Page 20 of The Selkie Santa

He smirked sheepishly. Maybe it was the time apart, maybe it was the relief, the joy of being with her again, but the self-control he used to be able to exercise around Harper was shot to pieces.

Gone.

So, yeah, he’d pretty much been busted with his dick sticking up like a flagpole from his Santa pants.

But… but… he’d got the impression as he’d turned and tucked in his junk that she…

Likedwhat she’d felt.

Because when he’d turned back, red-faced, her little tongue tip was licking her parted lips, her pupils darkening the cornflower blue of her eyes.

Nope. She couldn’t have missed his cock. And she’d happily agreed to him coming around tonight. To take in his waistband. And make a deep slit in the back of the pants for his tail to fit through.

Thishadto mean something more than just friends.

Noah grasped the bottle of wine tightly in his fist as he made his way up the front path. He’d often brought wine on their picnics, but now, everything felt like it had another, deeper meaning to it.

Would he fess up his love for her tonight? Or chicken out like he’d done for the last three years?

His hand shook as he curled it into a fist and knocked on the door. He’d barely withdrawn his arm before she answered.

“Hey, there,” she said, a little breathily. She looked like an angel, her hair coiling around her shoulders in golden waves. She was dressed in a low-cut purple velvet top with bell sleeves and a flowing dark green skirt.

Noah just stood and gawked. “You look… amazing. Love that outfit.”

“It’s new. I get paid a bit more here. And with the performance money from the Christmas show?—”

“We get paid?”

“Sure, didn’t you know? This place is rolling in money. Wealthy residents donate money all year round to the social club. The Christmas show gets the most coin every year.” As she walked him into the little open-plan living room, she kept chatting. “We had over thirty applications to play Santa. Three got interviewed. You weren’t even on the list, and you still got the job. They all thought you were a hottie. Particularly Toby.” She smirked as she grabbed two wine glasses off a shelf. “Word of warning. Don’t bend over when he’s around.”

“Heck, really?” Noah’s eyes widened.

Harper giggled. “He’s been known to give a good hard pinch to the gardeners’ butts—the young male ones. And helovesbig species.”

Noah laughed. “As long as he doesn’t sink his fangs into me, I think I’ll cope.”

“He won’t. His fangs are false. He’s not what he used to be, poor Toby.”

“I thought vampires never aged.”

“Apparently he fell foul of a witch who put a spell on him a century ago. She cursed him with an eternally crumbling body.Gran told me he’s had four hip replacements and two knee replacements on each knee. It must be hard not being in your prime for eternity.” She shook her head. “He drinks blood out of a straw these days. Kinda sad how the mighty fall.”

“Poor guy.” Noah shook his head. Even vampires deserved pity, in some circumstances.

Harper popped the cork on the wine and poured. “Yeah, anyway, shall we get the costume fitting out of the way before we eat? I’ve got pasta marinara for later.”

“Sounds great. Sure.” He was suddenly so nervous the glass shook in his big hand.

“It’s in my bedroom,” she said, waving to another door. “Go and try it on and I’ll be there in a sec.”

Noah nodded, all his senses spiking. The room he entered was small, but it did fit a double bed. The costume laid out on it almost covered the mattress. He should get his kit off and put it on.

He’d just about done so when she entered. “All decent?” she asked.

Noah bunched the pants round his middle to stop them falling. Harper placed her glass of wine on the bedside table and her sewing kit next to it. Then she got out pins, needles, thread. He watched the proceedings, slightly alarmed.

“You could do me some serious damage with those.”

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