by penny watson
Forever.
“Surprise.” Today he held a bouquet of Paperwhites and Pepperberries in his arms.
She was under siege. And falling under so fast, she was terrified.
On Monday, he’d appeared at their door and whisked Hannah and the twins off to see the sea lions at the Central Park Zoo. Then he took them out for peppermint cupcakes.
On Tuesday, they’d browsed up and down Fifth Avenue to view the holiday windows. Afterward, he’d treated them to a pizza dinner at Gino’s.
On Wednesday, he’d shown up with matinee tickets for Elf. The boys had exploded with excitement. It was their favorite Christmas movie. Four hours later, they were covered with greasy popcorn stains and could barely hide their adoration for Gregor Klaus. He’d shot her a smug grin as he kissed her good night.
On Thursday, he’d taken them to the New York Botanical Garden for the holiday display and train show. The boys were spellbound by the model trains, and Hannah was enchanted by the gorgeous flowers. That night he’d ushered them into an Italian bistro where the boys giggled over plates of spaghetti and she and Gregor shared a bottle of red wine. By the end of the evening, his perfect outfit was marred by stains—Matteo had accidentally dropped a meatball covered in sauce on Gregor’s designer slacks. She’d been horrified. He didn’t seem to care at all. Evidently, money was no object for Gregor Klaus. He kept purchasing tickets and food, getting them special VIP entrance to events. Things she could never hope to do.
On Friday, he’d arrived with a crew of babysitters and had spirited Hannah away for a romantic date at the Met. They’d spent hours admiring the dazzling Christmas tree and Crèche, and then exploring the myriad galleries. Gregor had pried out the story about David and his illness. He seemed genuinely concerned about her and the twins.
Every day she fell deeper and deeper into trouble. And she kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. At some point he would look around their ratty apartment and think ‘What the hell am I doing here?’ Right? It was just a matter of time.
There was no way that ordinary Hannah and sophisticated Gregor Klaus would end up together. That only happened in her dreams.
She crossed her arms as Gregor entered the apartment. “Don’t you ever call first?”
He chuckled and handed her the flowers. “I’d rather show up in person.”
She took a deep breath and tried to remember her rehearsed speech. She looked away from his probing eyes. They saw way too much.
Hannah cleared her throat. “Unfortunately, I’m busy today. I won’t be able to spend time with you. I have to work. I have a huge backlog of papers to edit. And I’m volunteering at the animal shelter later. So . . . sorry. Maybe we could get together some other time.” As in . . . never. Not unless Hannah wanted to get her heart broken into a million pieces.
He said nothing. She fidgeted for a few moments, and then finally gave in and looked at his face. He was furious.
“I don’t understand you, Hannah. Why are you pushing me away?” He took a step closer and backed her up against the wall.
She huffed out a shaky laugh. “Are you kidding me? I don’t understand you. You could be attending an opera at the Met, and instead you’re sharing greasy popcorn with my boys at a matinee. You cannot convince me that’s your first choice for entertainment.”
He pressed his body against hers, and she gasped.
“I loved every second of that day. Watching the boys laugh at the movie, seeing your eyes shine with delight.” He leaned down until his mouth was almost touching her. Almost. “And I know you enjoyed it, too. I could tell.”
“Of course I did.” She darted her eyes away from his probing gaze. “I’ve been lonely.”
Gregor kissed her softly on the forehead and she struggled not to cry. “It makes me feel better knowing that you enjoyed yourself this past week.”
She finally looked into his face. “Don’t you understand? It was only supposed to be one night. Just one night.” Her voice cracked.
Gregor frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“The gala. I wanted one night of magic, to keep my hopes up. To help me get through the Christmas season. I wasn’t looking for anything long-term. But you keep coming back!”
His eyes blazed. “I’ll never be satisfied with just one night. Neither will you.”
“You’re wrong. I know where this is heading—the boys and me being heart-broken.” Hannah began to tremble. Every time Gregor touched her, she came alive. This was a dangerous situation. She needed to put an end to it. Now.
She tried to push him away. He wouldn’t let her.
Relentless. He was relentless.
Well, she could be relentless, too. And if it meant her self-preservation, she needed to step up her game.
She pushed with all of her strength and he finally backed up with a frown.
“Gregor, I’m asking you to leave. We both know this thing between us has no chance. I don’t think you’re shallow. I just think that you and I have very different lives.” She looked away from him and blinked back tears. “Please. I need to work.” She buried her face in the bouquet of flowers and inhaled their lovely scent. “Th—Thank you for the flowers.”
He leaned close to her face and whispered in her ear. “I’m leaving so you can get your work done today. But understand this. We’re not over.”
After the door clicked shut and Gregor stomped away, Hannah finally let the tears fall.
She wished that could be true.
Chapter 8
Gregor was in a snit.
A big honkin’ snit.
Shirley perched on the edge of his desk—which was now covered with bowls of candy, homemade paper snowflakes, and postcards of Harry Styles—and waited for his next directive. It was clear as day that Gregor was moving onto Plan B.
She squinted her eyes. Gregor looked . . . different. A little bit mussed up. And his outfit was ridiculous. He had dark grey trousers paired with a hoodie sweatshirt that said “I CLAP FOR SEA LIONS” from the Central Park Zoo.
She coughed. “Nice sweatshirt, Klaus. That’s not your normal get-up.”
Gregor frowned. “The boys and I got matching sweatshirts at the zoo. They loved the sea lion show.”
“Nice. Pretty soon you’ll be wearing ratty blue jeans.”
Gregor shot her a look to kill. “Enough about my clothes. We need to talk. I did everything you suggested. I took Hannah and the boys to all of their favorite activities. We had an intimate date. I tried to show her that we’re compatible, but she’s fighting me.” He downed a generous gulp of Scotch. “No matter what I do or say, she’s running scared.”
“Well, you are sort of a scary guy.”
Gregor stalked over to his desk and Shirley cringed.
“Just kidding. Not really scary. More like . . . a little bit intimidating . . .”
“Enough!”
Gregor yelled it loud enough to make her jump. “Calm down. We’ll figure this out.”
“I know what I have to do. I’m just not sure how to do it.” Gregor had a gleam in his eye that made her nervous.
“What are you talking about?” She unwrapped a banana-flavored sucker and popped it into her mouth. Time for anxiety-candy-consumption.
“It’s time to seduce Hannah. She practically melts when I touch her. If I could just have one night with her, I know I could convince her that we belong together.”
“Ewwww. Yuck. I totally don’t want to hear about this part.” Shirley covered her ears. “La la la la la . . . I can’t hear you.”
Gregor ripped her hands off her ears. “Hey. I need some help.”
“Oh, no. Gross. I am not helping you with—”
Gregor rolled his eyes. “I need help with a spell. Zeit einfrieren.”
Her eyebrows shot up to her forehead. “Zeit einfrieren? Time Freeze? Why do you need that spell?”
“Hannah would never leave the boys alone for a whole night. She feels guilty enough about the gala. But if that Time
Freeze really works, we wouldn’t have a problem.” Gregor planted both hands on his desk and boxed Shirley in. “Can you get it to work?”
She let out a long breath. “Yeah. I think so. It makes time freeze in the Sudenwelt, so that anything you do during the spell takes place in exactly one second of Suddie time. You could literally spend months with Hannah under the spell, and when she gets home, it will be exactly one second later in real time.” Shirley tossed the lollipop into a trash can. “It’s a pretty cool spell, actually. One time—”
“No stories, Shirley. I want this spell cast tonight. She is struggling with guilt and fear, and I need to show her that we’re meant to be together. That she can trust me.”
“You do see the irony here, right? You want her to trust you, but you’re using a shady elfin spell to win her over?”
Gregor did not look amused. “Do you have any other ideas?”
She shrugged. “Actually, nope. I’m fresh out of ideas. As long as you treat her like a princess and shower her with love and affection, I’m good with this. I must say, you did great with the kids this week. I’m sort of shocked about that.”
Gregor smiled. “The kids are wonderful. Full of energy. They’re smart and fun. Her family is a treasure. Hannah is a treasure.”
Shirley tapped her chin. “You know, it’s sort of funny . . .”
“What’s so funny?” Gregor growled.
She held up a restraining hand. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Klaus. I’m just saying . . . for someone who swears he has no Christmas spirit, you sure did a good job faking it this week.”
Gregor took a step back. “What are you talking about?”
“The ice skating, the Christmas crèche, window-shopping on Fifth Avenue, watching Elf. This whole week was filled with holiday activities, and you actually seemed to enjoy yourself.” She fiddled with the snowflakes on his desk. “I mean . . . I know the difference between your ‘fake’ face and your ‘real’ face, and as far as I could tell, you were genuinely enjoying those Christmasy things. You know?”
Gregor furrowed his brow. “You’re right. I did.” He laughed quietly. “It’s different seeing Christmas through a child’s eyes. And through Hannah’s eyes. She is honestly delighted by everything. She is so smitten with the holiday, she makes everything shine.”
Shirley knocked her heels against Gregor’s desk. “In a million years, if I had to place a bet on which one of the Klaus brothers would take over for Santa, I would never have pegged you. Never.”
Gregor tensed. “What’s your point?”
“I’m just sayin’ . . . I know that the Überholen is coming up, and that one of you guys has to replace your dad when he retires.”
“And I’m clearly the most lacking in Santa qualities. I get it.” Gregor reached for his Scotch and drained the glass.
“Well, maybe a couple of weeks ago I would have agreed with you. But now . . . I’m not so sure. You’ve been hanging out with the kids, doing real Christmas activities. And enjoying them. You don’t look so uptight anymore. Maybe . . .”
“Maybe what?”
“Maybe you have more Santa-ish qualities than you think.” She cocked her head. “Hannah’s good for you.”
Gregor walked over to the enormous windows of his apartment and stared into the misty city. “I need her, Shirley. She’s the one.” He kept his back to her.
Shirley knew he was embarrassed for her to see the emotion on his face. But she could hear it in his voice.
He cleared his throat. “You need to clean up your mess and get lost for the night.”
“What! You’re throwing me out after everything I’ve done!”
He turned around, clearly exasperated. “I’m planning to seduce Hannah here this evening. Do you really want to stay?”
“Oh. Yeah. No way. I’m out of here. Where am I supposed to go?”
Gregor laughed. “Are you kidding? Half the people in the city are dressed as elves right now. You’ll fit right in.”
Shirley blew out a breath. “Fine. I’ll find something to do.” She began to collect her stuff from Gregor’s desk. “Just one thing. If you use Zeit einfrieren, you’ll have to explain what’s happening to Hannah. Otherwise, she’ll be worried about leaving her boys. And if you explain the spell, that means you need to tell her . . . everything. You know, about the North Pole and the elves and Santa being your dad. That’s a lot for a Suddie to deal with. Are you sure she can handle that? If she’s too freaked out, your plans for seduction will be kaputt.”
Gregor stroked his goatee. “That’s a very good point. But I think she’ll be fine. She has a very strong belief in Christmas magic. I don’t have a choice. I’m keeping her with me until she admits her true feelings. I know she’s falling for me.”
Shirley knew that look on Gregor’s face. Icy cold determination.
Hannah didn’t stand a chance.
But that was a good thing. Because Shirley was starting to think that Gregor Klaus was Hannah’s destiny and always had been.
“Hey, Gregor. Make sure you give her some peppermint candy canes. She likes those.”
Time for Plan B . . .
Chapter 9
Hannah tossed and turned in her full-size bed. It was the largest mattress she could squeeze into the cramped master bedroom. If she turned to the right, she would smack into the wall. If she turned to the left, she had twelve inches to maneuver between the bookshelf and the bathroom door. Yes, her room was crowded. But there was still enough space for the boys to jump on her bed and snuggle. And the bookshelf was lovingly covered with family photos and homemade artwork.
Tonight, the twins were snoozing in their own beds. Each boy cuddled with a favorite stuffed animal and a hand-knit blanket from Granny. Hannah’s mom was blind, but she was still an amazing knitter. Matteo owned a hunter green blanket, and Anthony’s was cherry red. The colors of Christmas.
Hannah curled on her side and rubbed her cheek on Gregor’s soft cashmere scarf. It was wound around her neck, surrounding her with memories and his delicious scent. She closed her eyes and thought about their kiss. How it felt to have his arms wrapped tightly around her, his mouth touching hers. She sniffled. There was no way she would fall asleep feeling sorry for herself.
She punched her pillow, trying to get more comfortable.
One second she was lying on her bed . . .
. . . and the next second she was falling into Gregor Klaus’s arms.
She blinked a few times. Surely she hadn’t fallen asleep that fast? Could she be dreaming about Gregor already?
His touch felt real. The heat of his body warmed her back as he cradled her in his arms. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his neck. He smelled like brandy and fire.
“God, that felt good. Do it again.” Gregor’s voice was rough and low.
“I’m dreaming, right?” She touched Gregor’s face and was shocked to feel the softness of his beard. “Is this really happening?”
He leaned down, kissed her gently, and then lowered her to the floor. Gregor wore silk pajama bottoms and nothing else. The sight of his naked torso was devastating. It was massive, powerful, covered with dark hair. A tattoo encircled his thick bicep. This is what Gregor Klaus hid beneath the ultra-civilized clothes and polished demeanor—a primal masculinity that was no longer concealed. Hannah felt faint. She swayed on her feet.
Gregor shot his hands out to steady her. “Are you okay?”
She blinked up at him. “Wh-Where am I?”
“My lair.” His smile softened the inherent threat of those words. “You’re in my penthouse, my bedroom.”
She frowned as she glanced around in confusion. She was standing in the middle of an enormous bedroom, at least five times the size of her little space. A king-size bed took center stage in the room, covered with pillows and decadent linens. Low dressers lined the walls, and they were dotted with candles and fresh flowers. She placed her hand on his chest. His skin was on fire.
“A
re you real?”
“Yes, Hannah.”
“I’m not dreaming, am I?” Her voice was husky.
“Don’t be afraid.”
“How did I get here? Wh—What . . . ? The boys!” She grabbed onto Gregor’s arms in alarm.
“Everything is fine. The boys are safe. I’ll explain in a minute.” He touched the scarf around her neck. “Is this mine?”
She peered down at her feet. “Yes. You . . . you loaned it to Matteo the other day. Remember? I was just . . . cold tonight. So I put it on.”
Gregor lifted her face in his hands. “Is that the only reason? You were cold?”
She closed her eyes as a blush warmed her cheeks. “No, not the only reason. I wanted to feel close to you. It was the only way.”
“It’s not the only way, Hannah. I’m here . . . flesh and blood. And I want you.” He lowered her onto the bed.
She was instantly aware of her embarrassing attire. She wore faded pajama pants and a thin T-shirt with Rudolph on the front. Gregor looked like a male model, and she looked like a haggard mom. She pulled up her knees and hugged her legs.
“What’s going on?” she asked quietly. “Is this some sort of trick?”
He sat down next to her on the bed. “I’m going to tell you a story. It will sound impossible. But keep your mind open.”
“That doesn’t sound like you, Mr. Practical-Bottom-Line.”
Gregor smiled. “You’re right. It doesn’t. But I promise everything I tell you is the truth.” He took a deep breath. “You know my last name is Klaus.”
“Of course.”
“You know that my family makes toys and gives generously to children’s charities all over the world.” He picked up her hand and kissed the knuckles.
“Yes, I know that.”
“I haven’t told you where Klaus Enterprises is really located. Our offices here in Manhattan are purely to take care of the financial part of the business. The other part . . . isn’t here.” He moved closer to her on the bed.
Hannah saw something sparkle in the darkness of the bedroom. It looked like lightning bugs, or sparklers on the Fourth of July.
She remembered those lights. She’d seen them once before. Once, long ago, on a Christmas Eve when she was just a young girl.
