Secret Santa 4U

by Scott, Paisley

  Brody yanked off his ski gloves and stuffed them into the pocket of his jacket. “Early? Soph, it’s past one.”

  She blinked. One o’clock? In the afternoon? No, no. That couldn’t be right. She had an internal alarm clock as her mother used to say. Always up by seven—even on weekends. “Quit kidding around and tell me what time it really is, Brody.”

  He marched over to her fireplace, grabbed the mantel clock and brought it back to her. “The time is exactly one-oh-nine p.m. See?” He tapped the clock’s face.

  “This is so weird. I never sleep the day away.” Her thoughts turned to her online romp last night. Her face grew hot at the memories. There had been countless times when she’d wondered what it was like to have sex online—with a stranger. She’d never seriously contemplated going through with it. But there had been something magnetic about SecretSanta4U. Something she couldn’t deny. Something she didn’t want to deny.

  “You must have really needed the rest.” Brody replaced the clock. “Anyway, yesterday, you promised to feed me, and I’m starving now. You buying or cooking?”

  “I have frozen TV dinners?” Sophie smothered a yawn.

  “Blah.”

  “Fine. Give me a minute to get dressed, and I’ll treat you to Hank’s.”

  “Now you’re talking. I think I’ll get a burger with everything piled on it. Maybe even chili.” He glanced down at her. “I haven’t decided yet.”

  She groaned and headed back to her bedroom. “You’re driving.”

  ****

  Sitting in Hank’s Diner, Sophie nursed her coffee while Brody wolfed down his hamburger with the works. He’d already eaten all the fries, but left the pickle for her.

  “Pickles and coffee. Breakfast of champions.” Sophie rolled the dill wedge between her fingers like a cigar.

  “Mmm mmm good. But it’s not breakfast—it’s lunch,” he teased.

  “Do we have plans today or are you still mad at me?”

  He took a big swallow of cola. “Not mad. I told you that yesterday.”

  She nodded. “Yeah, but I’m still iffy on how the male mind works. If you say you’re not mad, you still might be mad at me later, right?”

  He shook his head. “No. That’s generally how the female mind works. If a guy tells you he’s not mad, chances are high he’s really not mad. Pretty simple.”

  “Okay then.” She frowned. “I think.”

  He wiped the paper napkin across his mouth, wadded it up and threw it on his now-empty plate. “Deee-lish. Now I’m ready to go Christmas shopping. What are you buying me?”

  Sophie rolled her eyes. “You are a lot of trouble.”

  “Yeah, yeah. But you’d do me.” He grinned as he held the chair for her.

  She laughed. “You leave the tip, and I’ll pay the check.”

  “Deal.”

  They drove to the mall and separated at the entrance. “Let’s meet back here in two hours. Is that enough time for you to get what you need?” she asked.

  “I can be done in fifteen minutes. But I’ll let you have the extra hour and forty-five minutes ‘cause I’m such a nice kid.”

  Looking at her like that, with those steel blue eyes and sexy grin, he looked like anything but a kid. She mentally shook herself. What was she thinking? Was she so desperate that she forgot how much older she was than he? “I said I was sorry about that, quit rubbing it in.”

  “But it’s so fun to watch you squirm.” He winked. “Catch ya in a couple of hours.”

  Sophie wandered through various stores, picking up a few gifts here and there for friends and co-workers. Since she had hardly anyone to buy for, she was done in less than an hour. The realization depressed her.

  Passing by an electronics store, she noticed a sale on laptop computers: Buy one get another for half-price. She went inside to check it out. Twenty minutes later, she was the proud owner of two new laptops. They were so cute and tiny, only twelve inches. One for her and one for Brody. Why not splurge on something practical like this? Besides, she owed him for building her a desktop computer. And hell, it wasn’t like she had anyone else to spend her Christmas bonus on.

  The purchase was also a personal indulgence for her. She couldn’t get the late-night scenario she’d been a willing participant of out her mind. She wanted to get back to the online dating site as soon as possible and setting up the little laptop on the bed would be a lot easier to maneuver during hot chats. She swiveled her hips, loosening the muscles in her back which were still sore from masturbating in that hardback chair.

  She blushed at the thought.

  Oh well. Last night had definitely been worth a little stiffness.

  Wispy lace in the window of a lingerie shop caught her attention. Feeling more than a little naughty, she went inside to splurge on some items she’d always shied away from. It was amazing what a little sex play could do for a girl’s self-confidence. Her hand glided across the whisper-thin material of a see-through negligee hanging from a mannequin. Blood rushed to her cheeks. She could never wear something that revealing. Well, not around a man anyway. But alone in her apartment, in front of the computer, it was strangely inviting.

  Feeling brave, she chose not just one sexy outfit, but two. One was a white baby doll gown with a matching peignoir, and the other a black teddy with a barely-there front. These, she justified with a secret smile, would be her Christmas presents to herself.

  Done shopping, Sophie walked back to the entrance and grabbed an empty table at the nearby coffeehouse. Setting her bags on the ground beside her, she ordered an iced mocha and sipped it as she waited for Brody.

  He was earlier than she expected.

  “Hey,” she greeted as he took a seat across from her.

  “Hey, yourself.” He pointed to the large green and red bag beside her. “Buy anything good?”

  She wrapped her ankle around the bag and grinned around her straw. “Maybe.”

  “Ah, so we’re being mysterious, are we?”

  “We are.”

  He nodded toward the parking lot. “I already put my stuff in the truck.”

  “Cheater.” She stood and threw away her half-empty cup. “I had to lug these big ol’ bags all over the mall.”

  He reached out to help her. “You were the one who insisted I drive, so technically, it can’t be my fault. You can’t go blaming the chauffeur.”

  Sophie handed him a couple of the smaller bags but held onto the large bag with the two laptops and the lingerie tucked inside.

  “What gives?” he asked, grabbing the nearly weightless bags in one hand and holding his other hand out, palm-side up. “Gimme the big bag, Soph.”

  She shook her head. “Oh, no can do. Might be something in here for you.”

  “You’re so stubborn,” he mumbled. “Wait here. I’ll bring the truck around.”

  The drive home was pleasant. There was hardly any traffic on the roads, and everything was covered in a fresh blanket of snow. Sophie smiled. Regardless of the season, she always found snow a bit magical. It covered everything like a fresh coat of paint and made the world seem fresh and new. She looked up at the gray clouds above and saw the tell-tale flakes begin to fall again. It was one of the many perks of living this close to the Appalachian Mountains.

  “Great. Another storm’s coming.” Brody turned on the wipers.

  “It’s not so bad. At least we won’t have to drive in it.”

  “Yeah, but my apartment’s gonna be colder than a witch’s tit in a brass bra.”

  She frowned. “Don’t tell me you haven’t told the super about your heater.”

  “Okay.”

  She blew out a sigh of relief.

  “I won’t tell you.”

  “Ah, c’mon, Brody. You can’t expect to stay in that apartment when the heat’s out. You’ll freeze to death.”

  Pulling up to a red light on the deserted road, he stopped and looked at her. “I still have my fireplace.”

  “Well, that’s something at least.”<
br />
  “Yeah.” The light turned green, and he put the truck in gear. “I should probably get some firewood.”

  Sophie sighed. “Brody Jacobs, it’s December twenty-third, just a day before Christmas Eve, and it’s snowing like crazy. Where are you going to find any dry wood for sale?”

  “I’ll call around.”

  She couldn’t let him stay in his apartment under those conditions. “Do you have any plans for Christmas?” She was surprised she hadn’t asked before. “I mean, I know you’re not going home for the holidays, but are you spending the day with anyone? Friends? Family?”

  He shook his head as they drove into the apartment complex. “Nope. No plans.”

  “Then I’m officially inviting you to spend the holidays with me. I have a tree, presents and best of all, heat.”

  Brody parked the truck beside Sophie’s VW and cut the engine. Turning toward her, he grinned, the endearing slashes etched into his lean. “I thought you’d never ask.” He hopped out and ran around to her side, helping her as she struggled with her bags.

  “Give me about twenty minutes to get my presents wrapped before you come down. That should give you enough time to pack.”

  His crystal blue eyes widened. “Or get trapped in the ice cave that is my apartment. I might have to eat my own leg.” He gasped.

  “You’re hopeless.”

  The dimples reappeared in his cheeks. “Yep. See ya in twenty!”

  Absently, she watched him take the stairs two at a time. Boy, his backside was nice and tight and fit snugly in those faded jeans. Sophie blinked. What the hell? No, no, no. Brody was just a friend. Nothing more. She shook her head, trying to dispel the images of his tall, lean body and handsome face. When the images wouldn’t go away, she shook harder. Oh, for crying out loud.

  Grabbing the oversized plastic bag, she dragged it inside her apartment and slammed the door shut. Why did she keep conjuring up sexy images of Brody in her mind? The only logical solution was to blame it on the time of year. Some sort of seasonal affective disorder.

  She hurried and wrapped one of the small laptops, as well as the other baubles she’d gotten, and set them under the tree. At least it looked festive. Hopefully, Brody didn’t need a lot of entertaining, and she could just sneak back to her bedroom and log into the dating site. No. That would be rude. She’d have to wait until Brody was asleep.

  She had minestrone simmering on the stove when Brody came down. He had two neatly-wrapped rectangular packages balanced in one hand and a duffel bag in the other. “Where should I stow my gear?”

  Sophie pointed toward the living room. “You’re bunking on the futon.”

  With a nod, he headed in that direction, making a quick detour to place the packages beneath the tree.

  It’s A Wonderful Life played on the television as they ate. A nice, comfortable silence surrounded them while they enjoyed their dinner and movie. However, as soon as the credits rolled, Sophie picked up the plates and set them in the sink. With an exaggerated stretch, she told Brody, “I’m wiped out. Guess it was all that shopping. I’m going to hit the hay now. If you need anything, just help yourself. Oh, and feel free to surf. You know that computer better than I do, so have at it.” She pointed to the desktop computer on the desk across the room.

  He looked a little shocked since it was only a little after nine o’clock but waved at her. “Thanks for letting me crash here. I appreciate it.”

  “You know you’re always welcome.” She turned and started down the hallway, only to spin around once again. “Turn off the tree before you go to sleep?”

  He nodded, distracted by the television.

  Inside her room, Sophie closed the door and got undressed. Smiling secretly, she put on the transparent peignoir. It felt sinful against her bare skin. She slid beneath the warm flannel sheets and opened the laptop. Thank God for wireless internet. Within minutes, she was surfing the dating site, popping into different rooms. Where was he? After almost an hour of room-hopping, she decided to head back to the room for 30-somethings. The standard greetings welcomed her:

  “Hi, sexy!”

  “a/s/l?”

  “Horny?”

  It was the same in each room. She glanced at the clock beside her bed. It was a little after ten. Maybe he wasn’t going to show up.

  An invitation box beeped softly on her monitor: SecretSanta4U has invited you to join the room The North Pole. Would you like to accept?

  Quickly, she clicked YES.

  SecretSanta4U: I was hoping you’d show up tonight.

  HotLibrarian: I’m here.

  SecretSanta4U: Merry Christmas.

  HotLibrarian: You’re a little early. It’s not even Christmas Eve yet.

  SecretSanta4U: Do you like presents?

  HotLibrarian: Of course.

  SecretSanta4U: You wanna open my package tonight?

  Sophie smiled. Santa was clever.

  HotLibrarian: I thought you’d never ask. Here, let me unbuckle that big ol’ belt and unzip those red pants with the white cottony cuffs.

  SecretSanta4U: Oh yeah. That makes Santa happy. I’ll help you and pull off my boxers.

  HotLibrarian: Santa! What a big, hard cock you have! Ooooh. I would just love to suck on it like a candy cane.

  SecretSanta4U: Please put it in your mouth. That hot, wet, sexy mouth. I love your lips on my cock.

  HotLibrarian: My, my. You’re soooo big, Santa. I can barely fit you in my mouth. Let me try to take you deeper into my throat. Mmmm. Giving head is one of my favorite things. Did you know that? I love the taste of a man’s cock.

  SecretSanta4U: I like being in your mouth. God. It’s so good. Let me hold on to your head as I pump faster and deeper.

  HotLibrarian: I like it when you hold me. Control me.

  SecretSanta4U: Feels good. I wish you really were sucking my cock.

  Sophie frowned. He wasn’t staying in character.

  HotLibrarian: Me too.

  There was a long pause.

  SecretSanta4U: I’m serious.

  Suddenly, the screen flashed off. Blinking at the top right hand side of the screen were the words: low battery. Damn it! She’d forgotten to plug it in and it hadn’t been charged up. She hopped out of bed and went to find the power adaptor. It wasn’t anywhere in the room. Crap. It must still be in the bag.

  Which was next to the Christmas tree out in the front room.

  Grabbing the quilt off the end of the bed, she wrapped it around herself to both cover her near-nakedness in the see-through robe and to ward off the chill that hovered in the room. She rounded the bed and was nearly at the door when the lamp beside her bed went out.

  She felt her way to the wall by the door and flipped the light switch.

  Nothing.

  She groaned. What had she done to piss off the fate-gods? Why couldn’t she at least get laid online? It was obviously not going to happen anytime soon in real life, but come on. Cyber sex wasn’t too much to ask, was it?

  Making her way to the window, she yanked aside the heavy drape. It was snowing like crazy outside. By the light of the moon, she could see everything was white. Flakes were blowing against the glass and sticking instantly. It looked like it was going to be one doozy of a storm. Since it was well after midnight, the utility companies were most likely working as a skeleton crew, and that meant the power may or may not be restored any time soon. The apartment would just grow colder as the night wore on.

  She reached the door and opened it a crack. The hallway was pitch black. Well, what was she expecting? That maybe the storm had only knocked out power to her bedroom?

  A match flared from the kitchen, illuminating Brody’s face in the glow of the candle he lit. In the dim light, Sophie saw he was wearing only a pair of red boxers. Wow. She’d never have pegged him as the boxers type. And she never would have guessed he had so many muscles. In the weak glow of the candle’s light, it appeared he may even be sporting a six-pack on his stomach. He was definitely cut, as they s
aid nowadays.

  “Hey,” he said, seeing her as he walked over to the fireplace. “Care if I start a fire?”

  “Be my guest.”

  “At least you were smart enough to stock up on firewood. Unlike me.” He grabbed a couple of logs from beside the hearth and wadded up some newspaper. In less than five minutes, a fire was crackling happily and warding off some of the chill. Brody stepped back to where she stood and smiled down at her.

  “It’s a damn shame the power went out, because now I’ll always be curious…”

  She frowned up at him. “About what?”

  He touched her hair, smoothing it away from her forehead. Eyebrows raised, he asked, “If you really wanted Santa’s cock in your mouth?”

  A flood of heat scorched her cheeks, dousing her in a tidal wave of embarrassment. “Oh, my God,” she murmured, stepping away from him. “How could you? How dare you!”

  “How dare I what?” he challenged, crossing his arms across his naked chest. “How dare I hit on a woman I’ve been after for the past two years? A woman who doesn’t even realize the only reason I keep that craphole of an apartment upstairs is to be close to her? Yeah? Well, fuck that. I did what I did to get you to notice me, and it worked and you liked it.”

  Sophie didn’t know what to say. So many emotions were flooding through her. Brody liked her? How did that happen? “But you’re so young.”

  “Damn it, Sophie. Why does it always come back to age with you? Age is just a number. If I could change the fact that I’m eight years younger, I would. But can’t you just get over it? Hell, look at Demi Moore. She’s with a guy—what? Twelve years younger? They’ve got us beat by four years at least.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “Why can’t you at least give us a try? We both know we get along great, now all we have to do is check out the chemistry.”

  “This is strange.” Sophie shook her head. “Almost surreal.”

  Pain shone in his eyes. “Give me a chance, Soph. That’s all I’m asking for. It’ll be our Christmas gift to each other.” He pushed an auburn curl off her cheek and placed a soft kiss on the skin where it had rested. His lips moved along her jaw and hovered over her mouth. “Please?” he whispered, before his lips found hers. The kiss was hesitant at first, then grew hotter as his tongue tasted hers.