She eyed it as if it were poison. Sheesh. His first attempt at giving a woman coffee was an epic fail. Sure, it was mall coffee, but it still had caffeine in it, for crap’s sake.
“You work here?”
She still didn’t take the offered cup, so Tanner set it down on the bench next to her before heading over to his assigned locker and reaching in for the costume. When he pulled out the Santa suit, her eyes widened.
“You’re Santa?” she gasped.
“Yep, been working with you all week,” he replied, and he began stripping down to his boxers and tank top before piling the padding on.
“I…uh…didn’t know,” she said as she stood up stiffly.
Tanner couldn’t fail to notice her shooting him what she thought was a covert glance. She didn’t look to be too horrified by what she saw, he thought, grinning to himself.
He knew he was a bit arrogant about his looks. Yes, the basics might have been the gift of good genes, but the body was something he worked hard for. He ran regularly, at minimum five days a week, and he lifted weights at the gym as often as his schedule allowed. Well, before he was in a facility without the option. Maybe he should consider having the contractor build a makeshift one just so he had somewhere to burn some of his pent-up time and frustration. Ahh, then again, it was under a month — now about twenty days — until he regained his freedom. His incredible physique could handle it.
“Like what you see?” he asked with his field-tested seductive smile.
She pressed her lips together into a grim slash as she took him in, starting with the bottom of his feet — thick socks covered his ridiculous ankle device, he was happy to remember — and then moving her eyes slowly upward, pausing pointedly on the padding he’d just placed around his middle. Her only reply was an unimpressed raised eyebrow.
“Hey, you’re the one who said you had a Santa fetish,” he reminded her with a wink.
“I also said that it, whatever it is, wasn’t going to happen with you,” she replied.
“Not exactly. You said I wouldn’t get to hear about it. I much prefer show over tell.” He could play this game with her all day long if she wanted.
“Let me make myself a bit more clear, then. It won’t happen with you. Ever. Under any circumstances.”
“That’s because you don’t know me. I’m a great guy,” he said, trying to strike a sexy pose — not too possible in this pathetic fat suit.
“Should I be wowed because I met you for two minutes the other day?”
“Well…yeah,” he said, pulling up the large Santa pants after giving up on trying to do anything even remotely resembling sexy.
She laughed. Actually laughed at him. Tanner really didn’t know how to handle that reaction.
“You are quite sure of yourself, Tanner.”
Kyla walked into the small bathroom, he assumed to change into her costume. Too bad she wanted to hide. He wouldn’t mind seeing her without much on — he’d prefer nothing at all, actually.
When she returned, he gave her an appreciative look, which she ignored. She eyed the coffee as if she really wanted it but was unwilling to take the chance the contents might be poisoned. So he sighed with exasperation, walked over, and picked up the cup. Pulling off the lid while looking straight at her, he took a gulp before putting the lid back on and holding the coffee out to her. “See, it’s not poisoned.”
“Okay, then,” she said. She accepted the cup and took a long swallow, sighing. “Mmm, you obviously pay attention.”
Yes, Tanner was very observant. He’d listened as the elves all spoke before they went on coffee runs. He knew she liked extra caramel in her coffee.
“I always pay attention to what a woman wants,” he said, using his best come-hither voice. She sauntered toward him with wantonly flared nostrils, parted lips and drooping eyelids, and Tanner was about to spring….um…to his…feet.
When she ran a finger up his padding, Tanner cursed the layers between them. “Good. I like a man who listens,” she purred, and leaned closer. He also leaned forward, getting ready to connect their lips.
The flat of her hand slammed against his chest.
He looked at her and waited. Huh?
“Not gonna happen.” With that, she turned and sashayed from the room. He was sure the added wiggle in her h*ps was just for him.
Instead of being angry, he allowed a huge grin to spread across his lips. She was obviously playing hard to get. But if she wanted to be chased, he could certainly accommodate her.
With a whistle springing from his lips, he followed her out the door. He didn’t even mind that he was about to be accosted by a pack of stinky kids. His eyes would be glued to her sweet ass the rest of the day anyway.
Well, maybe that wasn’t the best idea while he was holding kids on his lap. He’d save the looking for breaks.
Chapter Nine
Tanner’s day was coming to a close when a small boy climbed up onto him. He had only this last kid to appease and then he could go home. Let’s do this, he said silently with what little sarcasm he had left after a full day of every sarcastic comment he could think of running through his brain.
“What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?” Tanner asked with a half-assed attempt at a Santa chuckle.
The boy peered up with wide eyes and a trembling lip.
Great. Just great.
“Come on, kid. How is Santa going to know what you want if you don’t tell him?”
The boy whispered something beneath his breath, but Tanner couldn’t hear it, so he leaned down. “What’s your name?”
“Billy,” the boy whispered.
“Well, Billy, what toys can Santa bring you this year? I’m sure you have a long list.”
“I don’t want any more toys,” he said as a tear slid down his cheek.
Tanner’s stomach tightened as he looked at the grief on this child’s face. He didn’t understand why he cared, but the grief was so obvious. No. It had to just be that the kid was having a bad day. Where in the hell were his parents? He looked out and couldn’t see anyone likely.
“Of course you want some toys. Don’t all good little boys want toys?”
“I haven’t been a good boy,” he whispered, a sob coming up from deep down inside.
“How old are you, Billy?” Tanner asked.
“Five.”
“Well, don’t you want a set of Legos or maybe a Transformer?” Tanner hoped to speed this along.