Page 36 of Her Secret Santa

Iwatch Clara approach, trying not to be obvious about my staring. It’s probably a useless attempt because I can’t keep my eyes off of her. She looks fucking edible, even decked out in neon green and sparkles and fake elf shoes.

“We could grab lunch on your break if you want,” her friend says as they reach the edge of the display. “I’ll be here all day.”

It’s the same brunette I always see her with, the one I’m pretty sure Arlo took back the last time we went to Eternity together. He’s been wrapped up in something or other recently and I’ve hardly seen him, but he seemed more than a little enamored with her.

Clara winces as she steps over the ropes to join the rest of us, rubbing the back of her neck bashfully.

“I, uh, I don’t know if I have enough money to eat out right now,” she says with a hesitant little laugh. “I just had to pay the nursing home bill and I took a cab the other day, plus the holidays are coming up and all. If my catering gig paid me, then I’m down, I’ll just have to check when I go on break.”

I frown in consternation at hearing that. It’s nothing she hasn’t said before, half of the conversations I’ve overheard between her and her friend have gone along these lines, but she works formenow.

The thought of her not being able to affordthe food courtis preposterous. She should be able to have anything she wants. I’d give her the whole world on a platter if she only asked for it.

I slip my phone from my pocket as surreptitiously as I can manage and fire off a text to Heidi. I don’t have the time or patience to deal with HR, or the questions I’ll get about personally demanding a Christmas bonus for a new hire, but she should be able to get it done before lunch. I guess it’s a good thing Gabriela Rockwell insisted on reinstating Christmas bonuses. This will seem alittleless out of left field, at least.

The two of them part ways as the mall doors open, families and couples trickling in slowly instead of the steady flood it’s been recently. I spent yesterday in the office, oscillating between signing off on a million different things and fantasizing about Clara. It was a long day, packed with meetings and conversations that could have been emails, so I’m actually a little appreciative of the Wednesday mall crowd.

The line is pretty sparing all throughout the morning, and Clara keeps it moving steadily. I put a little bit of effort into playing my role properly when Clara shoots me a sharp glare after I do little more than grunt and hum at the first few kids.

I don’t have the energy for the full blown performance I gave it on Friday, and I’m glad for the slow line. I couldn’t give it my full attention today even if I wasn’t exhausted.

It’s absurd how gorgeous she looks in that ridiculous fucking costume. Every time I look at her, all I can see is those pretty blue eyes and the sweet smile curved across her lips. I knowexactlywhat those lips feel like now, how sweetly her tears run down her cheeks as she gags on my cock. She tried so hard totake it all for me, panting and desperate and shooting pleading looks up at me as she choked on the length of it.

I’ve gotten a lot of head in my life. A lot ofgoodhead, even.

But no one else holds a candle to the soft, sweet warmth of her tongue, the insistent little whines that bubble up her throat.

I’ve been slowly working my way through her list of kinks, made her talk me through exactly what she craves the last time I saw her. Her voice was scratchy from the way I abused her throat with my cock, her mask askew as she mumbled out her fantasies into my shoulder, half asleep and blissed out. There isn’t a single thing she asked for that doesn’t make my gut burn bright with lust.

I want to fuck her while she’s tied up in shiny black silk, bend her over my kitchen counter and make her sob with pleasure, wake her up in the morning with my mouth between her thighs. I want to chase her through the woods and pin her against a tree when I catch her and make her scream my name loud enough the whole city can fucking hear it.

I want more than I can have with the way things are right now. More than anonymous nights and lonely mornings. I want our relationship to bereal.

Fucking hell, I’ve never eventhoughtabout a relationship with anyone else. I’ve dated around, sure, but that was always for publicity, something to swing the media’s attention away from whatever stunt I pulled that made my uncle throw a fit.

I’ve never wanted what I want with her before.

Our lunch break rolls around shortly after that realization levels my entire world, but it takes me a while to actually get up and go anywhere. Usually, I’m out of my seat and hiding away from the million Christmas shoppers as fast as I can, but today, I can’t look away from Clara.

Her friend shows up shortly after our break starts, and I stumble off the ornate bench as they start walking toward one ofthe ATMs by the food court. I feel drawn to her, like I can’t let her out of my sight. I pay no attention to the stares I garner in my full Santa get-up, keeping my pace slow as I pretend to look at something on my phone. I only catch a few seconds of their conversation as I pass by, but it’s enough to bring a proud grin to my face.

“What the hell?” Clara hisses, grabbing her friend by the arm. “Why did they pay me? I haven’t even done any of the trainings yet!”

Yeah, alright, I guess I can see the appeal of Christmas bonuses. I grin to myself as I make my way back to the break room to eat my lunch. I usually spend my break in my car, but I don’t want to waste a second I could be spending with Clara. Even being around her is enough to set my heart racing.

I finish eating and head back out to the display early, excited to see her. Maybe some of the weariness that rests around her eyes will be gone now that she knows she’s got a bit of a cushion.

When I see her, though, both she and her friend look upset. As they get closer, I can hear the quiet argument they’re having.

“You said you were going to start a savings account!” her friend says insistently. “This is the perfect chance, and you know it.”

“I don’t have to start itnow. I finally have a good paying job! I’ll be making money like this regularly, and I can start a savings account with what I have leftover from my paychecks. But you heard HR, Allie. I wasn’t expecting a Christmas bonus as a new hire, but if that’s their standard, I won’t argue.” Her smile softens to something affectionate, almost proud. “I know another rainy day or another emergency is just around the corner, but so is Christmas. I can’t keep that money for myself when I could use it to make sure Brooke’s children’s home and my Grandma both have a perfect holiday.”

I stare in total shock as I listen to them bicker back and forth. It’s obvious that they’ve had this conversation before, and that Allie is both incredibly fond of Clara and absolutely exhausted with this habit of hers.

I never expected Clara to not spoil herself with this. Her wish list had a spa day on it, and a shopping trip.

The whole point of this was to makeherChristmas wishes come true.

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