13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Percy

Hours later, Nick and I roused from our brief nap. The sun was shining outside, though that didn’t exactly tell me what time it was. I knew we hadn’t slept long, and really, it didn’t matter. We had no place to be and nothing on our agenda for several days. Nick needed to recover from his long journey.

I lay my head against his bare chest, my fingers weaving into his thick chest hair. His heart thumped steadily against my ear as he let out a contented sigh. This was life, just being with your mate and enjoying the simple things.

“I can tell you’re awake,” he said. His chest rumbled as he spoke.

“I am, but that doesn’t mean we have to get up.” I hadn’t been hiding the fact that I was awake, more that I wanted to savor those glorious few minutes when you first woke from the most amazing dream only to discover that it wasn’t a dream after all, it was your life.

He let out a hearty chuckle. “Eventually, we will. I am hungry. It was a busy night, and it’s only fair that you get to see what Santa has left under the tree.”

I smiled. “I wasn’t sure if Santa would visit me. Are you sure I’ve been a good elf?”

Nick took his large hand and cupped my backside. “You’ve been the best elf. I have it on good authority that Santa 69 couldn’t have done this whole year without you.”

“That’s quite impressive, considering I’ve only been here a few weeks.” And what a few weeks it had been. “Tell me about all the cookies you got last night.”

That was the one part of delivering the gifts that most elves were jealous of. The work was hard, the pressure intense, but the reward? Cookies from across the globe. Best. Perk. Ever.

We spent the next hour talking about all the different types of cookies and where they were from. I made a mental note to try and make a few of them. As far as elves went, my cookie-making skills were fairly subpar. Still bakery quality to most humans, but elves were gifted in the cookie arena. The competition was intense.

Eventually, nature called, and I forced myself to get up. I went to the massive bathroom that was part of Nick’s suite, did my business, washed my hands, and slipped into a pair of clean silk pajamas.

“Nick?” I called, stepping back into the bedroom.

Nick was sitting by the fire next to our tree. Underneath it was the present I had for him, along with a few others.

“Are those new pajamas?” he asked, smiling.

“They are,” I said. As if he didn’t know. He was the one who made sure they were waiting for me in the bathroom. I loved them. Not only were they silk, my favorite, but they were covered with little tiny sleighs, just like the one he had driven the night before.

“I thought you might like them. For the warmer months, there’s a pair of shorts that go along with it.”

Best. Mate. Ever.

“Thank you. Would you like to open your present?” I’d been itching to give it to him since he walked in. I was worse than the kids the majority of the Santas delivered to, that was for sure.

He grinned back. “I can’t say that I remember the last time I had a gift waiting for me under the tree—not since I was a wee boy.”

“Well, you’ll always have gifts from me,” I said. “Now, I didn’t get a whole ton of time this year to prepare, but I’m happy with what I did put together.”

Gift-giving was one of my favorite things. That should’ve been a clue that I was destined to be mated to a Santa.

I picked up the small gift wrapped in Christmas fabric with a neat bow around it. Nick started unwrapping it piece by piece until he finally revealed the photo frame inside.

“Is this…?”

“It is,” I said. “I was busy while you were gone last night. This isn’t an official ultrasound. We just did one super quick. I asked a favor of the healer elf. He didn’t reveal anything about the baby, mostly because it’s a little early, but that’s him—or her.” I’d run into them on my way home, and when they offered, there was no way I could turn them down.

The frame held a picture of our first ultrasound.

“Like I said, I didn’t have a ton of time to prepare.”

Nick pulled me into his lap and kissed me soundly. “I love it. I’d like you to open yours now.”

“My pajamas?” I said, looking down at the brand-new pair I was wearing. I wasn’t saying no, more clarifying what he was asking.

“I promise it’s just one other thing.”

He grabbed a large box and handed it to me. It was light, so whatever was inside couldn’t have been too big. Nick had used thick cream paper with sparkly snowflakes on it and a gold bow. I tore into it like a child on Christmas morning.

Inside the box was a maroon satin kneeling pillow with gold trim and tassels on each corner.

“For you in my office,” he said. “I thought you could set it next to my desk.”

“I love it,” I said, hugging it to my chest. He remembered. Of course he did, he was Santa—My Santa. But still… to feel so heard and cherished. It was… everything. “It’s amazing. Thank you.”

“Thank you ,” he said.

“What are we going to do about the other presents?”

He raised a brow. “What other presents?”

“I should have mentioned it when you came home, but we were busy. I had Bertram put them in your office because I didn’t want our entire suite filled with them. I thought you and I could go through them one by one. But it seems that our good news traveled fast amongst the North Pole.”

It was an overwhelming number of gifts, but it wasn’t like I could send them back. People gave them with love, and it was only right that we accept them in kind.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. The presents started arriving one by one throughout the night. Each of the Santas delivered us a gift for our future child.”

Nick broke out into a wide grin. “Those old softies. We’ll go through them all.”

“Great.” I leaned in, brushing my lips against his. “But first, maybe we can go back to bed for a little while?”

“You aren’t hungry?”

“Oh, I’m hungry, Nick, and I know exactly what I want to feast on.”