Page 49 of The Naughty List Agreement

“What are you hemming and hawing about?”

He felt terrible, but he couldn’t lie.

“I have a date.”

“Oh.” Her face fell and she looked away, then shook her head. “Of course. The wife thing.”

“I made the date before Thanksgiving,” he explained, but even to himself it sounded lame. “I should have canceled, and I’m not going to date anyone else after this. It’s … more complicated now.”

“Marriage should be,” she told him.

“I meant that you’re making it complicated,” he countered. He wanted her in his life. He was going to have to come clean about a lot of things.

“Am I?”

“You know you are.”

“So you’re done trying to find Mrs. Right?”

He didn’t answer. The Hearth Anchor was necessary to Christmas. How was he going to explain this to her?

“Not exactly. I have to get married in order to stay in my position in the family company.”

“Like some sort of soap opera?” she asked. “That’s ridiculous. There’s no legal reason you have to be married. Your folks seem pretty chill and I bet you could tell them you’re not⁠—”

“I can’t. It’s not a legal issue. It’s a policy in our by-laws. The head of Bari Toys must marry within five years of taking over.” No use telling her that he’d signed a binding magical contract when he’d taken over as Santa Claus. There was no backing out of it.

Cora’s eyes went wide. “That’s so irresponsible! Rushing into marriage is one of the worst things you can do!”

“I agree, but I’m running out of time. Was that what happened to your parents?”

“Yes. My mom was sixteen when she got pregnant with me. My dad was the same age. They’d been dating for a month. Their parents pressured them into marrying and they hated each other because they were trapped. Your parents forcing you to marry is the same thing,” she said.

“It’s not them pressuring me,” he said. How could he ever explain the Yearweave and the magical contract that the first Nicholas Bari had signed with it? There was no getting around the fact that an unmarried Bari wasn’t going to be allowed to continue as Santa Claus.

“You should quit. I mean, you’re a really good toymaker. You don’t need to stick with a company that’s putting those kinds of demands on you.”

“I can’t quit. I love my job and everything that comes with it. For me, getting married isn’t like it was for your parents. I’m going to find a woman who will be a partner.”

“Good luck with that,” she said.

“I’d consider you, Cora.”

She snorted. “Geez, thanks.”

“We have chemistry.” He stepped closer to her, his feet planted on either side of hers. His legs straddled her thighs and he enjoyed the sun shining brightly down on her blonde hair. Spending eternity with Cora would keep him on his toes. She wasn’t ever going to be an easy woman but she made him laugh, and feel, and there was no denying she turned him on.

More so than any of the other women he’d matched with on his app. He was also aware he couldn’t say any of that to her.

“We sure do. But that means we should have a holiday fling, not get married!”

“But I need⁠—

“A wife. I get it. I’ll drive you to your date,” she said with a sigh.

Their bodies were so close as she leaned toward him, putting her hand on his chest where he’d left two buttons of his henley shirt open. Her fingertip was cool as she toyed with the thick gold chain around his neck, lifting the emblem of Hearthvale up and running her finger over it as she came up on her tiptoes.

The warmth of her breath over his chest made his dick twitch in his pants. He flexed his hands but kept them at his sides. She’d said no. Sleeping with her was stupid when he had to fall in love and marry someone else.