So, it turns out having sex with your boss makes your work day easier. Who knew?

In the three days following us having sex, we did it a total of eleven and a half times. The half was when we nearly got caught in the bathroom in the office. If dick is entered but neither get off then it’s definitely considered a half, right?

I don’t allow my thoughts to come to the front of my mind as they scream it’ll only be six days before I’m heading back to my boring life in L.A. with orgasms only from Lucas. Nope, I don’t listen to them one bit.

Who am I kidding? It’s all I freaking think about! Especially now as I stare from my desk into his office, my chin resting on my hand my gaze tracking the line of his jaw and his lips that have been on every part of my body.

Oh, God, those lips.

“Ahh!” My hand flies to my chest, my heart thumping loudly when the phone on my desk rings. Calming myself down, I tear my gaze away from Axel and all his godlike sexiness, before picking it up.

“Hello, Mr. Taylor’s office. Violet Scott speaking.”

“Hello there, Violet. I was wondering if you could help me? I’m calling from one of the companies Taylor Industries owns—Shards and Co. We’re having trouble trying to work out which department we need to contact so have been put through to you.”

I straighten up in my seat, moving the mouse to the side to bring the computer screen to life.

“Of course I can try to help. What’s the problem you’re having?”

“None of our phone lines are working and—”

“Wait,” I interrupt. “How are you calling me then?

“Cell?”

I smack myself on the forehead. “Of course, sorry, carry on.”

She goes on to tell me everything she and her small team have tried but I have no idea what to suggest for them to do.

“I think I’m going to put you through to our communications department.”

“Please don’t put me on hold again.”

“I…” I turn my head to look at Axel. He’s still busy on his conference call. “Maybe I can give you their number?”

“That would be great,” she responds. I reel off the number to her, saying goodbye and pressing the phone back into the cradle.

I’m about to lean back against the chair when the phone rings again. I don’t look down as I pull it off its cradle, my eyes still connected to Axel’s biceps.

“Hello, Mr—”

“Violet.” My eyes widen at the sound of Della’s voice, a squeak escaping my throat.

“Della… I…” I spin the chair around so I’m not facing Axel, the phone wire curling around me as I do. “How…” I clear my throat. “What can I do for you?”

There’s a click on her end before she says, “I wanted to see how you were getting on and to make sure you’d be back here next Wednesday after Christmas break.”

I twirl around in the chair, bringing my face back to Axel who is now sitting at his desk with his gaze trained on me. My eyes widen even more, almost as if Della can see me through the phone, so I spin around again, looking away from him.

“Yeah, I’ll be back.” I pause, waiting to see what she says, but when she’s silent, I ask, “Was there anything—”

“When you come back, I need to see you in my office. We need to talk.”

Talk? “Talk? Can I ask what about?” I move my feet, spinning back around to face his office again, only this time he’s not in there.

I continue to spin, searching for him, but as I try to turn again, the phone wire completely wraps around me, the handset crashing to the floor with a bang.

“Ahhh.” The phone falls out of my hand, tangling with the wire as I bat at it. “I’m stuck! It’s tightening. Get it off! Get it—”

Axel’s head dips close to mine from out of nowhere, causing my heartbeat to speed up and my nerves to rattle.

He picks up the phone, bending to talk into the speaker. “We’re having technical difficulties right now…” His gaze bats back up to mine, widening slightly at the voice he recognizes on the other line. “You’ll have to call back later, byyyeee.”

I bite my lip to hold in my laughter at his extended bye, my arms attached to my side by the phone wire as he picks the handset up and ends the call.

“How did you get trapped?” I open my mouth but he puts his hand up, shaking his head as he says, “Never mind.” He leans down, untangling me.

“My hero,” I whisper.

He finishes getting the wire from around me, placing the handset back on the table. “I’ll be the Hulk to your Black Widow anyday.”

I raise a brow. “I much prefer Thor and Jane, but okay.” I shrug.

“Thor?” he asks.

“Mmmhmm.” I hold my hands apart, giving him a coy look. “He has a very big… hammer.”

* * *

I wrap the scarf around my neck, pulling on my pink mittens that match my woolen cat hat. If I say so myself: I look cool as shit. It’s cold and dark when I step out of the hotel and onto the sidewalk, looking left and then right, spotting Axel.

He’s wearing a big winter coat, a scarf tucked into it but no cat hat—shame, he could totally work a hat with ears.

Walking over to him, I stop a couple of feet away, waiting until he ends the call he’s on. When he spots me, a grin spreads across his lips.

“Hey.”

“Hey yourself,” I answer, moving closer to him as the wind whips around us. “What was the big rush?”

“It’s Christmas Eve,” he tells me, like that will answer my question. “It’s tradition to go and see the Rockerfeller Christmas Tree.”

I gasp, backing away a step. “Noooo.”

“Yesss,” he mimics, mocking me.

I give him a mock glare before jumping up and down, my right arm flapping beside me. At least I remembered not to do it with both arms and look like a dancing chicken. The impact of my Converse hitting the ground vibrates through me, licking pain into my collarbone so I stop.

“Are we going now? Right now?”

“Uh-huh.” He holds his hand out to me and I don’t hesitate to put mine into it as he leads me from the front of the hotel and down the street.

We walk for about fifteen minutes, conversation flowing freely before he turns the corner, and there in all its glory is the tree I’ve wanted to see my entire life.

It’s huge. Bigger than anything I’ve ever seen, and when I tell Axel this, he raises his brow and points down to his junk in question.

“Yep.” I nod, chuckling under my breath as I let his hand go and walk closer to it. “Way bigger than that.”

“Hey!” I ignore him as his footsteps get closer and when he grabs for me, I squeal loud and run through the gathered people.

“You can’t run from me, Vi!”

I turn back to face him, grinning as I say, “Like Leonardo said: Catch me if you can!”

There’s a beat where neither of us moves, and then he’s diving for me, causing me to spin around and run away. I weave in and out of the people staring up at the tree, backing myself up into the corner in front of it.

When the lights flash, I stop, staring at it like a baby who’s just been handed his first piece of candy.

“Wow,” I whisper, in total awe. The different-colored lights flash on and off, the decorations in proportion to the gigantic tree. I want a tree like this in my apartment.

“Gotcha!”

Arms band around my waist and I scream, “Duck!”

He ducks his head, looking around with wide eyes. What the hell is he doing? “What, Vi? What is it?”

“What the frack are you doing, Axel?”

“You told me to duck.”

“Nu-uh, I said…” I lower my voice so the kids standing next to us can’t hear us. “I said fuck.”

“No, you said duck.”

“Nooo… I said—”

“You said duck,” an old lady standing next to us interrupts. “My cell always corrects fuck to duck.” She doesn’t lower her voice so it gains the attention of all the kids.

“I—”

“Thing drives me crazy! If I want to say fuck, then let me say fuck!” She meets my eyes. “Am I right?”

“Erm… sure?”

“Damn straight I’m right.” She turns away from us and I look up at Axel, seeing him hold in his laughter.

“And don’t get me started on it changing bitch to birch! And what’s with kids using an eggplant as a penis? It’s a goddamn eggplant!”

Axel comes closer to me, his front against my back, hiding his face in my neck as the woman goes on a rampage about autocorrect and emojis.

“I sent one to my friend when she asked me for a recipe and she messaged back saying, ‘Doris, if you want a dick then head downstairs, I’m sure the ninety-year-old man will give you a good seeing to.’”

“Oh my God,” I whisper, my hand covering my mouth.

“That was my reaction, too!” She shakes her head, her lip pulling up into a sneer. “I’m seventy-nine for God’s sake, I don’t want no old fart to be putting his wrinkled balls next to my jewelry box.”

“Jewelry box?” I ask, cringing as soon as it comes out of my mouth. I should—

“My vagina, dear.” She pats my hand as if I’m a pre-teen who doesn’t know what it is.

“Grandma! There you are!” A surfer-looking guy walks up to her, taking her arm gently. “Have you been causing trouble?” he asks knowingly.

“Me?” Her voice is all innocent now. “I would never cause trouble. I’m an upstanding member of the community.” She winks at me as he pulls her along with him. “You make sure you get some of that eggplant tonight.” Her head tilts toward Axel before she’s lost in the crowd, leaving me completely speechless.

“Did she just…”

“You know, I quite fancy a moussaka right now.”

“You can’t be serious.” I spin around in Axel’s arms.

He shrugs. “All the talk of food has made me hungry.” His gaze bats around the area. “Let’s go grab some food and then we can head to the ice rink.”

His arms come from around me after he places a gentle kiss on my lips, his hand finding mine.

“No way.” I shake my head emphatically. “I can barely walk on two feet, ain’t no way you’re getting me in a pair of skates.”

“Don’t be a scaredy cat, Vi,” he says as he pulls me through the crowd.

“And I have a broken bone, I don’t need another!”