James the Christmas Grouch

by Ivy Smoak

  "God, how did I get so lucky?" He pushed up the fabric of the short skirt and ran his hand over my bare ass, playing with the straps of the garter.

  "James," I begged. Yes, this was his present. But I needed him inside of me. I couldn't wait any longer.

  I felt my thong snap against my leg as he ripped it off. The feeling instantly made me even wetter. I waited for him to remove my garter belt, but instead he grabbed my hips and thrust into me. Hard.

  A cry of satisfaction fell from my lips.

  "You've been naughty too," he said.

  "It's true. I fell in love with my professor." I bit my lip and tried to look as seductive as possible as I looked at him over my shoulder.

  He thrust into me even harder.

  I gripped the sheets, getting ready for the rest of the ride.

  But then he pulled out.

  What? "James?" I turned around. He was still standing there with a massive erection. Staring at me like he was analyzing something. "Did I do something wrong?"

  "What? No." He grabbed my waist and lifted me onto the edge of the bed. He gently kissed my lips. "I just don't want to look back on this and regret not making love to you on our first Christmas together. Because I love you, Penny. With everything that I am. I loved your present, but..."

  "Make love to me, James." He was scorching hot. And had the most brilliant mind. But he was kind and sweet too. And in that moment, I loved that side of him. I wanted to make love with him too. I had never been in love with someone during Christmas. I wanted to savor this moment forever.

  He kissed me again and entered me slowly. Almost painfully slowly. I spread my thighs wider.

  His kisses trailed down the side of my neck as he unhooked my corset. He peeled it off and kissed down the front of my chest and my right breast.

  "James," I cried as his tongue slowly circled my nipple.

  "I love you." He kissed between my breasts. "I love you." He kissed my other breast.

  I hitched my legs around his waist.

  He groaned.

  I grabbed his face and brought his lips back to mine.

  He started to move his hips faster. Making me climb higher and higher. I buried my fingers in his hair, not knowing how else to show him how much I loved this.

  He groaned again and I exploded into a million pieces. I felt his warmth spread into me again and again.

  With all the Christmas cards and Christmas presents I had gotten in my entire life, nothing made my heart feel warmer than this gift. His love.

  "James," I panted.

  He smiled down and me and brushed a strand of hair out of my face. "Penny."

  "I need to tell you something important. Wherever you are...that's home to me. You're home to me."

  His smile grew. "You saw my note to Santa."

  "Yes. But it doesn't make what I said any less true. I was actually thinking that exact same thing last night when we were ice skating. New York feels like home to me. And it's because of you. I love you so much."

  He slowly pulled out of me. "That truly was all that I wanted."

  "I know. But I got you a few other things too." I climbed off the bed and started taking off the rest of my costume so I could put on pajamas.

  "You can keep the garter on," James said. "I might want a second round."

  I turned toward him. His hair was mussed up in that just-after-sex way. He had pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms with pictures of Santa hats all over them that I had set out for him last night. He looked adorable and sexy at the same time. How could I say no to that? I grabbed one of my silky robes and tied it around my waist.

  "Deal," I said. "As long as round two is underneath the tree."

  He smiled. "Deal."

  I grabbed his hand. "Let's go see what Santa brought us!"

  He laughed as I pulled him toward the hall.

  When I stepped out of our bedroom I froze. There was garland on the staircase. And little red twinkle lights. I took a few steps down so that could see into the living room. There were decorations everywhere. And not just random Christmassy things thrown around. They were very elaborate decorations. I slowly walked down the stairs as if I was in a trance. The Christmas tree had more ornaments and it even possessed a tree skirt now. More garland hung around the room and it looked like it had been sprinkled with the snow falling outside. There was even fake snow in front of the fireplace with boot prints to make it look like Santa had come down the chimney. Which was impossible. Because our fireplace was electric and we had no chimney.

  There was no music. But Believe by Josh Groban started playing in my head. It was like I had just stepped into a fairytale. A perfect Christmas fairytale. How had James done all this? He must have been up all night. I was supposed to be Santa. But James had completely outdone me. Our once scarcely decorated apartment was now officially a Christmas wonderland. I turned toward him. "Oh my God."

  "I know. Santa must have stopped in our apartment for quite awhile."

  I laughed. "James, this is the best present anyone has ever gotten me. Thank you."

  "I didn't do it."

  I hit his arm playfully. "Show me everything." I couldn't help but twirl around. The Christmas music was still playing in my head.

  He looked around like he was examining everything too. "It wasn't me, Penny."

  "Of course it was you. Who else would it be?"

  "I'm telling you, it must have been Santa." He pointed to the fireplace. "Look, he even left boot prints."

  I smiled at him. "He also left us a red tablecloth on the dining room table. And gold placemats. He has an eye for interior design."

  James shrugged. "I guess he does."

  "James, just admit that you did this. I know it was you. And I love it so much. Here I thought you were a Grinch and then you did all this. It's magical in here."

  "It wasn't me," he insisted.

  I laughed. "I wonder what he left in our stockings," I said. I grabbed them off the hooks and handed him his.

  "Huh," James said. "It appears he did leave us gifts." He lifted out the bags of his favorite chocolates. He pressed his lips together.

  "Oh my God," I said. "My favorite chocolates." I pulled out the bag of chocolate that I had put in my own stocking.

  "Did you do this?" he asked.

  "No. Did you?" I gestured to the completely transformed apartment.

  The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "No," he said defensively.

  I knew he was lying. And I was pretty sure he knew I was lying. But we both stayed silent. We both wanted to give each other the magic of Christmas. That was the sweetest gift anyone had ever given me.

  "This really wasn't you?" he asked and gestured to the stocking.

  "No," I lied. "And it wasn't you?"

  "Nope."

  "So either a crazy Christmas lover broke into our apartment, or Santa Claus is real." Saying it out loud sounded insane. But what if it really hadn't been James? What if Santa did exist? I shook the thought away.

  "Both those options sound crazy." But I saw his eyes gravitate toward his stocking again.

  Suddenly I realized that it didn't just look like Christmas. It smelled like Christmas too. "What's that smell?"

  James shrugged. "I have no idea. It smells kind of like spaghetti."

  Spaghetti? Oh my God. I ran into the kitchen. There was a lasagna assembled on the kitchen counter. My mom always made lasagna on Christmas. I had told James that a few weeks ago.

  James came up behind me and kissed the back of my neck.

  "Why won't you just admit that you did all this?" I couldn't seem to stop smiling. This was hands down the most wonderful gift I had ever received.

  "Because I didn't." He lifted up the note that was lying next to the pan. We both looked down at it.

  Dear Penny and James,

  May the love that you share grow and grow and put smiles on your faces every day of the year. Take the joy from one day and spread it to all of them. That's the true spirit of Christmas
.

  -S

  P.S. Put the lasagna in the oven for 35 minutes at 375 degrees.

  It wasn't James' handwriting. I stared at the note.

  "See, it wasn't me," he said again. "S probably stands for Santa."

  I laughed. "Santa made us lasagna?"

  He shrugged. "He seems like a talented guy."

  "Mhm." I wrapped my arms around him. "All of this must have taken all night. I just hope he can see how appreciative I am."

  "Well...if he sees you while you're sleeping..."

  I laughed and pressed my face against his chest. I wasn't even sure if the smell of Christmas was my favorite smell anymore. I'm pretty sure it was James' cologne.

  A knock on the door made James groan. "It's so early," he said. "We haven't even had time for round two."

  "I think it's sweet that they came so early. It means they want to spend time with us on Christmas."

  "Go answer the door. I'll put the lasagna in."

  "For breakfast?"

  "New tradition," he said with a laugh.

  Actually, I was kind of in the mood for breakfast lasagna. These new traditions were pretty wonderful. I opened up the door. Mason, Matt, and Rob, were all standing there with huge smiles on their faces and presents in their arms.

  "Merry Christmas!" Mason said and gave me a hug. "Thanks for inviting us." He placed a kiss on my cheek and went to put the presents under the tree.

  Matt hugged me and lifted me off my feet slightly. "Merry Christmas," he said before setting me back down on my feet. "Last night was my favorite anti-Christmas ever."

  I laughed as I watched him join Mason by the tree.

  "Looks like a few little elves were busy in here last night," Rob said. "It looks great."

  He didn't say it, but the way he was looking around made me think that he had helped.

  "Did you help James with this?" I asked.

  "James? Psh. No. This was clearly the work of Santa. James is a Grinch, remember? And I most certainly had nothing to do with this. It's a little over the top if you ask me."

  I laughed. Yup, he definitely helped. "You know, I thought James was a Grinch too. But I'm not so sure anymore." No one that spent the time to do all this was a Grinch. I turned to see James coming toward us.

  "Do you want some help with that?" James asked and reached for the present Rob was holding.

  Rob awkwardly jerked away. "No. It's not for you."

  "I can still put it under the tree," James said and reached for it again.

  Rob took another step back.

  I was pretty sure I noticed the precarious placement of the present at the exact same time as James.

  "If your dick is in that box and you're planning on giving it to Penny, I will knock you out."

  Rob's eyes bulged. "What? I'm not going to dick-in-the-box her."

  "Then give me the present," James said and reached for it again.

  "I need to use the restroom!" Rob said and started to walk down the hall. Right before he entered the bathroom he turned around and let go of the box that was positioned in front of his waist. The box didn't move. "It's my dick in a box!" he sang.

  I started laughing hysterically.

  James stepped toward him, but Rob had already gone into the bathroom and slammed the door. James turned back to me. Soon enough he was laughing too.

  By the time Rob came back out of the bathroom, we were all sitting by the tree with huge smiles on our faces. I took a look around at all the new people in my life. This group of friends that had adopted me as one of their own. And I felt so loved.

  It didn't matter what was under the tree. James had already given me the greatest gift. And the fact that he was wondering about where the presents in the stockings came from gave me hope that maybe a small part of him believed too. All the Christmas music and movies and decorations in the world didn't compare to this feeling at all. The warmth in my chest wanted to bubble over to tears. But I didn't want anyone to mistake my happy tears for sad ones.

  "I'm going to go check on the lasagna," I said and excused myself from the group. I took a deep breath when I entered the kitchen and looked out the window. The snow was falling, blanketing the city in white. It was like the whole city stood still for Christmas.

  "Merry Christmas, baby," James said and wrapped his arm around my back as he joined me by the window.

  "Merry Christmas, James." I smiled up at him.

  "I need to tell you something important."

  It was the same thing I had said to him earlier. When I told him he was home to me. I was pretty sure he was going to confess to reading my note to Santa. "And what is that?" I turned away from the snow to give him my undivided attention. Because despite the magic of a Christmas snow, I was enjoying what was right in front of me more. I stared into his brown eyes.

  "When I was little, I loved Christmas. But for the past several years, Christmas was just another day. And honestly, I was relieved when it was over." He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Maybe I had turned into a little bit of a Grinch."

  "Just a little." I bit the inside of my lip so I wouldn't smile too hard.

  "Now everything's changed. No day with you is just another day. Every day seems better than the last. And I think I forgot how magical Christmas could be until I met you. So thank you. For reminding me."

  "I hope that every Christmas is as wonderful as this one," I said as I wrapped my arms behind his neck.

  "It just gets better from here, baby."

  "How did Santa know?" I said and looked up at the ceiling. A sprig of mistletoe was hung directly above us.

  "Like I said earlier. He's a pretty talented guy." James' lips brushed against mine. I stood on my tiptoes to deepen the kiss.

  Santa was definitely talented. And for just a second, I let myself believe that maybe James really hadn't decorated our apartment. Maybe Santa really did exist. I never wanted to lose the Christmas spirit. And as long as I had James, I knew I'd never become a Grinch.

  ***

  Want more? Check out Mason and Bee's love story in CITY OF SIN:

  Bee - When I came to New York City I was engaged to the man of my dreams and I was ready to take the marketing industry by storm. But now? I'm single and working at a dead end job with a pervy boss. It's official - this city kicked my a**. It's time to pack my bags. A blind date that my friend set up to convince me to stay is most definitely not going to change my mind. Zero chance. Goodbye NYC.

  Mason - I know I have a reputation as a playboy. And I like my reputation. Relationships are for schmucks. The only reason I agreed to the blind date was because I was promised two Knicks tickets for my time. But I never expected for her to pass on me. Me? Are you kidding? I'm going to prove to her that she made a mistake. I give it a week until she begs me to make good on my promises. Then I'll say goodbye to her long legs and sassy tongue and perfect... What the hell? Why don't I want to say goodbye?

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  Don't want to stop reading about the halls of New Castle University? Professor Hunter and Penny aren't the only couple heating up campus. Join Ivy Smoak's newsletter to get a FREE copy of her sexy short story, The Tutor.

  The Tutor

  Let your imagination run wild...in the new sexy short story THE TUTOR by Ivy Smoak.

  Sophia has had a crush on Wyatt ever since they met. Tutoring him at the library once a week has been the highlight of her semester. But their sexual tension is slowly torturing her. Wyatt is sexy, funny, flirtatious, and as far as she can tell - completely unattainable.

  When it is time for their last tutoring session, she worries it will be the last time she will ever get to see him. She's determined to not let that happen. Dreaming about him and watching him from a distance at his baseball games isn
't going to cut it.

  Will she have the confidence to confess her true feelings?

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  Also by Ivy Smoak

  Like this book? Want more? Check out these other books by Ivy Smoak!

  The Hunted Series

  Temptation (Book 1)

  Addiction (Book 2)

  Eruption (Book 3)

  Devotion (Book 4)

  The Light to My Darkness

  The Light to My Darkness

  Standalone Romances

  Missing Pieces

  Third Chances

  City of Sin

  Playing a Player

  Going for Gold

  A Christmas Wish

  Made of Steel Series

  Made of Steel (Book 1)

  Forged in Flames (Book 2)

  Carved in Ice (Book 3)

  Standalone Thrillers

  The Truth in My Lies

  Pentavia Series

  Be Careful What You Joust For

  To connect with Ivy, check out her Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is purely coincidental.