Tis the Season for Love

I rang the doorbell and shuffled from side to side…from the cold. Not nerves. I also adjusted the glasses perched on my nose and the fluffy white beard on my chin.

The door opened and I heard a gasp from below me. “Holy cow! He did it!”

Tyler was staring up at me with wide eyes and an open mouth.

“What?” I asked, confused. He’d seen me in this getup before, so I knew he didn’t think I was the real Santa.

“Uh…nothing, Mr. Clark,” he muttered before spinning around and dashing away while yelling Harley’s name.

A minute passed before she appeared down the hall and completely took my breath away. She was wearing a red, knit dress that clung to her delicious body until just above the knee. Her lustrous hair fell around her shoulders and her face was lightly made up, just enough to emphasize her gorgeous features. High-heeled, black boots clicked on the hardwood floor as she moved toward me. I was suddenly grateful for the fluff around my mouth as it would catch any drool that escaped.

“Santa?” She laughed as her eyes swept up and down by body.

“Ho, ho, ho,” I rasped. “I dropped by to take you to your present.”

Her eyebrow raised and she chuckled. “Does this mean I’ve been nice instead of naughty?”

I grinned and winked at her. “You’ve been very nice, but I’m hoping you’re in the mood to be a little naughty,” I said quietly, making sure she was the only one who could hear my words.

Pink spread across her cheeks and down her neck making me desperate to find out just where that blush stopped. I inwardly sighed, trying to calm my libido. This was about sweeping her off her feet, not rushing her into bed. No matter how much I wanted to do just that.

“Bundle up, we have a ride to take first, beautiful.”

She turned to a door on her left and opened it, pulling out a long, wool coat, scarf, and gloves. As she put everything on, my attention was snagged by movement at the end of the hall. Tyler’s head was poking around the corner, a phone stuck to his ear and he was smiling hugely. I cocked my head curiously, but when he caught my gaze, he ducked out of sight.

Before I could think much more about it, Harley captured my full attention once again.

“Okay, lead the way, big man.”

I raised a fake, bushy brow and glared at her playfully. “Are you calling me fat?”

Harley laughed and poked me in the stomach. I’d removed the stuffing and the suit hung a little loose on my trim, muscular frame. “Certainly not.” Her eyes heated as her fingertips brushed down my abs and she licked her lips, wetting them and making them irresistible.

I slipped a hand around her waist and tugged her forward, crushing my mouth down on hers. She giggled at the tickle of my beard at first, but the kiss quickly heated and I had to force myself to stop before it got out of hand.

Stepping back, I entwined our fingers and led her out into the cold. She stopped and gasped in delight when she saw the big, red sleigh and beautiful chestnut horse. It was truly picturesque with the snow that had begun to fall hours before.

“You’re taking me on a sleigh ride?” Her eyes lit up, and she practically vibrated with excitement. “This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

She pecked my cheek and hurried off before I could get a grip on her and take it further. Patience.

I helped her onto the seat and tucked a blanket around her before jogging to the other side and hoisting myself up next to her. Once we were both settled, I pulled a thermos from my bag and handed it to her. She opened it and smiled widely as the steam rose from it, bringing the sweet scent of hot chocolate.

“Snow, a sleigh, hot chocolate…this is like a movie,” she breathed. “Either you really are magic or you have the best luck for all of this to fall in place so perfectly.”

“Maybe I had a chat with the real Santa and he lent me some of his,” I said cheekily. Harley laughed, the musical sound echoing in the quiet night. “Ready?”

She nodded and sipped the hot chocolate. I urged the horse forward and directed the sleigh back toward my house. My whole body warmed when she leaned her head on my shoulder and let out a contented sigh.

When we arrived at our destination, I pulled the horse to a stop and waved to my friend who was waiting across the street with a trailer to collect the sleigh and animal.

Harley shivered, but a bright smile took up her whole face. “If it wasn’t so flipping freezing out, I’d beg to ride some more.”

“The magic isn’t over, beautiful,” I said with a smirk. Hopping down, I gave the reins to my friend then helped Harley from the sleigh.

“Thanks, Grant,” I murmured and Harley waved cheerily at him. He simply nodded, his face impassive. Despite how he made his living, Grant was not a fan of the holidays. Which made his favor all the more appreciated.

I guided Harley to the front door and let us inside. After helping her out of her winter gear, I seated her on the couch and handed her a drink. “Sit and relax for a minute while I lose the getup.”

She shrugged and canted her head to the side, eyeing me speculatively. “Okay, but it’s kinda sexy.”

Laughing, I turned and took the stairs two at a time, rushing to change into jeans and a dark green, button-down shirt. I didn’t bother to tuck it in, deciding to go casual.

When I returned, I was treated to another spectacular view of Harley’s ass as she bent in front of the tree inspecting the presents below it.

“Snooping, Harley?”

She jumped up and spun around, her face pink and adorable. “I saw my name and…”

I laughed and closed the distance between us, enveloping her in my arms. “Want to open it now?”

A strange look crossed her face and she shook her head. “Um, I didn’t get anything for you. Except…”

I tenderly brushed her hair out of her face and lightly kissed her lips. “I wasn’t expecting anything, beautiful.”

“Um well, the thing is…if tonight is going where I think it is, I should probably tell you something. It’s kind of your gift…” Her face was bright red and her eyes wouldn’t meet mine, making me even more curious what she meant.

Chapter Six

Harley

I felt my face heat and cursed my fair skin as I tried to think of the best way to tell David that I’d never had sex with anyone before. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin the incredibly romantic moment between us, especially after he’d gone to so much trouble to make tonight special. I was scared that he’d change his mind about me if he knew. Even though he was okay with our age difference and hadn’t ever made me feel like it was a big issue, my inexperience might be a deal-breaker for him. But I couldn’t hide it and I’d already given David a big hint, so...

“I’m a virgin,” I blurted out.

“Fucking hell,” he breathed out, and I squeezed my eyes shut as he tipped my head up. “I swear it’ll all be okay, but I need you to look at me, beautiful.”