Naughty for Santa
An Erotic Holiday Romance
written by,
Alisa Easton
Copyright © 2017 Alisa Easton
All rights reserved.
This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
I stood at the bay window watching for Jake's parents to pull into the driveway. Thick, fat snowflakes began falling to the ground in lazy clumps.
“Abby, come look,” I shouted to my three year-old daughter. She wasted no time, bounding on endless energy as she dropped her crayons and ran to the window.
“It's snowing!”
The excitement in her voice matched my own. There was something magical about the first snowfall of the season and the fact that it corresponded with Christmas Eve made it more so. I put my arms around Abby and pulled her close. Her grandparents would arrive any minute to whisk her away on a Christmas Eve adventure, which they had done every year since her birth, but in that moment I wished I didn't have to let her go, especially as it meant spending Christmas Eve again.
“Mommy, we need to put out milk and cookies for Santa,” she said as she twisted in my grasp until we were nose to nose. I snuggled in to her and laughed.
“You're right. I almost forgot.”
I took her hand and led her to the kitchen where the batch of chocolate chip cookies we'd made earlier still lay in neat rows on the counter where we'd set them to cool. Abby started piling the entire collection on to our special Santa plate.
“Save a few of those for us,” I told her, “I'm sure Santa won't need so many. He has a lot of houses to visit tonight.”
“No Mommy, I want to make sure Santa is extra happy when he visits our house.”
“Santa knows what a good girl you've been. I don't think you need to worry about not getting enough presents.” I yanked open the fridge door and grabbed the cartoon of milk.
Abby was watching me with a curious expression and I could tell she had something big on her mind.
“But I told Santa I wanted something extra, extra special this year.”
I finished pouring the milk and replaced the carton in the fridge. I was racking my brain but all December the only thing I remembered her mentioning was a barbie doll. That didn't seem like such a tall order to me.
“What did you tell him you wanted?”
She looked around as though she wasn't sure she wanted to confess her secret wish and I felt my insides tighten. Maybe sometimes I spoiled Abby too much by always trying to give her everything she wanted but as a single parent, I suppose I felt like I owed it to her or something, especially considering the fact that her dad wasn't exactly a hands on kind of guy.
Not that it was his fault entirely. We barely knew each other when I got pregnant. I wasn't the sort to sleep around but I was going through a rough time after losing my dad and when Jake walked in to my life, I just sort of let go and crashed into him. He asked me out, I said yes. Next thing I knew, I was in the back seat of his car with my underwear around my ankles throwing caution to the wind.
Turned out, Jake and I didn't have much in common and he wasn't really interested in having a girlfriend anyway. We didn't go out again and that's where our relationship would have ended if I hadn't found out I was pregnant.
At first, he denied the baby could be his but in my mind, there was never any doubt. I hadn't slept with anyone else. When his family found out, they tried to coerce him into marrying me but that was never going to happen. He'd already moved on to someone else and the last thing he needed was a wife and a baby to weigh him down. Not that I'd have accepted his proposal anyway. Being busy with grad school and starting a new job, it was bad timing. I considered the alternatives but honestly, Abby is what saved me from a time in my life when I had nothing else to live for. She was my little angel in every sense of the word. There was never truly an alternative to having her in my life.
So, despite having no one to help me raise her, I felt like I'd done an okay job so far. I was grateful that even though Jake didn't want to take on the role of fatherhood, he didn't deny his parents the opportunity to dote on their grandchild. No one asked anything of Jake and everyone ended up happy enough. Abby has a wonderful relationship with his family and they have offered me more support and kindness than I deserve, especially during the moments when I've missed my own parents the most.
“What is it, Abby? You can tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone else,” I said, urging her to confide in me. I imagined myself jumping in the car after Jake's parents picked her up and going on a mad dash to the store praying to find whatever it was she secretly wanted so badly.
Abby sighed deeply. “I want Santa to bring me a Daddy,” she whispered.
“Oh.” I stood there not knowing what to say. Abby had never expressed an interest in having a man in her life to call Daddy. I guess I always assumed that Jake's parents somehow filled that void when she was with them and she was happy enough with that. I dropped down to my knees and pulled her in tight to me. Her little body felt frail against mine.
“Abby, you know Santa can't bring people, right?”
“Santa is magic.”
I ran my fingers through her soft brown hair and held back the tears I felt welling in my eyes. Everything I'd been able to provide for my daughter and this was the one thing it seemed I was completely incapable of.
“I know honey, but this is the sort of thing that even Santa can't manage.”
Holding her at arms length I looked into her eyes and tried to make her understand. There wasn't going to be a Daddy for Christmas.
For a short time earlier this year, Jake and I had tried to make things work between us. I'd never asked him to step up but he'd called me out of the blue and asked me out. At first, I said no. I thought he was only doing it because his parents were on another rant about responsibility and all that, but when he insisted they didn't know about his newfound interest, I agreed to give it a chance. After all, we weren't the same people we were when Abby was conceived. Now that she was three maybe he wanted us in his life. We dated in secret for three months before we told his parents, just in case it didn't pan out. We didn't want to get their hopes up. There were even a couple of times we took Abby out with us – to the zoo, to a movie. It felt good to be a proper family even if romantically, I'd never truly felt a spark or connection to Jake. Even still, maybe that's when Abby got it in her head she needed a Daddy?
I guess I'd never considered how she would feel about me hanging out with the guy who helped bring her into this life. I kicked myself now for letting down my guard and putting her in that position because the ultimate reality was, Jake and I weren't meant to be together.
We might have been able to fool ourselves for a little while but when things started to get serious, Jake pulled away. I saw less and less of him. His parents started asking questions I couldn't answer. And then one day I bumped into him shopping at the mall, walking hand in hand with his new girlfriend, Lisa. All that time I sat around waiting for him to call and he'd already moved on.
I felt stupid and naive all over again. Men were jerks. All I needed was Abby.
“Santa can do it,” she told rather matter-of-fact, “It will be a Christmas miracle.”
That would be a miracle, I thought. I tried to smile.
“Your grandparents will be here soon. Why don't you go make sure your bag is all packed?”
“Sure, Mommy.” She gave me a kiss and wandered off. I picked up the plate of cookies and the glass of milk and carried them to the living room to set them out on the table next to my favorite lounge chair. For a moment, I simply stood there staring at the plate trying to imagine Santa actually bringing Abby a father and I laughed. It wasn't a humorous laugh. It was more of a what-the-hell-had-I-been-thinking kind of laugh. Maybe Jake had been right all along. I didn't have much right to bring this life into the world and expect I was actually going to do any good raising her on my own.
“Damn you, Jake,” I said under my breath. Maybe I should have tried a little harder to make things work? Maybe I should have been one of those girls who gets pregnant and traps the guy into a loveless marriage instead of giving him my blessing to carry on living his own life? I shook my head to clear those crazy thoughts just as the doorbell rang. I heard Abby squeal with delight as she ran to answer it.
Why didn't Jake ever come to pick up his daughter I thought sourly?
Dean and Margaret Everson were giving their granddaughter hugs and kisses when I walked in the room. I felt like an intruder in my own home. When they saw me, they each gave me a hug as well and then Margaret offered me a small box wrapped in silver foil.
“What's this?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Just a little something that made us think of you.”
I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment. They'd thought enough to buy me a present and I hadn't got them anything.
Dean came to my rescue. “It's just a little something to express our gratitude to you for doing such a wonderful job with Abby.”
“Thank you,” I said feeling small.
Dean and Margaret never ceased to amaze me with the extent of their generosity. Too bad Jake didn't take after them in the least. She would have been proud to call Margaret and Dean her in-laws.
“You must have exciting plans for Christmas Eve,” Margaret said, “So we won't hold you up.”
“Just a quiet evening at home actually,” I told her.
The two shared a look and I wondered if they'd been talking about me on their drive over to pick up Abby. Sometimes when they looked at me, I saw pity. A few times they'd actually tried to apologize on Jake's behalf for knocking me up and leaving me alone to raise a kid and then set me up with some poor soul they picked up along the way.
Hey, Cara, meet the new intern at Dean's accounting office. He's single... Hey Cara, this is so-and-so our handsome pizza delivery man. He's single... Did I really look so desperate? I'd tried to put their fears to rest a thousand times already. I wasn't doing anything I hadn't willingly signed up to do. Abby was my choice and I didn't need to get laid as a reward.
Margaret put her hand on my arm. “Jake was asking about you.”
“Finally broke up with that – what was her name?” Dean said.
“Lisa,” Margaret finished for her husband. I could tell by the way she said the name that she didn't think much of the girl.
“I'm sorry to hear that,” I said, suddenly feeling very awkward. I'd rather they were trying to set me up with the pizza guy again rather than those uncomfortable moments when they believed there was still hope for their son.
“Maybe you should come by later for dinner?”
“No, but thank you for thinking of me. I'm exhausted from work and looking forward to a quiet evening. It's okay with me.”
They exchanged another glance and I braced myself for another attempt to orchestrate an arrangement between Jake and me but thankfully, it didn't come.
We talked a bit more about the weather and current events and I gave my daughter a big hug and made her promise to be good and then off they went.
I was left standing in the doorway watching the car disappear down the road and wondering what on earth to do with myself. Not in any particular hurry, I stood outside staring up into the sky and enjoying the feel of the cold snow hitting my face.
Magical.
Wishes do come true.
But not the sort that require Santa to bring Daddies on Christmas. I giggled a little to myself as I imagined Abby telling Jake her secret wish. Before I turned around to go back in the house, I saw my new neighbor, Nick pull into the driveway. He got out of his car and we exchanged a wave. I stared probably a moment too long but I couldn't help myself. Nick was one good-looking guy. A thin, attractive blond woman got out of the passenger side of the car. She looked in my direction but her expression was anything but friendly. I waved anyway and then turned back to my house. It was getting chilly standing outside without a coat and I was pretty sure my neighbors probably already thought I was mental, Nick included.
Deciding to light a fire and curl up with a good book, I stopped and looked at the plate of cookies Abby and I had made for Santa. I couldn't think of any reason not to enjoy one or two in celebration of the holidays but the milk wasn't going to cut it. I headed for the liquor cabinet to find something a tad stronger and poured myself a generous portion.
I still had a few gifts to wrap but that didn't take long. By the time I'd finished, I was well into my third drink. No matter how much I tried to numb my thoughts, Abby's words kept echoing through my mind.
“I want a Daddy for Christmas.”
The tears didn't stay back this time. They fell hot and fast. I wiped them away with the back of my hand and remembered that Margaret and Dean had said Jake was no longer seeing that Lisa woman. I should hate him for moving on without telling me but I guess I was tipsy enough to start believing in miracles. Maybe this time things would be different I told myself as I fished through my purse for my cell phone and started a new text message to Jake.
It took another drink before I finally got the nerve to send it.
Probably it was wrong to text him out of he blue like that but I didn't care. I was horny and lonely on Christmas Eve. Jake wouldn't be busy playing with his daughter. He'd probably be more interested in watching football or hanging out with his buddies. Even if his parents forced him to spend time with Abby, he'd be free after she went to bed. Free for a late night booty call with his baby's mother. That's all I really wanted and I knew enough to know Jake was always up for it.
I was half asleep when his response came through. He was busy, he said but he'd be bringing Abby tomorrow morning and we could catch up then.
Sighing, I filled my glass one last time. Looked like it was going to be another night with my vibrator. I put another log on the fire and sipped my drink feeling the heady warmth come over me. My eyelids drooped.
“I wish I could give you a Daddy for Christmas,” I whispered in slurred words to my daughter even though she wasn't there.
I woke to a loud bang. Startled, I sat upright and looked toward the window. I didn't remember opening it but the curtains billowed in the cold wind. I got up to close it. When I turned around, he was standing in front of the plate of cookies with his hands on his hips. I screamed.
The man – whoever he was – put up his hands in surrender. He looked at me as if he hadn't expected to find anyone there. I tried to think of where I'd dropped my phone after getting ditched by my loser ex but my head was still too fuzzy from my evening's indulgences.
“What are you doing in my house?”
He laughed and threw his head back.
Jolly. He was dressed just like Santa and damn it if his costume didn't look expensive. He went to great lengths to play the part.
“Get lost on your way back from mall, Santa?” I asked him.
“I'm here for Abby.”
My insides froze. “How do you know my daughter's name?”
“I know all the children. Abby wrote me several letters,” he told me.
In a quick move, I grabbed the poker from the fireplace and held it ready to strike if Santa so much as made a move toward me.
“What do you want from me?”
Santa sighed and looked back at the plate of cookies. Then his gaze moved from the cookies to the half empty bottle of scotch I'd been enjoying.
“Do you mind?” he asked, indicating the bottle.
Actually, I did but I wasn't going to antagonize the freak anymore than I had to. I just wanted to get him out of my house. Alcohol might slow him down enough to give me a fair chance of fighting off an attack.
“Help yourself.”
He poured himself a glass and drank it quickly.
“Now get out,” I said.
“Cara, I'm not here to hurt you.”
“That's great but this is my house and I don't remember inviting you in so if you want to just move along, we'll both be better off.”
My heart beat like crazy and the fog in my brain started to lift. Suddenly I remembered leaving my phone next to the tree when I was putting out presents. My gaze must have shifted in that direction because Santa followed it.
“It's a beautiful tree,” he commented.
“Thanks,” I said through clenched teeth. To get to the tree, I needed to get past Santa. Underneath that beard so snowy white, I didn't think he was the old guy you usually see in movies so I couldn't be sure he didn't have quick reflexes despite the drink.
Much to my dismay, Santa relaxed into my lounge chair and poured himself another.
“What do you think you're doing?”
He kicked back the recliner as he sipped his drink, acting like he owned the place.
“It's been a long night. You don't mind if I just take a moment to rest, do you?”
“I do mind. I believe I asked you quite clearly to leave. I'm going to call the police.”
He shook his head sadly and patted his lap.
“Why don't you have another drink and then come tell Santa what you'd like for Christmas instead?”
I stared at him in wide eyed disbelief. This guy was crazy, potentially dangerous, and I had to figure out a way to get away from him. An idea popped into my head.
“My boyfriend is on his way over.”
Santa looked unaffected by my news.
“Jake. His name is Jake. I was just waiting for him. He said he'd be here any minute.”
Santa looked sad, as though I'd told him his cat just got run over. He patted his lap again.
“We both know that thing with Jake is going nowhere,” he said, “Sex. Just sex. So why don't you come over here and tell me what you'd really like?”
“You don't know anything about Jake. He's big, he's mean, and he's jealous as hell. He's not going to be happy to walk in here and find you sitting in his favorite chair drinking his drink and asking his girlfriend to sit on your lap, you pervert, so if I were you, I'd haul your ass out that front door and go play your little reindeer games somewhere else.”
Santa laughed. “Jake is a poor excuse for a father,” he told me, “and he's far from jealous. As a matter of fact, the reason he couldn't come over here tonight is because he's busy banging some girl he just met. Emma, I believe her name is. Or maybe that was last night? Tonight it's Sharon, I think. I don't know. Who can keep up with his antics? The long story short, Jake doesn't have any interest in coming here.”
“How do you know...” I couldn't finish the thought. This was getting creepier by the minute. It was like Santa had been stalking me, just waiting for Christmas Eve night to show up in a poof of... magic... to tell me things he didn't have any business knowing and then what? I was afraid to find out.
“You're a good mother, Cara. You've made so many sacrifices for that little girl and you're doing a wonderful job with her. But you deserve so much more... so much more than Jake is ever capable of giving you.”
“You better keep your filthy hands off my daughter, do you hear me?”
“Cara, please, you know I would never hurt Abby.”
“How would I know that? I don't even know who the hell you are!”
“I'm Santa Claus... St. Nick.”
“There is no such thing as Santa...”
He looked at me with horror in his eyes that I would ever say such a thing and I felt the sinking realization that I wasn't dealing with a rational person. He was a loony, a loony who was apparently obsessed with me and knew entirely too many personal details about my family and my relationship with Jake. For that matter, he seemed to know an awful lot about Jake too which made me wonder if Jake hadn't actually put the guy up to this. Jake was known for his pranks but even this seemed to be taking things a bit too far.
“Did Jake put you up to this?” I asked him. I lowered the poker slightly.
“No, Cara, I've told you already. I'm here because Abby wrote me several letters.”
Shit, I thought. Abby told Jake she wanted a Daddy for Christmas and Jake probably thought I was putting those ideas into her head. This was a sick way to get back at me for what he would lightly take as an insult and a threat to his carefree lifestyle.
“Abby came up with those ideas on her own,” I said, “Probably after seeing Jake and me together those couple months we tried dating. She's three. She can't tell when something isn't working. She just liked having a guy around to …” I stopped. Why did Abby want a father so badly? I provided everything she could possibly need and what I didn't provide, she got when she spent time with her grandparents. She was not lacking for toys and company and it wasn't like Jake and I had really been fun together. There was always this strange tension between us, like we were waiting for the other one to say the wrong thing so we could point fingers and blame.
“She wants her mother to be happy,” Santa said.
“I'm already happy,” I said, disgusted with Santa. Finally he got something wrong. Santa didn't know me so well after all.
“But isn't there something more you long for?”
“I have everything I could ever want – a good job, a beautiful daughter, a nice home. The only thing I want is for you to get your loser ass out of my house so I can move on with my life.”
“Sit on my lap and tell me what you want for Christmas and I promise you, I will go.”
I rolled my eyes. What kind of sick joke was this? I grabbed the bottle and took a long drink straight from it.
“You better tell Jake to go to hell,” I said as I set the bottle with such force it shook the little table. Cookies bounced precariously close to the edge of the plate. Santa simply watched me with curious eyes.
As I got closer, I recognized something in those eyes. Did I know him?
“Take off the beard,” I said.
He shook his head no and held out a hand for me. I sat down, awkwardly and then regretted having that dramatic drink. It was too much. I swayed a little and Santa caught me in his arms to keep me from going right off his lap. With his arms around me, I scooted a little closer. I caught a whiff of aftershave, a musky scent that I was certain Jake never wore.
“Now, Cara, have you been a good girl for Santa this year?”
“Yes,” I said, humoring him.
“That's such a shame. You've been a good girl for me every year.”
My brow wrinkled in confusion. “That's supposed to be the idea, Santa.”
“There was once a time when you topped my naughty list.”
I cringed. Whoever this guy was, he might know how I hadn't exactly been a saint in college. It was a dark time in my life. I'd just found out my dad was sick after I'd barely got over losing my mother and I was still trying to figure out my place in the world. I narrowed my eyes waiting for him to mention some sordid detail but he spared us both.
“I'm a mother now,” I said.
“Yes, as we've already established, you're a very good one and I am very happy about that.”
“So what is this all about then?”
“Cara, you stopped dating. You stopped putting yourself out there. In your quest to make sure Abby had everything she needed for a happy life, you stopped taking care of your own needs.”
“There isn't time for dating. Between work and caring for Abby, I just... I'm exhausted.”
“Exhausted? Or scared?”
“Anyway, that isn't true. You're forgetting I dated Jake on and off for a good part of this year. Look where that got me.”
“Jake isn't what you need.” I felt Santa's warm hand on my thigh and I tensed. He wasn't wearing gloves and I wasn't wearing anything more than a short nightgown. His fingertips teased the sensitive exposed flesh and warmth moved through me. “And he surely isn't what you want, let alone what you need .”
“You don't know anything about me.” I pushed his hand away.
“I know you have needs, Cara... Desires. They consume your thoughts when you're alone in bed.”
I looked into his brown eyes. There were no wrinkles around them. His skin was smooth and youthful. There was a hint of fire and longing. For a brief moment I thought he might pull me in and smother me. My hand went to his broad chest to steady myself and instinctively, I wet my lips. This stranger didn't really know about the vibrator I used to pleasure myself before sleeping every night. That was a lucky guess.
“I... I don't. I have my daughter.”
“She isn't here tonight.”
I tried to stand up but Santa held me in place.
“I did what you asked. Now you have to go. You promised.”
His lips brushed against my ear and I felt warm breath tinged with cinnamon as he whispered, “You haven't told me what you really want.”
“Is that with this is?” I asked him. “You get off on breaking into single mother's homes and raping them on Christmas Eve when they are alone and vulnerable?”
I felt him on my thigh again, kneading the flesh with his strong fingers. Heat coursed through my body and images flashed through my mind I couldn't seem to control. Earlier that night I'd shamefully texted Jake for a late night booty call fully knowing it would be sex and nothing more. I'd desperately wanted a man in my bed to cure the persistent ache between my thighs and it didn't matter who. What kind of woman was I?
This stranger was here now and although I didn't know him and I had no reason to trust him, I couldn't stop thinking about the way his fingers slowly traced their way inward. He could touch me if he wanted and he'd know how turned on I felt sitting on his lap thinking about how crazy and inappropriate this all was. I couldn't will my body not to respond. I needed it too much and clearly, I was desperate enough to take it from a man who dressed up like Santa and invaded women's homes for fun.
Mesmerized, I watched his mouth move. His soft, sensual lips begged me to kiss them.
“I don't hurt women,” he was saying.
“Not even if they ask nicely?” I teased. I didn't even recognize my voice anymore.
“Is that what you want, Cara? Do you want a man to spank you?”
I snapped out of my daze when I realized I was tempting this stranger with assault.
“No. No!” I pushed away his hand again, although admittedly this time my movements were more reluctant. He'd been so deliciously close to my center and I'd been so hyper aware of every delicate maneuver. What had come over me?
I was standing now, almost leaning over him, daring him to grab me. I would scream louder this time and give him a good hard kick in the balls for good measure. I had it in me, I was sure.
“Well then,” he said, “Perhaps I was wrong, after all.”
Taken off guard I opened my mouth to give him some snappy comeback but nothing came out.
“I have a few small things to leave for Abby, although I regret I'm not able to leave her the one thing she wants most of all.”
Santa gave a little nod and suddenly disappeared and reappeared standing on the other side of me. I sucked in my breath and blinked my eyes. What I just witnessed was physically impossible which left only one option. I was dreaming.
He stood so close to me we almost touched. He sure felt real. I closed my eyes and inhaled and caught a whiff of something between peppermint and spice. Delicious. I craned my neck to look up at him, willing him to say he wasn't a figment of my imagination, that he existed, flesh and blood, ready to grab me, haul me back down to his lap, and spank my bare bottom for all it was worth.
No, that was insane, I reminded my myself.
He side stepped me and went to my tree.
“What are you doing?”
Glancing over his shoulder he gave me a once over, as if I had somehow gone mad.
“Putting out a present for Abby. Then, as you requested, I will leave.”
“Wh... I mean... Why...”
He leaned in close to reach for his sack behind me. I felt his breath against my cheek.
“Damn it,” I said, “This is my dream. Take off the beard.”
“I can't do that, Cara.”
I took a deep breath. “Take off the beard and kiss me,” I corrected.
He caressed my arm with the back of his hand as he considered this. My legs shook with fear as I waited for him to do something. I'd had dreams before of handsome strangers having their way with me but never one dressed like Santa. I guess that's what I get for watching a holiday movie marathon this afternoon with Abby.
“I don't know what's wrong with me,” I started rambling, “but it's Christmas Eve and I don't want to be alone. If you're real, I should call the police and have them arrest you for entering my home uninvited but I know this has to all be in my head. I drank too much. I work too hard. I don't feel like you're here because you want to hurt me. I get this sense that... I don't know... somehow I know you... and I want to see your face. I want to know for sure.”
“And you want to kiss me?”
“I... well... isn't that what you want? I mean, the whole reason you're here? Entertain the vulnerable young mother on Christmas Eve? Put on a disguise, ask me to reveal my darkest fantasies, and then use that to...”
“Fulfill those desires?”
“Well, yeah, if this is my dream then of course it should end in the most satisfying manner I could imagine. And you can get off on the power of knowing me so intimately when I can't even see your face.”
“You're a beautiful woman, Cara. I would be honored to do things to you that other men only dream of.”
“Other men aren't...”
“Yes, they are.” He put his finger over my lips to silence me and I trembled.
“Take off the beard, please.”
“I will grant you one wish but seeing my face isn't your deepest desire.”
I snaked my arms around his neck and forced his face to mine. Our lips touched and I felt the smoldering between us. His tongue grazed the outline of my mouth as my hands dropped to unbutton the velvet coat he was still wearing. How could he stand wearing it in a house that felt so warm? I was doing him a favor, I thought, as my fingers worked at a feverish pace. I would relieve him of the heavy garment so he would feel more comfortable. As soon as I finished the task, I wasted no time pushing it off his shoulders and down his large biceps. I gasped at the sight of him. He was all deep cut muscle and man. My gaze moved lower, contemplating the big black belt buckle. I licked my lips imagining what hid beneath but as I moved to release him but he grabbed my wrists.
“Not so fast.”
My breaths came in quick gasps. What was I doing?
“I came here to make you acknowledge the one thing you desire most.”
“I don't understand. There is nothing,” I whispered and shook my head. The tears were threatening to break again. They were there filling my eyes and turning the world into a wavy scene. “I gave up my dreams when I had Abby.”
“Tell me what you want, Cara.”
“I want...”
He cocked his head to the side as he waited for me to speak but I couldn't muster the courage to say the words.
“I don't really care as long as my daughter is happy. I just … but if you want to give me one night. Do it. Do anything you want to me. It's been so long since I have been with a man.”
He stepped forward and kissed me, consuming my mouth with his, hot and heavy. His hands roamed my body, needy and wanting. He slipped under my nightgown and cupped my bare bottom in his large palms until I moaned.
“I thought you'd never ask,” he whispered, breathless in my ear. Then we parted just long enough to yank the nightgown up over my head and toss it aside. I stood there in my living room with the flickering lights of the Christmas tree reflected on my skin as Santa drank in the sight of me. I shivered with a mixture of fear and desire.
It was a dream, of course, I reminded myself. There was no other logical explanation and if that was the case then there was no reason not to let go and allow him to make me feel things I longed to feel again.
Santa kissed me again, greedy and demanding as he pushed me up against the far wall. I felt his tongue claim my mouth as heat pooled between my legs. I'd probably go to hell for having a dream like this but I no longer cared.
With one large black boot, he forced my legs apart as his fingers explored every curve and nuance of my hips and thighs. They danced over my pubic mound until I squirmed for him to touch me where I needed it most.
“Are you wet for me?” he asked. I tipped my head back and enjoyed the sensation as he trailed his tongue along the curve of my neck to my shoulder. With his free hand, he palmed my breast and played with the firm nipple craving his attention.
“Oh yes,” I whispered.
Satisfied with my response, the fingers that still played daringly close slipped lower.
“Ooohh...”
He dipped into the warm wetness of my core sending a spiral of pleasure coursing through my entire body.
It shouldn't feel this good. Now I knew it had to be a dream.
He circled my clit several times before pressing into me, coaxing me with his finger.
“There's my naughty girl,” he said. I could feel him smiling, watching the expression on my face as his hand moved against me, finger stroking as my hips moved to complement his rhythm. I was loving every moment of it but I still wanted so much more.
Reaching for his belt, I began fumbling, looking for a way to remove it. He allowed me to caress and fondle the generous bulge as I struggled to figure out a way to release him. My frustration mounted but his fingers never stopped probing my deepest depths. He covered my mound with his palm so that with every plunge, I didn't want him to release me. If he kept this up much longer, I'd come.
Santa bent lower and licked and sucked at my pert nipple and then, before I had a chance to register the movements, he was on his knees leaving tender kisses along my abdomen and heading south. I froze when I realized where he was headed.
“Oh god,” I moaned. He lifted one leg and placed it over his shoulder, opening me to him a little more. He slipped his fingers from inside me and tasted the juices that coated them while he looked up into my eyes. My chest heaved in anticipation of what would come next. I didn't have to wait long. Santa apparently liked the way I tasted and needed more of it. He licked and sucked with fervent desperation. I tangled my fingers in his white hair as I fought to keep control. It was a battle I was quickly losing. He tongued me deeply as that damn white beard tickled my thighs and then he used two fingers to stroke as he sucked my clit. I panted and moaned. He kept me so close to the edge without letting me fall over no matter how much I moved my hips against his hot, wanting mouth.
Maybe this isn't a dream, I thought. It felt like no experience I'd ever had before. But if it wasn't my imagination then I had to accept the fact that I'd allowed an intruder to press me up against my wall and give me the time of my life. I felt a giggle rise up from my chest as I considered this.
He stopped and looked up at me, wiping the glistening of my juices from his chin. He was frowning.
“Something funny?”
“No, it's just... I don't know if this is real or a dream.”
He stood up and kissed me, forcing my mouth to open to his tongue as he darted inside to taste me. Something about the way he kissed me made me feel incredibly eager to have him buried between my legs.
“You're not dreaming,” he told me, “and I'm going to carry you into the bedroom now and prove it.”
I shuddered as waves of desire flooded my system. Santa didn't hesitate in scooping me up into his big, strong arms and then, as if he'd been in my house a thousand times before and knew his way, he carried me to my bedroom and placed me in the center of my bed.
This was it, the moment I'd been craving long before I knew this strange man would show up in my home. He leaned over me to kiss me gently and I considered telling him to stop but I knew I was already too far gone. I needed him too much.
“Roll onto your stomach,” he whispered in my ear.
I did it without hesitation, bracing myself on all fours, and wondering if I should pinch myself to prove I wasn't dreaming. But then I risked waking from this amazing dream.
The smack came down hard against my backside before I had a chance to prepare for it. My weight shifted forward and I screamed out. I snapped my head around to ask what the hell he thought he was doing but didn't have a chance to say a word before his hand came down again hard against my backside. This time I managed to steady myself enough to keep from falling forward.
“Do you still believe it's a dream?” he asked.
I felt my cheeks burn hot as my ass when I realized Santa was giving me the spanking he'd threatened earlier. I'd never allowed myself to be handled this way in the bedroom before and although I never thought it would be something I enjoyed, my body betrayed me. Every nerve begged for more.
Once. Twice. Three more times his hand came down hard against me. Each time I cried out with the sting of pleasure and pain.
He paused to run his hands slowly along the backs of my thighs. He dipped between to feel the wetness of my core and sighed. There was no doubting the effect he had on me.
Would I have waken if this were only a dream? I knew without looking that my backside would be angry red and swollen. Santa spanked without mercy. This went on at least five more minutes until I was certain I could take no more. Tears filled my eyes as he caressed the tender, raw flesh and slid his warm body over mine.
I never felt more awake or more aware.
“I can't take anymore,” I told him. I felt too vulnerable and exposed. Santa was touching on something deep inside me that had gone dormant and dead a long time ago.
“No, Cara, we're only just getting started.”
He turned me gently in his arms and kissed my face.
The red silk ties were already in place, positioned at either post of my headboard. I definitely hadn't put them there. When did he have a chance to set this up? I opened my mouth to ask him as he crawled over me to take my left wrist and gently secure it in place.
Panic seized me when he let go and I realized I couldn't free my hand if I wanted to. I tried to push him off before he secured my right wrist to the bed but it was no use. Santa's strength far outmatched mine and he was filled with a sense of determination to tie me up.
What had I gotten myself into?
“This is too much.” I tugged uselessly at my arms while he leaned back and watched me with an amused expression on his face.
My heart raced as he got off the bed, kicked off his boots, and began unfastening his black buckle. I knew my eyes were wide as I watched him, mesmerized by every movement. He went deliberately slowly opening his velvet pants and pushing them down over thick strong muscular thighs until he was wearing nothing but black silk underpants.
Damn, I wanted him. Even if it meant being tied to my bed to do it.
His gaze roamed the length of my body, taking me in, enjoying the fact that I lay there waiting for him with no way to resist.
“You know what happens now, right?” he asked.
I couldn't speak. He'd tucked a thumb into the waistband of his underwear and began tugging downward. Whoever this man was, his body was chiseled perfection in every way. His shaft stood thick and proud, glistening at the tip.
“Oh god,” I whispered. He was big. I tried to imagine him pushing that inside me and I couldn't.
He leaned over me and forced my legs apart. I ached in anticipation of what he might do to me.
Somewhere in the back of my mind a voice reminded me I'd gotten myself into trouble this way before. Too far gone to care about the consequences and too horny to say no, I'd given in to Jake's pleading the night we conceived Abby. I'd never say having her was a mistake but I knew better than to believe getting myself knocked up by a stranger dressed like Santa Claus was a wise move. I could barely handle one child. I didn't have the luxury of being so irresponsible any longer.
“Shit,” I whispered under my breath. I was panting so hard I struggled to put the words together but I needed to ask him to take precautions.
“You don't have to worry about that,” he told me.
Passionately he kissed me as his hands groped my breasts and slid between my legs to touch and fondle me. I arched my back and groaned into him as I felt the tip of his hard shaft graze my inner thighs and settle on my most sensitive part. He sat back and positioned himself between my legs before gripping my inner thighs in strong hands and pushing his hips forward. I felt the tip slip inside and he paused to gauge my reaction.
“Are you ready to tell me what you really want for Christmas?” he asked.
I moaned and pushed my hips upward trying to coax him forward. Wasn't it obvious what I wanted?
He eased a little closer and I felt my body stretch deliciously to accommodate his thickness.
“Oh yes,” I whispered, “More.”
Closer still, he teased and tormented me.
“Tell me what you want, Cara.”
“I want you to take me,” I said breathlessly.
He eased in to me and rested against my body before pulling back slightly and doing it again. I cried out as he filled me to the hilt and I bucked my hips under the weight of him.
Maybe I would regret giving myself over so easily but as he moved inside me, I didn't care. My life was a steady stream of bad decisions peppered with dubious consequences and me trying to pick up the pieces and make the best of what I had left. Abby was only one example of the careless abandon that employed my mind when opportunity for pleasure outweighed the reality of doing what was right in the world.
Santa pulled back and slammed into me hard. He let go of my legs and I wrapped them around his waist, my only level of control to keep him where I wanted him while desire consumed my senses. He kissed and nuzzled my neck. He tugged on my breasts and pinched my nipples until they hurt and then he bent down to suckle and nip at them until I moaned.
“Please...”
His hips moved quickly, thrusting into me until the entire bed rocked with the motion. I felt my body begin to tighten as the release built. I tipped my head back and brought my hips to meet his as he pummeled me harder. I was so close.
And then he stopped.
I opened my eyes and looked up at him in alarm. He rested his weight against his hands. He was breathing heavily and I could see sweat dotting his forehead. He watched me, waiting. For what?
“What's wrong?”
I tried to encourage him to continue but there was little I could do tied to my bed like that. He looked down between our legs, sighed, and then eased out. His hard-on glistened in the dim light and I could see he was still very much capable of finishing the job. He scooted down to nestle his face between my legs again and I opened to him eagerly.
“Please,” I begged again. But he pulled away again.
Angry and desperate, I tugged at my binds but the only thing I accomplished was making them tighten around my wrists.
“Don't leave me like this,” I screamed. Suddenly I imagined him happily going through my belongings and taking anything he liked while I lay here helpless to stop him and unable to describe him to the police later.
“Why exactly were you tied naked to your bed?” the police would ask me and I'd have to admit that I'd been so horny that I'd actually thought playing this little game with a psycho would be a good way to pass the time on Christmas Eve.
“Cara,” he said shaking his head sadly, “We're running out of time. It's almost midnight. I need you to tell me what you really want.”
“I don't understand.” I started sobbing then. My limbs shook fiercely. I gave up on trying to free myself and kicked at the bed.
“Just say the words.”
I felt his beard tickle my thighs. His fingers traced a lazy trail across my belly and pubic mound. I tried to pull away from him but of course, it was no use.
“Shit,” I cursed under my breath. How could I have been so stupid?
Santa sat on the edge of my bed. I realized he stroked himself slowly, running his closed fist over the length of his hard shaft up and down in deliberate slowness. He watched me with half closed eyes. Did he intend to add insult to injury by covering me before robbing me, I wondered?
If I had a husband I'd never let him treat me this way.
Something inside me ached as the words echoed inside my head.
A husband.
I didn't want to marry Jake. I knew that the moment I discovered I was pregnant. But that didn't mean I never wanted someone special in my life. The way Abby had confessed to me she wanted a father made me so sad because I knew it was the one thing I desperately wanted to give her that I'd never be able to.
I sighed and choked back the tears. I could really use a drink.
“Well?” Santa prompted. He stroked himself a little faster and I felt lust and longing for something more. I didn't want to be used and discarded. I wanted to be loved and treasured.
“I want...”
I struggled to find the right words to express exactly what it was I did want. Santa seemed to hang on my words as if his fate depended on my revelation.
“I want someone special,” I said, knowing I probably sounded girlish and silly. “I want a soul mate. A father for Abby.”
He grinned at me and I wished I could disappear.
“Will you untie me now?” I said wrinkling my face in disgust.
“Not quite,” he said moving over me again, “I am not finished.”
I gasped as he thrust himself into me again, hard and fast. I moaned as he moved. My body hadn't cooled off at all. I still ached for more and Santa was willing to give it to me now. He pulled back and pushed in again hard. Together we moved in rapid succession until once again, I felt the tightening as the climax build inside me. Santa panted and worked me in a frenzy. He wasn't going to stop this time. He forced my legs wider and filled me as deeply as he could.
Closing my eyes, I gripped fistful of sheets as our bodies slapped together. Two more thrusts and he sent me spiraling over the edge. I cried out with the power of the orgasm that ripped through me. Santa continued to pump into me relentlessly until finally he grunted and collapsed.
We lay that way for a moment while I tried to absorb the fact that I'd just had the most incredible orgasm of my life with Santa Claus. He kissed me and untied my wrists without saying a word. I wanted to say something to fill the silence but what was there to say? I'd opened myself to him in every way imaginable and yet, I didn't even know his true identity.
I followed him back to the living room where it all started, slipped into my nightgown, and watched him get dressed.
“Will I see you again?” The question felt a little absurd considering the circumstances. He glanced back at me and gave me a wink. And then, just like that, he vanished. I was standing alone in my house once again, blinking, in shock, but my body still hummed with the electricity of sex and my backside stung with the force of my spanking. I turned and headed for bed. I didn't know what else to do.
I woke to a world that was way too bright. Rolling over, I shielded my eyes as I discovered the source of my assault. I'd left the bedroom blinds open when I went to sleep. I groaned. The bright light did little to help the throbbing in my head, a byproduct of an overindulgence of alcohol.
Then I remembered what day it was and bolted upright. Christmas! According to the clock on the bedside table, I had exactly one hour to shower and dress before Abby would be home and that meant I better scramble if I wanted to look better than I felt at the moment.
My legs dangled over the edge of the bed and I noticed for the first time since waking that my ass was incredibly sore. My memory was fuzzy. I rubbed my head and tried to focus. Did I take a fall?
There was a man last night...
No, that couldn't be. I'd spend the night alone like always. Jake had turned me down when I tried to hook up with him. I got up, rubbing away the soreness but when I stepped into the shower and let the warm spray revive me, images from the night before began to flash in my mind. The stranger dressed in a Santa suit. The way he'd captivated me, sexually tormented me, and ultimately offered me the biggest orgasm I could remember ever having.
I turned off the shower and stood there a moment with my mind and heart racing. Between my legs I felt the dull ache of satisfaction, the sort of feeling I'd only ever had after being with a partner, not when I'd pleasured myself. If it had all been a dream, it sure felt real. Twisting, I managed to view my backside in the bathroom mirror and gasped when I saw the red welts. I snatched my robe from the hook and wrapped it around me quickly, not bothering to dry off. I set off to investigate whether anything in my house was missing.
Not only was everything as I had left it, but the red silk ties were no longer fastened to the bed posts. The living room window was closed and locked. So was the front door. The fireplace still gave off a gentle heat from the previous night's fire. The plate of cookies sat untouched on the table but the glass next to it was empty. I wrinkled my nose as I considered the possibility that I'd drank the milk. Not likely, even in an intoxicated state, because I hated milk and had refused to drink it since I was ten. The only reason I even had a bottle of the stuff in my fridge was so that Abby would have strong healthy bones.
There was no indication that anything unusual had happened in my home and yet I couldn't shake the warm glow surrounding me as if nothing was the same. I stood at the window staring out to the fresh fallen blanket of white snow and believed that somehow my life was forever altered.
By the time the doorbell rang, I'd managed to dress and bring myself back to life. The hazy fantasies from my night had almost faded from my mind entirely and I was more than ready to dive into a frenzy of present opening with my daughter. I frowned as I opened the door and found Jake standing on my doorstep holding Abby's hand. I'd forgotten his plan to drop her off.
“Mommy, it's Christmas!” Abby declared, giving me a big hug before racing into the house to find out if Santa had left any presents. Jake shuffled nervously waiting for me to invite him in. I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment when I thought about the text message I'd sent sounding like a horny teenager desperate for sex.
“Would you like to come in and watch Abby open presents?” I offered, even though I secretly hoped he'd say no.
Jake hesitated. I could tell he was considering it. “I'd love to but I can't. My parents are expecting me back for brunch. I just wanted to see you and...”
I put up my hand. No sense in getting muddled into territory where we'd both floundered before. I caught a glimpse of the blond coming out of my neighbor's house and sighed. She looked angry. How could anyone be angry on the most magical day of the year?
“We can talk later,” I told him.
He nodded and I saw his shoulders relax a little with the relief of not having to discuss serious stuff on the holiday.
“I'll give you a call.”
I said sure but I was already coming up with a million reasons in my head for not answering the phone when that happened. I stood in the doorway watching him get into his jeep and drive off. Just then, Nick emerged from his house and yelled something at the blond who was puffing away on a cigarette. He looked over at me, smiled, and waved. I waved back before closing the door to my impatient daughter who was tugging at my clothes and begging me to start opening presents.
I teased her a little, of course, and told her bogus reasons why we'd have to wait but ultimately, I gave in just like always. She was my world and I was grateful to have her home again. She tugged my hand and we moved to the living room for the main event.
“Look, Mommy, Santa left something in your stocking, too!”
I laughed. There wasn't anything in my stocking before so Abby must have slipped it in there when I wasn't looking. Perhaps her grandparents had helped her pick it out? I pulled out a small, gold wrapped box.
“Is this from you?” I asked, giving her a little hug.
She shook her head gravely. “It must be from Santa!”
I giggled and decided I'd play along. I unwrapped the present but my smile faded when I saw what was inside. I quickly closed the box and set it aside.
“What is it, Mommy?”
“Nothing. Why don't you open your presents now?”
Abby squealed each time she opened a present to find something she'd longed for in one of the packages but all I could think about was the box. My heart beat heavily, my palms were sweating and I struggled to focus. I thought about texting Jake and asking if the present was from him but I knew it wasn't. It couldn't have been. There was only one man who could have left it there – the one I'd spent Christmas Eve with. When Abby finished, she sat sadly in the middle of the floor surrounded by toys and a mountain of wrapping paper.
“What's wrong Abby?”
“I didn't get what I really wanted.”
I sighed. I'd been hoping she'd forget about wanting a Daddy when she had so many new things to play with but clearly, it weighed on her mind as much as it did mine. I felt my throat constrict as I remembered the moment last night when my fantasy lover made me confess the one thing I wanted most of all. I didn't just want it – I needed someone to share my life in order to make my family complete.
“I know, Honey, but even though Santa is magic, there are some things even he can't give you.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks and I felt powerless to stop them this time. The doorbell rang and I cursed under my breath. Of all the moments to interrupt us.
As I approached the door, my body tingled with anticipation. I imagined him standing there, back for more naughty temptations. He'd have ditched the suit, of course, and that damned white beard, but I'd know him when I looked into his eyes. If he was real then...
I flung the door open before I could get carried away with the fantasy. Then I blinked twice. Nick stood on my doorstep looking awkward and uncomfortable. Despite the fact that the snow had picked up again, he was wearing only a red, short sleeve t-shirt, a pair of form hugging jeans, and a pair of black boots. I swooned a little at the sight of him and then snapped back to reality. I had a better chance with Santa.
“Oh hi, Nick. Is everything all right?”
His smile dazzled me and I wondered how someone so perfect could even exist.
“I don't mean to bother you. It's just that... I've been meaning to ask for a while and never got up the nerve... we're having a quiet little dinner tonight and we were hoping you and your daughter could join us. I mean, I was hoping...”
Confused, I studied his face. He seemed nervous but I didn't understand why. He tucked his hands into his pockets and glanced back at his house as if he suddenly wished he hadn't ventured so far from it.
“Sorry, I know it's Christmas and you probably have your own plans,” he continued as he turned back to me.
“No, actually... it's just Abby and me and we were only probably going to have grilled cheese sandwiches. We'd love to stop by, if that's really okay with you and your girlfriend, I mean.”
“Girlfriend?” He looked puzzled for a moment and then it clicked. “Oh, you must mean Grace, the woman from the car?”
I nodded.
“Grace is my sister. She's in the middle of a divorce and is spending some time with me.”
“Oh.” I wasn't sure why it mattered but I felt relieved. Butterflies tickled my stomach. Nick was looking at me in a way that felt oddly familiar. He smiled again and something inside me buzzed. I knew those eyes...
“Anyway, I've been meaning to stop over for ages, but you were always with someone else and I didn't want to intrude.”
“Jake,” I said. I recalled a couple of times Nick had been out in the front yard when Jake brought me home from another one of our disastrous attempts at dating. “He's my daughter's father.”
“Right.”
I shrugged as if to say he didn't matter to me beyond that which was true. I'd made my attempts for Abby's sake but there was nothing between us to salvage. I was finally, completely over Jake.
“Is six o'clock okay with you?”
“Yes, that's fine.”
I felt Abby behind me. Nick's gaze went from me to her and he smiled warmly.
“Well hello there,” he said.
Abby didn't say anything. She ran to Nick and threw herself into his arms hugging tightly.
“I knew Santa wouldn't let me down.” The words were muffled as she buried her head against him and held tight. Nick looked at me wide eyed and I panicked. I realized what Abby must have thought when she saw Nick at the door and I only prayed she didn't tell Nick who she expected him to be.
“Abby, please, let go of our nice neighbor.”
She did, but reluctantly. She looked from him to me and back to him again and I heard her sigh.
As soon as Nick went back to his house, I turned to her and tried to put to rest any crazy notions she might have going through that pretty little head of hers.
“Nick is only a friend,” I told her, “Like I said before, there are some things even Santa can't give us. People and relationships... they are complicated. Things take time.”
Abby gave me a mischievous smile. “I know, Mommy. Santa told me it might take time.”
“Santa told you?”
She squealed and ran off to play with her toys, finally happy like a kid should be on Christmas. I decided to let it drop. Eventually, she'd get the idea out of her head that Nick was anything more than a nice man who lived across the street. And maybe once winter gave way to spring, I'd be ready to put myself out there and try dating again, for both our sake.
Except I had to admit there was something odd about the way Nick looked at me. Was it always there and I was just too busy to notice? I felt warm and heady. As Abby was busy playing with her gifts, I went back to the box I'd found in my stocking and took out the small handwritten note on a piece of stationary with the initials SC printed on top. In the note, Santa promised my wish would come true and he'd signed it with love, St. Nick .
I considered the possibility that Nick had dressed up as Santa and broke into my house last night but I couldn't fathom it. It was all coincidence I told myself. I'd had a crush on Nick since he moved to the neighborhood and yet, I'd been reluctant to admit it even to myself. Perhaps last night I'd imposed his image over my strange visitor just because I'd craved his touch so long? Maybe Santa really did exist except he wasn't the jolly, old fat guy we pictured as kids?
Santa was magic...
As I got ready for dinner at Nick's house later that evening, I felt like a kid at Christmas. There was nothing logical or rational about my expectations when it came to spending time with him, but I couldn't stop the possibilities from occupying my mind. I selected a bottle of my favorite wine, took Abby's hand and made my way across the street with all the anticipation of a little girl about to embark on an amazing adventure.
Maybe, I thought, Christmas Wishes do come true.
Alisa began her writing career hoping to touch someone, somewhere with her words. If this is not the case, then she will settle for knowing that someone, somewhere is touching herself while sharing her erotic fantasies.
She is a reader, a writer, a daydreamer, a lover, and an ice cream eater. She likes her fiction the same way she likes her life - steamy, flirty, and fun! A romantic at heart, she's a sucker for a happy ending.
Alisa wants you to stay in touch! Follow her blog at www.alisaeaston.com and share your thoughts with her on your favorite social media sites:
Facebook - www.facebook.com/AlisaEaston5
Twitter - www.twitter.com/AlisaEaston
Sign up for her Naughty Bits Newsletter to be the first to learn about new projects and publications at: http://eepurl.com/bzJTqD
If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving your feedback in the form of a review. Good reviews help Alisa find new readers and they are always appreciated.
If you are interested in other books by Alisa, please consider the following titles. You can find them on her Amazon Author Page www.amazon.com/a/alisaeaston
Seduced by the Boss
Business, with Pleasure
Unbroken Pleasures
Friends with Benefits
Masked Desires
Play Date: The Litchville Mother's Group Series
Slumber Party: The Litchville Mother's Group Series
Claim My Desire
You're All I Want for Christmas
Awakened Desires
Surrender
Three to Tango
In His Arms
Lacy's Neighbor
Naughty New Year
Temptation's Kiss