Seducing Santa (Holiday Series Book One)

Chapter Ten~Shake Up Christmas

Grayson woke to the sound of a high-pitched siren. It was the only alarm noise on his phone that could actually wake him up. He was a heavy sleeper, so music or soft chiming sounds he would only sleep right through. He groaned and reached out to the bedside table where he had left his phone charging before going downstairs to the charity event last night.

He did not even open his eyes, reaching out blindly until he found the familiar rectangle shape and picked it up, lying back on the bed and finally squinting his eyes open enough to press the button to turn off the alarm completely rather than snooze. Many times he had accidentally hit the snooze and got startled while he was dressing by the loud siren, one time even cutting himself shaving when he had been in a rush.

His phone automatically opened once he placed his face in front of it, using face recognition, and he went straight to his calendar app to check his schedule like he always did. He saw he had an early appointment with H. McCormick and let out an exasperated sigh. McCormick Attractions had been harassing him for the past year to sell the old Holiday Mill land so they could build an amusement park, wanting to make Holiday an entertainment hotspot.

It may bring more jobs to the area, but it could also change the small town for the worst instead of for the better. The same thing happened to the town of Anaheim after Disneyland was built. It used to be a nice little farming town, but after the amusement park came, the town became trashed by all the tourists and crime rose at an alarming rate. He had no desire to see the same things happen to Holiday and have the small town he loved be destroyed.

He shut off his phone and sat up, instantly regretting it when his head began pounding and a wave of dizziness overcame him. How much had he drunk last night? He knew better than to have too much of Evelyn’s eggnog, but then Holly kept drinking so he joined her and…

Holly.

All the events from the night before came rushing back to him as he turned to look at the other side of the bed.

It was empty.

He stood up and headed to the bathroom. He did not hear the shower but maybe she was still in there. He knocked on the door first but there was no response. He checked to see if the door was locked, the handle turning with no resistance. The moment the door opened, the automatic lights in the bathroom flickered on.

Also empty.

He looked around the room and saw all her clothes along with her purse were gone. He glanced hopefully at the bedside tables and dresser, wondering if she had left him a note of some sort as a way to get ahold of her, but there was nothing. He sat on the bed, feeling a little crestfallen but at the same time confused by his own reaction.

Was he really looking for anything more than just a night of fun? It had been nearly four years since his wife passed away. It truly was a long time for a man to be celibate, but he had not felt the urge until he had seen Holly. Emily had been his first and only for so long and the idea of sleeping with anyone else seemed foreign to him.

However, the moment Holly kissed him he knew there was no turning back. He wanted her and if she was willing he wanted…no, he needed to take the chance. He had not realized until last night just how deprived he had been of some kind of physical intimacy.

So, maybe now he had worked that out of his system. Maybe he now could go on and live a normal bachelor life instead of constantly fearing the idea of sleeping with anyone else other than his wife. Maybe he could even go on those blind dates his sister was constantly trying to push him to go on.

He instantly shook his head at the idea. No woman could or would ever compare to Emily and, honestly, he was not even sure if he ever wanted to marry again, let alone have a relationship. However, maybe now he could enjoy a night with a s****l partner without being racked with guilt like he had been afraid he would be.

With that in mind, he headed back to the bathroom to take a shower and start getting ready for the day. His appointment with the McCormick nuisance was at nine and it was only seven now. He had plenty of time to enjoy breakfast and a cup of coffee downstairs before heading over to his office.

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Holly made it back into town with fifteen minutes to spare until the meeting. Her father had drilled into her that being early was just as bad as being late, both ways being an inconvenience to the other person. So, best to always be exactly on time, like to the minute! She parked her car on the street a little way down from the Town Hall, got out, and looked around for a parking meter.

As a city girl, she was shocked to find none in sight, not even a parking sign telling you between which times you could park there. Maybe they saw no need for such things in this small town. No one parking overnight or blocking the way for city vehicles? Did they not even have a street sweeper in town? She checked one last time before feeling safe enough to leave her car there and start walking away from Town Hall.

She wanted to take in the Square in the daylight, having only seen it at night and just briefly through the windows of her car. There were so many shops and even an Irish-themed pub. No name brands or franchises in sight, only locally-owned businesses with every bit of small-town charm you would expect. The window displays were her favorite, each place already decked out for the holidays. One window caught her attention the most, belonging to the bookstore and cafe called The Nook. Their window had a diorama telling the story of a Christmas Carol, one of her favorites. She read the book every Christmas season, followed by a marathon of all the different movie adaptations, even the Muppet one. She made a note to herself to come visit later and pick up a new copy, hers nearly falling apart from its bindings at this point. It was her mother’s book, so it might be time to try and preserve what was left and get a new one.

She made her way around the square with two minutes left until the meeting began, walking up the steps of the Town Hall building. It looked over the square and was much larger than all the other buildings, which made sense because this was where the town meeting hall, along with other town offices, resided.

The building had striking New England Architecture with its brick walls, white columns, and arched windows. There was even a domed clock tower in the center of the roof which chimed the top of the hour the moment she passed through the doors. She walked into a small entry hall with a sign that pointed in the direction of the offices and the meeting hall. She went to the left and up a flight of stairs until she found the glass door with the words Mayor’s office etched into it.

She did not know much about the Mayor other than he had held the office for four years and he was a decedent of the original founder of the town. It was an election year and Holly was hoping that would work in her favor after hearing that story Evelyn had divulged last night about the job shortage. He would have to see the potential to help those families struggling by bringing a place that would not only bring plenty of jobs but a company that was good and fair to its workers.

She reached out and pulled open the door, stepping inside and finding herself in a small waiting room with a desk, a young man sitting behind it who she guessed to be the Mayor’s assistant. He stood up, looking a bit worried at first but quickly trying to cover it up with a smile. He was good-looking, smartly dressed with neatly groomed-blond hair and warm brown eyes. Even his teeth were perfect, probably using teeth whitener every night to make them be as blinding as they were.

“You’re early,” he announced, motioning for her to take a seat on the comfy chairs off to the side of the room.

Holly glanced down at her watch, seeing the minute hand just slightly after twelve. She was not early. If anything, she was a minute late.

“Would you like some tea or coffee while you wait?” He offered, doing his best to cover for his boss’ tardiness.

“Coffee would be lovely.” She answered, controlling her irritation.

At least she was being offered something warm to drink on this cold day. It had not snowed yet but the air was chilly enough for it. She had seen the grass in the park covered in a blanket of morning ice which would surely be gone in hours since it was a clear day with not a cloud n sight.

“Cappuccino or Latte?” The assistant asked, standing on the other side of a room where there was a tiny alcove with a kitchenette and a large espresso machine.

“Cappuccino, please.” She said before her eyes began to wander around the room.

On the wall next to the door was a painting of Town Square in the same Thomas Kinkade-like style she had seen last night at the auction. It was a night rendition with a beautiful moon and Christmas lights, the streets filled with shoppers, and a couple dancing in the Gazebo in the park. The sight of that reminded her of the snow globe from the auction. Had she won? She would be too embarrassed to go back to the Inn now, sure that the owner had seen her walk of shame.

“Here you go.” He said, placing the cup and saucer on the table beside her.

"Thank you.” She replied, watching him go back over to his desk and pull out his cell phone before he began texting frantically.

She went to pick the cup and saucer up, gently blowing on it before lifting the cup to her lips to take a sip. At the same time, the door opened and she saw the assistant jump up from his desk, a look of relief on his face.

“There you are!” He exclaimed, walking over to whom she assumed was the Mayor.

She turned just as the cappuccino passed her lips and stood up so suddenly she spilled it all down the front of her pantsuit, spitting the drink out from the sudden shock of both the burning from the hot drink and the sight of the man in the doorway.

“Oh my gosh! Are you okay?” Asked the assistant, rushing to help her.

However, Holly could not answer as she stared back into the green eyes that less than twenty-four hours ago had seen her completely naked and the man that had given her the greatest pleasure of her life and completely shaken her to her core.

“You!”