by Dori Lavelle
I run down the steps as fast as I can on the heels I borrowed from Olivia.
“Celine,” he calls, the echo of his voice followed by his footfalls. “I’m sorry about what happened. I should have told you.”
“It’s okay, Blake.” I clutch my wig tighter. “You don’t need to apologize. I’m fine…really. I just need to go home.” I can’t allow him to get close to me again, to see me cry for him. It’s ridiculous to grieve the loss of a relationship that lasted less than a few hours. I don’t want to seem desperate.
“I think I love you,” he calls.
His words take me so much by surprise that I twist around too fast. In the process, I lose my balance and my hand misses the handrail. Before I know it, I’m falling. I hear him call my name. I hear my scream. Then my head hits something hard and I don’t hear anything else.
When I wake up, I’m back in the suite with Blake sitting next to me on the bed. Although there are various aches on my body, it’s my head that hurts the most.
“Blake,” I whisper, blinking away remnant tears. “I—”
He shuts me up with a kiss. “Thank God you’re awake. The hotel doctor will be here in a bit. How are you feeling?”
“Embarrassed,” I say. “I totally overreacted. I shouldn’t have run off like that.” Now that I think of it, it was pretty childish.
“Don’t feel bad.” He places a hand on my forehead. “I meant what I said. I do love you.”
I shake my head and wince from the pain piercing the side of my head. “You said you think you love me.”
“That was a lie. I know I love you.” He kisses me again. “And honestly, your sister’s letter was just an excuse to come to you...an opportunity. I’ve been thinking about you for years.”
“You can’t love me. You barely know me as an adult.” His words are better than any pain meds, but one of us has to be realistic. I’m pretty sure he’s still drugged by our earlier lovemaking.
“Then let’s spend more time together. Just don’t walk away from me again. I promise never to hurt you.”
“Promises can be broken.” I know that all too well.
“Not mine.” He kisses my forehead lightly, then his lips move to mine. We kiss until the doctor arrives to confirm that I’m as fine as I feel, and a few painkillers would take care of the rest.
But the doctor has no idea just how fine I am. Blake has already kept one of his promises to me. He has repaired some of my cracks. I don’t know where the road will take us, but as he lies down next to me, his arm around my body, I know I’ll regret not giving us a chance. So I do.
CELINE
I part my legs even farther as Blake plunges his tongue into me. Each thrust makes me forget the objections I had earlier about us getting dirty inside Santa’s Factory. Thank God the door is locked. It would be humiliating for a child to walk in on us.
“Oh, God.” I wrap my hands into his hair and tip my head back, giving in to the orgasm that’s determined to seize my body.
He doesn’t pause or stop until I call out his name. As I soar, the letters of his name form inside my throat, but before I come, the bell rings.
“Ignore it,” Blake says, still busy. “I’ve got work to do.”
“Later.” Giggling, I push him away and pull up my panties. “You’ll finish what you started later.”
“Fine.” He feigns disappointment and weaves his way around many wrapped gifts to get to the door.
“I hope I’m not disturbing you, Mr. and Mrs. Claus.”
After a year of dating, we got married two years ago, just the two of us at a beautiful resort in Rhodes. When I said yes to Blake, I knew he was it. My heart had been broken in the past because I married the wrong man.
Apparently Dennis did get married to Brianna, but they divorced six months later, after she cheated on him with his brother. I guess karma is a bitch.
Blake clears his throat. “Well—”
“Not at all, Madison.” I cut him off before he says something to embarrass both of us.
“All right, then!” Madison, who always acts as one of Santa’s helpers, moves her gaze from me to Blake. “I wanted to let you know that the first kids are waiting. A line is starting to form.”
“We’ll be right there,” Blake says. When Madison leaves, he tries to kiss me, but I push him away gently. “Back off, tiger. The kids come first.”
I finally manage to get his hands off me and help him into his Santa costume.
“You look sexy, Santa.” I give him a peck on the lips.
“You don’t look too bad yourself, Mrs. Claus. We’ll have to keep that dress for the bedroom.” He winks as his eyes take in my red and white dress with faux fur trim.
“Maybe I will.” I complete the look with a sequined Santa hat and I’m ready to be Santa’s helper.
We both smile when we see Olivia at the front of the queue. “This little man wants to be the first to sit on Santa’s lap. She brings over a blond, curly-haired three-year-old.
“Ho! Ho!” Santa says when Olivia places Vincent on his lap, and I look on with pride.
Vincent Lockhart is our little boy. We adopted him from the local orphanage after the doctor confirmed I can’t have kids. As we listened to the devastating news in the doctor’s office, I waited for fate to kick me in the teeth again. I feared that, like Dennis, Blake would walk away. I was wrong. He didn’t even hesitate before telling me we could adopt. Since he was adopted by Santa, he saw it as an opportunity to continue the tradition. Now here we are, a perfect Santa family.
After Vincent gets his present and hops off Blake’s lap, more kids hop on to get their own presents. They get their packages from Santa and hugs from me.
After the presents run out, Olivia, Blake, Vincent, Madison, and I share a few mugs of hot chocolate inside Santa’s Factory. Then we all go our separate ways.
A few months after I left town, we sold the bakery and Olivia moved to New York to start a new life.
An hour later, my little family and I board our private jet to fly to Paris for our wedding anniversary.
Even though Blake is often busy with his businesses in Chicago, and me with my new bakery, I know we’ll come every single year to bring joy to the Misty Cove kids.
As the jet lifts into the sky, I lean into my husband and close my eyes, happy to have found my happy life as Mrs. Santa Claus.
THE END
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HANG OUT WITH THE AUTHORS IN THE BOOK HANGOVER LOUNGE.
OTHER BOOKS BY DORI LAVELLE
Moments Series (4 books)
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Obsession Inc. serial (3 Books)
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For more information visit
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