“Ithought you werejoking when you asked if I had an elf costume.” I tug at the borrowed elf skirt that Milo just happened to bring with him to my house when he picked me up. Actually, he got me the whole elf outfit, from hat to shoes with bells on them and everything in between. It certainly isn’t thesexy elf costume I envisioned him wanting me to wear, even if the skirt is riding high on my longer-than-normal elf legs.
“What?” I can almost picture the smirk on his face hiding behind the fake Santa beard. "As Santa, I need an elf to help me hand out presents to all the boys and girls. Who better than my fiancée?”
“Fake fiancée.” I hiss, continuing to tug at the short skirt.
Even dressed as the Jolly Old Elf himself, Milo is hot. There’s no mistaking his strong shoulders and thick, muscular thighs in the red velvet suit. He even makes the padding around his waist look sexy.
“Okay, fake fiancée, but you might want to wipe the drool off your chin.” He says with a hint of sarcasm, letting me know I’ve been caught staring at his gorgeous body.
“You wish.” I adjust the cute little elf hat that’s perched on the top of my head.
“There are many things I wish for. Watching you wipe drool off your chin might be at the top of the list.” The knowing gleam in his eyes makes me squeeze my thighs together. My perfect break-up guy, and he’s off-limits.
Instead of jumping into his lap and riding him the way I know we both want, I roll my eyes, “What exactly are we doing here?” I look around the festively decorated gym of the community center.
“In about five minutes, Janice will open the door, and about fifty underprivileged kids ages five to eighteen years old will come crashing through to collect their Christmas gift from Santa.”
I shift my gaze to the tree next to us and the giant boxes circling it. “What’s in all the boxes?”
“Sports equipment for the sport the kids play. It can get costly, which prevents some kids who can’t afford it from having a chance to play. The kids' parents signed up for it, making sure to list the sport and sizes of the child.”
My heart skips a beat at the kind gesture. “It must be something new the team is doing this year. Lake has never mentioned it before.”
“Something like that.” He shrugs, not giving anything away.
Right on time, Janice opens the door, and a line of children rushes in, making sure to stay in a perfect line on their way to meet Santa. Parents follow behind, with relief on their faces as the children happily accept the generous gifts from the Hope Peak Panthers.
The younger children seem to be the happiest, chattering excitedly as they open their gifts and making sure to show every piece to their parents. It’s the older ones that break my heart—the skeptical looks on their faces as Milo and I hand them their gifts from “Santa.” It isn’t until they open their box away from the rest of the crowd that I notice the smile crossing their faces when they realize they have the equipment that fits to play their favorite sport.
The final box is handed out, and I notice tears gathering in the corner of my eyes. “This was amazing. Thank you for letting me share this with you.” I blink away the tears, smiling up at him. “Do you think the media was here to take some pictures? This is a perfect opportunity to work on your reputation.” I glance around the room but only see the kids, their parents, and Janice. Not even any of his teammates or Coach Halbur are here. Not even his manager, Lake. That’s when the truth hits me, “You did all this. Not the team.”
“Don’t read too much into it, Sea. A generous pro hockey player did this every year in my hometown. I swore that once I made it to the big leagues, I’d pay it forward to the kids who were just like me growing up.”
I lean up on my tiptoes and kiss him on the lips, “You’re a sweet man, Milo Harris.” A sweet man I’m falling for.
six
Milo
“So, about Lake andme.” Coach Halbur takes a seat on the plane next to me. Tonight’s our last road game for a few days. It will be nice to get back to Sea and fixing my reputation. At least that’s what I tell myself, not the real reason that I can’t wait to see Sea again.
“You’re both adults, Coach. It’s none of my business what you do. But you might want to avoid doing it in a public place again if you’re trying to keep it a secret.”
“That’s just it. I don’t want to keep it a secret, but I’m too old for her. I’ve tried to stay away from her, but she’s like a magnet, pulling me back in.” Coach has never been this open with me or anyone else about his personal life. “I broke it off with Lake for good this time. I told her she needed to find someone her own age. Someone she could marry and start a family with, not some old has-been hockey player long out of his prime, who was fool enough to think he could keep a woman like Lake in his life.”
Seeing my coach so upset about someone makes me reevaluate my life. I’m tired of the lonely nights when the roar of the crowd has faded, and the thrill of having my choice of women in my bed has long worn off. When the thought of sharing my life with one woman makes me realize what I’ve been missing, I can’t let my coach give up on the woman he obviously loves.
“You’re right, you are a fool.”
“Yeah, you don’t have to remind me, Milo. I’m well aware of my shortcomings.” His self-deprecating laugh spurs me on.
“You’re a fool for letting Lake go.” She’s only been my agent for a few months, and I’ve already advanced in my career faster than I ever thought possible, even with the rumors circulating about me.
“She’s a good kid.” The look of longing in his eyes angers me. Can’t he see the love that’s right before his eyes? If Sea lookedat me with half as much love in her eyes as Lake looks at Coach when she thinks no one is looking, I’d be a lucky man.
“She’s not a kid—she’s all woman. And your foolish ass just gave her the green light to date and have sex with any man she wants because you're afraid of something you can't control. Something so strong that it scares you.” I’m not sure Sea and I are there yet, but I’m done wasting time worrying about our future. If anything, I’m going to make sure she’s mine for the rest of our lives. I just need to convince her that we belong together.
“And what makes you such an expert with women?”
