by Lucy Smoke
“I’ll tell you a secret,” Britta said, and I crouched next to her, fisting handfuls of the thick layers of my skirt so the hem didn’t touch the snow. She no longer had a lisp, and it was a dream come true. I prayed it wasn’t temporary but rather on the mend. I had no idea how, but the terrifying ordeal had changed her. She kept telling me that when the reindeer men had arrived in the cave, they’d told her they were with me and would save her before being trapped and gagged in the sacks in the cave. She couldn’t explain, she’d said, except she knew they’d keep her safe.
“What’s your secret?” I asked, pulling the scarf higher around her neck, covering her ears with the knitted hat adorned with antlers she insisted on wearing everywhere.
“Yesterday, Jax took me to the candy store and I licked the wall.”
“What? Why would Jax let you do that?” I stiffened, unsure if that was another of the dozen new customs I discovered daily since we’d arrived at the Workshop. Like everyone was forced to visit the dentist weekly because of all the candy they ate.
“He licked it first and said it tasted like toffee. And it did.” Her eyes widened into round discs. “Plus, he told me a lot of beaver jokes.”
I rolled my eyes because I was going to kill him if he was corrupting my sister.
“Knock knock,” she said.
“Who’s there?”
“Beaver B!” She started to laugh, and I was scared to ask.
“Beaver B who?”
“Beaver B quiet and nobody will find us.” Her giggle burst out, her eyes squinting from how hard she chuckled. “He knows so many and agreed to help me print my joke book.”
“Sounds lovely.” I wiped a snowflake off her rosy nose, so pleased she’d already started bonding with the guys because I intended to spend a lot of time with them.
Britta nodded and we continued our walk, strolling past a distillery of schnapps. I wondered how Manuel was doing with my business. When I’d offered him the management position to run the place and move into my uncle’s home while I lived here, he’d jumped at the chance, rambling on about how much his wife and kids would love the place. I’d explained it was temporary, depending on how I settled in Alaska, and that I’d pay regular visits. I had every intention to stay involved in the distillery and learn more about running the joint. But first, I first had to work out what living in the Workshop included. Besides, I had zero plans to leave my men when I was just getting to know them.
Once Britta and I were settled here, I’d find out about inviting Dylan from California over to visit us. I figured I’d be honest, and tell him about Santa once he arrived. After seeing the Workshop, he’d have to believe me and not think I was a whack job. Of course, I’d get him to agree to secrecy. Sure, Dylan had asked me out on a date, but we’d been friends, too. I realized that I hadn’t really turned him down because I hadn’t wanted to date. I’d just needed to find the right man… or men.
I still pictured Jana crying with joy when she had seen Britta safe and alive. We explained that my sister was lost in the woods, and we finally found her in a cave. Once Jana was settled, she was more interested in who the three young men with me were, and I explained it away as rescuers who assisted me with Britta. I knew we’d cross paths again and had to come up with a better excuse, but everything happened too fast at the time, so I said the first thing that came to mind.
The cold breeze curled around me as I walked with Britta down a Workshop street. The farther we traveled, the louder a humming of voices sounded from ahead of us.
“Are you okay with me being Santa?” I glanced down at my sister.
She was nodding and grinning before I finished asking the question. “Why do you keep asking me that? Did you not see we are going to live with elves and reindeer?”
“And they have a school here that teaches worldly things like a normal school, you’ll have to attend.”
She rolled her eyes. And she was only twelve years old. Around the next bend, we merged into an oversized yard jam-packed with people, and elves who reached my waist. For some reason, most insisted on wearing jeans and matching jackets. Who was I to tell them the denim look was no longer fashionable? It suited their short hair and curled, long ears. Especially the females, who had glittery pink hair, looking like an eighties punk band.
A multitude of human-sized men and women stood around too, but I knew most were reindeer shifters. The crowd parted, making a narrow path for Britta and me, directing us across the yard, over snow that had been trampled, revealing the earth and withered grass. Ahead stood a podium where Charlie stood, a red, toy microphone dangling from his hand.
By the time I climbed up, Britta was asked to take a seat on a bench not far behind me.
Charlie leaned toward my ear and whispered, “It’s time to select.”
As he pulled back, I grabbed his arm. “I already know who I want. And it may go against the rules, but—”
He cut me off with a hush and turned to the masses, lifting his microphone. “As is tradition, my time has come to pass the sacred responsibility of leading Christmas to a new selected.”
A young elf rushed to the podium, holding a velvet pillow and on it sat the Santa hat. Charlie picked it up and turned to me, placing it on my head. The crowd cheered and exploded with hoots. The whole idea still sat awkwardly in my thoughts. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to having everyone looking up to me as they’d looked up to Charlie.
“And now she must select her cast of warriors who will keep her safe, guide her, and draw the golden chariot across the heavens.”
I scanned the myriad of faces, all the smiles and beaming eyes. All the denim, the strong men in coats and jackets, with their partners huddled close to them, some cradling children and babies. This was a place for families and love. They cheered and broke into a song about being merry.
Over the top of the voices, Charlie said, “Nickie,choose your warriors.”
“Wait,” I said, but he ignored me. “I can’t see them.” I searched the faces, hunting for my men, but I couldn’t find them.
Charlie took me into his embrace, squeezed me tightly, and said, “Remember, as Santa you can bend the rules.” Then he left me alone, and I turned to the assembly of at least three hundred attendees.
A strange quiet fell over us, and I kept surveying the mob, deflated my men weren’t present. I turned to my sister and shrugged, but she pointed to something in the distance.
Three men were now strolling down the center of the divided audience. They were dressed in black, a red cloak fluttering across each of their backs, and each man carried a staff topped with a golden ball that sparkled beneath the sun.
My heart fluttered as I met their faces. Tatum leading the charge, head high, serious, but sexy as hell. Leven winked, while Jax waved to the people as if he were royalty, making me laugh. His long hair had been tied back in a ponytail and it damn, it suited him, highlighting his sharp cheekbones. All I pictured was running to them, but I stood my ground.
They marched closer, reminding me of gladiators, strong and ready to take on the greatest battle of their lives. Once they halted in front of the podium where I stood, my mouth ached from smiling nonstop. Their eyes poured over my long-sleeved red dress with a tight bodice beneath a square neckline, and a skirt flowing outward in waves from my hips.
Each of the them took a knee in the snow and drove their staff into the earth.
The voices around us silenced.
“Nickie, I pledge my allegiance to you for eternity,” Tatum said first. Then Leven repeated the words, followed by Jax.
My throat tightened, and my vision blurred with tears. I wasn’t a crier, but that was all I’d done since I’d gone to Austria. The tears pooling in my eyes right now had came from my soul. I’d never felt as special as I did now. The way the men stared at me with pure loyalty and admiration made my chest beaming.
The masses boomed with applause, throwing glitter into the air, a rainbow of sparkle rained down on us.
“What now?” I asked. “Do I have to select five more reindeer? Will I have eight for the sleigh?”
“You’re the new Santa of the Workshop, ruling over everyone here,” Leven said. “So Tatum will arrange to show you the best of the best to join your elite team at a later time.”
Tatum stared me up and down. “That dress is spectacular on you. A shame it’ll have to come off soon.”
I raised a brow. “Is that another ritual?”
Jax’s hand glided across my back. “A great feast and celebration will be held tonight in your honor, but first, you’re required to spend a few hours with your new elite team to bond. Get to know us, tell us how you want us to work with you.”
My mouth curled upward and I clenched my thighs together.
“Let’s play a game,” Leven whispered. “We guess what you have planned for us.”
“But first,” Jax said, “I’ve arranged for your sister to spend a few hours in the toy shop.” I glanced toward her to see she was hand in hand with a young girl. They both waved at me.
“Can I go?” she asked.
I nodded and moved toward her, giving her a hug. “Have fun.”
Leven and Jax took my hand while Tatum led us out of the yard and toward the biggest mansion, which was situated at one end of the court.
“Welcome to your new home,” Leven said.
I froze in place on a stone path cleared of snow. My legs refused to move as I stared up at the colossal cobblestone structure. Dozens of windows were lit up with fairy lights, and the roof was crowned in snow. Trees surround the place like a great army.
The double front doors opened for us by two men, who bowed in our direction.
“Are you fucking shitting me?” I asked.
Jax didn’t waste a moment, and swept me off my feet and into his arms. “Wait until you see the mistletoe!”
14
I stared up at the biggest mistletoe I’d ever seen overhead—with dark green leaves and red berries—wondering if the plant was real or plastic. It’d spread out over half the ceiling, growing from a large black pot in the corner of the room. Part of the greenery had curled around a chandelier that dripped in crystals. Floor to ceiling Tudor-styled windows overlooked a landscape of white mountains that stretched out as far as I could see. The backyard of my new home was pure wilderness, sitting on the edge of a cliff, and it left me in awe. I, the woman who’d never had much luck, was living here!
Tatum, Jax, and Leven would each have a room in the mansion, but the additional sleigh team would be managed by Tatum and reside in the nearby dorms.
Speaking of delicious men, the three in question slouched behind me on the L-shaped couch in their formal black attire. They’d removed their capes, much to my dismay.
A blaze crackled and snapped in the fireplace, throwing shadows across the carpeted study. A Christmas tree towered near the window, and presents littered every spare corner in the room. Britta would be sure to try opening them once she arrived home. Considering she was whisked away to the toy workshop, I doubted she’d be back anytime soon.
Home!
The word floated in my mind. I’d lived in so many locations, and I hadn’t yet felt at home. But looking around this enormous house, the multitude of rooms, and the men whom I’d intended to spend more time with and get to know better, I could easily see myself making this my home. Heck, this was Santa’s Workshop in the North Pole! It might take months for that notion to finally settle in, and it still boggled my mind what I’d gone through these past few weeks. Almost dying, meeting incredible guys, and somehow becoming Santa Claus. Me, in charge of ensuring kids around the world got presents once a year. Insanity! Overwhelming. What if I screwed up?
The door to the study creaked open and a young man with the cutest short Mohawk and a butler’s outfit strolled in. Jax had explained that not all residents in the Workshop were either elves or Arietes, but I guessed this man had to be a reindeer shifter for his stature. He carried a silver platter with four glasses of milk and a plate piled high with snickerdoodle cookies.
He met my gaze. “Santa, as requested.” He set the food on the desk of the study and straightened his shoulders.
“Call me ‘Nickie,’” I said, smiling. “It’s so much less formal.”
One of the men chuckled from behind me, and I guessed it was Jax by the mischievous tone. I shook my head.
The man bowed. “Of course, Saint Nickie. Will there be anything else?”
I rolled the name over in my mind, and it would have to do until I convinced everyone working at the mansion to take a more laid-back approach.
“That’s it, thanks so much. Maybe take the rest of the day off.”
His eyes widened into orbs. “Are you certain?” He eyed the two enormous white sacks filled with unanswered letters near the desk. Something the elves would organize for gift distribution! And clearly the butler was somehow involved in this too, and I was sure I’d find out soon enough. Which I couldn’t wait for, but not today.
I nodded. “Yes, tell everyone to head home. I’m going to relax for the rest of the day.”
Again, one of the men cleared his throat behind me, but I ignored him.
The butler retreated, his mouth splitting into a huge smile, and closed the door behind him.
I turned as all three men sauntered my way. Leven glanced up at the mistletoe and back down at me. “Smart plan to send everyone home.” His sexy smirk screamed his real intentions, and before I could respond, he swooped me into his arms and kissed me. His tongue parted my lips, and I drowned beneath him, softening in his embrace.
If this was what he intended to do for the rest of the day, then bring it on.
Another set of hands gripped my waist from behind, while someone else slid the fur shawl from around my shoulders. A line of kisses followed the sweep of my neck across my nape, and having so many hands and mouths on me ignited my own inner fire. It reminded me of my time in the sleigh with Leven and Jax, feeling drunk on their affection as if I’d had too much spiked egg nog. The idea of having multiple men at once turned me into a puddle. And my core was already liquid fire.
Someone eased open zipper on the back of my dress, and the fabric glided away from my body, sliding down my legs, leaving me wearing close to nothing. The fire chased away the chill, as did the three men who kept me warm.
I broke away from Leven, surrounded by my three men who towered over me.
“Oh, Nickie, the things you do to me.” Jax pulled my hand to his heart as he took in my body, and I followed his gaze to my red lace bra and matching thong. Before leaving Austria, I’d made sure to visit the local town in search of a few sexy outfits for such an occasion. I was under no illusion that the four of us were headed that way. I hadn’t been able to get them out of my head ever since our nude encounter in the sauna.
“You like?” I flirted, batting my eyes as I swung my hips.
Tatum’s hands cupped my ass, his hot breath on my ear, and I moaned with desire. “I’m going to devour you.” His deep, husky voice undid me so fast, a shiver shot to the pit of my stomach, and I chewed on my lower lip.
“Is that a promise?” I asked.
Three sets of sex-starved eyes settled on me, stripping me with their sights alone. There was so much more I wanted to discover about these men—their pasts, their favorite foods, and even which side of the bed they preferred. We had time to get to know each other now, and I’d never felt this excited to date someone. Which was the complete opposite of where I’d been in my life over a month ago, but so much had happened recently that had made me question my decisions in life. Like keeping everyone but Britta at an arm’s distance, terrified of getting hurt and being used. But if I did that the rest of my
life, I’d end up alone forever. And Britta was right about what she’d said when we’d left California. She wouldn’t always be with me once she found someone special, or maybe headed to college, so I had to make a future for myself as well. The best place to start was with these three men who stirred my lust meter off the charts.
Leven slipped one bra strap off my shoulder, but I slapped him away. “Seems unfair you’re all still dressed.”
Leven and Jax smirked and almost in unison, pulled off their shirts. I reached out to touch their chiseled chests—rock-hard under my touch, tapering down to the most incredible abs. In seconds, they’d toed off their shoes, unzipped their pants, and stripped in one go. I laughed because there was no wasting time with them, and their cocks were hard and waiting. Just as divine as I remembered them from the sauna.
Jax collected my hand and guided me over to the couch while I looked behind to find Tatum still dressed. I stretched out a hand to him, but he simply winked. What was he up to?
Jax spun me around to face him, our bodies pressed together, his hardness between us. And his mouth was on mine, tasting of chocolate, stealing my breath. He nibbling my lip, and I moaned against him. Leven was behind me, his fingers hooking into the top of my panties and pulling them down my legs. I stepped out of them and his palms grasped my ass. His fingers slid between my cheeks and lower, until he found my slickness. He wasted no time and slid a finger into me.
I groaned, loving their hands all over me.
Jax spun me to face away from him before drawing me onto his lap, my back pressed against his chest on the couch.
Leven sat down right next to us, his hand on my breasts, peeling the fabric down to reveal my nipples. His expression was so fucking sexy. I’d never had anyone look at me with such longing.
