Page 152 of Santa Daddies

The seamstress checks the tightness of the fabric around Jolene’s waist. “Thank you for meeting here so I can fit all of your dresses at once. I’m so behind after being sick.”

Lining up the charms I’m going to add to the bracelet, I say, “Whatever it takes to get the dresses ready. I won’t take any chances on messing up the auction, even if there’s no chance my stepbrother would bid on me.”

“Same,” Jolene says, winking at me. Starla mumbles agreement. The three of us seem to have the hottest, most annoying stepbrothers ever.

I pause for a moment, in awe of Jolene’s dress. It’s hard to believe two of my besties and I are auctioning our virginity in a week… for charity.

Starla says, “I’m still crossing my fingers that the magic holds true again this year. I don’t want to be known as the year the happily ever afters didn’t happen.”

“Or worse…” I laugh. “The only females in Peach Bottom Valley to never have sex. I can’t imagine anyone being willing to come near us if we break the auction.”

“We’ll be fine, ladies, andyoudid a gorgeous job on my dress.” Jolene looks down and admires herself.

“I’m not sure those Krampus horns fit the Christmas Cherry Auction vibe.” I jingle one of the sleigh bell charms I’m adding to the bracelets.

“The horns may not work for the auction, but the dress would get Krampus’ attention. I really want to get chosen by one of the beasts as their naughty girl. Nothing like a public spanking.” Jolene thrusts her hip out. “A last hurrah before the auction.”

Oh to be so bold as her. As much as I dreamed of being in the auction, I’m not sure I would have accepted the invitation without her nudging. I’m considering it my fast track to finding the men of my dreams, settling down, and starting a family. That’s all I’ve ever really wanted out of life.

That’s why I haven’t had any luck with dating. Guys my age freak out when I tell them my dream is to be a mom. And as I’ve learned, talk of babies is the fastest way to get a guy tonotwant to have sex.

“You’re not really going to wear it tonight, are you?” Starla dips a spoon into her eggnog, tastes it, then sorts through her spice bottles.

“Unfortunately, the dress will still be full of pins this evening. Not a great way to grab someone’s attention.” The seamstress confirms how short Jolene wants the skirt and marks the lengthwith another pin. “One last thing I need to check, then can we do you, Bellamie?”

“Sure.” I pause my bracelet-making to get a drink. The final fitting for our auction dresses means we’re one step closer. The only thing left for us to do is show up, let men bid on us, and believe–and it goes without saying, stay virgins until then.

The front door opens, but Starla’s dad and stepbrother aren’t supposed to be home this early. They’re not. In walks a handsome muscular dude who looks about her dad’s age.

He nods at me and then at Jolene, who can’t take her eyes off of him, and continues straight to Starla.

“I want whatever you're cooking,” he says, reaching around her.

The cup of water stalls at my lips. His body is so close to hers. He’s practically caging her against the counter. Can she feel his body heat through her thin tank top? And with her hair in a ponytail, she’s so… exposed.

He’s total Daddy material, but there’s no way she got a boyfriend without telling us. Besides, the three of us are auctioning our virginity in one week. Getting a boyfriend now would be terrible timing.

He tries to dip his finger into the bowl, but she swats him. “Don't put your grimy fingers in there. Who knows where they’ve been.”

“I know where I want them to be.”

I don’t understand what’s happening. This is how I imagined our lives would be after the auction. This is the type of guy that would win one of us.

She’s completely still for a moment, then gathers herself. “You’ll have to wait. I’m getting this ready for the eggnog competition at the festival tonight.”

“Pretty please. Give me a taste,” he begs.

She elbows his arm out of the way and gets a clean spoon from the drawer, dips it in the bowl, then lifts it over her shoulder to feed it to him.

I want to look at Jolene to see if she’s as captivated as me, but I can’t evenpolitelytake my eyes off of them.

The dude groans as he lets her put the spoon in his mouth, but in the exchange, some drips.

A seductive chuckle is the only warning before he drags a finger over her collarbone then slurps the eggnog from it. My mouth drops open, causing me to bobble my glass. Water sloshes onto my chin, drips onto my sweater, and I’m forced to set the glass on the counter before I drop it.

This is definitely the type of interaction I imagined for after the auction. What on earth is happening?

Starla giggles and her shoulders raise, but he’s not done.