Page 17 of Stalked By Santa

Stung by the unexpected rejection, I blurt out the question without thinking. “Are you already tired of me?”

At this, Nick laughs. “Quite the opposite, angel. I love that you’re insatiable. But if I succumb to your charms now, it will be hours before I let you leave this bed. Besides, it was a long night. And I don’t know about you, but I need coffee.”

His words are reasonable. But it’s still a struggle to hide my disappointment as I reluctantly leave the warmth of the bed.

TEN

NICK

My angel is pouting.Pouting, trying to hide it, and failing miserably.

I feel a stab of guilt over my white lie. But if I told her the real reason for my reluctance to spend the morning in bed with her, it would ruin the surprise. Besides, what would I say?

I’d love nothing more than to fuck you senseless, darling. But I won’t be able to relax until I have my ring on your finger?

But that’s the honest-to-God truth. Because now that I’ve tasted my Maddie’s sweetness, I won’t be able to relax until she’s mine ineverysense of the word.

We dress in silence. But when I see her in the dress I chose for her, I let out a low whistle. “Stunning.”

She blushes at the compliment, but it’s true, she is—stunning. The red silk clings to her curves in all the right places before flaring out just above her knees. Yet I suspect that Madelyn Marsden would look breathtaking in absolutely anything.

I can’t wait to find out. Can’t wait to choose dozens more dresses for her. But even more than that, I’m looking forward to watching her body ripen and mature. The thought of seeing her soft stomach swell with my child…

That is, assuming the syndicate doesn’t balk at my plans. But I’ll burn that bridge when I get to it.

Fuck. Who am I kidding? I’ll blow it up with dynamite if necessary. Nothing, not even the syndicate, can come between me and my future wife.

Because one thing I know with absolute certainty is that all possible futures contain her. How could they not? She’s so fucking good, so absolutely perfect and smart and caring and sweet—and yet somehow, she lovesme, an orphan thug from the wrong side of the tracks with a body count higher than his IQ.

In no reality do I deserve a woman like Maddie. But now that she’s here with me, there’s no way I’m not locking her down.

“Breakfast is in the orangery,” I say, taking her hand, deliberately keeping my voice light.

As we make our way across the compound, I give her a mini tour, keeping up a running commentary to mask my nerves. It’s a struggle, though. Never in my life have I been this on edge. But then, I’ve never had this much on the line. No battle in the war on Christmas ever had stakes this high.

If she rejects my proposal, it will fucking gut me. Hell, I’m not sure thatI’llcontinue to believe in Christmas if she does. But her saying no isn’t really what has me so worked up.

No. It’s that there are consequences to her saying yes, too. And while losing the Santa suit doesn’t bother me, I do wonder…

What if she only loves mebecauseI’m Santa?

Because once she says yes, the syndicate’s response is a foregone conclusion. Sure, I’ll make my case, but the reality is that the Christmas Contract is ironclad. No wiggle room. No forgiveness.

But not proposing isn’t an option. Even if I could somehow restrain myself—which I can’t—the contract is already broken. Whether or not I marry Madelyn Marsden, it’s only a matter of time before I’m called before the board.

Too many people know what happened last night. Comet. Merryn. I trustthem. But countless other elves and reindeer watched me carry her off the sleigh. And because the North Pole is a small, gossipy, incestuous community, even more syndicate members likely know by now where she slept last night. While my subordinates obey me, and in many casesfearme, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t also plenty of ambitious elves and reindeer just waiting to stab me in the back and claim my spot at the top.

But what was I supposed to do? Allow her to wake alone in some impersonal guest room simply because of a technicality in my goddamn contract?

Fuck that shit. Besides,sexdoesn’t violate the contract terms…

No, but the words we said in private sure as hell did. Words that Ineedus to declare publicly before the entire fucking world. Screw breakfast. The moment we reach the orangery, I’m giving her the ring. I can’t wait.

Unfortunately, Maddie seems determined to make me do just that.

My mistake is taking the shortcut through Candy Land. With her at my side, it becomes a meandering stroll, taking twice as long. I forgot how some features of the North Pole would seem to someone not accustomed to them. But as we’re crossing the licorice bridge over the chocolate river, I start to see my home through Maddie’s eyes.

It’s magical. Pure and simple. A magic that my jaded eyes have taken for granted for years.

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