“Are we friends?” she asked softly.
“I’m not exactly sure,” he replied honestly. “I’d like to say yes, but when I’m around you I want to do things to you and with you that far exceed friendship.”
“I see.”
“Do you little elf?” he asked leaning forward and reaching across the coffee table to raise her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Do you have even an inkling of how badly I want you?”
“Let’s just say I think I get the general idea,” she replied. “You’d like to make love to me. You want me in your bed.”
“Oh my dear, it’s far worse than that,” he stated, shaking his head. “I want to possess you. I want to touch, taste, and explore every inch of you. I long to hear you cry out my name, in more ways than one.”
“Is there another way, other than in the heat of passion?”
“There are many ways,” he informed her. “Ways that would give you shivers deep in your soul. I don’t think we should discuss them now. The last thing I want is for you to run from me.”
“And you think I would? You think your desires are so very far from my own?” she asked with a derisive snort. “You don’t know me very well, Mr. Bright,” she stated. “I too like a challenge so feel free to be honest with me. Go ahead and talk.”
Bartlett touched his wine glass to her’s in a silent salute, leaned back against the cushions and grinned in delight.
“You’re quite a surprise, Ms. Mistletoe,” he acknowledged before taking a sip.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Merry said as she rose and began picking up the dishes. “Can I get you anything else while I’m in the kitchen cleaning up?”
“No, nothing,” he replied. “Do you want me to help you?”
“At the moment you’re sort of incapacitated,” she said with a smile. “I think you’d better take it easy. I imagine you’re going to be uncomfortable for the next day or two.”
“Agreed, but I will get better soon and when I do we’ll definitely have that conversation.”
Merry walked toward the kitchen, and then stopped at the doorway and turned to face him.
“You don’t frighten me, Bartlett,” she stated firmly.
“I’m glad to hear that, because quite frankly, I’m crazy about you. However, I am still your boss and if I don’t start seeing some smiling dolls you’re going to pay the price,” he warned.
“Are you going to dock my pay?” she asked with a laugh.
“No, I’m going to spank you silly, little elf and I’m going to keep spanking you until your attitude improves.”
Merry laughed all the way to the kitchen. Stupid man was threatening her with a good time! She wondered if she should tell him, then quickly decided against it. What would be the fun in that?
CHAPTER6
Over the next three weeks, Merry painted her dolls. She figured a 2 to 1 ratio was good enough, two sad faces to one smiling. It kept Mr. Bright on edge and just when it seemed he was at the end of his patience with her, she would paint an incredibly lovely doll that took his breath away. The tension between them increased, slowly and steadily until it became palpable.
She knew he wanted to punish her for defying him, but he could not afford to lose her, not with Christmas Eve less than a month away. Personally, she was dying to know if being on the receiving end of a real spanking administered by an exceedingly determined man would live up to the ones in the novels she’d begun to devour. Her sexual frustration built right alongside of his. It was obvious to all that his inability to keep her in line was annoying the hell out of him. Still, if she were really going to try out this domestic discipline fantasy, she wanted the real thing and not a weak watered-down version.
Every once in a while she doubted the wisdom of pushing a man like Bartlett Bright, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. It all seemed so very exciting and the daily titillation was addicting. Knowing he was watching her, seeing the fierceness of his gaze and the blatant desire in his eyes was the most thrilling form of sexual tension she’d ever known. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep it up before he blew his stack, but she had no plans to retreat.
There were times she questioned both her sanity and her motives. Was her ex-husband such a weak-willed male that she now longed for someone who was the exact opposite? Bartlett Bright would never be easily manipulated, even though that’s exactly what she was currently doing. In a sense, she was backing herself into a corner with no clear way out for surely he would take her in hand eventually. Is that really what she wanted? Could an independent, strong-willed female elf hold her own against a dominant human male? Merry was uncertain how deeply she cared for him as a man. Was he truly a potential mate, or just someone she was momentarily infatuated with?
The conversation he’d promised her never happened. Both of them were so busy it was hard to find the time alone. He’d asked her to dinner a couple of times, but she’d already committed to attending some holiday parties, determined to reclaim her life. Bernard and Ginger no longer had the power over her to keep her from seeing her friends.
Patty Peppermint threw a huge bash on December 1st. She called it the “Hang onto your Ass” party as they all knew all hell was about to break loose. The pressure to be ready for Christmas Eve was incredible and it seemed fitting to have one last night of fun. Even Santa and Mrs. Clause made an appearance and provided the fireworks.
“The Missus and I would like to acknowledge you for your accomplishments this year and thank you ahead of time for what you’re about to endure. We know how exhausting the next few weeks will be and appreciate your commitment and dedication to making sure this Christmas is the best ever. To that end, there will be unlimited hot chocolate and cookies set out through the workshop and a free buffet style dinner in the cafeteria for each shift,” Santa said during a short speech. Mrs. Clause nodded in agreement before she added a few words.
“And I’d like to remind you that you all have supervisors for a reason. They are there to help you. They keep things flowing and if at any time you need assistance, don’t be afraid to go to them. While we all laugh at Lucy and Ethel in the chocolate factory, that is not what we want here. If you get behind on your work, don’t hide it in shame, yell for help and it will be provided, one way or another. You’re all wonderful in our opinion, and we could not keep children the world over smiling without you. You have our deepest respect and gratitude for all you do.”
