“Oh.” I stared up at him.
This would be a problem.
Because I felt the same way.
Chapter 30
My frame draped lifelessly across his naked physique on the long seat of the sleigh. His fingers tracked up and down my spine, and the smell of dust, wood, and us filled my nose. Fatigue and verve battled in my nerves, rattling my muscles, making me feel I had taken too many espresso shots.
After the first time, it took only five minutes before we had been at it again, this time on top of the workbench. We had been so caught up the first time, we hadn’t even mentioned protection, which I never forgot. Ever. Not in New York. You didn’t do anything without safeguarding yourself diligently there.
“Fuck, you feel so good.” His hips pumped against mine. “I can’t even think when I’m inside you… I may be from a different time, but I’m not unaware of modern protection.” He kissed me, tugging on my bottom lip. “We don’t have diseases here, but…” He hinted at pulling out.
“I’m on birth control and clean,” I breathed, wrapping my legs tighter around him, wanting to feel him deeper inside me. “Don’t stop.”
Merciless, he took my demand until I had turned into liquid, melting all over the table, my cries so loud they even scared me.
Both sedated and limp, he laid us out in the sleigh where we grappled for air, our hearts thumping together. We stayed silent for a few moments, overwhelmed by what had just happened.
“How did you get here?” My hand traced his tattoo. “If you were human. How did you end up in Winterland?”
He took a deep inhale, his chest pushing against mine.
“It was so long ago; it’s hard to remember exactly.” He rubbed at his scruff with his knuckles. “I didn’t have the best childhood, poor and always scrounging for food. My mother worked at a factory in the day and in a pub at night to make ends meet, but that rarely happened. We had multiple gentlemen live-ins in a tiny one-bedroom and struggled every day to even get stew in our bellies.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “I worked hard, her constantly instilling in me if I succeeded, I could break away from this life. I threw myself into my studies. My grades and a professor who believed in me were how I got into Oxford. I turned even more ruthless, seeing all the money and power there. I wanted a piece of the pie, and I had to work ten times harder to earn it than the rich boys coming in.
“After my mother died, and I couldn’t even afford to bury her, I became ruthless. Greedy for more money, for more success. Turned my back on everyone except those who could help me. Even the girl I was engaged to. Love, friendships, nothing could compete with my ambition. And I used it as an excuse. I couldn’t provide for her anyway if I wasn’t successful, if I couldn’t give her the life she was used to. It was never enough, even when she said she didn’t need anything fancy, just me.” He huffed. “I would think, how naive. She has no idea what it’s like to be poor. To be hungry. It’s easy for someone who always had a full belly to think love was enough. I knew better… or so I thought.”
“Don’t tell me you were visited by three ghosts?”
He laughed. “No. All fables take great liberties from the truth. But unlike a lot of characters in Winterland, I’m not from here. I’m human. I was real and existed before the story. I happen to fill the role. Just like at one time St. Nick was real. Lived on earth. Every culture has their version of him. The saint, a make-believe icon, a spirit, a Christmas witch—they are all true. But he is also so much more than what people know. A man who had a wife.”
“A bitter one,” I replied. “Though there are moments I understand her. He treated her like a second-class citizen. His Jessie snapped…”
“He’s also a man, who despite all the joy and magic he gives children over the world for centuries, has faults. Being a good husband was not one of those. From the day she was written for him, he treated her as such. A character at his beck and call, not a person with feelings.”
“So she’s from here.” I suddenly understood. “It’s why she can’t travel through the realms unless she has one of us.”
“Exactly.” He nodded.
“You said Belle was from here? Was she created for you?”
“Like you, I kind of stumbled into this place. Meant to be or not, my story, my life was here. I met Belle not long after I came here. After a while, my life on earth became a blur. She was so similar to the girl I broke up with on earth, the girl I turned away because at the time her love wasn’t enough. I thought I was being given a second chance to right a wrong. Have the life I let slip through my fingers. But…”
“What?” I peered up at him.
“I know the reason neither worked out.” His eyes met mine. “Neither one was truly meant for me.”
Emotion lodged in my throat, not sure if it was fear, joy, or shock.
“But I don’t regret my choices. They led me here, all of it, even the loss of my son.” He swallowed. “At least I had a brief time with him.”
“Do you want kids again?” Terror danced on my tongue.
“No. At least right now it’s not something I can think about. Not for a long time.”
Relief escaped my lungs. That was not something I wanted for a long, long time as well.
“Plus.” A grin twitched his mouth. “I have those pains in the ass inside that house. They are more than I can handle. Like having four kids.”
“Three.” I shook my head, grinning. “You and Hare fight too much like a married couple.”
“Then this is going to be extremely awkward.” He curved into me, already thick and searing against my thigh, his nose brushing into my neck.
“What?”
“Telling my wife about my mistress.” His teeth scraped the sensitive spot behind my ear, spurring heat through my body. “Though I doubt I’ll have to tell him anything. Everyone on the mountain could hear you.” His palms ran up my legs, stopping at my thighs, rubbing his fingers through me, slipping in. My breath hitched, my body instantly ready again. “And if they didn’t, they will now.”
“Scrooge…” I gasped, arching into him.
“I told you this was going to be a problem.” He slipped in another finger, his mouth moving down my neck to my breast. “You have turned me into a fiend, Ms. Liddell.”
“Don’t you need to leave soon?” I moved against him. “Some mission?”
He rolled over on me, planting my back on the bench.
“First, I need to make sure I have a proper meal.” His tongue flicked at my belly button as he inched down, his blue eyes glinting with mischievousness. “Something that will keep me warm, filled, and energized.”
“Hare’s cinnamon muffins?” I smirked, my breath growing heavy.
“No, Ms. Liddell.” His smile widened, his hands snaking under my ass. “Yours.”
He tugged me up, tossing me on the dash of the sleigh, my fingers gripping the console as he spread my legs, his mouth trailing down, kissing and nipping.
Holy tinsel and jingle my bells. My head fell back, my fingers clutching as his tongue found me, taking every bit of sense with him I might have had left.
Elf cookies—he was unbelievable.
The fable was partly wrong. Ebenezer Scrooge was not stingy, but damn he was greedy, consuming me with ravenous need. A slew of curse words hitched up my throat, and I was almost squirming away at the intensity.
“Fuck, Ms. Liddell.” He licked deeply, hooking my legs over his shoulders, gripping my ass firmer to him. “Nothing tastes as good as you. You are completely destroying me.”
“You?” I choked out, only able to get out one word. He was annihilating me. Setting me and everything around me on fire. Red. As if you could taste, touch, and hear the shade of scarlet. Not the darkness of blood, or the happiness of Christmas, but the color of fire. Deep, violent, consuming.
This time I cried out so loud I knew everyone on Mt. Crumpit could hear me. My fingers dug into the knobs on the dash panel as I detonated. The sleigh jerked with mo
vement as I shattered on top of the holiday symbol. No longer part of any realm or universe.
“This is all I ever want to eat now.” He growled, then lifted his head, tipping it to the side with a jolt. “Earthmoving…”
“Yes. It. Was.” My bare chest heaved up and down, I was dizzy and felt like the barn was shifting.
“No.” He stood. “I mean literally.”
My head twisted, following his gaze, seeing the floor line come even with us.
Curious.
“What the—?” I bolted up as my mind took in what was happening. The ground level was passing over our heads.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
“Did you push something?” He reached over me, stabbing at buttons, none of them stopping the descent of the sleigh. We had been in our own world, not noticing until it was too late to jump out.
“That was your fault.” A trapdoor in the floor slowly shut the moment we were clear. Darkness crept around us as we lowered deeper in the earth, feeling as if we went at least a full story.
“Is this just some kind of storage room for the sleigh?” The moment the question rose from my mouth, the sled hit the ground, and lights clicking on.
Curiouser.
Blinking, Scrooge and I scanned the small space. We saw nothing except cement walls and high-tech lights glowing in sleek panels over the wall. It felt more like a spaceship than a barn.
A chill skated over my skin, shaking my shoulders. I tugged my long hair over my chest to feel some kind of cover. My clothes were still above, strewn across the ground. The shorts and tank weren’t much, but I wished I had them. Naked felt doubly vulnerable when you were already feeling edgy. Where the hell were we?
His hand automatically rubbed at my arms trying to warm them up, poking at the buttons on the dash again, but nothing happened.
“Reindeer balls,” he murmured, peering around again. “What the hell is this place?” He stepped out of the sleigh, investigating the small space, my eyes trailing slightly ahead of him.
I shook my head, punching at all the objects on the dash hoping I could find the switch taking us back up.
Bang!
The sound of metal unlatching echoed like a gunshot, causing me to jump. “Holy tinsel fudge!” My eyes landed on a door in front of us, swinging open, presenting only darkness beyond.
“What did you hit?” Scrooge cautiously moved to the exit.
“I have no idea.” I stabbed at the same buttons, but nothing transpired.
He poked his head through the doorway. “This leads to a tunnel.”
My feet hit the cool cement floor, and I headed over to him, peering into the passageway. My curiosity taking hold, I started to creep down it.
“Wait.” He grabbed for me. I couldn’t help but notice his form still holding onto the excitement his body didn’t get to release, scuttling tingles over me like a blanket. “Do not look at me that way, Ms. Liddell.”
“Like what, Mr. Hatter?” I cleared my throat, pointing my face to look up at him innocently.
“Dammit.” He hissed and his lips slammed together. “That didn’t help. At. All.”
“Don’t worry, even with clothes you couldn’t hide that thing.” I bit my lip playfully.
“Alice.” He gritted his teeth.
I winked and moved away from the door, letting him step up.
“You gonna save me?” I folded my hands to my chest, fluttering my lids dramatically. “Ebenezer Scrooge, you are my only hope.”
He glared back at me, having no clue of my silly pun. “Hell no. I’m using you as my human shield.” He motioned down. “Got to protect the goods.”
“Right.” I snorted.
“I don’t need to protect you.” His eyes burned through me. “If anything, it’s the other way around. You have saved my ass more than not. But…” His fingers tugged through the strands around my face, his knuckles gliding down to my stomach. “I told you. If anything happened to you?” he said hoarsely. “I won’t be able to live with that. What Jessica is doing will seem tame to what I will do to the world.”
Oxygen puckered in my lungs, my response evaporating on my tongue.
He turned back around, moving into the passage, his muscles locking defensively.
The space beyond, where it led, made me once again feel I was about to fall down another rabbit hole.
Chapter 31
There was no question I could take care of myself, but it was also okay to know when someone’s weight and size would be a better defense if anything came for us. It didn’t make me less strong or independent, it made me smart. And if we were attacked, I would be right by his side, fighting with him.
I also couldn’t deny I liked using his warm body as a shield, covering my naked form. Funny how the lack of simple pieces of fabric was the difference between feeling like a newborn and a warrior.
Several steps down the path, lights on the walls similar to the other room flickered on, as if they were set to sense movement, lighting our way.
“There’s another door.” Scrooge motioned down, his voice low, our figures moving together toward it, my neck constantly twisting behind, making sure we were still alone.
He halted at the metal door, his fingers wrapping around the handle. We had no idea what was behind it, if anything. Could be an empty room, or a secret collection of toy soldiers, ready to kill us.
Scrooge inhaled, my heart pounding in my throat as he quietly pulled the knob, the barrier cracking open with a hiss of air. With a whoosh, light and loud metal music poured through the gaps, blasting into my ears.
Scrooge glanced back at me, his brows wrinkling with confusion before he turned back, silently sneaking into the room, my feet right behind him. I flinched at the bright warm light blazing down from the ceiling, guiding us to a landing before more stairs led down.
“Holy. Christmas. Balls.” My mouth dropped open, my gaze taking in what my brain had yet to fully register.
The room was huge and went down another story, giving it a large warehouse feel. One wall had a large gourmet kitchen, stocked with all the latest gadgets and appliances which would have Hare weeping at the sight of. A long dining table was placed in the same area. Another wall slightly behind us had three doors along it; two of them were open showing one was a huge bathroom and the other—oh my frickin’ garland—was a laundry room. We couldn’t see the space below us, but the one in front of us was filled with books, games, Xbox, and the largest TV I had ever seen in my life. The screen couldn’t be heard over the bashing music, but it was the game Assassin’s Creed. I knew that because my ex used to play it all the time.
Placed around the TV was a large sectional and a recliner. Dressed in only his robe, Nick sat in a recliner, clicking at his controller, snacks and drinks on the table next to him, oblivious to his guests.
“I’m gonna kill him,” I seethed, my hands flexing with anger.
“Not before I do.” Scrooge was already heading down the stairs, the music covering up the sound of his descent. It was fitting Nick, the asshole side of Santa, would listen to metal grunge music.
Following Scrooge, my gaze continued to roam. Underneath the stairs and on our right was a bar, pool table, and a few old-school arcade games. Everything you would need to stay entertained and happy for weeks if locked down here. This place was the counterpart of the humble, simple cabin somewhere above us.
“You asshole!” Scrooge rammed his hands into the recliner, tossing Nick forward, screaming over the shrill music. “This is where you’ve been hiding when you disappear?”
Nick curved, staring up at Scrooge, his nose wrinkling up. “Oh terrific. You found me.” He flopped back in the chair, returning to his game.
“Are. You. Kidding. Me?” Fury flashed in Scrooge’s eyes, his demeanor shifting, the crazed beast sliding under his skin.
“Whoa!” I jumped in front of Scrooge, my hands up. “Calm down.”
“Yeah, listen to the tart. The ve
ry naked tart.” Nick waved us off, going back to his game. “Get out or get a drink and relax.”
My attention zeroed in on the bottle next to him, half full of brown liquid. “Is-is that what I think it is?” I sucked in, pointing at the container.
Nick glanced quickly over at it, shrugging. “Yeah.” He returned to killing people on screen. “I have a whole wall of it.”
As if I was set in slow motion, my head swiveled to the wall behind the pool table. The bar was stocked full of different liquors, but several of the shelves were filled with the unlabeled mead bottles.
Red.
This time it was the color of blood.
His.
“You-fuckin’-black-souled-ball-licker!” I darted for him, foaming with rage.
“Whoa, whoa, Ms. Liddell.” This time Scrooge leaped for me, arm looping around my middle, hauling me back from attacking him.
“Let go!” I thrashed against him. “You have no idea what Hare and I went through. And here he was slipping away to this place. The grief he put us through.” I clawed for the man lounging in the chair. “You selfish, greedy, egotistical jackass!”
“Hey, little gremlin,” Scrooge muttered into my ear. “Breathe.”
I glowered at Nick, he regarded me like I was a wild animal.
“Is that a full functioning laundry room in there?” I pointed behind me.
“Shit.” Scrooge groaned as Nick swallowed nervously.
“And does the shower have hot water?”
Nick shifted in the seat, inching away from me, his throat bobbing. “Yeah.”
“Oh, fuck.” Scrooge sighed, pulling me firmer against him.
Blood vessels popped across my vision as a crazed scream devoured the raging music, my figure trying to wrestle out of Scrooge’s grip, my hands dying to wrap around Nick’s throat. Throttle him until he understood my rage.
This whole time, while Hare and I suffered upstairs trying to get through the day, scrubbing his clothes, making his dinner, listening to him endlessly bitch and whine, he had all the mead, food, and laundry facilities anyone could dream of down here. How kind it would have been to share this place.
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