6 Mountain Brothers for Christmas

As I strolled down the hallway, I could barely contain my excitement. I had my first job, working for a great boss, and in just a few weeks, I'd be heading to Bali for the trip of a lifetime. All for work, of course.

But as I rounded the corner into Sebastian's office, I saw that the door was shut. Waving at him through the window, I could see he was on the phone and he didn't look all that happy. He motioned for me to come inside, and I walked in, smiling from ear-to-ear as I sat his coffee down on his desk quietly.

“Listen, Jess, I'm at work,” he said.

I knew Jessica. It was his ex-girlfriend. She'd come over to our house with him once or twice. She was a typical Orange County type, only after him for his money. With her Botox and boob job, she was about as fake as they came. I honestly never knew what he saw in her – well, except maybe for the perfectly crafted tits. Best money could buy. Likely his money, too.

I mouthed, “Should I come back?”

Sebastian shook his head, motioning for me to sit down across from him so I did.

“I'm hanging up now, Jess,” he said, irritation in his voice. “Goodbye.”

And just like that, he put his phone down and looked up at me, his eyes tired. I'd never seen him so exhausted before. Sebastian had always been a morning person, up before the dawn and usually always in the office before everyone else. He and my father had been much the same in that regard. But today, even at eight in the morning, he looked ready to pass out.

“Thanks for the coffee, Violet,” he said. “You're a lifesaver.”

“Looks like you need it,” I said. As soon as I said it, I cursed myself. “I mean, because you don't have one already, of course.”

Sebastian laughed, sipping his drink and looked surprised. “How did you – ”

“I pay attention,” I said with a wink, hoping it didn't come across as too flirtatious or inappropriate. “And sometimes dad would ask me to pick up coffee for the two of you while I was out.”

“Seriously impressive.”

I beamed at him, proud of myself for being praised this early into my new job, even if it was for something as simple as coffee.

“I aim to please, Sebastian – err, I mean, Mr. Townsend.”

Suddenly, I felt like an idiot all over again. Half the time, I said the right thing. And the other half, I managed to put my foot right into my mouth.

“I mean, I should probably call you Mr. Townsend at work and all,” I stammered. “It's just a hard habit to break.”

“No, call me Sebastian,” he said, smiling back at me. “It sounds weird otherwise.”

It felt weird to call him anything else. He was, after all, Sebastian to me. We'd been on a first name basis for years. Honestly, he was more like family than anything, and he wasn't a big fan of the respecting your elders. He said it made him feel old and that he wasn't really my elder. Even though he was, sometimes it didn't feel like it.

Or maybe that was my crush coming out to play again, forgetting the huge age difference so I could pretend that maybe there could be something between us after all. A girl could dream, right?

“Alright Sebastian,” I said, crossing my legs and sitting up straight. “So, what's the first order of business today? Where do I start?”

“Someone's eager to learn,” he said.

“Always eager to learn from you,” I responded with a slight hint of flirtatiousness sneaking through. Unintentionally, of course.

Though I had to admit, it was incredibly hard not to think dirty thoughts – like how amazing it would be to have him bend me over his desk and take me from behind right then and there. But as soon as the thought flashed through my mind, my cheeks burned bright red and I looked away.

“Great,” Sebastian said, not seeming to notice my sudden shyness, “Let's get started.”

CHAPTER FOUR - SEBASTIAN

Why did she have to look so unbelievably gorgeous? Yes, I thought my best friend's daughter was hot, sue me – my deceased best friend's daughter, at that. I scolded myself mentally, while also apologizing to Chuck, for thinking such things about Violet. It was wrong and inappropriate.

But damn, when had she gotten so attractive?

As she leaned forward, I couldn't help but glance at her very ample cleavage. But I kicked myself and quickly returned my gaze to her eyes, where I told myself they should stay. Then I realized how beautiful her eyes were; a deep shade of emerald green, just like her mother's. And her mother had always been a beautiful woman as well. I'd even mentioned that to Chuck a time or two. Told him how lucky he was to have found her. And when Violet spoke, it was hard to not notice her soft, voluptuous lips with the perfect cupid's bow...

Stop it, Sebastian. Just stop it, I chided myself. I knew I was going to get myself into some serious trouble if I didn't stop admiring her. You have to work together now, so keep your mind out of the gutter. This is Chuck's daughter and your employee. You're old enough to remember when she wore bows in her hair and played on the playground while you and her father discussed business at the park.