but I think there might be some people who want hot chocolate too."

I let him lead me over away from the table because, sure enough, therewasa line forming behind us. When it's just us off to the side he keeps his hand on me. I wonder how any of this is happening.

“Now then, can you tell me about what you do? I can go first if that helps. I’m the new assistant for Grant over in legal. I used to be a cop but left that career and started over. I’m forty-three. I'm an only child. Parents are both gone. Love the city, and I'm friends with Chance. Still learning to be friends with Tank.”

That last comment gets me to grin.