Page 12 of HoHoHo for You

~ SAM ~

A few hours later it was dark outside when I woke as Bridget got up. She tried to sneak out of the room, but I rolled out of bed and hurried after her.

She padded barefoot up the hallway and had just entered the living room when she stopped dead. I smiled.

She’d noticed the present bag that was still on the floor next to the couch.

She heard my footsteps approaching and turned. My heart squeezed—her hair was messy, her cheek pink from where she’d been laying on it, and her eyes were a little puffy from the crying the day before. She looked… fragile. But she smiled when our eyes met.

“When do I get the next present?”

“It’s our Anti-Christmas. You choose. But you don’t get into that bag without me. Only the Anti-Santacan actually distribute rewards.”

She grinned and put her hands to my chest as I reached her and gathered her in to kiss her quickly.

“Mmmm,” she hummed, then pulled back far enough to meet my eyes again. “I’m hungry. I’m going to make some food for both of us. And I’d like another present please,Anti-Santa.”

“The naughty girl will get what she deserves,” I growled, grabbing her ass so she squeaked. “But you need to eat later, or get the present later.”

Her brow furrowed. “Why?”

“Because I don’t like to eat before I exercise.”

“Exercise?” She arched a brow at me like she was playing, but I saw the fear flash in her eyes. “You’re going to leave?”

I pulled her in tight again, shaking my head. “No. But I have another present for you, and I think you’re going to want to use it right away. Andthat’sgoing to take some exercise.”

I grinned as her frown relaxed and her expression became mischievous.

“Now, I’m intrigued, Anti-Santa. So how do I get the next present?”

“Sit on my lap,” I growled, walking her backwards towards the living room.

“Didn’t I do that already?” she sniggered.

“A fair point. But the Anti-Santa likes to get his lap warmed as often as possible.” To prove it, I leaned down and swept her up, carrying her across the room to the couch and plonking down on it with her still in my arms.

It was awkward to reach down to the bag with her there, but I didn’t want to let go, and while I pulled the bag up next to me on the couch and dug through it, she kept stroking my chest and wriggling, so that by the time I could turn my attention back to her I was already half-hard.

“Very naughty.Good girl,”I growled and she laughed again, her eyes brightening at the present.

She reached for it, but I held it out of her reach. “Hey now, patience.”

“Patience? But I’m anaughtygirl!” she protested.

“And that’s exactly why we’re here,” I said, keeping my voice low the way I knew she liked. I shrugged. “You’ve beenverynaughty, running from meall year.”

Her jaw dropped. “I amnotaccepting that as a naughty count, Anti-Santa. Youlovethat!”

“I do,” I responded, pretending it was a solemn truth. “Which is precisely why I’mrewardingyou, remember?”

Her eyebrows waggled as I handed her the box. This one was bigger, but light and she stared at it for a second, obviously guessing what was inside.

She looked at me with a wicked grin and tore at the paper, yanking the ribbon off and struggling with it until she’d levered it off the Amazon box and tore that open too, popping the tape and digging through tissue paper inside… to draw out a new set of black running gear.

I’d found some that looked as similar as possible to set she wore to run from me on our very first hunt. She bit her lip as she looked at it, then her eyes snapped up to my face. “I mean,yes please.But—”

“They’re thermal,” I said, pulling out the tag on the shirt to show it to her. “Guaranteed in below-freezing weather. Even if you get wet.”

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