Saint Nick

4. December

"Nikolas," Hazel breathed, staring at him perplexed. She hadn't even seen him come in. How long had he been there?

"Nick, please," He admonished, "I couldn't help but overhear you before. You're heading home?"

Hazel glanced at her sister who understandably rose a confused brow. "Uh, Camille, this is Nikolas—Nick, the guy who played Santa Claus at the mall the other day. Nick, this is my sister Camille."

"Oh! Of course! It's a pleasure," Camille chuckled and quickly shook his hand. "I didn't recognize you without the beard."

"Nobody ever does," He chuckled back. "If you're both leaving, then I see I'm too late."

"Too late for what?" Hazel asked.

"I would've loved to buy you a drink," He said, looking at Hazel. Her cheeks warmed from the soft glow in his eyes.

She smiled apologetically. "Well—"

"—we're not," Camille suddenly burst in. "Well, I am. My son's got a rash, but Hazel is staying. You're not too late at all." She grinned, less than obvious.

"Cam!" Hazel turned and glared at her sister. There was the subtle way, and then there was Camille. "What are you doing?!"

"I'd love to," Nick stated. Hazel turned around and stared at him. He gave her a little smile, then nodded towards her beer. "Refill?"

She was speechless for a moment, looking over her shoulder at her sister for help, but all she did was smirk knowingly. She was so not getting a new blender for Christmas anymore.

"Rogue Ales, that's her poison," Camille chided. When Hazel just scowled at her, she smiled innocently and grabbed her purse from the bar. "I think you got it handled from here! Have fun! Don't break a hip."

That last comment was shot towards Hazel with a wink that made her want to go outside and stick her head in the snow. She could've murdered her sister in that moment.

Watching her leave, Hazel found herself forced to turn around to the handsome Santa who chuckled quietly behind her. She slowly watched him take a sip of his own beer, setting it down on the bar. "You have a very subtle sister, if I may say so."

"Like a foghorn," She muttered under her breath. She had so not been prepared for this. "I guess I'll have that beer then."

Nick pushed his beer towards her. Chuckling, Hazel took it and gulped down a large mouthful. After swallowing, she set it down and handed it back to him.

"Thank you."

"You needed it. So, girls night?" He asked as she took a seat on the stool next to him, the one she had gotten out of just minutes ago when she thought she was going for a midnight pharmacy trip.

"Yup. Or well, it was." Until her sister not so subtly pushed Hazel into the arms of a strange, albeit gorgeously hot man.

"I'm sorry if I interrupted," He apologized.

"Oh, no. It's not that. It's just not easy to find time when you have two kids at home," She explained, granting him a smile. He eased up and took another swig of his beer.

"She got a husband?"

"Yeah, but he doesn't know all the mommy-stuff she does. He's better at blowing raspberries and bringing home the dough."

"Sounds very traditional. How about you?" He asked, meeting her with curiosity and a smile. "Husband? Boyfriend? Kids?"

"Nope, nope, and nope," She voiced. "Single-pringle. What about you? Someone in your life?"

"It's... complicated."

"Sounds serious." She gave him a glance.

"It's not," He chuckled lightly. "It's more of a strict no-dating policy. I've found my job interferes too much with my love life, so I took it out of the equation."

"Oh. What do you do for a living?" She asked, now being the one shooting the curiosity. "I mean, besides playing Santa around Christmas."

"I'm in manufacturing. I own a big factory up north, so I do a lot of traveling."

"I see. So what brings you to Leavenworth then?"

He gave a small shrug. "I like the city."

That seemed purposely vague. She wanted to dig deeper, but Hazel had learned her lesson about sticking her nose in other people's business. "So, I'm assuming you're on holiday break then?"

"Not really," He answered. "I work all the time. Even when I'm away."

"I'm beginning to get the no-dating policy."

He chuckled and sipped his beer. "What about you?" He then asked, eyeing up her dress. Or her body. "What do you do?"

"Well, I'm taking college classes in photography," She truthfully told. He nodded slowly, figuring the rest out from yesterday with her camera. "I'd like to open a studio one day, maybe a gallery displaying the world's most Christmassy cities."

"You a fan of Christmas?" His eyes lit up.

She laughed and grabbed his beer. "What gave me away?"

He watched her closely while she sipped his bottle. Hazel felt her body heat up, his eyes warming her. It was so strange. When she finally put the bottle down again, she took a shaky breath. Those eyes were different in a way she couldn't explain...

"So when do you go back?" She asked, trying to keep her voice level. She lifted a brow at him, seeing him turn more her way.

"December 24th," He replied.

"So until then... you're just hanging around town, playing Santa?"

His lips twitched. "That's one way of putting it."

"And the rest of the time, when you're not playing Santa...?"

"Why do you ask?" The smile around his lips stayed as his eyes dropped to her lips. She automatically wetted them with the tip of her tongue.

"No reason..." She responded, feeling her pulse rise. She didn't realize how close they were sitting until she suddenly sensed his breath on her lips.

"I guess I'll see what happens." He said, meeting her eyes again.

She couldn't believe it. Was she really doing this? As she glanced up at Nick and felt a tingle inside her body, she felt the urge solidify.

It didn't have to be anything serious. It was like he said, love didn't go well with his choice of living. It could be a nice little distraction if she really was going to try and attend Christmas with her parents this year, though. Nothing like a little anonymous sex to take your mind off of things...

"Well..." She slowly put her hand on his chest and licked her lips again. He was wearing a nice blue pin-striped shirt, unbuttoned slightly at the throat. Her eyes fell to his Adam's apple. "I just so happen to be free this Christmas if you'd like some local entertainment." She couldn't believe how cheesy she sounded, but for some reason, it was working. She saw his lips twitch with bemusement, moving closer towards hers. His hand came to her face, cupping it slowly.

"It sounds like you're about to move over to the naughty-list, Hazel."

Suppressing her grin, she skewering her bottom lip and looked up at him, relishing in the warmth of his palm on her cheek. There was something so erotic about the way he said it. She moved closer and pinned him with her eyes.

"You have no idea."

And with that, she stepped up onto her toes and pressed her lips against his.

• • •

Sorry, guys. No smut for you yet. Good things comes to those who... well, keeps reading.