she was talking about. From the corner of his eye, he was aware of Hunter watching, and when Nick glanced at him while he and Jessica shifted for their picture, Hunter’s cheeks went red, and he hurried back down the candy path.
The picture was taken as Hunter brought up the next kid, and Nick smiled and nodded to the steady stream of children coming to sit with him. He also tried to ignore Eric in his head.
Admit it—the kids are adorable. You don’t hate this. Especially with the sexy elf eye candy.
Eric had always called him on his shit, and eight years after his death, his voice in Nick’s head was a familiar comfort. It wasn’t real, of course, and it wasn’t always there. But Eric would show up once in a while, usually when Nick needed a swift kick in the ass.
Yes, sometimes Daddy needs the spanking.
He snorted out loud, and Hunter, who had brought up another girl, glared and hissed, “What are you laughing at?” His fair cheeks flushed red, and when he had the girl seated, he tugged at the hem of his green jacket. Clearly, he was uncomfortable in the too-small costume, but he also seemed anxious and jittery in his own skin. Any traces of sass vanished, replaced by a flash of raw vulnerability.
Nick instinctively wanted to reassure him, but before he could, the little girl was providing detailed evidence of her being very, very good and deserving of soccer cleats and a princess dress with puffy sleeves she really, really wanted so, so much.
The stream of kids seemed unending, and Nick’s ass was numb and his entire body uncomfortably damp with sweat by the time John closed off the line and put up a sign saying they’d be back in half an hour. Nick’s cheeks actually hurt from all the smiling, and he couldn’t wait to take off the beard and hat.
While John grabbed them lunch, Nick and Hunter retreated to the storeroom. As soon as they were inside, Hunter rounded on him and snapped, “Seriously, could you stop laughing at me? I feel ridiculous enough already in this costume.”
Nick blinked in surprise. “I wasn’t.” He dropped his gaze over Hunter’s body. Yes, the costume was comical, but those lean legs were enticing in the tights, and the way the green jacket just skimmed the bulge of Hunter’s package… “There’s nothing wrong with the way you look.” He’d meant it to be reassuring, but it had come out decidedly flirty.
But Hunter rolled his eyes, his arms crossed tightly. “Yeah, right. Now you’re just messing with me.”
He bit back a surge of irritation. This was exactly why Nick spent most of his time with his trees and his dog. People were so much damn work. He clamped down on his urge to soothe. “If you say so.”
“I just…” Hunter clenched his jaw. “Forget it.” He swiped off his hat with attached ears, running a hand through his damp hair, sweat glistening on his forehead. “Jesus, it’s hot out there.”
“That we can agree on.” Nick tried to unfasten the long beard, which fit with a string around his head that hooked together at the side, but the hook seemed to be caught in his hat by his ear. He tugged, but it was no use. “Can you give me a hand?”
After a beat of silence, Hunter pointed to himself and asked, “Me?”
“I don’t see any other elves here.” He motioned to his ear. “The hook’s caught.”
“Oh. Right. Um…” Hunter neared as if he was afraid Nick would bite.
And goddamn if that didn’t rattle the cage of Nick’s inner dom.
Tentatively, Hunter tugged on the snag, his knuckles brushing the corner of Nick’s jaw. Nick watched from the corner of his eye as Hunter frowned and said, “It’s really tangled somehow.” He leaned closer, going up on his tip-toes, the bells on his shoes dinging softly. He wavered, and Nick took hold of Hunter’s waist with one hand to steady him.
Hunter sucked in a breath, a tremor rippling through the firm muscles under Nick’s palm. “These shoes are too tight,” he mumbled. “Hard to get my balance.”
“Take your time.” Nick spread his fingers, wondering what Hunter’s body would feel like naked.
Hunter stuck out the pink tip of his tongue as he concentrated on the hook. “There.” He lifted off the hat, and the beard mercifully came free as he stepped back and Nick let go of him.
The fake beard made his real hair itchy, and Nick rubbed at