The Assistant's Christmas Wish: The Christmas Wish

By Lexi Ostrow

Leena has been in love with her boss, Nick DeMarco, for almost eight years. But he's never given her any indication that she was special to him. Their relationship was close, but rarely outside of a business function. So when he invites her to be his fake girlfriend at his family's Christmas week she is thrilled and ready to show Nick just what he's missing out on, her only wish for the Christmas season. 

Nick wouldn't admit it to anyone except his brother, but his assistant Leena is the only woman he's had feelings for in quite some time. He didn't want to seem like a powerful boss trying to seduce his employee so he had ignored his desire for her for the past five years. When the opportunity to take her to his family's chalets opens he takes it, intent on seducing her. 

When things begin to heat up with Leena and Nick, both are pleasantly surprised. But a winter storm traps them in the chalet just as Nick's older brother Jake arrives. When he makes no attempt to hide his attraction to Leena the whole vacation becomes heated. What will happen when the storm lifts, will the assistant have gotten her Christmas wish? 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lexi Ostrow
• Release date: Feb 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201484835

Lexi Ostrow

USA Today Bestselling Author Lexi Ostrow has been in love with the written word since second grade when her librarian started a writing club. Born in sunny southern California she's spent time in various places across the country thanks to her husband's USCG career. Now, she's also mom to a far too adorable toddler, and a menagerie of pets, spinning fantastical worlds whenever she gets the opportunity. Lexi has been a writer ever since the second grade in some form or another. Getting her degree in creative writing and her master's in journalism she couldn't wait to get a chance to put her fantasies down on paper.  From paranormal romance to thriller there isn't a genre she doesn't love to spend her time reading or writing. With her BA in creative writing from UCR and her MA in multi-media Journalism from Emerson College, she's ready to take on the literary world one novel at a time. Reading and writing are her first loves, but her passion for shopping, love for yummy food and her love for all her many pets are not far behind. Lexi is an enthusiast Whovian and DC Comic Show lover who isn't afraid to talk someone's ear off about them. She hopes to one day help other readers fall in love with writing as she did.

Book preview

Leena pressed her palm against the chilled glass window, and she the icy sting of winter wrapped around her fingers like icy daggers. She didn’t move, instead, she leaned forward and gently placed her forehead and the bridge of her nose against the window. The warmth from her sigh fogged the glass. Leena frowned at not being able to see the beauty of a crystal white winter blanket of freshly fallen snow on the streets of Denver, Colorado. It gleamed in the darkness and under the bulbs from the street lamps.

Twenty-two stories up, in one of the city’s skyscrapers, Leena longed to be on the ground, dashing through the piles of snow in a rush to buy a last minute Christmas gift. The sky was long dark and most normal businesses shut down hours ago, but not her boss. They worked late in an attempt to land a big account after the New Year.

Miss Kensy? Miss Kensy, are you paying attention? Nick DeMarco’s voice cut through the serenity of her winter fantasy.

She pulled back from the window, to turn and look at her boss. Leena’s voice caught in her throat, as it always did when she looked at Nikolas DeMarco.

Nick was a sight to be seen for sure. Dark hair was cropped close to the sides of his face with a dusting of a sideburn and a little bit of length on the top. Cheekbones begging to be touched framed the most masculine jaw Leena ever saw on a man - in or out of Hollywood. His eyes were a firestorm of blue. A deep midnight with a ring almost black around the iris. His mouth was full, his teeth perfect, and there was never a growth of manly stubble on his chin. He was clean-cut perfection and one of the city’s most eligible bachelors. Snagging number fifteen on the Forty under Forty list, Nick ran one of the country’s biggest public relations firms. DeMarco Communications, the American branch. Anyone woman would kill to spend time with, Leena included, just not during the holiday joy.

Nick, don’t you think we could do this another day? It’s the day before Christmas Eve. She was never formal with him, hadn’t been from the start, and she’d been his right-hand girl for almost eleven years.Her father secured her the position when she was only eighteen. Not to mention she’d grown up fantasizing about Nick since they’d met. Formal just didn’t happen.

Nick looked up at her, no sense of emotion in his eyes, and set down the paper on the modern glass desk. Leena, please.? If it’s the day before Christmas Eve that means any unknown hazard could pop up. Just give me fifteen more minutes of your time, and then I have a gift for you. Afterward, I promise you can go home and make snow angels.

She flushed, a deep crimson forming on her cheeks, and wished she could push her hair over it, so he wouldn’t see it. Too bad you always wear it in a bun.

One year, he’d personally delivered Christmas bonuses and caught her playing in the snow like a child. She’d been twenty at the time and had seemed so young to his twenty-six. That was the day she fell in love with him. He’d laughed and dropped down into the snow beside her, his arms flailing, as he joined her in making snow angels.

Fine, Nick. She pulled the leather chair back and sat across from him. I ran the comparables on twelve different companies. If we don’t make a move to bid for the new Rossi account, we will lose him to a company that has a younger vibe. It always seemed strange to her that when Nick took over his father’s company, he’d never done anything to get more in touch with the youthly scene. Not that it had harmed his business any.

You’re positive we need to take on Rossi if we want to gain any headway with Fox Motion Pictures?

He leaned toward her and she was able smell his cologne - One by Calvin Klein. Fresh and clean, everything Nick DeMarco was to a tee.

I’m positive, Nick. I just ran everything. If we don’t take on their number one star, Fox will not budge from their current agency.

Nick scrubbed a hand over his jaw and leaned back, frowning with his eyes. I really don’t want to take on the arrogant son-of-a-bitch.

Nick and Eric Rossi went to school together, and there had been some sort of a falling out that he never spoke of.

I understand, but you don’t have to deal with him. Put Matt, or even Monique, in charge of the account. His cousins wouldn’t have any issue dealing with a pompous windbag; they dealt with Nick on the daily.

He frowned and nodded his head, his fingertips tapping together as he thought over the idea. Fine, while on holiday, I want you to draft a proposal. I’ll compensate you for holiday work.

One of the perks of being the boss’ assistant was since he took holidays off, so she did as well. Nick, you never need to pay me for a little over time. Honestly, if you paid me for all the overtime projects you give me, I’d make more than you. She winked, and he chuckled.

Touché, Miss Kensy, touché. He leaned to the side of the desk and dug around in the open drawer. When he straightened, he had a red envelope in his hands and slid it in her direction. I promised you a Christmas present.

She reached out and took the envelope. He never gave her something that wasn’t in an expertly store wrapped box. Traditionally, it was a Mont Blonc pen, an expensive purse, or even the occasional necklace. He’d never given her a card before. Tentatively, she took it from his hand and raised a brow at him as she turned it over. Her name was written in a wonderful green calligraphy with holly next to it.

Well, go on and open it. I’m dying to see what you think. His eyes sparkled, the same way they did when he presented a campaign to a client.

Her finger slipped under the barely sealed flap and ran down it. She felt the little bit of stickiness from when he’d probably licked it. A card in the envelope was a surprise, not a bifold, just a simple card stock, one –side printed only. She pulled it out and gasped when she read what was on it. Her heart thumped in her chest and her eyes met his.

You’re serious? She stood up, unsure of why sitting felt like the wrong way to receive his gift.

Of course I’m serious. It’s been eleven years this March, Leena. I think it’s time you got to come to the family chalet for something other than a business meeting. He rose out of the chair, walked around the desk and took her hands in his before placing a kiss on her cheek.

Leena always wanted to go to the family holiday celebration. They were a mixed family, Jewish and Christian, and the festivities always seemed so magnificent when he described his time there. She’d dreamed for years what it must be like to sit at the opulently dressed table and feast with the DeMarcos. Nick was still grinning at her when she realized what the real reason for the invitation was. Allison had dumped him one week prior.

Oh no, not me, Mr. DeMarco.

He winced but laughed. My surname then? Ouch, you saw right through me, didn’t you? The gig is up. Please come anyway, Leena. I promise you a real a gift when we get there, and you’d be doing me a favor. His eyes twinkled, and she shook her head adamantly. Oh come on, we both know how much you’ve wanted to come with me for all these years.

She scrunched her lips and turned the invitation in her hand around as she thought. Did she really want to be used as his fake date? It wasn’t like his family hadn’t seen her. They ran different branches of the firm around the world, so they hadn’t seen her often, but they had to know who she was. She’d even spent a lot of time with Jake one night, a lot of time.

Let me sweeten the deal. There will be a spectacular red Valentino dress waiting outside your door when you get home to wear to the Christmas dinner, and Loui Vuitton silk pumps to match. He wiggled his eyebrows at her and grabbed her hands, pulling her into his body.

A definite work place no-no, but she wouldn’t open her mouth and tell him that. She’d lusted after him for eight years. She’d take the contact with a smile.

Truthfully, Leena always wanted to attend, and the dress and shoes were mouthwatering. Her own family never did anything beyond a nice dinner for the holidays because her dad was always working on an account and her mom was a nurse; Christmas drinks led to an untold number of casualties.

Fine. But only because you’re right, I have always wanted to see the chalet at Christmas time and not just because we’re meeting a client there.

He grinned and picked her up, twirling her twice. That’s my girl. Go ahead and go home now, Leena. I’ll send a car around to pick you up tomorrow at ten a.m. on the dot. We are leaving early to arrive first, and I want to hit the slopes before that storm they’re predicting rolls in and they close the mountain. Plus, we need to send the plane off to grab the next DeMarco clansman.

She shook her head and nodded. Remember, Nick, this isn’t for you. It’s for me.

Yes, ma’am, assistant, ma’am.

Leena snorted and turned to walk to the elevator, completely unable to suppress the grin on her face.

Goodnight, Miss Kensy.

Her finger pushed the small, round button for the elevator, and she caught her blurry reflection in the steel elevator shaft door. Her grin could have lit up an entire room, and she needed to breathe and push it back. The invitation wasn’t because he wanted her there. It was because he couldn’t show up single at his age and not get his ass chewed out by his mother. Plain and simple, she was a decoy.

The familiar ding of the elevator arriving made her twitch. She’d been so far in her head she’d forgotten why she was standing still in the first place. When the doors slid open, she stepped inside, and when she turned, she saw him waving and grinning like a fool at her. To the business world, Nick DeMarco was a shark. To his friends, he was a frat boy still learning how to grow up. Even at thirty-two.

As the doors closed, he called out to her. And take your hair out of the bun! It makes you look like such a tight ass!

She opened her mouth to respond, but the doors closed, and she snapped her mouth closed, fuming. He was so hot and cold, always switching between her first name and her last, but she always looked professional. Fine, if he wanted her to lose the bun when she wore the beautiful gown waiting for her, she would show him just how unprofessional and fake girlfriend like she could be.

---

Nick watched out the tall window of the office for Leena to emerge from the building. He didn’t much care for all the people racing along the street like ants whose line had been doused with water, but he always watched her leave. He would probably die from embarrassment if Leena found out about. It started as a habit when she’d first been his assistant.

At the time, she’d been eighteen and bounding around Denver. Nights there could be dangerous for anyone, let alone someone with her looks. He’d always found her beautiful, even back when he’d thought she was nothing more than a brainless sorority girl. Which for the record, she was certainly more.

Leena’sdelicate wheat blonde hair twas always tied back in a bun, but Nick knew it hung just past her shoulders from the rare glance of it down. It always left Nick always fighting off the urge to brush it aside and kiss her shoulders on the occasion she took her blazer off at work. Her eyes were a light blue, almost grey, and