Read Online Santa Wishes by Amber Kell - Free Book Online

 
     
    The noise of bells jingling woke him. Blinking at the sound, Gregory Brown tried to get his eyes to focus only to remember he needed his glasses. His near-sightedness had only worsened with age until last week he’d broken down and bought corrective lenses. Damn, he felt old.
    Squinting he spotted his new silver frames on a wooden nightstand beside the bed. He plucked them off the table and he slid them on his nose in an automatic motion as he scanned the room.
    “Where the fuck am I?” Unfortunately, the improvement to his sight didn’t reveal any answers.
    The last thing he remembered was taking Janna’s dare and sitting on Santa’s lap at the strip mall down the street. Normally he’d ignore Janna but she’d promised him a thousand dollars if he had a picture taken with Santa for her photo album. Considering he couldn’t remember his last full meal and his water was in danger of being cut off, he’d taken it.
    The mall’s Santa setup had been surprisingly good. A white castle sparkled with fake icicles and the elves had done a phenomenal job with the makeup. It had looked more like a movie set than a cheap kid’s fantasy world. Strangely he must’ve picked an odd time because there wasn’t a line when he approached.
    “Come Gregory and tell me what you want for Christmas.” Santa had said, beckoning him closer to Santa’s throne chair.
    That was when he had known the entire thing was a setup. Janna must’ve tipped the man off that he was coming. It seemed a little extreme but he knew his old friend was trying to find ways to help Gregory through his rough patch.
    Gregory had smiled and forced himself to be a good sport. He'd walked over and started to kneel beside Santa.
    “Oh no, for my magic to work, you have to sit on my lap.” Santa had said with a low, belly laugh.
    Great! A Santa perv! With a sigh, he'd perched awkwardly on the Santa’s right leg.
    “Now tell me, Gregory, what do you want for Christmas this year?”
    Gregory had almost laughed and said a red fire engine when an image flashed through his head. “I want to marry a handsome dark-haired man who adores me. Hell, handsome is optional. I’d settle for employed and kind-hearted.” He'd shuddered as he remembered some of the losers he’d dated lately.
    The mall Santa had given a hearty laugh. “I think I can do better than that for a man who’s always been on my nice list.”
    “Smile!” the elf behind the camera had shouted.
    Oh right he needed to have a picture. Turning, he'd smiled at the camera.
    Gregory had felt the man pat him on the back. “Here, have a candy cane but don’t eat it until you’re almost ready to go to bed.”
    “Umm, thanks.” He'd stood up and walked over to the counter to pay.
    “There’s no charge. You were our first customer of the day,” the tiny female dressed in an elf costume had told him cheerfully.
    “Great!” He hadn't had money anyways. He had planned to buy it on credit and pay it off with the money Janna gave him.
    The photographer elf had scurried over and handed him his picture in a closed folder. “Don’t forget to eat your candy cane before bed or the magic won’t work.”
    “Right.” Gregory had nodded to the intense man. He wasn’t going to start an argument in Santa’s palace but these people needed to go for some serious deprogramming after the holidays.
    With a wave goodbye to everyone, Gregory had left Santa and the mall.
     
    “Oh good you’re awake. I brought you some coffee,” said a deep, warm voice.
    Gregory looked up at the most gorgeous man he’d ever seen. Cobalt blue eyes all but glowed at him from a face that was a study in everything going right in genetics: cleft chin, high cheekbones, and a lush mouth silently begging for kisses that Gregory would happily grant. Shirtless and wearing a pair of candy cane striped boxer shorts, the stranger was easily the type of candy Gregory yearned to lick. In one hand he held a coffee mug.
    A soft bark