by Lily Rede
“I take it that’s a ‘yes?’”
“Oh princess, that’s a ‘hell, yes.’”
And forty minutes later, they snuck out of his office and out the door.
THE END
NOELLE
SANTA HAD A REAL way of making Noelle Kringle feel like a teenager who had stayed out past curfew. It didn’t matter that she was over her adolescence or that Santa apparently trusted her enough to let her run Kringle Ranch – the minute they started arguing they both forgot that he was supposed to be the jolly old elf who brought joy to millions. He was just another overprotective father ready to lock up his free-spirited daughter for a few hundred years for having a little fun.
“You’ve got to stop pushing his buttons, Noelle,” her mother insisted again and again, and though Noelle knew she was right, it gave her a secret thrill to be naughty. It always had. While Ivy was taking over the corporate world and Holly was bending over backwards to try and be “normal” and Merry was hiding away from the humans, Noelle was doing her best to live life to the fullest. She liked to drink, she liked to dance, and she liked to have fun.
Maybe skinny dipping in the town’s central fountain was taking it a bit far, she thought, but she’d apologized, and the security guard who’d spotted her had been blushing so hard, Noelle didn’t think he’d been even a bit angry. She knew the real reason her father was so grumpy with her most of the time – Noelle had a thing for guys on the Naughty List. Take-charge bad boys who liked things a little kinky, and were happy with only a night or two before she sent them on their way. Unlike her sisters, Noelle didn’t have any hang-ups about sex. Sex was fun, a great physical release, a way to indulge her need for a quick thrill, and there was nothing more thrilling than the hot press of a well-muscled body against hers, driving her toward a mind-blowing climax.
Over the last few years, however, Noelle was finding it harder to get what she wanted from these meaningless encounters. Bad boys, while fun, often lived up to their name, and she recently found herself having to put more than one in their place. The kinky thrill of bagging a naughty one was waning, and Noelle was surprised to find herself wistfully watching couples in the street holding hands whenever she headed into town for supplies. And so she tried harder, took more outrageous risks, dallied with men who definitely didn’t deserve her, and pretended that she wasn’t getting a little bored with all this so-called “fun.”
Maybe it was time to try normal. Boring. Ugh.
Noelle gave the chain on the paddock gate a final, irritated twist and secured the padlock. The last of the reindeer had “popped” away about an hour ago – there one minute, gone the next in swirl of sparkles – all the mates, children, and extended family of Santa’s team headed up to the North Pole to join the family, the elves, and the other reindeer for the celebratory Christmas feast tomorrow night.
Except Noelle. She’d been grounded, her popping privileges rescinded for a whole month.
Probably should have gone skinny dipping alone.
So coaxing that biker into a little play time hadn’t been the best idea she’d ever had. But still, it was the first time she’d let loose in months – a few drinks and a little harmless petting. It wasn’t like they’d even had sex. Noelle’s unique magical resistance to the cold made the dip in the fountain a tipsy party for her, but had had a shrinking effect on her biker’s sensitive bits. If they both hadn’t been giggling so hard when they got caught, Noelle would have felt sorry for the poor guy, and for her own neglected pussy.
Noelle hadn’t realized how isolated Kringle Ranch was when Santa had offered her the job – miles from the nearest little town. She had a couple of trusted family friends who came in to give her a hand, but it was a solitary life. And now that Santa had squashed her popping ability, she couldn’t even get out of town by the usual means. Despite her outrageous reputation, it had actually been nearly a year since her last real date, and she was less and less interested in the truckers, bikers, and the occasional drifter who passed through the small northern community.
For the first time in her adult life, Noelle wanted more.
She sighed. Right now she had bigger problems.
Like how the fuck I’m supposed to get to the North Pole without magic.
Dinner on Christmas night was mandatory, and Noelle was sure that no matter how irked Santa was with her, he would never leave her high and dry to spend Christmas alone. She sat down in the homey kitchen to sip a cup of cocoa and read a book in the late afternoon gloom, not surprised when a magical breath of air swirled through the room, and with a POP! a cute little elf appeared cross-legged on the kitchen counter.
“Hi, Glitzy. Come to spring me from Christmas jail?”
The blonde curls bounced disapprovingly.
“Miss Noelle has been very naughty. Santa is grumpy, muttering all sorts of naughty words. Mrs. Claus has been spending weeks trying to calm him down.”
The elf looked distressed, so Noelle handed her a bag of mini-marshmallows. Everyone knew that the best way to calm a stressed out elf was with sugar. Glitzy inhaled a few handfuls and visibly relaxed.
“Mrs. Claus says you must come to dinner.”
“Great, let’s go.” Noelle stood, but Glitzy was shaking her head.
“You are still punished. Mrs. Claus says to take the North Portal door, and don’t be late!”
“And how am I supposed to get up there?”
Glitzy held out a set of car keys.
“Mother of – Glitzy, that’s a sixteen-hour drive!”
“And there’s a storm coming!” The elf was surprisingly chipper, and Noelle narrowed her eyes.
“Dad’s had weeks to get over being ticked at me, and he’d never risk one of us missing Christmas dinner. Mom’s up to something. Spill.”
But the elf nervously shook her bright curls.
“Mrs. Claus says the drive will be good for you. And anyone you pick up along the way.”
With that telling remark, Glitzy popped out, taking the bag of marshmallows with her.
Frowning, Noelle sipped her chocolate. The North Portal was a doorway to North Pole village, used by human friends of the family and visiting dignitaries. It was hard to find unless you already knew where it was, but that’s not what had Noelle worried. Her mother had started complaining that the patter of elf feet wasn’t doing it for her anymore – she wanted grandchildren, and Noelle suspected that sweet Mrs. Claus was sneakier than the world gave her credit for. The man her mother had picked out for her was probably clean cut, unspontaneous, and normal.
Noelle grinned. Just because she had no intention of going along with her mother’s matchmaking plans didn’t mean that she couldn’t have a little fun along the way.
KRINGLE RANCH WAS IMPRESSIVE. Sprawling fields lightly dusted with snow, a large stable, and a two-hundred-year-old house in beautiful condition. Will Finley felt an odd pang of longing as he tromped up the long driveway – a man could spend a life here, find peace here. And peace was something that Will desperately wanted. He had finally hit rock bottom about a month ago, when the legal nonsense was finished and Vanessa had triumphantly headed for the South Pacific with Gene Harrison, taking Will’s fortune, his business, and his marriage with her.
It had been a shitty year. After three years of trying to make things work, Will had finally realized that growing old with Vanessa wasn’t going to happen. He knew that some of it had been his fault – he worked too much, getting the construction business off the ground, he was too demanding in bed and in life, and he lacked the persona of refinement and class that Gene donned so effortlessly. But he had been so enamored of the delicate little brunette, who seemed to need him despite all their differences. So he’d tried to change. Again and again, for three long years.
And then the shit hit the fan.
Will remembered the day with perfect clarity – Vanessa wearing the lingerie he’d bought her for their anniversary, on their bed in the condo she’d meticulously decorated with h
is money, letting his enthusiastic business partner fuck her. It was a minor consolation that she didn’t seem any more thrilled with his efforts than she ever had with Will’s. Vanessa knew how to fake it, but it had taken Will a while to realize that his petite wife just wasn’t interested in sex as anything other than a tool to get what she wanted. And what she wanted was the veneer Gene could provide. And Will’s construction company. Eleven months of lawyers, manipulation, and a whirlwind of accusations later, Will found himself out on the street, his business and his ex-wife firmly in Gene’s grimy little hands.
He’d fought hard, but now it was just a relief to let it all go, and what he wanted was mountains, clear, cold air, and some job where he could turn off his brain, get his hands dirty, and not think about the holiday, women, or his completely fucked-up life.
“Son of a fucking – shit!”
The voice was feminine, lovely as a bell on the wind, and pissed. Curious, Will rounded the last fence and saw what had to be the crappiest hunk of junk in the state. A charitable person might call it a truck, but it looked to be held together with chewing gum and safety pins. A female form was bent under the raised hood, and all Will could see was a pair of mile-long legs encased in denim, and the curves of an ass that would have had him drooling if he were looking.
You’re not looking, he reminded himself, but swallowed hard anyway. No more women. Not for a while. Maybe never. The last thing he wanted was another female sinking her claws into him, using him and discarding him when she had gotten what she wanted. He was through.
Will cleared his throat.
“Hello?”
A clatter of tools, a muttered curse, and the woman popped out from under the hood to regard him with bright blue eyes fringed by insanely long, dark lashes.
Freckles, was Will’s second thought, struck by the cute sprinkle of dots on an even cuter nose, and the cascade of flame red hair that swirled around her with a life of its own. His first thought had been tits, because the woman was stacked, voluptuous and stunning, with an hourglass shape that a lingerie model would envy. But Will wasn’t thinking about women anymore, so he focused on the freckles and tried to ignore the hard twitch of his cock as it took instant notice of all those curves.
“This is private property, mister,” said the vision, wiping greasy hands on an old rag.
“I’m looking for Noelle Kringle? About the job?”
“What job?” Her incredible eyes narrowed suspiciously, and Will unfolded the letter he’d received from Mrs. Kringle, explaining that her daughter Noelle would be grateful for an extra set of hands around the ranch, and urging him to join her there as soon as possible. The notice had been stapled to a telephone pole at a bus station. Tired of drifting from place to place, Will had started looking for somewhere to settle down and start over, and spotted the strange job notice, printed on glittery green paper. He could have sworn it hadn’t been there when he’d passed the same spot not fifteen minutes before on his way to get a cup of coffee. He’d written in, and was surprised to hear back almost immediately. Though the postmark was smudged, he could have sworn it read, “North Pole.”
Noelle snatched the letter and scanned it quickly, her frown as dark as the gathering clouds overhead – they were in for one hell of a storm. Maybe he shouldn’t have shown up on Christmas Eve. This beauty probably had a boyfriend or a husband waiting for her.
“Look, if there’s some mistake…”
Tight-lipped, she folded the letter and handed it back to him.
“No mistake. It’s my parents’ ranch. They can hire anyone they want to.” Turning back to the truck, she made a few quick adjustments and slammed the hood. “But I’m afraid you’re out of luck for a couple of weeks. Everyone’s up at the Main House for Christmas. The ranch won’t be working again until after New Year’s.”
“What about the animals?”
“Oh, they went, too.”
NOELLE HID A SMILE at the stranger’s confusion, and gave him a once-over, not bothering to hide her growing admiration. If this was the man her mother had picked out for her, there was no point in trying to hide it. Subtlety wasn’t Noelle’s strong suit anyway.
The stranger was tightly-wound, that much was clear, with lines of stress on his face, and a habit of tightly clenching and unclenching his fingers. He wasn’t a pretty boy, but handsome in a rough way, with stormy gray eyes and dark blond hair, and a nose that had probably been broken at some point. Broad shoulders and a large, muscular frame completed the picture. He didn’t have an ounce of charm, but sexuality just oozed off of him.
Or maybe that’s just me. She’d been in sexual withdrawal for so long that she’d almost forgotten what sex was like. Noelle had planned to make good use of the ranch holiday closing to get reacquainted with her vibrator, but now that fate and her mother had literally dropped this man on her doorstep, she might as well use him to take the edge off before she sent him on his way.
Never look a gift horse in the mouth, she reminded herself, Or a gift cock.
The thought of his cock and her mouth made her chuckle, but also sent a surprising lick of heat up her spine.
Apparently we’re interested, noted her libido.
Noelle smiled, turning on the charm.
“Why don’t you throw your stuff in back and I’ll go inside and grab the rest.”
“Are we going somewhere?”
“Well, my parents hired you, so you are now officially part of the family, which means that Christmas dinner is mandatory.”
She thought he paled.
“Oh, no. Thanks, but that’s not necessary. I’m not doing Christmas this year.”
“Man-da-to-ry. Christmas is kind of a big deal for us.”
He hesitated.
“Do you want this job or not?”
After a tense moment, he nodded, and moved to heft his duffel bag into the back of the pickup, pulling the tarp tightly over it. Noelle disappeared inside for a few minutes and returned with a backpack and a thermos, motioning him toward the passenger’s seat. Sliding into the driver’s seat, she closed the door and noted all the delightful details of having him this close – the spice of his cologne mixed with something all his own, and just how big he seemed, filling the cab of the truck with his presence.
“We have to stop in town to fill up.”
“Just how far are we going?”
“It’s about a sixteen-hour drive.”
Will frowned.
“There’s a storm coming. I’m sure they’d understand if you skipped it.”
“You haven’t met my family,” Noelle laughed, and turned the key in the ignition. The truck shuddered, but started.
Will arched a skeptical brow, and Noelle patted the dashboard.
“She’ll get us there. Don’t worry.”
She put the car in gear and headed down the driveway to the main road. Her passenger was quiet, and that tension she’d sensed from the moment they’d met seemed to cloak him in stress.
“So, you’re Will.”
“Yes. Will Finley.”
“Did you lose a bet or are you on the lam?”
“Sorry?”
“If you hadn’t noticed, this isn’t exactly a bustling metropolis. You don’t end up here unless you grew up here, or you have some serious shit you’re running away from.”
Will shifted uncomfortably.
“I just needed a change, that’s all. Besides, there’s a nice little town here. Mountains. Clean air. Seems as good a place as any.”
Noelle snorted.
“Wait until you’ve been snowed in for two months with only reindeer gossip for company.”
“What does that mean?” Will gave her an odd glance, and she smiled.
“You didn’t ask about Kringle Ranch before you took the job?”
“The letter said you were something like an endangered reindeer preserve.”
“Something like that.”
He didn’t have a clue. Oh, this was going to be fun.
“You run the ranch by yourself?”
“Mostly,” Noelle shrugged, “The reindeer are pretty good at letting me know what they need.”
Another odd glance, and then, “They said some pretty strange things about you in town.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
Will hesitated, licking his lips. A tingle of interest sparked low in Noelle’s abdomen.
“Crazy stuff. That the deer belong to Santa Claus. That you’re one of his daughters. Small towns, right?”
“You’re saying I’m not?”
Will gave her the look that most men gave her when the talk turned to Santa – impatience and disbelief.
“I’m not really one for fairytales.”
“Just wait until you’re surrounded by elves searching your pockets for spare candy.”
A pause, and then, “I don’t believe in any of that stuff.”
Noelle just smiled. She wasn’t going to argue with him – he’d see the light soon enough. There was something about the quiet, almost brooding man next to her. She didn’t need her magical intuition to see that he was hiding something – a deep hurt. Noelle was surprised at the sudden desire to offer comfort.
“If you’re going to take this job,” she said lightly, “you may want to keep an open mind.”
WHAT A STRANGE WOMAN, Will thought to himself, watching her delicate profile as they sped down the highway toward town. She was direct and nosey, but there was something whimsical and playful about her that would have made him smile if his smiling mechanism hadn’t been kicked into tiny little pieces over the last year. She was also a flirt. He could feel it in his bones, and that little bit of knowledge had his stomach clenching. He’d felt her frank appraisal back at the ranch all the way to the soles of his feet – there had been admiration and interest in her gaze.
She’s going to be your boss, that’s it, he reminded himself, and focused on the wintery landscape outside. It was snowing now, but lightly, a preview of things to come. A trek out into a coming storm seemed like madness to him, but he wasn’t going to let this crazy woman head out alone – emotionally dead or not, he’d never forgive himself if something happened to her. But she confused him. Vanessa had been delicate, needy, and refined. Noelle gave off the impression that she didn’t need anyone or anything, and heaven help the man who got in her way.
