Nick (The Kringle Boys Book 1) (5 page)

Hot little elf.

The thought whispered through his head, and Nick tried to squelch it, but he was standing in an apartment that smelled like her – ginger and Phoebe, with the memory of her splayed half-naked on the bed in the next room, of her hand sliding down his pants with a proprietary air, of her begging him to take her. It was beyond distracting.

“Just go without me,” urged Nick, his voice harsh, “You don’t need me there. I’m terrible with humans. I’m terrible with everybody. I’d do more harm than good and you know it.”

“Don’t give me that. You can be perfectly charming when you want to be and we
both
know it.”

Phoebe raked a blue gaze over him from head to foot, clearly frustrated, and his intuition prickled as her fingers clenched in the skirts of her dress.

She looked irritated.

She looked turned on.

And he’d be willing to bet vital body parts that Phoebe hadn’t had any sugar all day.

DID THE MAN HAVE to look so
edible?
Phoebe could feel annoyance bubbling over as she took in Nick’s sweats, damp and clinging to hard male muscle, his tight long-sleeved runner’s tee outlining a chiseled form that made her clench her thighs together under her dress. She should be appalled by the smell of sweat and Nick, but she wasn’t, and she licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry.

What is wrong with me?

She’d avoided sugar all day, and was finally feeling like herself again…until he showed up at her doorstep, rumpled and sweaty and
oh God.

It wasn’t fair.

“Let’s be reasonable about this, Nick,” she said, in an attempt at a soothing tone, “I need you to go to this event. It’s my job. It’s just a couple of hours out of your life.”

Nick rolled his eyes.

“A couple of hours that could be better spent doing something useful. Like cleaning out the waste pipes at the factory.”

“I don’t want to go either, but I have to. I’ll be lucky if anyone stops to talk to me. You know how humans get around elves.”

“You’re only part elf, and I’m not even human.”

Phoebe waved her hand dismissively.

“One smile and the women will be begging for your time, plying you with drinks and slipping their underwear into your pockets.”

Nick grinned.

“That’s a nice thought. Yours, too?”

Phoebe scowled.

“Despite my little…slip…last night, I can assure you that I know how to conduct myself professionally.”

Her tone was frigid.

“As long as your willpower holds out. Given your condition, don’t you think you should avoid a party that basically centers around sugar?”

“I don’t have a condition. I have an…allergy. And I can handle myself.”

“I saw how well you handled yourself last night. And me, too,” agreed Nick, and Phoebe could feel the blush heat every inch of her body.

“Well, unless they’re planning to pump sugar into the air vents, I think I’ll be fine. I don’t enjoy having my libido hijacked by every little piece of candy, Mr. Kringle, despite what you may think. You let me know when you’re done mocking me and are ready to start taking your position seriously.”

NICK COULDN’T STOP PUSHING her buttons. She was so easy to rile, and there was something delightful about sparring with her.

“Maybe I should go with you, just to make sure you don’t attack the nearest waiter carrying a tray of
petit fours
.”

He felt his cock jerk as she glowered at him, nearly vibrating with rage.

“For your information,” she bit out, “despite the occasional accidental sugar contact, I have
never
behaved the way I did last night with anyone except – ”

Phoebe cut herself off, her hand coming to her mouth in horror as her eyes widened and they both realized what she was about to say.

Except you.

Nick’s body tightened, every inch sparking to sudden, undeniable arousal.

Maybe it wasn’t just the sugar.

He had to find out. Actually, what he was about to suggest was about far more than just confirmation.

When he was finally convinced that he could get his voice to emit something other than a lustful growl, he said, “So, you want me to be your date.”

“I want you to escort me to the event at as a
colleague.
”

“Fine.”

Phoebe looked shocked.

“Fine?” she asked, disbelieving.

“I’ll put on the penguin suit and go shake hands and pretend to enjoy myself, but…”

“Of course,” said Phoebe, disgusted, “
But
what?”

“But you have to make it worth my while.”

Phoebe sputtered, sparking with irritation as heat pooled in Nick’s groin.

“And just how am I supposed to do that? What on earth do you want?”

Slowly closing the gap between them until her breasts practically brushed his chest, Nick let his eyes linger on her cleavage, hearing her sharp intake of breath. Reaching behind her, he patted the wide granite bar counter that separated the kitchen from the living room.

“I want you to hop up here, spread those sweet thighs, and let me lick your pussy.”

HER MIND WAS BLANK.

Completely, utterly blank. Zip. Zilch.

For a few minutes, Phoebe just gaped at Nick, unable to come up with a reasonable response. Or any response at all.

I’m in shock
, she assured herself.

The images that rolled through her head like a naughty home movie on endless loop were beyond shocking. The anticipation and
want
that followed was more so. Phoebe had had boyfriends try to go down on her before, with much coaxing on their part, and she had generally been too wound up to properly enjoy it. As for returning the favor – she had always felt too self-conscious, too aware of her clumsiness and lack of experience in this arena, and what guy would want a woman who had no idea what she was doing down there? She had a horrible feeling that Nick would know
precisely
what he was doing and what he wanted her to do to him in return. Harmless fantasy was one thing, reality was quite another, and there was no way she was going to go through with it.

Nick was watching her like a wolf stalking a tasty little bunny rabbit.

Phoebe assured herself that she was horrified. Full of righteous indignation.

And her little bunny cottontail was practically quivering with excitement.

“You can’t – we can’t – are you out of your mind? That’s blackmail!”

“Of course it is. But think of it another way. You get something you want, and I get something I want.”

His eyes flicked down over her and she felt the caress like a warm finger tracing a fiery path down her spine.

“You don’t really
want
to do that…” said Phoebe incredulously, her horror morphing into terrified curiosity.

Nick’s eyebrows raised.

“Of course I do. Wouldn’t you?”

“No!”

“You’ve never given head?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Your mouth is made for it, sweet little elf. I can’t get the thought of you savoring my dick the way you savored my fingers the other night out of my head.”

“Stop it.”

She backed up until she bumped the counter, but Nick just followed her, caging her in with a palm on the granite on either side.

“You smell like ginger and warm, wet arousal, and the thought of you under my mouth has me hard enough to pound nails.”

Phoebe couldn’t help it, she glanced down to where the thick bulge of his cock tented the soft fabric of his sweats.

“Don’t think of it as blackmail. Think of it as me giving you a taste of what you asked for last night.”

Did he have to sound so fucking
reasonable
?

“I wasn’t myself last night.”

“Yes or no, Phoebe. Either you let me go home and skip this stupid party, or you hop up on the counter and let me lap up all that hot, sweet cream.”

Phoebe stifled the moan that threatened to escape. She couldn’t do this, and he was a total jerk for tempting her this way. She wouldn’t even have the excuse of candy to justify her response to him.

Who would it hurt?

The thought whispered through her mind, soft and seductive, and her libido jumped on it. She wasn’t planning on
sleeping
with him, and three weeks from now, they’d both be out of each other’s lives forever. So what was the harm in letting him give her a little pleasure? Maybe a little taste of what he had to offer would appease her fascination with him, and she could get back to work. Besides, she needed him at that party tonight. Her practical mind ran through all the ways she could threaten or cajole him into behaving without getting naked, and then –

Screw it.

THIS COULD GO EITHER way. Nick saw Phoebe struggling with herself, all of her thoughts and emotions plain as day in her expressive blue eyes. He couldn’t believe she hadn’t thrown him out yet.

“I promise I’ll make it really, really good,” he murmured, injecting as much sex into his voice as he could manage.

Phoebe froze and her face flamed, but then the silence was broken by the rustle of skirts as she bunched crinoline in her hand. A moment later, a miniscule scrap of black lace slithered down her thighs to the floor.

Nick’s cock jerked as all the air punched out of his lungs in a sharp burst.

She was going to let him go down on her.

He’d never wanted anything so badly in his entire life. His hands were shaking. He started to reach for her, but she held him off with a delicate hand to his chest.

“You’ll stop if I ask you to, or if you’re not…enjoying it…right?”

Sweetheart
.

The hesitance in her eyes was nearly his undoing. Her admitted lack of experience made him hungry to show her what she’d been missing. A primitive possessiveness made him want her to associate the wonders of this particular intimacy with him for the rest of her life, no matter who was going down on her in the future. The thought of other men tasting her had something like a snarl rising up from his chest, but he leaned in to kiss her instead, a soft, sweet tangle of lips and tongue that left her eyes liquid and dreamy, but even more confused than before.

“You can trust me.”

The reassurance had her visibly relaxing, and Nick slid his hands around her waist, lifting her to the counter. Her skirts frothed around her in a tumble of red.

“Lean back on your elbows.”

With a slight frown, Phoebe complied, the move pushing her luscious tits against the front of her dress. The nipples were hard little points, and Nick wanted to order her to pull her dress down, but he decided not to push his luck. Settling his hands on her knees, he slowly pulled them apart as her mouth dropped open. Nick pulled her hips to the very edge of the counter, snagged a nearby bar stool, and settled himself between her thighs, spreading her wide. She didn’t say a word, holding her breath, but she let it out in a sharp gasp as Nick
slowly
slid his palms up warm thighs, dragging her ruffles with him, baring thigh highs and the delicious creamy skin above an inch at a time. He felt her heat on his fingers just before he exposed her plump folds to his gaze.

Pink. Wet. Hot.

Phoebe let out a little squeak, and Nick grinned, looking up at her. She had a look on her face that was part helpless arousal, part shock at what she was letting him do. He wanted to replace the shock with hunger, and then satisfy every craving.

“That’s a pretty sight,” he murmured, gently pushing her skirts up to her waist to frame her most intimate flesh in gauzy ruffles, “Have I mentioned that I like your dress?”

“Would you get on with it already?”

There was a sweet tremor under the irritated demand that made Nick’s cock pulse even as he felt the most curious urge to snatch her up and cuddle her out of her bad mood. He’d never cuddled anything in his life, wasn’t even sure he would know where to start.

Stick to things you know, Kringle.

“Snap at me all you like, Miss Winters. I’m curious to see how icy you can stay when this hungry little pussy melts like a snowflake on my tongue.”

She shivered at that, and Nick bent to nuzzle her clit, already swollen into a plump little nub for him. Her hips jerked, and he licked, humming with approval at her taste, feeling a little lightheaded from the scent of ginger and all the blood rushing to his cock.

You’ll get your chance later
, he assured his unruly member, and slid his hands down to cup Phoebe’s ass, lifting her to his mouth, making her shudder with an erotic scrape of his teeth along her thigh.

“Nick!”

Her arms gave out and she lay back on the counter, spread open for whatever pleasure he wanted to bestow. Feeling unaccountably giddy, a novel sensation, Nick ignored her breathless exclamation and settled in to learn her folds with his tongue, a groan escaping his throat at that first heady lick. She tasted so good, addictive and sweet, and he could spend hours making her shudder. Her fingers were clenched into fists at her sides, and he paused for a moment to reach up and move them to his head, pleasure rumbling through him as Phoebe’s delicate fingers threaded through his hair to rasp his scalp and press him closer to the hot, wet, paradise under his mouth. She slowly relaxed under his hands, and he felt a surge of pride as a different sort of tension filled her luscious form.

His sexy little half-elf was beginning to enjoy herself.

PHOEBE WAS SURE THAT she was going to shatter into a million pieces. Every stroke of Nick’s tongue was a lash of pleasure against her sensitive flesh, and Phoebe could only lay back and hope she wasn’t begging aloud. It was bad enough that she was holding him to her, trying to get closer, closer –

Her boyfriends had been doing it
all
wrong
, she realized within ten seconds of Nick’s attentions.

Higher, Nick. Oh God. There. Just there. Harder!

It took her a moment to realize that she had spoken out loud and that, far from being irritated, he was laughing against her flesh, but following her directions to the letter.

“You can’t help it, can you? Bossy.”

But he sounded amused.

“If you’d just do it right the first time,” she countered, breathless.

He licked a path up one side of her clit and down the other, cruelly avoiding the throbbing little nubbin. A quick flick that coaxed a squeak out of her and then his mouth was moving again, ruthless in its explorations, teasing her labia and the crease between thigh and pussy, then sliding down through her folds to flicker dangerously at her opening, and lower.

“Sweet little rose,” he teased, using a finger slicked with her juices to press into the tight rosette.

There was a burn, a
pop
past firm muscle, and then his finger was sliding slowly into her ass, the sensation foreign. Phoebe was shocked by the frission of heat that skittered up her spine.

NAUGHTY!!!

“Those little squeaks you make are so hot. Everything about you is so hot,” marveled Nick, teasing her swollen labia with his tongue as he stroked her from within, and she writhed shamelessly in his grip.

“I take it you’ve never done this before. Hot and smooth and
tight.
”

Phoebe was losing it. Her clit throbbed, desperate for the heat of his mouth, and her ass tingled with every careful stroke of his fingers, while her pussy was achy and empty. She was
this close
to begging him to fill it. But he was still talking.

“Your pretty clit is all swollen. Don’t worry, sweet elf, I’m going to suck it all better.”

Phoebe moaned.

“If you like, I can keep fingering your ass. Yes?”

She felt his breath on the pulsing bundle of nerves and nearly came, but Nick held himself still, ruthlessly holding back that final stimulation she needed.

“Please, Nick – ”

“Please, Nick, what?”

He nipped her thigh and soothed the spot with his tongue as she jerked.

“Please…suck my clit…and finger me.”

“So naughty,” Nick breathed, delighted, and pounced, sucking her clit between his lips like a particularly sumptuous piece of candy while his finger kept up a deliciously sinful fuck and retreat.

Inhibitions gone, Phoebe didn’t bother to hold back the cries of pleasure as pressure built and built. She shrieked as it exploded, catapulting her out of her body for long, blissful seconds before drifting down on a wave of tingling sensation.

When her mind was her own again, Phoebe pried her eyes open to look down at Nick. His lips were shiny from
her
, his eyes blazing blue fire, his expression smug and hungry and determined in a
that’s right, I’m a sex god
kind of way.

There was nothing cold about him.

Phoebe couldn’t form words yet, but it didn’t matter as Nick lowered his head again and started building her up again, demanding her response with that talented, talented mouth, not satisfied until she was rocking up to his lips, while he murmured, “Mmmm...that’s right, sweet elf. Fuck my mouth, just like that.”

She gave up on speech.

NICK EVENTUALLY LET PHOEBE go, but only because if he had to watch her come one more time, he was going to explode in his sweats, and he had no intention of taking his release until he was buried balls deep in the hot pussy he’d been devouring like a madman. He was panting, body tight with arousal.

Phoebe was sprawled on the counter, breathing hard, an arm over her eyes and one on her chest. She made no move to close her thighs as the last shudders of pleasure wracked her frame, and Nick took a moment to appreciate his handiwork – she was flushed, quivering, her knees pulled high and wide, letting him enjoy every inch of bare pussy and that tight, lush little ass.

“I think the bed will be more comfortable than this counter,” he said.

“Mmmm…” she agreed, and let him pull her to a sitting position, her skirts delightfully tumbled, her eyes slumberous with pleasure.