Wrapped in Holly, page 1
Ten years later and my heart’s broken all over again.
Merry f*ck!ng Christmas to me.
Stunt Coordinator Jackson Reed hates the holidays, especially when he has to work on a sappy romance movie during the break.
But when the girl who stole his heart ten years ago unexpectedly shows up at his door, he suddenly has a new reason to be on set every day.
A decade later, and Hailey Walker still owns him with her captivating smile and sassy charm. But can Jackson convince her to stay this time?
Or will she leave him for good, taking his heart with her, when she discovers the secret he’s been keeping since the day she left?
CONTENTS
Author’s Note
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Thank You
The Naughty List
Sneak Peek
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Also by Elyse Kelly
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Copyright © 2022 Elyse Kelly
Cover Design: Cormar Covers
Editing: Pagan Proofreading
Formatting: Elyse Kelly Books, LLC
All rights reserved.
The unauthorized reproduction, transmission, or distribution of any part of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the express written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This literary work is fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or establishments is entirely coincidental.
ISBN: 9798860807532 (print)
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Welcome to my world of Smutlandia!
Please remember this is just a book, not a dick.
So, don’t take it so hard.
Now, relax and enjoy the smut!
XO, Elyse 💋
WRAPPED IN HOLLY
THE NAUGHTY LIST
ELYSE KELLY
1
JACKSON
I’m in a bad mood, and the last thing I want to do is attend a long-ass, boring meeting. It sucks because I don’t have much of a choice. The entire cast and movie crew are meeting on set this afternoon, and I have to be there.
As one of the stunt coordinators for The Naughty List, my job isn’t particularly difficult. Over the last ten years, I’ve worked on action films with car explosions, fight scenes, and some of the most daring stunts in the business. So this should be a walk in the park.
The problem is my own headspace. I’m feeling the holiday spirit, but I also don’t want to work. Christmas is a week away, and I want to stay at home with my daughter, enjoying some time with the only family I have—to take away the sting of losing my parents in December twelve years ago.
At least I know I’m being a grumpy asshole, even if I can’t control it. That’s why I spent all morning reviewing the budget for the movie’s stunt-related expenses. Paperwork is my least favorite part of my job, but it keeps me away from the others working on set.
Of course, a majority of my coworkers have known me for years, and it’s common knowledge that the holidays are hard for me. It’s the reason they give me a pass when I trudge around with a scowl on my face and insist everyone keep their most wonderful time-of-the-year crap to themselves.
I walk onto the set and spot my best friend, Ryder Thorne, standing at a long table with cold-cut sandwiches and bottled drinks. He’s eating a turkey club, and any casual onlooker would assume he’s completely at ease. But I know him better than that. Ryder’s here because his security company, Thorne Operations, is contracted by the studio for the duration of the movie. He takes his job seriously, so I’m sure he has eyes on the entrances and exits and is assessing everyone in the room, even though his employees check IDs as soon as anyone sets foot on the lot.
I walk towards him, spotting a plate of Christmas cookies with frosting and sprinkles on the table. I grudgingly grab one shaped like a candy cane, deciding my dislike of the holiday can take a back seat to my love of all things sweet and sugary.
“You look thrilled to be here.” Ryder’s tone is sardonic as I come to stand beside him.
We’re near the back of the room, and I can see the director talking with one of the executive producers near the family living room set piece. He hasn’t started the meeting yet.
“Meetings are boring,” I declare. “I don’t have any stunts planned for the rest of the day, so I could pick up Cam if I didn’t have to stick around for this.”
“Pick her up? Shouldn’t she be at home with the nanny?”
I shake my head. “Mrs. Young has her family in town for the holiday, so she can’t come to my place like she usually does. Luckily, the woman loves Cam like she’s one of her own grandkids, so she’s happy to watch her at her place.”
Sometimes, I can’t believe how fortunate I was to find a nanny like Mrs. Young—or Mama Robbie, as Cam calls her. She’s a woman in her fifties, with grown children, who treats my daughter like she’s family. I trust her completely.
It was hard to find someone I felt comfortable with when Cam was born. I was in the early days of my Hollywood career, working long hours as a stuntman, and being a single father to a newborn wasn’t easy. Back then, I barely had time to eat, sleep, and bathe. Every free minute was devoted to my little girl.
“How’s your Christmas shopping coming along?” Ryder asks with a knowing smirk. He was there last year when I was out on Christmas Eve, cursing myself for waiting so long to finish shopping for Cam. It was a fucking nightmare.
“I’ll have you know that I’m finished,” I say, grabbing another cookie off the plate. Christmas-themed or not, they’re good. “I got started in October this time. No more holiday shenanigans for me. I’m going to finish this movie and relax.”
The meeting starts, and our conversation is cut short. The studio owner, Julianna, clears her throat and stands before us in her designer pantsuit. She looks every bit like the former model she is as she addresses the entire cast and crew. I’m sure whatever she’s saying is important, but I find my mind wandering until Julianna mentions the assistant director.
“I know you’ve all heard that Bryce’s wife went into labor. I talked to him yesterday, and his wife successfully delivered twin girls. They’re a little early but doing just fine.” There’s a smattering of cheers and applause before she continues. “But that means we need a replacement assistant director. So Hailey Walker will be coming in to fill the position. She’ll arrive later today.”
Julianna continues to talk, giving everyone an overview of Hailey’s qualifications, but I don’t register any of it. I’m pretty sure I stop breathing as a wave of memories washes over me.
“Hailey Walker…” Ryder looks at me closely, and I’m sure he can see the shock on my face. “Isn’t that—”
“Yes,” I cut him off, barely able to get the words out around the tightness in my throat. “It’s her.”
“The woman you were crazy about all those years ago? That was when you first got into the business, right?”
“Yeah.”
“The one you haven’t stopped obsessing over?” He eyes me suspiciously.
“I’m not obsessed.” My words come out harsher than I intended, so I soften my tone. “I just think about her from time to time. That’s all.”
“How do you feel about her taking over for Bryce?”
Ryder’s a private person, who doesn’t like discussing his feelings, and I decide to take a page out of his book. Because I‘m too overcome with emotion right now to even process it all. Hailey was the one that got away, and now she’s coming back.
Fuck me.
“I’m fine. Good for her. I'm sure she’ll do a great job,” I say, knowing that I’ll be lingering around the set for the rest of the day, even though I really have nothing to do.
If I don’t do anything else today, I’m going to lay eyes on the woman I’ve wanted for ten years but couldn’t have.
HAILEY
I hate being late. It’s amateur and unprofessional, but sometimes there’s nothing that can be done to avoid it. Unfortunately, my flight to LA from Nashville was delayed, so I didn’t make it to the movie set until after the big meeting. I knew the studio owner, Julianna, would announce me as the replacement assistant director, and I wanted to be there to make a great impression on the cast and crew. But it looks like that ship has sailed.
When I finally arrive, the set is bustling with activity, and I quickly realize they’re preparing to shoot a scene. It’s not quite ready yet, so I scan the sea of faces until I spot my new boss.
Luca Regis. I’ve never worked with the man before, but he’s well-known in the business. Mostly, he has a reputation for being an arrogant pain in the ass. But everyone also says it’s worth putting up with him because he’s excellent at what he does. His work is critically acclaimed, and it’s due to his ridiculously high standards.
I guess it’s a good thing I like a challenge.
“Mr. Regis,” I say, approaching him as he flips through a script on his clipboard with a red marker in his hand, making changes.
He glances up at me for about a second before looking away. “I’m busy.”
“Yes, I know. I imagine that’s because you’re down one assistant director.”
Th
“Yes.”
He eyes me from top to bottom, assessing if I’m cut out for the job. “Come on, then.”
He’s curt as he spins on his heel and starts to walk away. I scramble to keep up with his long stride.
“Today, we’re filming the Christmas morning scene. These are the lead actors,” he says, pointing to the four cast members sitting in chairs and running lines. He begins to list their names, but I hold up a hand to stop him.
“No need. The studio already sent over the specifics, and I’ve had the last twenty-four hours to get organized and familiar with the cast and crew. I’ve even had a few phone calls with your former assistant director to help make this transition as smooth as possible.”
I must admit that I thought he’d be impressed by my preparedness and efficiency—most people are. But Luca folds his arms across his chest and narrows his eyes at me. “You know, I’ve heard great things about you. So, I have even bigger expectations than I normally would. You better not fuck this up.”
I smile, letting him know without saying a word that he doesn’t intimidate me one bit. Then, straightening my spine, I hold his stare as I step closer, right into his personal space. “Don’t worry about a thing,” I say carefully, keeping my tone measured and even. I’m not going to argue with the man, but I want him to understand that I’m not the type of woman to be fucked with. If he gets the message, we’ll get along just fine. If not… well, this won’t be a fun holiday for anyone. “The studio needed a fixer, someone who could step in at the eleventh hour to take on a project already underway. There’s a reason I was their first call. I don’t fail.”
Tension crackles in the air between us, and I know we’re being watched with bated breaths. Luca stares at me for a long moment.
Then, he slowly smirks. “You know what? I like your grit. The scene should be set up in twenty minutes. I want you at my side.”
He turns and walks off, his attention already back on the clipboard in his hands. I exhale, feeling like I’ve just passed a test. Working with him shouldn’t be a problem now.
Knowing I have some time until filming resumes, I walk around and introduce myself to the employees on the set. I want to make sure everyone knows who I am, so they know who to come to when they need something. Luca isn’t exactly approachable. But the whole time I talk to the cast and crew, my mind is on one person in particular—one of the few names I recognized when reviewing the production breakdown: Jackson Reed.
I’d been visiting family in Tennessee when I was called in, and the entire flight this morning, I could only think about him. How much has he changed in the last decade? What does he look like? Does he think about me?
I don’t see him until I’m in the middle of introducing myself to the hair and makeup artist. I spot him walking onto the set out of the corner of my eye, unmistakable with his golden tan skin and large muscles. I can’t resist turning to stare, taking in his sculpted, hard body. He has a few more tattoos than he used to, but other than that, he’s just as gorgeous as I remember, maybe more so. He’s tall with short brown hair and the kind of dark eyes I could spend hours getting lost in. He hasn’t noticed me yet, and I tell myself to look away, but it’s nearly impossible to force my eyes to comply.
“He’s single, just in case you were wondering.”
I finally pull my gaze from Jackson and return my attention to Audrey, the hair and makeup artist. She’s smiling like we’re a pair of old girlfriends gossiping about boys.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lie, knowing I’m not fooling anyone. I was just ogling the guy.
“It’s okay. All the women have been lusting after that man for years. But he never seems to date anyone. Not that I’ve seen anyway.”
“Really?”
She shrugs and changes the subject, but I keep thinking about Jackson, even when we start shooting the scene and I’m trying to focus on work. I remember where he lived back when we were briefly together. Maybe he’s still there? Would it be crazy to stop by after work?
I’m not sure, but I’m talking myself into doing it anyway. I just want a glimpse of what his life’s like now, maybe see how my own life could have been if things had worked out between us.
If only…
2
HAILEY
There’s a little voice in my head telling me to turn around and go back to my apartment. I shouldn’t be driving to Jackson’s house. It’s creepy to just show up after all this time.
Yet, I can’t seem to make myself stop. I have to take a chance., I know I’d live with so much regret if I didn’t at least try to connect with him somehow.
I keep thinking about the brief time we spent together. It was early in my career when I was a low-level production assistant, who essentially ran errands for everyone on set. I had big dreams even back then, and I was too focused on making them come true to have time for a meaningful relationship. But Jackson had his own stuff going on too, though he never really told me what any of that was. We just didn’t get the chance to take things to a deeper level. Most of our relationship was physical, even though I sincerely cared about him.
So, after working together on two movies, we finally split up. But I never found anyone after that who could make me feel an inkling of the way he did. And I always wished things were different.
Maybe this time they could be.
That thought gives me the courage to get out of my car. There’s a big truck parked in the driveway, and I assume it must belong to Jackson. I have a nervous twitch in the pit of my stomach as I imagine what his reaction will be to opening the door and seeing me. Will he be happy? Confused? I ring the bell, but when the door opens, Jackson isn't the one standing there; it’s a little girl.
She stares at me with familiar dark eyes, ones just like Jackson’s. She has the same golden complexion and brown hair too. I feel my heart sink as she smiles at me—what a beautiful child.
“Hi, can I help you?” she asks politely.
“I-I must have the wrong house,” I stammer, even though this girl is the spitting image of Jackson. I must be in the right place. I just don’t want to believe it. “How… um… how old are you?” I don’t mean to ask that, but this girl’s age is suddenly significant to me. If she’s Jackson’s daughter—and I can only imagine she is since she’s at his house and looks just like him—then the timeline matters.
“I’m ten,” she answers matter-of-factly.
Oh, God.
She was born when Jackson and I were together. He must have been seeing someone else. Otherwise why would he keep her existence hidden from me?
“And your name?” I don’t know why I ask her that. I’m too shocked to think through my questions before they come tumbling out of my mouth. In my wildest dreams, I never would have expected this.
“Cam,” she replies with a slight frown.
I can tell she’s starting to get freaked out by me, and I can’t blame her. I’m a stranger standing on her doorstep, asking several personal questions. I should go.
“Are you looking for my dad?” Cam asks, but I hesitate.
“Well, that depends. Who’s your dad?” I hold my breath as I wait for the answer, partially hoping that it’s not who I think it is.
“Jackson Reed.” Her voice is tentative as she slowly pronounces his name.
She takes a small step backward, and I know I must be scaring her. Of course I am. She’s only ten years old, and I’m acting like a weirdo.
“I need to go,” I say hurriedly, turning around and rushing back towards my car.
