Page 9 of Courting the Krampus
“Yeah,” Jasper says. “I’ll tell you everything I can. We don’t really know much yet either.”
I take Jasper’s hand and wiggle the glamour ring off his index finger. He closes his eyes as his horns pop into existence above his head then laces his fingers with mine.
“There. Does that feel better?” I ask as I rub my thumb over the indentation from his ring.
For a fraction of a second, when Jasper opens his eyes, he lets me see beyond the remaining walls that we have both erected between us. My heart accelerates as I try my utmost to keep my emotions from my face, wanting to remain calm in the center of this unknown situation we have found ourselves in.
With my free hand, I put his ring in the melted snowman bowl on the console table, not wanting him to even think about it until he leaves again. Then, aiming to restore a shred of normalcy to our dynamic, I place my hand between his shoulder blades and lightly shove him forward.
“Go make our guest feel welcome.”
Before joining them in the living room, I check the thermostat and turn it up a little. Thankfully, the magical realm around the North Pole has regulated the temperature so it doesn’t dip too low or heat up according to Earth’s fluctuating seasons. Rather, winter remains the only season and a layer of thick snow covers the ground at all times. I keep my house warm enough to be comfortable, but it must be quite an adjustment if they came straight from the Caribbean.
I take a moment to observe Natalie and Jasper from my vantage point in the entryway. They make quite the picture as they sit together on the dark gray couch in front of my bookcase. Each hunter-green hardcover in my collection has been painstakingly rebound by me, the titles foiled in gold along the spines. I find the process of rebinding books to be oddly therapeutic, and the visual just as stimulating.
There’s an unbelievable chemistry between Jasper and Natalie, something that mimics my own attraction to both of them. Jasper’s body angles toward Natalie, his arm on the back of the couch, hand hovering close to her shoulder as if he’s practically restraining himself from reaching for a lock of her hair.
Natalie is much the same. She’s kicked off her boots, and her legs are drawn up and tucked under the blanket. Her attention is trained on Jasper as he tells her a story, one hand waving animatedly through the air to emphasize a point he’s making. But the way Natalie angles her head as she’s listening, tells me she is monitoring me in her peripheral vision.
Good. This means she’s very much aware of her surroundings and not some naive woman blindly trusting two monsters. Trust needs to be earned and I intend to show her we’re as safe as she wants us to be.
“Has Jasper offered you anything to drink yet? Coffee? Hot chocolate?”
“Not yet. He’s been regaling me with tales of mischief you two have gotten up to. But I wouldn’t say no to a caffè mocha.”
“Whipped cream?”
There’s a stretch of silence as my question hangs in the air. Maybe I didn’t intend such an outright innuendo, but it’s good to test the waters.
Natalie looks me directly in the eyes. “Yes.”
I arch a brow at her. “Sweet tooth?”
“I’m afraid so.”
Jasper’s broad smile is infectious and my own lips quirk up.
Natalie’s gaze pinballs between the two of us. “What am I missing?”
Jasper lays a hand on hers, his eyes alight with excitement. “You’re in good company, that’s all. We love sweet things too. How do you feel about spice?”
“Spice? Like add-a-shot-of-whiskey-to-my-coffee spice? Or spicy food in general?”
“Either or.”
Natalie purses her lips and narrows her eyes as she surveys us. Jasper is almost bouncing in his seat as he waits for her answer. I’m scared he’s going to tackle her into the couch cushions and lick her from head to toe if she answers in the affirmative. On second thought, that would make a very pretty picture.
Perhaps he could—
“I like some bite to my food. Why?”
“You’re perfect.” The words fall from Jasper’s mouth on a whispered exhale, his eyes so hopeful it makes my heart ache. I need to get to know Natalie more to make up my own mind, but something deep within me echoes the sentiment.
I don’t know what happened on that island or how this stranger ended up on my doorstep, but something tells me I’m in for an adventure.
Chapter six
Natalie
