Position Vacant

POSITION VACANT

Anne Douglas

®

Warning This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Loose Id® e-books are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

***** This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable.

Position Vacant Anne Douglas This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Published by Loose Id LLC 1802 N Carson Street, Suite 212-2924 Carson City NV 89701-1215 www.loose-id.com

Copyright © December 2006 by Anne Douglas All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including, but not limited to printing, photocopying, faxing, or emailing without prior written permission from Loose Id LLC.

ISBN 978-1-59632-363-6 Available in Adobe PDF, HTML, MobiPocket, and MS Reader

Printed in the United States of America

Editor: Barbara Marshall Cover Artist: April Martinez

www.loose-id.com

Chapter One

“Look, Nick, you have to choose one.” Simon sighed as he tried in vain to get his good friend to take notice of the applications in his hand. “The Elfin Union rep is hinting at a strike. The dwarves are constantly arriving late ... I don’t even want to think about what Rudolph and Dancer are getting up to with Vixen and Prancer ... You have to choose someone, now! We can’t go another season without having someone doing Mrs. Claus’s job.” Simon slapped the résumés down on Nick’s blotter and leaned over the front of the desk, putting his head in Nick’s personal space to get his attention. “Nick!” Nick started when he looked up to see Simon’s face glaring at him from such close range. Carefully, he put down the internal mechanics of the new toy he was developing and sighed. “I already told you, Simon, just choose one that you think best fits the bill. You know me well enough to figure out a good match.” Simon muttered under his breath as he retreated back to his side of the desk. “Sometimes too damn well.” “I told you, I don’t want to get married, so find someone to fill the job -- maybe even someone I might like to marry.” Nick picked up another half-finished toy. “Look, I have toys almost ready for production, but I have to work out all the final kinks before we can get started.” “There won’t be any damn production running if things carry on the way they are.” Simon paced to and fro across the room, running his hands distractedly through his long fall of blond hair. Dropping his hands, he turned abruptly to his friend. “For Saint’s sake, Nick, this isn’t some secretary position that anyone can fill.”

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Sinking into one of the comfortable chairs beside the fireplace, Simon dropped his head into his hands, letting his frustration at his friend’s lack of concern show. Simon supposed his hair must be starting to look rather unkempt from all his yanking and pulling. Not such a good look for an elf who took pride in his good looks. “What if you don’t like my choice ... what happens then?” Nick moved from behind the desk, absently patting his second-in-command on the shoulder as he strode past, heading towards his cluttered work bench. “I trust you, Simon; you know the type of people I like to work with -- besides, if she doesn’t work out, well, we get someone new. It’s not like I have to marry her or anything ... but I guess it would solve some problems.” Nick nervously fiddled with his tools and turned back to Simon. “I know I have to get married at some point ... I just ... well, I just haven’t found that one person I click with, you know?” Despite Simon’s annoyance, he smiled back at his friend. “So I guess that means I just have to put up with these pain-in-the-arse things each day until we get someone to do the job ... We’ll call it my donation to the cause of Santa Claus finding the love of his life?” “Well, yeah ... Is that such a bad thing? I know having to pick up the slack since Mum left has been ... difficult. It hasn’t been easy for me, either, since Mum decided to up and leave for the sun, sand, and young men in Speedos in Florida.” Nick’s fist clenched around the handle of the hammer he had been absentmindedly toying with. “That new freaking Elfin Union rep ...” He dropped the hammer to the bench with a clatter that made Simon wince. “That woman drives me insane!” Standing up, Simon made to leave. “So fill the position of ‘Santa’s assistant’ with someone efficient, hardworking, and good-looking, and if by chance she takes your fancy, you might finalize the deal --” Nick interrupted him. “Damn, Simon, make it sound bad, why don’t you? I only meant ... well ... you never know when the love bug might bite -- she might be just what I’ve been looking for. It’s not like I’m asking you to pimp for me, for Saint’s sake.” Nick shrugged and grinned. “Hey, I’m Santa, but I’m still a guy. I’m not going to complain about some eye candy that’s over four foot tall.” Simon laughed along with his friend and boss. “What about all the elves?” “Pfttt, like they look at me when you’re in the room.” Simon preened at Nick’s comment as he opened the door to leave. “Anyway, I’m not promising anything, Simon, but if by chance I like her, I will take the time to get to know her ... You just never know.” “Yeah, yeah ... blah, blah, blah, more work for Simon ...” He managed to shut the door before the Nerf ball made contact with his head.

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Chapter Two Damn it. Enough was enough. Why on earth did she hang around this town waiting for their approval? It was like some sort of Pavlovian response -- every time a guy tried the sleazy “how about you pick up where your momma left off last night, babe” line, it set her to working even harder to show them that she was nothing like her mother. After all, her mother didn’t have to make a living on her back. There was plenty of other work to be had, even though it was a small town. But Dixie actually enjoyed being a hooker -- unless the john got pushy. Reversing out of the parking lot, Bea caught sight of Tyler Jacobs watching her pull away. She shuddered as she relived his latest come-on.

“Come on, baby, how about I take you home and share some good lovin’ around you and your momma? The pair of you should make quite a tag team.” Yuck. The man was just repulsive -- nothing much had changed since he was the captain of the high school football team. At least it was only the men who hassled her now. The cheerleaders had been nasty too. Until they all got knocked up and had to get married young -- they weren’t in any position to point fingers now. Having arrived home and finally gotten the groceries put away, Beatrice sat down with her cup of tea and the newspaper. She liked to get a different mainstream daily each day so she got to read about east, west, and no coast news -- her small way of breaking free of the hellhole of a nowhere town she lived in. Having finished the front page, Bea flicked the paper over to the back to look at some lighter news, and a large, bold advertisement caught her eye.

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Position Vacant Jolly man in red seeks a capable assistant. Must enjoy snow, flying, and like large animals. Interest or qualifications in engineering, carpentry. Mechanics or animatronics are a plus but not essential. Must be comfortable working with people of small stature and capable of resource management and decision making. Excellent organizational skills essential. Intelligent women looking for a fulfilling, lifetime career please apply. Ph 800 NTH POLE Well. She hadn’t ever really seen real snow -- did the dirty sleet they sometimes got in winter count? She didn’t know if she liked flying, having never been on a plane in her life, but she was good with animals and she totally kicked ass at organizing and resource management. Bea had to giggle, though, at the contents of the ad -- jolly man in red and 0800 Nth Pole. Along with the snow and flying comments, it sounded like someone was advertising for a Mrs. Claus!

What the hell ... why not? She picked up the phone and dialed the number. “Good evening, this is Beatrice Raymond. I would like to inquire about the position advertised ...”

***** Simon searched over the new résumés on his desk. He had about five that he would consider from this new batch and fifty that got filed in the rubbish bin. Combined with the ten “finalists” from the previous days, he now had a grand total of fifteen applicants who might actually be able to do the job. One résumé stuck out from all of them, though -- Miss Beatrice Raymond. Her references glowed. Miss Raymond had all the right work experience to do the job and still find it challenging. And last, but not least, there was something about her that resonated within him -- made him go hard, if truth be known -- just from a picture. He was very curious to meet her in person when they conducted interviews in Edmonton. Simon put her file to the side and carried on whittling his fifteen down to five.

***** Oh. My. God.

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She really was at the North Pole. There were reindeer, dwarves, people with ears pointing out of their hats that could only mean they were elves ... and two rather yummylooking men. Both were blond and tall, but that’s where the similarities stopped. Judging by the white-blonde, curly hair and the broad chest, the one on the right was Nick Klauson, her boss -- and Santa Claus -- and jolly ol’ St. Nick didn’t look too bad for a supposed old guy. That nice broad chest whittled down to lean hips, and he definitely didn’t have the traditional Santa bowl full of jelly.

Ohmigod, I really am going to be working for Santa Claus! Beside him stood the more willowy form of Simon Witte, with straight, long blond hair that seemed to shimmer iridescently like mother of pearl and a tall body that, while languid, screamed of coiled strength. He looked even better than he had at the interview in Edmonton. She had had a damn hard time trying to concentrate on the interview when all she could think of was asking the man if she could be his love slave. By the end of the interview, she had been surprised she hadn’t just blurted it out. Rather embarrassing really, considering Simon had been trying to discreetly mention that if Nick Klauson found her attractive, he might well court her and formalize the position of “Mrs. Claus” with a marriage proposal. In the end, frustrated with trying to be politically correct, he had just come right out with it -- they weren’t trying to procure anyone. But ... if there seemed to be a mutual attraction, there could be the possibility of crossing over that employer/employee line to something more, and they wanted to make sure it came as no surprise. After all, it wouldn’t look good for Santa to be sued for sexual harassment, would it? He had hastened to make sure she understood there was absolutely no obligation to enter into a relationship with Nick Klauson, and that her job, as long as she performed well, would be secure until such time as Nick married. It really had been the most peculiar job interview she had ever attended, and despite the unusual “potential” for advancement, it was just too good an opportunity to pass up -- a superb opportunity to act on her newfound resolve to quit her wretched, sucky hometown for good. Once the rotors of the helicopter had stopped, Simon strode over and opened the door, and then Nick reached in to hand her down from the cabin. “Beatrice Raymond, I presume.” The big bear of a man had a cheeky, infectious grin. “I don’t think Dr. Livingstone made it this far north.” The two men laughed as Bea placed the timeworn quote. “He might have stood a chance in one of those, though.” Bea nodded toward the behemoth of a vehicle that was dwarfed by the grandeur and spectacle of ice and snow as far as the eye could see. Bea’s bags were quickly being unpacked from the hold of the helicopter and loaded into a tricked-out Hummer that waited, idling, beside the landing zone.

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“Yes, well, Simon is a gear-head at heart; it’s one of his babies.” Simon blushed as he was caught out by his addiction to things that go fast. “You don’t seem to complain when I manage to get that hunk of junk of yours purring like a kitten.” “Hmph! That hunk of junk is a vintage Mustang GT350, thank you very much -- a very beautiful hunk of junk.” Nick took Bea’s elbow and directed her to the Hummer. “Don’t mind him; he’s just jealous because my car has racing stripes.” Bea burst out laughing at the pair of men. “I think I just might like working with you two.” Both men smiled back at her. “We hope so, Bea, ’cause we sure need someone with your skills around here.” Nick nodded as he spoke and then, just before he closed the door after handing her into the vehicle, asked curiously, “So ... how are you with union reps?”

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Chapter Three Simon tried hard to keep his eyes on the road and not to look in the rearview mirror and stare at Bea. He hadn’t been able to get this woman out of his waking or sleeping mind since he had met her in Edmonton. He liked her, really liked her -- a little too much, considering “the plan” that if Nick was taken with her, he would try to get to know her better. Her long, curly, red-blonde hair had been mussed by the winds that whipped across the icepack; it flared like a halo around her face. Her green eyes shone as she looked out at what was now her home. Simon couldn’t figure out what it was that drew him to her -- she was the polar opposite of any of the elfin women. She was tall and statuesque, and as the song playing on the radio suggested, she had more curves than a Coke bottle. A memory of his mother telling him about falling in love with his dad flickered in the back of his mind. “Elves know when they meet ‘the one’; it’s like a magnet -- you can’t tear your eyes away from them.” Dragging his eyes back to the road, he gulped.

Saints ... he was in big trouble!

***** Her imagination hadn’t been playing tricks on her -- the elves, dwarves, and reindeer were all still there, just as they had been when she’d stepped off the helicopter hours ago. Only now, they were dancing, prancing, and stomping around to the sounds of the local rock band. She still was trying to come to grips with a band named Teeny and the Snow Biscuits, composed of lead singer Teeny the dwarf, an elfin bass guitarist, a dwarven keyboard player, and a reindeer on the drums. And damned if they didn’t sound good! Bea felt more than a little out of place as she looked around the room. She recognized a few of the people she had been introduced to that day -- Edith, the head of the dwarven

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production crew; Jon, her elfin counterpart; and Dancer, who was very obviously hitting on Prancer. Beatrice choked back a little laugh -- even the North Pole was an equal opportunity employer. Huh ... Gay reindeer ... what next? Looking down into her glass of Suck Bang and Blow -- they had been doing Peppermint Patty shots up at the bar, and her request for a Shirley Temple had gotten lost in the translation somewhere along the line -- she felt ... well ... rather free and easy, actually. Generous amounts of liquor can do that to you. It didn’t help her little problem, though. Simon sat on the other side of the room, and lord help her, she couldn’t stop watching him. Uh-uh, alcohol didn’t help -- he was still as tall, shiny, and delicious as he had been one minute, two minutes, hell ... five minutes ago. Pity that. It wasn’t like he was going to be interested in a girl with a wide ass and thick thighs when there were all these lovely, fey elfin women everywhere. Bea had to rethink that idea when she looked back from surveying the room to find Simon facing her and returning her stare. Wow! Talk about heat factor ten! Bea quickly checked behind her to make sure that the lust in that stare was for her, not some slim, sexy elf behind her. The low volume thrumming in her groin upped its tempo to a pounding beat as her pussy contracted, eager for everything that heated look promised. Her mouth went dry as she watched his muscles bunch as he used his arms to push out of the chair he sat in.

Good lord! It was like an out-of-body experience. Simon watched himself walk across the room and come to a halt in front of Bea. Inside he kept saying don’t, but his body refused to obey. He had felt Bea’s eyes burning across his skin all night. But every time he turned, she had already managed to look away -- that was until she had looked up to find him doing the staring. He knew there was a challenge in his eyes, and judging by the way her face flushed, she was up for accepting it. Like one of those tacky movie scenes where everyone and everything around the lovers fades to a muted roar, it was just them and the knowledge that this primal attraction was clawing at both of them. Simon knew he should walk away; after all, despite the relaxed family atmosphere at the Pole, she was a co-worker. But he was drunk enough to override the sensible-thing-to-do mechanism in his brain, and he stood his ground. Simon watched as, without a word spoken, her color heightened, her breathing became uneven, and her eyelids became heavy while adrenaline blew her pupils wide. His cock was like stone as his reactions grew along with hers.

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Elfin senses were heightened compared to a regular human’s, and his nostrils flared as he scented the musky smell of her arousal. He had to get them out of here before he threw her on the ground and fucked her blind in the middle of the dance floor. His eyes said it all as he offered her his hand; she slid off the stool and let him lead her away. Beatrice shook her head, trying to clear the sensuous fog that had invaded her brain. It didn’t help her much. Watching Simon’s tight, round ass in those close-fitting jeans as he pulled her along behind him got her all steamed up again. When she shivered with expectation, Simon stopped and turned back to her. Seeing only desire glittering in her eyes, he carried on, pulling her along after him.

Just do it, Bea; don’t think. He is attracted to you, not your mother’s reputation; he has no clue what your mother does for a living. Bea had been so determined to not follow in her mother’s footsteps that she was near enough to a twenty-five-year-old virgin. Having received more than her fair share of lewd offers over the years to take over where her mother left off with one of her “customers,” Bea had just tucked her head down and ignored them all. She’d had a couple of one-night-stand experiences when she had traveled out of town, and although one had been pretty nice, the other had left something to be desired. But this ... neither of them had ever felt like this!

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Chapter Four Simon took every side hall and shortcut he could think of to get back to his apartment in record time. “Where are we going?” Bea’s voice was husky and deep. “Here.” Simon shoved open the apartment door and dragged Bea through before slamming the door shut and pushing her up against it. Pressing his lips against hers urgently, he plundered her mouth, groaning when Bea opened to him immediately and pulled him closer by wrapping her hands in his long hair and tugging. He couldn’t get close enough to that lush body of hers as he crushed himself up against her. Hauling back to take a gasping breath, Simon watched as Bea’s eyes opened, and she looked at him like she was an Atkins dieter eyeing up a double chocolate, whipped cream cake. “Should we be doing this?” Saints, they shouldn’t even be on the same continent if this was going to happen every time they were in a room together. “No ... I barely know you; you barely know me.” Bea’s hips wiggled as a leg curled around the back of his thigh, thrusting them intimately together. “And since I haven’t done this kind of thing before, I really don’t know the right etiquette ... but if you aren’t stopping me, and I’m not stopping you, what’s stopping us?” The woman had a point. Simon then did the unexpected. Pulling Bea’s other leg up around his waist, he lifted her. With his palms full of a luscious ass, he made his way to his bedroom, only stopping to press Bea back up against the lounge, dining room, and hall walls so he didn’t stumble as he kissed her. Simon’s heart pounded, and his vision was hazy as their tongues plunged and stroked against one another. His hands clenched around the fleshy globes of her buttocks as he thrust

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up into the V of her legs, aching for there to be no clothing between them so he could sink deep inside her. Finally making it to the bedroom, they tumbled onto the bed and rolled till Bea came to rest on top, her thighs around Simon’s hips. With his knees bent, his feet were flat on the bed, forcing Bea forward onto her hands. Simon was making short work of the buttons on her top, lifting his head to kiss his way down the opening as he exposed more flesh. Bea’s breasts hung heavily in their lace and satin confines, just waiting for him to release them and lick and nibble them. Simon struggled to keep his thoughts in line. Between the alcohol fogging his brain and the lust coursing through his body, he was fast reaching the point where everything becomes pure sensation -- and he wanted to dive right in. Rational thought, just like Elvis, had left the building. Remaining behind was a pair of slightly confused, soft green eyes looking at him hungrily. Flipping them over, Simon looked down at Bea sprawled over the bed. Her wild curls stuck out every which way from where he had plunged his hands in to hold her lips tightly to his while they bumbled their way to the bedroom. “Good god, Bea, look at you. Honey, do you have any idea how sexy you are?” In the back of his brain a little voice was saying, “Mine, all mine,” but Simon did his level best to ignore it -- this wasn’t supposed to have happened. Bea shook her head as she questioned him. “I am?” Simon growled as he moved down her body, nimbly undoing buttons and zips, then pulling down trousers and panties, exposing Bea further. Leisurely running his eyes back up Bea’s body, he took in the expanse of soft, creamy skin, generous curves, and the darker red coloring of the hair that covered her plump mons. Fascinated, he feathered his fingers through the curls, feeling dampness as his fingers gently trailed down the swollen lips of Bea’s sex. Looking up, he saw the uncertainty in Bea’s eyes as she watched him. “Very,” he managed to growl out. He watched the disbelief ease from her body only to have tension of another kind take its place. He wanted to say more, but the words were gone. Simon tugged at his shirt, hurriedly throwing it behind him so he could lean down to lick and kiss a path from Bea’s navel down over her hip. He gently nudged at her legs, forcing her to shift them wider, opening herself to his view. He groaned as his fingers sank deep into the moist cleft. Bea was wet, hot, and extremely tempting. Simon gave up all pretense of resistance and moved his head lower so he could take an unhurried lick along Bea’s glistening sex, circling the bud at the top. He felt hands threading through his hair, tugging gently as if to pull him away. “You don’t have to ...” Bea gasped as Simon took the point of his tongue and ran it over her clit while a finger slipped lower, entering her channel, pumping slowly to match the strokes of his tongue. Quickly, he progressed to two fingers, and as the tug on his hair

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became a pull, he moved to three fingers and suckled directly on her nub, feeling the tremors of Bea’s orgasm almost immediately. Her husky cries were music to his pointy ears. Her body clenched around him, and her legs tightened over his shoulders as she pulled him tightly to her body, trying to ride through the climax. Finally, feeling her body let loose of the rapture, Simon put his hands under her hips and pulled her up, closer to his mouth, and attacked her pussy. Relentlessly flicking his tongue over the swollen bundle of nerves and using his teeth to rasp gently over the tender flesh, he chuckled as Bea pleaded with him to stop, all the while pushing her hips closer. “Oh, god, Simon ... please ...” Bea wasn’t above pleading. She needed something more to satisfy the empty space in her belly that was screaming at her to be stuffed full. Preferably full of Simon’s cock. With her eyes closed, it seemed like only seconds between being dropped back to the bed and sensing Simon leaning over her, then feeling something hard and blunt sliding through the slick cream that coated her pussy. Opening her eyes, she was surrounded by a waterfall of iridescent, shimmering hair that flowed from the strikingly beautiful face of the man suspended above her. His blue eyes ... glowed? Reaching up, Bea ran a finger across Simon’s brow, gently around his eye, then down over his cheek to his plump lips, shiny with her juices. “Your eyes ... wow ... they’re glowing ...” They were so pretty -- not that she was going to tell him that right at this moment. Simon grinned down at her. “It’s an elf thing.” When Simon pulled away from her and back onto his haunches, Bea was slammed with the full impact of Simon’s body sans clothes. Lord above! The air whooshed out of her lungs as her gaze started at his knees and moved up. He looked lightly tanned all over -- maybe that was an elf thing, too; hopefully she would remember to ask at some point. His thighs were long and looked lean and muscular rather than bulky. Not quite ready for the portion of his anatomy that should have come next, she skipped up to Simon’s shoulders, admiring the taut muscles that ran down to an equally impressive chest and a tight stomach. Simon didn’t bulge with muscles, but his tall frame was lithe and matched his angelic face and hair. Finally, Bea took a deep breath and dropped her eyes to look there. Oh. My. Lord. As she stared, Simon wrapped his hand around his cock. Slowly dragging his fist up his shaft, he used his thumb to spread a drop of pre-cum over the reddened head. Making a fist again, he pumped his hips, pushing through the tight ring of his clenched palm and fingers. His eyes watched her face intently, feeding his arousal from her own excitement.

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His penis was magnificent -- long and thick, but not overly so, slightly oval in shape, and like the rest of his body a flushed, golden color.

Oh, wow! Bea couldn’t say a thing. Moving back to stand at the end of the bed, Simon reached forward to grasp her around the hips, pulling her down to the edge. Slowly sliding his hands up Bea’s thighs, he took a hold behind her legs, forcing her knees up and presenting her to him perfectly. Arranging her legs over his arms, he pressed her legs back toward the bed as he leaned over to tongue the dusky rose nipples that rocked below him. “Ready, Bea?” Simon knew he sure was. “Please ...?” The sexy whimper as Bea pleaded to be filled sent Simon over the edge, and he plunged hard and fast into the hot, wet heaven of Bea’s body as she screamed out at the penetration. Nothing had felt like this. It was like she was branding his cock from the inside out. Every thrust wound their tension higher, until Bea reached breaking point, sending her screaming into another orgasm that rocked her body underneath him and left her weak and panting. Pushing her over, Simon coaxed Bea to her knees, pressing her shoulders to the bed and allowing him to slide deeper than he had before. Both of them groaned in unison at the exquisite sensations. Simon couldn’t keep to the slow, deep thrusts for long. Quickly he moved to a thrilling, pounding rhythm that slammed them both together. He clutched at her hips, holding her in place as his own climax came rushing upon him. He couldn’t take his eyes off the flesh in front of him. The sway as Bea pushed back into him, watching her ass jiggle from the shockwaves of his thrusts against her, was driving him insane. He felt possessive, potent, and for the first time in his life he wanted to mark a woman and claim her as his own. She was everything earthy and fertile.

Oh, shit! Jerking back at the last moment, Simon fisted his cock and used his hand for the last few strokes, letting his cum coat the small of Bea’s back, marking her as his. Bea collapsed on the bed, gasping as aftershocks wracked her body. Falling down beside her, heedless of the mess he had just made on her skin, Simon pulled Bea into his chest, spooning around her, comforting her as she got her body back under control. Simon was shocked. Sex -- and he’d had his fair share of it -- had never been like this.

What a fucking mess. He might have found the woman of his dreams, and according to their stupid bloody plan, she was supposed to be for someone else!

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Chapter Five Simon fumbled with the lock on the door, striving to make a quiet exit. He cringed as his watch clunked against the door, the sound reverberating in his tired head, as well as around the room. Checking over his shoulder to see if he had disturbed Bea, he was relieved to see she was still asleep. He didn’t like leaving her to wake in a stranger’s room by herself, but work called. He knew she would understand that one of them needed to be around. And since he had been the one who had left Bea in a sexually satisfied heap, it seemed only fair it should be he. Simon grinned as he remembered the long night with the lovely, plump lady asleep in his bed. She was ... supposed to be off limits is what she was. Simon’s smile turned into a frown. “Morning, Simon!” Simon swung round to face his best friend and boss and plastered a smile on his face. It wasn’t that easy with the thumping in his head from too much alcohol and sex, combined with not enough sleep and a hefty dose of guilt about the man in front of him. “Hey, Nick, how’s things?” “Pretty good, all things considered. I haven’t had a phone call from the union rep at some ungodly hour this morning, so today is looking up!” Nick’s voice sounded cheerful, but his face wore a perplexed frown. Simon had to wonder if Nick and the union rep had been at each other’s throats again. “So I just wanted to catch up with you about Bea.” “What? What about Bea?” Damn it, he really needed to get Nick out of this corridor and away from his apartment. Saints, imagine if Nick found Bea there? “I know I have only just met her, but she seems very nice -- a great choice for the position. I know you were worried about the whole Mrs. Claus thing, but I just wanted to

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tell you that I think I might follow up like we talked about. I think she and I might get along quite well.”

Oh, crap. That was not what he wanted to hear. Not after having just spent the night with the woman under discussion and coming to the realization that she might be “the one” that his mother had told him about -- that he might have been lucky enough to have met a heart-mate, not just a lover. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a wisp of red curls and a frantic green eye watching him anxiously from the crack in the door. He could almost hear the body language screaming at him from behind the door, telling him to get Nick out of here. Striding off, forcing Nick to come along with him to be able to keep talking, he managed to drag Nick away to give Bea time to escape back to her apartment.

***** Bea watched Simon over on the other side of the office out of the corner of her eye. They both had tried hard to ignore “that night” for two weeks now, knowing that Nick liked Bea and that he wanted to get to know her, find out what made her, well, her. But Bea just couldn’t put her heart into it. Nick was a wonderful man -- a little bit the absentminded inventor and really a nice guy -- but whenever Simon was near, she was drawn to him, both in body and spirit. Thinking back to the previous day, she colored, embarrassed at her behavior. Nick had surprised her in her office just before lunch. He had a blanket in one hand and a picnic basket in the other, and had whisked her off to the ice-garden for a quiet and private lunch. Having never been wooed before, it really had been rather exciting, but as Nick angled to get closer to her, she couldn’t help but duck his advances. He hadn’t said anything outright, but a couple of times she had caught him looking at her oddly, as if he was trying to figure out why she was so skittish. Bad manners aside, it had been nice spending the time getting to know Nick better. Bea had managed to get away with telling the minimum about her own family and had gotten Nick talking about his family and the history of the North Pole. It had been really rather fascinating to hear how the title of St. Nicholas was handed down just like the European peerage titles -- firstborn to firstborn, or the nearest male relative. He was proud that the title of St. Nicholas had been in their direct family line for over two hundred years. Nick’s father had been the active Santa for ten years before he was killed in a freak sleigh accident, so his grandfather had come out of retirement until Nick came of age to be able to take over the proverbial reins. Nevertheless, getting to know Nick hadn’t helped Bea’s dilemma. Nick was a very handsome man, and maybe if she hadn’t met Simon she might have felt more than a flicker of attraction. As it stood now, Nick felt more like a good friend or sibling than a potential

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lover, and with her lack of dating experience, she had no clue on how to let him down gently. This problematic attraction to Simon was even interrupting her sleep -- every time she managed to drop off to sleep, she jumped straight into a fantasy that featured Simon in a myriad of sexy and often kinky situations. It was rough on a girl to be perpetually horny and have the wrong man wanting to romance her. The thing was, she wasn’t quite sure what would happen if she outright rejected Nick in favor of Simon. She did not want to go back to the ugly town she once called home. Knowing Nick had suggested to Simon that if he and the person who took the Mrs. Claus job got along, he might formalize the position, she just wasn’t too sure on the job security front, despite all of Simon’s assurances at the interview. After all, there was a vast difference between politely declining Nick’s suit because she wasn’t attracted enough to marry him and outright rejecting it because she lusted after his best friend. Bea sighed quietly. She enjoyed living and working here -- loved it, in fact. She finally felt as if she fit. She rather liked grumpy old Comet, and the dwarven girls on the production lines were a total riot. But ... there was Simon, with his lovely golden looks, and here was her out-of-control libido screaming at her that Simon was totally edible. Shaking her head at the nature of her internal musings, Bea recalled one of last night’s fantasies. Man, it had been hot -- Simon had been tied to her bed and she had been eating chocolate and whipped cream from his body. “Bea? Is something wrong?” Oh, crap! Caught with my hand in the honey pot, so to

speak. “Ye ... agh ...” She coughed into her hand to clear her lust-choked throat. “Yeah? Sorry about that, Simon.” She pointed at her neck with a smile. “Frog in my throat.” “Oh?” Simon was looking at her oddly. “You were quite flushed; I thought something might have been wrong.”

Crap! Wait a minute; Simon looked rather pink in the cheeks, too. As she looked a little more directly at Simon, his face reddened further. “Seems like we caught the same thing.” “Ah ... um ... I have to go.” He turned and walked -- make that almost ran -- out of the room. Saints! If he wasn’t careful, he was really going to lose it in a major way. He had been checking out Bea as she was woolgathering. Her rapid breathing and flushed cheeks had him halfway across the room before he had caught himself and called out.

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She had looked so delectable being caught out daydreaming. Realizing that he was only seconds away from pushing her to the ground and ravishing her, he had turned tail and run. So much for the big, bad-boy, in-charge elf -- he was just a whipped puppy. “Hey, Simon?” Hearing Nick call out from the doorway, he looked up to see his friend coming in and taking a seat opposite him. “What’cha up to?” “Just ...” Simon shuffled a few papers around on his desk. “Just working.” “Just daydreaming is more like it.” Nick laughed as Simon looked a little put out. “I tell you what, to take your mind off of whatever it is that’s making you look as twisted as a pretzel, you can help me with something.” Simon sat back in his chair to listen to Nick. “Why? What’s up that you need a hand with?” He chuckled. “The union rep?” “Agh, don’t even mention her!” Nick looked like he had just swallowed a rotten egg. “No, I wanted to ask you something about Bea.” Paling, Simon sat up a little straighter. “Bea?” “Yeah ... I was trying to figure out something I could do for her that was different.” Nick looked a little discomposed. “Flowers and dinner and stuff is all good, but I wanted to do something ... I don’t know, big, to show her I’m interested.” Nick’s eyes pleaded with Simon to give him some sort of solution to his problem.

Shit! Double Shit! He wants me, of all people, to give him romance advice? I am so screwed! “Umm ... well ... I ...” Simon gulped, not quite sure what to do. “Look, this is something you should really do yourself, you know. Then she knows you thought about it and came up with something original.” Simon clenched the chair arm tighter, trying to keep it together but really wanting to say, “Piss off, she’s all mine!” Instead, here he was trying to do the right thing by his best friend. “I mean, it’s not as if we know her all that well. She has only been here a few weeks; no one has really had a chance to get to know her.” A little spark started in Nick’s eyes. “You know, you’re right!” “I am?” Saints, what did I just say? “Yeah, we don’t know her all that well, but other people do.” Jumping up out of the seat, Nick rushed out the room. “I just need to find the other people!” Simon jumped to his feet, calling out to Nick. “Nick, I really don’t think ... Nick!” Simon crashed down in his chair, blood draining from his face and feeling sick to his stomach. “Saints, what have I done?”

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Chapter Six His tongue circled around her belly button as he made his graceful way down her body, leaving a damp trail as he bit and licked. Bea couldn’t stop the goose bumps racing over her skin as she shivered at the delectable sensations that made her nipples peak to hard points and made her ache in the spots he had yet to caress. “Ah, Bea, you are so wonderfully soft.” Her lover chuckled against her hip. “Don’t ever change; you are so generously curved. You’re a delight ... no horrid hip bones to poke into me ... and such superbly rounded breasts that fill the palms of my hands and spill into my eager mouth.” That marvelously eager mouth made its way down over her stomach, and his searing tongue left a wet path along the crease of her thigh as he made his way closer to that which would give them both great pleasure. She shivered ... The intimate dream crumbled as Bea jerked awake. She panted as she looked around the darkened office. Her catnap had lasted a lot longer than she had planned when she had lain down to rest her eyes for a few minutes. Falling back onto the couch, she groaned, embarrassed at having such an intimate dream about Simon in the middle of the afternoon, and totally frustrated that she had woken before she had gotten to the really good stuff. Well ... there wasn’t any reason she couldn’t help herself out of her predicament, was there? Looking around furtively, she couldn’t see or hear anyone close by. Blushing at her own wayward thoughts, she almost launched herself off of the couch and back to work. Almost. Instead, feeling uncommonly bold, she let her hands creep slowly down her front, gently plucking at her hardened nipples, which were not nearly as disguised by her bra as they should be. One hand carried on down over the softness of her belly, releasing the

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button at the waist of her jeans along with the zipper, and then slid further down, under the flesh-warmed denim and soft satin of her drenched panties. Closing her eyes, she sighed as her fingertips pressed deeper into the burning flesh, sinking into her pussy easily as her fingers became coated with her cream. The fantasy flickered into motion again as she stroked the sensitive, fleshy tissue around her clit. Years of practice meant she knew just where to touch and how best to caress herself. Heated, her face and chest flushed as her arousal grew, and her fingertips pressed more insistently, edging closer to her swelling and pulsing clitoris. Her hand snuck through the gap between her shirt buttons and pulled down the cup on her bra. Pinching her exposed nipple harder than before, Bea gasped. A light sheen of sweat glowed on her skin as she tortured herself with pleasure, holding off her own climax to make the final release all the more explosive. Saints, she was incredible. Simon had been searching for Bea to let her know that Nick had been in touch after his hasty departure the day before, and would be back from his mysterious trip in four days’ time. He found her, all right -- lying on a couch gilded by moonlight, smelling of sex but looking as chaste as if she stood in a church. He watched her hand slide under her shirt and tug at the nipples he could see standing to attention under the taut cloth. Her right hand was working slowly but surely in her snatch, the moonlight glinting off the satin of her panties that showed through her open zipper. Not one morsel of breast, stomach, pussy, or ass was visible, and it was the sexiest damn thing he had seen in his entire life! Since it was her waking fantasy, she imagined Simon caressing her body -- loving, gentle sweeps of fingertips, and moist trails across her skin from a hot, wet tongue. The hard slap of a hand pinkening her bottom as she lay over his lap, and the sweet torture of Simon’s tongue around her clit, lapping like a cat on her cream, sent her over the precipice she had held on to for the last few minutes. Her climax made her body stiffen and press back into the couch. Her thighs pressed together, capturing her hand in her pussy, lengthening the torment. Her moan of pleasure rang around the room, echoed by the sound of a man’s strangled groan. Her eyes flew open. Simon stood at the end of the sofa with his jeans hanging loose, his hand mirroring hers beneath the worn blue denim. His cheeks flushed with sexual heat, his breath panting from his open mouth.

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“Oh ...” The one-syllable word was a whisper on the air as she languidly sat up, never losing contact with Simon’s soft, grey-blue eyes that watched her so intently. His body swayed towards her, but even as he groaned with need, he pushed himself away from the sofa. He looked down at her again through hooded eyes. She saw it on his face when he gave up the pretense and stepped close again. Threading his hand through her hair, he pulled her up against his chest, wrapping her tightly in his arms. Her head tilted back as she looked up at him “Saints, Bea. That was amazing.” She could see the movement of his chest as he gulped in air. “I ... good god, I have never seen a woman look as beautiful as you do when you climax.” His eyes were glowing again. “We, hell ...” He ground out the expletive, frustrated. “We aren’t supposed to be doing this!” Simon’s eyes pleaded with her to help him pull away even as his mouth edged closer to hers. Well, she wasn’t going to be able to help him; she was having a hard enough job fighting her own battle, and losing. “Why are you here, Simon?” Bea breathed the question into Simon’s mouth as his lips hovered, only millimeters away from touching hers. “Nick phoned. He didn’t tell me where he was, but he said he’d be back in four days.” The words were a hot wash over her lips. “So ... we have until Nick comes back ...” It was wrong of her to tease them both with the possibility of a few days crammed as full of each other as they could. Simon ceded to her suggestion by lowering his lips again to hers and whispering, “Yes!” Lifting Bea from her knees, Simon stood her on the floor and took her place on the sofa, reclining back against the cushions so he could watch her. “Strip for me, Bea; show me that wonderful body you were stroking so beautifully.” As Bea started on her clothing, Simon reached down to fish out the condom he had taken to carrying in his pocket -- just in case. Nothing like holding on to your optimism, now was there? Then he reached for his jeans, pushing the placket wide before releasing his cock, stroking it absently as he watched the striptease before him. It wasn’t as if he needed to -- he was already as hard as ice and most likely as easy to shatter at any moment -- but it sure as hell felt damn good. “What you do to me, Bea!” Standing there half naked, she had stopped moving, staring instead, focusing on his hand stroking over the soft skin of his hard member. Her tongue nipped out to run along the crease of her lips, leaving behind a glossy surface that made Simon groan. “Strip for me, baby.” Simon pushed his jeans and briefs down his legs. “Then come and ride me.” He rearranged himself on the sofa without looking -- he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the bountiful woman in front of him. He watched her push down her jeans, then those

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satin panties; exposing smooth skin, flushed from her previous orgasm, and her pink, puffy, and slick labia. Bea’s hips curved gently from her waist, flowing down into thighs that were solid and strong. Her breasts were miraculous, swaying as she stepped over to him, straddling his thighs and moving her knees onto the cushions under them both. “Like this?” The hesitance belied the lust on her face. “I haven’t ever been on top before.” Simon’s whole face smiled -- heartily pleased that he would be the first to show her just how satisfying this could be. “You’re doing just fine; you can run the show, go as fast or slow as you like.” Having already sheathed himself in the condom, he lifted her up and slid home with ease through the pouty lips of her pussy, already slick with the cream from her previous, self-induced climax. Her groan as he stretched and filled her was a boost to his ego. Tentatively, she moved up, then down, finding the rhythm that suited her best. Simon relaxed back to watch her, his gaze hooded and his hands on her hips, supporting her. “Show me what I didn’t see before, Bea.” Her eyes popped open, wide with surprise. “Show me what I couldn’t see before because of your clothes.” He thrust up against her downstroke, pushing against her already swollen clit, making her gasp. “Touch yourself, baby; show me how you like it.”

She could do this. Bea took her hands from Simon’s shoulders and sat more upright, letting him do more of the work. Closing her eyes, she started touching herself like she had after her naughty dream. Taking her breasts in the palms of her hands, she pinched the nipples, pulling and twisting them gently. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel the heat of Simon’s stare. He hadn’t taken his eyes off of her since she had looked up to see him standing at the end of the sofa. It made the sting in her nipples burn all the more to know she was doing this just for him. Leaving her breasts, she ran her hands down her stomach, resting lightly over Simon’s hands holding and guiding her motions up and down. The sensations from Simon’s cock thrusting up were overwhelming. She couldn’t have kept her fingers away if she had tried. Slowly, her right hand crept down, parting her lips further and exposing herself more to Simon’s torrid gaze. “That’s it, baby; let me see all of you.” Helpless, lost in the haze of desire they had woven together, Bea ran her fingers down to touch the velvety shaft plunging into her. Simon growled as her fingers made a V around his cock, pressing against the shaft, giving him extra stimulation. “Now, Bea. Make yourself come for me, baby.” Her left hand had crept back up to her breast and she plucked again at her nipple. The fingers of her right hand pressed hard on either side of the sensitive bud, moving faster and faster over the soft, slick tissues as Simon encouraged her. The buzz started behind her ears,

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running down her spine and straight to her pussy, her nipples sending lightning shocks, fueling the torrent. So close to losing all control, Bea’s eyes snapped open, and she connected instantly with Simon’s fiery stare. In the darkened room, the luminescence of Simon’s eyes was striking. Staring into their depths, Bea let herself fly, knowing that Simon would be there to catch her.

***** They failed miserably over the next three days at staying away from each other during the day. Somehow they managed to not get caught. But on the third night, knowing it was to be their last, they lay in each other’s arms, temporarily sated. Bea used Simon’s chest as her pillow, her fingers wandering aimlessly over his chest and stomach as he absently played with her hair. “Bea?” “Hmm?” “We have to tell Nick.” Guilt colored his voice, and tension rode his body. “Trying to keep this a secret will kill us both, Bea. I love Nick like a brother; I can’t do that to him.” Bea moved up onto her elbow and looked into her lover’s face, studying him, taking in the worry, determination, fear, and regret. “What will that mean for us, Simon?” Plenty of the unloved child still lived on in Bea. It instantly assumed the worst. Simon watched Bea’s eyes dull, while her face remained impassive. Taking her face in his hands, he pulled her closer, nuzzling the soft skin along her jaw, scenting the unique smell of Bea behind her ear, before whispering, “I love you, Bea. Wherever you are is where I am.” Her gasp and the increase in her heartbeat told him how much his words affected her. Rolling Bea gently to her back, Simon propped himself over her, looking down into her wonderfully expressive eyes. “There is something I ... well, something I omitted when you asked me about the whole glowing-eyes thing.” Simon watched Bea’s eyebrows lift in question. “It is an elfin thing, but it doesn’t happen very often -- not normally during sex. My mother once told me that if I was ever lucky enough to meet a heart-mate, I would know because my eyes would go luminescent -- like they were glowing.” “What is a heart-mate?” Bea asked quietly. “If you are a very lucky elf, you find your heart-mate. You have a much deeper connection with that person, almost telepathic, but not quite -- more like extrasensory awareness. Heart-mates are cherished, and loved to distraction, for to lose your heart-mate is to lose yourself.” His head dipped down, and his lips brushed tenderly over hers as he whispered into them. “A heart-mate is the other half of your soul.”

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Bea reached her hand up and ran her fingers down the sleek fall of Simon’s hair, looping it back behind his pointed ear, then down over the side of his face, cupping his jaw in her hand, and whispered back into his mouth. “Heart-mate.”

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Chapter Seven Surely he couldn’t have? Bea watched as Nick, followed by three other men, climbed down from the helicopter. Now that she could see them clearly, she could easily recognize them as residents of her old hometown. “So, I found some people in my travels that I thought you should talk to,” he informed her as he made his way to her side. “You went back to my hometown?” Bea was not happy about that. “What is it with that place? It’s like the goddamned Bermuda triangle continually sucking me in.” Nick just stood and stared, his mouth gaping, at Bea’s fury. “Are these people the ‘something’ you were trying to find when you left on your mystery trip?” “Well, yeah ... Look, I just wanted to try to do something nice. You seemed so cut up about not knowing who your dad is that I thought I would do a little digging.” “Oh ... Oh!” Bea stomped her foot in anger -- mainly at herself for having believed that it would be different here, but no small measure toward Nick. Managing to squarely squash Nick’s toes under her boot heel, she turned and flounced away, climbing into one of the Hummers and slamming the door, crossing her arms under her ample bosom and harrumphing. Simon and the four other men stood there, taken aback at Bea’s outburst. He hadn’t known of Nick’s plan but had quickly put two and two together to make three -- a father and two brothers. He turned to the strangers to express his displeasure. “This really, really couldn’t have come at a worse time.”

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Nick looked at him with shock and surprise. “What?” Nick’s eyes were wide, showing his total confusion. “What did I do wrong?” “I know you meant well, Nick, but this isn’t the type of thing you hare off to do on your own and surprise someone with. Why on earth do you think she came here? To escape, finally.” Impassively, he watched all four men’s faces color. “What’s done is done. Come on, let’s get going home.”

***** Having made their way to Nick’s apartment, everyone was seated around the living room studying each other, mugs of coffee and tea going cold. Bea sat quietly, unsure of what was now expected of her. The older man, Eric Robertson, finally spoke up. “I guess since this is my story, I had better be the one to break the silence.” He didn’t look as if he actually knew how to start. Bea watched him, trying to hold a blank face; she had no clue what was going to happen once his tale was finished. He took a deep breath and started the story that was about to change her life -- for better or worse. “Bea has always been a sore point in our family.” At least the man had the grace to look sick to his stomach as he described her as an inconvenience. “I made a mistake when I was younger. I had a young son to look after; and a wife, who became very sick with cancer. With everything going on at home and trying to run the lumberyard, I was at the breaking point.” Eric paused in his narrative. “I had been dropped into running the logging and lumber operation overnight when my father collapsed and died from a major heart attack. So, I did something that I would like to say to this day I regret. But I don’t.” It was almost comical. She felt five pairs of eyes watching her intensely. The air was thick with tension -- hope, shame, expectation and apprehension. Yet she couldn’t take her eyes off the man who was about to declare himself her father. “If I hadn’t made that stupid mistake, you wouldn’t exist today, and I just can’t regret that.” Bea gasped and Eric broke off. His hand hovered as if to reach out to her, only Bea’s glare stopped his concern cold as she dared him to try touching her. Sighing and dropping his hand to his lap, Eric took up his story again. “It’s not a pretty story, and not one to be proud of. I made the stupid mistake of trying to work off some stress by buying a willing body for a few hours. Your mother, as I am sure you realize by now, was that willing body.” At least she didn’t have to worry about shocking Simon with this account of her family. She had already told him something of her childhood as they lay together late one evening, hot and sticky from their frantic coupling.

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Eric caught her curious look at his sons. “Tomas and Trace have known about it all for a while now. They heard me arguing with their mother when they were in their early teens, and I refused to keep it a secret from them any longer, much to their mother’s disgust.” The two brothers reached out to grasp the older man’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Dad,” Tomas reassured his father. “Everyone makes mistakes. We know that Mother was keeping you from bringing Bea home.” Bea had to admire the way the two boys took their father’s indiscretion in stride. Although Eric met her eyes without wavering, she could see the man was hurting, and deeply ashamed. Her rational, adult side could see his pain -- the child still hurting deep inside was glad to see his shame. “You were about four when I got my first good look at you; I watched you trailing behind your mother in the supermarket. It was only when we were looking through some old family photos that had been unearthed in the attic that I saw the resemblance. I realized then that you were a dead match for my youngest sister at that same age.” Swallowing some of the cold coffee from the cup he held, he carried on. “I tried to get Alice to let me bring you back to our home so you could grow up with your brothers. It killed me to know what you must have been living with.” The sadness showed in his eyes. Nick and Simon kept silent as they, too, listened intently to Eric. “But she would have none of it. She had grudgingly forgiven me for my indiscretion with your mother, though she never let me forget it. I swore, for the sake of my two sons and my marriage, not to interfere in your life or tell you who your family really was.” Frustration and anger briefly flashed on Eric’s face. “I should have stood up to her years ago and demanded that she accept you. I was a fucking coward. “I refused to lie to the boys after they overheard our argument. Every day, when I picked Tomas and Trace up from school, I saw how you were being treated by your classmates; you were teased and ostracized by nearly all the kids. Tomas and Trace had heard more than I thought, and your brothers decided that it was up to the three of us to do all we could to help you, without you or Alice realizing it.” It was obvious the agreement had been difficult for them all. “God, they were only twelve and seventeen and had come up with a better solution in two days than I had in a decade.” “Why now, what’s different? Why did you approach Nick when you found out he was asking after me?” Her voice was cold and calm as she spoke for the first time since entering the room. Too calm -- the voice of someone trying desperately to cling to her control to keep herself from falling apart. “Alice relapsed and died two years ago, when you were twenty-three. Despite her rejection of you, I loved Alice. She was a better wife than I deserved, and a good mother. At that point, we thought it might be better left as it was.” Trace and Tomas both paled.

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“Bea ...” Trace, Bea’s older brother, started, then drifted to a stop as Bea raised her hand. She looked around at the men who made up the family she had always wanted, but never known she had. “You’re my brothers.” Bea looked pointedly at Eric. “And you’re really my dad?” For twenty years, Bea had been searching for a man to call father, and it seemed she had finally found him. Or rather, Nick, in a misguided attempt to help solve a puzzle, had found him. Bea was certain that she would never have returned to her hometown, and if Nick hadn’t gone there and started asking questions, she would have missed this chance forever. But that didn’t make the knowledge any more palatable. “Thank you for coming all this way, Eric, to make sure I knew I did have someone watching out for me after all. But I need to take some time to come to terms with all of this.” Bea rose from her seat and hurried out of the room. Blinking back tears, she tried to keep herself together until she could get out of the room. She almost made it. Both Nick and Simon leapt to their feet as Bea went from a fast walk to a run as she got closer to the door. Nick drew up short as Simon stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. Shaking his head, Simon said, “I’ll go,” then left the room, hunting for Bea.

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Chapter Eight When Simon quietly entered Bea’s apartment ten minutes later, he sat down lightly on the bed, leaning up against the headboard. Gently pulling Bea into his lap, he cradled her as she sobbed into his chest. He held her patiently, whispering soothing words, smoothing her hair out of her face, and stroking her back softly to comfort her. She startled him when she started talking. “When I was fifteen, I approached one of the men that I suspected might be my father. I was so worn down, Simon, tired of having to fend for myself and of the constant ridicule at school from teachers and students alike. My mother hated me, and I told myself I was doing it to try get away from her. I was sure anything had to be better.” He heard the hitch as Bea struggled to keep her voice under control. “The man laughed at me and told me that there was no way he would claim the whore’s ugly whelp, and that the best I could hope for in life was that my mother would sell me early -- so I could learn to be good at the family trade.” He could hear the gulps as Bea tried to bite back the tears. “I felt so dirty.” Simon hugged her closer, but didn’t say a word, sensing that she had to get the poison of her past out in her own time. “When I was little, I dreamed about having my father come and grab me up and take me away to a place that was warm and safe, and where they would love me, not ignore me because of who and what my mother was.” There was a pause and an obvious struggle for air. “Why didn’t he come for me, Simon? Am I so unlovable?” Bea wailed into his chest, losing the battle with her tears and sobbed until she sounded hoarse. “Why didn’t he come?” “Oh, Bea. Shush, baby ... Shssh.” Simon rocked her back and forth, trying to ease her pain, silently fuming at Eric for having broken her heart, and at Nick for just being an ass who didn’t think things through sometimes.

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Scooping up the woman he was head over heels about, Simon lay her down on the bed, then gently curled himself around her exhausted body to let her cry herself out and then, eventually, to sleep. An hour later, he heard the front door of Bea’s apartment open and heavy footsteps as they made their way up the hall. When he looked to the bedroom door, he saw Nick, and watched as the emotions played across Nick’s face -- regret for having upset Bea, astonishment at finding Bea and Simon together, and anger as he realized what it meant. Not wanting to wake Bea by speaking, Simon had no choice but to watch in frustration as his friend turned his back on them and walked away, venting his fury by slamming his hand against the apartment door as he left.

***** Bea had finally slipped into a deep sleep, and Simon felt comfortable leaving her alone for a time. He had to go find Nick and lay it all on the line. The pair of them had been friends since they were children. They knew all there was to know about each other, or at least they used to. Finding him in bed comforting Bea would have knocked Nick on his ass. Simon had no idea how Nick was going to react. For all he knew, he might demand they leave the Pole. Simon had spent so much time in the complex, he knew he would miss the little world they had under its icy roof, but if that was what it meant he had to do to keep Bea with him, then he would do it. Losing his best friend would hurt more. Knocking quietly, Simon entered Nick’s office. He wasn’t even halfway across the room when Nick spoke. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?” It sounded like a question, but it wasn’t. When Simon nodded, the tension seemed to flow out of Nick, his jaw unclenched, and the planes of his face relaxed a little. The two men just looked at one another, not sure how to approach the problem. “It was a stupid plan anyway.” Nick leaned back in his leather office chair with a loud sigh and threw the pen he had been fiddling with across the blotter. Simon was surprised at the feigned nonchalance. He knew Nick was as pissed as hell at him, but Nick always took on any issue head-on. “It wasn’t something that we could help, Nick. We tried --” Nick cut across Simon’s explanation. “Simon, spare me. I am pissed off at you, yes. But I’m not a total idiot. You love her. It’s that simple; don’t make excuses for it.” “But ...” Simon started, confused. “Remember me talking about finding a special someone?” Simon nodded as he recalled their conversation. “Bea is your special somebody. And though I think that Bea and I could

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have made a happy life and loved one another, she’s not ‘the one.’ Like I said, it was a dumb plan.” Sinking into the seat behind him, Simon was a little disconcerted. He had been half expecting a big argument. “So now what, Nick? Do you want us to leave?” He didn’t really want to contemplate having to leave the Pole -- it was home. “Want you to what?” Nick turned a nasty shade of red and choked. “Who said anything about leaving? You’re kidding me, right?” “If this relationship between Bea and me is going to make you uncomfortable, then we’ll go.” “Saints, no!” Nick goggled at Simon. “Oh, hell no! There’s no way I’m letting the two best organizers this side of ... well, the North Pole, get away. I might be pissed at you, Simon, but I’m not insane!” Simon laughed at Nick’s comical horror at the thought of losing his top managers. “How about this for a new plan.” Nick leaned forward, planting his elbows on the desk and steepling his fingers under his chin. “Bea stays in the Mrs. Claus position until I have the luck of finding the woman who, hopefully, won’t make me act as dense as you.” Simon growled at the comment. He wasn’t the dense one whose idea of a surprise gift was a mystery father and brothers. “I mean, come on, Simon. What on earth were you thinking? You should have said something right from the start. I would have been cool with that. Instead you’ve now got some major sucking up to do to make up for it.” “Hindsight is a wonderful thing, you know, Nick. At the time, neither of us was thinking straight. Can I offer a suggestion?” Nick looked at Simon oddly. “A suggestion?” “Yeah, when you manage to find a woman who will put up with your absentminded ass, don’t go trying to find her long-lost father, sister, aunt ... dog, whatever, without telling her.” “I thought it was a good idea at the time.” Nick colored, chagrined. “Yeah, well, Bea is really hurting at the moment. There was a lot more she had gone through that we didn’t know. The whole town was really nasty to her when she was a kid.” “I found that out. I met a guy called Tyler in a bar one night.” It was hard to recognize the kindly face of Santa Claus when Nick’s jaw was clenched tight and his eyes flared with outrage. He gingerly rubbed his fingertips over the broken skin of his knuckles on the opposite hand. “He had some very uncomplimentary things to say about Bea and her mother. But he won’t be doing that again anytime soon.” “What?”

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“Look, was it my fault the guy had a glass jaw?” Nick asked sardonically, not looking in the least abashed for what he had done. “What?” Simon sat upright in his seat, shocked to hear of Nick brawling. “You hit someone? You’re kidding me, right? You’ve never hit anyone in your life!” “Well, there is a first time for everything. They were talking about her as if she were a whore, Simon. What would you have done?” Nick’s raised brow challenged Simon. Simon grunted in agreement as he crossed his arms and sank back into the chair, his ankle propped on his opposite knee. “A damn sight more, probably.” Leaning back in his leather office chair, Nick scrubbed his hand over his face and looked at Simon. “Do you think she’ll forgive me, Simon? It wasn’t my intention to hurt her; it was just that I could see it was something that she needed resolution for, and I wanted to help her get it.” “Give her time, Nick. It’s not really you she’s angry and upset with.” Simon shrugged. “Well ... maybe a little bit, but it’s the reliving all the hurts and disappointments as a kid that she had locked away that’s knocked her about. It’s Eric who she is mainly angry with ... and her mother.” “I guess we forget how lucky we’ve always had it, huh? Parents that cared for us and living in a really close community.” Nick looked into the ether with a sad smile. “I still miss my dad every day.” Standing, Simon came around the desk and patted Nick on the shoulder in that manlyman way best friends do when they want to show affection. “So do I.” Simon stepped away, and turned for the door. “I’m going to get back to Bea; I don’t want her to wake up alone and feeling lonely.” “Okay. In the morning will you let her know I’ll come by and see her? I guess we’re all in the doghouse somewhere along the way in this. I want to apologize to her.” “Sure ... Can I watch? I always like watching you grovel -- watching you on the phone with the elfin union rep is most amusing.” Simon laughed as he heard the Nerf ball strike the back of the door he had just closed behind him. “I hate that bloody union rep!” came, muffled, from the other side of the closed door. Chuckling, Simon started on his way back to Bea’s apartment. The two men were square with each other again.

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Chapter Nine It had taken a few days for Bea to feel comfortable enough to make the first move toward getting to know the three men who were her blood kin. Having known Trace and Tomas vaguely from school, she fell tentatively into a friendly camaraderie with them, but she still felt stilted around Eric. He didn’t seem to blame her for feeling that way; they were making progress each day. The two of them had sat down together and talked. Bea understood that Alice had made Eric’s life very complicated when it came to her, and although she wouldn’t wish anyone ill, she was glad that they at least now had a chance to get to know one another.

***** Without the pressure of trying to keep their attraction hidden from Nick, the urgency that Simon and Bea had felt had faded somewhat. Each night they made love to each other, enjoying the emotions and growing bond between them, especially now that Bea was on the pill and there were no barriers between them. So Simon was surprised when, out of the blue, an arm reached out of a doorway and yanked him into a small, darkened supply room. “What the ...?” Simon stumbled as he was pulled sideways through the doorway. The light from the hallway outside was extinguished as the door was quickly closed behind him and the lock snapped shut. “Bea?” Simon could smell a light echo of the perfume she had put on earlier that day. It teased his senses enough to have his cock half hard. When a warm, amply curved body pressed up against his, he groaned. “Bea?”

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A finger gently pressed against his lips as she quietly shushed him. “I want to do some exploring.” Simon groaned, biting back the “Hell, yeah!” he wanted to shout. Nimble fingers moved their way down the front of his shirt, releasing buttons as they went, pressing the fabric wide and off his shoulders, leaving his arms trapped to his sides in the sleeves. Warm fingertips lightly meandered their way across his shoulders, down his triceps, and over the sensitive flesh of his inner arms, making him shiver. As they moved to his waist, he felt a pointed little tongue start lapping, circling his nipple. A fingernail scraped across the other, causing his chest to flex and his nipples to tighten to hard points. “Should I suck on them?” Simon gasped in air, trying to steady himself as the lack of sight but overabundance of other stimulants overpowered his senses. Before he could say anything, she had pulled the little nub into her mouth, lashing her tongue over the surface. When she nipped him with her teeth, he just about came in his pants. “Saints, Bea ... yessss, do it again!” She plucked at the bud, rolling it between her fingertips, tormenting him. Moving to the other side, she worried the puckered nubbin with her teeth, the brief sting exquisite. She as quickly soothed the hurt with her warm tongue. “Hmm, what else is there to explore?” Bea was surprised at herself. Her half-thoughtout capture and surprise of Simon was quickly escalating into something else. She was exciting herself beyond belief. She could feel her channel clenching, wanting to be filled. The tops of her thighs were slick with her juices and her panties were soaked. Exploration, it seemed, was an amazing aphrodisiac. Smoothing her hands over Simon’s stomach, she found the buckle on his belt and then the button of his jeans. Working on both, she crouched down and carried on her assault with her tongue and lips over his stomach. She loved the rippling sensation as the muscles seized and released. Working down his zipper, Bea pushed the opening wide and slipped the worn denim low on his hips. The soft fabric of Simon’s shirt fell over her shoulder as he worked the sleeves off his forearms. One hand found its way into her curly riot of hair, while the other hung limply at his side. Bea’s mouth hovered over the lump that bulged outwards in Simon’s briefs. She couldn’t see more than depth of shadow in the darkened room, but she felt him twitch as she ran her fingers down his length. He jerked as she squeezed him tight. She continued to hold him tightly with one hand as she peeled the briefs over the leaking head of his cock. She could feel the damp spot on the fabric and the slickness on her fingertips as she ran her forefinger over the swollen glans. Releasing him, she could sense the heat and musky scent of his member as it jutted into the dark space in front of her face.

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Using her hands, she located him again, stroking along his length, holding him in place so she could find him with her mouth. Simon whimpered as her hot, humid breath puffed over the end of his penis. She shyly licked over and around the swollen head, teasing him as he stood blinded by the darkness. When she moved her mouth over him to suckle lightly, she heard his hard draw of air and felt his legs shake as he tried to keep himself under control. “God, Bea ... do you have any idea what you do to me?” Gently he tightened his hold in her hair, moving her head over his cock, showing her how he liked to be pleasured. “Harder.” He growled as he felt an increase in pressure. The minx was pressing the flat of her tongue against the underside of his shaft and suctioning her cheeks in tighter. “Yessss!” His thumb stroked down the side of her face rhythmically, feeling her cheek bulge as she took his head and shaft as deep as she could, gagging once or twice when, in her inexperience, she went too far. A strange, primal urge washed over him; he felt an animalistic need to mark her and roar out his claim to all others, to make sure it would only ever be him she did her best to please. Pulling her away, he lifted Bea off her knees, turned her, and pressed her up against the wall. Her little exclamation of surprise quickly changed to a cry of pleasure as his body covered hers. “Put your hands on the wall, palms flat.” Bea quickly obeyed the commanding tone of his voice. “Don’t move them.” He felt her body quake as the instinctive female inside her submitted to his aggressive, potent male. He ran his hands down her arms, over her breasts, and across her hips, spreading her legs wide with his knee as if he were a cop about to pat down an offender. He could feel the rough calluses on his palms and fingertips scuffing against the soft skin of her inner thighs as he ran his hands up Bea’s legs, pushing her skirt to her waist and exposing her bare ass to his seeking fingers. “No panties, Bea?” Simon ran his roughened fingertip across the small of her back, slowly dragging it down to slide between the cheeks of her buttocks. “You are playing dirty, little girl.” Bea gasped when his other hand reached around her hip and spread her slit, two of his fingers sliding along its length and plunging into her pussy, which was crying out for his attention. With another whimper, she pushed back into him, better presenting herself to entice him to fuck her. Putting his hands on her hips, he pulled her lower body back further, situating her for his possession.

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“Make sure you keep your hands on the wall.” The order came out as a deep, husky growl. Quickly, he stripped off his jeans, groaning as Bea arched her back and inched her legs further apart, tilting her hips, opening herself to him, tempting him -- her mate. Hunkering down and running his hands up the back of her thighs, over the skin slick with her arousal, he grabbed hold of a generous amount of her fleshy cheeks and pushed them up and open. Leaning in, he ran his tongue from one end of her sex to the other, circling her clit and probing her channel the way he would do with his cock. “Mmm ... delicious.” Slowly rising, his tongue swept up, circling the rosette of her anus, before he stood tall with his aroused cock notched between her legs. Bea begged as he rocked himself across the length of her slick surfaces, bumping against the bundle of nerves that made her pussy flood over his cock at every pass. “Please, please, please ...” Bea begged so prettily. Whispering, pleading, for him to fill her. “Please what, Bea? Tell me the words.” He rocked a little harder. “You can’t play at being a dirty girl; you have to be a dirty girl, my sweet.” Bea slumped, her forehead resting along with her hands on the wall. “Please ... fuck me ... take that big, thick cock of yours and fill me up.” With one hand on her hip to steady them and another over Bea’s mouth to muffle her screams, Simon thrust into the slick channel of Bea’s sex, stopping only when her bottom pressed against his stomach. “Sssh, love ... do you want everyone to hear us?” Bea moaned again at the naughty suggestion. He wanted her to feel overtaken as he thrust into her from behind -- owned, body and soul. She shook as he gave her pleasure, pushing back eagerly as he started a strong, pounding stroke that made her core tremble around him. “Should I uncover your mouth, or are you going to scream again?” Bea moved her head in a lazy nod. “Which, Bea -- let you go?” Her curly hair thrashed from side to side. “Or will you scream?” Simon chuckled as he felt those curls bounce up and down while his hand held back the keening wail coming from her mouth as he thrust into her, over and over again. He was doing his best to hold back the inevitable, but he was gloriously failing. Reaching his hand on Bea’s hip around to the front, he slipped a finger over her button and down, rubbing the sensitive flesh between her clit and where he slid in and out of her channel. He pushed his thumb to her clit and felt her instant reaction as he strummed backwards and forwards. Bea’s lower body clenched as she twisted, seeking that final explosion of pleasure. He pressed his thumb hard against her flesh and she climaxed. Her pussy throbbed around him and she struggled for breath as he held her through the explosion. Unable to hold back any longer, he heard his own groan as his release flooded her channel.

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Compared to the frantic, harsh, raw emotions that had just passed, their collapse into a disorganized pile of limbs seemed to happen in slow motion. Pulling Bea into his lap, Simon gently stroked her hair and soft skin, gentling her heaving breaths and tears from their sexual excess. Pulling her chin up, he kissed her slowly and thoroughly, barely letting go of her mouth to feather his words across her lips. “I love you, my heart-mate.” And to help you celebrate the Season: Suck Bang and Blow 2 oz Goldschlager® cinnamon schnapps 1 oz Jacquin’s® orange flavored gin 1 oz Smirnoff® vodka 1 oz Rumple Minze® peppermint liqueur 1 oz Jagermeister® herbal liqueur 1 oz Aristocrat® triple sec 3 oz Jose Cuervo® Especial gold tequila 1 oz Hpnotiq® liqueur 1 oz Absolut® Citron vodka 1 peeled, whole lime 2 cups cranberry juice 5 oz strawberry daiquiri mix 1 cup sugar Add all ingredients to a blender with ice and blend until smooth. Pour into a hurricane glass and serve. Peppermint Patty 1 squirt chocolate syrup 1 shot peppermint schnapps Hold a shot of peppermint schnapps in your mouth and squirt chocolate syrup in. Shake head vigorously and swallow.

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Shirley Temple 3 cl grenadine syrup 20 cl ginger ale In a highball glass, pour ginger ale over ice and sprinkle grenadine syrup over it. Garnish with a lemon slice and a cherry.

Anne Douglas I started writing with the encouragement of my friends (who tell me I always have a tale to tell -- I think that’s a good thing) to support my growing Erotica/Erotic Romance habit. Writing, along with the Handcrafted Boutique Children’s Clothing business that is my “day job,” is what my husband calls my “excuse for not doing housework” -- too right, mate! I am a transplant New Zealander currently living in Florida, so my American friends get a laugh out of translating “Kiwi-speak” to American for me -- car park…parking lot…elevator…lift…Oy! Visit Anne on the Web at http://annedouglas.blogspot.com, or email her at [email protected].