Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 93140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
“Hmmm.” I tapped my finger to my lip. “Whatever package Santa wants to give me.”
“Oh, Santa wants to give you his package, alright. Anything else?”
I’d been feeling kind of down before I got here today because of something that came in yesterday’s mail. “How about a zoning variance?”
“Zoning variance?”
I sighed. “Yeah. I opened my mail this morning, and I had something from the City. They issued me a stop work order on my construction. Apparently an inspector came by and realized the contractor built my garage a foot too close to the road, and now I need zoning variance approval to keep it. Or I need to get rid of the garage. I called the architect to see what it would take to get the approval, and he said we should get it without a problem. But the City is backed up, and it will be a few months before we could get the required hearing. Oh, and I had a fight with the contractor over it, and he quit on me.”
“That sucks. What will you do?”
“I don’t know. I need to think about it.” I stood. “But let’s go get you changed. I can feel the heat radiating off your body.”
Grant nodded and led me over to the main building. He waited until we were inside to take off the hat and beard. “I could use a shower, but I’ll have to settle for a change of clothes for now.”
We navigated through the building until we came to an office. Grant took keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door. Inside the large space was a duffel bag on the desk. He unzipped it and pulled out some clothes, then started to take off the Santa suit.
I leaned against the desk and watched him unbutton the red jacket. “I met someone named Liz who was giving out literature on the program. She said this was your first time playing Santa.”
Grant peeled off the jacket and tossed it on the desk, then started to step out of the red wool pants. He shook his head. “My grandmother may look like a sweet, old lady, but negotiating with her is impossible.”
He tossed the pants on top of the jacket. Underneath he wore a pair of gray sweats and white T-shirt. Thinking nothing of it, he grabbed the hem of his shirt and tugged it up and over his head.
“I think it’s sweet you…” I stopped mid-sentence as my jaw dropped. Holy crap. I’d felt his arms and chest, so I knew he was physically fit, but my Lord, the man was ripped. His tanned abs were all carved muscle, and he had an eight-pack without even flexing.
Grant looked over and found me staring. Completely oblivious, he looked down to see what I could be gawking at. It seemed like he expected to find something wrong, as if he needed a big welt or something on his chest to make a person stop and stare. Confused at finding nothing, he looked up at me for an explanation.
I pointed to his chest. “Umm…that’s just not fair.”
His brows lifted, and he chuckled. “Are you saying you like what you see?”
Was he joking? I wanted to lick what I saw. “You’re…just beautiful all over.”
He’d gotten a clean T-shirt from his duffel bag, but he tossed it to the ground and walked over to me. Bare-chested, he put one hand on either side of the desk I leaned against and looked me up and down.
“I’m glad you feel that way, because the feeling is mutual.” Grant wrapped a hand around the back of my neck, using it to bring my lips to meet his. He kissed me passionately, his warm, hard chest pressed up against my soft.
Things were really heating up when the door behind him abruptly swung open.
“What the hell?” a voice said.
Grant stopped the kiss, but stayed put and shut his eyes while shaking his head. “Shut the door, Leo.”
“Who’s the girl?”
“Leo!” he raised his voice. “Shut the door. We’ll be right out.”
I looked around Grant at a boy who seemed no more than eleven or twelve. He waved, flaunting an ear-to-ear grin. “She’s too pretty for your ugly ass.”
Grant’s head dropped, and he chuckled. “Get out, Leo. And watch your language.”
The door slammed shut, and I looked to Grant. “He could have come in.”
Grant looked down, and my eyes followed to find a bulge in his sweatpants.
I covered my mouth and giggled. “Oh my. Yeah, I guess that was a good call.”
He grabbed his T-shirt and pulled it on. “Leo’s my Little.”
“Oh, that’s right. You told me about him. I can’t wait to meet him.”
Grant slipped the gray sweats down his legs and stood in a pair of black boxer briefs. The considerable bulge on display had my mouth watering. It had been a long time—too long, apparently. He pulled on his jeans, managed to zip up and over the swell, and then stuffed everything back into his gym bag.