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‘Another perk. When I signed the contract I stopped ageing. I’m eternally forty-one until I quit the job. When I decide to go back to my old life, such that it was, I’ll begin ageing again.’
‘Are you... I mean do you live there all alone?’
‘No. All the workers are human who, like me, had nothing and no one. Now we belong somewhere. Now we’re safe.’
‘So no elves?’
‘Afraid not. That would just be ridiculous, wouldn’t it?’ He winks at her, then looks back at the fire.
‘And no Mrs. Claus? I mean there isn’t one... is there? It’s probably a little late in the game for me to ask you that.’
He instinctively reaches for the locket around his neck. ‘No, there’s no Mrs Claus. I wouldn’t have done anything with you if there was. There are single women working for me, but I’m kind of out of bounds. You look surprised?’
‘I just find it difficult to believe you’re single, that’s all.’
‘I could say the same thing about you.’ The way she blushes is so adorable. It also does nothing to ease his need to take her upstairs. Or down here.
‘What do you mean you’re out of bounds?’
He rolls his head to the side again to look at her. ‘I’m Santa Claus, Scarlett. The whole Santa legend has been around for centuries. The jolly, cuddly man who delivers presents to children. That image is a difficult one to move past. I could walk around there butt naked, and no one would come near me.’
‘Are you being serious?’
‘Deadly fucking serious.’ Not that he’d get with anyone from the workshop. He’s the boss there. It’s never a good idea to mix business and pleasure. Being Santa is something he has taken seriously from the second he signed the contract. Everyone in the workshop is depending on him to do his job, so they can do theirs.
‘I never thought about it like that.’
‘The second I signed that contract, I made myself untouchable. I'm wrapped in cotton wool all the time. I have a damn bodyguard who follows me around the place in case I get a fucking splinter or something. It’s infuriating!’
‘A bodyguard? Was he in the sleigh with you?’
He shakes his head. ‘Thank goodness, no. I’m the only one who can travel in the sleigh when it’s going at top speed. Anyone else would get torn to pieces. Literally. My magic protects me.’
‘How did you end up outside my house?’
‘I’d love to be able to tell you, but I honestly can’t remember. I always head out for a test run a few days before Christmas. Have for decades, but I guess something went wrong this time. I’m hoping it’ll come back to me at some stage, but who knows?’
She nibbles on a chestnut as she processes that. ‘I take it you need to leave before Christmas Eve?’
He nods. ‘I’m kind of on a tight schedule. I need to go home, but I don’t know how.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I’m stuck here, Scarlett. And I don’t mean that in a bad way, honestly. But I can’t get home by myself. I had a wristband on that held a tracker in it, but someone kindly removed that, or it somehow came off when I crashed or fell, then my ride up and left without me. Bastards!’
She lowers the chestnut from her mouth and licks her lips. He hates chestnuts, but he’d tolerate the taste, if he can suck on her bottom lip. It’s full, and moist. Damn he needs to kiss her.
‘Your ride? Do you mean the reindeer?’
He blinks, unlocking his gaze from her lips. ‘Reindeer? Sorry. Yeah. Downright ungrateful, vile, moody bastards.’ He props himself up on his elbow to look at her, as she laughs. ‘What are you laughing at?’
‘You seriously have reindeer? Like the ones with antlers?’
‘Of course I do. What the hell is so funny?’
‘You with reindeer. I mean I know Santa has reindeer and a sleigh and all that, but I didn’t match that part of it with you, until just now.’
He remembers having the same reaction when he first signed the contract and was faced with his new ride. Santa used reindeer - everyone knows that. It still sounds fucking ridiculous though - especially saying it out loud. ‘It’s not like I can catch the bus or drive myself. I need to use them to get around. I’ve got a pretty massive distance to cover in one night.’
