Page 143 of Santa Daddies

Crystal

I woke with a start while the moonlight was still glistening on the snow, and stretched out while I let the memories of the previous day coat me like honey. I still missed Yule, and wished he wasn’t so stressed out and working so hard, but at least I’d gotten what I’d needed, and he in turn, had gotten a relaxing afternoon off. So mission accomplished. For now.

I smiled to myself as I remembered how we’d ended the evening in bed, despite Yule’s insistence that naughty girls don’t get orgasms. It had been a good day and an even better night.

But now, I realized as I sat up carefully in bed, so as not to disturb Yule, I needed to get into the offices and get my name off the naughty list before he woke up and went into work.

I didn’t want to be any more selfish about getting time with him than I’d already been and I definitely didn’t want to risk a harsher punishment when he realized his first one didn’t actually get my name off the list because of course it didn’t, nothing would.

At least that was the assumption I was under as I snuck out of my room, magicked myself into warm clothes and headed back to undo my handiwork.

This time though, I left the snowmobile behind and kept my promise to Lumi. I figured Yule could wake at any minute and taking her out for a ride at least gave me a plausible story.

Adopting Trixie’s appearance was a lot easier this time around and getting into the offices and then the list room without being seen was a piece of cake with the very limited amount of elves that were milling about in the early morning hours.

I was in and out in under ten minutes feeling like I was on top of the world. I took Lumi the long way home and let her run to her heart's content. I’d forgotten how freeing it was to just sit back and fly over the snow at reindeer speed. It was an amazing feeling and I even made it home in time to give Yule a kiss before he left for the day. He hadn’t been happy I’d left so early, but after assuring I’d been dressed warm enough and been safe, the carefree demeanor I carried after my ride was apparently enough to assuage his frustration.

He didn’t need to know it had as much to do with knowing I was now home free as it had to do with the ride.

I took a quick hot shower to warm up and by the time I got out, Trixie was setting out the things to make the baklava.

“Good morning, Mrs. Claus! I hope you had a nice day yesterday. I took the liberty of getting started. It doesn’t take long to make, but the syrup needs time to soak in so if we get it done early this morning, it will be ready for you and Santa to enjoy after dinner. It will go perfectly with the leftover roast.”

“That sounds great, Trixie. Thank you.”

The kitchen quickly filled with a decadent nutty, buttery, and sweet cinnamonny aroma. My mouth watered thinking about the gooey flakey goodness I would get to indulge in after dinner.

We’d just finished the pastry and set it aside to let the syrup soak, when the door swung open, bringing a shocking wall of fierce chill with it, and Santa stood there, his thick white brows furrowed into matching storm clouds.

My mouth went dry and even Trixie let out a squeak.

“Santa!” I cried as soon as I recovered. “What are you doing here? Did you forget something?”

He didn’t answer, actually didn’t even look at me as his frosty gaze swept over Trixie. “Trixie, you’re not needed today. I need to speak with my wife.”

One look at Trixie told me she wanted, with everything in her, to protest, to remind Santa that there were only a couple more days until Christmas, and that he couldn’t keep taking off in the middle of the day when there was still so much to do.

However, one look at his growly expression and larger-than-life fury stopped her in her tracks. She nodded and scurried out the door without even saying goodbye, all but slamming the door closed behind her.

I got the distinct impression I should run, but confusion kept me rooted in place. Why was Yule home? Why did he seem upset? He had been fine an hour before.

Yule leaned against the closed door, his gaze hot and accusing. My heart raced. What was happening?

I waited for Yule to let me know, but he just stood there, peering at me with a thunderous stare, staring at me like he was trying to read my soul.

“Santa Daddy?” I squeaked. “What’s wrong? Is everything… um…okay? You seem upset? Is it the elves? The list? Did I… um… did I do something?”

“You tell me.” The storm in his eyes settled but it was replaced by something I knew well. The weight of disappointment.

“I… I don’t know!” It was true. I didn’t. I’d taken the reindeer, not the snowmobile, I’d made sure I was appropriately dressed this time, and all I’d really done was undo the mess I’d made yesterday. The way his eyebrows rose up to his hairline as he pushed off the door and stalked toward me had me throwing my hands behind me to cover my bottom as I walked backward, trying to put more space between us even as he worked to close it.

“You don’t know?”

“No, Daddy!” I backed myself against the wall, literally, and his hand wrapped around my wrist a split second before he grabbed a chair, propped his leg up on it and tossed me over his knee.

He had my skirt up and my tights down before I knew what was happening.

“Well, I don’t know what’s going on either, but I’m pretty sure you do, little elf. And you better start talking. The fate of Christmas is hanging in the balance and we need to fix it, ASAP.”