Sierra

I never imagined meeting anyone who despised the holidays more than I did—until I met Mr. Jack Atlas. Tall, impeccably dressed, with a smoldering presence that could melt hearts, he also happened to be my boss.

I was hired as his temporary assistant after he mysteriously fired the last one. Jack's grumpy demeanor was a constant, but during the holiday season, his Scrooge-like tendencies went into overdrive. I didn't blame him—I had my own reasons for avoiding the festivities, so who was I to judge?

But when something unexpected happened that amplified his Scrooge-like mood, he demanded my help. Refusal wasn’t an option unless I wanted to join the ex-employee list. Despite the magnetic pull I felt towards him, love was the last thing on my mind.

I usually tried to lay low this time of year, minimizing contact with friends and dodging holiday cheer. But Jack was determined to make sure I didn’t slip away so easily. If he had to endure holiday hell, he was bringing me along for the ride.

Jack

I never had time for romance—casual flings and quick dinners were enough. I ran a multi-billion-dollar company, and my focus was always on work, never relationships. But when the mother of my child unexpectedly dropped our four-year-old daughter at my door for the holidays and vanished, I had to turn to my gorgeous assistant for help. The issue? She hated the holidays just as much as I did.

Now, I was trying to survive the season with a little girl who barely knew me and an assistant I couldn’t stop thinking about. My well-structured life was spiraling—thanks to Christmas trees, mistletoe, Ho Ho Ho’s, and a city constantly reminding me I was in holiday hell.