Page 21 of Dirty December

Klaus rumbles sweet reassurance through a yawn as he pulls me to his chest and reclines, making himself a silvery, soft bedfor my deliciously drained body. “When would you like to tell them?”

“Tell them?” I feel Klaus’ cock nudge my thigh.

Again? Already?

Slow and sleepy sex while I look into his eyes and talk to the man I know in the waking world, not the man of my fevered fantasies? Yes, please.

I push my tired hips down and enjoy the shallow strokes of our sleepy bodies, his cock nestled in my wet warmth as pleasure mounts easily, unsteady waves coming from my core thanks to our recent escapades.

“You’re too good to me,” Klaus strokes my hair back from my face.

“It’s easy to do.”

Silence for a few strokes. The pace remains the same, lazy and simmering.

Klaus puts both hands on my cheeks and asks again, “When would you like to tell them, Eirwen?”

I lick my lips to steal another second.What will they say? What will they assume?

“In case it’s not clear, Eirwen, I understand what a heart mate is. It’s not a person youdate. It’s not a quick fling, a hook-up, or whatever the current slang is. It’s a person who owns your heart—owns part of your soul, part of your life. Humans call them partners, spouses, husbands and wives. Would you be mine?”

“Your heart mate.” I nod. It’s the sweetest thing a man could say to me, and Klaus has said it many times.

“And my bride.”

“But... But we’ve only just...” I break off with a happy stammer, shock washing over me.

Klaus wraps his arms around my waist and claims my mouth in a kiss. When he lets me come up for air, he whispers“Eirwen. I’ve been around for over a hundred years. I know when something is the perfect gift. I know when a gift will last a lifetime. To me, you’re both. You’re everything I want for the rest of the time I have. I understand if you want to wait, that’s why I asked.”

“I don’t want to wait! I just wanted to be sure. I’m not perfect, not by far, oh, but Klaus... Together, we could make something that feels like perfection to us.”

His eyes twinkle at me, and I see something of the magic left in this warrior of joy and generosity. I can see how much love he still has to give—and how much love he’s been missing.

I still want to have a wild, reckless, dirty December, but I can do that while we make a fresh start.

“Let’s tell them on New Year’s Eve, Klaus.”

“The perfect time, my snow angel.”

Chapter Six

“Are you folks new to the area? The winters can be a little rough.”

Mr. Fenclan is a massive Orc whose mane of hair rivals that of my heart mate. Only the Orc wears his in a long braid with leather cords wrapped through it, while Klaus has his in a neat, short ponytail. With his silvery hair brushed and styled and wearing his dark charcoal suit, Klaus looks like a suave European banker in his fifties—and I look like his twenty-year-old trophy wife.

Ha. Little do they know.I’mthe one who bagged the legendary Santa Claus. (So what if he’s retired?) Millions of people have been trying to catch him for years—and now I have him wrapped around my little finger. And proof that he has me wrapped around his sits proudly on my hand in the form of a round diamond with a star-shaped halo of diamonds behind it. Together, they make my ring look like a snowflake, so that we always carry winter with us.

“The winters don’t bother me, especially not in Pine Ridge. I come here once a year. On business. Well, I did until last year. I’m retired, but I still help my son run his workshop up north,” Klaus answers smoothly.

Mr. Fenclan pauses by the door of the beautiful remote mountain lodge rental he is preparing to show us. “I see. Well, this place is just what you asked for—out of the hustle and bustle, but close to town. The center of Pine Ridge is only about forty minutes by car. I imagine it would be shorter by sleigh.” Mr. Fenclan turns back to us as the door swings wide.

Klaus and I relax and smile.

“You catch on fast, my friend,” Klaus shakes the Orc’s hand a second time.

“Your wife’s ears gave it away,” he confesses. “How many months are you thinking of renting the property?”

“We’d like to make it a recurring, yearly rental. Every summer to start with.” Klaus smiles politely. When the Orc turns to lead us inside the handsome cabin, his smile turns depraved and focuses on me.

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