When he had stripped completely, I finally saw the magnificent man that I had flown into not once but twice today. His left thigh had a large bruise, and his shoulder looked a little swollen but not as swollen as another part. My gaze fell down his gorgeous torso and rested on his huge cock standing at attention even in the freezing weather. My eyebrow cocked up, and I gave a half smile with a confidence I had never possessed before with any person, let alone a gorgeous man I was so attracted to. “You’re definitely looking alright at the moment.”
He chuckled and waggled his own eyebrows. “Just wait.” Then he shifted, and the world slid on its axis. I had thought he was huge before, but in shifted form, he was massive. He was bigger than any deer or elk I’d ever seen, with thick, velvety fur and horns spanning at least several feet in each direction. He hadn’t been exaggerating at all. He would have been right at home in the snow and cold in his shifted form. I started down the stairs to approach him but slipped on the icy first step and stumbled. Bracing for the inevitable impact, I fell forward but never hit the ground. In the blink of an eye, he’d shifted back and caught me in his strong arms.
“Wow, you’re really fast.” Instead of letting me go, he pulled me closer, and I could feel he was still very much unaffected by the cold if the stiffness against my belly was any indication.
“I’m faster than lightning. You could even say I fly.”
I huffed a laugh, but he didn’t laugh with me. More seriously, he looked me directly in the eyes. “No, really. It’s not a secret exactly, but not everyone knows we’re real. But since, well, uh, since we’re…you know, I thought you should know upfront. I mean, reindeer shifters aren’t exactly unheard of, but we’re, uh, different.”
I had thought from his actions before now that he was going to be all sexy bravado and brashness, and I had honestly been a little disappointed. I loved that kind of thing, but not all the time. So now, facing this adorable and uncertain side of him, I was beyond happy. This was the kind of guy I liked. Real and vulnerable were my aphrodisiacs.
Up until now, I had simply stood in his arms, listening and processing what was happening, but now, I wrapped my arms around his back and pulled him closer to share his body heat against the cold whipping around us.
“And what exactly makes you different from other reindeer shifters in the world?”
His look of worry as he spoke had changed to a sweet smile when I’d hugged him closer. Confident now, he leaned down and whispered in my ear, “I can fly, little owl. How else do you think Santa’s sleigh makes it around the world in one night?”
My knees went weak, so he bent and picked me up, carried me back into the house, and kicked the door behind him on his way to the sofa. I saw him flinch when he moved to sit down with me still in his arms. As soon as he sat, I scrambled to the cushion next to him so I could process what he’d said.
“Santa?”
He wasn’t smiling now but looked even more concerned than before. He remained silent, just nodded like he was afraid I might spontaneously shift and fly away again if he spoke.
“As in Santa and his flying reindeer?”
He nodded slowly again.
“You’re telling me Santa’s reindeer are real. You’re one of them?”
Another slow nod.
“Which one?”
That had him thinking for a second. He’d have to speak now, and he was gauging how I might react.
“That’s a complicated and simple answer at the same time. The names you’ve heard are actually some of the family names, but not all of them. Mine is Comet.”
“So, you’re Comet.”
“Yes, but that’s my last name. I mean, you can call me Comet if you want to, but…”
I had heard him, but I’d have to find out his name some other time. At that moment, I was watching him, still rubbing his aching shoulder as he explained things to me, and my inevitable freakout was fast approaching. Mother liked to call it my high-strung tendencies, but it was definitely an anxiety attack about to strike.
“I attacked one of Santa’s reindeer a month before Christmas not once but twice.”
Either my tone or my words had stopped him in his explanation. He scooted closer to me on the sofa, but I scooted in the opposite direction. “Nope, can’t stop now. I’m processing everything that happened today. I flew without my glasses, attacked Santa’s reindeer, then abandoned you to freeze on the mountain, then when you followed me up here to not freeze, you got another air assault and were zapped in the dick by the electric fence. My Lord, I’ve single-handedly destroyed Christmas for all the good little boys and girls of the world!”
Large hands gently cupped my face, and warm green eyes held mine captured. Deep in my thoughts, I felt a peacefulness start to settle my busy brain. “Calm down, little owl, you didn’t assault me. I’m fine. And you definitely didn’t destroy Christmas. Trust me when I tell you there are plenty of reindeer to carry the sleighs even if I was too hurt to fly, which I’m not, by the way. I wrenched my shoulder, but it’ll be fine in a day or two, I’m sure.”
“You’re not blowing smoke, are you?”
“No, I’m not blowing smoke. I’ll be okay, and Christmas is most definitely not ruined. I promise.”
I relaxed and let my eyes slide closed. I could feel his breath getting closer to me and wanted nothing more than a kiss, but he wasn’t done. “I would love for you to explain what you said about my dick and an electric fence, though.”
My eyes popped open immediately. Damn, I thought he’d missed that part!
5
