Page 9 of Naughty

I chafe the skin, bring blood back into her limbs. Grasping her ankle, I stretch one leg, then the other. Satisfied that she’s got circulation, I unhook her arms and separate her wrists. They get the same treatment as her legs until her skin is a light pink.

As delightful as the bells look on her, I can’t in good conscience keep her clamped like that throughout the night. One by one, I take them off and lay them on my cart. Leaning down, I kiss each indentation before pulling myself away.

She’s dangerous, and not just because I caught her toying with the list. Every second I’m with her, I feel like I’m losing myself. It’s a peculiar feeling that I’m not quite fond of. She makes me feel out of control, lost. Not how a Santa needs to feel at all.

Staring at her pert breasts, smile and grab the lasso jewelry. I still want bells on her at all times, just not to her detriment. Leaning over, I snake my tongue out and lick the underside of her nipple. She squirms and moans. Such a responsive little thing.

I engulf the peak in my mouth and suck hard, making Noel arch off the table. I glance up to ensure my magic is still keeping her asleep. Her eyes are closed; the perfect fan of eyelashes lay thick on her cheeks.

Once I have her nipple hard, I slip the lasso over and pull up the bead, tightening it into place. The bright red, silver, and green cluster of bells look so stark against her pale, creamy skin.

With the tip of my finger, I swipe at them, sending them ringing throughout the room. Smiling, I lean over to her other breast and do the same, looping another set of bells around that one. Once she’s ready, I scoop her up into my arms and take her to the opposite side of the room. I try to ignore just how perfect she fits in my arms. Even more so, I harden myself against her soft mews as she snuggles even deeper into me.

With a few swipes of my fingers, yet one more panel opens, revealing a simple room with a large bed and cage, a monitor, similar to the one in study, and a bathroom off to the left.

Bending down, I lay her on the floor and open the cage. It’s as wide as the bed, but only half as long. It’s spacious enough that she will have some room to move.

I attach some leather cuffs around her wrists and ease her inside. Though we both can fit, it’s a little tight. Making quick work of her, I fluff up some pillows before laying her down on the small pallet. With her being such a short elf, I’m not super concerned with her comfort.

Stretching her hands above her head, I secure them to the bars. Her helpless, stretched-out body sends blood surging back into my dick. I refrain from touching her again and cover her up. It takes me a few minutes before I can actually leave her side.

Her face is scrunched up, her brows furrowed. What is she dreaming about, I wonder? Reaching out, I slide my thumb against her forehead, and she instantly relaxes into my touch. I force myself to leave. If I don’t, my resolve just might crumble. Locking the cage behind me, I straighten and head for the small bathroom.

It’s nothing spectacular, just a deep tub, toilet, and sink vanity, but it’s the connection to this room that makes it so special. Sighing, I stare at my face in the mirror, rubbing at the fine lines that shouldn’t be there.

My head pounds, and I lean it against the cool mirror to catch my breath. How many times have I escaped to this room? How many times have I hidden away from my responsibilities? Yet, here I am again, caught between doing the right thing and falling for an elf that’s set to destroy me.

I glance over at the cage once more, making sure Noel is still asleep and relatively comfortable before filling the tub with steamy water. Easing my way in, I settle down and let the hot water work its magic.

My muscles uncoil as my mind wanders. What exactly does she mean that she can’t tell me? Obviously, it’s the truth, or else my cum would have tasted beyond vile. Maybe I should revisit Asmon. He’s obviously got more experience in this matter.

As that thought flits through, I shove it aside. I repaid my debt against him as far as Angelica is concerned. That doesn’t mean that everything is right as snowfall between us. We’re both too broken and angry for that.

Sighing, I tilt my head back and close my eyes. Maybe it’s time I let go of old grudges and start to mend my future. After all, could I truly be Father Christmas with anger in my heart? I grip the edge of the tub as memories once shoved down pop up to the surface. Like ripping a bandage off a wound, I let all the ugly thoughts and feelings bubble out of me.

As a kid, it was easy to put things into the wrong perspective. Maybe father was right to take Asmon under his wing. If the rumors were true about the elder Krampus, living with him couldn’t have been easy. But what to do about it now? It’s not like apologies would actually help. Sighing, I duck my head under the water and stay there for several seconds, letting the heat wash away the raw feelings still festering deep. There will be time for that later.

Right now, my main concern is keeping Christmas alive. I’ll allow myself to be selfish and indulgent in a lot of things, but since Nickolas is dead, I have no choice. Earth depends on me, whether I like it or not. My mind wanders back to Noel. Perhaps if I settle down and father some boys of my own, I can step back and let them take over. That might be the best choice. I shake my head and stand up, letting the water run off my body.

Besides, the insane urge to check back in with Noel, to assure myself that she’s still well and sleeping keeps niggling into my thoughts. I hate feeling so beholden to someone else, yet she’s working her way inside in a way that I can’t even fathom or explain. My stomach chooses that moment to growl, reminding me that it’s been several hours since I’ve last eaten. As far as Noel goes, it might have been even longer.

Reaching into the modest linen closet, I pull out a set of cotton pajamas and pad my way over to the cage. Noel still sleeps, her brows furrowing. If only I had Nickolas’s gift, then I could see inside her mind and find out what haunts her dreams. Holly, I’d probably also see exactly who’s pulling her strings and finally stop them.

I reach through the bars and slide my fingers through her soft hair, taking a full breath for the first time since I’ve left her there. She’s dangerous, and not just because I caught her toying with the list. I only linger long enough to ensure that she's okay before standing up and leaving the room. Before heading to get food, I make a beeline for my study. Was it really only tonight that I caught Noel in there? It already feels like it's been an eternity.

My study room is closed, but that doesn't mean it's unoccupied. Easing the door open, I'm relieved to see no one else is in there. The door to the list is still closed. Releasing the breath I didn't realize I was holding, I tip back "Ghost of Christmas Past" and wait until the shelf moves all the way inward to peer inside. No one. Thank the Fathers. Easing my way in, I unplug the monitor and hide the cords in a box of miscellaneous junk before heading back into the hallway.

The sound of raucous laughter meets my ears as I make my way to the dining room. No doubt the reindeer are up to their normal holiday merriment. I have no clue why they can't just stay in their own area. The logical part of my brain knows that bodyguards need to be near the one they guard, but my irrational heart just wants to be left alone.

Tuning the corner, I spy Red and Dasher at the table, the flash of a knife glinting in between them. Further into the room, I see Vixen and Dancer watching the two, their faces bored. Tilting his head up into the air, Red scents the room then turns to face me.

"Boss, you missed dinner. Everything okay?"

The way he stares at me is unnerving. There's no way he could know about Noel. It must be my paranoia coming through. Shrugging it off, I bypass the table and head towards the kitchens. The scrape of wood against the floor indicates that the oaf is following me, but I don't completely mind. It's nice to have friends, even if they are honor-bound to serve you.

"Seriously, everything okay? You haven't seemed right since Caitlin."

I flash him a wry smile. "Let's not go over that again, shall we?"