Seducing Santa (Holiday Series Book One)

Chapter Eighteen ~ Let It Snow

Grayson’s phone chimed along with everyone else's. He watched as people pulled them out to see what it was, shocked expressions appearing on most of their faces. He had been about to deny what Mary Brownstone was implying, their relationship completely professional ever since they discovered who each other was. However, the gasps and whispers among the crowd had him reaching for his own phone, seeing a text from an unknown number. He opened it up to find a video file and quickly pressed it to see what it was.

He watched him and Holly kissing before he lifted her up into his arms and carried her into his hotel room. The anger he felt boiling up within him threatened to spill over, outweighing all his other emotions. He did not care if Mary or others went after him, but dragging Holly into this and embarrassing her in this way was taking it way too far. He looked up from his phone and glared at Mary, who was still smiling. The smile slowly faltering as people in the crowd began shouting.

“What on earth is this? This is private Mary! What are you doing sending everyone this?” Loyd, the town sheriff yelled out while walking toward the front of the crowd.

“I really have no idea what you are talking about, I just asked the Mayor a question.” Mary defended, feigning ignorance as she pulled out her phone as well.

“Did you have permission to reveal this security footage from the owner?” Loyd questioned, ignoring her obvious attempt to appear innocent.

“She most definitely did not!” Evelyn replied, somewhere near the back of the crowd.

Loyd was a former Detective of the Boston P.D. and highly decorated. He had come to their town less than four years ago, around the time Grayson had become mayor. Most thought a young man like him had not been a good choice to replace their retiring sheriff, but he had won the people over with his calm and astute nature. It was easy enough for him to put together the connection between her question and the mysterious text.

“Regardless, what's the meaning of this Mayor Holiday? Isn’t that the girl who wants to build the theme park? What exactly is your relationship?” The reporter for the Holiday Herald asked, having pushed his way to the front and was holding up his phone toward Grayson, obviously recording.

He ignored the reporter, more concerned about where Holly was at the moment and if she had seen everything. He scanned over the crowd for the familiar blonde head but instead caught sight of his sister who was waving him down frantically.

“Excuse me.” He mumbled as he pushed past the reporter, not prepared to answer any questions until after Loyd had dealt with the situation.

Grayson made his way through the hoard of people, most of them moving out of his way as he walked over to where his sister was. He could feel all eyes were on him, but as shouting ensued near the Gazebo between Mary and the Sheriff, he felt less like the center of attention. Rosie grabbed his arm and pulled him close so she could whisper near his ear.

“Holly was here with us and the moment she saw the video she took off that way. I tried to stop her but it all happened so fast.” Rosie explained, sounding distressed.

Grayson gave his sister a reassuring squeeze with one arm and nodded towards Isabelle, leaving his sister in her hands before taking off in the direction Rosie had pointed. He had to step over the ropes that were blocking off the street, most of the people that had been standing there earlier now joining the commotion taking place behind him.

Once he made it to the other side of the street, he was not exactly sure which way to turn. He knew where Holly had parked her car and was about to head that way when a noise, so quiet he almost missed it, had him turning in the opposite direction.

Clink, clink, clink…

Three times and then it started up again. It sounded almost like something hitting metal. It was coming from behind his sister's shop, an alleyway between her store and the dry cleaners next door led to a small garden his sister had landscaped herself and left open to the public.

He walked between the two buildings, the gate wide open that led to a little English garden. In the center was a bronze statue of Cupid, depicted in his typical cherub form and holding a bow with an arrow poised to shoot.

Holly was sitting on a bench, opposite the heart-shaped arrowhead. Picking up tiny stones from the gravel path and flinging them at Cupid, hitting him directly on the forehead each time.

“What did Cupid do to deserve such bullying?” Grayson asked, kicking himself when he saw her nearly jump out of her own skin.

The garden was not well lit and here he was approaching her in the near darkness. She dropped the rest of her pebbles that were in her hand, letting them fall back onto the path, before standing up as if she had gotten caught doing something naughty. He was relieved to see her body physically relax once she recognized it was him, Grayson stepping more into the light.

“I don’t know. He did introduce me to a man who kissed me under the mistletoe and gave me one hell of a good night only to end up embarrassed in front of a whole town that I was trying to impress. Most likely ending my career as a designer before it even really began.” She replied, the hurt in her voice causing Grayson’s heart to twist with guilt.

He quickly closed the space between them, rushing to take hold of her hands, which he noticed were freezing, her gloves sitting on the bench where she had been sitting. It may not be snow weather, but it was still too cold to not be completely bundled up. He was relieved she did not pull away as he lifted her hands up to his mouth and blew a warm breath over them.

“I’m so sorry about what happened…It appears I have dragged you into my political campaign. Even here in our small town, politics are still a dirty game.” He apologized, not sure what else he could say at that moment.

He saw a sad little sort of smile beginning to curve Holly’s lips, making him desperately want to kiss her, when a sudden strong chilly breeze blew through the garden. Grayson instinctively pulled her close just as the familiar sound of the generator he had placed on top of his sister’s store along with the snow cannon turned on. All the cannons were pointed toward the street but the wind blew the artificial snow toward the garden, falling around them and making the foamy snowflakes land on to Holly’s hair.

She looked up at him with those icy blue eyes of hers. The snow giving her the appearance of a true snow angel. Damn it all, how could he hold himself back any longer when she was looking at him like that? The answer was, he couldn’t. Without hesitation, he leaned down until his lips touched hers, the kiss filled with all the desire he had been suppressing since the moment he found out who she really was.

It all seemed silly now, the resentment he had towards the company she worked for and the instant judgment he had made about her because of it. As he deepened the kiss he kicked himself for not giving in sooner. Nothing was sweeter than Holly’s lips and he knew he wanted to drag the kiss on for as long as he could. He felt her lips part and he took the invitation, letting his tongue slip inside her mouth and explore. The world around him faded until there was only Holly and the way she made him feel. He squeezed her closer, frustrated by the barrier of clothes between them.

Suddenly, the loud crash of symbols along with the boom of a bass drum had Holly pulling back from the kiss and his embrace. Grayson wanted nothing more but to grab her again so she could not escape, but he saw the anxious look on her face as she looked over his shoulder toward the gate. The parade had finally begun and the sound of the local high school marching band playing “Jingle Bells” could be heard close by, meaning they were most likely just passing his sister’s shop.

“Let's get out of here.” He said, grabbing hold of her hand.

“But–My booth…” she stuttered, trying to pull her hand away.

“I’ll message my sister and Isabelle to handle it. You don’t need to be heading back over there right now.” He assured, pulling out his phone and sending a quick text.

“But–aren't we just running away?” She accused, the anxiousness finally fading from her eyes and a slight grin teasing the corner of her lips.

“Running away at a time like this is the perfect thing to do.” He reasoned, wanting nothing more than to be alone with her and do all the things he had just been accused of doing not but five minutes ago.

She let out a giggle as he pulled her towards the back gate of the garden, Grayson being careful that she did not trip over the small stone path. The gate led to a back alley, Grayson taking them down to a side street where none of the parade watchers would be standing. He did not live far, his house just a few blocks from town square. He put an arm around Holly’s shoulder, keeping her close as they walked briskly down the sidewalk.

All the houses along the road were decked out for the Holidays. Some with amazing lighting displays and some with large inflatable penguins and Santa along with a few candy canes sticking up from the ground everywhere. It made Grayson feel a bit ashamed once they made it to the front of his home, only a simple strand of white lights hanging from his eaves.

If Holly noticed she did not say anything. He led her up the walkway to the front door, fishing out the keys from his pocket. He unlocked the door and finally let go of Holly so he could walk in first and turn on the lights, closing the door behind her. His living room and kitchen were off to the right, Holly walked into the room as Grayson flicked the switch on the other lights.

He was a fan of the modern style and dark colors. His mom always telling him that his house was a bit too gloomy. However, Grayson liked it. In his living room he had a large fireplace with a slate rock finish, a large screen TV hanging above the mantle. There was a large black leather couch and two armchairs in front of it, along with glass-topped side tables and a matching coffee table. On the other side of the room was his kitchen, a long bar separating it from the living room. His kitchen cabinets were charcoal gray with a deep green backsplash. Industrial-style copper lights hanging above the bar casting the room in a warm glow.

In the living room area, the only lighting was the two side lamps, which he went to switch on as Holly started taking off her jacket while taking the whole place in. He turned to face her about to take her jacket from her and tell her to make herself comfortable when she said the last thing he was expecting.

“What?...No Christmas tree?”