Chapter One

Ina

The elevator zoomed me up to the fortieth floor of the skyscraper in downtown Manhattan, and I couldn’t stop fidgeting with the gift I was holding. The box was too big to hold with one hand but not really big enough for two hands, so I kept juggling it back and forth like it was a hot potato, feeling awkward no matter how I carried it.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm my nerves. It had taken me forty-five minutes to wrap the damn thing and I didn’t want my sweaty palms ruining the pretty paper.

Not to mention handing someone a sweaty gift for the Secret Santa exchange was not a great way for the new girl at the office to make a first impression.

Get it together, Ina.

I had never been so stressed out on my way to a party, but this was the company Christmas party, and I had only been working for Cupid’s Arrow for a week. Most of that was learning the ins and outs of how the dating company functioned. I’d barely met any of my coworkers, aside from Norma, the woman who’d hired me and had been training me. I hadn’t even met the man I would be working for.

Cupid’s Arrow was a matchmaking service that catered to high end clientele, so things needed to be perfect, as well as discreet. The company had lots of procedures in place to help protect privacy and prevent anyone learning about their clients’ personal business. It had been a lot to absorb.

According to Norma, I needed to know how everything worked before I could start my actual job, which was executive assistant to the CEO of the company. Apparently, the man demanded perfection, but Norma assured me I would do great. She seemed a lot more confident in my abilities than I was.

The elevator doors opened to reveal the fancy restaurant where the company Christmas party was being held, Orpheus. It was in the same building as the Cupid offices, just fifteen floors below. I’d never been down on this level. After looking up the place online, it had quickly become clear I would never be able to afford dining here.

Dramatic lighting made the walls look like they were on fire and harp music filled the air. The well-dressed hostess at the podium eyed me like I was an ant in the potato salad. “Sorry, ma’am, we’re closed tonight for a private party.”

I bristled at the audacity of this bitch, my shoulders drawing back and my jaw clenching. Was she suggesting I didn’t look like the kind of person who could be attending Cupid’s Arrow’s Christmas party?

Sure, I’d only been in New York for two weeks, but I’d taken great pains to shake the Wyoming dust off me in that time. My outfit was on point and I was even wearing my cute jacket. New York winter was nothing compared to the brutal Midwest weather, so I had left my bulky parka at home.

Despite all the effort I’d put in, little miss judgy here thought I wasn’t good enough. I slammed the gift on the podium, immediately worried I’d broken it. I didn’t let that concern show on my face. “I’m here for the party. Is that alright with you? I’m sorry if I’m not well dressed enough for your lofty standards.”

The hostess held up her palms and looked apologetic. “I’m so sorry, ma’am. It’s just you’re supposed to show me your lanyard.”

“Oh.”

She nodded. “I’ve been turning people away all night. I swear it had nothing to do with you.”

My anger evaporated and I dug my lanyard out of my clutch, thankful I had thought to bring it. “Here you go.”

The girl nodded again. “Thank you, and I’m sorry for the confusion. For the record, I think you look great. I love that jacket.”

She seemed genuine and I nodded back. “Thanks.”

“Follow me.” The hostess led me back into the restaurant’s dining room, which was a lot brighter than the entrance area. It had been decorated for the party. Christmas trees decked in Cupid’s Arrow’s signature bright pink color filled the restaurant high above the New York City streets.

The salt that still clung to the soles of my heels began melting on the glossy marble floors as I blinked at all the splendid décor. Aside from the neon pink trees, the ceiling had been draped in twinkling garland. Red and gold ornaments caught the light pouring through the windows.

I unwrapped the scarf from my neck and opened the buttons of my jacket as we wove through the restaurant. The green dress beneath would make a better impression, and this week was all about leading with the right foot for me.

“Ina!” Norma hollered at me.

Norma Frank was a godsend. The HR director had hired me on the spot after our Zoom interview, claiming I was “exactly what Dane and the company needed.” She was in her mid-forties, always impeccably dressed, and had the warmest smile I’d seen so far since setting foot in the city.

I hurried over to her, my heels clicking against the polished floor. Walking in heels was a challenge enough. Any semblance of hurrying in them was precarious at best, but I was already late, and I was relieved to see a friendly face. 

“There you are! I was starting to worry you’d gotten lost.” Norma’s eyes crinkled with genuine warmth as she pulled me into a quick hug. “You look beautiful. That color is perfect on you.”

“Thanks,” I managed, feeling my cheeks heat. “I wasn’t sure if it was too much.”

“You’re perfect,” she interrupted firmly, then hooked her arm through mine. “Come on, let me introduce you to everyone. Most people have been out this week since we’re so close to Christmas, but everyone made it tonight. Lucas throws a great party.”

Lucas? Ugh. There were so many new names and faces to memorize.

She led me through the crowd, smiling and calling people by name. I tried to absorb every name and face like I was studying for the most important test of my life. Marketing directors, IT specialists, matchmakers—the actual heartbeat of Cupid’s Arrow, according to Norma.

“Ina!” A tall man with an infectious grin and perfectly styled hair materialized in front of us. “Finally! I’ve been dying to meet the woman who’s going to keep our fearless leader in line.”

“Lucas Michaelson,” Norma said with obvious affection. “Head of PR and professional party planner.”

“Among other talents,” Lucas said with a wink. He took my hand and gave it an enthusiastic shake. “I cannot tell you how thrilled I am that you’re joining us full-time after the holidays. Dane desperately needs someone who can manage his schedule and, you know, remind him that sunlight exists.”

I laughed. “I’m excited to be here. This party is incredible.”

“Oh, this is nothing. Wait until you see what I have planned for Valentine’s Day.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “It’s going to be legendary. But tonight is just about fun and spreading some holiday cheer before everyone disappears for Christmas.” He looked down at the present in my hand. “Looks like you’re ready for the Secret Santa exchange.”

I held my gift out to Lucas. “Yep. Although I have to admit, I don’t actually know who DK is. I assumed it was someone’s initials?”

Something flickered across Lucas’s face, like he felt sorry for me or I just announced I would be taking a flying leap out the window.

Before I could question his expression, Norma gently took the gift from my hands. “Here, let’s put it on the table with the others. Everyone’s been dropping them off all evening.”

I followed her to a long table laden with wrapped presents of varying sizes and degrees of wrapping expertise. Some looked professionally done, all crisp corners and designer paper. Others were more… creative. Mine fell somewhere in the middle. I had bought pretty festive paper covered in tiny gold stars, tied with a red ribbon I’d spent far too long making look just right.

And I mean just right. Giving gifts was special to me, a tangible way for me to express that I cared and had been paying attention. That was certainly harder for a Secret Santa exchange with someone I’d never met before, based only on their initials, but I’d given it my best shot. Hopefully, DK would appreciate the thought. If not, I at least hoped they wouldn’t hate it.

The next twenty minutes passed in a blur of introductions and small talk. Norma was my guide, and she navigated the introductions like a pro, and even shared some personal insights on some of the employees, like how I could get on Gracie’s good side by asking to see pictures of her kids whenever I ran into her in the break room, or how I should never ask Jason for help when he had his headphones in.

I made mental notes of all the tidbits of wisdom she shared with the intention of writing it down later. If I remembered anything.

A Valentine’s Day Campaign came up in side conversations often, but I couldn’t follow the context, and I didn’t want to show how green I was by asking questions about something everyone else was clearly excited about.

I would have to ask Norma about it later. For now, all I had to do was soak it in. Be present. Be myself. Not act like I didn’t belong.

Easier said than done. Even with all the friendly smiles and kind words of welcome, I felt like I was living some other woman’s life. The heels, the dress, the expensive restaurant. Yes, I’d yearned for a moment like this every minute of every day back in Wyoming, but now that I was here, I was feeling something my daydreams missed.

The pressure to not mess up my new life before it even properly began.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Lucas’s voice rang out over the crowd, somehow managing to sound both commanding and playful. “If I could have your attention for just a moment!”

I could tell the guy was trouble. A real flirt. Like a cute football jock back in high school who knew he could get away with anything. All he had to do was flash those pearly whites and cast a smoldering look and he would waltz right out of any consequences.

The chatter died and everyone gave him their attention. He stood near the gift table, holding a glass of champagne with one hand and gesturing dramatically with the other. “Thank you all for coming tonight. I know it’s been a crazy week, and I know half of you are already mentally on a beach somewhere warm. But before we all scatter to our holiday destinations, we have one very important matter to attend to. The annual Secret Santa gift exchange!”

A mix of cheers and good-natured groans greeted this announcement.

Lucas beamed. “Hey! I handpicked these matches myself, and I have a very good feeling about this year’s pairings.”

Norma leaned closer to me. “Lucas lives for this stuff. Company culture, team building, party planning—it’s like catnip to him.”

I smiled, watching as Lucas began calling names and directing people to the gift table. Each person would retrieve their gift, open it, and then there would be the obligatory oohs and aahs or teasing depending on what was inside.

I was so focused on watching the exchange unfold that I almost didn’t notice when the energy in the room shifted.

“And next up, we have a gift for our fearless leader himself. Boss man, come on up here and claim your present!”

The applause that followed was louder than earlier. I found myself looking around for boss man. Someone in a muted suit, perhaps, with a combover and silver-framed glasses. Most likely gray around the temples or already balding. Basically, I searched for someone who looked like he would only be invited because he was the guy who wrote the checks.

Then I saw him.

And I stopped breathing.

Not bald. Not muted. Not a pity invite.

He was easily over six feet tall with broad shoulders that filled out his rich navy blue suit impossibly well. Dark hair tumbled in front of his eyes, but he brushed it back by running his fingers through it, and it stayed in place as he moved through the crowd. I caught the sharp angles of his profile when he turned and offered a group of his employees a nod. His gaze swept upward, and I saw his eyes.

Silver gray. Like the dawn of a winter morning and a sky full of snow.

I leaned toward Norma and kept my voice low. “Who is that?”

She didn’t hear me because she was too busy clapping enthusiastically. Boss man made his way to the gift table with purposeful strides. He owned the room, and we all knew it.

Why am I so hot all of a sudden? I pulled the collar of my dress away from my chest and neck and began fanning myself.

Beside me, Norma chuckled softly. I stopped fanning myself and let my cheeks burn.

Boss man reached the table, and I watched with growing horror as his hand went straight for the one wrapped in gold-star paper with a red ribbon. The one I had agonized over.

The one meant for DK.

“Son of a biscuit,” I whispered. Why had I assumed DK was a woman?

The very manly man stared at my present, turning it over in his hands like he was appreciating the paper. Or he was looking at stains from my sweaty fingers. It was impossible to read the expression on his face. Then he began to unwrap it, right here, in front of everyone.

He opened the box, and for several seconds, he just stared down at the contents, his face an impassive mask. He reached into the box and pulled out the bright pink coffee mug.

The aggressively bright pink coffee mug, covered in hearts. It was Cupid’s Arrow’s signature color but I doubted that would be much consolation to DK.

“Who is he?” I asked again.

“That’s Dane Kavanagh, your boss,” Norma said beside me, her voice full of delight. She was clapping wildly. “Well, our boss. Everyone’s boss. Didn’t you look him up online?”

“Well, yeah, but those pictures didn’t capture his… presence.” I couldn’t look. I could barely breathe.

But I forced myself to watch. My new boss actually chuckled. He shook his head like he couldn’t quite believe it, then dipped his hand back into the box for the card I had written.

No, no, no!

The card was definitely not anonymous because I wanted to make friends and I’d thought DK was just some nice coworker. A female coworker. Sweat prickled along my spine despite the perfectly climate-controlled temperature of the dining area.

Mr. Kavanagh read the card quickly, his expression flickering through several emotions I couldn’t quite name. Then, instead of reading it aloud like several other people had done with their Secret Santa cards, he tucked it carefully back into the box.

And looked directly at me.

Our eyes met across the crowded room. He stared coolly at me like he was trying to figure me out. Even though I wanted to look away, I felt rooted to the spot, pinned there like a helpless lamb.

This was my new boss?

I told my ovaries to stop cheering. There was no room for lust in this scenario. This was a dream job and he was the man I needed to impress the most. That stupid hot pink mug had sabotaged my best-foot-forward plan, and now I had to undo the plan that actually unfolded, which was the put-my-foot-up-my-own-rear-end-secret-santa-miscalculation-fail. Yup. A mouthful.

I bet he’s a mouthful, too.

I inhaled sharply at my own brazen thought. The sight of a man had never made me feel such an intense rush of need before. In fact, the sight of most men made me feel the opposite sensation, or no sensation at all. But DK?

I was pretty sure those letters stood for Damn Knockout. Or Dreamy King. Or Devastating Kisses. 

DK turned and walked back into the crowd with his gift, disappearing like the vision he was.

As soon as he was gone, I remembered how to breathe again. In and out. In and out.

That made me think of Dane again and my cheeks heated.

Norma squeezed my arm. “That was perfect, Ina. Did you see his face? I don’t think I’ve ever seen Dane smile like that at a company event.”

“I gave my boss a bright pink mug covered in hearts,” I said faintly. “On my first week.”

“You gave your boss a thoughtful, cheerful gift that made him smile,” Norma corrected. “Trust me, that man could use a little more light in his life.” She paused, studying my face. “Are you okay? You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine,” I lied. “I just… I didn’t realize DK stood for Dane Kavanagh. I thought it was someone else. I thought it was going to be a woman, actually, based on how many women work here versus men. And what do you mean, smile? He barely smiled at all!”