Czytaj książkę: «The Men Who Make Christmas»

CHAPTER ONE

THE HOUSE WAS COLD.

Carli Tynan wasn’t surprised. In fact, she’d never once entered this mansion and ever felt warm. Regardless of the season. And, despite the myriad of Christmas decorations currently adorning the foyer, nothing about the home felt particularly festive. Or even like a home. No, the Hammond estate felt more like a staid museum.

The eleven-foot-tall pine Christmas tree that nearly touched the ceiling notwithstanding.

Shaking the thin layer of snow off her wool coat, she peeled off her faux leather gloves, the bound portfolio tucked under her right arm. The darn portfolio was the only reason she was here, the reason her usual morning routine had been so handily disrupted. Carli was not a fan of disruptions. She’d already had to deal with way too many in her twenty-six years.

Her boss, Jackson Hammond, had asked her just this morning to drop off the file on her way in to work. Right after she’d gotten back from her early-morning run. It had barely given her time to shower, let alone to put herself together as well as she normally liked. As a result, her unruly curls were now a mess of tangles hastily secured in a haphazard bun on top of her head. She hadn’t even had a chance to iron her remaining clean suit. The only other option was a stretch pencil dress that had recently shrunk after she’d accidently thrown it in the dryer. Comfortable, it was not.

But she had a day full of meetings in the office, and this was the best she could do. Not at all the way she would have preferred to start off her morning. Or any morning for that matter.

All because the prodigal son was returning home.

Justin Hammond, Jackson’s second-born, had been the one to request the portfolio. And apparently, he needed it before he could make it into the office. Carli had to accommodate him. Why was he suddenly heading back into town anyway? Justin hadn’t had anything to do with Hammond’s Toys since she’d been employed there. Now, suddenly, he was interested. Carli stepped farther into the foyer and couldn’t resist the urge to roll her eyes. No doubt Justin’s sudden interest was due to his older brother James’s recent distractions, so to speak. James had apparently met someone and was now taking a well-deserved break from the day-to-day business. Little brother must have concluded that this was an ideal time to strike.

Never mind that Carli should be the one next in line to take over any of the duties James may be ready to relinquish. She couldn’t help but feel a little insulted.

And hurt. Well, she’d just have to get over it. Then she’d have to work even harder to ensure she got the position she deserved.

She walked up to the foot of the stairs and yelled up toward the second floor. “Mr. Hammond, I’m dropping off the file.”

No answer.

Jackson’s hearing wasn’t what it used to be. She shrugged off her coat and dropped it on the nearby black leather settee, then walked halfway up the grand spiral stairway.

“Mr. Hammond, where would you like the files?”

Again, nothing. Carli let out a huff of frustration. She certainly didn’t want to risk having come out here only to have the portfolio overlooked because the Hammond men couldn’t find it. She would have texted Jackson, but he was notorious for wanting to have nothing to do with technology. He probably didn’t even look at his phone every day. Hence the request for a paper file. As for Justin Hammond, she barely knew a thing about him, let alone his cell phone number.

She walked all the way up to the hallway and toward Mr. Hammond’s suite. The shower was running. Great. She would have to yell through the door at the top of her lungs, or he would never hear her.

Could this morning get any worse? She didn’t think so.

Stepping into the master suite, she walked over to Mr. Hammond’s antique mahogany desk and dropped the portfolio atop it. Then yelled as loud as she dared across the room toward the closed master bathroom door. “The portfolio is on your desk, Mr. Hammond.”

A muffled acknowledgment sounded from the other side, and Carli breathed a sigh of relief. Now she could get out of here and finally start her day.

But the day had other plans. When she was midway down the stairs, the front door opened and a shadowy, tall figure stepped into the foyer. He dropped his suitcase to the floor and seemed to hesitate before entering any farther. Carli’s step nearly faltered as she took in the sight of him. Tall and dark with a firm square jaw and jet-black hair. There was no mistaking who he was—Justin, the other Hammond heir. All three men shared the same rugged features, but the one standing before her had a different vibe altogether. An aura she would be hard-pressed to describe.

Regaining her balance, she managed to finally make her way down the stairs.

Justin finally looked up as she reached the foyer. He seemed to do a double take. Most men did when they first got a look at her. A fact she was quite aware of. And quite uncomfortable with.

“I’m sorry,” he began, though he looked anything but. “I didn’t realize anyone was here.” He looked downright annoyed.

She tried to summon a polite smile, but her facial muscles seemed useless. Justin Hammond had eyes that a sorcerer would envy. The lightest shade of hazel littered with gold specks. What was wrong with her? She so wasn’t the type to notice men’s eyes, for heaven’s sake.

“Um, your father’s in the shower. I’m sure he’ll be right out.” In an awkward attempt to introduce herself, she extended her right hand. “I’m Car—”

But he stopped her midsentence. “Look, that’s hardly necessary.”

Carli blinked. Okay. No time for a quick introduction? Maybe he was just jet-lagged and tired from travel. Or perhaps he was just plain rude.

She cleared her throat. “Oh, I guess—” She looked to the side, unable to bear his gaze much longer given the awkwardness. “I guess I’ll be on my way then.”

He merely nodded, then stepped aside.

Carli tried not to flinch. She’d just effectively been shown the door! By the man who threatened the job she’d been working so hard for, no less.

Straightening to her full height, Carli stepped around him and went to grab her coat from the settee. Then did the only thing she could. She left.

Her words about the morning not getting any worse mocked her.

* * *

Justin watched as the woman walked out and firmly shut the door behind her. Perhaps he’d been on the slim side of rude just now, but he so hadn’t been expecting a stunning bombshell to come down the stairs as he entered his boyhood home. Not that he’d really been expecting anything in particular after having been gone over two decades.

Looked like his father’s womanizing ways hadn’t changed.

He glanced out the side palladium window as the woman walked down the driveway toward the parked car outside. Ravishing. It was the only word that came to mind. She had curves that would stop a monk in his tracks. The dress she wore hugged those curves in all the right ways. His father apparently liked them much younger these days; she had to be barely in her late twenties.

Well, it was no business of his. He was only here for a few days to analyze some numbers his father wanted him to look at. Though why the old man suddenly requested his younger son’s help after all these years was a mystery, one Justin had no interest in investigating. He’d been ready to turn down the request and tell his father where he could go, but his mother had insisted he do Jackson Hammond’s bidding. The old man still held the purse strings after all. And his mother had always been all about the Hammond purse strings.

Even after she’d fled this house and his father all those years ago, taking their younger son, him, along with her. He’d been the lucky one to get whisked away in the middle of the night once his mother finally decided she’d had enough.

He hadn’t been back since. Until today.

Justin tried to get his bearings as he examined the foyer he hadn’t walked through since he’d been a small child. Everything appeared smaller. The traditional Christmas decorations were as spectacular as he remembered. The tall pine by the stairs glittered with gold and silver ornaments. Sparkling lights adorned the stairs and banisters, a line of poinsettias graced the walls. So festive. In a nauseating and annoying way. All that was missing was a background track of loud Christmas music.

Bah, humbug.

What was he doing here? He should have refused his parents’ requests and the hell with the consequences. Who did they think he was? Who did his father think he was? This was the same man who had ignored him until his older and rightful heir had decided last month that he’d needed some time off to go do...whatever he was doing. Justin had no idea, but it probably involved a woman. Maybe his brother had fallen in love.

Yeah, right, Justin thought as he made his way toward the living room. He sincerely doubted it. The Hammond genes weren’t really conducive to such things. Love wasn’t in their DNA.

More Christmas decorations greeted him in the living room, which had been updated with new furniture in addition to a slightly less dark shade of green painted on the walls. Or perhaps that had been the same color all along. He’d been gone from home a long time. Not that it ever really felt like a home to begin with.

Overall, reentering his childhood house so far felt somewhat surreal. Like he’d stepped into a previous life.

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs pulled him out of his musings. Steeling himself against the anger barely contained under the surface, Justin turned to face Jackson Hammond—the man who had watched a young Justin being yanked out that front door all those years ago without lifting a finger to stop it.

Past history, Justin thought as he turned to greet his father. Or more accurately, the man who had sired him.

To his surprise, Jackson hadn’t changed all that much. The graying at his temples had spread through to most of his thick, wavy hair. A few more wrinkles framed the area around his mouth. Other than that, Justin felt as if he could be looking at the same face he had last seen all those years ago.

“Thank you for coming, son,” his father said, and extended a hand. It was the most awkward handshake Justin had ever performed.

“You’re welcome.”

“I know what a busy man you are, so I really appreciate it.”

Justin merely nodded. No need for Jackson to know that if it weren’t for his mother’s insistence, Justin would still be on the other side of the country.

“Given your global reputation as a management consultant, I figured it was about time you did a full assessment of the company you’re part heir to,” his father added, then shook his head as if in disbelief. “Something I should have requested long ago.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Justin offered.

“You’ve accomplished quite a lot for such a young age,” Jackson added. “That consulting firm of yours is known all over the world.” Was that a look of pride on his face? If so, it was too little, and much too late.

“Business has been good.”

“So I’ve read. As well as reading about your fast rise in the industry.”

Justin processed his father’s words. Words that would have meant the world to him when he was a teenager, or even a college student. How many school events or sporting events had he desperately searched the audience on some small glimmer of hope that Jackson might have shown up? How many times had the phone rang on his birthday with none of the calls being from his father?

No. Justin had long ago stopped pining for any acknowledgment from the man standing before him. “Why don’t I get started then?” he prompted, changing the subject.

What had Jackson expected? If his father had any notion that this visit was to be a touching reunion between long-lost father and son, he was in for a disappointment.

* * *

Carli found herself becoming more and more annoyed as she drove away from the Hammond mansion. Of all the nerve! She’d never been dismissed by anyone in such a fashion—and she’d grown up in a houseful of siblings. Undivided attention wasn’t exactly something she was used to. But the way Justin Hammond had just practically ejected her had been downright insulting. To make matters worse, she’d done nothing but stood there like a stunned doe. How pathetic.

She took the curve around the next bend a little too fast and realized she was letting her anger get the best of her. Deep breaths. So what if her new boss was a rude, insensitive clod? She could handle it.

He would not get to her. She’d worked too hard and overcome too much to get to where she was in her career. Her job with Hammond’s Toys meant everything. And she was good at it, damn it!

Why did Justin Hammond have to show up and put all of it in jeopardy? But there was an even bigger question, she had to admit. Why hadn’t she stood up for herself? It was like she’d looked into his eyes and gone totally mute. Recalling his gaze just now had her drawing in a deep breath. Heavens, those caramel-hued eyes were the devil’s tool for distraction. And there was something behind them, a distant, haunted look if she’d ever seen one.

She hmmphed. Now she was just getting fanciful. He was just her new boss. And she had to deal with him, that’s all.

The honk of a horn behind her startled her out of her thoughts. She’d stopped at a red light and hadn’t even noticed it had turned. Time to get a grip.

Justin Hammond had already taken way too much of her time, and she had things to do.

That reminder became all too evident when she made her way into her office. Her assistant was already there at the desk, with a file of papers waiting for Carli’s signature or attention. The latest cost-cutting initiative was becoming quite the project—one she’d been given the primary responsibility for. Until Justin was called in, that was.

“Hey, Jocelyn. Sorry I’m late.”

The petite brunette gave her a friendly smile. “Don’t sweat it. You’re not that late.”

“Well, it’s late for me.”

“Please tell me it’s because you had a hot, steamy date last night that turned into a wild night. And that he wouldn’t let you get up out of bed this morning.”

“Last night was a Tuesday.”

Jocelyn gave her a blank look. “What’s your point?”

Why did she bother? “Never mind. Are those the latest data points?”

Her assistant nodded and handed her the thick pile of folders. “I printed them like you requested. The electronic file is in your inbox.”

“Thanks. You know where I’ll be for most of the morning. These numbers are going to take a while to get through. And I’m already behind.” Due to an unexpected project I was just given this morning, she added to herself. A project for the sole purpose of getting Justin Hammond up to speed on the latest business figures.

“Well, you can’t be working on them all morning.”

Carli lifted an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”

“Mr. Hammond just called and asked me to schedule yet one more meeting. We have an unexpected guest coming in.”

Oh, no. Carli could venture to guess who it might be. “Please tell me it’s not Justin Hammond.”

Jocelyn gave her a curious smile. “I could do that. But I’d be lying to you.”

Great. Just great. Was the man sent here just to vex her at every turn? Apparently, she was supposed to jump whenever Justin Hammond needed anything.

Jocelyn studied her, the amused smile still on her face. “Something wrong?”

Carli tried to shake off the frustration. “I just have a lot to do. And he happens to be the reason I’m late to begin with.”

“Aha! So I was right.”

“Right about what?”

“You were indeed late because of a sexy man.”

Jocelyn just didn’t know when to let up. “Only because I had to prepare a report for him at the last minute and then deliver it before I got in today.”

Her assistant waved her hand in dismissal. “Details.”

“Honestly, Jocelyn. I barely met the man for a few scant moments.”

“So tell me. Is he as handsome as he appears in all the photos?”

“I didn’t notice.”

That earned her a disbelieving look. “See. This is why I worry about you. Justin Hammond is one of the most eligible bachelors on the planet. He’s on the celebrity sites weekly. Wealthy, successful and handsome. And you didn’t even notice his looks?”

“Not really, no.” She could fib quite well when she had to.

Jocelyn slammed her hands on her hips. “That’s just disappointing. Most of the female staff around here are breathless with anticipation at his arrival. And you act like it’s an ordinary day. You gotta give me something. Some small detail I can throw to them.”

“That’s just silly. He’s just the other Hammond heir.”

“Right. A mere handsome millionaire who not only has claim to half the largest retail toy company in North America but also made gobs of money on his own.”

She did have a point there. Justin’s life story so far was a bit on the exceptional side. She was about to begrudgingly admit to that when a small commotion outside her door drew both their attention. Looked like Jocelyn was about to find out firsthand what she was so curious about. Justin had arrived. And he was causing quite a stir, no doubt with most of the female staff. Carli heard “can I get you anything, Mr. Hammond” more than once.

Jocelyn jumped to the door. “Ooh, he’s here.” She gasped. “And he’s heading right to your office.”

A strange sensation spread through Carli’s chest. Despite seeing several photos of him throughout the years, she had to admit he wasn’t what she’d been expecting. All the pictures hadn’t really done him justice. They hadn’t captured the soft, tawny hue of his eyes. Or the way his hair fell sloppily over his forehead. She hadn’t realized she’d noticed so much of him during those brief moments in the Hammond foyer earlier.

A quick knock on the door, and then Justin stepped into her office. He blinked in surprise when he saw her. “You?”

What was that supposed to mean? Did he want her out already? Genuine surprise registered on his face. Was he here to lay claim to her office, having expected her to vacate it for him already?

Too stunned to speak, Carli was relieved when Jocelyn stepped up to him. “Mr. Hammond, I’m Jocelyn Sumner. We weren’t expecting you so early. The meeting isn’t until nine thirty.”

He hadn’t taken his eyes off Carli. She resisted the urge to look away from the intense stare.

“I figured I’d get started,” he answered Jocelyn. “I’m looking for the person who put this together.” He held up the file of papers Carli dropped off less than an hour ago. “I was told this is their office.”

Carli finally found her tongue. “It is.”

He blinked at her. “Can you tell me where to find him now?”

Him. “You have,” she answered, deliberately omitting further clarification. Let him hang in the wind a bit.

He lifted an eyebrow.

“I’m the one who put it together. I was dropping it off this morning when we...met.” She added some emphasis on the last word.

Justin’s eyes grew wide as understanding clearly dawned. Jocelyn stood between them, her gaze switching back and forth as if she were watching an exciting tennis game.

Justin cleared his throat. “You did this?” he asked, indicating the file in his hand. “It’s, uh, very thorough. Very impressive.”

Carli tried not to bristle at his surprised tone. How very insulting. This man didn’t know a thing about her. But he’d made his initial judgment already. She wasn’t surprised. Men like Justin always came to the most obvious conclusion when it came to her.

How disappointing that he was so typical.