by Becca Colton
The store has a railroad track suspended from the ceiling, and a little remote-controlled train is chugging away overhead. I look down at Krissy. “What’s the first Christmas present you remember getting?”
Krissy blinks, taken off guard by my question. She thinks for a second and then smiles. “A stuffed unicorn. It was pink. I slept with that thing for years.”
“Lucky unicorn.”
Her cheeks turn a delicate shade of pink — possibly similar to the unicorn she just mentioned. She clears her throat. “How about you?”
I look back up at the train, steadily rolling over the heads of all the customers. They all seem to react the way I did, looking up as it passes by, taking a moment to enjoy a taste of childhood. “I wanted a train set,” I say softly. “That’s the one and only thing I ever asked for from Santa.” I look down at Krissy, trying to make myself smile. “My dad gave me stock in the company.” I chuckle. “That was my Christmas present. I was eight.”
Krissy makes a depressed sound in her throat, reaching out to brush her hand softly against mine before she realizes what she’s doing and snatches it back. “That’s terrible,” she says. “Your dad is a dick.”
I laugh and nod. “Sometimes, yeah he is.”
“Were all your Christmases like that?”
I nod. “It was just another day. Dad was usually at work. We didn’t have a tree because, according to my dad, nature belongs outside, and decorating . . .” I shrug. “He said it was a waste of time. Silly to put lights up just to take them down again in a month or two.”
I look down at her and take her hand in mine. “Show me Christmas.”
She frowns, looking confused. She even manages to make that expression look adorable. “What do you mean?”
“I mean show me what you see.” I gesture around the store with my free hand. “Everyone here loves the holiday. Anyone can see that.” I shrug. “To me, a Christmas tree is just something that needs to be cleaned up so why bother with it? Presents? If you want something or your kid wants something then buy it for them instead of waiting for a particular day.” I shake my head. “I don’t get it.” I glance up at the train again before looking down into her gorgeous eyes. “But I think I need to, and I think you can show me.”
The smile on her face lights up the room, and for the first time since seeing my name on that paperwork back at the B&B she’s not looking at me with doubt or mistrust.
◆◆◆
I’m waiting in the front yard of the Happy Elf B&B as the sun is dipping below the horizon, just as Krissy requested. I’m bundled up in my new coat and wearing even newer gloves bought earlier today, again as Krissy requested. There’s snow on the ground, and the breeze has a slight bite to it, but I’m starting to realize winter really isn’t that bad if you’re prepared for it.
After a few minutes, I hear something in the distance. I tilt my head, trying to figure out what it is and where it’s coming from. It sort of sounds like bells. Jingle bells?
A large silhouette rounds the corner and approaches the B&B at a steady pace. I have to hold back a laugh but can’t hold back the smile when I realize it’s Krissy on a sleigh. A one-horse open sleigh as a matter of fact. Complete with jingle bells on the sides and back. She pulls back on the reins, making the sleigh stop in front of me.
Finally, the laughter wins. I don’t have a choice but to let it out. “What is this?”
Chapter 5
Krissy
His smile could light up the night sky, and his laugh makes my tummy and lady bits do funny things. He’s smart, handsome, and maybe not as evil as I originally thought.
“This is your introduction to Christmas,” I say with a smile and pat the empty space next to me. “Hop on.”
He climbs up into the sleigh, and I feel a blush heat my cheeks as his eyes roam across my body. I’m wearing a bulky coat with the hood pulled up, extra-thick gloves, and fleece-lined leggings, which are hidden under a red and green plaid blanket over my lap. But the hungry look in Joe’s eyes makes me feel naked. And wanted. I chew on my bottom lip. Not a drop of alcohol in me and I still want him, so I can’t blame that night on the booze. Dammit. Even worse, while I chastise myself for wanting this man, I also wonder if a quickie would really be so bad. I give my head a brisk shake. No. Joe wants to know about Christmas, and a tumble in the sack — as enjoyable as it would probably be — doesn’t have anything to do with the holiday.
I pull back the blanket and pat the tiny bench I’m sitting on again. Without a word, Joe sits, our hips touching. I’m not exactly tiny, and the holiday ride sleighs are designed to be cozy so I was expecting the contact, but feeling part of him pressed up against me sends a chill through me that has nothing to do with the cold.
I drop the blanket across his lap. For a second I have a wild urge to tuck him in but that would require leaning closer. And putting my hands near his cock—his LAP! Neither of those things is a good idea.
Instead of giving in to the urge to crawl into Joe’s lap and tell him what a naughty girl I want to be, I grab the thermos tucked by my side and hand it over to him. “This’ll help keep us warm.”
He smiles at me — making my girly bits very happy. Dammit — as he takes it from me. Resisting the urge to look into his hot-chocolate-colored eyed, I flick the reins to send the horse — Comet — on her way. Aside from stopping and starting, the reins are mainly for looks. The horses that pull the holiday sleighs travel the same route every time
Joe unscrews the thermos lid and inhales deeply. “Coffee,” he sighs, a small smile forming on his lips. He fills the lid half full and downs half of that in one gulp. His mouth puckers and he squints his eyes. After a few seconds, he regains control of his face.
“What is this stuff?” he asks, a look of surprise on his face.
“Coffee.”
He shakes his head. “No. It smells like coffee but it most definitely is not coffee.”
I draw an ‘x’ over my heart with an index finger. “Cross my heart. It’s coffee.”
He takes another — much smaller — sip and looks over at me, one eyebrow arched. “How much sugar did you use?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. Same amount I always use.”
He pops the lid back onto the thermos and holds it in his lap. He tries to give me an aggravated look but the corner of his lip keeps twitching like he’s fighting to hold back a smile . . . or that sexy-ass smirk of his. He looks around before his gaze returns to me. “So this is Christmas. Exposed to the elements in a sleigh while drinking too-sweet coffee.”
I sigh and roll my eyes. “Noooo. Just wait a minute.”
His eyes narrow as he looks ahead of us. “What’s that glow in the sky? Is there a fire up ahead?”
I hold back a smile as Comet turns on a road that leads into the town’s one and only subdivision, taking us under an archway designed to look like two large candy canes leaning against each other. Joe snorts and then gasps as the sleigh reaches the top of a little hill, revealing the houses below. Almost everyone in town lives in this subdivision, and each and every house is decorated for the holidays. Christmas lights shine bright into the night sky.
“It’s incredible,” Joe says breathlessly. “I mean, I’ve seen Christmas lights before . . . but . . . never like this.”
“No light pollution like in the big cities so the lights don’t have to compete with anything. And it’s a community thing,” I say. “Every house is decorated, and everyone helps everyone else.” I hesitate for a second and then reach out and take his hand. We’re both wearing gloves but I still feel a little thrill from touching him, and I think the smile that just appeared on his face means he does too.
We ride silently through the neighborhood, enjoying the various scenes of Santa and Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman and so many other things. One yard features a house made of candy. There’s a witch at the door battling Santa, Hansel and Gretel hiding behind the jolly old elf. One yard features Santa in a flying saucer with a reind
eer as a pilot. A spotlight under the UFO and presents suspended by an almost invisible wire gives the appearance of Santa beaming the presents down. Joe laughs out loud for several minutes at that one.
I point at a large picture window. A family is visible inside through the open curtains. The fireplace has a large fire in it, a decorated and lit Christmas tree stands proudly in the corner, and the family is gathered on the couch and nearby recliners watching something on TV, laughing and talking and occasionally pointing at something on the screen.
Comet keeps going, the sleigh sliding smoothly across the snow as I show Joe more decorations, more families having fun. Eventually, we exit the subdivision and head toward town. Since it’s the town that celebrates Christmas all year even the businesses are decorated for the holiday, but the main attraction is the Christmas tree in the town square. The pine tree is over fifty feet tall and at least fifty years old. It’s decorated from top to bottom, with so many strings of lights the whole area is bathed in green and red and gold and white. Joe points under the tree, where the ground is covered in presents.
“Are those real? Or just for decoration?”
“They’re real.” I smile. “All of those presents are donated by townspeople and visitors. A few days before Christmas, they’ll all be shipped out to families in need, families who wouldn’t otherwise have a Christmas.”
I take his hand and give it a squeeze. “That’s what it’s about, Joe. That right there. The trees and the lights and even the gifts are the wrapping paper. The actual present is friendship and family and love.”
He looks at me and I nervously chew on my bottom lip. His eyes are filled with . . . something. It’s more than lust, more than passion. It’s something that’s exciting and scary all at the same time. It sends butterflies tumbling through my tummy and ignites a warmth between my thighs that makes me squirm, that makes me hungry for his touch.
As if reading my mind, Joe leans over and claims my mouth with his. His tongue runs along the seam of my lips and I let him enter with a low moan as I reach for him. His arms wrap around me and pull me close. He pulls my hood off and runs his fingers through my hair, tugging on it lightly. I purr into his mouth and he growls. Unable to help myself, I slide a hand under the blanket to feel him. He’s hot and hard. I rub him through his pants, my panties becoming soaked as I stroke his full length.
Joe pulls back, his eyes reflecting the surrounding Christmas lights, almost seeming to glow. “I need you.” His voice is thick and husky.
I squeeze my thighs together, the fire within me burning hotter. “I need you too.” My fingers tighten on his throbbing cock and he growls . . . and then he chuckles, that sexy smirk appearing.
He shakes his head. “I never imagined I’d say something like this but get us to the Happy Elf.”
I laugh and, with a little coaxing, get Comet to turn away from her memorized route to return to the bed-and-breakfast.
When we get back to the Happy Elf, I scratch Comet behind the ear. “Go home, girl.”
The horse nickers softly, gives me a gentle shove against my shoulder, and then heads down the road. She’s a well-trained horse. I’ll check with the stables later just to make sure but I’m confident she’ll find her way home without any trouble.
I look over at Joe and flash him a shy smile. “See you in your room.” And then I start toward the back of the house.
“The tree again?” Joe says. “You know I’m not really the guy who killed Christmas, right? I mean, it’s still there. It’s what my company does; it would be kind of dumb to kill the holiday the store revolves around.”
I look back at him and smile, touched in a weird way that he remembers the words I tossed in his face the last time we were together here. “I know. I also know Ms. Murray, the woman who runs the place, is friends with my mom, and she won’t hesitate to call her if she sees me going up to a room with a man.”
Still not looking happy about it, Joe nods. “Okay. I’ll see you there, but be careful.”
I smile at him. “I will.”
◆◆◆
This time, the window is opened as soon as I climb onto the branch. “You’re learning,” I say as I crawl into his room. He huffs a small laugh and then pulls me into an embrace, holding me tight against him as his lips find mine.
He’s only been inside for a few minutes and the evening chill is still attached to his jacket and hands, but his lips are nice and warm, or maybe they feel that way because I was just outside. Either way, I lean into him, savoring him as his tongue teases mine. I moan, feeling my toes curl inside my shoes.
As nice as the kiss is, as wet as his talented tongue is making me, I need more. Giving in to my desire to be as close as possible to him, I unzip his jacket and slide my hands under his shirt. Unfortunately I’m still wearing my gloves.
With a sharp hiss, Joe breaks the kiss and jerks back, grabbing my hands and stopping their progress. “Holy hell, woman. Your hands are like ice.”
I laugh as I pull my hands away, smiling like a naughty elf. “Not my hands, just the gloves.” I pull them off and drop them on the floor, sliding my hands back under his shirt. “See? My hands are nice and warm.”
He leans into me as my fingers explore him. I squeeze my legs together, trying to ignore the wetness between my thighs as my hands slide across his sculpted abs. He moans when my fingers trace circles around his hard little nipples.
With a growl that starts deep in his chest, Joe slides his jacket off his shoulders and lets it slide to the floor, then reached up and pulls off both his sweater and shirt at the same time, dropping them onto the discarded jacket.
I can’t resist that bare skin and slowly lean in, covering his chest with soft kisses as my hands roam across every bare inch of him. I tease one of his nipples with my tongue before wrapping my lips around it, sucking gently. Joe’s fingers slide through my hair. He pulls my head back, forcing me to look up at him, and a moan escapes my lips as he kisses me.
He quickly has my jacket and sweater off, and he raises an eyebrow at the green bra featuring Rudolph on each cup, a bright red nose placed exactly where my nipples are. I suddenly feel self-conscious, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “I wasn’t really expecting us to end up back here.” I suddenly feel shy and unsure of myself.
“And just like that, Rudolph becomes my favorite reindeer.” He plants a kiss on both red noses before reaching around and unsnapping the holiday undergarment. He gives a final smirk as he looks at it and tosses it to the side. “No reindeer games tonight, angel.” He wraps his arms around me and pulls me tight against him. I almost purr with how good it feels to have my bare breasts pressed against his muscular chest. He fists my long hair and tugs my head back. A lusty moan escapes me but it’s swallowed by him as he captures my mouth in a lip-bruising kiss.
Joe’s hands slide down my back, cupping my ass. With no effort at all, he lifts me up, his mouth never leaving mine. I wrap my legs around him, my inner muscles clenching when he pulls me tight against him, letting me feel his throbbing cock. I grind against his shaft as he carries me to the bed, and I pull him down with me when he lays me on the mattress, unwilling to have his lips leave mine.
He chuckles against my mouth. “You realize we’re both still wearing pants, right?”
“Easily remedied,” I reply, my voice a breathy whisper. I tug my leggings and panties down as he stands up and then groan in frustration. My clunky boots are still on, so there I lay, naked from the ankles up, with my leggings creating a cloth puddle at the top of my boots. Why does this man make me lose control of my brain?
He kicks off his shoes and lets his pants and boxers fall to the floor, and the sight of his fully erect cock reminds me why my brain turns to mush around him. I lick my lips as I watch a bead of precum form on the tip and I quickly kick off the rest of my clothes.
Joe kneels down to his pants and I moan at the sight of his thick thighs flexing. He pulls a foil packet out of his wallet and slowly stands back
up, his eyes roaming across my body as he wraps his fingers around his thick veiny cock. He begins stroking himself and grins when I lick my lips, my eyes fixated on his fist sliding up and down his shaft, another pearly drop of precum appearing, coaxed out by his firm grip. He grins when he sees where my eyes are fixed.
“See anything you like?” Joe asks, a lopsided smirk on his face.
Arrogant bastard. But there’s no point in denying the truth. The man is built like a Greek god and I could look at him all day. He steps toward the bed, his cock mere inches from my face. Without giving it a second thought, I lean forward and wrap my lips around him, moaning as his tangy essence touches my tongue. I start to slowly slide my mouth down his shaft. He groans, his hands playing with my hair as I move up and down his cock in a slow, steady rhythm.
“Fuuuck, your mouth feels so damn good, angel.”
I moan around his shaft, swirling my tongue around it as I reach up and lightly scratch his balls with my nails.
Joe growls and pulls away, his cock sliding free with an audible pop. I look up at him, worried I did something wrong, but then I gasp when I meet his eyes. They’ve gone from brown to almost black and a shiver runs down my spine as I suddenly feel like a tiny little bunny being hunted by a hungry wolf.
“You look like an angel,” Joe says, his voice thick with lust, “but that mouth is 100 percent devil.”
I look up at him through my lashes, blinking innocently. “Fuck me.”
The fire in Joe’s eyes flares brighter. “Oh, don’t worry, angel. I’m going to give you what you need.” He tears the foil package he’s been holding in his hand and rolls the condom on. He glances down between my thighs and then looks back up at me. “I’ve been dying to do this since I first saw you,” he says, his voice deep with lust.