Santa's Naughty Helper

by Ari McKay

  “I’m only shouting ho ho ho for you.”

  Erik laughed, his dark eyes gleaming with banked heat as he let his gaze wander up and down Kevin’s body. “Good, because you’re all mine now, and I don’t want to share my special present with any other man.”

  The possessive words made Kevin shiver with pleasure. He turned around to face Erik again, holding his gaze. “I’ve been yours for a very long time, and I don’t want anyone but you.”

  Kevin slipped his fingers into the waistband of the boxers, then stripped them off and stood naked before Erik, hoping Erik was pleased at how he looked.

  “Perfect.” Erik licked his lips, a flush of arousal staining his skin as he gazed at Kevin. Then he beckoned for Kevin to join him on the bed. “Get over here so I can look and touch.”

  Mischievously, Kevin rolled his hips again as he approached the bed. For him, seeing the desire in Erik’s eyes was almost as arousing as a touch.

  When he reached the side of the bed, he didn’t hesitate to climb in and move immediately into Erik’s arms. “Is it time to stuff my stocking?”

  Erik stroked Kevin’s back, lingering over the caress as if he wanted to familiarize himself with Kevin’s body. Then he flicked Kevin’s nipple lightly. “Would you like me to put those cuffs on you first?”

  The thought of the cuffs made Kevin’s breath catch. “I’d like that. A lot.”

  Erik’s smile turned wolfish as he rolled away and retrieved the cuffs. He secured them around Kevin’s wrists, checking to make sure they weren’t too tight, and rested Kevin’s arms on the pillow over his head.

  “Don’t move them,” he instructed, wagging his finger at Kevin sternly.

  He snagged the bottle of massage oil, flipping the top open as he straddled Kevin’s hips, and poured a generous amount into his palm. He coated both hands with the scented oil and began stroking Kevin’s chest, massaging his shoulders and upper arms and teasing his nipples as he spread the oil all over Kevin’s warm, flushed skin.

  Arching into the caress, Kevin didn’t hold back the moan of pleasure that escaped his lips. “Feels so good, Erik. I want your hands all over me!”

  “You want me to touch you everywhere? Aren’t you a naughty elf,” Erik teased even as he caressed Kevin’s sides and hips, scooting back to straddle Kevin’s thighs. “Even here?” He curled his oiled fingers around Kevin’s cock and stroked it slowly from base to tip, watching Kevin intently.

  “Yes!” Kevin’s eyes flew wide, and he bucked his hips as Erik’s warm, slick hand caressed him. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this aroused before. He panted raggedly, holding on to his control by his fingernails, not wanting things to end too soon. “God, Erik, that’s perfect!”

  Erik’s mischievous expression would surely earn him a lump of coal from Santa as he continued stroking Kevin, bringing him to the edge and back again and again. “Do you want to come, Kev? Do you need to? Tell me what you want, and I’ll give it to you.”

  “You! I need you!” Kevin groaned, tossing his head on the pillow as Erik continued the exquisite torment. He writhed, unable to move as he was held down by Erik’s weight. “I need you inside me. I need to feel you claiming me and making me yours!” He opened his eyes, looking up at Erik, unashamed to beg for what he needed. “Please! Oh, please, Erik!”

  Erik’s gaze held enough heat to scorch Kevin’s skin, and he too began to breathe harder. “I need that too,” he said, his voice ragged with need. “Right now.”

  He wasted no more time in wiping off his hands with a tissue and grabbing the condoms and lube. He opened the bottle of lube and squeezed some out, and then he began preparing Kevin slowly and carefully.

  “Tell me if it hurts or burns,” he said, watching Kevin intently. “I want this to be good.”

  It had been a while since Kevin had last had a lover, but his body was singing with need. “Feels good,” he assured Erik, wriggling with impatience. “I won’t break.”

  “Good.” Erik smiled at that, but he didn’t pick up the pace, which made Kevin groan in frustration. Sweat had slicked his skin by the time Erik finally added a third finger. “How’s that? Too much?”

  “No! I’m more than ready.” Every nerve in Kevin’s body was crying out for fulfillment, but he didn’t move his hands from their position above his head to pull Erik closer. “Please, Erik, please! I need you now!”

  This time, Erik nodded, and Kevin could see the tension in his body, signaling his own mounting need. He wiped off his hands again and reached for a condom, his fingers shaking as he opened the packet. As soon as he got the condom on, he coated himself with more lube and moved between Kevin’s legs, his breathing rapid and shallow.

  “Time to make Santa’s little helper scream ‘ho ho ho.’” Erik grinned at him, apparently unable to stop teasing even now. He swiftly positioned himself and eased forward, entering Kevin with a long, slow thrust.

  Kevin arched up to meet Erik, needing to feel Erik within his body more than he’d ever needed anything in his life. He watched Erik’s face as they were joined, feeling an overwhelming surge of tenderness and desire, and he was too far gone for inhibition to hold him in check.

  “I love you, Erik,” he moaned, moving his hips to take Erik even deeper.

  For a moment Erik stared down at him, looking stunned, and Kevin felt a little surge of panic at the thought of having said too much too soon. But then the shock faded, and Erik’s expression grew tender, his dark eyes warm with affection.

  “I love you too,” he said, cradling Kevin’s cheek in his palm. “I just didn’t realize it until now.”

  Kevin drew in a relieved breath and turned his head to nuzzle Erik’s hand, the joy of knowing that Erik returned his feelings making his throat tighten. But it didn’t lessen his desire, and he wriggled as he smiled. “Then you’ve given me the best present ever.”

  Erik bent his head and brushed a light, lingering kiss against Kevin’s lips. “It’s mutual,” he murmured.

  “I’m glad.” Kevin arched up, not holding back his need. “Now give us both what we want!”

  Laughing, Erik bussed his cheek and drew back, pulling almost all the way out before thrusting deep again. He set a demanding rhythm, staking his claim on Kevin’s body and heart with the rough pounding of his hips.

  Kevin grasped the headboard, giving himself over to the pleasure without holding anything back. He easily caught Erik’s rhythm, bracing his feet on the mattress and moving into each thrust, chanting “Yes! Yes!” as he rode the mounting waves of pleasure.

  Erik shifted his weight to one hand and curled his fingers around Kevin’s cock. He gazed down at Kevin raptly. “That’s it. Let go. I want to see you.”

  The touch of Erik’s hand wrenched a keening cry from Kevin’s throat, and he was unable to hold back. Arching upward, he cried out Erik’s name as he came, wave after wave of heated pleasure washing over him. Erik continued to stroke him throughout his release as if determined to prolong his pleasure as much as possible. Only when Kevin began to relax did he begin to move again, each hard thrust claiming Kevin’s pliant body as his until he buried himself deep one last time, shuddering with the force of his release.

  Panting, he eased out and rolled away to dispose of the condom. He unfastened the cuffs around Kevin’s wrists. He tossed them back on the nightstand and then reached for a couple of tissues. He handed one to Kevin before cleaning himself up.

  Kevin cleaned up and threw the tissue away before holding out his arms and smiling at Erik. “Would it shock you to find out that I like to cuddle?”

  Erik laughed and shook his head as he settled back down and gathered Kevin in his arms. “No, not at all. Fortunately, I’m not against a little cuddling myself.”

  “Good.” Kevin ran his hands over Erik’s warm, damp skin, savoring the feeling of Erik in his arms even more than the satiation of his own body. He turned his head, then pressed his lips to Erik’s, the kiss light and loving. “Merry Christmas, love.”

/>   Erik returned the kiss, his dark eyes glowing with warm affection. “Merry Christmas, elf. The first of many more to come.”

  “Many more Christmases or many more comings?” Kevin asked, joyous laughter bubbling up. “Not that I’m averse to either!”

  “Both.” Erik pinched Kevin’s ass for good measure.

  Kevin snuggled into Erik’s embrace and wriggled against the pinch. “I think I can handle that.” In fact, he was looking forward to finding new ways of surprising Erik for many Christmases to come.

  He just hoped Santa wouldn’t mind having one rather naughty little helper.

  Exclusive Excerpt

  Fortune’s Slings and Cupid’s Arrows

  Lawyers in Love

  By Ari McKay

  Successful attorneys Dane Coulter and Cal Monroe are rivals in the courtroom and friends behind the scenes. But can they be more?

  Cal’s always carried a torch for Dane, but Dane is so deep in the closet, he can’t even admit to himself that he might be gay. His father, a raging homophobe who rules the family with an iron fist, forces Dane into an engagement—to a woman. Dane goes along with it to keep the peace and protect his mother, but for Cal, it’s the last straw. He can’t let Dane make a mistake that could ruin the rest of his life, and he only knows one surefire way to make Dane admit what’s in his heart. But seducing his friend could backfire, driving a wedge between them. And even then, the choice must be Dane’s—to live the life his father wants, or to give up everything he has for a chance at happiness in Cal’s arms.

  Coming Soon to

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Chapter One

  CALUM MONROE whistled as he poured a glass of orange juice, then retrieved his bagel when it popped up from the toaster. He spread on a thick layer of low-fat cream cheese before carrying his plate and glass into the living room of his condo, where the television was tuned to CNN. The Sunday edition of the New York Times was waiting on the coffee table, and he lowered himself onto the leather sofa with a contented sigh to begin his typical Sunday morning ritual: a light breakfast and a quick catch-up of the news before he set out for a nice long run around Central Park. The other six days of the week were filled with all the rewards and challenges of being the senior partner at one of New York City’s most prestigious law firms, but Sunday was the day when he could relax and catch his breath before diving back into the high-stress world of corporate law.

  Thirty minutes later, however, his sense of contentment had vanished. He stared in disbelief at the article that dominated the society pages, gushing that Dane Coulter and Portia Blueblood-Hyphen-Snob were officially announcing their engagement with a formal celebratory ball to be held on Valentine’s Day. The large color photo of the couple showed a slender blonde woman standing close to blond-haired, brown-eyed Dane, who looked more like a cornered animal than a man thrilled about getting married.

  A string of curses escaped Cal, and he raked his fingers through his auburn hair in agitation, unable to believe Dane hadn’t warned him. He drew in a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. Dane didn’t owe him any explanations. They were friends, nothing more, and Dane had it hard enough with his Machiavellian asshole of a father trying to control every aspect of his life. In fact, this engagement had Randolph Coulter’s fingerprints all over it. The old bastard ruled his family with an iron fist. He’d been the one to decide where Dane went to college and what he majored in, and then, of course, there was no question that Dane would become the junior partner in Randolph’s law firm—whether Dane wanted to or not.

  And Randolph hated Cal. They’d gone at each other in court plenty of times, but it was Cal’s open homosexuality and his work on marriage equality that had really angered Randolph. He’d even referred to Cal as a “damned queer” in front of a reporter, an observation that had made it into the local news, and the negative backlash Randolph had suffered, including losing several big accounts, had only made him hate Cal more. Refusing to end their friendship was the only time Cal had seen Dane disregard his father’s wishes, for all the good it had done. In an uncharacteristic display of temper, Cal wadded up the paper and threw it at the window.

  He got to his feet and paced in agitation for several minutes before deciding to take a shower. A run wouldn’t improve his mood, but maybe talking to Dane would. If he could be certain this was what Dane really wanted, he would accept it. Maybe it had been love at first sight, and Dane hadn’t wanted to tell him. Right, and maybe a winged pig would go cruising past his high-rise window any moment now. Dane was as gay as Cal was himself, even if he was in denial about it. Now it was up to Cal to convince his friend to take a stand before Dane made a mistake that would ruin his life.

  And as much as he wanted to be unselfish about it, Cal had to admit it would ruin his life too.

  DANE STARED at the announcement, feeling so removed from his own engagement that it might as well have happened to someone else. The announcement was large and attention grabbing, just like his father wanted it to be.

  Randolph Coulter had been trying to repair his reputation ever since he’d insulted Cal Monroe during an interview. He was rich enough that not many doors would close to him outright, but several prestigious accounts had moved from Randolph’s firm to Cal’s as a result, and a few people had cooled toward him. Randolph couldn’t stand to lose anything, and Dane suspected his engagement and subsequent wedding would be co-opted to help Randolph lure those people back into his social circle.

  Portia’s smile seemed genuine in their engagement photo, but Dane thought he looked awful, probably because all that had been going through his mind when the picture was taken was a litany of “shit shit shit.” He didn’t look at all like a happy groom-to-be, but how could he when this engagement felt like another bar being added to his cell?

  He pushed the newspaper aside and looked down at the plate of cold eggs, bacon, and toast, and then he pushed that aside as well. His stomach was in knots—more so than usual. His doctor had warned him that he was on his way to developing an ulcer, but trying to reduce the amount of stress in his life was a futile act as long as Randolph was around.

  His cell phone rang, and relief flashed through him when a glance at the screen showed it was Portia calling, not Randolph. He picked it up and answered.

  “Good morning, Dane.” Portia’s voice was as smooth and calm as always, and Dane was grateful she didn’t sound like a giddy bride. “Have you seen the paper?”

  “I’m looking at it right now,” he said, picking up the society section again. “What do you think?”

  “It’s a little more… ostentatious than I expected,” she said, seeming to choose her words with care.

  “That’s my father for you. Go big or go home is his motto,” Dane said, and Portia chuckled.

  “I’ll have to speak with him at lunch today. Just because I agreed to let him help plan the wedding doesn’t mean I want it turned into a three-ring circus.”

  “Good luck with that,” Dane said dryly.

  “I’ve dealt with men more stubborn than your father,” Portia said. “But it would be nice to know you’ll have my back.” She paused, and when Dane didn’t reply, she pressed him. “You will, won’t you?”

  Dane released a slow breath, knowing that was a promise he might not be able to keep. “Father isn’t accustomed to not getting his way, especially where I’m concerned,” he said. “But I’ll do my best.”

  “That’s all I can ask,” Portia said, her voice infused with warmth. “I’ll see you later. You’re picking me up?”

  “Yes, I’ll be there.”

  After the call ended, Dane put his phone aside and stared at the photo again, lost in thought until a knock on the door interrupted his brooding. It was a short, impatient rapping, as though whoever was outside was agitated. Dane frowned as he stood up and headed for the door. He wasn’t expecting anyone, and he hoped it wasn’t Randolph stopping by to subject him to a litany of all the ways the article had failed to
live up to Randolph’s expectations. The knots in his stomach tightened as he opened the door and braced himself.

  Instead of his father, however, he found Cal Monroe on his doorstep, and he barely kept himself from sagging with relief. Cal was a tall, broad-shouldered man who wouldn’t look out of place tossing cabers at a Highland Games, complete with a kilt. But Cal had a keen mind to go with his burly frame, and he was a fair-minded employer who created an atmosphere of open-mindedness and respect at his firm. Unlike Coulter and Coulter, Caldwell and Monroe rarely saw employee turnover, and Dane wouldn’t have been surprised if there were far more applications for new positions at Cal’s firm as well.

  Dane had always admired Cal’s courage and strength in standing up for what he believed in as well. Cal was passionate and dedicated to making the world a better place, and he wasn’t afraid to show the world exactly who he was. Unlike Dane.

  Cal’s thick auburn hair was mussed, damp with melting snow because he’d apparently forgotten a hat, and his green eyes looked shadowed for once, rather than bright with good humor. Instead of his usual tailored suit, he was wearing faded jeans, black boots, and a black leather jacket that made his shoulders seem even broader. He regarded Dane in silence for a moment, his gaze intent on Dane’s face, as though he was searching for something. Then he gave a crooked smile. “Hey.”

  “What are you doing here?” Dane asked as he stepped aside to let Cal in. “Aren’t you supposed to be running circles around the park right about now?”

  The smile faded from Cal’s face as he moved past Dane into the living room. Dane had seen Cal in court before, and he recognized the set of his shoulders from when Cal was preparing himself to argue a difficult case. “I saw the paper. Somehow the thought of running pointlessly around in circles after that seemed particularly ironic.”