Page 61 of Sinning for Santa

“And I can carry you. Besides, it'll take you forever to walk back up this mountain, and I don’t have time to wait for you.”

Even though I’m focused on where I’m walking, I can feel the sear of her glare.

“Perhaps I’m trying to be a gentleman.”

She scoffs. “There’s nothing gentlemanly about you.”

“Hmmm, was I not a gentleman when I made you soak through your panties last night?” I smirk as I glance down at her, and she quickly looks away. “Or how about this morning on my desk? A gentleman eats everything on his plate. I think I succeeded. Don’t you?”

“You’re so crude.”

“Don’t pretend you don’t like it, Miss Summers. I was simply trying to kiss you under the mistletoe. You were the one that took my sweet kiss and started fucking it with abandon.”

“I hate you,” she whispers, and I grin at her flat tone, knowing she can’t even deny the way she ground against my face this morning.

It was fucking hot.

As I walk, Jaxcen rests her head in the crook of my neck, and a part of me is waiting for her to attack. To bite, and dig her teeth into the column of my neck so she can make her escape. But by the time I make it back to the top, and head towards the Palace, I know she’s not going to try anything.

I feel the gazes of the locals on me as I carry Jaxcen, but ignore them, carrying her into the bar where I order a couple of drinks on my way out to the beer garden.

Straightening in my arms, Jaxcen’s interest piques, so I ease her feet to the paved ground as I lead her closer to Taylor and Alice, their angelic voices wrapping around us as they sing into the microphones while Natasha plays the guitar behind them.

“What’s this?” Jaxcen asks absentmindedly.

“The beer garden. From November until mid-April, the locals turn up to sing, or watch and enjoy the atmosphere.” I lead Jaxcen to one of the lounges with a small table and a shade umbrella overhead, urging her to sit, before I slip down next to her.

She doesn’t even flinch at the way I put my arm over her shoulders and pull her to my side, her gaze taking in her surroundings, shock playing at her expression.

“What’s wrong, little mouse? You didn’t think people would have fun in my town?”

She glances at me then, her brows tugging in. “Well… no actually. I thought perhaps you might shoot locals in the head if they enjoy themselves.”

I chuckle at her feisty tone.

“Only if they are havingtoomuch fun.” I tease, and she rolls her eyes, returning her gaze to the women singing.

“Why are there so many women here?” She turns her frown back on me.

I’ve been waiting for this question. Either she’s only just noticed how the female gender overpopulates the men in this town, or she’s been too scared to ask until now.

“I keep having to kill my men for touching what’s mine, so there are now less males.” I lie, and her gaze hardens, a single brow hitching high. I grin. “What’s wrong, little mouse? You don’t like my laws?”

She scoffs. “They are barbaric. What you’re doing is illegal.”

I shrug. She’s not wrong. Most of what I doisillegal.

“I don’t know how you sleep at night,” she snaps, and this time it’s me who lifts a single brow.

“If I’m such a monster, how can you stand to sit so close to me?”

“Like I have a choice.”

Her words grate on my fucking nerves, and I know she’s not wrong, but it doesn’t make it any easier to hear.

Better she think I’m a monster than know the truth and think she can deal with things on her own.

Ronnie arrives then with our drinks, placing them on the small table with a bowl of nuts and pretzels. “Finn wanted me to let you know that there’s been a new development,” Ronnie states, gesturing his head over his shoulder where I notice Finn hovering near the door.

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