Page 40 of Dirty Little Christmas

"Y-yes."

"Then come," I growl. "But you do it with your eyes on me and my name on your lips."

Her gaze flies to mine, her eyes so dilated with lust they're little more than a sea of blue-rimmed black.

I press my thumb to her hard clit, staring at her. Memorizing her. I want this moment burned into my brain.

"Alaric," she moans.

I grind my thumb against her clit, watching her unravel. She falls quickly, too needy to hold it off. Fuck. How long has she been dreaming about this? Longer than she should have been, I think.

A decadent moan rolls across the room, setting my blood on fire as her expression melts to pure bliss. She trembles in my arms, melting into a pool of liquid sex.

Fuck me. She's exactly what I would have asked for for Christmas had I thought to ask for anything. I'm asking now. I want this temptress in my bed and in my life, permanently.

Chapter Seven

December

"Oh, wow," I whisper, coming to a dead stop as Alaric leads me off the elevator. The showroom at Daphne Parrish & Co has been transformed into a winter wonderland. Large snowflakes dangle from the ceiling on invisible wire, sparkling in the lights. One entire side of the room is now Santa's workshop. Blaze sits on an opulent throne with Georgia standing beside him. They're the most fashionable Santa and elf I've ever seen.

A massive Christmas tree shoots toward the ceiling in the center of the room, the sheer size of it overwhelming. Gorgeous red and black ornaments with the Daphne Parrish & Co logo on them glitter from the branches between twinkling lights and fluffy tinsel. The fresh scent of pine fills the room, making it truly feel like Christmas, perhaps for the first time all year.

"It's so beautiful," I whisper to Alaric.

He turns that sexy smile on me, his eyes light with satisfaction as if he's the one who found release upstairs. I know he didn't, though. We had to wait fifteen minutes before we could come down because he was still hard.

"Ma always loved a good Christmas party," he says, placing his hand on my back. "She went all out every year. We made sure to keep the tradition alive."

"Everyone loves it," I say, placing my hand over his as something flickers through his expression, some concern I can't quite read but understand on instinct. He wants to honor her memory and do right by their employees. He's a good man. He genuinely cares for the people who work here. "They’ve been excited about it all day."

"Have they?" He smiles, his dark eyes crinkling as he nods toward Blaze. "Perhaps that's what they've been excited to see. It's not every day you get the Grinch in a Santa suit."

"Blaze is a grinch?"

"Nah." Alaric winks at me. "But he's wild about Georgia, and her contract ends a few days after Christmas. It's pissing him off."

"Oh." My gaze drifts toward the two of them. They move around each other like magnets. Blaze never really takes his eyes off the curvy blonde, not even when he's talking to one of the children in line to meet Santa. And Georgia stares at him unabashedly whenever he isn't looking, and sometimes even when he is. If he's wild about her, I think the feeling is mutual.

"Tell me, sweet December," Alaric says, leading me through the crowd as a Mariah Carey song floats from the speakers. "What do you want for Christmas?"

"Are you playing Santa now?" I ask, smiling up at him.

"Only for you." He pauses to say hello to two of the designers— Sariah and Claudia. I don't know Claudia very well, but I really like Sariah. She's the youngest designer here. She's also feisty and a lot of fun.

If they're surprised to see us together, they don't comment on it. Sariah just winks at me when Alaric isn't looking. I think she knows he's part of the reason I decided to intern here. I've been asking her questions about him for the last four days straight.

I ponder his question as they make small talk, not sure how to answer it when the one thing I want is him. I'm falling in love with him. I think maybe I've always been a little bit in love with him, but it's bigger than that now. I can feel myself slipping further down the path the more time I spend with him.

"Will you be here tomorrow, Jillian?"

Alaric nudges me.

I turn a frown on him, only to realize that Sariah and Claudia are both watching me, obviously waiting for me to say something.

Crap.Jillian. I'm supposed to be Jillian.

"Tomorrow?" I squeak, literally squeak. I clear my throat and try again, my cheeks burning. "I'm sorry. What about tomorrow?"

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