Mistletoe & Kisses (4 page)

“Him? Found him?” My head was now spinning.

“Yes, he was just sitting there with his head on the table. We checked for a pulse and tried to wake him up, but he seems to be intoxicated and passed out.” Suzanne smiled at me and I could see this wasn’t her first passed out person, but I don’t remember anyone…

Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! Murphy was sitting at the furthest table in the back of the room with his head down and he was snoring.

“I … I, ah…” I looked from Murphy to Suzanne. A nervous giggle escaped my lips.
What the hell am I supposed to do? I barely even know this man.
“I honestly have no idea what to do with him. As far as I know he was a guest of his brother. I’ve never even met him before tonight.” I turned back to look at him. His longish shaggy hair hung over his arm that his head was resting upon. His head was turned towards the center of the room. Suzanne and I both turned to each other and smiled when a gentle snore filled the room.

“Is there someone you can call to help him home?” Suzanne asked smiling kindly at me.

“I don’t even know who I would call.” I thought of Monica, but, but nothing she was the only one I would call. “I’m going to try my boss and see if she can get a hold of one of the partners who may know how to get in touch with his brother.”

“I’ll give you few minutes while I check on the other rooms.”

“Thank you, and I apologize for this.”

“Oh, it isn’t the first time, dear. I doubt it will be the last,” she smiled and made her way out of the room.

I spent the next fifteen minutes trying to get a hold of anyone I could. I called Monica, she laughed and told me to take him home and have my way with him which, sadly, was the response from most of the other attorneys I reached out to. Two of the six partners called me back and said they didn’t have Malone’s phone number. One partner called back and said he wasn’t getting involved in the drama. Two partners didn’t even bother to respond. The last partner said he had reached out to Malone, but only got his voicemail.

What the hell was I supposed to do with him?
I looked back at Murphy as I paced the room. He really was an attractive man. I remembered he was tall, had to be almost six feet. He had the build of someone who took care of himself. He didn’t snore loudly...it was more like a purring hum. I had caught myself reaching for his hair that had fallen over his brow just as Suzanne came back into the room.

“Any luck?”

“No,” I turned to her. “I really don’t know what to do. I mean I could call him a car, but I have no idea where to send them to drop him off.” I huffed and turned back to the sleeping man.

“Well, it seems you have two options.” I turned back to look at her now hugely smiling face, which for some reason woke up butterflies in my stomach. “You could go through his pockets and find his identification with his address on it,” she sounded almost excited. “Or you could take him home with
you
,” she sounded even more excited by this suggestion.

“Oh no, no I couldn’t take him to my… I don’t even know him,” I adamantly shook my head. There was no way I was bringing this strange man to my home. I didn’t even know him. Besides how the hell would I even get him in the house? I guess his identification would be the best way to go. I turned to look at Suzanne who now had an eager smile on her face and a sparkle in her eye. “Maybe it would be better if you checked his pockets. I mean this is
your
place after all.” I stepped aside for her to approach him. She started to shake her head then Murphy moaned in his sleep and she almost jumped away from him.

“Well, if you …” she didn’t even finish before she was in his jacket pockets. I didn’t know if she was happy or disappointed that his billfold was in his inside jacket pocket and she wouldn’t have a chance to search his other pockets. She looked up at me before she made the final move and opened the billfold. “Um…” she looked from him to me then back at the billfold. “Apparently he doesn’t live locally and if he does he hasn’t had a chance to change his address. This says he lives in Chicago,” she smiled at me. “I don’t think the car service will take him that far,” she chuckled. “Maybe he has a cell phone and we can call someone.” Without hesitation this time, she reached into his jacket pocket then moved around to pat down his thighs. Before moving behind him she glanced up at me, almost unsure.

What, did she expect me to stop her or step up to do the search? Not a chance. With my luck he would have woken up just as I reached his pant-covered legs.

“It appears he is without a cell phone,” Suzanne looked up at me. “Or at least it isn’t where I can get to it,” she blushed. “I’d hate to have to call the police to have him removed,” she bit her lip.

“I, ah, shit,” I mumbled. Where the hell was his cell phone? He had ditched me earlier for a phone call. He had it with him then.
“I have no idea what I’m supposed to do here,” I chuckled.
Yeah, I’m fucked. Am I really considering bringing this strange man home with me? Not weird strange, but strange to me. Oh, you know what I mean. Where the hell is his brother anyway? Why did he just leave him here?
“I guess he didn’t have a set of keys on him either?” I looked over at Suzanne who just shook her head no. “Shit.” I mumbled.

“I can have someone help you with him out to your car. I mean, maybe by then he’ll wake up and all will be settled,” she smiled reassuringly, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Actually could I impose on you a bit more?” I moved closer to her. “Could I ask to borrow one of your valets? I’ll use the car service to take Mr. Scott and myself so the valet can to drive my car back to my house and then have the driver drive him here for his own car.”
Am I really doing this? Oh my God!
This was just about the stupidest thing I think that I had ever done. This ass could have gone home with almost any woman in the room tonight and now he was coming home with me and he was completely passed out.

“Of course, of course. Let me go get someone to help you with him to the car” she smiled and there was a hint of a laugh behind it. Did she see how nervous I was about this? Why was she even allowing or suggesting or agreeing to this?
Why was I? Ugh!

The next thing I knew, two valets came into the room, helped Murphy out of his chair without him putting up any sort of fight, and then walked/dragged him to the car waiting outside the front door. I handed my car keys to one of the valets and he agreed to follow us. After Murphy was settled in the backseat of the car, I slipped in next to him and tried to keep as much space between him and myself as I could. I called Monica again and told her the situation. She, of course, laughed and told me I could blackmail the shit out of him and be on easy street for years. I ended the call while she was still laughing. As we pulled out of the parking lot, my eye caught sight of the black BMW in the spot that was stolen from me earlier.
Son of a bitch! Murphy is the asshole that cut me off earlier. Well isn’t that just to be expected.
I nudged his knee with mine.
Asshole.

* * *

Thank God for the short ride home. At this hour it only took about twenty minutes to go from the country club to my house. The driver and the valet helped walk/drag Murphy into my house. As soon as they crossed the threshold of the front door they turned and looked at me for direction as to where to leave him.

“Just lay him on the couch there, I guess.” I lifted an eyebrow at them as they exchanged a look.
Wrong guys, sorry he isn’t going in my bedroom.

After Murphy was settled on the couch, I thanked both men and tipped them both. I leaned against the closed door and from there I could see the top of Murphy’s head at one end of my couch and his black shoe-clad feet at the other end. My phone rang in my purse that I had dropped on the floor just inside of the front door. When I lifted out I saw that it was Monica. Yeah, no. I wasn’t talking to anyone else tonight about this unless it was Malone or a partner. I hit ignore and pushed myself away from the door.
Now, you ass, you will stay here and only here. Don’t touch my stuff and don’t even think about coming into my bedroom
, I thought as I yanked his shoes off of his socked feet and dropped them on the floor in front of the couch. 

I took one last look at him before I slipped into the bathroom to get ready for bed. I debated as to whether or not I should lock the door, then decided to stay on the safe side and locked it. I think I took the fastest shower I had ever taken in my life. Now I had to get from the bathroom and down the hall to my bedroom wearing only my fluffy purple robe. I unlocked the door and as quietly as possible opened it. I peered out of the slight crack to peek down the hall over at the couch to see that Murphy was, in fact, still sleeping. I quickly rushed tiptoeing down the hall to my bedroom and locked my bedroom door. I didn’t know how I did it with a stranger sleeping on my couch, but as soon as I had slipped into my bed and under my comforter, I was asleep.

“Ugh. Fuck!” a grumbled voice sounded from the hallway waking me up. Scaring me is more like it. “Ugh, God! What the fuck?” was followed by a banging noise, sounding like something being hit between the hallway walls. I scrambled out of bed, swung my bedroom door open and charged out in to the hallway, only to be stopped by a man wall. “Where the fuck am I? Who the fuck are you? How the fuck did I get here? Where the fuck is my phone?” He looked at me like he had never seen me before. His hair was a mess and his breath reeked of old stale alcohol.

“Why good morning to you, too.” I said astonished by his outburst. I took a step back and adjusted my pajama shirt and realized at about the same time Murphy did that I was only wearing a large button down pajama shirt and a pair of boxer shorts.

“Wait, wait.” He ran his hand through his messy hair only to mess it more. “The holiday thing.” He said almost on a sigh.

“Yeah, the holiday thing.” I blew out a breath. “You’re in my fucking house. I’m fucking Olive Harper, we met last night at the holiday party. Nice to know I made such a memorable impression.” I sighed as I ran my hand through my own bedhead hair.

“Olive?” it sounded almost more a question.

“The fucking car service brought you here. Don’t know where your fucking phone is.” I crossed my arms over my chest and realized that I also wasn’t wearing a bra… ugh. “The fucking bathroom is over there.” I pointed behind him. “While you’re in there, why don’t you wash your fucking mouth out with the bar of soap on the sink.” I moved around him feeling more aggravated than self-conscious of my lack of attire. “I’m making coffee. Get yourself cleaned up then use the phone in the living room to call whomever you have to and get the fuck out of my house.” I stormed to the kitchen and started the coffee. I honestly hoped the coffee was done before he was so I go back to my room and hide until he left.
What a dick!

I heard the water start running and some bumbling around in the bathroom.
What the hell is that man doing in there? Is he really going through my cabinets? Seriously, what an asshole!

“Sorry about earlier.” Murphy startled me when he entered the kitchen. I had my back to the doorway and was so lost in my thoughts and cursing him out that I didn’t hear him leave the bathroom. I know I visibly jumped when he spoke. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“The phone is on the wall there or there is one in the living room is on the table,” I pointed without even looking at him and moved to step around him. “There is coffee. Help yourself before you go.”

“Look I said I was sorry,” he grabbed the top of my arm. “I drank too much last night and I freaked out when I woke up and didn’t know where the fu… hell I was and with a pounding head to boot.” He rubbed is fingers across his forehead. “Thanks for your help.”

“Yeah, no problem.” I said dismissively as I turned again and tried to get him to loosen his grip on my arm. “Like I said. Phone is over there and there’s coffee.” I said with a sigh. “If you’ll excuse me.” I glanced down at his hand still on my arm. He winked, yes winked, at me and then released his grip of my arm. I could feel his eyes move over me from my feet all the way up to the back of my head as I turned to walk out of the room.

“Wow! Nice from front to back.” I heard him mumble. I know that I tried and failed to hide my smile.

I heard his voice as I quickly moved down the hall to my room. I dressed in a pair of jeans that I knew hugged my hips and lifted my ass just right, and a nice fitted purple sweater that also hugged my body perfectly.
I’ll give him a wow and a nice. Then throw his ass out of my house. What a huge mistake this was. Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde can kiss my nice ass.

When I stepped into the living room he was not sitting on the couch and his shoes were gone. I walked into the kitchen and he wasn’t in there either. The bathroom door had been open when I passed by it.
What the hell! How freaking rude. I bring the bastard home drunk off his ass and he just leaves. Ugh. What a di…

“Did you think I left without saying goodbye?” he smiled wickedly at me.

“More like kind of hoped …” I lost the battle with my mouth when a smile spread across my lips.

“Yeah, sorry...calling bullshit on that statement. I have someone picking me up in about thirty minutes.” He took a step closer to me. “Any idea what we could do for thirty minutes?” his voice gruff and his eyes dark and lust filled.