A Cozy Little Christmas

by Laylah Roberts

  “What the hell? That fucking asshole.”

  “I was in college when I met him. I wanted to be a teacher. But then I met Davis, and he convinced me that I should work to support him through law school and then when he got a job, he would support me while I finished my education. I was so stupid. So naïve. I’d just lost my mom. My dad left when I was young, so there were just the two of us and I was lonely. I was scared of being on my own. I didn’t have anyone else. So, I fell for his lies.”

  “Baby,” he crooned.

  “I worked three jobs to get him through law school. Then when he got a job, he told me to quit. That his wife would stay at home and take care of him. That she couldn’t look so haggard and worn. I brought up going to college, but he told me that I deserved a break. I thought he was being nice. But he just wanted me at home, at his beck and call.”

  “That bastard. You never went back?”

  “No,” she whispered. “And now I’m a college drop-out with no work experience for the last twelve years. Oh, and I have arthritis and sometimes I have flare-ups like this one. Where I get a fever and I’m exhausted. And now I sound like I’m complaining. I’m trying not to. It’s just…he threw me away like I was garbage. I was an old model Subaru, and he wanted a BMW. He got her too. My replacement is thin, tall, and beautiful. I wonder what she’ll think of Davis’s smelly feet and the fact that he lives well beyond his means.”

  “Don’t worry about Davis, baby. He’s going to get his.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Here, let’s sit you up and put some pillows behind you.” He helped settle her in, so she was more comfortable. Then he got the television remote.

  “You’re much better at this than I thought you would be,” she commented.

  “Better at what?”

  “Taking care of someone. Thank you. I can’t remember the last time someone did something this nice for me.”

  He ground his teeth together. That made him really fucking furious.

  “You deserve nice things, little girl.”

  He turned on the television and flicked through the channels until he found a Christmas movie.

  Dear Lord. Help him.

  “I don’t need much,” she sighed. “But an actual job would be nice. Derek was kind enough to give me this job, but I knew it was just ‘cause he pitied me.”

  “You do a damn good job,” he growled.

  “Aw, thank you. I try. I love Christmas. Too bad you’re such a Christmas Grinch. You’re so damn sexy.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You think I’m sexy, huh?”

  Her eyes were drooping closed, and he knew she had no idea what she was saying.

  “Yep. You’re super sexy. Especially that butt. I could take a bite out of that butt.” She pretended to bite something, then made a growly noise.

  He couldn’t help but chuckle.

  “Cully?”

  He winced at the nickname. “Yeah?”

  “I wish I was the sort of person you’d like to take home. I’m gonna miss you and Marcus when we have to say goodbye.”

  He stood there, watching her as she fell asleep. It took a lot to resist the urge to run his fingers through her hair, to tell her that she didn’t have to worry about anything again because he was going to take care of everything.

  Taking a deep breath in, he let it out slowly.

  Fuck. He was going to break his own rule.

  “What’s the rush? What’s going on?” Marcus asked as he practically skipped alongside Cullen as they made their way back to their suite. “There’s a Christmas movie night tonight. Now, before you say that you’re not going because Christmas movies give you diarrhea, you don’t have to stay. But apparently, you have to escort me there and back. Honestly, that rule is so stupid.”

  “Bet you don’t say that in front of any of the Tops around here.”

  “Oh hell, no. Nanny J sure knows how to wield a paddle. Poor Callie got her butt paddled good today.”

  “Please don’t tell me if you ever get your butt paddled. That’s too much information for me to handle.”

  “Like I’d tell you. You’d likely get all offended on my behalf and go off on some quest for vengeance.” He put his fist into the air as he said that.

  “Quest for vengeance, huh?”

  “I know you. You won’t be able to handle hearing about me getting my butt paddled.”

  Cullen drew him to a stop outside their suite. “What time is movie night?”

  “Um, at seven. So in two hours. I’m hoping that Ivy will be there. I haven’t seen her all day. Did you find her? Did you figure out why she snuck off this morning?”

  “Yeah, I know why. She overheard us talking. About how you wanted to keep her.”

  “And you didn’t,” Marcus finished. “Oh, fudge.”

  “Fudge?”

  “Yeah, Nanny J doesn’t like hearing me swear. Is she mad? Upset? Maybe I should go talk to her?”

  “You can’t talk to her.”

  “Why not? Cullen, we might have hurt her feelings.”

  “We did.”

  “So I need to make it right,” Marcus insisted.

  “Not right now.”

  “Cullen!” Marcus glared at him.

  “Shh, you can’t talk to her right now because she’s sleeping.”

  “She is? How do you know?” Marcus asked.

  “Because she’s sleeping in your bed.”

  Marcus gaped at him, then he looked around frantically. “Oh god, Cullen, did you kidnap her? Please don’t tell me you kidnapped her!”

  “I didn’t kidnap her. What do you take me for?”

  “Obviously, I take you for a kidnapper.”

  “Marcus,” he growled. “I didn’t kidnap her. I’m not holding her in our room against her will.”

  “Thank fuck for that. Because orange isn’t your color.”

  “Marcus.”

  “Not that you wouldn’t have the prison population soon under your command and be ruling them like some nasty overlord.”

  “I wouldn’t go to prison,” Cullen scoffed.

  “Your lawyers are good, but are they that good?”

  He froze for a moment. His lawyers…hmm.

  “Okay, now you’ve got your ‘I just got an evil idea’ look on your face.”

  “I don’t have an ‘evil idea’ look.”

  “Oh, you do. And usually I like your evil ideas, but not when it comes to her. Ivy isn’t someone who can be involved in your evil ideas, Cullen.”

  “Relax, I’m not going to hurt Ivy.”

  Marcus looked skeptical.

  “I’m not. I promise. In fact, I decided you were right.”

  “I usually am,” Marcus replied. “But what was I right about this time?”

  “Keeping her. I’m going to keep her.”

  Chapter 6

  Cullen strode through the grounds with the key he’d appropriated from Ivy’s pocket in his hand. He’d left a startled and strangely silent Marcus in their suite with a still-sleeping Ivy while he’d gone to shift around the gnomes.

  Now he had to find Ivy’s room, get Binky and some of her clothes, then sneak out again before anyone saw him. Not that he particularly cared if they did. If Derek took offense and kicked him off the Ranch, then he was taking Ivy with him. But he didn’t want to shift her if she was ill.

  Maybe he should call a doctor for her. He’d done a quick read up on rheumatoid arthritis and flare-ups and it didn’t seem a doctor would help her much. However, he’d call whoever the fuck he had to and get them here if she needed help.

  After matching the number on her key with her door, he unlocked it and looked around. It was a nicely sized room with a small kitchenette, bed, television, drawers and doors that had to lead to the closet and bathroom.

  Out of curiosity, he moved to the kitchenette first. There wasn’t much in there. Just some pre-packaged hot chocolate and creamer.

  He took the hot chocolate and stuffed it into the rolling suit
case he’d brought with him. Then he moved to her drawers. Opening the top one, he saw her Christmas headbands. There were also some Halloween and Easter-themed ones. Why would she have all of her headbands with her? She wasn’t staying beyond Christmas, right? That seemed odd. But maybe she liked wearing them no matter what time of year it was.

  Taking a couple, he put them in. They might cheer her up. Next was her underwear drawer. He had to grin as he saw some more Christmas-themed ones. On the back of one pair, it said, Spank Me, I’ve Been Naughty. The front of another pair had a picture of some cookies and the words, Why Eat Cookies When You Can Eat Me?

  Okay. He really hadn’t thought that she would have such naughty panties. Another black pair of panties had an image of a ghost on the back and said BOOty. Halloween panties?

  He stuffed some in the bag. Next drawer down made him grimace. He drew out a mustard-colored cardigan with huge brown buttons. The next one wasn’t any better. It was bright orange and looked about four sizes too big. There was a gift shop here, right? Maybe he’d get some things for her there. The next drawer held T-shirts and shorts. Not warm enough for this time of year, but he took one of each in case she wanted to wear them rather than pajamas.

  Where were her pajamas? He looked around, but there were no more drawers. Moving to the closet, he looked in, frowning as he saw just a few black shirts and black pants hanging there. Some shoes were on the floor and there was just one black jacket.

  He grumbled to himself. Where were the rest of her clothes? Why hadn’t she brought some decent boots with her? All she had were those slippery things she’d been wearing the other day.

  The last place he looked was in the drawers by her bed. He drew the top drawer open and staring up at him was one ugly gnome.

  “I’m guessing you’re Binky.”

  He picked him up and stuffed him in the bag. At least he wasn’t a Christmas gnome. “Don’t go sniffing her underwear.”

  Great. Now he was talking to a gnome.

  Idiot.

  Pulling up her pillow, he found a pair of pajamas that made him raise his eyebrows. They were all-in-one with a zipper up the front. There was no drop seat, but he had the sudden urge to buy her a pair with a drop seat.

  Would make it easier to spank her.

  Fuck. He closed his eyes.

  He was really doing this with Ivy. Because the alternative, which was not having her in his life, was unbearable for him to think about. But he hadn’t imagined he’d want to be with a Little. What if she grew to resent the fact that he wasn’t a Daddy Dom? Or that he hated Christmas and refused to celebrate it?

  What if he’d been sent Ivy, just to lose her?

  Okay, that was just ridiculous. Nothing and no one was taking her from him. Cullen was a stubborn fuck and nobody messed with people who belonged to him.

  Putting in her pajamas, he took another look around before leaving and locking the door.

  “So, I was coming to check in on Ivy, but I’m guessing by that suitcase that she’s not here.”

  Fuck.

  “I’m going to need to talk to Ivy,” Derek insisted.

  Cullen resisted the urge to tell him to get fucked, storm back to his suite, grab his woman and his cousin and leave.

  He took a deep breath in then let it out.

  Don’t overreact.

  “You really hate having to follow someone else’s rules, don’t you?” Derek chuckled.

  “Fuck, yes.”

  “Want to punch me right now?”

  “I’m more of the ‘destroy every aspect of their lives and make them suffer for all eternity’ type rather than the ‘punch them’ type,” he said honestly.

  To his shock, Derek actually laughed. “Right. I’ll remember that. You’ve got to understand that she’s under my protection.”

  “She’s not yours, though. She works here. You don’t have a right to her private life,” Cullen told him.

  “Ivy needs someone to watch out for her,” Derek insisted.

  “Because she’s a sub and a Little, you mean?” Cullen asked.

  “So you do know.” Derek studied him with an assessing gaze. “How do you intend to meet her needs? You’ve pointed out that you’re not a Daddy Dom. So what about Ivy? Her needs? Will you find someone else to meet them? Or will you force her to suppress them?”

  He stood abruptly and placed his hands on Derek’s desk, leaning over him. “No one else will provide for her but me. And I would never expect her to hide who she is and what she needs. I’m not her bastard ex.”

  A look of satisfaction filled Derek’s face. That made him suspicious. What did he have to look so smug about?

  “Her ex? She hasn’t said much about him, but I gather he made her feel ashamed of her needs.”

  “Yeah. He was an asshole who made her feel like she was worthless.”

  Derek nodded slightly and said. “I’m aware.”

  “She needs to learn that she’s special and perfect just the way she is.”

  “And you’re the man to show her that?” Derek asked.

  “I am,” he said firmly, bracing himself for Derek’s arguments, his protests.

  But the other man just nodded. “Good. I wasn’t sure about you when I first met you. You seemed too cold for Ivy. I thought she needed someone gentler, sweeter. But the way you treated her the other night when she dropped the mug of hot chocolate, I realized I was wrong. What she needs is someone to treat her like she’s the center of the universe. To be her protector, her champion, her biggest supporter. She needs you. And you might think you’re not a Daddy Dom, but you’re wrong.”

  Cullen blinked at him in shock. “Really? You think you know me better than I know myself? I’m not just suddenly going to turn into a Daddy Dom because I met a Little who I…”

  Who you what? Want? Adore?

  Love?

  He swallowed at that thought. It was far too soon to think that.

  Yet, he was planning on keeping her, right? Didn’t that mean he felt something strong for her? But love?

  Fuck.

  “Who I want,” he added lamely.

  Derek sent him a knowing look. Smug bastard. “Of course not. You’ve likely always been one. Maybe you didn’t find the right Little until now. But I have no doubts you’ll give her exactly what she needs.”

  Of course he would.

  Everything she needed.

  He’d always gone for women who were so very different from Ivy. But why?

  “I’ve never been with a Little.”

  “But you’ve taken care of one for years.”

  “That’s different. I’m not his Daddy, I’m his cousin.”

  “And his caregiver. I don’t know anything about your past. What sort of woman do you usually date?”

  “Women who were very different from Ivy because they were easy to say goodbye to when it didn’t work out.” He let out a sigh. “Fuck. I chose women because I didn’t expect it to last and I didn’t want to get too attached. Women who I knew I wouldn’t fall in love with because they weren’t right for me. Fucking hell. What are you? Some sort of goddamn relationship savant?”

  “Just a man with good instincts.”

  Cullen ran his hand over his face. “I was going to marry a woman, Raquel, until I discovered that all she wanted was my money.” Both he and Marcus were wealthy. He’d always thought he needed to protect Marcus. But he hadn’t even seen the viper in his nest until he’d caught her cheating on him. “Thing is, when I figured out that she was cheating on me, all I cared about was the fact that I’d let her dupe me.”

  “I get it. No one likes to be lied to.”

  “But if Ivy tried to leave me…” He clenched his hands into fists. Not. Happening.

  “Ivy needs someone to put her first. I’ve been concerned about her.”

  “She’s worried about what she’s going to do after she leaves here. She thinks you gave her that job out of pity.”

  Shock filled Derek’s face. “Pity? Really? She�
��s damn good at her job.”

  “I know she is, but she doesn’t seem to realize it.”

  Derek frowned. “I was actually going to offer her another job.”

  “You don’t need to do that now. She’s coming home with me.”

  Derek raised an eyebrow. “Did she agree to that?”

  “I haven’t told her yet.”

  “You’re going to ask her, not tell her.”

  Was he? He didn’t think so. He wasn’t giving her an opportunity to say no.

  He wasn’t that much of a fool.

  An antsy feeling filled him. “I need to go back to her. She’s sleeping at the moment. I’ll call you when she wakes up.”

  “I’ll just come check on her myself now.”

  Interfering bastard.

  Calm. Don’t overreact.

  Fuck, it was hard, though.

  When they got to his suite, she was still asleep and Marcus was sitting beside her, watching a Christmas movie.

  Just great.

  His cousin glanced over, eyes widening as he saw Derek standing with him. Cullen set the bag of stuff he’d retrieved from her apartment down on the floor.

  “Call me when she wakes up,” Derek said quietly. “Take care of her.”

  Like he needed to be told that.

  Ivy woke with a gasp.

  She glanced around frantically, uncertain where she was. A soft snore caught her attention, and she looked over toward the couch. Was that Marcus?

  The light in the bathroom was on, giving her enough light to see by. She sat up, studying her surroundings.

  Cullen and Marcus’s room.

  But how had she gotten here? She was certain that she’d snuck out of here. Memories rushed back to her. Derek sending her home to rest. Exhausted, feeling ill, she’d been trying to…oh no! The gnomes!

  That was when the noise from outside registered. The wind was howling.

  Storm!