Page 81 of Filthy Rich Santas

He sets me down but keeps his arms around me. “That’s what I thought,” he murmurs, his lips brushing my ear. “Now, did someone say something about hot chocolate?”

“They’re serving it in the main building,” Beckett notes, jerking his chin back in the direction of the parking lot.

The four of us head in that direction, and even before we reach the large barn that serves as the main building, I can smell cinnamon and chocolate wafting out, promising warmth and treats inside.

As we approach, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out, and my good mood falters when I see the name on the screen.

Wade.

There was a time, not so long ago, when seeing his name would have made my heart race with hope. I spent an embarrassing amount of time after the breakup longing for him to call and tell me he’d changed his mind, that he’d realized walking away from me was a mistake.

It wasn’t, though. At least, not for me. It freed me.

And now, seeing his name on the screen just leaves me… not even cold. just indifferent.

“Everything okay, freckles?” Tristan murmurs, resting a hand on my lower back, the light pressure both comforting and reassuring.

Without hesitation, I decline the call and slip the phone back into my pocket. Whatever Wade wants, it can wait. Or better yet, it can stay in the past where it belongs.

“Everything is wonderful,” I say sincerely, hooking a mittened hand through Tristan’s arm with a smile.

I look up to see Beckett watching me, a question in his eyes. I give him a reassuring smile too, then think what the heck, and link my other arm through his.

“Come on,” I say, tugging the men into the barn. “I smell hot chocolate calling our names.”

Ryder is in front of us and turns to face me at that, grinning as he walks backward. “Yousmellit calling our name? That’s a pretty impressive nose you’ve got there.”

“If you think that’s impressive, you should see what I can do with other parts,” I tease him, my heart glowing as brightly as the massive tree in the center of the Christmas wonderland that we find inside the barn.

He laughs, heat in his gaze, and like a true Christmas miracle, he doesn’t even grumble about the stalls selling everything from ornaments to gingerbread or the jolly Santa in the corner, surrounded by excited children.

Well, at least not much.

“This is amazing,” I gush.

Ryder turns around, his eyes going wide. “Did Christmas throw up in here?”

There’s no real bite to his words, though, and I laugh, feeling lighter than I have in years.

“Come on, guys. Let’s get some hot chocolate and see what kind of trouble we can get into.”

19

TRISTAN

After spendingthe last few hours outside, the warmth inside the barn envelops me like a blanket. The scent of pine and cinnamon fills the air, and Lana gasps softly in delight as we move deeper into the building, her eyes wide as she takes in the festive wonderland around us.

“Oh my god, just look at all of this!” she exclaims, her voice filled with wonder.

But she’s a woman on a mission, and even though I can see that she’s itching to stop and look at everything we pass, she makes a beeline for the hot chocolate station set up near the back of the building.

I smile as I follow. The barn is decked out in full holiday splendor, with twinkling lights strung across the rafters and displays of ornaments and decorations covering every available surface. Ryder wasn’t wrong. It really does look like Santa’s workshop exploded in here, but Lana’s reaction makes wading through all the holiday cheer worth it.

The joy radiating from her is infectious, and I find myself wanting to bottle it up and keep it forever. It’s a dangerous thought, one I shouldn’t be entertaining, but between the agreement we all made to explore kink with her and being snowbound in this postcard-perfect town today, it kind of feels like living in a bubble, removed from the reality where I’d normally put the brakes on enjoying her company this much.

“Do you want whipped cream on your cocoa?” Ryder asks her gruffly once we reach the small concession stand.

Lana finally tears her gaze away from the decorations and beams up at him like he just offered her the moon. “Absolutely. And maybe one of those giant gingerbread men too?”

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