Seduced by Santa(8)

“It’s all in the wrist action,” he said with a grin and lifted his hand.

As he snapped his fingers, the air shimmered. Golden dust sparkled for a second before zipping through the air to light the candles on the mantelpiece.

Her jaw dropped. “Ohh…dayyyum. Claus. You’re an…”

She looked back at him and blinked. He’d moved, leaving the empty chocolate mug on the side table by to the sofa as he settled into the space next to her.

“Elf. Yes,” he supplied, reaching out to take the mug from her suddenly numb hands. She didn’t resist, all her attention on him. Elves, especially winter elves, were among the rarest of the paranormal creatures. Suddenly his lack of jacket, despite the freezing weather outside, made sense. Claus. His name was Claus, which meant he wasn’t just a winter elf, but a Christmas elf…

“Elf, huh? So you’re one of the guys who makes the presents for the kids…something like that?” Her lip twitched a little at the edge before she could stop it. The temptation was just too much. “Let me guess, embroidery? Doll making?”

His lip quirked as he moved in, close enough that she could feel the heat of his body against hers, even through the plain shirt and jeans she wore to work at the Chapel. Instinctively she wanted to curl up against him, feel all those hard muscles against her softer curves.

“Something like that.”

His words were low, the deep rasp of his voice a whisper against her senses as he swept a thumb gently over the skin at the side of her lips. The tension and awareness that had been simmering between them since he’d picked her up in the alley and they’d ended up nose-to-nose surged back in full force.

“Candy…” His eyes, so green and intense, darkened as he flicked a glance down at her mouth. “I’m going to kiss you. I’ve wanted to since—”

He didn’t finish the sentence, instead cutting it off as he leaned forward to press his lips against hers. Her eyelids fluttered closed, her breath held in the back of her throat as anticipation shivered through her.

The first touch was feather light, his mouth warm and firm against hers as he moved in. A large hand threaded through the loose hair at the nape of her neck. She murmured in pleasure at the feel of strong, gentle fingers as he tilted her head for better access to her lips.

Slanting his head, he moved his mouth over hers. Back and forth in a mesmerising caress. His cologne, deep woods and sharp citrus over an underlying note that she knew instinctively was pure male, surrounded and held her captive as he pulled her against him.

She didn’t argue. Instead, she slid her arms around his broad shoulders to hold him close and parted her lips a little in invitation. The surprised rumble from the centre of his chest made her smile, but he wasn’t slow in taking her up on her offer.

His tongue sought hers, sliding in a slow dance of sheer heaven. Heat blazed through her, warming her blood, cycling through her veins to settle in her stomach. A nervous, aching, fluttery knot that urged her to press closer, take more.

Shifting on the sofa, she ran the fingers of one hand through his hair and used the other to stroke along his jaw. Just as she’d wanted to do earlier. His stubble prickled her fingers, then against her cheeks, as he slid an arm around her back and half turned to press her against the plush cushions.

She moaned her approval of the idea, loving the feel of him over her. Tilting her head, she allowed him greater access to the tender skin of her throat. His lips whispered over her neck and found the sensitive spot behind her ear that sent shivers right down to her toes. By the time he pulled back, she’d lost all sense of space and time, her breathing ragged as she looked up at him.

“I have to stop.” He groaned, the look in his eyes dark and dangerous, the corded muscles in his arms bunching as he held himself over her. His gaze searched her face, as though memorising each and every little detail. Normally she’d have felt self conscious at so much attention. But his expression was rapt, not analysing. He looked at her as though she was the most fascinating thing in the world.

She couldn’t help it. She did the full on girly thing and pouted, sliding a hand down to play gently with his collar. “Why?”

The heat and lust in his eyes flared again, sending an answering tremor of need through her frame. Fuck it. She hooked a finger into the open collar of his shirt, rolling the button between her thumb and forefinger. Popped it open as she watched him. The firelight caught the edges of his hair, turning the dark curls into a fiery halo. Mussed up and sexy as hell, it would look just as sexy on her pillow in the morning.

He bit his lip. Strong, white teeth mangled the plump flesh, the simple move so erotic it stole her breath away. Concern flared in his eyes for a second as he whispered his fingertips over the taped cut at her temple.