Mistletoe, Baby. Donna Hill

the toasts made and the tears shed. Now it was on to the business of drinking and eating—in that order. Her staff managed to commandeer the very dignified Presidential conference suite and transformed it into an “after five” lounge that was complete with bartenders, waiters and a DJ.

      Even as she looked around at the people that she’d considered family for the past five years, and knew that she would miss them dearly, there was an undeniable bubble of excitement that wanted the day to be over, her bags packed and the jet taking off from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport en route to New York City. Atlanta was a great place. It was her home. She’d built a stellar career in academia rising up in the ranks at Atlanta College to her current position as Dean of Academic Affairs, but as the old saying goes, “Always leave them wanting more.”

      She was at the top of her game. The name Alexis Montgomery was always spoken of in the highest regard. Word had gotten around that she excelled at what she did and she was made an offer that she couldn’t refuse.

      During the past six months she’d been flown out to New York to meet with the board of directors at R.E.A.L., toured their Midtown Manhattan office and talked terms. After weeks of negotiation she’d signed off on her five-year contract.

      Alexis brought the glass of champagne to her lips and smiled at the throng of faces. She’d left the college in better shape than when she’d stepped in. She had much to be proud of and she had every intention of making her mark in New York the same way she’d done it in Atlanta. A thrill of anticipation coursed through her. In a little more than a week her new life would begin. Look out, New York—this Southern Belle is on her way.

      “You realize there’s really no one to fill those high heels of yours,” came a rugged whisper in her ear.

      Alexis casually angled her head to the right. A secret smile moved across her mouth and a light of something more than “we’re only colleagues” lit the dark embers of her brown eyes. “I’m sure you only mean that in the most professional sense.” The corner of her mouth flickered in a barely there grin.

      “If you say so.” He lifted his chin in the direction of her almost-empty glass. “Refill?”

      She shrugged her bare shoulder. “Sure. It’s my party, right?”

      “Be right back.”

      Alexis watched him walk away and smiled to herself as several of her female colleagues scoped him out, as well. Ian Matthews was without a doubt a very eligible bachelor. He was the whole package; six feet plus, well built, with a walk like Denzel, a mind like Einstein, sweet milk chocolate all over, funny, well-endowed and an expert at using his “equipment”; a tenured professor, chair of his department and actually an all-around decent guy to boot. They’d been discreetly seeing each other off and on for nearly a year. But something kept Alexis from committing, although Ian said that he wanted to. She honestly cared about him. She was close to being addicted to the crazy sex that they had, but something was missing.

      That missing something was the thing that had allowed her to sign on the dotted line. With her mother’s passing, her best friend Naomi Clarke all happily married and relocated to Virginia, and that spark she was looking for in a relationship still out of reach, there was nothing more to keep her in Atlanta.

      Ian returned with her drink.

      “Thank you.”

      Ian’s voice rose above the hum of conversation. “Can I have everyone’s attention for a moment?”

      By degrees the room quieted and the guests all turned in his direction.

      “What are you doing?” Alexis whispered through clenched teeth that doubled as a smile.

      He gave her a long, stirring look and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. Her face heated.

      “I want to make a toast to the most brilliant, beautiful, decent woman that I know. Her departure is going to leave a big gap here at Atlanta College and a bigger one in my heart.” He pressed his hand dramatically on his chest.

      There was a collective gasp of wide-eyed surprise for some and a “knew it all along” expression on the faces of a few.

      Ian turned to her with a smile that could steal her heart if she let it. For a moment she doubted her decision. He raised his glass and the rest of the guests did the same. “To Alexis. Wishing you much success and happiness, and here’s hoping that you take a big bite out of the Big Apple. Cheers!”

      “Cheers!”

      Alexis mouthed her thank-yous and sipped from her glass.

      “I meant what I said.”

      Alexis gazed up at him. “Ian...”

      They were mere inches apart. Their voices were low and intimate.

      “No need to take it any further. I wanted you to know that what I feel for you isn’t only in the bedroom.” He grinned. “I’m not going to lie and tell you I’ll wait but I will say that I’m not in a hurry to look.”

      She pushed out a breath. “You are determined not to make this easy for me.”

      “When has anything between us been easy?”

      She lifted her glass. “Touché.”

      * * *

      “I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there for your send-off.”

      Alexis adjusted the phone between her ear and shoulder while she put the last few items in her suitcase. “Naomi, the last place I expected you to be was at my going-away party.”

      “I know but still. You came to see me last week.”

      “That’s different. You just had a baby last week. And I had to see my brand-new goddaughter before I left and make sure my bestie was all right.”

      “I’m exhausted and achy but every time I look at April my heart swells. I still can’t believe that she’s here and she’s mine and Brice’s.”

      Alexis listened to the awe and joy in her friend’s voice. She was happy for Naomi and Brice. The two friends still laughed about how Naomi and Brice had met in Antigua—the trip that Alexis was supposed to go on with her and didn’t—with Naomi pretending to be someone else the entire time, only for Brice to wind up in Naomi’s classroom when she returned to her real life as a professor at Atlanta College. Ever since Naomi had married Brice and moved away, and continued to regale her with the wonders of marriage and now motherhood, she found herself wondering if she would ever find that kind of happiness, that all-consuming love that lit up a room. Every now and again she thought it might be Ian, but that spark never quite reached that level of intensity.

      On the other hand, there was never a shortage of men in Alexis’s life. If anything there was always a surplus with one in the wings. Things slowed down when Ian moved into the picture. But...

      “You call me when you get to New York,” Naomi was saying.

      Alexis blinked back to the moment. “Of course. As soon as I touch down. Not sure when I’m going to get back to see you and my goddaughter.”

      “Don’t worry about us. You just go to New York and kick ass.”

      Alexis chuckled. “I plan to. Listen, give my baby a kiss and one for Brice, too.”

      “Gonna miss you, girl.”

      “Same here. But that’s why we have planes and Skype and FaceTime.”

      They laughed.

      “True.”

      Alexis could hear the baby crying in the background. “Go take care of April. I’ll call you.”

      “Safe travels, sis.”

      “Thanks.”

      “Love you.”

      “Love you, too.”

      Alexis hung up the phone with a soft