Naughty for Santa: An Erotic Holiday Romance Read online

  Naughty for Santa

  An Erotic Holiday Romance

  written by,

  Alisa Easton

  Copyright © 2017 Alisa Easton

  All rights reserved.

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  I stood at the bay window watching for Jake's parents to pull into the driveway. Thick, fat snowflakes began falling to the ground in lazy clumps.

  “Abby, come look,” I shouted to my three year-old daughter. She wasted no time, bounding on endless energy as she dropped her crayons and ran to the window.

  “It's snowing!”

  The excitement in her voice matched my own. There was something magical about the first snowfall of the season and the fact that it corresponded with Christmas Eve made it more so. I put my arms around Abby and pulled her close. Her grandparents would arrive any minute to whisk her away on a Christmas Eve adventure, which they had done every year since her birth, but in that moment I wished I didn't have to let her go, especially as it meant spending Christmas Eve again.

  “Mommy, we need to put out milk and cookies for Santa,” she said as she twisted in my grasp until we were nose to nose. I snuggled in to her and laughed.

  “You're right. I almost forgot.”

  I took her hand and led her to the kitchen where the batch of chocolate chip cookies we'd made earlier still lay in neat rows on the counter where we'd set them to cool. Abby started piling the entire collection on to our special Santa plate.

  “Save a few of those for us,” I told her, “I'm sure Santa won't need so many. He has a lot of houses to visit tonight.”

  “No Mommy, I want to make sure Santa is extra happy when he visits our house.”

  “Santa knows what a good girl you've been. I don't think you need to worry about not getting enough presents.” I yanked open the fridge door and grabbed the cartoon of milk.

  Abby was watching me with a curious expression and I could tell she had something big on her mind.

  “But I told Santa I wanted something extra, extra special this year.”

  I finished pouring the milk and replaced the carton in the fridge. I was racking my brain but all December the only thing I remembered her mentioning was a barbie doll. That didn't seem like such a tall order to me.

  “What did you tell him you wanted?”

  She looked around as though she wasn't sure she wanted to confess her secret wish and I felt my insides tighten. Maybe sometimes I spoiled Abby too much by always trying to give her everything she wanted but as a single parent, I suppose I felt like I owed it to her or something, especially considering the fact that her dad wasn't exactly a hands on kind of guy.

  Not that it was his fault entirely. We barely knew each other when I got pregnant. I wasn't the sort to sleep around but I was going through a rough time after losing my dad and when Jake walked in to my life, I just sort of let go and crashed into him. He asked me out, I said yes. Next thing I knew, I was in the back seat of his car with my underwear around my ankles throwing caution to the wind.

  Turned out, Jake and I didn't have much in common and he wasn't really interested in having a girlfriend anyway. We didn't go out again and that's where our relationship would have ended if I hadn't found out I was pregnant.

  At first, he denied the baby could be his but in my mind, there was never any doubt. I hadn't slept with anyone else. When his family found out, they tried to coerce him into marrying me but that was never going to happen. He'd already moved on to someone else and the last thing he needed was a wife and a baby to weigh him down. Not that I'd have accepted his proposal anyway. Being busy with grad school and starting a new job, it was bad timing. I considered the alternatives but honestly, Abby is what saved me from a time in my life when I had nothing else to live for. She was my little angel in every sense of the word. There was never truly an alternative to having her in my life.

  So, despite having no one to help me raise her, I felt like I'd done an okay job so far. I was grateful that even though Jake didn't want to take on the role of fatherhood, he didn't deny his parents the opportunity to dote on their grandchild. No one asked anything of Jake and everyone ended up happy enough. Abby has a wonderful relationship with his family and they have offered me more support and kindness than I deserve, especially during the moments when I've missed my own parents the most.

  “What is it, Abby? You can tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone else,” I said, urging her to confide in me. I imagined myself jumping in the car after Jake's parents picked her up and going on a mad dash to the store praying to find whatever it was she secretly wanted so badly.

  Abby sighed deeply. “I want Santa to bring me a Daddy,” she whispered.

  “Oh.” I stood there not knowing what to say. Abby had never expressed an interest in having a man in her life to call Daddy. I guess I always assumed that Jake's parents somehow filled that void when she was with them and she was happy enough with that. I dropped down to my knees and pulled her in tight to me. Her little body felt frail against mine.

  “Abby, you know Santa can't bring people, right?”

  “Santa is magic.”

  I ran my fingers through her soft brown hair and held back the tears I felt welling in my eyes. Everything I'd been able to provide for my daughter and this was the one thing it seemed I was completely incapable of.

  “I know honey, but this is the sort of thing that even Santa can't manage.”

  Holding her at arms length I looked into her eyes and tried to make her understand. There wasn't going to be a Daddy for Christmas.

  For a short time earlier this year, Jake and I had tried to make things work between us. I'd never asked him to step up but he'd called me out of the blue and asked me out. At first, I said no. I thought he was only doing it because his parents were on another rant about responsibility and all that, but when he insisted they didn't know about his newfound interest, I agreed to give it a chance. After all, we weren't the same people we were when Abby was conceived. Now that she was three maybe he wanted us in his life. We dated in secret for three months before we told his parents, just in case it didn't pan out. We didn't want to get their hopes up. There were even a couple of times we took Abby out with us – to the zoo, to a movie. It felt good to be a proper family even if romantically, I'd never truly felt a spark or connection to Jake. Even still, maybe that's when Abby got it in her head she needed a Daddy?

  I guess I'd never considered how she would feel about me hanging out with the guy who helped bring her into this life. I kicked myself now for letting down my guard and putting her in that position because the ultimate reality was, Jake and I weren't meant to be together.

  We might have been able to fool ourselves for a little while but when things started to get serious, Jake pulled away. I saw less and less of him. His parents started asking questions I couldn't answer. And then one day I bumped into him shopping at the mall, walking hand in hand with his new girlfriend, Lisa. All that time I sat around waiting for him to call and he'd already moved on.

  I felt stupid and naive all over again. Men were jerks. All I needed was Abby.

  “Santa can do it,” she told rather matter-of-fact, “It will be a Christmas miracle.”

  That would be a miracle, I though
t. I tried to smile.

  “Your grandparents will be here soon. Why don't you go make sure your bag is all packed?”

  “Sure, Mommy.” She gave me a kiss and wandered off. I picked up the plate of cookies and the glass of milk and carried them to the living room to set them out on the table next to my favorite lounge chair. For a moment, I simply stood there staring at the plate trying to imagine Santa actually bringing Abby a father and I laughed. It wasn't a humorous laugh. It was more of a what-the-hell-had-I-been-thinking kind of laugh. Maybe Jake had been right all along. I didn't have much right to bring this life into the world and expect I was actually going to do any good raising her on my own.

  “Damn you, Jake,” I said under my breath. Maybe I should have tried a little harder to make things work? Maybe I should have been one of those girls who gets pregnant and traps the guy into a loveless marriage instead of giving him my blessing to carry on living his own life? I shook my head to clear those crazy thoughts just as the doorbell rang. I heard Abby squeal with delight as she ran to answer it.

  Why didn't Jake ever come to pick up his daughter I thought sourly?

  Dean and Margaret Everson were giving their granddaughter hugs and kisses when I walked in the room. I felt like an intruder in my own home. When they saw me, they each gave me a hug as well and then Margaret offered me a small box wrapped in silver foil.

  “What's this?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “Just a little something that made us think of you.”

  I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment. They'd thought enough to buy me a present and I hadn't got them anything.

  Dean came to my rescue. “It's just a little something to express our gratitude to you for doing such a wonderful job with Abby.”

  “Thank you,” I said feeling small.

  Dean and Margaret never ceased to amaze me with the extent of their generosity. Too bad Jake didn't take after them in the least. She would have been proud to call Margaret and Dean her in-laws.

  “You must have exciting plans for Christmas Eve,” Margaret said, “So we won't hold you up.”

  “Just a quiet evening at home actually,” I told her.

  The two shared a look and I wondered if they'd been talking about me on their drive over to pick up Abby. Sometimes when they looked at me, I saw pity. A few times they'd actually tried to apologize on Jake's behalf for knocking me up and leaving me alone to raise a kid and then set me up with some poor soul they picked up along the way.

  Hey, Cara, meet the new intern at Dean's accounting office. He's single... Hey Cara, this is so-and-so our handsome pizza delivery man. He's single... Did I really look so desperate? I'd tried to put their fears to rest a thousand times already. I wasn't doing anything I hadn't willingly signed up to do. Abby was my choice and I didn't need to get laid as a reward.

  Margaret put her hand on my arm. “Jake was asking about you.”

  “Finally broke up with that – what was her name?” Dean said.

  “Lisa,” Margaret finished for her husband. I could tell by the way she said the name that she didn't think much of the girl.

  “I'm sorry to hear that,” I said, suddenly feeling very awkward. I'd rather they were trying to set me up with the pizza guy again rather than those uncomfortable moments when they believed there was still hope for their son.

  “Maybe you should come by later for dinner?”

  “No, but thank you for thinking of me. I'm exhausted from work and looking forward to a quiet evening. It's okay with me.”

  They exchanged another glance and I braced myself for another attempt to orchestrate an arrangement between Jake and me but thankfully, it didn't come.

  We talked a bit more about the weather and current events and I gave my daughter a big hug and made her promise to be good and then off they went.

  I was left standing in the doorway watching the car disappear down the road and wondering what on earth to do with myself. Not in any particular hurry, I stood outside staring up into the sky and enjoying the feel of the cold snow hitting my face.

  Magical.

  Wishes do come true.

  But not the sort that require Santa to bring Daddies on Christmas. I giggled a little to myself as I imagined Abby telling Jake her secret wish. Before I turned around to go back in the house, I saw my new neighbor, Nick pull into the driveway. He got out of his car and we exchanged a wave. I stared probably a moment too long but I couldn't help myself. Nick was one good-looking guy. A thin, attractive blond woman got out of the passenger side of the car. She looked in my direction but her expression was anything but friendly. I waved anyway and then turned back to my house. It was getting chilly standing outside without a coat and I was pretty sure my neighbors probably already thought I was mental, Nick included.

  Deciding to light a fire and curl up with a good book, I stopped and looked at the plate of cookies Abby and I had made for Santa. I couldn't think of any reason not to enjoy one or two in celebration of the holidays but the milk wasn't going to cut it. I headed for the liquor cabinet to find something a tad stronger and poured myself a generous portion.

  I still had a few gifts to wrap but that didn't take long. By the time I'd finished, I was well into my third drink. No matter how much I tried to numb my thoughts, Abby's words kept echoing through my mind.

  “I want a Daddy for Christmas.”

  The tears didn't stay back this time. They fell hot and fast. I wiped them away with the back of my hand and remembered that Margaret and Dean had said Jake was no longer seeing that Lisa woman. I should hate him for moving on without telling me but I guess I was tipsy enough to start believing in miracles. Maybe this time things would be different I told myself as I fished through my purse for my cell phone and started a new text message to Jake.

  It took another drink before I finally got the nerve to send it.

  Probably it was wrong to text him out of he blue like that but I didn't care. I was horny and lonely on Christmas Eve. Jake wouldn't be busy playing with his daughter. He'd probably be more interested in watching football or hanging out with his buddies. Even if his parents forced him to spend time with Abby, he'd be free after she went to bed. Free for a late night booty call with his baby's mother. That's all I really wanted and I knew enough to know Jake was always up for it.

  I was half asleep when his response came through. He was busy, he said but he'd be bringing Abby tomorrow morning and we could catch up then.

  Sighing, I filled my glass one last time. Looked like it was going to be another night with my vibrator. I put another log on the fire and sipped my drink feeling the heady warmth come over me. My eyelids drooped.

  “I wish I could give you a Daddy for Christmas,” I whispered in slurred words to my daughter even though she wasn't there.

  I woke to a loud bang. Startled, I sat upright and looked toward the window. I didn't remember opening it but the curtains billowed in the cold wind. I got up to close it. When I turned around, he was standing in front of the plate of cookies with his hands on his hips. I screamed.

  The man – whoever he was – put up his hands in surrender. He looked at me as if he hadn't expected to find anyone there. I tried to think of where I'd dropped my phone after getting ditched by my loser ex but my head was still too fuzzy from my evening's indulgences.

  “What are you doing in my house?”

  He laughed and threw his head back.

  Jolly. He was dressed just like Santa and damn it if his costume didn't look expensive. He went to great lengths to play the part.

  “Get lost on your way back from mall, Santa?” I asked him.

  “I'm here for Abby.”

  My insides froze. “How do you know my daughter's name?”

  “I know all the children. Abby wrote me several letters,” he told me.

  In a quick move, I grabbed the poker from the fireplace and held it ready to strike if Santa so much as made a move toward me.

  “What do you want from me?”

&nb
sp; Santa sighed and looked back at the plate of cookies. Then his gaze moved from the cookies to the half empty bottle of scotch I'd been enjoying.

  “Do you mind?” he asked, indicating the bottle.

  Actually, I did but I wasn't going to antagonize the freak anymore than I had to. I just wanted to get him out of my house. Alcohol might slow him down enough to give me a fair chance of fighting off an attack.

  “Help yourself.”

  He poured himself a glass and drank it quickly.

  “Now get out,” I said.

  “Cara, I'm not here to hurt you.”

  “That's great but this is my house and I don't remember inviting you in so if you want to just move along, we'll both be better off.”

  My heart beat like crazy and the fog in my brain started to lift. Suddenly I remembered leaving my phone next to the tree when I was putting out presents. My gaze must have shifted in that direction because Santa followed it.

  “It's a beautiful tree,” he commented.

  “Thanks,” I said through clenched teeth. To get to the tree, I needed to get past Santa. Underneath that beard so snowy white, I didn't think he was the old guy you usually see in movies so I couldn't be sure he didn't have quick reflexes despite the drink.

  Much to my dismay, Santa relaxed into my lounge chair and poured himself another.

  “What do you think you're doing?”

  He kicked back the recliner as he sipped his drink, acting like he owned the place.

  “It's been a long night. You don't mind if I just take a moment to rest, do you?”

  “I do mind. I believe I asked you quite clearly to leave. I'm going to call the police.”

  He shook his head sadly and patted his lap.

  “Why don't you have another drink and then come tell Santa what you'd like for Christmas instead?”

  I stared at him in wide eyed disbelief. This guy was crazy, potentially dangerous, and I had to figure out a way to get away from him. An idea popped into my head.