by Sarah Bale
“We’re not moving too fast, are we?”
The words leave my mouth in a rush. I know she said earlier that she was okay with our pace, but I need to make sure before we have sex.
Her forehead creases. “I don’t think we are. I mean, it is fast, but it feels right. Do you agree?”
I nod. “Yes. I’m just not good at this whole dating thing, I guess.”
“Are we dating?”
Her cheeks are flushed.
“I hope so.”
“Then kiss me, boyfriend.”
I lower my head and kiss her warm lips. This feels like something more than dating, but I won’t voice my thought. It’s too soon. But, if things go well, she’ll know soon enough.
Her hand threads through my hair as I caress her breast.
“Go lower.”
She gently pushes on my shoulder and I move down. I like that she’s not afraid to tell me what she wants. I stop at her breast.
“Here?”
“Yes. I love having my nipples played with.”
I swirl my tongue around one of her budded peaks. “Like this?”
“More.”
I suck and tug her nipple with my teeth.
“Yes. That.”
I grin and latch onto her other breast. She grows wild beneath me and pushes my head against her chest. So I give her what she wants. She cries my name out as she comes.
I moved lower and spread her legs.
“What about here? Do you like kisses down low?”
“Nick,” she moans.
I kiss her inner thigh, rubbing my beard against the sensitive skin. Each kiss brings me closer to her clit. She throws one of her legs over my shoulder, giving me better access. I tug the sensitive bud with my teeth and her hips buck. Her arousal smells so good and I inhale before licking her folds.
“You taste so good.”
I don’t wait for her to reply. Instead, I lick and nibble until she is thrusting against my tongue. Right before she comes I pull away and roll on a condom. Moving over her, I enter her in a slow thrust.
Her eyes are glazed, and she gets closer to finding her release. I keep my pace slow until she is bucking wildly beneath me. Fucking her is different. It feels right. It feels…
“Nick!”
She shatters around me and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever witnessed. I watch her ride out her pleasure and then my entire body trembles as her pussy milks my cock. We thrust blindly against each other until we both finish.
I brush her hair from her face. “Candy, that was amazing.”
She is flushed from head to toe. “I think I left my body.”
I pull out of her and go to the bathroom. I come back with a damp washcloth and pat her down. She smiles sleepily up at me.
“Thanks.”
I go back to the bathroom and take care of business before climbing in bed next to her. She snuggles against me and yawns. I hold her until she falls asleep. But I can’t ignore the truth. It’s time look at the list before things go too far.
Chapter 12
I hold Candy in my arms for most of the night. It feels so damn right, but there’s no shaking the sense of dread that’s settled deep in my mind. Around four in the morning I know I have to leave. If she wakes up then we’ll end up having sex and, as much as I’d like that, I know I need to go home. She doesn’t wake up when I slip from the bed.
When I get home I go right to my office. I can’t shake the feeling that I’m missing something with Candy. Logging onto my computer, I try to shove aside the feeling of guilt assaulting my conscious. I’ve never used my position to check up on someone before, but it’s the quickest way to get answers.
As my computer loads I notice there’s an envelope on my desk. It’s the missing pages from my list. I tear the envelope and pull out the pages. Flipping to the K’s I find her name. I swear it almost jumps right off the page.
I curse. “No!”
There has to be a mistake. She can’t still be on the…
My phone dings, but I ignore it. Instead, I stare at the paper on my desk. For as long as I’ve been doing this job the list has never been wrong. So what in the fuck am I supposed to do now?
Vixen calls me bright and early. I knew she wouldn’t be able to wait.
“Well?”
“Last night was nice.”
“You slept with him! How was it? Is he big? Do the carpets match the drapes?”
I laugh. “Really?”
“Yes, I actually want to know that one.”
“I’m not going to answer that. I will say that he is all-natural everywhere.”
She coughs, which sounds like she’s spewing something from her mouth, and says, “You are my hero.”
“You, my friend, are just easily amused.”
“Maybe. When are you seeing him again?”
This makes me frown. “I’m not sure. He was supposed to text me when he got home, but I haven’t heard from him.”
“Shit. When did he leave?”
“Around four, I think.”
“In the morning?”
“Yes. I vaguely remember him kissing me before he left.”
I have to hold the phone from my ear as she says, “You go girl! And try not to worry – he’s probably still sleeping.”
“I did think that. I don’t know. I’ll give him until this evening before I really freak out.”
“Good plan.”
My phone dings and I glance at the screen.
“He just texted.”
“What does it say?”
“Let me look.”
Nick: I had a great time last night.
Me: Me, too.
Nick: Can I see you tonight?
My heart misses a beat and I feel warm.
Me: Yes.
Nick: Dinner?
Me: Netflix and Chill.
Nick: Haha. That works, too. See you at 8?
Me: It’s a date.
Vixen’s voice makes me jump. “I’m still here, you slut. Stop texting your man and tell me what’s going on.”
I laugh. “He’s coming over to watch a movie.”
“That’s my girl. What are you going to wear?”
“It’s always about the clothes with you, isn’t it?”
She replies, “Damn right. I’ll swing by your place in an hour and we can have a girls day.”
I hang up and can’t stop smiling. For the first time in a very long time everything feels right.
Chapter 13
When I open my door Nick hands me a beautiful bouquet of roses. There is a string of white lights strung through out the flowers that flicker on and off.
“Nick. These are stunning!”
He follows me into my condo, taking off his jacket. I put the flowers on my table and turn to him. He pulls me into his arms and kisses me until my toes curls.
“Hi,” he whispers.
“Hi.” I kiss him again. “I missed you.”
It’s crazy how much I mean the words. I just saw him, but it feels like forever.
“I missed you, too.”
We continue to kiss and I lead him to the living room. I push him onto the couch before straddling him, our lips never parting. When his hand goes under my shirt I moan. Yes. This is what I’ve been craving all day.
“What are you wearing under there?” he asks, caressing my breast.
“I went shopping again.”
“Fuck yes. Show me.”
Grinning, I lean back and lift my shirt. The silky piece is literally a holiday bow around my breasts. He pulls my shirt over my head and stares, his cock growing hard.
“What does the rest look like?”
I stand and unbutton my skirt, letting it fall to the ground. The panties are made out of the same material with two bows on each of my hips. I lift the end of one of the bows.
“One tug here and I’m naked from the waist down.”
His eyes are dark as he pulls the silky material. The cool air feels good ag
ainst my heated skin. I settle back on his lap.
“Well, Mr. Holiday-”
“Grind on me.”
“What?”
He puts his hands on my hips. “Grind on me.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and begin moving against him. His pants create a wonderful friction and I increase my pace. They more I move, the harder his cock gets. His hips rise, meeting my thrust and I moan.
“Keep going.”
He squeezes my hip and I continue to rock against him. My entire body is tingling. I’m getting so close to coming.
I gasp out, “I don’t want to come like this.”
His hips buck. “How do you want to come?”
“Around your cock.”
His hand moves between us, unzipping his pants. He rubs the tip of his dick again me and I whimper. I want this so much…
“Nick, do it.”
I rise up and he stares at me, his beautiful eyes dark with lust.
He kisses me. “I promise I’ll fuck you without a condom soon.”
He slips the rubber on and then pulls me down onto his cock. We both moan and I begin humping him until we’re both sweaty and saying incoherent things to each other. He comes first, crying my name out and I’m right behind him.
“Oh, Nick!”
My orgasm is so intense that I see white bursts of light behind my eyes.
When I finally stop shaking I lean forward and kiss him.
“Let’s go to the bedroom. You haven’t finished opening your present.”
I climb off him, sad for the loss of him in my body.
No other man will ever be enough for me.
The thought makes me pause. He stands and takes my hand into his own. We stare into each other’s eyes and my heart misses a beat.
We get to the bedroom and he sweeps me off my feet, carrying me to the bed. He climbs onto the mattress next to me. I giggle when he uses his mouth to untie the bow, but my giggles quickly turn to moans when he showers my body with caresses and kisses.
And when we have sex it feels different. It feels a lot like love. And I think I’m finally ready to let myself be happy.
Chapter 14
The next week flies by in a blur. I try to stay with Candy until the sun rises, but sometimes I have to leave right after we fuck. I’m a horny bastard, but her sexual appetite might just surpass mine.
But more and more it’s feeling like something other than just sex. It’s like we crave each other. Which makes things even more complicated.
I’m sitting at my desk, grinning at the last text on my phone from her when Jack comes in, a cool breeze in his wake.
He flops on my couch. “Want to get a drink tonight?”
“Can’t. I have a date.”
I’m cooking Candy dinner tonight at her place. We usually skip the meals, but I want to treat her.
“Again?” At my look he says, “I called last night and Peppermin said you were out. Didn’t know when you’d be back.”
I shrug. “I had a late night.”
Jack slaps his knee. “Am I to assume correctly that you’re getting laid on a regular basis?”
“Maybe.”
“I knew it! How is it?”
This makes me cringe. “I’m not going to discuss my sex life with you.”
“We’ve always swapped stories. Why stop now?”
Because this time things are different. Candy is special.
Jack smiles, understanding. “Ah. I see. Well, when do I get to meet this wonderful girl?”
“Soon.”
And I mean it.
He frowns.
“What?”
“You know I support you, but is that wise right now? Peppermin said the PJH dust levels are getting low-”
It irritates me that my friend and my employee are talking about my business. I’m the one who controls the amount of PJH used.
I stand. “I’m aware. I’m also the only one who can determine how much Peace, Joy, and Happiness dust is needed for the deadline!”
“Chill, man. I’m only saying what the others are afraid to say. Just think about it.”
He leaves before I can reply. Jerk.
I log onto my computer and pull up the current PJH levels. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
The levels are much lower than I thought. That means I’ll have to tell Candy everything tonight. It also means we’re going to have to talk about why she’s still on the Naughty List. She won’t be able to visit the North Pole if she’s on that list.
I rub my forehead. It was only a matter of time until everything caught up to us. It seems tonight is that night.
There’s something off with Nick’s mood this evening, but I can’t place my finger on it. He’s moving his food around on his plate and isn’t talking as much.
“Tough day at work?”
He looks up. “What?”
I point at his plate. “You’re not eating.”
“Oh. Yeah.”
“Nick?”
He sighs and it scares me for some reason.
“Can we talk?”
Okay. Now I’m terrified. My throat is thick as I swallow my wine.
“Of course.”
He leaves the table and goes into the living room. Instead of sitting on the couch he stands in front of the fireplace. I follow him.
“I don’t know where to begin.”
“You’re kind of freaking me out.”
He mutters, “God, this was so much easier back in the day. People were more willing to believe.”
Believe what? He’s not making a lick of sense.
“Nick?”
“Okay, I’m just going to put it all out there, but you have to promise to hear me out. Can you do that?”
I nod. What choice do I have, especially now that I’m curious?
“My name is Nick Holiday, but you might know me as something else.”
“Have we met before? At a bar?”
That might explain the connection I feel – like we’ve know each other for a long time.
He shakes his head. “Candy, let me get this all out. I promise I will answer any question you have.”
“Okay. So what’s your other name?”
“I have a few. Saint Nicholas. Santa Claus. Kris Kringle. Father Christmas. A handful of other names.” He gives me a look and rushes on, “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s the truth. My ex that left me is Merry. She is also known as Mrs. Claus.”
I’ve never passed out, but I’m feeling lightheaded, so I sit on the couch.
He says, “I’ve been using holiday magic to visit you, but it’s been pointed out that the levels are getting low, so tonight is the last time I can see you here. I have to make sure there’s enough magic so I can deliver presents on Christmas Eve.”
Am I being pranked? That would explain so fucking much.
He shakes his head. “This isn’t a prank. And I know that’s what you’re thinking because I can hear thoughts. It’s how I make my lists.”
Lists? Like the song?
He nods. “Yes, like the song. Which brings up another issue. Candy, why are you on the Naughty List? I looked at your file. You were always on the Nice List, but something happened last year and everything changed.”
Holly-jolly-freaking-hell.
“Am I allowed to speak now or is there more?”
His lips lift in a slight smile. “I’m Santa, this is my last visit here, and I need to know why you’re on the Naughty List. That is everything, I think.”
Chapter 15
She frowns. “I’m not really sure what to say to all of that.”
I’m kind of surprised that she hasn’t run off screaming. Most would. Adults, in general, stop believing and therefore are less willing to acknowledge that I’m real. Even if they feel wonder and joy in my presence they still deny me.
She rubs her forehead, like it’s hurting. Maybe it is.
“I didn’t fall, did I? This isn’t a brain injury or a hallucination?”
“No. This is very real.”
She nods. “That’s what I was afraid of.”
She gets up and begins pacing. The color is returning to her pale face, which makes me feel better.
“Okay. So, you’re Santa or whatever?”
I nod.
“Married to Mrs. Claus?”
“We were never married. Just together for a long time.”
“And you live…”
“At the North Pole,” I finish.
“So, not local then.” She shakes her head. “And because some magic level is low you can’t see me anymore?”
I nod. “Otherwise I won’t be able to deliver toys on Christmas Eve.”
“Of course.”
“Is there anything else you would like to ask?”
Might as well get it all out now.
She nods. “I have a ton of questions, but it sounds like you’re running out of time.”
“I am.”
“You mentioned I’m on the Naughty List. Can’t you tell how I ended up there? It’s your list, after all.”
She’s really taking this quite well.
I reply, “When a person stops believing in me I lose the ability to see why they are on a certain list.”
“Then why does it matter?”
“Because I would like you to come with me to the North Pole. Tonight. And that can’t happen while you’re on the Naughty List.”
I sit on the couch again. Am I being pranked? I’m still not sure. He’s pulling this off without a hint of laughter and there’s something in his eyes that makes me think he’s telling the truth.
“Well, I could be on the Naughty List for several reasons. I’m guessing it’s because of Jingle Belles. Not exactly a wholesome job, now is it?”
Nick shakes his head. “No, it’s not the job.”
“I like to go barhopping and let men buy me drinks with no intention of hanging around to talk to them.”
His lips twitch. “Still not a reason to land on the list.”
My stomach churns. I have a fairly good idea what put me on the Naughty List, but am I ready to tell him?
He touches my arm. “Candy, I promise it will be okay, whatever it is.”
