"Thank you so much!" Hanna said with a smile as her Uber driver arrived at her destination. She pulled up the app on her phone to give him a five-star rating and a decent tip. With it being the day before Christmas Eve, she was sure he'd rather be spending time with his family right now. He deserved a little something extra. She wished him a good night and Happy Holidays as she exited the vehicle and closed the door behind her. She walked through the lobby doors of the Shore Hotel and made her way to the event space for the party. 

As she entered the room, she was immediately reminded why she and the team had chosen this location for this year's holiday party. The large room was decorated to the nines in twinkling white lights, Christmas trees, holly, everything you could possibly imagine, complete with fake snow sprinkled along the floor. It was the most magical Winter Wonderland in the middle of Santa Monica. Talk about decking the halls!

As she made her way deeper into the room, she stopped at the large stage set up along the back wall, piled high with wrapped gifts, games, plush toys, dolls, even a few bikes and motorized scooters. The sight, outlined by the bright lights of the Santa Monica Pier beyond the window, made Hanna's breath catch in her throat. She had worked tirelessly these last few months, organizing the largest toy drive in the company's history. Every branch across the country had participated, reaching out to hundreds of hospitals, shelters and schools in the nation to provide toys for as many underprivileged children as possible this holiday season. 

Over the years, she had climbed the ladder to become the youngest ever head of the marketing department for the toy company at only thirty-four years old. She took immense pride in that fact, but this was still the accomplishment she was the most proud of. 

"Hanna!" The voice of her work bestie, Gwen, came from behind her, pulling her out of her reverie. 

"Gwen, hi!" Hanna replied, giving her friend a tight squeeze around the waist. 

"This party is incredible. They keep getting better every year! And this toy drive." Gwen swept her hand out, gesturing grandly towards the stage filled with toys. "Han, you did such an amazing job on this. I cannot believe how successful it was! And it's all because of you."

Hanna blushed as she accepted the accolade. "Thanks G. You know how much this means to me. I couldn't be happier that it's gone so well." 

Just then, the C.E.O of K.K. Toys, Vivian Gaines, took the stage, microphone in her left hand, champagne flute in her right. 

"Hello everyone! Thank you all so much for coming out to celebrate with us tonight. We all know that these last few months of the year are the busiest for us, so I just want to start out by giving a huge round of applause for everyone in the room for all the hard work and dedication you all put into your jobs every day!" Vivian raised her glass of champagne up over her head while the room erupted into cheers.

She continued, talking briefly about year-end numbers and projections for the next year, etc. before welcoming the owner of K.K. Toys to the stage. 

Kristophe Kringle stepped up to take the mic from Vivian, requesting a round of applause for her as he prepared to make his remarks to the crowd. Hanna had never actually seen him in person before. He had retired years ago and now lives somewhere in Europe most of the year and rarely made in-person appearances anymore. She was surprised he would come all the way to L.A. just for the holiday party. But boy, was she glad he did. The man standing on the stage, not ten feet in front of her, must have been at least 6'4" with a large, muscular frame. From her vantage point, Hanna got the full view of his striking icy blue eyes. And mixed with his silver-white hair and matching beard, the man was a board-certified Silver Fox. Hanna was taken aback by how attracted to him she was. I mean, he had to have been nearly twenty-five years older than her! 

He commanded the small stage in his impeccably tailored, likely custom made, suit. Hanna had never seen anything like it. It was made of a luxurious-looking fabric with a sheen to it that made it look nearly black, but when the light hit at certain angles, it reflected a deep, ruby red color. It would have looked ridiculous on anyone else, but, something about the way this man carried himself, he looked like he just walked out of the pages of GQ. 

"I hope everyone has been having a good time tonight," he said with a bright smile, flashing a perfect set of sparkling white teeth. His voice was deep and husky, but not overly gruff. 

"I'll make this short so we can all get back to the party, but I just wanted to come up here and say a few words. When I started this company, what feels like a millennium ago, my main goal was to bring happiness and joy to children and families all over the world. And with a name like Kris Kringle, what the hell else was I going to do with my life?" He flashed a bright smile again as the room broke out in laughter. "I wanted to make fun, educational and accessible toys for children of all walks of life. And I'm very proud of where this company has gone since that first day all those years ago. That's all due to everyone in this room." He paused quickly for applause from the audience. 

"But tonight, I wanted to highlight one person in particular who has worked tirelessly this past year to bring that vision to life, making our annual toy drive the largest and most far-reaching we have ever had here at K.K. Toys." 

Hanna felt heat rise through her cheeks as Kristophe pointed to her from the stage and gestured for her to join him. She made her way to the stairs, taking his hand as he offered her his assistance. Electricity shot through her entire arm as she rested her palm on his, feeling him wrap his long fingers around hers, gently pulling her up to the stage. 

"I am so proud to announce that due to the hard work of Ms. Hanna Carpenter, K.K. Toys is donating nearly 10,000 toys to thousands of families across the country this holiday season!" Hannah couldn't do anything but smile as she blushed even harder while the room erupted into another round of applause. 

Kristophe leaned in close to Hanna, his face looming over hers as he asked, "Would you like to say something?"

"Sure," she said shakily. She was not expecting to be pulled up on stage like this to speak to a room full of people. She had no idea what to say, so she decided to go with the truth.

She lifted the microphone to her lips. "Thank you so much," she said humbly. "You have no idea how much this means to me. Growing up, I was one of the kids that benefitted from donations like these. I grew up with a single mother, who was the hardest working person I've ever known, but she still struggled most days just put food on the table for my sister and I. And while, the holidays, of course, aren't really about the gifts or the toys, my mother relied on these kinds of toy drives to bring that extra little spark of joy to her children on Christmas morning. And they helped us create some of my fondest memories of childhood. So I know first-hand how impactful these fundraisers can be for children and families and I just want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for donating and for helping to make this toy drive the best it's ever been." Overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, Hanna's voice broke slightly at the end of her speech. 

As the crowd applauded once more, Kristophe pulled Hanna in for a friendly hug, but when she felt his hand land on the small of her back, tingles spread throughout her spine and goosebumps rose up on her arms. She blushed again and had to look at the ground as they pulled away from each other. 

After Kristophe said his final thank-yous and sent everyone on their way to enjoy the rest of the party, Hannah met back up with Gwen and they made their way to the bar on the other side of the room. Hanna's nerves were shot after having to give that impromptu speech, so she quickly gulped down her glass of champagne to help settle herself. 

"Oh my God, Kristophe is such a daddy," Gwen said, making Hanna nearly do a spit take in her face. 

"What?" Hanna said with a laugh, her widening eyes staring back at her friend.

"He is! Maybe it's just the holiday vibes, or the fact that he looks like a sexy Santa Claus, but fuck, I am feral!" 

"Or it could be the fact that that's already your third glass of champagne tonight..." Hanna said, gesturing toward the nearly empty flute in Gwen's hand. 

"That is also a possibility." Gwen admitted. 

"I know what you mean, though," Hanna said. "It's been so long since I've been with anyone other than myself. The only thing on my list for Santa this year is some good dick!" 

The two women laughed, not realizing that Vivian and Kristophe were making their way towards them at the bar. 

"Oh shit! Shut up!" Gwen said just before the pair reached them.

"Hello ladies! I hope we're not interrupting." Vivian said with a smile and slightly glazed over eyes. She was definitely enjoying the free-flowing alcohol at tonight's party. 

"Hi Viv! Not at all." Hannah greeted her boss. She and Gwen both took turns hugging Vivian before directing polite smiles towards Kristophe and exchanging professional handshakes. 

The group chatted cordially about business affairs and current events for a few minutes. All very mundane. Except for the fact that Hanna could feel Kristophe's gaze on her the entire time. Even when she wasn't the one speaking. Multiple times, she couldn't resist the urge to steal a look in his direction, only to find him staring back at her, a slight smile on his face as he studied her. Hanna could once again feel heat rush through her cheeks, feeling even more on edge knowing that he was watching the flush bloom across her face. 

After a few more minutes of conversation, someone pulled Vivian and Gwen away to speak with them about something or another, leaving Hanna and Kristophe alone, Hannah still unable to make direct eye contact with him. 

"I'm glad I got to finally meet you in person tonight Hanna." Something about the way her name rolled off his tongue like honey made her look up at him, taking on the full assault of his bright blue eyes boring into her. "I've seen you in virtual meetings before, but this is the first time we've had the pleasure of being in the same room at the same time." 

"Same. I never thought I'd actually meet you in person. I hope I don't disappoint..." She said coyly, staring up at him. 

Whoa! Why the fuck did I just say that?! She thought to herself . Oh my God, he's gonna think I'm such a weirdo!

Kristophe smirked, stifling a laugh as he looked right at her and replied. "Absolutely not..." 

Hanna had to look away again. Those eyes and that smile were turning her legs into jelly. Was he flirting with her? Did she like it? What was happening?

"I have to tell you, Hanna,  I really am very impressed with what you've done with the toy drive. And that speech you gave was very moving." 

There he went, saying her name again. God, she was gonna have to sit down soon before her legs gave out. 

"Thank you, Kristophe. I meant every word of it. I wouldn't have had anything under the tree most Christmases without events like these. I'm just really lucky that I'm able to pay it forward to other families now."

"I can see that," he said. "And please, call me Kris by the way," he insisted, placing an impossibly large hand on his chest.

"Thanks, Kris." Hannah replied, sinking her teeth into his name. 

"But really, I can tell you're a good person," he continued earnestly. "I have a sixth sense about these things," he said, touching his index finger to his temple. "You didn't just do it to get the credit or to move up the ladder. You actually care about giving back. Most people out there can't say that." 

"Thank you..." was all Hanna could muster, once again blushing hard at the unexpected compliment. God, she really needed to stop doing that!

"You're on the 'Nice List' for sure this year," he said with a cocky smile. "Me? I'm about to land myself on the 'Naughty List'."

What?

"Why would you say that?" Hanna asked with a nervous chuckle. 

Kris looked Hanna dead in the eyes as he licked his lips. Then he slowly leaned down so that his mouth was no more than an inch from her, using his fingertips to push her dark brown hair behind her ear, grazing the soft skin of her neck as he did so. 

"Because of all of the naughty things I keep thinking about you. Filthy, dirty things I want to do to you. Right here. Right now." 

Oh, my fucking God.

Hanna hadn't realized that she had been holding her breath. She let out a long sigh as Kris straightened before her, looking back at her with that same arrogant smirk as before. She was speechless. She just stared at him for what felt like a lifetime, unable to form words, her ear still burning from the feeling of his hot breath on her skin. 

"Um... I, uh..." She opened and closed her mouth multiple times as she looked around the room, trying to speak, but nothing came out. It's like her mind had gone completely blank.

Kris laughed, a short, breathy chuckle as he placed his index finger under her chin, lifting her head gently to force her eyes to meet his. "I have a room upstairs. Come with me. Let me show you all the things that have been going through my mind since you walked through that door," he said as he reached out his upturned hand, waiting for her to give in. 

Hanna's heart raced and her breath quickened. Before she had a chance to overthink or convince herself to walk away, before she even knew what she was doing, she slid her hand into his and simply said, "Okay."

With a wicked smile, Kris curled his fingers around Hanna's hand and guided her out the door and toward the elevators. Silently, they rode to the twelfth floor of the hotel, where Kris guided her down the hall to room 1225.

She walked through the door into the dimly lit suite, the only illumination in the room being the lights from the pier below shining through the windows. But before she could even take in the room around her, she felt a large, strong presence come up behind her, grabbing her softly by the waist. 

Kris nestled his face into the crook of her neck, kissing and licking the skin just below her ear, causing Hanna to let out involuntary moans and whimpers as she closed her eyes and let him explore her. 

He turned her around in his arms to face him, smothering her lips with his. Hanna instinctively opened her mouth, allowing him to push his tongue through, gliding it across her own. She slid her hands underneath the fabric of his jacket, pushing it off his shoulders where he shimmied out of it and threw it over the couch, all without breaking contact with her. 

His mouth moved lower, licking and sucking on the skin of her jaw, then her neck, until he reached her heaving chest. He sucked lightly on the tops of her breasts that spilled over the bodice of her dress while his hands roamed her backside, caressing and squeezing her cheeks in his powerful hands. His fingers traveled upward, searching for her zipper. As soon as he found it, he yanked it hard, letting her dress fall in a pool of dark green silk around her feet. 

She hadn't been able to wear a bra with this dress, so she was standing before him now in nothing but a thin black thong and heels. Hanna felt so exposed as he pulled away, raking his eyes over her body as he ravenously loosened his tie and ripped his shirt open, sending buttons flying around the room. 

That uncomfortable vulnerability was very soon replaced with confidence as she watched the look in his eyes turn to animal lust as he took in her appearance. She didn't even try to hide the cellulite on her thighs or the soft parts of her belly like she normally did when a man looked upon her naked form. Something about the way he looked at her told her that he couldn't care less about those small details that she saw as imperfections. He drank in every bit of her, unable to control his thirst for her. 

Hanna reached out her hands to slide them up his chiseled torso, taking care to graze her fingertips over every ridge and valley of his abs and over the solid mounds of his pecks. 

Jesus, he is unbelievably hot!

Before Hanna knew it, Kris had hoisted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist as he spun around and headed for the bed. He threw her onto the plush white mattress, Hanna laughing as she bounced up and down on top of the comforter. 

Hanna propped herself up on her elbows as she watched Kris undo his pants, pushing them to the floor along with his boxers. She couldn't help but let her mouth fall open as his impressive length broke free, already rock hard. She took a lot of pride in knowing that she was the reason his cock was standing at full attention, just for her. She bit her lip to hide her smile as he looked at her from above, practically growling as he climbed onto the bed, straddling her body. 

"Fuck, Hanna, you are so beautiful, you know that?" 

Hanna just blushed and let out a soft laugh in response. 

"And I love the way your face flushes when I say your name." He lowered his voice to a velvety whisper. "Hanna..."

As if on cue, her entire body roared to life with flames rising all over her skin. But before Hanna could respond, Kris pushed her shoulders down to the bed and covered her mouth in another passionate kiss. His hands roamed her body, sliding up, over her stomach to greedily capture her breasts, his palms the perfect size to engulf each one. Hanna moaned into his mouth and arched her back, pushing herself up into his hands as Kris pinched her nipples between his index fingers and thumbs. 

With his mouth still on hers, she could feel him smile as he said, "Hmm... you like that, don't you little girl?"

Hanna whimpered as she replied, "Mmm... yes!"

A smirk still playing on his lips, Kris pulled back slightly and began to dip his head lower towards her breasts. Kissing, nibbling and sucking on her smooth skin, he teased her by touching her everywhere but her sensitive nipples. Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, he sucked her left nipple into his mouth with such ferocity, she yelped out, loud enough that she bit down on her hand to keep the other hotel guests from hearing. 

Kris continued his assault on her breasts, moving from one back to the other in an agonizing rhythm. As his mouth toyed with her tits, his hand began to explore the lower half of her body, moving down the outside of her right thigh, only to trail his fingertips back up the inside until he reached the steaming apex of her thighs. Kris slid a single finger up her slit through the thin fabric of her underwear. It wasn't until this moment that Hanna realized just how wet she was. She could feel the damp, silky material sticking to her folds as he touched her. 

Suddenly, he pulled his head back from her chest, biting down on her right nipple and pulling it away, letting it slide between his teeth. Hanna's head fell back into the pillow and a low moan escaped her lips. 

Kris sat up on his ankles and looked down at her from between her legs. She hadn't even realized that he had hooked his fingers around the waistband of her panties and was now slowly pulling them down, over her ass, gradually revealing her dripping pussy to him. He slid them off, tossing them to the floor behind the bed before spreading her legs and lowering himself back to the mattress, his head placed firmly between her already shaking thighs. 

The second Kris's mouth began to plant soft kisses on her lower lips, Hanna's eyes squeezed shut and her right hand reached out to grab onto his thick silver hair. She felt his fingers on either side of her slit, pushing her swollen lips apart to give him direct access to her throbbing clit. He flattened his tongue and drew one long, slow lick from her entrance all the way up her slit, stopping to flick her clit with the tip of his tongue. 

"Oh my god!" Hanna let out in a breathy whine.

"That's right, let me hear you, baby." Kris encouraged into her pussy. 

He swirled his tongue in tight circles around her clit, flicking it softly every now and then, sending shivers up and down Hanna's spine each time. Hanna gasped again as she felt him push a finger into her pussy, feeling herself clench around him. He pumped his finger in and out in a rhythm matching that of his tongue, pushing Hanna closer and closer to the edge. 

But it wasn't until he latched his lips around her clit and sucked her hard into his mouth that she burst. Within seconds, Hanna was practically screaming, tightening her thighs around Kris's head as he pushed her over the edge. And he didn't stop. He sucked and pumped in and out of her until he extracted every last bit of ecstasy from her body. Hanna had to grab onto his hair and pull him up from her thighs when it became too much.

With that cocky smile and a chin glistening with the evidence of her orgasm, Kris leaned down and pressed his lips to Hanna's in a fierce kiss. 

"Fuck, little girl, you taste so good," he said between kisses.

Hanna smiled against his lips as she grabbed onto Kris's shoulders, pushing him onto the bed and rolling on top to straddle his hips. Hanna delighted in the momentary look of surprise on his face. She bent down and kissed him again before whispering into his ear, "It's my turn now."

Hanna smiled at Kris and bit down on her bottom lip as she moved her way down his body, sitting back on her feet between his legs. She pulled her long hair over one shoulder before leaning down to grab hold of his length. As soon as her fingers wrapped around his shaft, she felt him twitch in her hand and looked up to see Kris lean his head back and let out a long sigh. 

Hanna began pumping her hand up and down, up and down, getting lost in the moans falling from Kris's mouth. A small drop of precum squeezed its way out of the tip and she lowered her head to lick the salty bead from his rigid cock. She moved her hand down to steady the base of his shaft as she opened her mouth and slid Kris as far between her lips as she could take. His response only spurred her on more. 

"Oh my God, baby, you look so fucking good, taking all of me like that. Yes, little girl, take me all the way to the back." Kris said as he stroked his fingers through Hanna's hair. 

Hanna immediately pushed her mouth deeper down onto his cock, gagging as she felt him hit the back of her throat. She held him there for a moment, until she had to pull him out of her mouth to take a deep gasping breath. Kris reached down to swipe his thumb across her bottom lip, cleaning away a small drop of saliva before she went back for more. Lowering her head back down, she bobbed up and down, sliding Kris's cock between her lips over and over again in an intoxicating rhythm.

"Fuck, baby girl! Your mouth is so good, but I need to be inside you!" Kris said, sounding almost frantic as he grabbed the back of her head and pulled her face up to meet his. Grabbing Hanna by the waist, Kris flipped her around, straddling her body once again, pinning her to the mattress beneath him. 

"You ready, little girl?" He asked, breathing hard and looking down at her with his intense blue eyes. "I need to hear you say it. Tell me what you want me to do to you."

"Please fuck me!" Hanna begged as she wrapped her arms around Kris's shoulders, pulling him closer to her. "Please!"

Pulling out that smirk again, Kris guided his cock to line it up with Hanna's pussy, slowly pushing his way inside. Hanna's head fell back against the bed and her eyes squeezed shut as she felt him enter her, her walls stretching around him to accommodate his size. 

"Oh my God!" she gasped.

"Goddamn, baby, you're so fucking tight!"

Then, without warning, Kris pulled back and slammed back into Hanna, rocking the entire bed, sending the headboard smashing into the wall. So much for not disturbing the other guests. 

Hanna wrapped her legs around Kris, resting her ankles on his ass cheeks as he grabbed onto her waist to get better leverage. Each time he reared back and then thrust back into her, she arched her back and lifted her hips up to meet his, doing everything she could to take him deeper. To feel him stretch her and claim her. Hanna knew she wasn't going to last much longer. Each thrust of Kris's hips sent her closer and closer to the edge, just waiting to push her off the deep end. 

"Come for me baby. I need to feel you come around me cock."

That was all it took for Hanna to come completely undone. With one more deep push into her, Hanna's breath caught in her throat as her toes curled and her back lifted off the bed. She exploded, feeling her pussy contract, squeezing around Kris's cock. Kris slammed into Hanna's pussy once more before she felt his body tense and his shaft shudder inside of her, heat spreading through her and dripping down her cheeks as he emptied himself inside her. 

The two of them lay there for what felt like an eternity. Kris still inside Hanna, their chests heaving in sync with each other, each trying to catch their breath. He eventually pulled out of her, rolling onto his back next to her, pulling the sheet up to cover them both as Hanna curled up next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. 

"Well, that certainly wasn't how I expected this night to go," Hanna said with a small chuckle as Kris ran his fingers through her hair. 

"That makes one of us..." Kris replied.

Hanna looked up, twisting her head in his direction. "What does that mean?" She asked, her brows knitting together with confusion. 

"You said it yourself, all you wanted for Christmas this year was 'some good dick,'" Kris replied with a smirk.

"Oh my God, you heard that?!" Hanna asked, mortified.

"Something like that..." Kris replied with a knowing laugh.

"Well, thank you for checking off my Christmas list then, I guess," Hanna said, laughing.

"Oh, baby, I should be the one thanking you. You rocked this old man's world tonight." Kris said with a genuine smile as he took Hanna's chin in his fingers and brought her lips up to meet his for a surprisingly gentle kiss. 

After they broke their embrace, Kris was distracted by something over Hanna's shoulder. She turned back to find the alarm clock on the table reading 11:59pm. 

"I'm so sorry, Hanna, but I have to go," Kris said with an apologetic look on his face. "The room is paid for until tomorrow. Please stay as long as you like."

Hanna watched with confusion as Kris got up from the bed, gathered up his designer clothes and got dressed. He sat down on the edge of the bed and slid his feet into his pristine black leather shoes. 

"Wait, you're leaving?" Hanna said, unable to hide the hurt in her voice. 

He's just leaving? After all that? 

Kris stopped what he was doing and turned to look into Hanna's eyes. "Trust me, doll, if I could stay, I would. It's killing me to walk away from you lying naked in my bed." He reached out and took her hand in his. With more sincerity than Hanna was ready for, he said, "This was incredible. And I very much intend on repeating what happened tonight many, many more times."

Hanna smiled back at him, now unable to hide the excitement she felt at hearing him say that. She very much wanted to see Kris again too. "But where are you going?" Hanna asked curiously. "It's already midnight."

"Yes, it's already midnight..." He reiterated as he crossed the room picking up a large, dark red messenger bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "Which means it's Christmas Eve. Busiest night of the year for me," He said with a wink in Hanna's direction.

Huh?

Before Hanna had a chance to ask any more questions, Kris was bending over next to her, planting a sweet kiss on her lips. "I'll be in touch, baby. Soon, I promise."

And with that, he turned and walked out of the room, Hanna watching him go, unsure if anything she experienced tonight was even real. 

I don't even have his number. And I didn't give him mine. How would he be able to get a hold of me?

Right then, Hanna heard her phone ping from the other side of the room. She climbed out of the bed and went to retrieve it, seeing that she had a text from a contact she didn't recognize. The number had somehow already been added to her phone, but there was no name, just an emoji of Santa Claus... "Who is this?" Hanna wondered out loud. Until she opened up and read the message.

Merry Christmas, little girl. I can't wait to see you again. 

How is his number in my phone? How does he have mine? Hanna was wracking her brain trying to figure out how he was able to get his number on her phone. And why he would have used the Santa emoji... How weird...

As she stood in the middle of the hotel room trying to wrap her brain around the events of the night, something caught her eye out the window. She nearly missed it. Something that looked like a low-flying shooting star outlined in crimson red flew across the sky, just over the ocean. 

At least that's what Hanna thought she saw. As soon as she blinked, it was gone, no trace of anything remaining in the sky. 

"Okay, Hanna, you have had too much to drink tonight. It's time for bed," she whispered to herself. 

As Hanna lay in the plush hotel bed, she couldn't stop her mind from replaying everything that led up to this point. And as she finally drifted off to sleep, she had one small, fleeting thought cross her mind.

Did I just fuck Santa Claus...?