by Peyton Banks
“Luna, how are you?” he asked.
The little girl paused, her mouth dropping open. “You know my name?”
Lifting her up, he sat her small frame onto his lap.
“Of course I do,” he answered. The elf, Anna, walked over with the camera for the photo op. Once they were done, he turned to Luna. “So tell me, Luna, what is it you want most for Christmas?”
“Let’s see…I want one of the pixie fairies that flies up in the air, a Like Me doll…” she continued rattling off toys she wanted. Harris had no clue what she was talking about, but he nodded as he listened. He looked over at Gracie, who was smiling at something Ida had said. “…and a Baby Yoda.”
That caught his attention.
He knew Yoda.
He barked out a hefty laugh.
“Well, I’m sure you’ve been a good little girl.”
“Of course,” Luna huffed, as if daring him to say otherwise. He smiled, loving her spunk.
He could imagine a little girl of his own with big brown eyes, just like Gracie’s.
He swallowed hard.
Where the fuck did that come from?
“Well, we’ll see what Santa can do for you.”
Her face fell, as if he had taken away her favorite toy. Shit. That was apparently the wrong thing to say. He cleared his throat. “I just need to verify the good list. That’s all.”
“Oh, okay. Well, I’ve been the best kid ever. Ask my momma.” Sliding off his lap, she gave him a wave and skipped back over to Ida and Gracie, who listened intently to Luna tell her story.
“Ma’am?” he called out to Gracie in a gruff voice, praying she didn’t recognize it.
She turned to him and pointed to herself. “Who, me?”
He nodded, doing a bad imitation of his Santa laugh as he waved her over.
“Yes. I’m sure you have a wish list Santa needs to hear about.” He bit back his laughter at her shocked expression. Tammy, the other elf, motioned for Gracie to enter the area.
Handing her bags to Ida, she walked down the fake snow-covered path as a few of the parents in line laughed and whistled.
Once in front of him, she bit her lip and fidgeted with her purse strap, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.
“Yes, Santa?”
“Come. Have a seat on my lap and tell me everything you want for Christmas.” He coughed to keep from laughing at her expression.
Narrowing her eyes, she slowly closed the gap between them.
He patted his knee. “Right here, ma’am.”
“What the hell,” she muttered, taking a seat.
Chuckling, he pulled her fully onto his lap, causing her to squeal. Women in line began shouting and clapping.
“I’m next!” someone called out.
“W–What are you doing?” Gracie sputtered. Glaring up at him, recognition flared in her eyes. “Harris?” she whispered, her body relaxing against him.
He tried to will his cock not to stiffen, but it jerked to life, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
“Tell me, Gracie, are you still a good girl?”
“Maybe.” She shrugged, her red lips curling at the corners. It was a smile he knew well.
“What is that supposed to mean?” he growled playfully as she shifted on his lap, then paused, her eyes growing wide.
“Um, Santa?” She leaned closer, dropping her voice. “Do you have a toy stuffed in your pants, or is someone happy to see me?”
He laughed, unable to hide the erection that rested underneath her bottom. He was a hot-blooded male with a very beautiful woman on his lap. What was he supposed to do?
He brought her in close and pressed a kiss to her cheek.
“I’m always happy to see you, Gracie.”
3
“Who is that?” Gracie mumbled, listening to the doorbell ring.
After leaving the recreation center, the girls had stopped for lunch, and then Ida had dropped her off. Since it was an off day for her during this busy holiday season, she had wanted to get some cleaning done. With Christmas only a week away, she was planning to work every day until then at Bella’s Boutique, a small women’s clothing chain.
Christmas Eve was Friday. Tradition was for her to go over to the Bates’s home for their annual Christmas Eve dinner, which she had been attending since high school. Now she assisted Mrs. Bates with the preparations for dinner. It was a big shindig, and a lot of fun.
Molly had texted her that she wanted Gracie to make her famous apple pie, and would need at least two of them. She made a mental note to stop by the store to pick up everything she would need.
The doorbell rang again.
“I’m coming!” she called out. She was on her back patio, picking up a few logs she intended to put in the fireplace. Tonight, the plan had been to stay in and work on her grocery list, last-minute Christmas gift list, finish laundry, then drink some wine by the fire. She already had dinner in the crockpot cooking, so it would be done soon. The scent of roast beef filled the air, making her stomach growl.
She had moved out of her parents’ home and purchased a little bungalow about five minutes from them. She was proud of her little cozy house, and it was just perfect for her.
Dropping the wood on the hearth in the living room, she wiped her hands on her leggings and headed toward the front door.
Opening it, she paused at the sight of Harris standing on her small porch.
“Harris?”
“You didn’t even look through the peephole,” he muttered.
Rolling her eyes, she pushed open the screen door, but he didn’t move. He just stood there, staring at her. She tried to ignore the shiver that rolled through her body. Memories of him pressing against her bottom at the recreation center had her squeezing her legs together.
God, she knew he was a big guy, but what pressed against her bottom had been very impressive.
Down, girl.
“Get in here. You’re letting my heat out.” Now was not the time to scold her. It was freezing outside, and the air was slowly seeping into her house.
He kicked his boots against the house to knock off some of the snow before entering. Toeing them off, he placed them on the shoe mat while she closed the door and locked it.
She always forgot how much taller he was than her.
“Here, these are for you,” he said, handing her a paper bag.
“What is it?” Taking it from him, she peeked inside.
Apples.
She laughed, knowing it was Molly’s way of ensuring she didn’t back out of making the pies.
Shrugging out of his coat, he opened the closet door and placed it on a hanger. He was dressed in a dark, long sleeve T-shirt and jeans. His clothing hugged his body, showcasing his muscular physique.
His eyes crinkled in the corners. “I take it my mother’s putting you to work for Friday?”
“Yes. She asked me to make a couple of pies.” She pushed off the door, but he blocked her path.
“Wait. Doesn’t the delivery boy get a hug?” His perfectly crooked grin spread across his lips.
Gracie’s core clenched. It didn’t make any sense how sexy he was.
And he knew it too.
Harris and Drew always had women chasing after them. They were both tall, muscular, and had similar features. The blond hair and blue eyes did every woman in, young or old.
Grinning, she stepped into his embrace.
His arms surrounded her and pulled her close. His scent filled her nose, and she breathed in deep as he rested his chin on top of her head.
“How long are you in town for?” she asked, her voice muffled against his chest. She was currently in Heaven, and never wanted to leave.
“A week. I have to report back on Monday, after Christmas,” he said. Harris was a firefighter for the City of Chicago. He was a man who couldn’t stop serving. First in the Marines, and now a firefighter. Even his current profession had her worrying about him. Sure, he was big and strong, but running in
to burning buildings downright frightened her.
Stepping back, she playfully swatted his chest. “Which one of your bunnies will be showing up for Christmas?”
She walked around him to put the bag of apples away, with him trailing behind her.
Bunnies was a term she used for the women he dated.
It had been about two weeks since they’d last spoken. She knew he wasn’t dating anyone at the moment, but two weeks was a long time, and that could have changed.
“What do you think I am, a manwhore?” he questioned, feigning hurt. “I told you I was single.”
She placed the bag on the counter and spun around, laughing.
“You want me to answer that truthfully?” She, of course, knew the truth. The women he dated were always wrong for him.
She wondered how many pies Molly really needed her to make. There were enough apples for at least five pies.
Harris leaned his hip against the counter next to her.
“I’m hurt. I get my heart broken and you laugh.”
Gracie rolled her eyes. Him getting his heart broken?
Whatever.
“So why did Becky break up with you?”
“You mean, Brandy?” he snickered, folding his arms across his chest.
“Oh, yeah, this one was named Brandy. You didn’t even bring her home to meet the family,” she pointed out, moving around the kitchen to find a bowl big enough to hold the apples.
“Wasn’t any point,” he countered, his voice low.
Finding the bowl she used for hosting parties, she walked back to where he stood.
“Why?” she inquired. She was teasing him, because it was actually rare he brought women home.
Last year, he had brought his girlfriend home for the Fourth of July holiday to meet the family. Gracie hadn’t liked her. She wasn’t right for him. She was too thin, didn’t really smile or joke around with them. Gracie never knew what Harris saw in her.
He ran a hand along his face. “She was nagging me about commitment, but I just couldn’t.” Since leaving the military, he had grown back a shadow of a beard, and had let his hair grow a little longer. She had to fight the urge of running her fingers through it.
“Couldn’t or wouldn’t?” she asked quietly, busying herself with the apples.
“I couldn’t.”
“Why not?” Gracie looked over and found him staring at her. He was serious. She stopped what she was doing and faced him, the tension in the air palpable.
She didn’t know why.
They had always confided in each other about their relationships, but this was somehow different.
His stare was intense, and unlike anything she’d ever seen.
This was new. Harris had never looked at her this way.
“I guess I’ve been searching for the perfect woman, someone I know my parents would approve of. Someone who can make me laugh, get my crude sense of humor, is patient, beautiful, and smart.” He blew out a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. She watched as some of the strands fell forward onto his forehead.
“Well, no woman is perfect,” she reasoned.
Reaching out, Harris took her hand and slowly brought it up to his lips. She held her breath as she watched him press a gentle kiss to her skin.
“You are.”
“I am not.” She tried to snatch her hand away, but he held onto it.
Maybe he was oxygen deprived.
Putting out large fires was obviously taking a toll on him.
Tugging her to him, she fell against his hard frame and bit back a moan at the feeling of his muscular body. Resting her hands against his chest, she tilted her head back to meet his gaze, and was mesmerized by his crystal blue eyes that appeared to be darkening.
Gracie’s pulse raced.
He lowered his head toward hers.
The second his lips touched hers, she was a goner.
A moan slipped past her lips, and he quickly took her mouth, boldly sweeping his tongue inside. Without thought, she returned the kiss with the same fervor.
Unable to believe this was happening, she sent up a prayer that this was real and not a dream.
That would just be downright cruel.
Gracie’s hands slid up along his chest and wrapped around the back of his neck. Pressing closer, she leaned up on her tiptoes as he reached down and lifted her up by the back of her thighs, as if her solid one hundred sixty pounds was nothing.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, their kiss all heat and tongue as he carried her out of the kitchen and placed her on the oversized couch, resting his weight on top of her.
When he pulled back, breaking the kiss, she whimpered, “Please, don’t stop.”
Leaning back on his knees, he gave her a crooked grin.
“Oh, I’m not.”
4
Harris pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it onto the floor.
Murmuring, “You got another tattoo,” she sat up and ran a hand along his side. He shuddered from the touch.
“Yeah. You can see it later,” he chuckled, sliding his hands along her thighs until he reached her T-shirt. Tugging it over her head, he tossed it on top of his.
Harris had no intention of ever acting on this thing between them, but one look into her eyes when she opened the door, he couldn’t help himself.
When he had returned to his parents’ home after dropping off his borrowed Santa suit, he found his mother busy wrapping gifts, going on and on about Gracie, and how she was going to cook for the Christmas Eve dinner.
As he stood there, listening to her talk, it hit him out of nowhere.
He’d been searching for a woman good enough to bring home to meet his family. He had thought a few times he had found that certain someone, but they were never…right.
That woman had been in front of him the whole time.
As much as he wanted to keep Gracie on the pedestal he had put her on, he couldn’t stay away from her any longer.
Harris dropped his gaze down to her black, laced-covered breasts, and he almost forgot how to breathe.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she questioned.
“You’re so fucking beautiful, Gracie.” Wanting to see every inch of her, he bent down and reached around to unclasp her bra while pressing a chaste kiss to her lips.
“It’s about time you realized it.”
She could always make him laugh. Her cheekiness was refreshing, and was just part of her personality.
Gracie slid the loose bra down her arms, letting it fall onto the growing pile of clothes already on the floor.
“Jesus,” he muttered, his eyes locking onto her voluptuous breasts. Her areolas were dark, and her nipples were beaded into little buds, reminding him of chocolate chips.
Chocolate chip cookies were his favorite.
“You’ve got to stop looking at me like that.”
He shifted down, bringing himself eye level with her perky breasts.
“What way?” he asked. Looking up at her, he ran a finger over one of her soft mounds, eliciting a moan from her. He promised himself that she was going to go hoarse screaming his name.
“Like you want to devour me,” she whispered.
“I plan to.” Her gasp was all he needed to start exploring her.
He took his time drawing his tongue along her plump mound, trailing it around her nipple before suckling it into his mouth.
Her fingers dove into his hair as if to hold him in place.
He wasn’t going anywhere.
Harris was currently thankful that she had listened to him about purchasing this couch. He’d went with her to pick out furniture, and had stressed that when he visited, he needed a couch that would accommodate his large frame.
How ironic they would make love for the first time on it.
He dragged his tongue over to the other one, finding her just as sweet as he imagined her to be.
“We have too many clothes on,” Gracie groaned.
A
woman after his heart.
Hell, she might have had it this entire time.
They made light work of the rest of their clothes before falling back onto the couch in a tangle of limbs.
Harris slammed his mouth to hers, loving how she was so damn responsive to him. Her fingers were in his hair, on his back—everywhere.
He loved everything about the woman underneath him.
Gracie wasn’t holding back, letting him know what she liked. Tearing his mouth from hers, he began trailing open-mouthed kisses along her body until he arrived at her core, pushing her legs up and out so he could see all of her.
His cock grew thicker at the sight before him.
“Harris,” she gasped.
“Hold that thought, Gracie.”
He needed to have his mouth on her. It was as if he craved her, and had yet to have his first taste of her.
Harris didn’t hesitate to cover her with his mouth.
Her sweet tanginess was everything he had been needing.
Her cry filled the air while her body arched off the couch. Cupping her ass, he held her in place, taking his time.
He had all night.
Gracie’s moans fueled his desire. His tongue connected with her clit, wanting to pay close attention to her little bundle of nerves.
Gracie writhed underneath him.
Harris wanted to draw out her pleasure, but he was losing his patience. He needed to be balls deep inside of her soon or he’d be releasing on himself, and that wasn’t an option.
Alternating between flicking and sucking her clit had her cries growing louder.
Her body trembled.
Harris continued his sweet torture while Gracie chanted his name until her muscles tightened. His hand slid up her body and began toying with her breast.
Sucking her bud between his teeth, her body detonated.
“Harris!” she cried out. Trying to close her legs, he pushed them back open so he could continue to lick and suckle her clit.
Her chest rose and fell before she flopped back on the couch. Only then did he release her bud and grinned.
Taking one more swipe of her pussy with his tongue, he crawled up over her.
“Never heard you yell my name like that before,” he teased, bracing himself over her. His cock was thick and heavy as it brushed against her slick core.