by Grace, Aria
“I really wish you’d stop ignoring me,” I say quietly. Despite my frown, I manage to resist the urge to pout my lips because I’m pretty sure that’d be too much. “I’m here to help you. Let me help.”
“You are helping,” Nick says with a flicker of annoyance in his eyes.
I take step back, hurt by his response.
Nick’s harsh glare quickly softens, and I notice a flush crawling up his cheeks. Interesting.
“Anyone can push a button on a camera. Let me help with the kids.” I’m pushing my luck here, but I feel like I’ve been possessed by my need to be near him. At the very least, I want to prove that I can be useful.
Nick looks away from me for a minute, shifting his gaze back toward the photo area before looking at Rubin. My buddy shrugs as if completely baffled by my actions. And he probably is. I don’t think he’s ever seen me acting so bold, but I can’t seem to help myself when it comes to the hot Santa.
The alpha sighs heavily and meets my gaze at last. There’s a softness in his expression that makes me certain he’s going to give in. Until he opens his mouth. “No.”
45
Nick
What the hell is up with this omega? First, he’s got my body going haywire, and now, he’s demanding I let him take over as right-hand elf? Does he even realize what he’s asking?
When I deny his request, he looks dumbfounded, and for a minute, I feel a little guilty for being so harsh with him. But this is how it has to be.
It’s not that I don’t think he can do the job. In all honesty, it’s not that difficult. It’s just that I don’t think I’ll be able to focus on what I’m supposed to be doing with him so close by.
I’ve hired hot omegas in the past. I’ve even gotten aroused by some of them. Hell, Rubin is pretty cute with his round baby face. But this is different. The reaction I’m having to Scotty is on another level entirely. We’re talking within the realm of one false move, and I’ll be rocking a boner the size of Everest.
That’s not ideal when my entire job consists of having squirming kids sit in my lap. The last thing I need right now is a lawsuit from a concerned parent because of an inconvenient erection I literally have no control over.
No, the best thing for me right now is to keep Scotty behind the camera where I can mostly ignore him. I know it’s not really fair, he is volunteering his time after all, but I can’t take the risk.
“We can’t waste any more time.” I turn around and begin walking toward Santa’s chair. “Scotty, you’re on the camera. Rubin, you’re still my right-hand elf.”
Scotty begins to protest, but he quickly stops. I’m pretty sure Rubin cut him off, but I don’t look back to confirm my suspicions. For now, I’ve got to focus on my job. The job I sacrificed the vacation of a lifetime to do.
“But really, Nick. I can do the job.” Scotty’s voice cuts through my thoughts again. “You can’t just keep ignoring me like this. Can you at least tell me why you don’t want me to help you?”
“I already told you, we don’t have time for this pointless debate.” I turn abruptly to face him. My tone is a little harsher than it should be, but the arousal I’m feeling has me on edge. I need to repress every ounce of lust I’m feeling right now because there is no way I can act on my physical desires. My parents are counting on me to run this place, and I need to be professional.
“You’re here because you’re helping out Omega House, right? So, do that. Do the job I’ve given you. I don’t need to explain it to you. And even if I wanted to, we don’t have the time right now.” I glare at him and point behind me toward the long line of people waiting for their turn. “Those people are here because they want pictures with Santa. The longer we stand around, the fewer of them actually get what they came here for. The more people we disappoint, the more customers we lose. Do you see where I’m going with this?”
Scotty shrinks away from me and averts his gaze. I know I’m being a dick and he doesn’t deserve to have me get in his face like that. It’s not his fault that my cock is threatening to make my life a living hell right now. It’s not his fault that he’s the most beautiful omega I’ve ever laid eyes on and that I want to do naughty things to his body.
I shiver at the thought, but somehow manage to maintain my composure.
No, it’s not his fault. But it’s not my fault either. And we’re both here to do a job. That’s all I can think about right now.
“I’m sorry.” His eyes drop to the ground in front of me and he sighs. “I’ll handle the camera.”
I take a moment to get my heartbeat under control as soon as he walks away, and I realize just how fast my pulse is racing.
“Is everything okay?” Rubin is watching me curiously when I finally turn back toward the photo area.
“Yeah, just…a lot of stress right now. I’ve run this place before, but Mom and Dad were always here doing their thing too. Running it without them is more stressful than I was expecting.” It’s not a complete lie. The stress is definitely a factor in my current mood, but it’s definitely not what’s making my balls tighten and my cock tingle.
“I get it.” Rubin claps me on the shoulder in a friendly manner. He’s an odd omega who has been volunteering out here for several years now. I don’t know his full story, but he’s always been friendly and professional. Somehow, his presence is reassuring to me.
“Right, then. Let’s get to work.” I take my place on Santa’s throne once again, and Rubin quickly takes to his role as elf. He brings the kids to me one after another, and one after another, they sit on my knee and tell me what they want for Christmas.
I’ve always enjoyed the magic of Santa Claus, and the look of wonder in children’s eyes when they sit on Santa’s knee and tell him their desires is nothing short of amazing. I know I don’t fit the physical description of what they were expecting, but the joy is there nonetheless. Of course, I could’ve worn a fake white beard and a fat suit, but I opted for something more natural. It’s more comfortable for me, and kids are smart enough to see through stuff like that anyway.
As the day drags on, I occasionally sneak glances toward the camera where Scotty is dutifully taking pictures. He was watching me before lunch, but now he seems to be keeping his eyes to himself. If I’m being perfectly honest, I’m a little disappointed. I liked having his eyes on me. Being the center of his attention made me feel like…more.
More of an alpha, more masculine, more desirable…just more.
Now that I’ve noticed his disinterest, keeping my thoughts focused on my job is more difficult than it was earlier. Every time there’s a break in the steady stream of kids, I catch myself staving off thoughts of the omega who has only just waltzed into my life. I don’t know anything about him, and yet, the depth of my physical desire is taking up just about all the space in my head. Both of them.
More and more often, I catch myself wishing I’d just given in and let Scotty have Rubin’s job. At least then I could brush his hand from time to time, meet his gaze, and maybe share a joke with him. It’s a bad idea. I’ve already listed all the reasons why it’s a bad idea.
But logic seems to have flown right out the window, and my lust-filled brain can only think of one thing that it wants.
Scotty.
46
Scotty
When the day is finally over, I’m ecstatic. I cannot wait to change out of my elf costume and back into my normal jeans and hoodie. And when I think about how the day could have gone, I realize I’m actually grateful I was stuck behind the camera all afternoon. At least that way, I wasn’t the center of anyone’s attention. I was completely invisible, and most of the parents didn’t even notice me.
Nick and Rubin put on quite the show, after all.
It’s not even late, but the winter daylight is already starting to fade. It’s getting dark outside and the tree farm is officially closed for the night. It wasn’t easy, but I’ve survived my first day of work. Barely.
As soon as I get back to Ru
bin’s car, I pull my change of clothes out of the bag I had stashed in the trunk. He’s going to wear his costume home, but I want to minimize the number of people who see me in it. There’s no way I’m tromping through the common areas at Omega House dressed like a freak.
It’s just not happening.
Alone in the trailer, I’m standing in nothing but my underwear when the door is yanked open and cold air rushes inside. Goose bumps prickle my skin, and my nipples harden almost painfully at the frosty bite that washes over me. Reflexively, I clutch my clothes to my body to try to cover up, but the suddenness of the intrusion has shocked me into silence.
My jaw drops, and I watch in abject horror as Nick climbs into the trailer. It takes a moment, but he stops short when he sees me. His eyes are wide, and he seems uncertain about what course of action to take next. I’d offer him some advice if I had a clue how to handle the situation.
But I don’t.
Nick’s face is completely unreadable to me as I try to come up with something witty to say. Or really anything at all. Although, I’m not actually paying much attention to the subtleties of his expression when my cock is stirring, and my body is demanding I take some kind of action.
“Could you at least shut the door? I’m gonna freeze to death.” I force a laugh past the rock in my throat as I attempt to come off as playful. It takes all my willpower to focus on figuring out how my jeans work.
“Right, sorry. I didn’t think anyone was in here.” Nick’s eyes immediately shoot from my waist to the ground as he starts to turn away. “I’ll give you some privacy.”
“Wait!” There’s something I need to say before he leaves. I feel like my heart might explode out of my chest at any minute, but since my earlier attempt at winning him over was absolutely awful, I have zero confidence this is going to be any different. Still, there’s something inside me that I simply can’t explain or ignore. There’s something that’s drawing me to him like a magnet, and if I let him leave without saying something, I’ll probably regret it forever.
“It’s freezing out there…” I hold my breath, wondering what his reaction will be. “I’m almost done in here. You don’t have to wait in the cold.”
“I…um… I was just gonna get changed and head home.” Nick glances at me quickly but turns away after a split second. His face has definitely flushed bright red.
“Well, then, get to it,” I say as I look down at my pants. “And please, close the damn door.” I try to laugh lightly but it comes out thin and strained, like the dying wheeze of badly played bagpipes.
Nick closes the door and awkwardly shuffles inside. He’s still avoiding my gaze, but at least he’s not running away in terror.
“I…uh, just need to slip past you. My stuff is stashed back there.” He gestures to the cabinets along the far wall of the trailer.
I take a deep breath and nod but stand completely still. I’m not really aware of the fact that I’m in his way, and he needs to move past me. But my thoughts are consumed with my own need to put on my pants while trying really hard not to tear off his.
Nick moves toward me, and I back up just enough to make room for him. As he passes, he brushes up against me, making my body react instantly. The scent of Christmas trees still clings to him like cologne, and I inhale it deeply with my eyes shut.
“Look, I’m sorry about this morning.” As I put my pants on one leg at a time, I try to fix whatever weird shit is between us. “I was being confrontational for no reason, and I’m sure that made things awkward between us.”
“Yeah, uh, no problem.” Nick begins to peel off his Santa suit, and as hard as I try, I can’t look away from him. He’s amazing. I thought he looked pretty good with the suit on, but without it, he’s downright chiseled. He’s definitely athletic and takes his health and fitness routine seriously. A shiver runs down my spine as I imagine myself tracing my fingers across those washboard abs. “It’s been a stressful few days for me, so I’m sorry if I got a little heated.”
With his back turned to me, he gets back to his task of changing into street clothes. I’m distinctly aware of the fact that I still haven’t finished fastening the button on my jeans, but I can’t bring myself to look away from the mesmerizing alpha standing across from me.
“You should probably hurry up and finish getting dressed. I need to shut this place down.” How did he get dressed so quickly? When I look away from his ass, I realize he’s stowing the Santa suit in the cabinet.
“Yeah, sorry. I’m just… I’m sorry.” I silently kick myself for being such an idiot. This would’ve been the perfect opportunity to say something flirty, but I can’t find the right words. I’ve never been good at this sort of thing.
Nick begins to walk back toward me, and my breath catches in my throat. Not wanting to make this day any worse, I look away and try to make room for him to pass. To my surprise, he stops right in front of me.
His body heat alone fills the area surrounding me, and my breath rasps in my throat as I drag my eyes up to meet his. We’re almost touching, close enough that a deep breath would cause my chest to brush his. The proximity sends my body into overdrive. I’m grateful that my jeans are back on because I can already feel my cock beginning to swell from his mere presence.
The crazy part is, I’m almost certain he feels the same. His breath is ragged, and the look in his eyes feels like a mirror of the lust I’m feeling inside.
I chew my lip as I stare up at him expectantly. There’s no way we’re getting out of this trailer without something physical happening. The tension in the air is just too thick, and I can feel my asshole starting to loosen up in anticipation of what’s about to happen. If he leaves me hanging for much longer, there’s gonna be a river of slick running down my thighs.
“Nick…” My voice is needy and desperate as I wait for him to do something, anything to satisfy the void inside me.
Nick slowly leans his head toward mine until the warmth of his breath skates across my skin. I can already imagine the taste of his mouth, and I’m salivating in anticipation of it.
My eyes drift shut as I wait for his lips to brush across mine.
But it doesn’t happen.
His movement startles me, and I immediately feel a chill in the air as he moves past me. When I open my eyes, Nick already has his hand on the doorknob. Before I can say anything else, he shoves open the door and disappears into the night.
47
Nick
The next several days are a struggle for me. Scotty is so damn distracting that it’s difficult to keep focused on the job I’m here to do. Every time I see him, I’m transported back to that night in the trailer. Since then, I’ve imagined a hundred different scenarios for how things could have gone…and in everyone, things end differently.
But those are just fantasies.
I can’t afford to even think about a new relationship right now. The last thing I need is to get distracted by Scotty’s beautiful eyes, his delicious body, or that way he chews his lip when he’s overwhelmed. And he’s feeling exactly what I feel. That night in the trailer confirmed it. I don’t know what’s causing the two of us to lose control when we’re around each other, but I can’t let it continue.
That would be a no-win situation for both of us.
Instead, I’ve thrown myself completely into keeping the farm running smoothly. According to my mom, my dad’s recovery is going well, but he’s definitely not coming back to work this season. My mom has her hands full taking care of him, so she won’t be much help either. She’s still balancing the books for me every day, but other than that, I’m on my own with the business my family and almost a hundred employees all depend on.
I’ve got managers from twelve different tree lots stationed throughout the city who are reporting back to me. They’re trusted employees who have been with my family for years so there’s nothing to worry about on that front. Out here on the farm, I’ve got over a dozen different employees, not counting the two volunteers for the Sa
nta photos, under my direct supervision. Most of them are pretty experienced, so the farm mostly runs itself while I’m busy with Santa stuff.
Still, I feel like I’m dividing my attention between too many different things. Normally, I take time out to go check up on the lots around town, but I can’t really do that this year. It’s not a requirement, but I like to think it makes a good impression on the managers. They all know the situation with Dad, and they’ve all been understanding. I just can’t help but feel like I’m slacking off a little. It doesn’t make much sense because I’m doing more work than ever this year, but I can’t help the way I feel.
And then there’s the matter of the dream vacation I had to walk away from. I’ve been getting plenty of updates about the Hawaii trip from Leo and my friends to almost make me feel like I’m there. But not quite. Every new text or Facebook post I see just makes me wish I had gone with them. Truthfully, I’d give anything to be basking in the sunshine instead of pulling on two layers of thermal underwear beneath my Santa suit, so I don’t freeze to death.
And we’re still early in the season. Every day just gets colder and colder. It still hasn’t snowed, but it won’t be long now. I can feel it.
Despite everything I’ve got to occupy my mind, I still catch myself looking at Scotty as we move through the line of kids waiting to have their picture taken.
It’s late afternoon, and I feel like I’ve been sitting in this chair all day. Probably because I have. I’ve lost count of how many kids I’ve held on my lap, and I couldn’t remember half their gift requests if my life depended on it. Hopefully their parents were paying attention when the kids listed off all the things that mattered most to them because they’d be out of luck if they asked me to tell them later. I’m probably the worst Santa in the history of Santas. Still, the kids and parents all seem happy enough, and each one is just as excited as the last.
