After seeing his father’s profligate ways almost destroy the family business, Ransom Burke has instituted a firm policy of no work fraternization. When his longtime lover leaves him for a woman, Ransom vows never again to let anyone get close to him. He informs all future lovers he’ll shower them with gifts as long as they remain monogamous. However, at the first sign of straying, they’ll receive a bouquet of white roses tipped with gold and the affair will be over. Man after man chooses straying over Ransom until the day the very appealing Parrish Rutledge comes to work for him. That means Parrish will forever be out of his reach. Parrish has been alone since he was sixteen, having been tossed out when his older brother discovered he was gay. He’s immediately attracted to his new boss, but even though he dreams of Ransom, he knows, due to the company policy, it can’t go anywhere. But in the aftermath of the office Christmas party, things change between them, and Parrish is given a choice: keep his job and know he can never again see Ransom as anything other than his boss, or quit and become his lover. The one is unthinkable, and as for the other, Ransom is a serial monogamist who doesn’t have the best track record. Parrish’s choice will either lead to a Christmas Day where once again he’ll be alone, or the best present ever will be under his tree.

The Best

Ran had to show it to him. By the end, Ran expected his brother to be laughing, too, but instead, Alex regarded him thoughtfully.


But the miserable so-and-so just rocked on his heels and refused to say anything beyond, “We’d better hurry and get you packed, or we’ll be late taking Mom to dinner.” 22


Parrish paused as he put the odds and ends he’d brought to personalize his office over the past year into a cardboard box and worried a cuticle. He knew Ransom had received his text the night before, but Parrish hadn’t gotten a response to either it or the video he’d sent via email, and the more time passed, the more stressed he became over it. Had he overstepped? Did Ransom think him needy or clingy or even worse, an idiot?


He continued to worry the cuticle on his thumb. It was a good thing this was his final day and Ms. Leonard had taken over. He hadn’t been able to concentrate at all.


Chapter 61