Operation: Santa's Elf: 3 Sweet & Spicy Christmas Novellas (Operation: Holiday Cheer Book 1)

by Allyson Lindt

  Once upon a time, Damon would have said no. A lot of his law school buddies told similar stories now. “Lucky you. Isn’t Vail snowed in the like the rest of the region?”

  “It is. We’re flying into Albuquerque, then driving north. It’ll take us a few hours, but he rented a car and driver, so no big deal, right?”

  “Sounds like heaven.” Damon wondered if the fake in his laugh was obvious. The gears clicked over in his head, and something sparked. His fingers flew across his laptop keyboard as he cradled the phone between his shoulder and his ear. “Seven hour drive makes for a late night, doesn’t it?”

  “We’re taking off in sixty, so we’ll be there by ten local time. Into Colorado with time for dinner.”

  Damon’s brain whirred faster. It was a longer drive to Salt Lake. Almost ten hours, even in good weather. And he told Vivian it was a bad idea. This was different, though. He knew how to drive in the snow. That, and he hadn’t planned on missing her so much. “What kind of favors would I have to call in to hitch a ride with you?”

  “Favors? Big ones. Why are you so eager to get to New Mexico?”

  Make up a story? Fuck it. Damon had used up his bullshit for the day. “My fiancée is stranded out in that part of the country. It was supposed to be our first Christmas together.”

  “Hell, why didn’t you say so sooner? I can get you there. No strings.”

  “There are always strings.”

  “Not this time.” Only friendliness lined Tim’s words. “You do have to be ready in half an hour, though.”

  “I’ll be set. And I owe you.” Damon was already moving toward the bedroom, grabbing luggage and some clothes.

  “You really don’t. Merry Christmas, Vicker.”

  Damon couldn’t fight his grin as he hung up the phone. He’d done the math. Even in bad weather, he could be into Salt Lake by ten pm. It would be late, but it would be enough. Tell Vivian, or surprise her? He typed out a quick text. I’ll be out of range most the day, but I promise we’ll talk tonight. I love you.

  Excitement suppressed the voice telling him this might be a stupid idea. It would be worth it.

  Chapter Five

  Vivian stared at the text message from Damon for the millionth time. It was almost midnight, and she hadn’t been able to get a hold of him all day. For possibly the first time in her life, she wished she was Catholic. That would give her an excuse to attend Mass.

  She dialed his number one more time, and like every previous attempt, went straight to voice mail. “I’m sorry I missed you. I hope you’re all right. Merry Christmas, and I love you.” She disconnected with a sigh, set the phone on the table by the bed, and pulled the covers up around her chin.

  She didn’t know if she’d been this disappointed about a looming Christmas morning since she was seven and found out Santa wasn’t real. Rolling onto her side, she willed her eyes to close. At least she could dream about him.

  A pleasant cloud drifted in, and drove all other thoughts from her mind except sleep. She wasn’t sure if minutes had passed or hours, but this time the dream was more vivid when Damon’s hand slid over her hip, and up her stomach.

  “You found some clothes.” His breath along the back of her neck, the teasing disappointment in his voice. That was real.

  She smiled, but didn’t dare open her eyes, in case her imagination had gotten that good. “I wasn’t going to walk around naked all day.”

  “That’s a shame.” His lips brushed her shoulder. “It’d give the neighbors something to talk about.”

  She wanted to roll over and look at him, but a twinge of fear said he might not be there if she did. “I missed you.”

  “I’m sorry. I wanted to surprise you, but the drive from New Mexico took longer than I thought.” His heat seeped into her spine, and the erection digging into her ass was definitely real.

  “I’m definitely surprised. Why was it okay for you to make the trip and not me?”

  His fingers glided up her spine, tangled in her hair, and tugged her head back. “You’re talking too much.”

  “You’re being bossy.”

  “Are you complaining?”

  “Not even for a second.” Her pulse hammered against her skin, wanting to be closer to him. Needing to feel more of him.

  His weight pressed into her, and he glided his other hand below her waist. “Have you figured out yet the walls in this place are paper thin?”

  “Fortunately, only because Ethan and Jaycie were up all night gaming.”

  “And that’s not even a euphemism.” Damon chuckled. “So, can you keep quiet?”

  God, she didn’t want to. “I can try.”

  He shoved her forward, onto her stomach, and yanked her knit shorts down. “I’m not even sure I care. I need you, Vi.”

  She gouged her fingers into the pillow, and nodded. There was no more warning before he thrust inside her. Stretching, filling, making her instantly wet. His fingers dug into her hip hard enough to bruise. The dull pain mingled with the sharp pleasure of him slamming against her.

  It was hungry and desperate and exactly what she wanted. She ground back against him, climax already building inside.

  “Fuck, you feel so good.” He sank his teeth into her shoulder, and his words vibrated against her skin. When he sought out her clit, and pressed hard against the swollen nub, she peaked faster than she expected. Orgasm flooded her, amplified by being back in his arms.

  He didn’t let up, even when her body jerked away, and euphoria stole her reason. She clenched her jaw to keep from crying out, but whimpers still escaped her throat.

  Damon’s familiar, intoxicating grunts joined the sound. Warmth spread through her when he came, spilling inside her, still driving for several more seconds until they were both spent.

  His weight against her eased up, and he slipped out of her. She leaned back into him with a smile, finally daring to look. She cupped his face. “You’re actually here.” Her heart threatened to burst from her chest.

  “I couldn’t wait. It was as stupid of me to drive up here as it would have been for you, but I had to see you.”

  She brushed her lips over his, searing the tender gesture into her mind, and sealing the moment with it. “You’re an idiot. And I’m grateful for it.”

  He rolled onto his back, and she rested her head on his shoulder. She had no doubt she’d sleep well tonight. He trailed his fingers through her hair. “Merry Christmas, Vi.”

  It was. And she knew it was the first of many that would be more wonderful than she could have imagined before this year.

  The End

  ~*~

  If you enjoyed meeting Damon and Vivian, and haven’t had a chance to read the rest of their story, make sure to check out Securing Her Surrender.

  Operation: Santa’s Elf

  Josh loves being a cupid—offering comfort to lonely souls and sharing a little holiday joy. Ella should just be another assignment, but something about her smile and sad gaze draws him in and holds his attention captive.

  Chapter One

  Ella’s footsteps echoed off concrete as she skipped down the stairs. Christmas. An entire week away from work. Away from phone calls, and stress, and deadlines. She pushed out of the stairwell and into the main floor of the office building she worked in.

  It was true, she was spending the week alone. Her family lived out of state, and she was single—by choice, so it wasn’t like she was moping over some guy—but she was looking forward to all the alone time to catch up on her reading. Maybe do an extra deep clean around her apartment.

  Normally the self-assurance sated any gnawing dissatisfaction inside. Today, the word alone echoed in time with the slap of her boots against tile, taunting her.

  “Ella.” Ashton’s voice landed against her back.

  She bit the inside of her cheek, as her stomach fluttered against her will, and she paused in the middle of the hallway. Ashton was so off limits it wasn’t funny. Even if she were looking for a relationship, and even t
hough he was gorgeous with his square jaw and six-foot two inches of sculpted yumminess, he was a solid asshole when it came to relationships. In the two years they’d worked together, he’d flirted with her and every other woman in the office, and skipped from one girlfriend to the next without pausing.

  And still, she couldn’t stop her body from reacting when he was around. Stupid physical attraction.

  “Hey.” He draped an arm over her shoulders. “I’m so glad I caught up to you.”

  Her skin tingled at the contact, and she brushed the desire aside. “What’s up?” At least that had come out naturally, instead of the swoony thing her head was doing.

  “Got any plans over Christmas break?”

  Was he asking because he wanted some of her time, or because he was being friendly? Fortunately, the answer was the same either way. “Nothing specific. Catching up on some reading, seeing what else comes along.”

  He scooted closer, breath hot against her cheek. “Does that mean you could maybe make time for me?”

  Once upon a time she’d interpreted this kind of behavior from him as meaning something. Thought he liked her. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out he was this forward with most women who didn’t slap him for it. That still didn’t stop her body from reacting to his touch, though. Bad idea. Stupid, bad idea. But her racing pulse knew what she wanted to say. Her, “Probably,” came out more breathlessly than she intended.

  “Because Gordon’s got me on call for the next seven days. And I’m supposed to meet Stacey’s family, and I can’t be hauling my phone around.”

  Ella swallowed a growl as her creeping excitement vanished. “Sonja.”

  “What?”

  “I thought your girlfriend’s name was Sonja.”

  “Oh, yeah.” He laughed and stepped away. “Nah. We’re over. I met Stacey during one of the user meetings.”

  “You’re dating a focus group participant?” So much for unbiased feedback. Ella’s irritation grew.

  “Yeah, I guess. So can you cover for me, please? I’ll owe you forever.”

  She swallowed her sigh. It wasn’t like she was doing anything else, and being on call didn’t necessarily mean working, just the possibility. “Sure.”

  “You’re the best, Ella.” He kissed her on the cheek before almost sprinting toward a car waiting for him by the front entrance.

  She watched in the fading light as he hopped into the waiting—was that a Mercedes?—by the front doors, and shared a longer, much less chaste kiss with the driver.

  Ella shook her head and turned toward the back parking lot. She was such an idiot. But she would have told anyone yes, not just him. Her colleagues had people to spend their holiday with. It would be selfish of her to take that from them.

  Her spirits lifted as she stepped into the cool evening. A bite in the air promised snow, and the crisp night filled her lungs with a wonderful scent when she breathed deep. Yeah, being on call wasn’t a big deal.

  The parking lights dotted the asphalt as she made her way toward her car at the back of the lot, marking each row.

  “Excuse me, miss?” For the second time in as many minutes, a male voice interrupted her thoughts. He wasn’t talking to her though—she didn’t know that voice. She kept walking.

  Her short journey stopped when someone stepped in her path. Her breath caught in her throat as she found herself staring into the most gorgeous blue eyes she’d ever seen.

  “I think you dropped a glove.” He held something out.

  “I—what?” It took focus to draw her attention from his face. Ashton had a kind of bad-boy sexy going on, but this guy was just…wow. Short, dark hair, a build that she wanted to run her fingers over solely to see if he was as firm as he looked, and that smile. It made her insides melt.

  He handed her the fingerless glove. “I think you dropped this.”

  Right. She was probably staring. At least she wasn’t drooling. She forced herself to return his friendly expression, and shook her head. “Thanks, but it’s not mine.” She held up two gloved hands.

  “Oh. I was sure…” His eyes never left her face. “Are you all right?”

  The nature of the question caught her more off-guard than the sudden change in subject. “I think so.” What did she look like to make him asked that? And even if the loneliness pinging in her heart was more than a temporary longing, it wasn’t like she was going to unload on this stranger.

  “If you’re sure.” He shoved the glove in his jacket pocket. Brown leather, and the way it hung off his shoulders taunted her. She wanted to step closer, and inhale the heady scent of leather and soap. “There’s something sad in your eyes.” He pulled his gaze away for the first time since he’d stopped her. “Don’t get me wrong. They’re beautiful, but it’s a shame to see someone as pretty as you looking down.”

  Heat flooded her cheeks, despite the cold. A random stranger was complimenting her in the middle of an almost deserted parking lot. It was flattering, but a little creepy. Then why didn’t she feel more nervous? Her looming alone time must be screwing with her thoughts. “I’m fine. I hope you find the glove’s owner.”

  “Of course.” He stepped aside immediately. Relief tinged with disappointment flooded her.

  “Have a good night,” she said as she passed him. The bizarre conversation didn’t stop her from inhaling one last time as her shoulder brushed his.

  “Wait.” His request halted her. “I know this is going to sound odd.”

  Because the entire exchange up to this point had been normal? She turned her head and realized his face was closer than she’d expected. Her heart hammered in her chest. All he had to do was tilt in, and they’d be kissing. Or if she rose on her toes… What was wrong with her? She waited for him to continue, not trusting herself to speak.

  “There’s a little café across the street. They serve sandwiches and such for the next couple of hours.”

  “I know the place.” She stopped there on the way home from work a lot when she didn’t feel like cooking for one.

  “I’m heading over there for dinner. I know you said nothing’s wrong, but if you want to talk… I’ll have a table in the back and you’re welcome to join me.”

  Her laugh came out more nervously than she intended. The whole setup should make her skin crawl. Strange man, deserted parking lot, extra friendly. Why was she hesitating to walk away? “Thanks for the offer, but I’m good.”

  He shrugged. “Have a good night, then.”

  By the time Ella sank into her car, he was gone. That was odd. She turned the engine and tossed the hatchback into gear. Why was she thinking about taking him up on his offer? No, bad idea. Ashton was proof that the hottest guys tended to know exactly how attractive they were. This stranger probably expected her to pick up the tab or something.

  She navigated toward the exit, and turned her car in the opposite direction of the café.

  Chapter Two

  The restaurant was almost empty, giving Josh a clear view of the door from his seat near the back of the small dining area. Normally with an assignment, right about now he’d be counting seconds until she—or he—appeared in the entrance. Making a wager with himself. Seeing how long it took the person to change their mind and join him.

  This woman—Ella, according to her docket—was different. It wasn’t just that her full lips made his skin tingle and his blood roar. There was something about the way she held herself that made her difficult to read. And that was as enticing as anything.

  Not that he was there to be drawn into a relationship. He pushed the reminder to the forefront of his mind. As a cupid—someone who had died too young, been brought back, and given a second chance at life in exchange for helping people—his job was to cheer up his assignments. Show them the bright side of life, and make sure they left the meeting feeling better.

  Except he wasn’t even sure this woman needed that. She radiated a confidence that hid most of the sadness in her face. Maybe hid any sorrow at all. Was he supposed to
be waiting for someone else right now?

  But no. They, the people who gave him his jobs, didn’t make mistakes like that.

  The chime of the front door rolled through the room, and he pushed his attention back to the entrance. Ten minutes. She’d shown up after all. A grin threatened to split his face, and he reined the unexpected joy back in. Approaching strangers in parking lots was bad enough, he didn’t need to scare her off with a toothy smile.

  The corner of her mouth twitched when she met his gaze across the room, and after exchanging a few words with the hostess, she made her way toward him.

  The sway of her hips kicked his pulse up a notch, and the way her tongue trailed over her lips when she licked them nervously heated his blood. She wasn’t the first attractive assignment he’d had, but she was the first he couldn’t take his eyes off.

  He was on his feet and pulling out a chair before she reached the table. “I’m glad you changed your mind.” The words were scripted, but a flicker of joy flared inside when he realized how much he meant them.

  After a moment’s hesitation, she slid into the seat, as if she wasn’t sure what to do with a gesture like that. “Me too.” She shook her head, as if trying to scatter something loose inside. “I mean, I needed dinner anyway.”

  Hesitation, uncertainty. He could handle that. Making her feel at ease was part of his training. He took his chair again, while he studied her. All the thoughts in his head vanished when she tucked a strand of blonde behind her ear, and looked up at him through her eyelashes. The flush of pink on her cheeks from the cold, the way her bottom lip caught between her teeth, it wreaked havoc on his thoughts.

  He mentally grasped for reason. “Then lucky me that you chose my table. I’m Josh by the way.” He extended his hand.

  “Ella.” She nestled her palm in his, and a new spark of want raced through him. The desire to pull her close, claim those full lips, taste her until neither she nor he could breathe. He tucked most of the reaction away, but his pulse still thrummed under her touch.