That thought startled her, as did the thought that this kiss, this man, this entire situation was so right that it had to be an exhaustion-induced dream.At least it wasn’t one of the nightmares that normally plagued her dreams.
She took her time to thoroughly explore his mouth and teeth before dueling with his tongue.Her hips began to brush back and forth over the long, thick, rigid length of his cock that pressed into her lower belly, proving she was not the only one affected by this little interlude.
“Oh, my God,” she whispered long moments later when he finally tore his lips from hers.
“We really need that private room,” he murmured in her ear.Moving his lower body away from hers gave them both a moment to catch their breath.Finally, he took a deep breath and said, “How about that pie and hot chocolate?”
Celyn opened her mouth but could not speak so she closed it again.He'd short-circuited her brain during that kiss.She’d never been kissed so thoroughly or completely that she forgot everything.There was nothing running through her normally hyperactive brain.No worries, no to do list, no thoughts of anything or anyone except kissing this man again.
Looking up at Enrico, she forced her head to move up and down in a nod.Pie and hot chocolate sounded wonderful.Then she could head home to deal with whatever disasters might have occurred while she’d been at work.
When she wobbled when he eased back another step, he took hold of her hips.Once she was steady on her feet, he released her body and took her hand in his.She did not fight him when he laced their fingers together and guided her out from the dark shadows of the trees and back into the lights provided by the streetlights around them.
Chapter Four
Strolling across theempty parking lot toward the open diner, Enrico debated how he could convince Celyn to come back to the workshop with him.From what he’d seen of her life here, her job at the pub sucked, and he knew for certain that he could talk Mrs.Claus into giving her a position in the kitchen making cookies.The problem was her family.
Could she leave them behind?
Would she even be interested in moving to the North Pole to be with him?
He just didn’t know.He needed more time with her.Time to get to know her better, to allow her to get to know him better, and to see if they could be more than just kissing in the shadow buddies.
Problem was, he didn’t have the kind of time that kind of getting to know one another needed.It was only three and a half weeks until Santa’s big day, and he needed to be in his office, sorting, processing, and all the other issues that came from dealing with letters that arrived by the planeload during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
At the same time, Celyn needed to be here, working her job and taking care of her family.
Reaching around her, Enrico pulled the door open and held it for the woman he had a driving need to mark as his own.That might get him through their busiest season and he could return just after the new year to romance her and convince her to join the North Pole’s staff of human helpers.
They weren’t elves exactly, but were humans who had given up their lives in the world to help Santa and Mrs.Claus each year.Some stayed year-round at the North Pole, testing games, inventing new toys, taking care of the elves who were getting up there in years.Others arrived in the fall for the busy season to help with sorting, wrapping and preparing millions and millions of gifts for Christmas Eve.
Enrico was a hybrid.His father had been a human who’d visited one spring to set up an early computer system, and his mother had been an elf in charge of the doll-making crew.
Knowing Celyn would be an amazing addition to the kitchen staff, Enrico smiled to himself as he followed her across the diner to the empty booth farthest from the door.
There were two rough-looking men sitting at the counter drinking coffee and an amorous couple sharing one bench of a booth next to the door.
