Her Secret Santa

by Kelli Callahan

  “Promise not to judge me?” Ian exhaled sharply.

  “No, I’m not going to judge you.” I shook my head back and forth. “Your rich—you’re hot. I assume you can walk into a bar and snap your fingers if you want someone to go home with you…”

  I might have been tempted, even if I was a virgin that wasn’t looking for a relationship…

  “She’s the only one—period.” He raised his eyebrows and smirked. “I’m not a man-whore. I believe that sex should mean something…”

  “What?” My head snapped back. “There hasn’t been anyone else? Not even before her?”

  “Nope.” He confirmed what he said with a quick shake of his head.

  “Wow…” I reached for my fresh glass of wine. “That’s crazy.”

  “I told you I don’t go on many dates—I haven’t been hooking up with people left and right either.” He laughed.

  “That’s pretty respectable.” I nodded. “No wonder you want to wait…”

  It makes a lot more sense now.

  “Your turn to answer that question. You’re a virgin, but—you can do a lot of stuff without losing your cherry.” He narrowed his eyes.

  “Yeah, I’m such a slut.” I rolled my eyes. “I give them everything except the key to my chastity belt.”

  “I see.” He shifted in his seat.

  “I’m just messing with you. I mean, I went on dates in high school. I went on a few dates in college.” I shrugged. “I just never really felt a connection with any of the guys I dated. I know that was my fault because I was closed off. After I got my job, I focused on my career instead of worrying about the fact that I went home to an empty apartment.”

  “At least you didn’t do anything you weren’t comfortable with.” Ian nodded. “Okay, ready for my next question.”

  “Absolutely.” I smiled. “This is fun.”

  Ian and I traded several more questions back and forth. His were pretty thoughtful and grandiose. Mine were more personal, but they were things that I was curious about. We learned a lot about each other—one of which being that we both had Scotland on our bucket list of vacations. Ian’s family on his mother’s side was actually from Scotland, and he had a few relatives over there that he had never met. I confessed that I thought guys in kilts were pretty hot—and teased Ian about wearing one for me. He didn’t shut the idea down, which made me grin and think some pretty dirty thoughts.

  “Okay.” Ian poured another glass of wine for both of us. “We only have a couple of questions each—you better make them count.”

  “You first.” I motioned to him. “It’s your turn.”

  “Alright, if you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be?” He tilted his head inquisitively.

  “Wow…” I blinked a couple of times. “I’ve never really thought about that.”

  “Take your time.” Ian took a sip of his wine.

  “I guess…” My eyebrows came together as I contemplated it. “Probably my grandmother. She died before I was born. My mom used to tell me that we had similar personalities. If that’s true, we would probably be good friends.”

  “Sounds like a dangerous combination.” Ian chuckled and nodded.

  “What about you? Who would you meet?” I raised my eyebrows inquisitively.

  “I always thought it would be interesting to meet Abraham Lincoln.” Ian leaned forward and put his wine down on the table. “Just to find out what he would have done if he had lived longer, and to see what he thinks about the world we live in now.”

  “I did a book report on him once.” I sipped my wine and smiled. “He was a fascinating guy.”

  “So if we get a time machine, then we’ll go hang out with your grandmother for a little bit, and then give Abraham Lincoln a tour of the city.” Ian laughed.

  “I like that.” I nodded in agreement.

  “Your turn.” Ian leaned back against the couch.

  “You’re not going to be offended by anything I ask you, right?” I narrowed my eyes.

  “Nah, I already told you that I’m an open book.” He shrugged.

  “Okay, well…” I hesitated for a moment but decided to proceed. “You seem to be pretty amazing, but I’ve bet you’ve got some flaws in there somewhere.”

  “Hmm.” Ian raised his eyebrows in contemplation.

  “What are they? Do you hate puppies?” I smiled but tried to keep a serious expression on my face. “Do you snore?”

  “You nailed it.” He smirked and nodded. “I kick every puppy I see and snore so loud that the walls shake. Still want to hang out with me?”

  “I don’t know.” I gave him a side-eyed glance. “That could be a deal-breaker.”

  “Seriously though, I’m far from perfect. I don’t think anyone is.” He shook his head back and forth. “I’d say my biggest flaw is the inability to let go of things—even when it’s a problem I can’t solve. I try, but they just get stuck in my head. Sometimes that can be an issue at work…”

  “I guess it depends on what the problem is.” I nodded in understanding.

  That does kind of explain Abigail—and why he won’t let me hate Christmas in peace.

  “What about you? Do you kick puppies and snore too?” He reached for his wine.

  “Nah, but you already know what my biggest flaw is.” I sighed. “Fear of the unknown and believing that every situation is going to end with the worst case scenario.”

  “You’ve got a good reason for it, so I understand.” He reached over and squeezed my hand. “That was a pretty heavy question. I’m glad you asked it.”

  “I’ll try to make my last one a little easier.” My lips twisted back into a smile.

  “Whatever you want to ask.” He shrugged.

  “Let me hear your last one first.” I took a sip of my wine.

  “Okay.” He nodded. “What are your thoughts on marriage and children? Are you open to it?”

  “Wow.” I blinked in surprise. “You really did save the hardest one for last…”

  “I don’t think it is.” He shook his head back and forth. “You either are, or you aren’t.”

  “I wish it was that simple.” I laughed nervously. “I didn’t even think I wanted to be in a relationship before I met you.”

  “Well I’m not proposing or planning to knock you up tomorrow…” He gave me a nudge and smiled.

  “Yeah, you won’t even take my virginity.” I bit down on my bottom lip and grinned. “The only honest answer I can give is that I’m not completely opposed to it.”

  “That’s good enough for me.” He nodded.

  “I assume since you asked the question that you are open to both marriage and kids?” I raised an eyebrow.

  “Definitely.” He laughed under his breath. “I want at least a half dozen kids.”

  “Uh…” My head snapped back. “Please tell me your joking.”

  “I need at least that many for all the dad-jokes I’ve got!” He laughed a little harder.

  “I may need to retract the invitation I gave you earlier.” My eyebrows shot up in concern. “And buy a couple of extra locks for my chastity belt.”

  “You said you weren’t completely opposed to it…” He squeezed my hand.

  “Yeah, like one—maybe two.” I leaned back. “I’m not a factory!”

  “We’re a long way from seriously discussing that anyway.” He took a sip of his wine. “I was just trying to find out if you were open to it.”

  “Well now I’m terrified.” I smiled and took a quick drink of my wine.

  I really do think he’s joking…

  “You have one question left…” Ian studied my expression.

  “Hmm.” I stared at my glass of wine. “Okay, I got one. What would you never turn down?”

  “That’s a pretty good one.” He chuckled. “I guess I would have say—anything that presents an interesting challenge.

  “Like trying to convince someone who hates Christmas that they need to put up decorations?” I raised an eyebrow.r />
  “I wouldn’t say that presents an interesting challenge.” He reached over and took my hand. “I just want you to enjoy the holiday season rather than be miserable during it.”

  “This one is becoming my favorite.” I smiled and bit down on my bottom lip. “And it has nothing to do with the decorations…”

  “Maybe you’ll warm up to them eventually.” He smirked. “Okay, what would you never turn down?”

  “Oh that’s easy…” I leaned closer until my lips were against his ears. “You.”

  “Damn.” Ian exhaled sharply and shifted in his seat.

  I leaned back from his ear, but I didn’t get far. Ian pulled me into an embrace and kissed me. One of his hands moved down to my thigh, and he slid it underneath my dress. I questioned my own sanity when I walked out into the freezing cold weather in a dress that didn’t even come to my knees, but I was glad that I chose it when I felt his hands on my skin.

  The fire that Ian started was hot enough to melt a block of ice, so I didn’t think I was going to freeze on the way back to the car. I tried to slide closer to him and force his hand to go further, but he stopped right below my panties. They were soaking wet—if he moved his hand a little closer, he was definitely going to find out how turned on I was—although I was pretty sure he could already tell that by the way I had been behaving all night.

  “Are there any other questions you want to ask me?” Ian gasped for air when our lips finally parted.

  “I used up all ten…” I shrugged. “I think I’m done.”

  “That doesn’t have to be the end of it if you have more questions.” He squeezed my thigh.

  “Okay, I got one more for you… Will you come back to my place with me?” My lips slowly spread into a grin.

  “You might be able to persuade me—under one condition…” He smiled.

  “I think I’m going to like this condition.” My grin got wider.

  “I don’t know if you will.” He tilted his head inquisitively. “I want you to watch a Christmas movie with me.”

  “Netflix and chill?” I felt a surge of excitement. “I don’t really care what we watch.”

  We left the bottle of wine on the table, and Ian escorted me back downstairs. I didn’t know if we were actually going to have sex when we got back to my place, but I was looking forward to continuing what we started—even if we didn’t make it further than the couch. I wasn’t looking forward to watching a Christmas movie, but I didn’t have to pay attention to it. It would be impossible anyway if Ian’s lips were on mine and his hands were on my body. I certainly hoped that was what he had in mind.

  He does really like Christmas…

  “Did you want to get a bottle to take with you?” Ian motioned to the bar area.

  “Nah.” I shook my head back and forth. “I’ve had enough for one night.”

  As soon as we got into the backseat of the car, Ian started kissing me again. I was really glad that he didn’t drive—it would have been hard for me to keep from distracting him, and I didn’t think his eyes would have stayed on the road. He squeezed my breasts through my dress, pushed a hand up my thigh, and went a little further than he did when we were at the event—his fingers got extremely close to my panties. I practically begged him to keep going, but he pulled his hand away as soon as the car came to a stop in front of my apartment building.

  At least we’ll have some privacy there—he won’t have a reason to pull away in the heat of the moment.

  “What movie would you like to watch?” Ian offered me his hand when he stepped out of the car.

  “I don’t really care.” I shook my head back and forth.

  “How about Christmas Vacation?” He tilted his head inquisitively.

  “That’s fine.” I nodded.

  I really don’t plan on paying any attention to Clark W. Griswold…

  We kissed again as soon as we got into the elevator, and Ian’s lips didn’t leave mine until the doors opened when we reached my floor. I was a little nervous when we started walking to my apartment. I was so eager to invite Ian into my bed, but the reality of that actually happening began to set in. Was I ready? Did I act impulsively because Ian made me feel things that I didn’t realize was possible? The temptation was strong when I was in his arms. My desires overwhelmed rational thought. My heart started beating hard in my chest, and my pulse started racing for an entirely different reason—I was scared.

  I practically threw myself at him. I was so sure it was what I wanted…

  “You’re not really here to watch Christmas Vacation, right?” I turned towards Ian when we walked into my apartment.

  “Why? Did you want to watch a different movie?” He walked up to me and put his hands on my hips.

  “There’s nothing wrong with the movie.” I shook my head back and forth. “I…”

  “You think I just came here to take you up on your offer?” He moved a hand to my chin and tilted his head.

  “Yeah,” I sighed my response.

  “I’m tempted, trust me.” His eyes scanned my body. “The sight of you in this dress—the gorgeous curves… But that isn’t why I accepted your invitation. I still think it’s best to wait. When the time is right, we’ll both know it.”

  “I want you.” I stepped into his arms. “I swear that I do…”

  “We can have fun without going to the bedroom.” Ian leaned close to my ear. “You don’t even have to take your panties off—unless you want to.”

  “Oh god...” A surge of excitement shot through my veins.

  “Why don’t we just watch the movie and see what happens?” He took my hand and led me to the couch.

  Ian really was perfect. I asked him about flaws, but if he hadn’t told me that he had one, I would have easily believed that he didn’t have any at all. I didn’t think many guys would have been happy if the girl that was throwing herself at them suddenly got cold feet. I didn’t even know for sure that Ian would have taken me up on my offer. He might have been the one that held back. What he said was true—when it was right, we would both know. There was no reason to rush things. Our relationship was still new. We could have fun—we could enjoy our time together—and if things went a little further than they did in the car, I was perfectly fine with that.

  One thing hasn’t changed—I still don’t think I’m going to be paying much attention to the movie.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ian

  I was well past the point of simply being tempted. When I got in the car and tasted the hunger on Elly’s lips, I wasn’t sure if it mattered what movie we put on when we got back to her apartment. I sensed a change in her demeanor when we actually walked through the front door. All of the eagerness in her eyes shifted to a look of uncertainty. She liked it when we played around, and she loved to tease, but there was some hesitation towards what that could lead to when it became a real possibility. In a way, I was glad to see that reaction. It confirmed my initial belief—we didn’t need to rush our relationship to the next level. We were having fun, and possibly even falling in love, and that was beautiful enough without doing something that we weren’t ready for.

  Her first time should be perfect, and there shouldn’t be a hint of hesitation in those gorgeous misty gray eyes.

  “Do you mind if I log into my Amazon account?” I picked up the remote once we got to the couch. “I already own the movie.”

  “Yeah, that’s fine.” Elly nodded.

  “If you don’t want to watch Christmas Vacation, I have a lot of other options…” I turned on the television and quickly logged into my account.

  “Christmas Vacation is fine.” She shrugged. “At least it’s funny without shoving the holiday in your face the entire time.”

  “I really don’t think that’s the intent of any of these movies…” I shook my head and laughed under my breath. “Well okay, maybe a few of the Hallmark movies are a bit much.”

  “You seriously watch Hallmark movies?” Elly’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.<
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  “Only when I’m at my sister’s house, and she leaves them on.” I loaded my selection of movies. “I like the classics—and a few others that I’ve discovered over the years.”

  “Yeah, I haven’t even heard of some of these…” Elly stared at the screen as I scrolled. “Wait, I recognize the guy from Big Bang Theory.”

  “Oh this movie?” I stopped on Uncle Nick. “It’s funny, but the humor is a little crude—the whole season holiday season turns into a train wreck—worse than it does in Christmas Vacation. Do you want to watch it instead?”

  “Nah, we’ll stick with our Griswold shenanigans.” Elly smiled.

  “Did you know there’s a sequel to Christmas Vacation?” I pointed at the movie next to the holiday classic.

  “No.” Elly laughed. “There’s no way they can top the original.”

  “Nope, I’ve only watched it once—and I wish I would have just rented it.” I started our movie and put the remote down.

  I hoped that Elly would be able to enjoy the movie, even if her attitude towards Christmas was a bit sour. She had a good reason to look at the holidays in a negative light, but I wanted to change that before we exchanged our Secret Santa gifts. The bad experiences from her past didn’t have to ruin what was supposed to be a joyful time of year—she just needed some good experiences to replace them with. I had a few ideas, but I wanted to see if I could at least convince her to keep an open mind first. Christmas Vacation seemed like a good place to start—it had been a while since I watched the movie, but it used to always get me in the mood for the holidays when I was younger.

  “When I was a little girl, I used to sit at the top of the stairs and watch this movie.” Elly slid closer to me. “My parents had no idea I was up there…”

  “You got away with watching the entire movie?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

  “Nah, I usually got tired before it was over. They never started it before my bedtime.” She looked up at me and smiled. “I almost got busted a couple of times when my Dad went for popcorn.”