Second Chances with St. Nick

9. Tattoos and Tenderness

9

TATTOOS AND TENDERNESS

W e laid exhausted, hot, and breathless, tangled on the blankets. The hammering of my heart fought with the rhythmic pull of Nick’s chest. After a time, both settled, and he rolled away, removing his rubber, returning to lay next to me. He nestled his mouth into the crook of my neck, hot lips deliciously tickling behind my ear. I luxuriated against the warmth of his solid body pressed against mine.

“Well, that’s me for another year,” he murmured.

I smiled. Nick was still in Santa mode. “Thank you for your service.”

He snickered against my neck. “I want you to know that I don’t normally do this kind of thing.”

I quirked a brow at him. “What sort of thing?”

He stroked my hair away from my forehead. “Corrupting beautiful women in hotel rooms on Christmas Eve. Hell, sometimes I don’t see a woman for months.”

I didn’t know if he was still playing Santa or being honest about himself. I hoped for the latter. “We’re both adults. Besides, this might just go down as the most fulfilling Christmas I ever had.”

He huffed another laugh against my skin, sending a shiver over my body. “There’s nothing like spreading a bit of Christmas cheer.”

As the snow fell silently outside the window, Nick moved to touch my hair, tangling and curling it between his fingers. His arm hovered centimeters from my eyes.

I reached up to trace the line of musical notes weaving around his bicep. “Your tattoos are beautiful.” This close, I had the chance to inspect them. I ran my hand over flowers, trees, mountains and beautiful patterns that danced before my eyes. Almost his entire upper body was painted in ink.

“I didn’t expect St. Nick to be quite so… I don’t know… badass.”

He laughed, the sound throaty, deep and delicious. “Badass?”

I pushed up on my elbow. “Look at you. The tattoos, the muscles. I don’t recall ever seeing a greeting card like this.” I ran my hand over his skin, settling on his chest.

Nick curled an arm around me, pulling me back down to meet his body. “There’s a lot of months between my visits to town—a lot of solitude in Lapland. It gives me time to come up with new designs.”

I grinned. “And work out. Tell me, does Mrs. Claus like to spot for you? Towel you down? I hope she appreciates your dedication.”

Nick leaned to kiss the top of my head. “I don’t go to the gym. And there’s no Mrs. Claus. My elves made her up to deter groupies.”

I gently batted my hand against him. He had to be kidding, right? “You said earlier that every one of your tattoos has a story. What’s the most interesting? The most special?”

I lifted slightly on Nick’s ribs as he sucked in a breath. With an exhale, he picked up my hand and placed my fingertips on his chest. Right over his left pec. “This one,” he said, his voice deeper than ever.

I propped myself up, narrowing my eyes to see a small heart with an ornate “A” inside. My pulse didn’t just skip a beat, it took off running and left me floating on air. “Nick! When did you get this?”

“Abbie,” he said, shaking his head. “We’re strangers, remember?”

The soft glow in his eyes sent a tingle of delight over me. I nodded and settled back down, laying my cheek on his skin. “What’s the story behind this tattoo? Who was A?” My heart pounded as I waited for his response.

Nick shifted underneath me. “She was my best friend. The other half of me.”

My gut tugged and I waited for him to say something else. Anything. After a long silence, I couldn’t wait any longer.

“And what happened? Where is she now?”

He brought up a hand and pulled it through his hair. “She outgrew me. In the end, I don’t think I was enough. But I can't blame her. She wanted bigger and better things than I could give her. But damn, I loved her.”

With his words, a lump the size of a snow-globe formed in my throat. Nick held his breath beneath me, his body tight and still. I reached out, taking my hand and curling my fingers through his. After giving them the tiniest squeeze, I leaned in and placed a kiss on his tattoo. “I think your friend would love it. And I bet she’d like the chance to tell you that.”

I let out a long yawn, blinking into the gloom of the room.

Nick chuckled and squeezed back against my hand, giving a slow shake of his head. “I wouldn’t hold her to anything. But I do have a favor to ask you before I disappear.”

He traced a pattern along my collarbone with a single finger. His touch had my body crying for more, but a heaviness settled over me. I yawned again and nuzzled into him. “Mmm?”

“Can I hold you while you fall asleep? I don’t mean to sound creepy, but like I said, I don’t see many women, and never one as beautiful as you.”

In the crackled light of the fire I took a long breath, holding it in my throat. The thought of my oldest friend—my first love—holding me until I fell asleep had my heart aching and glowing in equal measure. Right now, I couldn’t think of anything else I’d prefer. Tonight, we’d comfort each other. Tomorrow, we’d talk.

“If you don’t mind seeing me drool on your pillow, I’d like that.”

Nick’s lips curled at my neck, his smile pressing into my skin. “I don’t mind at all.” With a sigh, he enveloped me in one muscular arm. With his free hand he brushed my hair away from my face. Finally, he pulled the blankets to cover us.

“You’ve no idea how much tonight meant to me,” he whispered. “You were a wonderful Christmas present.”

He leaned over and kissed me gently on the forehead, adding a tattoo of his own to my skin.

Nick continued to stroke my hair and under the gentle movement of his hand, I closed my eyes. The last thing I heard before a dreamy haze of sleep settled over me were his soft words in my ear.

“Merry Christmas, Abbie.”