“Caught you,” she whispered.

“I heard you coming.”

“Okay, Mr. Never Screws Anything Up.”

He slid her a look. “If that were true, you’d still be sleeping with me.”

“We’re not . . .” She broke off and shook her head. “Not doing this now.” She pulled her phone from her bra and looked at the time. “It’s time to go in.”

He handed her a blank flash drive. “Copy whatever you find onto this if you can.”

She slipped it into her bra.

“Interesting hiding place,” he said.

“Look at me.” She held out her arms. “You see anywhere else to hide anything?”

Nope. He saw nothing but warm, soft, perfect curves. “I’m giving you two minutes.”

“Seven,” she said. “Louise won’t be back for ten.”

“Make it five.”

“Fine,” she said so easily he knew he’d been had and she’d planned on five all along. “Wait here.”

“Like hell.” He took her hand and led her up the stairs, trying not to notice how incredibly long her legs seemed in that short dress and booties. Long enough to be wrapped around his waist while he—

“It’s open,” she whispered of the office door and slid inside, putting a hand on his chest when he went to follow. “It makes much more sense for you to wait outside. It’s far easier to explain me being in there than you, if it comes to that.”

He didn’t give a shit about explanations. He gave a shit about keeping her safe. “Understood,” he said, putting his hand over hers and giving a squeeze. “But only because this way I can watch your six and the door at the same time.” He then gave her a quick kiss that shocked him every bit as much as it shocked her.

“Stay alert,” he said.

She saluted him. “Yes, sir.”

“I like that,” he said, pointing at her. And then he left, vanishing into the surrounding shrubbery.

He hung out in the shadows, counting off the minutes in his head. At the three-minute mark, Louise unexpectedly showed up at the bottom of the stairs to the office.

She was early.

He headed up the walk to stall her. “Hey,” he said. “Just who I was looking for. You’re in charge of the crafting elves, right?”

Louise looked flustered at the sight of him and put a hand to her chest. “Yes. How did you know—”

“They’re having a little tussle at the stockings booth. Someone insulted one of the ladies’ goods and you can imagine how that went over.”

“I bet it was Eleanor. She’s such a bitch.”

Lucas nodded. “Anyway, it escalated and I think they need a referee.”

“Dammit, I told them the next time they started throwing things at each other that I’d fire their geriatric asses and buy out the dollar store and slap homemade tags on everything.” She whirled and stormed back down the path.

Lucas checked his watch.

The five-minute mark.

Just as Lucas got back to the shadows, Santa rounded the corner and jogged up the steps. He entered the trailer yanking off his hat.

Shit. What the hell was with everyone being early tonight?

Lucas took the stairs quickly and silently, plastering himself against the wall to listen. Santa hadn’t shut the door all the way so he could both hear the guy clomping to his desk and also see him through a break in the shades.

“What the fuck?” Santa said to Molly.

She’d turned away from his computer and was leaning back casually against his desk as if she’d been waiting for him. She sent an easy smile, but Lucas could practically hear her heart pounding from here.

“I said what. The. Fuck,” Santa repeated. “No elves allowed in here.”

“Oh.” Molly winced, looking apologetic. “Sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Unless maybe . . .” Santa cocked his head, the anger leaving his voice. “You came to see me for some reason. Maybe you want to sit on my lap and tell Santa what you want.”

Lucas shook his head. Christ, women were right. Men were pigs. He started to move inside, but Molly’s gaze slid to the window and she gave a subtle shake of her head.

She wanted to handle this on her own.

Santa closed the distance between him and her, trapping her between his desk and a table that held a coffeepot along with cream and sugar and cups, as well as an opened tin of popcorn.

Santa smiled. “I really like it when pretty elves sit on my lap and whisper their fantasies to Santa.”

“Oh,” Molly said, leaning back as far as she could. “Well, I’m not really much on fantasies.”

“Are you sure?” He leaned into her. “Because I’m pretty good at it. Tell me what you want.”

Molly’s smile congealed. “A little more personal space might be great . . .”

Santa chuckled. “Come on, you can do better than that. Would it help to know that I actually specialize in . . . sexual fantasies?”

Okay, that was it. Again Lucas started to go in, but Molly spoke first, saying “And I specialize in handling such things on my own.”

Shit. She was talking directly to him. She wanted him to stand down. Still at the ready, he paused, willing to give her another minute, tops.

Santa laughed. “Feisty,” he said. “My very favorite. You’re legal, right? Cuz I don’t do illegal chicks anymore. Turns out you go to jail for that.”

Molly put out a hand to ward him off. “Legal, yes,” she said. “But willing? Not so much. Aren’t you married? To like your tenth wife?”

“Fifth,” he said. “She’s brand-new, but no worries, she’s the understanding sort.”

“Well good for you,” Molly said. “But I don’t put out on a first date.”

Undeterred, Santa slid a hand down her waist and hip and then back up again, beneath the short hem of her dress this time and all bets were off. Fuck her cover because Lucas was about to string the guy up to teach him a lesson in how to treat a woman. He slipped inside the trailer just as an angry roar came from Santa.

His amazing, smart, quick-footed elf had grabbed the coffeepot behind her and poured hot coffee on his crotch.

“Oh!” she gasped, covering her mouth. “I’m so sorry!!!! I don’t know how that happened—” She set the coffeepot back onto the counter. “I thought I’d pour us a cup, but you must’ve jerked my arm! Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not fucking okay!” Santa spit out between gritted teeth. “You burned my dick!”

“No, look, the pot’s just on keep warm,” she said quickly. “See? But I can still 9–1–1 if you’d like?”

“No!” he growled, doubled over, cupping himself.

“Okay, then, well . . . I should go. Break’s over and all . . .”

Santa opened his pants and peeked inside, and that’s when Molly made her exit. She came out the door at a dead run. Lucas grabbed her hand and they flew down the stairs. She stumbled a little on the last step and he slipped an arm around her, guiding her to his hiding spot in the bushes.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yep, except for the near heart attack.”

“When he touched you?”

“No, he didn’t get to cop a good feel. The almost heart attack came when I thought you were going to come in and kill him.” She closed her eyes. “But I dropped your flash drive when he came in. I’d just pulled it from the computer and he startled me. I managed to kick it way under Louise’s desk, though.”