by Dahlia Rose
Nicholas handed her the pot. “Here, I hope they make you happy every time you look at them.”
“I thought you would have said you want me to think of you every time I look at them,” Neeva countered.
This time, the boyish smile left his face, and the look in Nicholas’s eyes changed. Something more was there. It thrilled her and scared her all at once.
“These are for your happiness. It would be selfish to say those words. When you think of me, it will be for something more than orchids.”
His words left her speechless. What did she say to a man who thought he was Santa Claus, who brought her flowers, and who made her breathless all in one single day.
“Okay, thanks I guess.” Neeva took the pot from him and looked around. “Um, I’ll have to take this to the house before I come back for my Jet Ski.”
“I can fix that.” Nicholas pulled the small wheels braced on the back of the Jet Ski downward. He lifted the front of the ski and began to pull it forward with ease. “Which way am I going?”
“I don’t know if I want you to know where I live, Kringle,” Neeva couldn’t help but have doubts. The man did claim he was Santa Claus after all.
He gave her that same look, the one that made her knees feel like jelly. “I am no threat to you, Neeva. I would never hurt you, not in a million years.”
She could only nod. “I guess I could offer you a meal for helping me and for giving me the flowers.”
“I was hoping you would offer. I am starving. Plus, I want to sample the local cuisine.” Nicolas began to move, and Neeva fell into step beside him.
“You’re immortal or something like that, remember. Do you need to eat, or can’t you just pull something from out of the air?” She sent him an owlish look.
“What would be the fun in that? Geez, I might be immortal, but I do love to eat,” he responded with ease.
“Of course you would have the answer to everything, wouldn’t you?” Neeva felt a smile curve at her lips. She would give Nicholas Kringle the benefit of the doubt for now. She didn’t believe in anything anymore. Magic could not exist, but even if it did, that did not matter because what she loved most was gone from this world.
* * * *
He was unsuccessful in trying to hide his joy at the invitation to her home for dinner. Now, as he sat at her kitchen table watching her cook and move with grace around the small room, he felt like one of the children he delivered presents to for Christmas morning. He was full of happiness at his unexpected windfall. The orchids were displayed in the middle of the kitchen table where the morning sunlight would find it with ease, but throughout the day, it would not get the effect of the full rays of the sun.
Standing there with her on the beach, he had just formed the first flowers that came to mind in his hand. She never suspected, and he would not tell her. Not yet anyway. There was something so sad about her. He wanted to hold her and chase away those demons, but he knew that it would only be the right time when she let him in. They talked about anything while she prepared dinner. Delicious smells were coming from the various pots on the stove. He watched her rub her toes along the back of her leg every once in a while as she stood cutting vegetables at the counter. He already longed to feel if her skin was a smooth as it looked.
“Daydreaming over there?”
When he looked at her, there was a twinkle in her eyes and a soft smile. “No, not really. I’m distracted by the tempting smells that are in this room,” Nicholas responded. “What are you making?”
“Here we have steamed red snapper with a tomato and onion sauté, breadfruit to go with the snapper, and steamed veggies.” Neeva pointed to each item with the flourish of a presenter.
“Well, now my stomach is officially rumbling. Do you need any help?”
Neeva brandished a spoon at him. “My kitchen is my territory, Mr. Kringle. No one enters my domain.”
“Um, I am technically in your domain as we speak.”
“But not to cook.” Neeva announced. “It’s done anyway, so let me make you a plate.”
She worked to dish out the steaming food, and she set a plate in front of him at the table. She sat across from him and watched as he took the first bite. Flavor exploded in his mouth. The fish was moist and almost melted in his mouth. Along with the breadfruit and the veggies, he had tasted nothing like it but enjoyed each bite.
“You are amazing, Neeva. This is amazing.”
She inclined her head. “Why, thank you, sir. A simple island fare from a simple island girl.”
“You are nothing of the sort,” He took another bite of food. “I think you are a goddess in disguise sent to tempt me.”
“What would I get for tempting you?”
“You would get my heart of course and my undying love.” He stared at her in hope that she could see his intentions in his eyes. “In fact, I think you might already have it.”
“Oh, you are a nut job.” Neeva giggled and went back to eating her dinner.
Nicholas grinned and let the comment slide. He had four days before he had to head back to the North Pole. That was plenty of time to win her heart and take her back with him.
By the end of dinner, they were laughing and talking like old friends. No mention of him being Santa Claus, just them learning about each other. She liked to fish, and he did too. She read voraciously, and he invited her to see his vast library of books. She declined, but he left the offer open. The conversation went back and forth until they stepped outside to sit on her patio. The sunset left them both speechless, and the orange, golds, and reds of the sun reflected off the water as it dipped behind the sea.
“It never ceases to take my breath away,” Neeva whispered as she sat on the wooden steps.
“I can see why. It’s breathtaking.”
His attention was not even on the picturesque scene before him but on the woman who sat on the wooden step so close that he could feel the warmth of her skin. The sunset’s colors danced on her skin and painted a pallet of beauty that could not be compared to, in his opinion. With her features, nothing could have taken his eyes away from her at that moment.
She turned when his silence went on for a few moments and caught him gazing at her face. Their eyes locked, and he was lost. Nicholas leaned in, deliberate, giving her time to move away before he took her lips in a kiss. He touched her lips with his, expecting her to pull away. When she didn’t, he pressed another butterfly kiss against her lips. Neeva sighed in consent, and that was all he needed. He pulled her close and took what he longed for. She opened her mouth beneath his, inviting his tongue to explore and to dance with hers. She tasted as exotic as the island around him.
She smelled of the sea and some unusual flower he could not name. Nothing compared to how her lips moved under his, how she pressed against him. She kissed him as fervently as he did her. She cupped the back of his neck, and her moan of pleasure rocked him. He wanted to pull her into his lap and feel the muscles of her legs as she wrapped them around him. He wanted to sink his cock so deep inside her that where he begun and she ended did not exist. He had never wanted anyone or anything as much as he wanted her at that moment. That was what made him break the kiss and pull away from her. He wanted her so much, but he knew it was too soon.
“I should go, Neeva,” Nicholas said, his voice husky and low. He saw desire in her eyes, her lips swollen from their kiss, and he felt his resolve buckling. He stood and looked back at her with yearning. “I really should go.”
“Okay.”
She sounded confused in her soft reply, and he felt her gaze on him as he walked down the short path to the stand of trees. At the last wooden step, he stopped. “Why is there sadness in your eyes, Neeva?”
“Do you want to be my Prince Charming now?” Neeva asked with a soft curve to her lips.
“If you want me to slay your dragons, you will have to tell me what they are.”
Her smile grew sad. “There are just some dragons that can’t be slain, Nicholas.” She got
up off the step and went toward the door.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, and that, my Neeva, is a promise.”
“I bet you will, Santa.”
He walked into the trees making sure she could not see him before he disappeared from sight. Nicholas was still watching as she cleaned up and made certain her home was secure for the night. She went into the bathroom and did her nighttime routine before going to bed with a book on her lap that she never opened. She turned off the light, and the small television in her bedroom cast a glow over her bed. She did not attempt to turn up the volume. Instead, she stared at the screen as if seeing right past it.
Standing at her window invisible from her sight, Nicholas saw his Neeva shake as a sob tore from her. He heard the anguish in the sound as it came from her over and over again. She was wracked with tears. So much despair came from her that he doubled over from the agony of hearing her cry. Something tore at her. She was broken so much that he wondered what caused her to have this heartache. Seeing the woman he intended to have as his wife cry was too much to bear. Nicholas felt tears fall as he cried with her without her knowing. He stood there until her tears subsided and she fell into a troubled sleep. He only knew he stood there all night watching over her until the sun’s first rays broke through the twilight and spilled across the sand.
Chapter Three
Being a god made getting a room at the finest hotel easy. Money was no option, and with a charming smile, he had people bending over backward to make sure he was happy. In the shower of his hotel suite, Nicholas let the hot spray of water cascade down him. He shuddered as he remembered how Neeva cried. He had wanted to rush in and grab her to him. He would have comforted her until every tear was dry, but he knew it would have been too much for her. Too soon for her to see his true self and for her to reveal her secrets to him.
He finally stepped from the shower and looped a thick towel around his waist. He walked over to the mirror and stared at his reflection. Three days until Christmas. Was there enough time to show Neeva his love and win her in return? Doubt began to surface, and Nicholas needed answers from the only one he knew would understand. He took his finger and, with whispered words of magic, drew an intricate pattern on the glass. With each word, the lines he drew glowed and shimmering then disappeared, and were replaced by mist. Out of this mist, his mother’s smiling face came into view.
“Nicholas, my son, where are you that you are using the Old Language to call me?” Joko asked, affection lacing her words.
“I am in Trinidad. I needed a slight break from the rush.”
Joko frowned. “It is so close to the celebration. Your worldwide trip will take all night. Do you think it wise to be gone?”
“Mother, I found her, the one you spoke of who would wrap herself around my heart and never let go.”
“Oh, that is joyous news!” Joko clasped her hands to her chest. “But why this troubled look, Does she not return your feelings?”
“There is something there but something has torn at her soul, and she has a sadness that surrounds her,” Nicholas replied. “How do I handle this? I feel her already in my heart, and if I do not tread with caution, all could be lost and in three days.”
“You must handle her with tenderness. All will be revealed when she is ready. You cannot rush anything as delicate as this. Do what you must. I will help Horace with the preparations to give you as much time as I can.”
“I cannot expect the goddess wife of Odin . . .”
“Before I became your father’s wife, I was your mother first,” Joko said. “I can do this for my son. Besides, I have not been a part of the workshop in ages. It will do me good to be there again.”
“Thank you,.” Nicholas kissed his fingers and pressed them against the glass.
“You’re welcome, my Christkindl.” His mother smiled as she faded into the mist. “Now go and capture this woman’s heart.”
The last thing he heard was her squeal of delight, “Grandchildren!” before the mirror lost the magic. Nicholas grinned as he dressed in haste to head out to the beach. With renewed hope, he walked out his room and onto the warm sand. He was going to win Neeva’s heart and slay her dragon. That was what a prince did for his maiden.
* * * *
Neeva woke in the morning as she usually did. She went about her usual routine, but this time, she found a soft smirk on her lips. Her dreams were troubled as they were every night until she slipped into darkness. Instead, this night the troublesome dreams did not come. In its place was Nicholas’s face that took up that space. The light in his eyes when he left for the night and the kiss they shared were center in her thoughts. He is crazy as a loon, but damn, he is a good kisser.
She walked out onto her veranda with a cup of tea and watched the day begin on the island. The hotel workers were opening the beach umbrellas and cleaning off the lounge chairs for the day’s tourists. The day cruises and other boats were still on the dock, but already the smells of Caribbean gourmet breakfasts and coffee filled the air. Usually by now she would already have her rental shop open, but today she stood on her deck enjoying the new day. It had been a long time since she stood and just appreciated her island home. It was hard to believe that years ago, she had been ready to leave it all. Before her mind went to other thoughts that would blacken her mood, Neeva turned to put her cup in the kitchen and begin her day.
“Do you have an extra cup of that?” he called out to her, and her lips formed in a smile.
“Don’t you stay in a hotel that has that gourmet coffee and tea?” Neeva asked as he bounded up her steps.
“Gourmet is overrated.”
Nicholas grinned at her, and Neeva felt the butterflies in her tummy start. “Fine, you can go get a cup in my kitchen. I have to open the shop.”
“I’ll help,” Nicholas offered.
Before she could refuse his offer, he was through her kitchen door and out of earshot. Neeva shook her head in amusement at how Nicholas had already become a sight she was accustomed to. By the time he boarded a plane to go back to wherever he was from, she knew she would miss him. She walked out to the rental shop, a wooden addition to the side of her house. It was built with love. The roof was tin, but palm fronds were plaited to it. That, along with the tiki torches and hibiscus plants at the front entrance, gave Monroe Beach Rentals a beach hut kind of feel.
A breeze picked up the scent of poinsettias and snow on the mountain bushes growing alongside her home. The vibrant reds and whites set the tone for many houses around the island. These plants only bloomed for the Christmas season, and their smell could get anyone in the holiday spirit. There would be no Christmas lights around her house or even any decorations. She would make sure that the season came and went without any fanfare.
Nicholas’s soft voice came from behind her. “Hey, come back.”
His arms went around her, and he pulled her against him. She could feel his warmth against her back. Neeva couldn’t resist the urge to snuggle close to him for just a moment and immerse herself in the comfort and security he gave off. It had been so long since she had been held. Being in Nicholas’s embrace felt so right, just like his kiss the night before. Neeva pulled away suddenly. She could feel her walls shake. He could possibly be the one to crumble them, and she didn’t know how to deal with that feeling.
“So you want to help, hmm?” Neeva forced a smile. She felt him searching her eyes but ignored his stare. “Are you sure you don’t want to be out jet setting like a rich tourist should be doing?”
“How can you assume I am a rich tourist?” Nicholas raised one eyebrow.
“A trip to this island around this season is not cheap by anyone’s standard, but you are right. I am assuming. You must have saved all year for this, so why spend it in my stuffy rental shop?”
“The shop gets some extra muscle, but I get to spend the day with you. I see it as a win-win situation.”
“Maybe you won’t be saying that after helping customers out on the beach all day.”
Neeva unlocked the door to the shop.
“I have one boon to ask of you, though.”
Nicholas passed by her and pushed open the big wide windows that faced the water. His muscles rippled as he opened the heavy shutters, and Neeva couldn’t help but stare in appreciation. The counter stood next to the window, and her chair was right there. Customers would be walking up to those windows soon to rent a Jet Ski or a banana tube to ride the waves. When it was slow, she could look out into the crystal blue water and enjoy the scene before her.
“So what’s this boon, Nicholas?” Neeva asked when he turned back to her direction.
“Go with me tonight to the Christmas festival in town.”
Neeva felt panic rise in her throat. “I-I don’t know. I haven’t been there in a long time.”
