The Klaus Brothers Boxed Set

by penny watson

  “Well, if you didn’t wear such pansy-ass pants, big brother, maybe you could sit without wiping first.”

  “These pants are Armani. If you ever bothered to dress like an adult instead of a punk snowboarder…”

  “All right, gentleman, that’s enough. Have a beer and lighten up, Greg. What’s going on?”

  Gregor sat down on the stool and raised his eyebrows. “Well, I just happened to hear a bit of gossip in town. It’s so ridiculous I can’t believe it’s for real, but who knows? Nick’s been gone a while, and nobody really knows what he’s been up to. All I heard was he was checking out some cookies in New York.”

  Sven leaned forward. “You heard gossip about Nicholas? Is he back in Glasdorf?”

  Gregor nodded. “Yeah. I heard he’s not alone. He brought a cute little redhead with him. Must be a memento of his trip?”

  Oskar barked out a laugh. “I’m not buying it. Nicholas would never break the rules around here. He doesn’t have it in him. And furthermore, I don’t remember the last time he showed any interest in a woman…unless maybe she was wearing a baker’s hat and carrying a platter of cookies.”

  Sven poured some beer into an empty glass and pushed it in front of his brother. “That is a little far-fetched, Gregor. Nicholas can’t bring a Suddie here unless he has the permission of the council.”

  Gregor pounded back his beer and smiled. “Yeah, well, that’s not all I heard. I also heard the redhead was hurt, and Nick made Hector fix her up. She had ‘life-threatening injuries.’”

  “He made Hector use his magic to save her? I don’t believe it.” Oskar ran a hand through his green spiky hair. “Has Dad heard about this yet?”

  Gregor shook his head. “I don’t think so. The ’rents will be shocked that ‘the good son’ has finally managed to screw up.”

  “The girl must be really special to him if he was willing to risk the ire of the council. I hope he’s okay,” Sven said.

  Oskar turned to Gregor. “Has the council already determined the Tag der Rache?”

  “No meeting scheduled yet. They probably just found out about it. Puts Hector in a bad situation since he’s head of the council.”

  Sven shot his youngest brother a worried look. “We should do something to help him. Nicholas stood up for us a million times when we were in trouble.”

  Gregor nodded. “True. He was always getting us out of scrapes with the council. Coulda been a lawyer, that guy.”

  “Maybe we could write a letter of support to submit to the council before the meeting. Remind them of all of the good stuff Nicholas has done in Glasdorf.”

  “Great idea, O. Truth is, they’ve always been harder on him than the rest of us. He has that frickin’ big-ass legacy to deal with. Never complains about it, either.”

  Gregor took a swig of beer. “I think the letter idea is spot on. Any bit of help with the council will be appreciated by Nicholas. I sure hope they let him off the hook. He’s supposed to be cookin’ up my New Year’s soiree in Manhattan. I have a nice selection of hot young supermodels ready to celebrate with me, and I promised them a spread they wouldn’t forget.”

  Oskar narrowed his eyes at Gregor. “I wasn’t invited to any par-tay, big bro. Invitation got lost in the mail? And anyway, I thought supermodels didn’t eat.”

  Sven nodded. “Maybe they can look at the food.”

  Oskar cracked a smile. “Smell the food.”

  Sven smirked. “Puke up the food?”

  Gregor rolled his eyes at his brothers. “Personally, I don’t care what they do with the food. You two are welcome to come, but a warning. It’s a sophisticated crowd. No toy-building hippies or green-haired punks. If you can clean yourselves up a bit, I’m sure you’ll fit right in.” Gregor took a last gulp of his beer and stood up from the table, laughing as he left the bar.

  “I hope one of the supermodels pukes all over his pansy-ass suit.”

  “Well said, O.” Sven raised an eyebrow. “Ass.”

  “Hole.” Oskar strained his neck to peer over the bar. “Pool table’s open. Wanna play?”

  “Yeah, might as well. Don’t think I wanna go home until this mess with Nicholas is cleared up. Do you think it’s for real?”

  Oskar finished his beer. “Hell, I don’t know. But for Nicholas’s sake, I sure hope he knows what he’s doing.”

  Lucy awoke to the scent of apple cider. She wriggled her nose. With cloves and cinnamon and orange peel. Her stomach rumbled and she smiled, stretching like a cat. My God, I feel terrific! Sleeping with Nicholas is definitely good for me. She rubbed her blurry eyes and frowned. This wasn’t the lumpy couch in her office. In fact, she wasn’t home at all. She shook her head and glanced around the beautiful bedroom that surrounded her. Am I dreaming?

  Piles of silken sheets and downy comforters twisted around her in the middle of a massive sleigh bed. An enormous stone fireplace covered most of the opposite wall, and everywhere she looked was handcrafted wooden furniture. Lucy slid off of the bed and began to wander around the room.

  It was meticulously clean and organized, not one knick-knack to be found. On top of a dresser she found a silver picture frame and pulled it down. The formal portrait of five towering men and two older adults was the only personal effect in the room. Right away she recognized Nicholas. This is his family! I must be in Nicholas’s house. For the life of her, Lucy could not remember how she got here.

  “Nicholas! Are you here?” Silence echoed in the huge room. Lucy wore an elegant silk nightgown, and a matching robe was lying across the bottom of the bed. Did Nicholas get these for me? Her head started to pound. She pulled on the satiny robe and tightened the sash around her waist.

  Lucy wandered through a masculine living room, furnished with dark leather couches and cherry wood cabinets. The delicious aroma of white pine filled the room. Evergreen swags covered the fireplace mantel and decorated the chandeliers. A towering spruce stood in the corner. It was the most spectacular tree she had ever seen—completely covered with tiny white lights and sparkling glass ornaments. Something jogged her memory. Those glass ornaments remind me of something. A glass…castle?

  Continuing through the great room, she found the kitchen. Nicholas’s kitchen. It was incredible. Top of the line stainless steel appliances nestled within custom walnut cabinets, black granite topped every surface, and a myriad of pots and pans hung from a rack in the center of the room. She tiptoed to the stove and found a simmering pot of cider. She inhaled the delicious fragrance and started searching the cabinets for a mug. When Lucy opened the cabinet above her, she giggled out loud. Rows of black ceramic mugs were lined up in perfect order on the shelves. Nicholas gives anal retentive a new meaning.

  Lucy ladled cider into a mug and walked back to the great room. Sunshine filtered through the tall windows and glistened off the glass ornaments on the tree. Built-in benches stretched across the front of the room, just under the windows. She sat down on the soft cushions and wrapped a plaid blanket around her shoulders. How beautiful! I can see the whole village from here.

  Lucy vaguely remembered Nicholas talking about his village. It reminded her of photos she’d seen of European towns. Dozens of shops and stone buildings lined the narrow streets. Multicolored awnings crowned the doorways, and window boxes filled with boxwood and pinecones greeted shoppers. Black iron lampposts with old-fashioned gas lamps stood at each street corner. And Lucy could swear she could hear music. Christmas music.

  I wonder why so many children are outside. Shouldn’t they be in school? In fact, the bustling town was filled with children, no adults at all. Lucy stood and pressed her face to the window. All of the children were dressed in unusual clothes. Many of the boys sported vests and knickers with black buckled shoes. The girls wore colorful hand-knit hats with tassels and mufflers wrapped around their necks. Their stockings were striped and checkered, and their woolen coats had old-fashioned wooden buttons. As Lucy studied the children more closely, she realized one other thing. Their ears…t
heir ears…they’re pointy! There is no way…this is impossible. I must be hallucinating.

  And their faces weren’t youthful at all. Many were wrinkled, with shocking white hair woven into braids. In fact, now that she looked a little more closely, she realized that the “children” were actually adults. Some of them had babies bundled in their arms, and some were walking with tots so tiny, they were barely two feet tall. Lucy blinked and fell back on the cushions. What is happening to me? This is craziness.

  “Hull-o! Nicholas…are you home?” Lucy’s head snapped up in recognition. I’ve heard that voice before…somewhere. She slowly turned her head as a man walked into the great room. A very small man. A very, very small man. In fact, he was so small, some might call him…an elf!

  “Well now, Miss Lucy. It’s good to see you up and about. Nicholas is anxious to show you around Glasdorf today. How are you feeling this morning? Having a bit o’ cider?” The little man’s ears twitched as he took off his cap and looked expectantly at Lucy.

  “Glasdorf?” she whispered.

  “Of course, you’re in the North Pole, my dear.”

  Nicholas hurried along the cobblestone path to his cottage. His arms overflowed with packages for Lucy. Oda, Markus’s wife, insisted on getting her clothes, make-up, shampoo, fresh flowers and various other items that women liked. Nick’s bachelor pad was stark and “lacking in a much-needed feminine touch” according to Oda. She had also helped to bathe and dress Lucy yesterday after they returned from Hector’s. Nicholas wanted every drop of blood washed from her body, every reminder of her near-death experience erased. He had never felt so shaken, so unsure. His world tipped upside down, then righted itself as Lucy slept for almost twenty straight hours in his arms, breathing, alive, perfect.

  Sleeping with her was a form of torture. It was damned near impossible not to give in to his lustful urges. Having her silky skin, delicious scent and subtle curves pressed up against him all night had pushed him to the breaking point. He could not stop himself from touching her, stroking her hair, her slender arms, dragging his knuckles across her lips as she slumbered. She looked so incredibly beautiful and peaceful, and he loved that she kept reaching for him in her sleep, sighing with contentment as she buried her face in his chest.

  He awoke this morning with his hands curved around Lucy’s firm breasts, and a massive erection pressed up against her nicely rounded bottom. But there was no way he would interrupt her sleep, not until he was completely sure that Hector’s healing medicine was successful. When Lucy was awake and completely recovered, Nicholas planned to seduce her properly in his big bed.

  After he explained about Glasdorf…and the elves…and that Santa was real. A headache started to hammer away at the spot right over his eyes. He had no idea how Lucy would take the news. In addition to somehow explaining to a Sudlander that the legend of Santa Claus was real, Nicholas would soon be faced with his day of reckoning, the Tag der Rache. The council would demand an explanation for his actions.

  He also wasn’t looking forward to dealing with his parents’ disappointment. As heir to his father, Nicholas’s behavior was expected to be exemplary in every way. He wasn’t sure how they would react to the news that the ‘good son’ had broken fundamental rules of Glasdorf. But in his heart, he had no reservations about using elfin magic to save Lucy’s life. And he would do it all again. Lucy’s spirit was too bright, too dear to him to lose. Hector’s brilliance as a healer was legendary, and he’d proved it last night.

  Nicholas set the packages on the ground in front of the door. No more stalling. You need to explain things to Lucy, and pray that she’ll be understanding…and hopefully not prone to hysterics. He opened the door to the cottage and shuttled the bags inside the foyer. He heard laughter, Lucy’s laughter, and his heart sped up at the sound. She’s awake!

  When he walked into the great room, he could hardly believe his eyes. Lucy and Markus were seated at the window seat, with a Scrabble board game on the cushions between them. Light poured through the tall windows, highlighting Lucy’s copper curls, glowing from her pearly skin. She’s alive, she’s here with me, and…uh oh, she looks sort of pissed off.

  “You cannot spell deception, my dear. You used the last i for liar, remember?” Markus studied the Scrabble board with intense concentration.

  “Hm. How about underhanded or hurtful? I still have some u’s and a’s left.” Lucy glanced up and her eyes narrowed as she spied Nicholas.

  “Good morning. You’re finally home.” Lucy collected the game pieces and sorted them into the box. “Markus and I have been getting to know each other. He’s very charming.”

  Markus blushed.

  Nicholas held his hand out to Lucy and pulled her off the bench. He began to wrap his arms around her, but she pushed him away.

  Markus cleared his throat. “I think I’ll head to work. We have a lot of orders to fill before Christmas Day. Nice to meet you, Miss Lucy. You call me if you need anything at all. And Oda is dying for you to come by and have a spot of tea.”

  Lucy turned to Markus and beamed. “Yes, thank you, Markus. Please tell Oda I would love to stop by later today.” Then she looked at Nicholas and scowled. “After Mr. Klaus and I have talked.”

  “Markus, thank you for entertaining Lucy. Could you please contact the council and schedule a time for me to meet with them? I want to get this over with as soon as possible.”

  “Yes, sir, of course.”

  Nicholas smiled at Lucy. “Mr. Klaus? I thought we had moved onto a first-name basis.”

  “It’s funny. We spent a lot of time together in Eston. Baking, enjoying a delicious meal and, well, you know…” she whispered the end of the sentence as she glanced at Markus heading out the door.

  “Making love, Lucy? Is that what you’re referring to? Yes, I remember every second you were naked in my arms, love…”

  “Oh, no you don’t! Don’t distract me, Nicholas Klaus! We talked about our families and our lives, but I think you neglected to mention a rather important fact, didn’t you?”

  Nicholas sat on the back of a leather sofa. “And what might that be, Lucy Anne?”

  “You know exactly what I mean! Let’s see, you live in the North Pole, I mean Glasdorf. You ride around in a sleigh. Your assistant is an elf! And, oh yeah, your dad is the Weihn…the Weihn…”

  “The Weihnachtsmann, Santa Claus.”

  “Yeah! Santa Claus. Hmmm, did I leave anything out?” Lucy cocked her head and raised an eyebrow accusingly at Nicholas.

  “And what, pray tell, do you think would have happened if I had enlightened you of these facts when we were in Eston? You would have dialed 9-1-1 and had me carted off to a psychiatric facility.”

  “That’s not true. You didn’t even give me a chance, did you?”

  “Lucy, did Markus tell you what happened yesterday?” Nicholas asked softly. He reached for Lucy’s hand and squeezed it, bringing her fist up to his mouth as he started to nibble on her knuckles. He needed to touch her, to taste her. “You understand that no one is supposed to know that Glasdorf exists. My brothers and I are very careful not to reveal its existence to anyone in the Sudenwelt.”

  “I can understand that, but I thought you trusted me more than the average person.”

  “I do. Eventually I would have gotten around to telling you, but we were just getting to know each other. I wasn’t going to screw up my chances with the most incredible woman I’ve ever met by telling her Santa is alive and well and living in the North Pole. And he’s my dad!”

  Lucy’s pale blue eyes blinked up at Nicholas. “You think I’m the most incredible woman you’ve ever met?”

  “Absolutely. Not to mention impressed that you’re so calmly accepting where you are and what’s going on around here.”

  Lucy wrapped her arms around Nicholas and tilted her head back to gaze up at him. “It’s hard not to accept when it’s right in front of my eyes. I just played Scrabble with an elf, for goodness sake. By the way, I really lik
e Markus. He’s a very nice elf.”

  “Yes, he is. He is as loyal as they come. Did he tell you what happened yesterday?”

  Lucy nodded. “Joe McCracken hit me with his truck. Markus said I would have died if you hadn’t brought me here to be healed.” Her brow furrowed in worry. “He also told me you broke some really important rules and that now you’re going to be in big trouble with the council. What is that exactly? And why do you call the rest of the world the Sudenwelt? And—”

  Nicholas laughed and pulled Lucy onto the sofa, lifting her easily onto his lap. “I guess Markus didn’t explain everything. The Elfin Council of Seven governs Glasdorf. They are seven crusty old elves, including Hector, the healer who saved your life.”

  “How did he save my life? Markus said I was dying.”

  “Hector is our master healer; he uses a combination of modern medicine, herbal folk remedies, and magic. I watched with my own two eyes when he saved you, but I can’t explain how he did it. A lot of things in Glasdorf are altered by elfin magic. They control the weather inside the castle; it’s cold, but not 40 degrees below Fahrenheit like the rest of the polar cap. And the sleigh that we use to travel around the Sudenwelt is controlled by elf magic, too. It’s sort of like flying in an airplane, but once it’s airborne, it’s invisible to all Sudlanders.”

  “Why do you call this place Glasdorf, instead of the North Pole?” Lucy stroked Nicholas’s beard and rested her head on his shoulder. He welcomed the distraction.

  “Glasdorf is village of glass; from the atmosphere, the ice castle looks like glass, hence the name. The elves’ magic keeps it invisible to anyone but the inhabitants of our village. The Sudenwelt literally means the southern world in German. And Sudlanders, or Suddies as we sometimes call them, are southerners.”

  “I remember the ice castle, Nicholas. When you brought me here. I think I was fading in and out of consciousness at the time, but I remember this incredible castle. It was so beautiful.” Lucy looked at Nicholas with tears in her eyes. “I thought I was dreaming, that I was dying. That I would never see you again.”