Santa's Executive

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  Justin looked down at the pot roast currently sliding down his shirt and sighed. This was all his fault. He needed Rina to help him. He’d done too much, and he didn't know what he was doing. He’d put these people in danger because he thought he was better than he was. What if someone got hurt because of him? He would never be able to forgive himself.

  The teachers looked to him for guidance, and he gave them each a nod.

  “I trust this won't happen again,” he said calmly, his voice low and deep. The students quickly nodded, their mouths shut, their eyes wide. With that, he turned on his heel and walked out the door. He trusted his teachers to take care of it then follow the food fight disciplinary guidelines. Each student involved had to clean up part of the mess, meaning the next class would be disrupted. But, it would teach them manners and a sense of responsibility. What about his own responsibility?

  It had been his fault, after all.

  Justin shut himself in his office, changed into a clean shirt, and sat down on his little futon in the corner of his office. He rested his head in his hands and tried to fight down the nausea that threatened to take hold. He’d let go of too much energy at once, and now he was shaking. He knew his face was pale and clammy, and he was glad no one could see him.

  Cowardly, he spent the rest of the day in his office and went through his numerous piles of work. The teachers came in one by one to let him know that everything was handled and the children were properly sorry. Each teacher remarked that the children said they had no idea what had come over them and even said that the teachers themselves had felt like they wanted to join in, it had been so energetic. Justin merely shook his head and said the fact that they’d cleaned it up was punishment enough; they didn't need to lose recess or anything else. When the final bell rang, he needed to get out of there. He packed up and watched the kids get on their buses and load into cars as parents picked them up.

  He was a failure, an epic failure. He would have to tell Rina what he’d done; it was only fair. She had told him her mistake, and he would have to tell her his.

  He waved and said goodbye to some of the students as he made his way to his car.

  “Oh, Justin, I mean Mr. Cooper,” a voice purred behind him and then giggled. He resisted the urge to vomit. He hated to hear giggling, except for when Rina did it. For some reason he didn't mind Rina’s giggle, but the woman behind him made him want to tear off his ears then gouge out his eyes with a wooden spoon so it would leave splinters.

  He turned as he put his fake smile on. He was in public and couldn't actually slap the woman, not that he would.

  “Hello, Mrs. Booth, I see you’re here to pick up Dustin.”

  She waved her fingers and let out another giggle, and he clenched his jaw at the pain of the sound. “Oh, what do I keep telling you, Mr. Cooper? Call me Cindy, please.” She batted eyelashes that had way too much clunky mascara on them and came up to him with her arms outstretched. “I heard about what Dustin participated in today at lunch, and believe you me; I will take care of it when I get home. I just wanted to let you know that I do take care of everything in my possession.” She winked then reached around and grabbed his ass.

  Seriously?

  Justin pulled back, anger running through his veins. “Make sure you get Dustin home okay in this weather, Mrs. Booth.” He narrowed his eyes, and she stepped back, her face losing a little bit of that blush. Good. “The weatherman said it's going to start snowing a little bit heavier tonight, so I would just make sure you get home ahead of that.” He leaned closer to her so her son, who looked embarrassed, wouldn't be able to hear. “And, if you ever touch me like that again, I'll make sure that your husband gets Dustin in the divorce.”

  He turned away, got in his car, and drove off before she could utter a word. He was so pissed off that the woman had the audacity to grab his ass in public. Not to mention the fact that she was fucking married and her son was standing right by her. He did not understand some of the moms at his school. They were ridiculous and scornful. He might be one of the youngest principals around, but that didn't make him an open meat market for them. He took a deep breath trying to calm himself and drove directly to the inn. He didn't even bother going home to change out of his clothes. He just needed to see Rina. He tried to tell himself it was for work, but even he didn’t believe that. Justin wanted to see her because he knew as soon as he was in her presence she would lighten up his day.

  He pulled up to the inn, got out, and walked in without knocking. He knew Connie liked to think of it as a home rather than a public place to the town residents, but he needed to see Rina now.

  He walked directly to her room, knowing she was the only guest at the inn, and knocked. When he heard her soft voice saying come in, his tension eased just a little bit. It was amazing that just her voice could do that.

  Her eyes widened, and she smiled when she saw it was him. “Hi. I didn't know you were getting off work so early. It's good to see you.”

  Without thinking, he pulled her into a hug and rested his cheek on her head. She stiffened for only a moment then wrapped her arms around his waist. He inhaled her sweet, sugary scent and let out a breath.

  Her soft laugh tickled his chest, even through the layers he wore, and he squeezed a little harder. “Did you have a bad day at work?”

  For some reason he could imagine her saying that on a daily basis when he walked into his home and she would stand there, asking him how his day went like a real couple.

  He pulled back and brushed a curl behind her ear. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

  “Is there anything you want to talk about?”

  He loosened his tie, took off his jacket, and made himself at home in her room. When she sat down at the edge of the bed, he purposely sat down in the armchair. That way he wouldn't succumb to the need to lay her down on the bed just to see what she tasted like.

  “I did something really stupid today, and then when I was leaving, I had an incident that I don't even want to get into.”

  Her eyes widened, and she scooted closer so that she could take his hands. He covered her small hand with his big ones and squeezed.

  “What happened today? I want to hear both things because you look like you need to talk.”

  “Yeah, I guess I do.” He missed talking with people about his day. Yeah, he had his brothers, but they didn’t live with him, and he had been feeling lonely. He just didn't want to get too dependent on Rina in case she didn't feel the same way.

  “Then tell me. That's what I'm here for, to listen.” She smiled, and her big blue eyes twinkled.

  “Well, we'll start with the thing that wasn't my fault. On my way out of the school, I was accosted by a mother.”

  She frowned. “What did you mean by accosted?”

  He cleared his throat, uncomfortable. Maybe he shouldn't have started with this one. “Uh, she well, she grabbed my ass. In front of her son. Oh, and I forgot to mention, she's married.”

  Rina’s eyes narrowed, and she gave a cute little growl. “She did what? How did she think in any way that was appropriate? Especially in front of her son. Peppermint balls! That poor kid. Not to mention you. Are you okay?”

  “Peppermint balls?” He smiled. Damn, she was so cute.

  She blushed all the way up to her ears. “It's just how I curse. Don't make fun of me. You didn't answer my question. Are you okay? Did she hurt you?”

  Justin laughed, feeling better already. “Look at you worrying about the mean old lady trying to hurt me. I can take care of myself; it just pissed me off. She didn't hurt me, don't worry.”

  “Well, if you want, I can go and take care of that for you.” She smiled devilishly, and he laughed.

  “I would pay to see that.”

  “Okay, now I think you're making fun of me.”

  “Never.”

  “Uh-huh. Why don't we just leave that subject now, and you can tell me about that thing you did that was your fault. If you're saving it for last, it must be so
mething big.”

  He closed his eyes so that he wouldn't see the disappointment when he told her. He didn't think he could face that. “I was having a good day until I went to the lunchroom and had all those kids around me. I did something stupid.”

  “What?”

  “I let my magic out, trying to cheer them up, and I let out too much and didn't control it. They got so rambunctious they had a food fight. They could've gotten hurt because of something I did. I shouldn't have done that. I should've waited for you. What the hell was I thinking?”

  He kept his eyes closed, but she still held onto his hands. Her touch was the only thing keeping him together.

  “Justin, stop beating yourself up. Yes, you should've waited for me. No one got hurt, so think of the good things. With more practice, we can teach you control. You're just going to have to learn and to not use your magic when it's not needed. You don't have to unleash it when we’re not working.”

  “What does that mean?” He finally opened his eyes and relaxed, and he didn't see any disappointment in her gaze, only calm understanding.

  “I told you before that each region carries an executive. That executive doesn't meet every child, doesn't have to help every child. Just the fact that they are there lets their magic work. The only reason that you would need to unleash your magic is if you're in a place or position, where it would be helpful. Just the fact that you were in that room would have helped the mood or just kept the magic alive. If you ever find yourself needing to get rid of an excess, find me. That's what I'm here for.”

  For some reason the thought of releasing his tension with her made him think dirty things and not what he should have been thinking of. Their gazes locked, and she blushed. Yep, she was thinking the exact same things.

  “Tell me more about yourself.”

  She blinked and frowned. “What do you want to know?”

  “I want to know about you and your family. I just want to know more. You said you’d tell me since you know so much about my life and I know next to nothing about yours.”

  “Oh, well, what do you want to know exactly?”

  He rubbed small circles on her wrist and smiled. “Any brothers and sisters?”

  “No, I'm an only child. Most elves are since we don't really have a lot of space to move around. Only assistants really get to move from the North Pole.”

  “Really? That doesn't seem fair.”

  “Oh, no, we like it. Well, I mean most always do. Elves love their workshop at the North Pole, and they don't want to move, but it isn't like we're trapped up there.”

  He tilted his head, sensing an undercurrent in her words. “What about you? Did you feel trapped? Is that why you came here without being told to?”

  She bit her lip and nodded. “I never really liked my job, and I know that makes me a bad elf. But I like working with you, so maybe I did find something for me.”

  He traced her jaw and loved the way she shivered. “I'm glad I'm helping you too.” He moved his finger up her jaw again and traced her ear, and she froze. “What? What did I do?”

  “You didn't do anything. It's just my ears are a little sensitive.” She blushed, and he held back a groan as his cock hardened.

  “Oh, really, why is that?”

  “You can't really see because I have my glamour on, but elf ears are pointed, and it's sort of an erogenous zone for us.”

  “Really?” He smiled and leaned down closer to her so that way their noses touched.

  “Show me,” he whispered.

  She pulled back ever so slightly, her breath quickening. “Okay.”

  He watched as her glamour fell, and her pointed ears appeared. He never would've thought he would've found them sexy, but hot damn. Since she’d said they were an erogenous zone, he couldn't wait to trace them with his tongue.

  His gaze locked with hers as he traced the tip of her ear with his finger. She shuddered, and he smiled.

  Fuck yeah.

  With their eyes still on each other, he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. They were so soft, plump. She moaned against him and closed her eyes. He traced the seam of her lips with his tongue, and she opened for him.

  Yes.

  He framed her face with his hands and deepened the kiss, his tongue touching hers, their mouths moving with each other. It was the sweetest of kisses. She moaned again, and he nipped at her lip. He kissed her harder, and she pulled back.

  “Damn, I loved that.” There was that love word again.

  “That can't happen again,” she whispered.

  He blinked, not understanding exactly what she’d just said. “Why?”

  “Because you're just getting to know me, and it might just be the magic that's making you do that. I don't want it to interfere with anything.” She looked down at her hands, and he just wanted to pick her up and hold her close. She looked so unsure of herself, and he felt like he was the cause.

  “We’re going to do that again, Rina. The only magic that happened was the magic between us, not anything having to do with what we are.”

  “You should go.”

  He traced her ear again, and she shivered. “We will talk about this.”

  “I don't know, Justin.”

  He didn't say anything else, just walked out the door. He didn’t want her for just one night, but for a whole lot more. He was attracted to her and could see them being together for more than just a one night stand. He wanted to see her smile and laugh and be in his arms. He even pictured her round with his child.

  He froze and almost fell down the stairs.

  What the hell? Where'd that come from? Why the hell was he thinking about babies?

  Not any babies. Rina’s babies.

  For some reason that didn't scare him at all. Now he just had to get Rina on the same page as him. He smiled and walked out of the inn toward his car. Yes, he'd enjoy getting her to see his side. He already liked her more than he'd known just that morning. He couldn't wait to see when she realized she was his.

  Chapter 6

  It had been almost five days since Justin had kissed her, and Rina still couldn't get it out of her head. His lips had been so soft, softer then she had expected. She loved how tentative it had been at first, and then the kisses had grown into something more passionate. She almost could have surrendered to him right then, but she couldn't. Though she had imagined it every delicious way, the real thing had blown her dreams out of the water. She didn't pull back at the first touch of his lips, but didn’t sink into him not wanting to melt against him or, worse, throw her arms around him and ride him like a pony. Because that would've been bad.

  Very, very bad.

  Imagining that she was doing just that fluttered across her brain, and she groaned. Even though she hadn't wanted him to leave, she was glad that he had. Yes, he was sexy and funny and seemed to actually like her, but she couldn't give into those feelings. He had a job to do and so did she.

  She was an elf who didn't even know what she was going to do with the rest of her life. She didn't even know if she had a job when she went back to the North Pole. She could only stay in Holiday if she remained Justin’s assistant, and that wasn't even close to being a true possibility.

  Rina stood up and shook her head. She needed to quit wallowing and get some work done. Because she was a list organizer, she was really good at making her own lists. Even though Justin’s magic was inherent, that didn't mean he didn't have work to do. She already had made a list of the places he could visit, and now she needed to add it to the schedule and include training exercises for when they could connect again and use his magic. Her body warmed at the thought of that connection, but she shook it off. No, she couldn't think like that.

  A knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts. She looked down at her watch and frowned. Who could that be? It couldn't be Justin; he was still at work. She quickly piled everything and hid the important things in case it was someone who didn't know the magical nature of the town. She could never be t
oo careful.

  When she opened the door, she froze. Oh, no, it couldn't be.

  “Hello, Rina, dear,” Jack Frost sneered as he walked through her open door, uninvited. “I'm surprised you had the gall to sneak out and disobey my direct orders. Who do you think you are, Rina, dear?”

  Rina blinked and tried to gather the courage to talk, but she couldn't. She never could stand up for herself against Jack. He scared her more than anything else in the world. The fact that he was her boss made everything that much worse.

  She stared up at his gray eyes with their ice fractures. If they hadn’t looked as if they held the devil within them, they would've been beautiful. As it was, they looked as if they could see into her soul and steal it. His white-blond hair was perfectly coiffed, a strand never out of place. The chiseled features looked as if they had been carved from stone. He looked to be the perfect angel, yet she knew what lurked underneath the mask was anything but.

  She balled her fists and straightened her shoulders. Santa had given her the okay. She wasn't in trouble anymore, except with Jack. “Santa called and said I should stay on as Justin's assistant, at least for this season. You didn't have any reason to come here, Jack.”

  Jack strode to her, his pristine suit looking as though a speck of lint wouldn’t dare to touch him. She held back a shiver of revulsion and as he traced her jaw with his finger.

  “I have every right, Rina, and you know that. You snuck away without saying anything to your dear old boss, me. Santa may be the figurehead, but you know I am the one to pull the strings. I'm the one you have to answer to.”

  No, that wasn't right. Santa, or Kris Kringle, as he was known to others, was the boss. He was the one who made all the decisions, and Jack was only his second-in-command. Wasn't that right?

  Jack traced her ear then he moved his hand back to grip her hair around the bun. He pulled, and she winced.

  “You don't get to do anything without me. Don't you understand that? You’re lucky I don’t send you back to the North Pole to live in that pitiful basement where you’ll never see anyone you love again and be all alone without anything. Your parents won't even talk to you if I have anything to do with it. You are just an elf. A nothing. You belong on the bottom of my shoe, not here in Holiday acting as if you know what the hell you're doing.”