Christmas Magic (4 page)

Then his father, who’d been standing off to the side, stepped forward and held out his hand. Luke’s mom looked beautiful in her wedding finery, as did Nora Green, who followed her down to the red runner. His dad let them slip their hands through his arms, and then the three of them made their way to the front. Both women stood in front of him.

“You look so handsome,” Nora said, smiling. “Thank you for making my baby so happy.”

“I’m the lucky one,” Luke said honestly, leaning in to brush his lips across her cheek before she moved to her seat in the first row.

His mom wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cheek against his. “I love you, sweetheart.” She pulled back, wiping a tear before reaching up and adjusting his tie. “And Nora’s right. You look very handsome.”

“Come on, Nan,” his dad said softly. “Sadie’s waiting.” He patted Luke’s shoulder, giving him a smile.

They took a seat on the other side of the aisle, and as soon as the horse-drawn sleigh driven by Dalton had moved away, another pulled into its place. This one was more ornate, a beautiful Cherrywood frame with a plush royal-blue seat, just big enough for Sadie and her father, along with Cooper, who Luke had tasked specifically to bring Sadie to the clearing.

Another short burst of notes came from the trumpeters, and there she was. Luke’s heart was about to beat out of his chest as the musicians began playing the song chosen for this moment.

Sadie was radiant as she held her father’s arm and made her way toward Luke, carrying a bouquet of evergreen sprigs mixed with red and white flowers. Her dress and hair were beautiful but were nothing compared to the way her smile lit up her face and her eyes shined with unshed tears. It was all Luke could do to stay put and not run to her. As soon as they reached him, he shook Reggie’s hand and waited until he’d kissed Sadie’s cheek, and then he took her hand in his as her father went to sit beside his wife.

“You look breathtaking,” Luke whispered with a soft smile.

She smiled and squeezed his hand in thanks as they turned to face Timmons.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…”

The reception was in full swing after the wedding, and Luke couldn’t help but laugh as he twirled Sadie—his wife—around the dance floor before pulling her back into his arms and swaying with the music. The great hall had been transformed, sparkling with crystals and twinkling lights. All around them, people danced, talked, and played. Plates of cake, cookies, and other goodies accompanied cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows. Off to the side, he could see two young boys sword fighting with two giant candy canes. A group of little girls sat with an older elf, learning how to weave crowns out of flowers and string—much like the one atop Sadie’s beautiful head.

“I love you,” his wife murmured against his neck as they danced. “Thank you for making my dreams come true.”

Luke pulled back to gaze at her, enjoying the alluring look on her face. “I love you, Mrs. Taylor.”

She giggled, smiling brightly. “You aren’t going to get tired of saying that, are you?” she teased.

Shaking his head, he said, “Never.”

“Good.” She sighed and laid her head back down on his shoulder. “I’ll never tire of hearing it.”

Luke smiled as he leaned his cheek against her head, love for his wife, his soul mate, filling his entire being, and he thanked heaven above and Christmas magic for sending him into her path that cold winter’s night.

Sadie paced anxiously around the bedroom, unable to stop herself from watching the clock. Luke was due back anytime from his second trip around the world as Santa. For the second year in a row, she wouldn’t be there to greet him at the stables, but she had a feeling he’d be okay with that when he saw her… Ghosting her hands down her sides, the velvet chemise soft under her palms, she took a deep breath. She and her husband of six months had a rich, vibrant sex life, but for some reason, she was nervous. Today felt…different, somehow. Maybe it was the swirl of Christmas magic in the air. She couldn’t explain it. She just knew something was happening.

The front door opened a few minutes later, and she heard his footsteps. Luke, midway through his change from Santa, stepped into the bedroom, still dressed in costume, minus the heavy black boots. While Sadie could see traces of the jolly man recognized round the world, her heart recognized her husband. The beard was receding, his hair was growing shorter and gaining color, and his body was slimming before her eyes.

“Luke,” she sighed, reaching out to him.

His gaze—those brilliant blue eyes, which were the same year round—was heated as he took her hand in his still-gloved one. After only a moment, he shuddered and the air around him shimmered. Before she could blink, Santa was gone completely and Luke was in his place, still wearing the oversize suit.

“Sadie…” His voice was rough, and he cleared his throat as his gaze took in her outfit. “My very own Mrs. Claus?”

Sadie shuddered under his touch when he reached out a finger and traced the edge of the red slip of a dress that was more lingerie than anything. The outfit molded to her body like a second skin and had spaghetti straps, while the ruffled white edge emphasized her cleavage and tops of her breasts, with a matching ruffle along the bottom. What he couldn’t see was the matching red velvet panties underneath.

Capturing his hand, she was quiet and held his gaze as she peeled his gloves off. She wanted to see him—she was aching for it. Luke groaned when she began to unbutton his suit, her fingernails scratching at his chest through the thin white T-shirt underneath the coat. When she had the last button undone, Luke shrugged, and the coat fell to the floor. Wasting no time, Sadie moved her hands to the top of his pants and hooked her fingers into the sides, pushing them and his boxer-briefs down until they slid past his thighs and pooled at his feet. He stepped toward her as he reached back and yanked at the T-shirt, pulling it off over his head in a way that seemed effortless and so sexy that it made her insides clench.

Before she could say a word, he reached up and tangled his hand in the hair at the nape of her neck, tugging her head back before slanting his mouth over hers in a needy kiss. There was an urgency to it as he licked and sucked and nibbled at her lips, as if he’d been gone years instead of just over twenty-four hours.

With one last nip at her lower lip, he finally pulled away. His eyes were so dark, the blue was almost eclipsed, and his breathing was as labored as her own. “My turn,” he said, his voice husky. His hands slid down her neck to her shoulders and plucked at the straps of the dress.

Instead of pulling it off her, he lowered his head and began kissing and nipping at her collarbone as he slid the straps off her shoulders. Her head fell back and her hands went to his hair as he cupped her through the soft fabric and then tugged it down, exposing her to the wintery air. She groaned when he immediately wrapped his lips around one nipple, sucking and teasing with his lips and teeth and tongue as he plucked at the other with his long fingers.

With a groan, he kissed his way across to the other breast, nibbling at the tender skin until she was a writhing mess of need.

“Luke,” Sadie whined, tugging his hair until he moved up and captured her lips again, kissing her until she was once again breathless.

When he kissed his way across her jaw to her ear, her breath caught. After a year together, she still couldn’t believe how sensitive the tips of her ears were. They’d found out the first time they made love that if he sucked on them, it would send her…

“Oh!” she cried out, feeling her orgasm crashing over her as he sucked the pointy tip into his mouth, tracing it with his tongue, at the same time as he tugged and pinched her nipples.

Before she could regain her breath, Luke moved his hands to the bottom hem of her dress and peeled it up and over her head. She reached out for him, but he shook his head and stepped back, raking his eyes up and down her body.

“Beautiful,” he said in a deep, smooth voice.

She gasped again when he swept up her into his arms, depositing her on the bed and moving between her feet. Her legs automatically parted for him as he reached up to slowly drag the velvet panties down her legs and off, leaving her bare for his gaze.

Everything in her was pulsing and aching. She needed him so much it almost hurt. “Please,” she whimpered. “I ne—”

She didn’t even complete the thought before he was up and over her, sliding all the way inside and pulling a groan from them both.

No words were needed as their bodies did the talking for them.

I love you, her body said as she wrapped her arms and legs around him, keeping him close.

I worship you, his replied as he pressed long, open-mouthed kisses to her neck and shoulder.

When his thrusts sped up, he reached between them to touch the spot where they were joined as his lips wrapped around the tip of her ear once more. She came, crying out, and felt the Christmas magic shimmer around them, amplifying everything she was feeling by a thousand. He followed her over the edge, his voice hoarse as he gasped her name.

“Wh-What was that?” Sadie asked through her heavy breaths only moments later. “It…It’s always amazing, but that…”

He shook his head as he moved to lie down beside her. “I don’t know,” he huffed, chuckling. “Give me a minute, and I’ll be ready to see if we can repeat it, though.”

She laughed and snuggled into his side, knowing whatever had happened had been life changing.

“One more push, Sadie,” Melina, the midwife, said. “You can do it.”

With Luke holding her hand, Sadie bore down, and moments later, she felt a great relief as the pain abated and a baby’s cry filled the air.

She and Luke held their breaths until Melina reached up and set the little, red, wrinkled body on Sadie’s chest.

Melina smiled. “Congratulations, Sadie, Luke. It’s a boy.”

Sadie’s eyes welled with tears as Luke bent down and pressed a kiss to his forehead, where Melina had wiped him clean, and whispered, “Welcome to the world, Ethan Donald Taylor.”

The next generation of Santa Claus had been born, through love and Christmas magic.

Luke smiled when Sadie handed him a cup of hot chocolate and then hung his suit up on the hook on the back of the door. He pulled her to him with his free hand, pressing his lips to hers. “Thank you, sweetheart,” he said against her lips.