“Are you sure?” Krampus licks his lips. “I can be very quiet.”

“I don’t think I can—” I admit.

With a small growl, he cuts off my sentence with a kiss, and I welcome that. Splaying my fingers across his chest, stroking his arms and letting the velvet of his fur tickle my finger tips. Bringing to mind how it would feel to have it spread across my naked body. Soft and warm and teasing.

His hands drag across my chest, his thumb gently tracing back and forth along the fabric until his claws seek out my nipple.

I suck in a deep breath and he snickers.

“At least now I know.”

“What?” I ask.

“What you look like when you are feeling lust.”

I don’t have a chance to protest because his mouth meets my neck again, stealing my breath when he traces sharp teeth across my skin.

A dragging sensation tickles up my leg, stroking along the inside of my thigh, like a warm, firm finger drawing hypnotic little symbols along my skin.

“Krampus.” I gasp. “Your tail.”

“My nice girl is looking to get naughty?” He snickers against my skin, His tail creeps up a little higher, nudging at the edge of my underwear.

“Not your girl.” I mutter but I ease my stance, giving him better access to the heat between my legs.

“Give me a chance to convince you.” His hand rises up to wrap around my neck, pressing me gently into the wall. It shoots bright hot desire straight between my legs, to the place where his tail swipes back and forth. Providing gentle circling pressure has my hips tilting for better access.

“And I might not as nice as you remember.” I wrap my fingers into the thick chain harness that crosses his body. I jerk them tight, pulling him toward me.

“Good. The naughtier that you are, the more I get to punish you.” Krampus’s hot breath crosses my skin. His tail tightens around my thigh, the knobby end taps against the wetness pooling in my underwear.

I can’t stop the small whimper from escaping my lips and he snickers against my neck.

“I want to hear you be loud, my naughty girl. Let me hear you beg for it.” He taunts, his claws gently caressing my throat.

“I don’t beg.” I say.

“Then you don’t get any presents in your Christmas stocking.” He mocks, his tail loosening.

“Wait. Wait. Just.” I struggle to pull out the words. “I need you.”

He freezes in place, but I feel his satisfied grin on my neck. “Are you going to say it?”

His tail snakes back and forth, slithering over my thigh. His strong fingers tight at my throat, forces my face up, just enough to hold me in place, just enough to terrify my desire for control. Fear, desire, and frustration fighting for dominance.

“P—p—please.” I manage to mutter. “Please, Krampus.”

With a satisfying hiss, his tail finally dips underneath my underwear, providing pressure to just the right spot. It snakes down to stroke between my folds and drag the wetness around, smearing it over my clit before the tip dips inside me. He starts to thrust in and out with slow, controlled movements. The kind of motion that makes my hips buck forward for more, but his free hand catches me. Flattening across my stomach to hold me in place.

“I’m in charge now, Saint Nik. I take the reins and I tell you when you can let loose.” His voice is practically a purr as his tail continues to pet me. He puts his mouth on mine, suctioning his lips around my tongue and sucking. Pulling a groan from deep in my belly where the pressure is building and folding over itself.

I scrabble my fingers needily around his wrists, arms, chest, chains. Clawing and searching for something. I don’t want him to stop, but I need something. Something more, something harder, something else from him.

“Krampus. Please.” I’m almost embarrassed when the word falls from my lips. The tightness in my stomach is achingly frustrating. The building burn is so slow.

I want an inferno, I want something hot and easy and quick that proves I was right, all those years ago, that Krampus could never give me what I really needed. I don’t want this intimate connection that leaves me exposed and makes me beg.

But the demon ignores my pleas and continues to provide a consistent building heat. His body moving in tandem with mine, proving that he is willing to learn what I need and then deliver it.