Instead, I walked into the North Pole. The place was enormous, and I realized that just like with the stables, I wasn’t in the office building anymore. Elves were running here and there in a bustle of activity. Conveyor belts ran up and down in a maze of angled paths through the three-story room.
A freezing gust of air blew in from the right and some elves started shouting to seal it up, whatever that meant. I turned to see two large red doors, just starting to close on snowy fields that stretched as far as my vision could see. Reindeer, being tended by other elves, were walking into the large area.
“This way!” A small female elf grabbed my hand and started to tug me along after her, toward another entrance off to the side. A plaque above the rounded door read “Santa’s Office.”
“Go in,” she said, and motioned with her small hands for me to enter.
The whole place smelled like a bakery, but his office had the distinct smell of chocolate chip cookies baking. Santa himself was sitting behind his desk when I walked in.
“Hello,” he greeted me. He looked exactly as one would expect; long white beard, and a thick head of white hair. His cheeks were rosy and he truly did look jolly when he smiled at me. “You’re the new Karma.”
“Yes.” I smiled back, all the while waiting for the scolding.
“Would you care for a cookie?” He motioned to the heaped plate on the corner of the desk.
“No, thanks.” I didn’t want to get thrown out mid bite. He was Santa. He knew everything. Any second, he’d tell me to get the hell out of his office, throwing coal at me as I ran.
He stood up from his chair and walked around to the fireplace that blazed in the corner, lending the space a warm light.
“Would you like to sit?” He motioned to the two well-stuffed chairs in front of it.
“I don’t want to take up too much of your time. I can see you’re busy.” I made a step backward toward the door.
“I’ve got time for you.”
Guess I was going to have to see this thing out until the coal started flying. I watched as he sat. He was still smiling. I took the seat across from him. Maybe he didn’t know?
“I know why you’re nervous.”
Well, there went that.
“Karma, sometimes there are grey areas in life. Things that don’t fit neatly into wrong or right.”
“Okay?” At some point soon, my phone was going to start ringing like crazy.
He leaned forward and took one of my hands. “I trust you to make the right decisions.”
“And what would those be?”
“That’s not for me to tell you. Those are your choices. Your inner compass will point you in the right direction.” He nodded his head as he said this, as if he was imparting some great wisdom.
My jaw dropped as I contemplated grabbing him by the beard and screaming, I’m glad you’re sure, because I’m lost right now and would someone care to fill me in on what the hell I should be doing?
Fairly certain that wasn’t the right approach, I tried to think of a better way to discuss the situation.
I never got the chance. Elves swarmed in, interrupting our discussion with a work order problem. He left, telling me an elf would show me out.
I’d missed my chance to ask him what happened if my inner compass was spinning around like a bad ride on the teacups. The only thing it was telling me was to go puke my guts up, and hang on for a lousy ride, because the operator was drunk.
Chapter 22
Point your arrows somewhere else.
My steps immediately slowed once I spotted Fate leaning beside my condo door. I could still leave as he hadn’t…
Nope, he had seen me.
Whatever he was here for, it was probably something I wasn’t going to like. I wasn’t in the mood but that wouldn’t faze him.
My keys jingled as I yanked them out of my purse and slid one into the lock. He followed me in.
He didn’t say anything. No hello, or how are things. He toyed with the manual I was working with and then moved on, taking in the rest of the place. He was looking for clues, and I was letting him. Unfortunately for both of us, he wouldn’t find anything, and I was too scared to leave him any more unless I got desperate again.
I kicked off my shoes and walked into the kitchen, noticing the container on the counter. At least he’d brought iced tea with him. Good thing, because I was out.
He followed me into the kitchen as I took a glass out of the cabinet and offered him one. I sort of had to, since he had brought it. He nodded.
He took his tea and chugged most of it down in one gulp. He nodded toward me. I’d never had such a tense glass of iced tea in my life.
“What’s with the outfit?”
I smoothed the dress down, tugging on the hem. “It’s Luck’s. Santa’s elf led me out through their kitchen and there was a mishap with the flour.”
“It looks good on you.” His eyes slowly moved up my legs.
I drank the iced tea in my glass so as not to have to respond.
He needed to stop staring at me like he was ready to eat me. What the hell was wrong with him, today? He was too smart to get caught by Cupid, but he was acting awfully interested. The worst part about that was the more interested he looked, the more my body seemed to respond. Forget him, what the hell was wrong with me?
My breathing became more erratic. I tugged my hair loose of its ponytail and pulled it over my shoulders, trying to hide just how excited certain parts of my body were becoming. It backfired because he took it as a different type of sign and closed the gap between us.
One hand reached and threaded through my hair as I tilted my face upward. I felt his other palm land on my hip but it didn’t stay there long. Slowly, it slid down and then wrapped around until it cupped my ass and pulled me upward into contact with his hips, where I could feel just how much he wanted me.
His eyes never left my face, surely seeing how every point of contact affected me. There was something so intensely sensual as he watched, waiting for me to acknowledge the need between us.
He looked at me as if I were the only thing that existed. It was frightening in its intensity, and yet I couldn’t move away.
I was sinking and quick.
“What are we doing?” My voice was breathy with anticipation of what was to come, even as I feared the ramifications. Hadn’t I just convinced myself how bad it was to do this with him? And yet here I was, first sexual overture in weeks and I was putty.
His mouth quirked up as if to say, don’t pretend you aren’t with me every step.
The smirk was gone again and his hand in my hair tightened, tugging me closer to him.
If I let this go any further, I’d never be able to stop it. His mouth was a mere inch from mine when I acknowledged to myself that not only did I want this, I needed it.
I was drowning and this felt like a lifeline. It didn’t matter if it was an emotional Band-Aid, simply masking the injury. This was the only thing in my existence right now that didn’t cause pain. At least not yet, anyway. Tomorrow, or next week, would be a different issue.
My lips parted and it was all the welcome he needed. His mouth covered mine and then it became a frenzied battle for dominance as both of us tried to take what we needed from the other.
I quickly became the aggressor as I pressed him back against the fridge, pulling his head down to mine. He reached down, grabbing a thigh in each hand and hoisted my legs around his hips.
Our lips never broke contact as he started walking into the other room. When he would’ve pulled away, I held his head to me, fearing any break would let reality sneak back in. He somehow sensed my desperation and instead of pulling back, he deepened the kiss.
We only made it a few steps into the other room before we were on the floor. He pulled my breast above the low neckline as I reached down and unbuttoned his pants. My hands reached lower and urged him into me.
I threw my head back on a moan as he entered me. His mouth moved to the peak of one breast as his teeth nipped and then licked the hardened nub. My legs wrapped around his hips, urging him deeper within me.