Her gnomes.
She hastily threw off the covers, wincing as her hands burned with pain.
No time. No time.
She had to rescue the gnomes.
One part of her brain noted Binky lying next to her, and she wondered how he’d gotten here. But she pushed that thought aside. Right now, she had her other gnomes to save.
Pants. Shoes. Pants. Shoes.
“Ivy? What are you doing? Are you looking for the bathroom?”
She let out a small screech and turned to find Cullen sitting up and watching her. He’d been sleeping on the floor?
“Why didn’t you just sleep in the bed with me? There’s plenty of room,” she blurted out.
Wait. Did she really just say that? How embarrassing.
“What’s going on?” Marcus asked, rubbing his eyes. “Why are you both awake and talking at three in the morning?”
“The gnomes!”
“What?” Cullen asked, getting to his feet. He was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt and boxers.
“I have to move the gnomes.”
“Baby, I already moved them.”
Relief flooded her. “You did? Inside?”
“No, I moved them around like you usually do. That’s what you were trying to do yesterday afternoon when I found you. But you were running a fever and in pain. I brought you back here, then moved the gnomes and got some stuff for you.”
Oh, that was sweet of him, but…
“There’s a storm! I need to go get them.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Cullen commanded, moving toward her. “Get back into bed.”
“I have to get the gnomes. You don’t understand.” A sob left her and he froze, staring down at her.
“Baby…”
“They’re my family. They were there for me when Davis kicked me out. The house was in his name. I barely had time to grab anything, but I managed to get them. I had nothing, but they kept me going. I need them.”
“All right, baby,” Cullen said gently. “Don’t cry. Please, don’t cry.”
A sob left her, tears slipping down her cheeks. She knew she was acting like a crazy person. They were just gnomes. But she couldn’t help it.
“Just stay here. I’ll go get them for you.”
She shook her head. “I can’t let you do that.”
“You’re not letting me do anything,” he grumbled. “I’m in charge around here. I’m going. You’re staying.”
“But Cullen—”
“No arguments,” he said firmly as he grabbed some pants, a sweater, and a jacket, drawing them on. Then he pulled an empty bag from the wardrobe. “You’re not going out there. It’s not safe.”
“Then it’s not safe for you,” she cried. “I don’t want you in danger.”
“I’ll be fine. I know where the gnomes are, anyway.”
“Want me to come with you?” Marcus asked, climbing off the sofa bed. Oh no, now they were both going to be in danger.
Anxiety flooded her tummy.
“No, I want you both to stay here. Inside,” Cullen said firmly as he finished getting ready. “There’s a flashlight in here somewhere, right?”
“Yeah, in the bedside drawer.” Marcus grabbed it for him. Then he stood beside her. Ivy winced as the wind rattled against the windows.
“Cullen, I should go,” she said.
“Not arguing about this, little girl. You’re to stay inside with Marcus. Understand me? Try to leave this suite and there will be consequences.”
Consequences? What the hell did he mean, consequences?
“Someone’s gonna get their butt spanked,” Marcus sang.
What? Is that what Cullen meant? That he would spank her?
What was going on?
Then Cullen shocked her by grabbing her shoulders, bringing her close and kissing her. Before she knew it, he’d drawn back and left.
Had that really happened?
“You should see your face,” Marcus teased. Reaching out, he pushed at her chin. “Close your mouth, sweetie.”
She turned to gape up at him. “What’s happening?”
Marcus started ticking off his fingers. “Boy likes girl. Boy threatens to spank girl. Boy kisses girl. Boy heroically rescues girl’s gnomes. Boy takes girl home. Boy and girl live happily ever after.”
Was he…but he couldn’t…oh…
“Sugar balls,” she swore.
“That’s a new one,” he mused. “I personally like ‘son of a nutcracker’.”
“Marcus, you’re wrong,” she said firmly.
“Did he not bring you back here when you were unwell?”
“Well, yes.”
“Did he not just kiss you?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“And go out in the dark during a raging storm to rescue your Christmas gnomes?”
“Cullen likes me?”
“Cullen likes you, sweetie. We’re going to be family.” He bounced up and down. “This is so exciting. I never thought Cullen would trust another woman after that bitch Raquel. And that it’s someone like you…perfect.”
“Someone like me?” she asked. What did he mean?
“Kind, sweet, a Little.”
“I’ve told you that I’m not—”
“Don’t piss me off by lying,” Marcus told her firmly.
She gave him a surprised look, not used to hearing that tone from him.
“You can be scared, but you cannot lie to me. It’s all right if you don’t know what you are doing. But be honest, you’re a Little, aren’t you?”
“Pretty sure, yes.” She swallowed heavily.
“Well, thank fuck one of you is no longer in denial. Now to work on Cullen.”
“Work on him?”
“Sweetie, you haven’t realized he’s a Daddy Dom yet?”
“He is? Does he know?”
“Cullen is way more stubborn than you. He’s going to be a pain in the ass to convince. But I’m thinking he would do anything for you.”
“He can’t suddenly become a Daddy Dom for me.” That would never work.
Marcus brushed her hair back from her face. “Of course not. Would you want him even if he wasn’t a Daddy or wouldn’t admit it?”
“Of course I would. Not wanting him isn’t the issue, but Marcus…why would he want me?”
Turning to face her, hands on hips, he glared down at her. “You want to try that again?”
“Um, well…I don’t think I want to say it again.”
“Oh, you’re saying it again. Once Cullen gets back.”
“Do you think he’s all right? He’s been gone for ages. I think I should go looking for him.”
She moved toward the door leading out to the private courtyard.
“Hell no, you’re not.” Marcus wrapped an arm around her waist. “Go sit down.” He pointed at the armchair. “We’re waiting here for him.”
“I can’t sit. I’ll just wait here by the door.”
“Don’t even think about trying to leave. I will rat you out.”
“What happened to the bestie code?” she asked, pulling back the curtains further to peer outside.
“Cullen left me in charge of you.”
“He did not!” She gave him an outraged look.
“Uh-huh. I’m older than you, therefore I am in charge.”
“How old are you?” she asked suspiciously.
“Thirty-four.”
“One year older!”
“But I think my Little is older too.”
She blushed. “I don’t know how old my Little is.”
“What do you like to do when you’re Little?” Marcus asked.
“I don’t…I guess I don’t know.”
“What have I said about lying?” he asked in a dark voice.
She sent him a sideways look. “You sound more like a Top right now.”
“Huh. So I do. Is it sexy? Pretty sure I sound sexy. Sometimes I feel this bossy part of me wanting to come out.”
“Bossy side, huh?”
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“Hmm. Maybe I’ll let him out on you, since you’re so naughty,” he teased.
“Yeah. You’re not in charge of me,” she told him. “You’re not my Daddy.”
“No, but Cullen is going to be.”
Was he really? It seemed so absurd. Look at him, then at her. They weren’t in the same stratosphere.
“And that practically makes me your uncle.”
“Oh Lord, you’re ridiculous.”
“Got your mind off worrying about Cullen, though, didn’t I?”
He was such a brat. She shot him a look, and he just grinned. Then she thought she saw someone moving through the gate. Opening the door, she shot outside while Marcus yelled at her to stop.
Too late, she realized she was just wearing panties and a T-shirt. The wind whipped up her shirt, making her gasp and reach for the hem to force it down.
“Cullen!” she yelled, trying to move forward. She stepped on something sharp and winced.
Ouch!
“What are you doing?” he snapped. “Get inside. Now.”
He had a bag in his arms, but he shifted it to one hand and put his other arm under her ass, hauling her up against him and carrying her to the doorway where Marcus stood. Once they’d stepped inside, Cullen set her down on the bed while Marcus closed the door. After putting down his bag, Cullen kneeled in front of her and drew one foot up, inspecting it.
“Did you hurt yourself? There’s no cut.”
“No, I’m fine. It was just a stone or something.”
“Fuck, it’s cold out there,” Cullen muttered. “Where are your socks? Your feet are freezing.”
Her feet? What about him?
Marcus handed Cullen a throw, and he wrapped it around her feet. Kind of overkill, but she had other things to worry about.
“Are you all right? You’re not hurt, are you?” she asked. “Are you cold? Maybe you should get in the shower. I’ll go turn it on for you if you…”
She trailed off as he stood, looming over her, his face like a thundercloud. Ivy swallowed heavily. “Um, I’m really sorry you had to go out in that storm. Thank you for getting the gnomes.”
He put his hands on his hips as he glared.
“Are you all right?” she whispered.
He shook his head.
“Did you hurt yourself?” she asked. Oh no, how would she ever forgive herself if he was hurt?
He shook his head.
“So you’re not hurt, but you’re not all right? What’s wrong?”
“Oh, pick me!” Marcus put his hand in the air. “I can tell you. I know.”
Cullen shot him a look.
“Or I’ll just go into the bathroom and hang out, because that’s a cool place to hang. I love toilets. They’re my favorite thing,” he muttered as he disappeared, shutting the door behind him.
She stared up at Cullen questioningly. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“What did I tell you before I left?” he said in a dark voice.
Biting her lip, she thought over their conversation. “To stay inside?”
“And what did you do?”
Well, she thought that was pretty obvious. But he seemed to want an answer.
“I did stay inside!” she protested.
Was that a tic by his eye? That seemed sort of ominous.
“Then how come I found you outside?” he said in a low, calm voice.
“Because I saw you! I was worried. I wanted to check on you.”
He ran a hand over his face. “Baby, I told you to wait inside because it was fucking dangerous outside. Do you get that?”
“You were out in it!”
“I’m twice your size! And there are different rules for you and me.”
“There are? That doesn’t seem right.”
“Well, there are. So get used to it.”
Sheesh. “Like what?”
“Like when I say something is too dangerous and not to do it. Then you. Don’t. Do. It. Got me?”
“I’m not deaf. I heard you.”
“Good. So from now on, you don’t put yourself in danger. You also don’t do anything that would negatively impact your health. You don’t lie. And you always tell me when you need something. Got it?”
“Yes,” she replied, completely taken aback.
“Don’t forget that she shouldn’t say bad things about herself,” Marcus called out from the bathroom.
She stared over at the door. She could have sworn that he’d shut that.
“Quiet in the cheap seats,” she called out.
“Ooh, and she’s sassy. She should get her mouth washed out for that.” Marcus stuck his head into the room.
Cullen pointed at him and Marcus just ducked back, shutting the door.
“What is he talking about? Speaking badly about yourself?” Cullen asked.
“Shouldn’t you go get a shower? Are the gnomes in there?” She pointed at the bag he’d set down.
“Ivy.”
She gave a nervous look. “Don’t listen to him, he’s talking crazy.”
“What sort of crazy things has he been saying?”
“I don’t want to say,” she said.
“I was telling her that you like her,” Marcus called out.
“Marcus!” Cullen snapped. “Fuck, there is no privacy here.”
“I know. We should, um, have this conversation another time,” she suggested.
Or maybe never.
“No. We’re having it now. I am not risking you sneaking off from me in the morning. That’s another rule. No leaving this suite or any room we’re in together without telling me where you’re going.”
Her mouth dropped open. “But that’s crazy.”
“And you need to kiss me every time you come into a room where I am or leave.”
“You’re drunk on power.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You have a problem with your rules?”
“So you want me to kiss you?”
“Baby, I kissed you just before. You’ve spent the last two nights in my suite while I’ve slept on the floor. I keep seeking you out, even though you’ve been avoiding me. Which isn’t going to happen anymore. Like doesn’t exactly describe how I feel about you. It doesn’t even come close.”
“So you…I mean…you really want me?”
Cullen’s gaze narrowed. “And why wouldn’t I want you?”
“Because I’m a frumpy, divorced housewife with dimply thighs and a huge ass? After Christmas, I’ll be jobless and homeless. I’m nobody and you’re you. Gorgeous, smart, and sexy. We’re not even close to the same stratosphere.”
“That so?”
“Someone’s in trouble,” Marcus sang.
“Marcus, stop listening in,” Cullen snapped.
“Sorry! But are you going to smack her butt?”
“Of course he’s not!” she told Marcus.
“Oh yeah, I am,” Cullen drawled. “Unless spanking is a hard limit.”
“A hard limit?” she asked.
“Yes, is it?” Cullen asked.
“I don’t…I mean, I’ve never thought of…what?”
“How did you imagine Daddy was going to punish you when you were naughty?”
“I don’t…I told you that I wasn’t a Little.” Daddy? Was he calling himself Daddy or speaking generically?
“I don’t care what you told me, we both know you suppressed that side because of your asshole ex.”
“Just like you suppressed your Daddy side?” she challenged.
“Yeah, just like that.”
She sucked in a breath and heard Marcus doing the same from the bathroom.
“You mean you’re saying that you’re a Daddy Dom?”
Chapter 7
“Yes, I’m saying I’m a Daddy Dom.”
“You can’t be one just for me.”
He snorted. “I’m not that unselfish or self-sacrificing. I’ve always had this need. Why do you think I’m so protective of Marcus? I just…well, I guess I suppressed it because bein
g a Daddy Dom means being open. It means getting close to someone, getting attached. I didn’t want to do that because that meant if I lost them, it would devastate me.” He sat next to her on the bed. “I can’t bear to lose anyone else I loved.”
“Because of your ex-fiancée?”
“Raquel, hell no. I didn’t care about losing her. Other than the fact that she duped me. It turns out she was only with me for my money. When I figured out what she was after, and learned what a bitch she’d been to Marcus behind my back, I got rid of her. And went on with my life. I didn’t love her. I barely noticed she was gone. But when I couldn’t find you today, I got more and more upset. When I saw you were ill, I felt panicked. All I could think of was how to take care of you.” He moved to kneel on the floor in front of her, pushing her legs apart so he was between them. “I want you, Ivy.”
He put his hands on her thighs, and her breathing grew faster.
“But you barely know me.”
“I know enough about you to realize that you’re the sparkling diamond in a sea of black. And I’d be a fool to let you walk away from me. I’m no idiot, baby. You’re going to be mine.” He brushed her hair back from her face. “We can take this as slow as you like. We have eight more days here. I’ve decided to take some classes that are being run. And we can enroll you in Little school with Marcus.”
“But I have a job to do.”
“You don’t need a job.”
“I need a job, Cullen. I need the money.”
“I have plenty of that.”
“Yeah, and that’s your money, not mine.”
“Ivy,” he said in a low, warning voice.
“I made a commitment to Derek and I’ll see it through. Besides, I like this job. It’s perfect for me. I love Christmas, I love all the holidays. I really enjoy seeing the joy on people’s faces when I help them make Christmas decorations or when they see Santa. I want to do this. And I’m not Raquel. I’d never be with you for your money.”
“Fine, I’ll allow it. As long as it doesn’t interfere with your health. Or my time with you.”
“You’ll allow it.” She narrowed her gaze at him. Her temper started bubbling.
Calm, Ivy.
“Are you listening to yourself right now? You can’t allow anything.”
He pointed at himself. “Me, Daddy Dom.” He pointed at her. “You, Little. I’m in charge.”
“You, bossy jerk who’ll get a knee to the family jewels if he’s not careful.”
A Cozy Little Christmas Page 10