The Kringle Girls - Collection (3 page)

“What’s
so important?”

Glitzy’s
squeaky voice dropped to a whisper.

“Santa
forgot
a present!”

“What
do you mean?”

“He
left on his grand journey, bringing presents to all the children in all the – ”

“I
know that part. Go on.”

“But
there was one present left behind! It didn’t make it into the sleigh!”

Holly
sat down on the couch, hard. This was new.

“That’s
never happened before.”

Glitzy
nodded vigorously, her curls bouncing.

“It’s
a terrible tragedy. All the elves are crying. Your sister Merry is going over
all the paperwork. Santa is halfway around the world and can’t come back in
time.”

“What
does this have to do with me? It’s sad that some child isn’t going to get a
present, but – ”

“Mrs.
Claus asks you to deliver the present.”

Holly
laughed.

“What
am I supposed to do? Pop in to somebody’s house, leave a present under the
tree, and pop out? If you’re not Santa, that’s called breaking and entering.”

But
Glitzy was nodding again.

“You’re
the only one who can do it.”

“I
doubt that. I have three sisters in the family business. They’re all just as
capable of popping as I am.” A seed of suspicion began to form in Holly’s
brain, but she was still stunned by the idea that a present had been left
behind.

Glitzy
frowned.

“Ivy
is busy with the research firm Santa hired to help with External Relations.
Merry is throwing the Sleigh Launch Party.”

“What
about Noelle?”

Glitzy’s
frown grew deeper and she polished off the rest of Holly’s hot chocolate.

“Noelle
squabbled with Santa and he revoked her popping privileges for a month.”

Holly
rolled her eyes. Her sister Noelle was definitely the troublemaker of the
family. Idly, she wondered what Noelle had done this time, but tried to focus
on the more immediate problem.

“It’s
not just popping in, Glitzy. You know I’d have to wipe the parents’ memory and
make them believe they bought the kid the present. I don’t have that kind of
magic.”

In
a flash, Glitzy blew a handful of glittery dust into Holly’s face, setting off
a storm of sneezing.

“You
do now!”

Holly
glared at the grinning elf through watery eyes.

“That
was unnecessary.”

“Very
necessary, Miss Kringle. The little boy needs his present. And he only has a
dad, so that’s only one memory to wipe.”

The
seed of suspicion sprouted into a curling vine, and then burst into riotous
bloom as Glitzy held up a small, wrapped gift, the size of a video game.
Frowning, Holly took the package and read the tag with a sinking stomach.

“To
Henry, from Santa. Now, wait a minute…”

“Thank
you, Miss Holly! See you tomorrow night!”

With
a cheeky grin, Glitzy popped out, leaving a stunned Holly sitting on the couch,
clutching Henry’s present.

Dammit.

THEY
COULDN’T HAVE BEEN
less subtle if they’d used a sledgehammer,
thought Holly, crunching from
her car across the snowy lawn in front of David’s house. The bored elves and
probably her mother were playing matchmaker, no question about it.

She
could have said “no.” She would have, too, if David hadn’t mentioned that Henry
was dying for this video game, and the thought of disappointing him, even a
little, sent a shard of pain through Holly’s heart. She shivered. She’d decided
not to wear a coat, to avoid accidentally leaving something behind, but the
jersey dress, though comfortable, was thin. Holly knew she was being
ridiculous, donning a dress and stockings and makeup, but she had needed the
extra hour to fortify herself for the task ahead.

“In
and out, Kringle,” she muttered, her breath puffing in the cold.

Holly
tried not to focus on the part where she would have to open David’s bedroom
door to plant the memory of buying the gift. Did he sleep naked? Did he hold on
to a pillow the way he’d hold onto her if she slept with him? Was his tall body
as muscled and delicious as it had felt against her? She shook her head.

Not
helpful.

The
house was dark save for the front window, where tree lights blinked cheerily
and behind, the soft glow of a fireplace lit the comfortable space. Knowing
that the sooner she got it over with, the better, Holly took a deep breath, and
–

POP!

The
sudden switch from cold to warm sent a flood of shivers down Holly’s body as
she got her bearings in the middle of the living room. Presents were piled high
under the tree and the fire crackled merrily, the flames illuminating the
pieces of a bike, half-assembled, scattered around the floor and the coffee
table. Anywhere she stepped would be a disaster. However, Holly had no desire
to move a muscle, because not two feet away, David was lying fast asleep on the
couch.

Beautiful
was the only thing Holly could
think as she drank in the sight of him in nothing but a pair of pajama bottoms
and an unbuttoned shirt, one arm flung over his head. The firelight painted his
skin in oranges, highlighting all that warm muscle and glinting off the dusting
of golden hair that swirled down into his waistband. Holly licked her lips.

This
is SO fucking unfair.

Desperate
to get the hell out of there before she did something she might regret, Holly
started to turn, but forgot about the bike pieces on the floor. With a muffled
squeak, she tumbled down toward the couch, catching herself with one hand on
the back and one on the cushion by David’s waist, hovering over him, barely
holding on to Henry’s present. She held her breath as he stirred, opening
sleepy green eyes. To her shock, he smiled.

“Nice
little Christmas present,” he mumbled, half-asleep, and tugged her to settle on
top of him, tracing a hand up the back of her thigh, a pleased rumble vibrating
his chest as he explored her stockings. “Mmm…garters. I must have been a very
good boy this year for Santa to bring me something so naughty.”

He
slid his hands under her dress to cup her ass, tugged her until his cock was
pressed against her pussy.

“Perfect,”
he groaned, as the ridge of his cock rubbed her clit.

Holly
cried out. She couldn’t help it, and the present tumbled from her nerveless
fingers to bounce amid the bike pieces, which jangled. The sound seemed to wake
David, and his eyes widened as realization dawned.

“Holly?
What the hell?”

Yeah,
he was awake.

DAVID
HAD FALLEN ASLEEP after hours of trying to put together that stupid bike. He
figured a little nap would help his concentration, and that the infernal
instructions would start to resemble human language at some point. His nap had
been interrupted by the scent of cinnamon teasing his nostrils, and he’d opened
his eyes to a vision – Holly hovering over him, lips parted, eyes bright. So he
did what any sane man did when presented with a fantasy. He’d reached out and
cemented their bodies from knee to chest. Of course, most men’s fantasies
dissolved when reality intruded.

Not
this one.

Holly
was really here, and squirming to get away.

Uh-uh.
Not until I get some answers.

Deftly,
David rolled her under him. The new position crushed those fabulous breasts
against his chest and his cock automatically settled more firmly against her
pussy as her knees came up to cradle his hips, her dress tumbling up her
thighs.

“I’m
so sorry, David. You weren’t supposed to wake up while I was here. I just came
to deliver that.”

She
pointed at the fallen box.

“It’s
for Henry. It’s his video game.” Holly swallowed nervously. “It’s from Santa.”

David
scowled.

“You
broke into my house to deliver a present from Santa? That’s insane.”

“I
didn’t break in. I popped in,” Holly sighed, wiggling under him in the most
distracting fashion. She seemed anxious to get away, but her fingers were
digging into his biceps, as though to pull him closer.

“You’re
not making any sense, Holly.”

For
a horrible moment, he wondered if she were stalking him, and then dismissed the
idea. Her reaction to him in the community center had been nearly shy at first,
and fucking incredible
, but not the response of a woman with a creepy
obsession.

“You
know all the jokes about me? Do I play reindeer games? Does my dad let me
borrow the sleigh?” Holly trailed off.

David
snorted.

“You
think you’re Santa’s daughter?”

“One
of them.”

“There
is no such thing as Santa.”

Holly
cringed, but only said lightly, “Mom will be sad to hear it.”

She
let go of him and David immediately missed the bite of her nails.

“Henry’s
present got left off the sleigh, which never happens, by the way. I was
supposed to just pop in, deliver the present, wipe your memory, and pop out.”

“Wait,
wipe my memory?” David was having a hard time, in more ways than one. Holly was
obviously crazy, but her fidgety little movements under him were going to drive
him right there with her. He rocked his hips slightly, unable to help himself,
and watched as she caught her breath, heat filling her eyes.

Son
of a bitch.

Holly
licked her lips and tried to find her voice.

“It
helps people who don’t believe in Santa understand how a strange present found
its way under the tree. In the morning, you’d think you bought Henry’s video
game, and you wouldn’t remember me being here at all.”

“I
doubt I’m going forget this anytime soon.”

“Let
me up and I’ll show you.”

Reluctantly,
he let her sit up, waiting for her to bolt, but she only retrieved the box,
picked her way toward the tree, and carefully tucked Henry’s game amid the
other parcels before turning back. David stood and folded his arms, waiting for
her to concede. Instead, a jingle of bells, a whiff of cold air that made the
fire flicker, and suddenly, the bike that had nearly driven him to gift-icide
sat gleaming in the middle of the room, fully assembled, not a screw out of
place. David’s jaw dropped.

“How…how
did you do that?”

“Good
genes.” Holly said.

“I
don’t believe it. It’s not possible.”

Holly
picked up a snow globe off the mantel and brought it over to him. She waved her
hand over it and held it up.

“Look.”

David
looked into the globe, but where a snowman used to be, instead was the North Pole
village, alive with color and light, as real as the breath in his lungs. Little
elves scurried from place to place, unaware that they were being watched. David
looked up at Holly, stunned.

Santa’s
daughter. Holy crap.

“Ready
to run in terror?” Holly joked, her voice tight.

“Is
that the usual response?” David tried to keep his voice light.

Holly
shrugged.

“Most
people think it’s kind of cool. And of course, the kids love it. But it’s kind
of a buzz kill when I’m on a date.”

They
were still hovering over the snow globe, heads close, and her delicate cinnamon
smell teased his senses. Her soft brown eyes were so warm, her sweet lips so
close, and something about her so incredibly…magical.

“So
you’re going to wipe my memory?”

“It’s
for the best.” Her voice was soft.

“Don’t.
Please. I want to remember.”

David
saw her hesitate, but she nodded.

“I
should go.”

Holly
put the snow globe down on an end table next to the couch.

“Mind
if I use the door? Popping in and out makes me dizzy.”

He
could only nod, but as she turned to go, with a whispered, “Merry Christmas,”
David suddenly realized that he couldn’t let her walk out. Not tonight. It was
Christmas, and he was going to give himself Holly Kringle as a present.

He
caught her arm.

“Or
you could stay.”

HOLLY
HAD NEVER SEEN such hunger on a man’s face before.
For her.
The words
hung between them, the only sound the crackle of the fire as she tried to
process the implications.

“That’s
a bad idea.”

“You’re
right. Because if you stay, I’m going to have trouble finding a good reason not
to strip you naked and make love to you for the rest of the night.”

“There
are a million reasons!”