Page 28 of Courting the Krampus
With a sparkle in his eyes, Cole explains, “So, maybe Jasper told you some of this already, but Joulu is our central town, and then we have a bunch of villages too. Each village excels at different skills and is responsible for different types of toy production. There’s carpentry in Puutyöt, wheeled toys in Pyörä, soft toys in Pehmolelu, books in Kirja, and so on. Our mission is to go around searching for inspiration, and to get back to Nick with an idea or product that can replace coal for those on the Naughty List.”
Natalie sits up straighter, the corners of her mouth turning down. “So the Naughty List isn’t going anywhere?”
Shaking his head, but remaining hopeful, Cole says, “Not yet. But, if we can come up with an adequate replacement, maybe we can inspire kids and the Naughty List can get shorter and shorter.”
Natalie reaches forward and squeezes Cole’s hand. “That’s amazing. And Nick’s on board with all of this?”
There’s something so natural about them, a connection that has my pulse thickening and speeding up at the same time. They’reitfor me, now to just make them realize they’reitfor each other too.
Cole’s smile is bright and unburdened, a look I long to see on him every day. “It was his idea to see us off as soon as possible. He’s sending a sleigh for us in the morning. Tonight, I want to plan the route and we’ll keep him updated on our progress.”
I graze my lips against Natalie’s ear as I whisper, “Are you ready to see how Christmas elves make toys? Want to see what year-round Christmas looks like?”
Natalie looks down, admitting shyly, “I’ve never had a real Christmas before, so this feels like it’s making up for all of that.”
“Neither have we,” Cole admits. In his eyes, I see him flit through so many memories of us over the years. We have never felt like we can celebrate the day when we feel so guilty for ruining it for others.
Usually, around Christmas, I don’t feel up to having company. When the day comes around, I’m still reeling from having been stuck in my shifted form and being nearly feral. At that point, I just sit alone in my cabin in the mountains and write children’s stories with happy endings to replace the reality of what they had just faced, even if no one will ever read them.
We take a moment for our joint admissions about our shitty Christmases to sink in, then Cole gets up to grab his laptop. Together, the three of us plan the route and share ideas for which village we should visit first, what possible toys could inspire children to get off the Naughty List, and what we need to pack.
When it gets late into the night, Cole closes his laptop. “I think it’s time we get some sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow.”
Natalie makes to get up and I koala hug her to me. “You can’t leave. I need you to cuddle me all night. I usually like to be the small spoon, but tonight I want to be the filling in the sandwich.” I pout and give her the best puppy dog eyes I can muster, and a smile kicks up at the corner of her mouth.
“You’re lucky you’re so cute,” she says and playfully pokes me in the side.
Stark naked, Cole climbs onto the bed behind me. “I hope you don’t mind, but I hate sleeping in clothes,” he tells Natalie.
Natalie’s eyes go uncharacteristically dopey as her gaze travels up and down Cole’s body, studying his tattoos. “I don’t mind one bit,” she sighs out lustily. Pointing to the swans swimming around his biceps on his right arm, she asks, “What are these?”
“Ah, this is part of my ode to ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas.’ They’re the ‘seven swans a-swimming.’”
“It’s like a treasure map. You should try to find them all,” I encourage.
Natalie’s eyes light up and she climbs out of my arms to study the design more closely. She traces each swan, lifts Cole’s arm this way and that to see the tiny details of their feathers, before moving on to the next tattoo.
I kneel next to her and, together, we point out different tattoos, tracing over them with gentle fingers while Cole lies back with his fingers locked behind his head, basking in all the attention.
“This one is my favorite,” I say and caress the band of nutcrackers drumming down his left side. Goose bumps dot Cole’s body and a lazy grin takes over his face.
“They’re beautiful,” Natalie says and her hand joins mine, fingers moving in a way that looks like she’s trying to memorize every detail of not just the design, but Cole too.
“They are,” I echo, but my eyes settle on Cole’s. There’s a sparkle in his gaze that I’m certain is reflected in my own.
“Oh, ‘three French hens,’” Natalie says, fingers gliding over Cole’s thigh.
My eyes snag on something peeking out between the hens, and my breath grows hot and tight in my throat. I bite my lip to keep the quiver hidden, but somehow, both of them notice it.
“What is it?” Natalie asks gently, laying a hand on my shoulder.
My eyes get misty as I stare into Cole’s dark gaze, feeling a surety that I was lacking until now. “Cole’s got our matching tattoo.”
Chapter fourteen
Cole
Sitting up, I stare at the tattoo hidden between my three French hens. “When did I get this?” I’m not sure how long it’s been there. I hardly inspect my thighs on a daily basis.
