Page 103 of The More the Merrier

“Now I’m wildly intrigued.”

I made the mistake of looking up and caught him licking his lips. “Why?”

“That’s not even close to what I thought you were going to say, Grant.”

Even the way he said my name was getting me aroused. It wasn’t fair for me to be turned on when I was typically the one in control. I could smell the crisp, minty smell of candy canes mingled with his unique scent and my mouth watered. I wondered what it would be like for him to grab the back of my neck and kiss me.

“I’d love for you and Kendall to stop by the bar later tonight. I’ll keep a better eye on her this time.” I seldom became flustered by anyone but the looks he was shooting my way made me lose focus.

“Unless there’s something I’m not aware of, you don’t have to keep an eye on her.” Dalton tilted his head to the side. “Do you think I’m her Dom?”

The two of us ran into each other frequently at the BDSM club on the outskirts of town though we never played or discussed our likes. It wasn’t a huge leap to come to that conclusion after I’d observed the two of them in my office.

“You could've fooled me.” I rubbed my chin, forcing a pause so I could get a hold of myself. “Once you started counting down the other night, her demeanor completely changed.”

“Kendall could use some assistance in certain aspects of her life, but I haven’t talked to her about it yet.”

I was surprised because I had a knack for identifying submissive women, at least in our circle, and the way she’d immediately caved made me think they were in some sort of dynamic. “You think Mrs. Claus needs more than just holiday cheer to get her into a better spot?”

Before he could answer me, the door banged open and in strutted Kendall wearing her cute red costume, her arms piled with clothing.

“I’m so sorry.” She fumbled with the doorknob, likely intending to leave but accidentally locking it. “Someone told me I could change my clothes here.”

“I thought you forgot to tell Santa what you wanted for Christmas.” I winked at her.

Kendall bit down on her lip, her eyes scanning the expanse of my chest, over my arms and back to my eyes. “Oh, er, I’m on the naughty list. I don’t expect any presents this year.”

Her cheeks blushed a beautiful shade of pink, making her look even more adorable than usual. I could beat myself up for not minding her at my bar. She could have really gotten hurt. I was unwilling to let the opportunity pass, especially with the topic Dalton and I had been discussing.

Sitting on the small loveseat, I patted my thigh. “Come and tell me why you’re on the naughty list, darling. Santa will decide if you can continue sitting on my knee or if you need a trip over it.”

Her eyes darted to Dalton. “Does everybody in this town think a spanking magically fixes everything?”

She gestured at me but I wasn’t sure if it was accusatory or out of curiosity. I was pretty sure she’d been spanked at least once in her adult life, but I didn’t have anything to back up my musing.

Dalton crossed the distance, removing her huge red cap and the gray and silver wig trapping her hair. He undid the braids so her long hair hung down her back in soft waves. “It does.”

“It does not!”

“I think a spanking would remind you that there are people in this world who have your best interests in mind, darling.” Dalton winked. “Sassy little brats need them more than they let on.”

She made a grumbled protest that sounded more aroused than annoyed. Kendall shuffled to my side, and I was happy to see her walking better after her spill at the bar. Climbing into my lap, she looped an arm around my neck. I responded by gently supporting her waist, keeping the ruse up. She was the hottest thing at the fair today next to Dalton, and it took the thought of an icy cold day to kill the images raging through my head.

“Tell me why you think you’re on the naughty list, little girl.” I looked nothing like Santa at the moment, wearing only red pants, black suspenders, and a white A-line tank, but if we were playing, I’d stick to the script.

Her eyes widened, and she chewed on the edge of her fingernail. “I haven’t been taking much time for myself. I’ve been to the bars more often than I care to admit. I could have really injured myself the other night. And that’s on top of barely sleeping and grabbing food from the vending machines at work.”

Raising an eyebrow over her head at Dalton, I saw him deep in thought. He likely didn’t like what he heard any more than I did. Returning my attention to Kendall, I tapped her nose. “That is rather naughty, darling, but there is plenty of time before the holidays to change your behavior.”

“I guess.” She stared up at me.

Her eyes were the prettiest shade of blue sprinkled with green, and at this distance I could smell a warm vanilla scent, like homemade sugar cookies. “Come by the bar tonight. I’d love to discuss a plan to get you on the nice list.”

“I’ve got nothing else to do,” she agreed half-heartedly.

“Write down what presents would make you happy. After our talk, I’ll take your requests straight to the real Santa.” I smiled, unable to keep the thought of making her happy out of my head.

“So, you’re not going to spank me?”

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