The Billionaires Christmas Temptation

Surprise!

✴ Scarlett ✴

The youth center buzzed with energy as my team, and I sat around the long, rectangular table in the main activity room. The snow fell gently outside, blanketing Wintervale in its customary holiday glow. Inside, the warm hum of excitement filled the air as we tossed ideas back and forth for the upcoming Christmas event.

“What about a gingerbread decorating station?” Emily suggested as she jotted something down in her notebook.

“And we could have a snowman-building contest,” someone else chimed in. I smiled in response to both suggestions. I loved the enthusiasm. This event had become a highlight of the season for the children of Wintervale and I wanted it to be perfect. My pen tapped absently against the edge of my notepad as I considered their suggestions.

"Well, let's just make sure we have more than enough volunteers for any activity that involves frosting or painting," I remarked. Everyone in my team chuckled as we all remembered how disastrous it had been last year. The cleanup of the cookie station alone had taken hours. However, before anyone else could come up with any more suggestions, the door to the activity room swung open. The sudden shift of attention made me look over to see that Josh and Damien had joined us. Damien's presence sent a jolt through me, but I did my absolute best to try and cover up my surprise. I had not expected to see him here. Especially not after the gala. I had convinced myself that he had left Wintervale to return to his world of corporate boardrooms and city lights. But here he was. I did my best not to check him out, but he was so handsome in a navy sweater and dark jeans. Not only was he good-looking, but he looked as if he belonged right here with us. Josh clapped his hands together as he smiled brightly. His gaze lingered on Emily for a moment, and I couldn't help but think how cute it was.

"Sorry for the interruption, everyone!" he said loudly. "I just wanted to make a quick announcement," everyone was watching Josh, including me. Although, I couldn't help but sneak a glance at Damien. His expression was unreadable, but he seemed perfectly at ease under the scrutiny of the room. "I have asked Damien to help us this festive season, and he said yes!" Josh declared excitedly, and my heart skipped a beat. "Scarlett...he will be working with you to make this year's celebrations extra special," I didn't say a word as everyone murmured their approval. But unfortunately, I could no longer hide my surprise.

"You are staying in Wintervale?" I questioned before I could stop myself. My tone was sharper than necessary, but Damien smirked as his gaze locked with mine.

"It certainly looks that way," he said.

"All right! That's it from me...you are now in the good hands of Damien...oh, yes, and of course, Scarlett," Josh said. He made a point to smile at Emily before he hurriedly left. Was Damien now in charge? Is that what had just happened? Surely not. I finally pulled my gaze away from Damien and that's when I realized that everyone was looking at me.

"Ah...let's just a quick break," I said as I tried to keep my voice calm. Everyone scattered as they headed for the snack table or broke off into groups to chat. I looked back over at Damien, who approached me. He smiled as if he was amused, but I couldn't stop myself. "What are you still doing here?" I asked him as I kept my voice low.

"In Wintervale? Or in the youth center?" he asked as he tilted his head, feigning innocence.

"Both," I snapped.

"You sure are very direct, Scarlett," Damien remarked as his smile widened. "I'm here because I want to be here. Is that a problem?"

"Not a problem at all...I guess you just don't strike me as the type to volunteer for small-town Christmas events," I pointed out. Damien leaned slightly closer as he dropped his voice low enough to make my pulse quicken.

"Maybe I'm not. But...maybe I am the type to stay in town when there is someone worth staying for," heat crept up my neck as I blushed. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of getting a reaction out of me. I cleared my throat and stepped back.

"Well, since you are staying, I certainly hope you are prepared to work,"

"Of course," he replied smoothly. I turned away and, even as though I could feel his gaze on me, I called the team back together. Everyone got settled and, despite Damien's commanding presence, I was determined to get all of the details smoothed out today.

"All right, let's get back to brainstorming. We have a lot to cover," and as the meeting progressed, Damien surprised me. He was engaging, and he participated as ideas were thrown around.

"What if we collected donations for toys?" Damien then suggested. "Just to ensure that every child feels special, no matter their circumstances,"

"That's a great idea!" Emily remarked with a nod, and I silently agreed that it was a good idea. In fact, it was one of the ideas I was going to propose a bit later.

"And maybe we could organize a fun day just for the kids," he went on. "A full day of activities they could really enjoy...like, maybe a scavenger hunt...maybe some crafts? What if we even had a mini carnival?" the energy in the room shifted as the excitement grew. Everyone started adding their own ideas and I did my best to keep up. It was hard to deny the impact he had, not just on the team, but on me. For all his polished charm, there was an earnestness in his contributions that made me look at him in a new light. Eventually, we managed to narrow everything down and a full plan was drawn up. Of course, there was still quite a bit of work to be done, but as the meeting wrapped up, the framework for the event was done. I felt relieved and excited that our first meeting had been so successful.

"Hey, I'm going to head out," Emily said as we started to pack up. "Josh asked me out for dinner,"

"Ooh!" I exclaimed excitedly. Emily gave me a quick hug before she hurried out. Eventually, the others left, one by one, and ultimately, Damien and I were now alone.

"I don't suppose I could take you out for dinner?" Damien questioned, and I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my face. I did my best to hide it.

"You are just full of surprises, aren't you," I remarked in response as I glanced over at him. Damien smiled, and I just had a feeling that Damien being in Wintervale was going to make this holiday season all the more interesting. “Sure, dinner would be nice,”