by Jessie Lane
The line started to move forward again and the man behind her cleared his throat impatiently for her to get moving. What the hell was she going to do? One look down into her sister’s imploring eyes and Nikki knew.
They were going to see Santa. She would not be responsible for letting Sarah down. Their father had done that enough already.
Nikki slammed the brakes on that line of thought. She wouldn’t think about their parents—not about the accident had taken their mother’s life instantly and not about the selfish choice her father had made to die with his mate rather than survive and care for his youngest child. It was one thing for her—she was an adult. But he’d chosen to die and abandon Sarah and that still made her so angry that she couldn’t bear to think of it.
Stepping sideways and forward back into the line, Nikki put steel in her spine and found her determination. She was going to take Sarah to see Santa Claus… And then she was going to tell him have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year without her.
Chapter Three
Joe held his breath as his mate stepped forward onto his dais with the little girl on her hip. Looking her up from head to toe, he took everything in about her. Luscious curves, light-green eyes, and black hair, now out of the messy bun, so long that it hung down her back. Her features were dainty and almost feline, which fit since he could smell feline rolling off of her. He could also smell her nervousness.
He couldn’t help but smile as he realized the pretty kitty had figured out he was her mate and that was why she was nervous. Joe couldn’t wait to hold her and tell her everything was going to be all right. The protective and possessive instincts that stirred in every shifter after encountering their mate had roared to life in him. It was so intense, the need to touch her was drowning out his other senses and making him careless. For that reason alone, he knew he had to get a handle on it.
Joe tried to scent whether or not the cub was his mate’s, but he was having a hard time focusing with his instincts rioting. It didn’t help that there were dozens of other people crowded in around them and hundreds of competing scents.
The little girl patted his mate on the arm and demanded to be let down with one dainty little finger. His mate rolled her eyes, but gave the cub a smile and then watched him warily as the little girl made her way to him. Holding his hands out to the small sprite, he beckoned her to climb in his lap. He might have been at the end of his patience with kids earlier, but this one was precious to his mate, and that meant, for better or worse, she’d be precious to him, too.
Joe helped the cub climb up to sit on his legs, then gave her a good loud ho ho ho. “Hello, sweetling,” he said as he took a deep breath of her scent. Similar to that of his mate’s, but also a bit sour with something akin to sadness. Leaning in to speak softly, he said, “What do you want for Christmas?”
The tiny bit of cub turned her equally gorgeous eyes on him and whispered, “Santa, can you talk to Heaven?”
Joe’s brows furrowed in surprise. “Heaven? Why do you need me to speak to Heaven, sweetling?”
The little girl anxiously fidgeted in his lap for a few seconds. “My parents are in Heaven and I wanted to know if you could tell them Merry Christmas for me.”
A small, almost inaudible sob sounded in front of him, and even without looking, he knew it was his mate. He could almost feel the pain radiating off the two of them. The urge to comfort her was there, to take away the anguish that he knew was engulfing her. But one look at the stubborn tilt of her chin and the wary speculation in her eyes and he knew she’d never accept it.
She was his mate. His. But he’d have to work for it.
“Sweetling, I’ll make sure your message is delivered,” he promised. If his voice was roughened with emotion, no one would know. No way in hell was a little kid, even one as sad and sweet as the little girl sitting on his lap, going to make him cry.
She smiled, a soft curving of her little Cupid’s bow mouth that was immediately obscured as she popped her thumb back into it and climbed off his lap. His mate started to walk away. His response was primal, feral even. Joe shot his hand out and caught her wrist.
“You can’t just leave like this,” he said. “We need to talk.”
She looked back at him, her green eyes flashing with resentment. Finally, she tossed her hair and said, “Okay, but not here.”
“Where?” he demanded.
She reached into her pocket and dug out a business card. “Come to the bar when you’re done with your shift, Santa.”
Joe took the card and watched her walk away. His lion went berserk inside of him, wanting to follow his mate, but Joe couldn’t do that just yet. Instead, he willed his lion to calm down with promises that he would see her later tonight. When she’d vanished, he looked down at the card, tracing over the slightly raised lettering of the night club’s name on it with his thumb. Did she work there? Did she hang out there? What was her story?
“Ahem hmmm hmm.” The elf behind the camera cleared his throat so loudly it was a wonder he didn’t rupture something. Still, he got his point across.
Joe gave him an irritated look. “I’m Santa. That means I’m in charge, okay?”
The elf laughed bitterly. “Well, Santa, if you could stop macking on the single moms, we might get out of here today! And FYI, you’re only supposed to say ho ho ho, not be one!”
Chapter Four
Four hours later, Nikki started her shift at The Bear Claw Tavern. It was a dive in every sense of the word, but the patrons were generous and the management had a no-hassling the staff policy that she was all about. Sarah was back at home with her regular babysitter. Nikki hated leaving her sister at night like this, but she made the best money in tips during the evening shift and the bills had to be paid. Sometimes it sucked being a responsible adult, but she would do anything for her baby sister.
Nikki was wiping down the counter with a cloth when she heard the door open. A burst of fresh air entered along with the scent of her mate. Oh God, he was here. How was she going to do this? Nikki was almost afraid to look up as she felt him approach. Something told her that seeing his face was going to make this ten times harder. She didn’t have a choice though. Sarah had no one else left in this world to take care of her. Nikki just had to pull up her big girl panties and stay strong.
“Are you going to look at me, or are you going to avoid me all night, mate?” His voice was growly and it made her lady bits tingle in response. Which sort of pissed her off because, dammit, her lady bits needed to get on with the no mate plan!
Lifting her head, she stifled the response to suck in a breath of awe when she finally got to see Santa’s face. Now that it wasn't hidden behind that ridiculous beard, she could see his strong square jaw and aquiline nose. His hair was longer than she’d expected, dark brown and with just a hint of curl. Gorgeous amber-brown eyes stared at her with determination and more than a little heat. At the sight of him, Nikki felt her mouth go dry and words were lost to her. Almost against her will, she let her eyes look lower, taking in the sculpted lips that on another man might have looked feminine. On him, they just looked like sin. Lower still, she saw broad shoulders and washboard abs that even his clothing couldn’t fully disguise. Frayed and worn jeans encased long, muscular legs and a bulge at his crotch that she wouldn’t even let herself think about.
She allowed her gaze to travel back up to his face and she dreaded what she would see there. Shifters were never lacking in confidence and her blatant appraisal of him would have sent his ego into overdrive. A small smirk tipped the side of his mouth as he stared back at her. Which only pissed Nikki off. It was also a reminder of what she needed to do.
Planting both hands on the bar top, she looked him square in the eye. “Look, don’t take this personally, but I don’t have time for a mate right now. I’m raising my sister and she needs all of my time and concentration.”
The gorgeous Santa growled under his breath but Nikki ignored it and just kept going. “Don’t take it personal
ly okay?” Sighing in defeat as she took in his steely determination, Nikki added, “Sarah needs stability right now and I can’t give that to her if I’m spending all my time with my mate.”
Seemingly undeterred, her mate placed both of his hands on the bar top and leaned toward her. “So your mind’s made up. You’re just going to throw us away without even hearing what I have to say first? Without getting to know me at all? That’s an awfully lonely plan.”
Frustrated, Nikki found herself growling. “Look, buddy, you have no idea what my life is like right now.”
He shook his head. “That’s where you’re wrong. I do have a bit of an idea of what your life’s like.”
“How do you figure that?” Nikki snapped back.
He leaned in until their faces were only an inch or so apart, then whispered, “Because your sister asked me if Santa could tell her parents Merry Christmas in Heaven. It’s the same thing I would have wished for when I was a kid. You’re not the only ones who are suffering that loss. Which is something you could have found out if you would just take the chance to get to know me.”
Taken aback, at a total loss for words, Nikki put some space between them and took a deep breath. Staring into his deep-amber depths, she thought of the implications of his statement. He had lost his parents too when he was a kid? That familiar sense of loss spread through her and Nikki couldn’t help but feel bad for the man who stood before her. In spite of her determination to keep him out of her life, she couldn’t help but feel some kinship between them now. No one understood what it was like to lose a parent until they had done so themselves. To know that he had also felt that loss had her softening toward him a bit.
Hardening her heart, she said, “I’m sorry for that but it doesn’t change my mind. She’s just a baby and she needs me. Her needs top your wants—and mine—every single time.”
A slow and infuriatingly smug grin spread over his face. “So you do want me, then?”
She rolled her eyes. “You shouldn’t take that personally either. That’s just biology.”
“Oh, it’s personal, sweetheart… You damn well better believe it. And it’s going to get a lot more personal real soon.”
Nikki shook her head in dismay. “You don’t listen real well, do you?”
Joe gestured to the pool tables in the back of the bar. “Do you play?”
“Do I breathe?” Nikki fired back.
He smirked. “One game. You win and I’m gone… I win and you have to go on a date with me.”
“Are you going to pay the babysitter for that night?” she demanded.
“If I win,” he offered, “we’ll go on a date where your sister can go with us… Something fun and family-oriented since I’m trying to show you that I can be your mate. That means we have to make our lives fit together and not just our bodies, right?”
“One game,” she agreed. Nikki didn’t have any question about her skill. She’d been playing pool since she was big enough to see over the top of the table. Whatever advantage he thought he had, he was wrong. Besides, she was going to enjoy seeing the look of defeat on his face. “And then I can admire how perfectly shaped your ass is as you walk away… Forever.”
Chapter Five
Joe settled the cue into the crook of his fingers and lined up the last shot. With just the slightest tap, the cue ball hit the eight ball, sinking it gently into the corner pocket. Only the cue ball remained, teetering softly as it settled against the cushion. “And that’s game,” he said.
“That’s hustling,” she corrected.
“You’d have hustled me just the same. Hell, you’ve got your own cue,” he protested. “You just got cocky and let me have the break.”
“Which was my second mistake of the night… The first one was agreeing to your bet,” she snapped. “One date. That’s it, that’s all, don’t angle for anything else. Don’t try any funny business and you sure as hell don’t cozy up to my sister trying to worm your way into our lives. And no sex. I’m not giving you a chance to bite me and make this insanity permanent!”
Joe shrugged. “You should never say never. And I don’t even know your name. Generally speaking, I like to have at least that much info before I start trying to get in your pants.”
She crossed her arms, stood there, looking mad as hell with her hip cocked. Prickly as she was, he still wanted her. He’d never liked things to be easy. Easy meant it wasn’t worth it, in his way of thinking. If it came easy, it left easy, and that wasn’t what he wanted for either of them. So he’d field her barbs and tolerate her bad temper. He imagined that the loss was pretty fresh, and all the emotions that came with it.
“I’m Joe, by the way. Figured you ought to know that before I pick you and your sister up for our date. You think she likes ice skating?”
He watched as his mate shuffled her stance so that her hip cocked in the other direction, inadvertently plumping up her breasts in the process. He wanted to groan in appreciation at the sight but was smart enough to hold it in. The last thing he wanted to do now was give her a reason to call this whole thing off and run. Instead, he stood there, waiting for her response while silently calculating his next moves. He had to stay on top of his game if he was going to make this mating work.
Giving him a stern look, she finally responded. “Sarah’s too little to ice skate. I don’t want her to get hurt.”
Joe propped his hip up on the table and crossed his own arms to match her pose. “I’m sure we can keep little Sarah on her feet between the two of us. But if you don’t want to do that, we can always do something else. How about a carriage ride through town to get some hot chocolate?”
His mate bit her bottom lip in thought, then nodded. “That works. When do you want to do this?”
“Well, I have my Santa shift until eight in the evening. After I get done and changed, we can meet at the front of the outlet mall. It’s a short walk to where the carriage rides start from there. I know that might seem kind of late for the little tyke, but she’ll get to see all the Christmas lights around town that way. Sound good?”
She nodded again and then stood there as if she wasn’t sure what to do next. Joe decided to make that decision easier for her and walked around the pool table, closing the distance between them. Holding his hand out, he murmured. “It might make this date a little less awkward if I knew your name, sweetheart.”
Something flashed in her eyes before she quickly covered it up. Interest perhaps? He certainly hoped so. After taking his hand, she shook it firmly. “My name is Nikki, but don’t think that just because you know my name now it’ll be any easier for you to get in my pants.”
Joe barked a laugh. “Remembered that line, did you? That’s okay. I’m going to make you a promise, Nikki, that when I do get in your pants, it’ll very much be because you want me in there…and everywhere else.” He swiped his thumb over the back of her hand. “Until then.” Joe brought her hand to his lips and gave it a kiss. “Have a good night, Nikki, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Not wanting to give her the chance to throw another quip at him, Joe turned and walked away. Leaving her with the feel of his lips on her skin and hopefully the same painful arousal that he was experiencing as well. He pushed through the bar’s door and let the chilly night air hit him full force. Hoping the weather could cool some of the lust that was burning through him. His lion roared inside of his head to go back and throw their mate over his shoulder to carry her away like a caveman. Then they could take her somewhere private, strip her naked, and rub their scent all over her.
Damn, but he wished he could give in to those animal instincts.
He took one more look at the door before he walked away with thoughts about his mate clouding his mind. His mate was determined they weren’t going to work. Guess he would just have to show her he was just as determined to prove that they would.
Chapter Six
She was a total creeper.
That was the thought that ran through Nikki’s head as she spied
on Joe from her spot hidden among the cafeteria customers near the Santa line. It was seven thirty and his shift would end in thirty minutes. She’d been sitting here with Sarah under the pretense that they were eating dinner before their date. Of course, the little girl didn’t know they were going on a date. Instead, Nikki had told Sarah that they were going to meet one of Nikki’s friends for a surprise.
From the moment he had walked out of the bar last night until now, Nikki had been reminding herself of all the reasons why this mating wouldn’t work. So why the hell was she so damn nervous about this date? Her stomach was in knots and she was practically trembling in anticipation. Part of her knew it was crazy to sit here and watch Joe while he worked, but she just couldn’t seem to help herself. It was her panther’s pull to their mate. The cat inside of her wanted nothing more than to go someplace private, have her mate bite her and then lift tail for him.
She internally scolded her cat for being a hussy and told her to stay quiet. Now was not the time to lift tail. But they could sit here and observe their mate. Perhaps it wasn’t his natural habitat, but it was one way of getting to know him.
He was not the best Santa. In fact, he wasn’t even a passably good Santa. But then she remembered how kind he’d been to Sarah when she’d made her Christmas wish and it softened her heart just a little—just enough to be dangerous.
Nikki swooped her hand with cat-like reflexes to save a cup of dipping sauce that teetered dangerously close to the edge of the table. Sarah had been dunking her chicken nuggets with far more enthusiasm than skill. At least, Nikki thought, as long as she’s eating she isn’t sucking on her thumb.
The time crawled by. When she glanced at her phone for the thousandth time and saw that it was finally eight o’clock, she turned her attention to Sarah. Other than the fact that she was wearing a clown smile made of barbecue sauce, not too much damage had been done. She took wipes from her bag, then she cleaned her little sister’s face and the hot, sticky mess of her hands. “Are you ready to go meet my friend?”