He went around the back and opened the magic cargo hold.
The sky was a velvety black and liberally sprinkled with stars. In the light of the full moon, Nick looked like a statue of a Greek god come to life. He hadn’t put his shirt back on, and his muscular arms were soon full of packages wrapped in metallic paper of red, green and gold with white ribbons.
She turned to Kris. “He’s not joking? You really have sex toys you’re going to deliver now?”
Kris smiled that dimpled smile that could charm the frostiest ice queen. “No. He’s not joking. Want to see one of our sample cases?”
“You have more than one sample case?”
“Sure. We have dozens. Fetish packs, bondage packs, costumes, vibrator-and-dildo packs, luxury toys, erotic books… You get the idea.”
Nick’s arms were now loaded up with parcels, and he made his way across the roof toward the chimney.
“He’s actually going to go down the chimney?”
“Do you know a better way to deliver sex toys at Christmastime?”
Lilly shook her head.
Nick stopped before the tall chimney. He angled his head to one side and gave a low groan. It sounded as though he was in pain. The sound made her gut twist. She wanted to reach out and comfort him to tell him not to go through with whatever was causing him pain. But with the sharp tilt of his head, huge wings appeared on his back. An incandescent silver, they sparkled with all the colors of Christmas-tree lights.
“Oh…oh my God!”
“What?” Kris sounded alarmed, so she lightly touched his arm to give him reassurance without once taking her eyes off Nick.
“His gorgeous wings… He’s like a painting. They’re almost too beautiful to be real.”
Nick rose, his wings magnificent, shimmering against the velvet night. He landed on the chimney, his broad shoulders, bare chest and massive wings silhouetted against the moon.
Turning to face them, he gave Lilly a wink, folded his wings against his body and dropped down inside.
For a moment after he disappeared, they both stared at the chimney in silence.
“When his wings came out, it sounded like it hurt him.”
“Yeah, that’s right. When we try to use our wings, it hurts like hell. It’s because we’re not full-blood fey. It stings to bring them out. And that’s not as bad as shrinking to traditional sylph/elf size. That hurts us like the devil, and we do it as rarely as possible. That’s why we prefer the sleigh.”
The effects of the champagne were wearing off, and this new turn of events started to sober Lilly out of her erotic haze. It struck her again how bizarre this whole adventure really was. She suddenly felt much too vulnerable, naked in the moonlight in front of Kris. She began to put her bra back on.
“You don’t have to do that.”
Ignoring his mischievous grin, she pulled the top of her angel costume over her head and then pulled on her skirt. The overwhelming feelings of love she’d experienced earlier during sex had faded. Logic had taken over and made her self-conscious. She couldn’t be in love with these two men. She hadn’t seen either of them in years, and they were in love with each other. They were supernatural beings with a whole culture she didn’t understand and wasn’t part of. She ached to understand them both but doubted she ever would. Heartbreak would be hers if she’s didn’t take a reality check.
“Hey!” The sexual note had left Kris’s voice. He sounded serious. “I hope you’re not annoyed that I’m here. I guess you were always in love with Nick.” Kris kicked at a loose ribbon on the floor of the sleigh. “Maybe I shouldn’t have joined in with the lovemaking.”
Lilly bit her lip. Kris was so wrong. She’d never forgotten their perfect first date. They’d walked along the beach holding hands, fooled around a little on the sand and paddled in the surf.
They were both adopted, and they’d eagerly, almost greedily discussed what it was like to grow up knowing your parents had
The sky was a velvety black and liberally sprinkled with stars. In the light of the full moon, Nick looked like a statue of a Greek god come to life. He hadn’t put his shirt back on, and his muscular arms were soon full of packages wrapped in metallic paper of red, green and gold with white ribbons.
She turned to Kris. “He’s not joking? You really have sex toys you’re going to deliver now?”
Kris smiled that dimpled smile that could charm the frostiest ice queen. “No. He’s not joking. Want to see one of our sample cases?”
“You have more than one sample case?”
“Sure. We have dozens. Fetish packs, bondage packs, costumes, vibrator-and-dildo packs, luxury toys, erotic books… You get the idea.”
Nick’s arms were now loaded up with parcels, and he made his way across the roof toward the chimney.
“He’s actually going to go down the chimney?”
“Do you know a better way to deliver sex toys at Christmastime?”
Lilly shook her head.
Nick stopped before the tall chimney. He angled his head to one side and gave a low groan. It sounded as though he was in pain. The sound made her gut twist. She wanted to reach out and comfort him to tell him not to go through with whatever was causing him pain. But with the sharp tilt of his head, huge wings appeared on his back. An incandescent silver, they sparkled with all the colors of Christmas-tree lights.
“Oh…oh my God!”
“What?” Kris sounded alarmed, so she lightly touched his arm to give him reassurance without once taking her eyes off Nick.
“His gorgeous wings… He’s like a painting. They’re almost too beautiful to be real.”
Nick rose, his wings magnificent, shimmering against the velvet night. He landed on the chimney, his broad shoulders, bare chest and massive wings silhouetted against the moon.
Turning to face them, he gave Lilly a wink, folded his wings against his body and dropped down inside.
For a moment after he disappeared, they both stared at the chimney in silence.
“When his wings came out, it sounded like it hurt him.”
“Yeah, that’s right. When we try to use our wings, it hurts like hell. It’s because we’re not full-blood fey. It stings to bring them out. And that’s not as bad as shrinking to traditional sylph/elf size. That hurts us like the devil, and we do it as rarely as possible. That’s why we prefer the sleigh.”
The effects of the champagne were wearing off, and this new turn of events started to sober Lilly out of her erotic haze. It struck her again how bizarre this whole adventure really was. She suddenly felt much too vulnerable, naked in the moonlight in front of Kris. She began to put her bra back on.
“You don’t have to do that.”
Ignoring his mischievous grin, she pulled the top of her angel costume over her head and then pulled on her skirt. The overwhelming feelings of love she’d experienced earlier during sex had faded. Logic had taken over and made her self-conscious. She couldn’t be in love with these two men. She hadn’t seen either of them in years, and they were in love with each other. They were supernatural beings with a whole culture she didn’t understand and wasn’t part of. She ached to understand them both but doubted she ever would. Heartbreak would be hers if she’s didn’t take a reality check.
“Hey!” The sexual note had left Kris’s voice. He sounded serious. “I hope you’re not annoyed that I’m here. I guess you were always in love with Nick.” Kris kicked at a loose ribbon on the floor of the sleigh. “Maybe I shouldn’t have joined in with the lovemaking.”
Lilly bit her lip. Kris was so wrong. She’d never forgotten their perfect first date. They’d walked along the beach holding hands, fooled around a little on the sand and paddled in the surf.
They were both adopted, and they’d eagerly, almost greedily discussed what it was like to grow up knowing your parents had
Similar Books
