Page 29 of Nice

"Let's slow down there champ," I plead, clutching the sheet to my chest with one hand and forcing distance between us with the other. "I don't know what you think's about to happen, but this isn't it."

Kris zeros in on where the sheet pulls against my pebbled nipples and smiles before dropping his gaze down to his crotch. "Oh, it's going to happen. You were practically begging me for it."

Blood drains from my face as he pulls at the sheet, trying to pry it from my grasp. This can’t be happening. Who the hell knew that Santa would be such a perv? Gritting my teeth, I wind the sheet in my fist and tug back, refusing to let go. His crystalline eyes darken as he continues pulling.

"You will not win this game pet. Might as well submit to me and let me have my way with you."

"I'll never submit to you."

Kris gives a low growl as he inches his way closer. With every bit of movement, his muscles bunch and strain. The lethality in his body gives me pause. Can I really escape him? Bit by bit it dawns on me how royally screwed I am. And I don't even know how I got here in the first place.

"You can't tell me you don't want this. Between that asshole and I, it's a no brainer."

I scrunch my face up into a frown. "He's not an asshole. Just because you're jealous of him -."

His bark of laughter interrupts me. "Me, jealous of him? Now I'm worried it wasn't alcohol at all. You must have suffered greatly to think that I would even care enough about him to be jealous. Come now." He shifts a bit to extend his hand. The sheet pools at his waist, almost giving me more of a show than I want. "I don't know what games Asmon played with you, but I'm not in the mood. I have wanted you from the first moment I saw you, and I will have you."

Gripping the sheet even tighter, I slide my ass over as far as I can before easing my leg out. I keep my movements small, so I don't alert Kris to my plans. His eyes remain leveled at mine. Good start so far. Once I feel stable enough, I hop to the floor, the sudden impact jarring my ankle. Wincing, I pull back, bringing the sheet with.

"I said no!" Hysteria creeps into my voice, making it warble.

Kris says nothing. He simply rises from the bed like a god, letting the sheet slide down his legs, leaving him completely exposed. My mouth grows dry as I stare up at him. He's impressive, I'll give him that, but he's not the man I want. Asmon! Memories flood back in, crashing through my skull. With my free hand, I grip at my head, willing the pain to stop.

Everything becomes crystal clear. I don't know what came over me, but I remember all of it, especially the hurt look on Asmon's face when I chose Kris over him. Agony pours through me as I collapse to my knees. Kris leaps off the bed and rushes to my side, gathering me close. His smell is wrong. His arms are wrong. Everything is wrong. I attempt to shove at him, but my feeble motions do nothing to move him.

"Shhh love. What is it? What's wrong?"

Anger fills me. My entire body trembles in my rage. Letting the sheet fall, I scream my fury to the ceiling and shove him away from me. With a soft thud, Kris falls back on his ass. The look on his face would be comical if I weren’t so upset. Stalking over to him, I hunch down so that I'm nose to nose with the bastard.

"Let me tell you something, you overgrown, underdeveloped Neanderthal. You have no idea the hell you're putting the man through. And for what? What the hell has Asmon ever done to you? I see how you look at him, how your staff looks at him. Hell, the entire North Pole treats him like he's got a disease or something. The entire reindeer clan has it out for him, that's plain to see, and you just let it happen! You sit there on your high and mighty throne and let everyone shit on him. Well, I'm not going to stand for it.

While I was at his home, yes, he punished me. But he did so, thinking I was on the naughty list. The moment he realized something was wrong, he stopped. He didn't force the issue. He brought me to you to help figure it out. And what's the first thing you do? You try to get into my pants. Christmas is less than two weeks away, and you're more concerned about getting laid than making sure something isn't royally fucked. Christmas is in danger and you don't even care!”

Tears well up in my eyes as emotion spills out of me. Christmas was already ruined for me a long time ago, but that doesn't mean it has to be ruined for everyone else. I poke his hard chest with my finger, ignoring the stab of pain. The adrenaline rushing through me numbs mostly everything. Kris scowls and rises, towering over me. Planting my hands on my hips, I return his scowl, not backing down.

"And let's not forget the fact that you, Father Christmas, are dead set on having a woman that clearly doesn't want you. I'm not playing any games either. I said no, and yet, you persisted. Are you that much of a brat that you can't handle someone telling you no? In fact, how the hell are you not on the naughty list?"

His eyes snap in fury as he stalks me down. I shuffle back a step for every one of his until my back hits the wall. Frantic, I look around, trying to see if there's an exit. Before I can move to the side, Kris slam both of his palms to the wall on either side of me, caging me.

"You told me you wanted me," he bites out, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. "And as for ruining Christmas, I never asked for this job. I never wanted it. Just like you don't want me. But I guess we can't get what we want."

There's a pain in his eyes that makes me pause. Before I can formulate a response, Kris swoops down and plants his lips against mine. His hot breath sweeps across my face as he drags his mouth across my lips, demanding entrance. I force them shut and jerk my face from left to right, trying to defend myself against the onslaught. My fingers claw at his chest as I try to push him away, but he ignores all of it and continues to press against me.

It takes every extra ounce of will to breath deep and even and not let myself hyperventilate. But he won't stop. Nothing is deterring him in the slightest. It's like he's crazed with anger and lust and is hell bent on taking it out on me. He fists my hair in his grip and pries my mouth open with his other fingers before snaking his tongue inside. On instinct, I jerk my knee up, connecting hard with his balls. Groaning, he stumbles back and clutches himself, his face ashen.

"Son of a nutcracker," he grits out, falling to his knees.

Using the brief time I have before he recovers, I scour the room for anything I can use to cover myself. My clothes are nowhere to be seen. Thinking quick, I race over to a set of drawers and pull them open, letting them clatter to the floor. Nothing useful in that set, so I move onto the next. As I open it up, I catch a glimpse of Kris staggering to his knees. Time's up. Muttering prayers to any deity that might hear me, I open the other set, relieved to find some night shirts. I throw one on and pull open the drawer underneath, grateful to find pajama pants.

I jerk them onto my legs as I hobble towards a door. If my luck is holding out, it will lead outside. The bar of light underneath makes me hopeful, as does the set of shoes next to it. Breathing a sigh of relief, I slide my feet into my pair from earlier and wrench the door open. Yes. A long hallway greets me, but at least it's not a closet. I ignore Kris's shouting and sprint down the hallway, gripping the pants at my hip. I don't want to stop to tie them until I'm far enough away.

Once I'm at the end of the hallway, it opens to the right, and I just run. I don't care if I end up in a basement somewhere, at least I'm trying. For a few more hallways, it follows the same pattern, each hall empties to either the right or the left, until I finally come to a split. My heart thunders in my chest. My breathing comes in pants. What the hell am I supposed to do? I give a glance over my shoulder, relieved that Kris hasn't come barreling down at me yet, but it's only a matter of time.

Closing my eyes, I listen for sounds, anything that can orient me. To the right, I hear clinking silverware and dishes. Jesting voices float over to me, and they sound like the ones from dinner. Perhaps that's the way to the dining hall? I pause, trying to discern what I should do. If they see me, they might send me back to Kris. Perhaps not. But do I take that chance?

Loud thumping sounds somewhere behind me, alerting me that my time is up. Heading to the right, I pray the reindeer will do the right thing. I burst into the room, startling the four people at the table. Luckily for me, Red is one of them. He looks over at me, his brows furrowing. With a graceful lift of his body, he stands and faces me.

"Is everything -."