Page 41 of Santa Daddies

As I watched her sleep, I allowed my thoughts to wander. I’d never met anyone like her; never felt the way I did for anyone else either.

But did it even matter when she was clearly hesitating with me? Not in the bedroom, not when we alone, but when we were in public. Would that change now that we’d talked? Or would I still be Little Red’s naughty secret? At first that was hot, but now?

Now, I wanted more.

And what about David’s plan? His surprise for his sister? That might change everything.

Chapter Eleven

Kristoffer

The next morning at breakfast, I couldn’t stop my leg from bouncing under the table. I’d quietly slipped out of Little Red’s room in the wee hours of the morning before anyone else woke up. But I didn’t go back to my room. Instead, I went to the gym, worked out and swam laps and after my final lap, I looked up and saw David and hissurpriselooking down at me.

I was instantly aggravated and had to do twenty-five more laps before I could relax my jaw again.

David and I had argued when Charlotte took Emily into the ornament shop the previous night. I should have told him the truth then, but I couldn’t. Instead, when he’d asked me for one good reason why he shouldn’t surprise Emily, I’d clamped my mouth shut. I couldn’t give him one. Not without breaking Emily’s confidence and outing us, and not without causing a rift in the middle of my best friend’s wedding festivities.

Fuck. I was brooding. I was so much more infatuated with Emily than I thought since our night together, and she was about to spend the rest of David and Charlotte’s wedding festivitieswith someone else – someone who deserved a fist to the mouth.Infatuation.My inner voice snorted at the word.Dude, you’re head over fucking heels.

I scrubbed my hands over my face. If I’d only sent Emily home alone in a cab that first night, I’d be fine. But no, my dick had to get involved and now, my fucking heart decided it was suddenly capable of being in charge after being on the bench for forty-five years. I picked up my coffee cup and waved it impatiently at our waitress across the room. She scrambled when she saw me, and I knew I was being an asshole boss scaring her.

But dammit, I needed a refill. Actually, what I needed was some fucking scotch and a time machine.

But even on our first night together, I knew I felt something with her I hadn’t felt with anyone else. I just talked myself into thinking I’d imagined it. But after spending these last few days with her… the doubt was gone. She was still being cautious though, and I was okay with that. She’d just had her confidence shaken, if not her heart a little broken. But I knew, one hundred percent, I wanted more with Emily, a lot more. Not just some hot fling like she seemed to suspect. I had been willing to let her come to her own conclusion about us, at least until?—

“Hey, buddy, how’s it going?” Lucas asked, slapping me on the back. I ground my teeth.

I wasn’t afraid of a little competition, no, that wasn’t the problem. It was Lucas himself that was the issue. On the outside he was perfect for Emily. He was in his early thirties, a pro golfer, charming, handsome, and rich. Not stupid rich, like me, but rich enough to give Emily a very comfortable life. But on the inside, he was exactly what Emily thought I was — a player. A twisted fuck that got off on using naive woman who were looking for love. And when that game wasn’t enough of a thrill, he fucked his friends’ girlfriends behind their backs.

“You’re not still mad about Clara, are you?” Lucas asked as he sat down beside me.

My jaw cracked with the pressure so I eased off the tension and picked up my orange juice to take a drink.

“You didn’t want her anyway. She was a nice piece, but there was no future there for you two. I did you a favor, buddy. And she came to me. Told me she was waiting for you to pop the question, asked me if I ever thought you would.” He held up a hand. “I set her straight.” He grinned then. “And then I consoled her.”

“Do David a favor and crawl back under whatever whore you came out from under.”

“Buddy,” he said elongating the U. “You weren’t interested in anything beyond a mutually beneficial sexual relationship. And we both know it.”

His laugh grated on me, and I fisted the hand that sat on my knee beneath the table. We’d always had this friendly rivalry thing, but until recently I thought it was only with athletics and bank accounts. Apparently, I was wrong.

“Move along.”

“Pardon?”

“Fucking move along to the other side of the table before I make a scene and tell our friend what an absolute dickhead you are.”

Lucas had the nerve to snicker at my words making my gut boil. “Go ahead and I’ll tell him you’ve been fucking his sister.”

My eyes snapped to his.

“Yeah, couldn’t get a room at your hotel so David told me to sleep on the couch last night.”

My heart pounded. “I saw you and Emily come in last night. I might have taken a tour of the chalet a little later and heard some interesting things.” He shrugged. “She sounded into it, bro. Way more than ever Clara was.”

I shot to my feet knocking my orange juice glass over. “I need to see to something,” I blurted, but just as I turned to leave, I saw two things. Charlotte trying to catch my eye and Emily walking in.

“Emily!” David stood then as well. “Come here.” He waved her over.