Malled by Christmas (Operation Reindeer Retrieval Book 2) Read online

  He slammed into her hard and fast throughout her climax until his own arrived. Nero grunted and held his hips into hers with nearly bruising force.

  He remained pressed against her until he slowly loosened his stance and dropped against her, pressing his lips to her shoulder.

  She stroked his hair and traced the texture of his braid. “Definitely a good night.”

  He raised his head and kissed her. “I think so.”

  He withdrew from her and turned her on her side, spooning her from behind. The sweat was still cooling on their bodies.

  His lips were next to her ear when he spoke. “I know this is a strange comment, but I have your collar at my apartment.”

  She chuckled. “You were supposed to trick me into it?”

  “Convince you to come back willingly. You are needed.”

  She smiled into the dimness of her room. “I know. We all know. We are coming back.”

  Nero paused for a moment. “What?”

  “You heard me. The reindeer were always coming back. We just needed some time to have a life. To be with humans as one of them. To feel what it means to anticipate Christmas. You know. To be normal. We will all be home on the twenty-third. We wanted to stop being taken for granted and confined to the workshop.”

  He stroked her arm and moved his hand so that it rested on her belly. “Understandable. I didn’t even know that the reindeer were shapeshifters until two weeks ago.”

  Dana chuckled. “Yeah, we were the original Mrs. Claus’s little secret. She found us to provide him with a team that would keep him safe and enable him to do what he needed to. I miss her.”

  “How long has she been gone?” He nuzzled her hair.

  She turned. “Don’t you know?”

  “I have only been at the workshop for two hundred years. He has been single the entire time that he has employed me.”

  “She died three hundred years ago. He had let his physical appearance age as she did, but she was human, and even his magic could only extend her life for so long. It was terribly sad, but he buried her, and we went into the sky on schedule that year.”

  “Which is why he looks that way during the flight.” Nero spoke with dawning comprehension.

  “It is a memorial to her.”

  “Interesting, so the modern world has created an entire industry around a memorial.”

  “For birth and death. It fits in with the pagan system rather nicely.”

  He chuckled. “Don’t say that at the mall. I am pretty sure that Toby would skin you.”

  “He is a little touchy. I can’t speak for the rest of the reindeer, but I like the feeling of Christmas. I had never realised that there was so much anticipation as it got closer. It is wonderful to feel.”

  “Would you leave the workshop again?”

  She turned her head. “Of course, but the next time, I wouldn’t want to sneak out. I would want to be given one of the snowflakes by Santa and leave with my head high.”

  “How did you manage to get them?”

  She twisted until she was facing him. “Some things are my secret. You are going to have to deal with that.”

  His smile was delighted. “Are you planning on keeping me?”

  “Do you honestly think you can get away from me? I can track you across the world and back again. All I need is the right incentive.” She stroked her hand down the cobbled muscle of his abdomen and to the column of his waking erection.

  His eyes sparkled and he dumped his human seeming again. “I think I can give you enough incentive to keep me on your radar.”

  “How generous. I await your offering.” She squeaked as he grabbed her and rolled until he fell off the bed.

  Nero lay on his back and positioned her over him. “Lady, I am yours for the taking.”

  She straddled him and took him until they were both exhausted and shaking.

  It was a really good night.

  Two days after the ball, she was back at work and Nero was snapping photos of children on their last attempts to get in good with Santa.

  She had seen her collar, and it was sitting at home, next to her bag and fuzzy slippers. She was taking those home for Ru.

  Work was still challenging, but knowing that Nero was going to hang around until the end of her shift gave her added incentive to make sure that everything was taken care of. The word incentive had never sounded so dirty to her own mind.

  Every now and then, she caught his gaze and he smiled. They were on the final countdown for Christmas, and it was going to be a wild ride home.

  Dancer was grinning at Nero. He looked distinctly uncomfortable. “Are you sure you can carry me?”

  She laughed. “I am guessing that you have never been close to the team before it launches.”

  “No. As I said, you were kept very separate.”

  “Okay. You have my bag?”

  He lifted it. “I have it.”

  She pried off the snowflake and pressed it to her collar for safekeeping. “Ready?”

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  She shifted into her reindeer form and lifted her head as she towered above Nero.

  “You are really large.”

  She snorted and shook her head. She knelt so that he could climb on, and when he had a firm hold on her horns, she got up and took the few steps she needed before running across the sky.

  It was time to return to the workshop. She had to work in the morning.

  Author’s Note

  So, Dasher is done; Dancer has her elf; now on to Prancer.

  Unfortunately, for her elf, Prancer drives a snowplough, and it is a dark and snowy night when he crosses her path. How bad could that be?

  Join me every week until Xmas for a reindeer story that will culminate with Rudolph’s tale on Dec 23rd. The reindeer need a day to get ready, after all.

  Thanks for reading,

  Viola Grace

  http://www.violagrace.com

  About the Author

  Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specialises in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.

  An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it; she always goes for the cheap laugh.