The Bad Boy’s Secret Santa (Christmas in Alpine Valley #9)

Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

PIPER

Eli Winchester has always been the sexiest man alive in my book, but there’s something extra enticing about the way he speeds down the snow-packed country road from the animal shelter, headed to the mayor’s office as if we’re on a very important mission. In some ways, we are.

All this time I was convinced he couldn’t wait to get out of Alpine Valley and return to his normal life. But witnessing his passion for such an intimate small town event has me rethinking everything .

“This is really important to you, isn’t it?” I ask as he quickly parks outside City Hall.

Unbuckling, he turns in his seat, leans over the center console, and kisses me hard. Both hands cup my cheeks as our lips fuse together. He’s not polite about the way his tongue demands entry into my mouth, and dammit does it turn me on. Maybe this errand could wait until…later. Just as my hand lands on his belt, he pulls back.

“Come on,” he says, breaking apart the kiss and leaving me breathless and panting. “We better hurry if we want to catch the mayor.”

Shit, it’s almost five. On December twenty-third. “If we don’t catch her today?—”

“We will,” he insists.

We rush down the freshly salted sidewalks toward the front doors of the tallest, sturdiest, and oldest building in Alpine Valley. The double doors are framed by two thick pillars decorated in garland and lights. Lack of funding, my ass.

Hands joined, I allow Eli to pull me inside.

“That way,” I point toward a hall on the left.

Turning the corner, we nearly level the mayor herself. Thankfully, she moves out of the way half a second before Eli runs her over.

“Sorry!” I apologize at the same time Eli says, “Oh good, you’re still here.”

“What’s this about?” Mayor Patterson adjusts her coat and begins to button it up. We really were right on time.

“I want to donate the funds needed to make the tree lighting ceremony happen this year,” Eli spits out. “On my late uncle’s behalf.”

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that,” she says.

“But it’s not Christmas yet,” I plead.

“We needed the funding last month to approve it.” Her sympathetic expression feels like the final nail in the coffin. “I’m sorry. It’s too late. There’s nothing I can do about that.”

“Where did the funding come from for the City Hall decorations?” I point to a fat seven or eight foot tall Christmas tree in the lobby. It glows from the hundreds of strings of white lights wrapped around it.

“We had all these from last year. No funding required,” the mayor explains.

“What happened to the decorations for the tree lighting?” Eli asks.

“A terrible storm.” The mayor’s expression turns grim. “Most of the ornaments didn’t survive, and half of the lights no longer work. The garland—that was all shredded by the strong winds. We didn’t have the budget this year, and no one came forward in time?—”

“Can we decorate it?” Eli asks.

“Why would you want to do that? Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve. It’s a big tree?—”

“Do you have any of the decorations left?” I ask.

“Just a couple boxes,” the mayor says, pointing down the hall. “They’re in the storage room next to the janitor’s closet.” She pulls a wad of keys from her coat pocket. “You two really want to do this?”

Eli meets my gaze, and both of us smile. “Yes,” we say in unison.

She pulls a key free from her ring and hands it to Eli. “I’m trusting you to return this after Christmas.”

“We will,” I promise.

“Mayor?” Eli says.

“Yes?”

“After Christmas I’d like a meeting with you. I’ll be writing you a check to take of the tree lighting ceremony for years to come.” I look at the man like he’s grown three heads. Decorations for a tree that large add up. And to put on an entire event for the community is certainly not free. There’s no way there’s anything left from his inheritance. This has to be his own money he’s offering to donate.

Oh my god. Eli Winchester wants to stay in Alpine Valley.

“C’mon,” he says, taking my hand and running down the hall with me.

Inside the janitor’s closet we find the small stack of boxes marked tree lighting . Eli’s focused on the contents. I’m focused on Eli.

I flip the deadbolt, effectively locking us in the closet. Not that it appears as if anyone else is still at City Hall. But I don’t want to risk upsetting the mayor in this particular moment.

I strip out of my coat, sweater, and jeans. Letting my hair free from its messy bun, I call to him—my true love. The one I’ve always been meant to be with. The timing may not have been right before, but it’s right now. “Eli?”

“Just a minute. I’m looking?—”

“Eli,” I say again, this time firmer.

“What—Oh. Oh .” He abandons the boxes as his eyes turn to liquid fire. By the time he’s met me near the door, he’s lost his coat and shirt. The bulge in his jeans in undeniable. He backs me up against the wall, caging me there. A hand drops to my hips, the other scoops the back of my head. Our bodies press together. The heat of skin on skin makes me dizzy with desire. “You’re okay with doing this here?”

“We’ve fucked in some pretty crazy places,” I say, sliding my hand around the back of his neck and pulling his lips closer to mine.

“That we have, Pipes.”

Our lips join together in a hungry frenzy. My fingers scramble with his belt until at last, it falls open. This time, he’s not stopping me from what I want. I yank down the zipper to his jeans and plunge my hand inside. Wrapping my hand around his hard cock.

As I stroke him, my bra falls away. His jeans drop to his ankles.

“Pipes,” he growls my name, making me even wetter.

“Hmm?”

“I’m going to fuck you here like you want,” he says, his words firm with that sexy hint of possessiveness that has always been my weakness. “But then, I’m taking you home and enjoying your body all night long the way that I want.” He groans, his eyes rolling back as I twist my hand around his length. “You’ll come so many times you’ll lose count.”

I damn near explode from that promise alone. “What about the tree?” I ask, really not caring all that much about the tree right now. Tree? What tree?

“It’s dark out.” He yanks my panties to the side and strokes his fingers through my pussy lips. “And we need to track down more decorations.” Just when I’m about to see stars, he pulls his hand from between my legs and lifts me by the hips. My back presses against the wall. I’m suspended there by his sheer strength as the tip of his cock teases my entrance.

“I have some decorations we can use,” I say, my voice raspy. I want so badly to sink down on his cock, but he’s holding me in place. I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck, surrendering to the man I’ve always been meant to be with.

“Pipes?”

“Yeah?”

His lips brush the shell of my ear. “You want to keep talking about decorations or do you want me to fuck you senseless?”

“The second one.” My words are little better than a strangled whisper, but they’re enough to get my wish. With hands on my hips, Eli lowers me onto his thick cock. Filling me slowly. It’s a good thing he’s holding onto me so tightly, because I’ve left my body. I’ve forgotten how fucking good it feels to have him inside me.

He stills once he’s fully seated inside me. “Fuck, Pipes. That pussy was made for my cock.”

I slide a hand up the back of his head, our heated gazes locking. I can’t form actual words, so I don’t even try. I just drag him back to my mouth, letting him kiss me stupid as I widen my thighs. He sinks in a little deeper.

“Fuck,” he growls.

I rock myself against him, relishing in the delicious friction of my clit against his skin. He digs his fingers into my ass cheeks as he pulls out and slams back in. I cry out, no longer caring if anyone’s working late tonight.

God, I’ve needed this.

I’ve needed him .

“Harder,” I plead.

“Naughty girl,” he growls right before granting me my wish.

I hold on for dear life as he plunges into my pussy over and over. I’m so fucking turned on by the feel of him, the strength of him, the man that is him. I try to warn him that I’m coming, but my inability to speak the English language makes it too challenging. My body shudders against him. I tighten my hold around his neck as he slams harder into me.

“Come inside me,” I demand in heated whisper.

“You’re mine , Piper. You’ve always been mine.”

“I know.”

He slams into me one last time, groaning as he stills. Filling me with his seed.

There is no other man who will ever be able to make me feel this way. I let every ounce of fight go and admit once and for all that Eli Winchester is my true love.