The only Jewish person at Patterson and Associates, Micah Adler grudgingly participates in the office's "secret Santa" gift exchange at Christmas. But the gift that waits for him is a little surprising -- a brand-new box of condoms, with a suggestive, unsigned note attached. In trying to figure out who might have sent the gift, he narrows it down to two coworkers: Brady or Jonathan. Both men are young, attractive, and single, like Micah himself, though if Micah had his choice, he'd pick Jonathan. He's harbored a not-so-secret crush on the guy ever since they met when Micah began working at the firm. But Micah knows it's a hopeless cause -- Jonathan is straight, and said as much when Micah first hit on him months ago. Since Brady is gay, Micah suspects the condoms and other sexually-themed presents he receives are either a gag gift from one queer to another or a blatant offer to spend the holiday with someone else. When the trio decide to go out after work on Christmas Eve, Micah thinks he'll get a chance to flirt with Brady and see where the evening might end. But is Brady really Micah's secret Santa? Or does Jonathan have something he wants to confess?

Secret Santa

Wednesday morning,Micah entered the suite to find Brady at Shelley’s desk,a smirk on his unshaven face.“Hey,buddy,”he called,trying too hard to sound casual.“Have you been a good boy for Santa this year?”


If he needed any confirmation about who was sending him the presents,Micah thought that was it.“Define good.”


Brady wasn’t hard on the eyes—Micah had to admit he had a certain boyish charm.His brown hair was receding a bit,sure,and there was a thin spot near the back that hadn’t been there when Micah first met him two years earlier,but in a pinch,he’d do.Hell,on Christmas?Micah thought most anyone would do to chase away the cold winter night and holiday blues.Besides,he didhavecondoms and lube on hand,so it wasn’t going to cost him anything to rock Brady’s world just once.


“Listen to you,”Brady said with a grin.He nudged Shelley,who stared at her computer screen and studiously ignored him.


Chapter 5