Chapter 30
NEO
Nox steps back, his eyes admiring my body in the Mrs. Santa dress, the spiderweb stockings clinging to my thighs like forbidden invitations.
The bedroom air hums with our shared heat, but his attention shifts as he walks to the bed.
His red Santa coat lies there draped over the rumpled sheets—plush velvet with a white fur trim, a stark contrast to the darkness he embodies.
He’s wearing black pants, fitted and low-slung, the fabric stretching taut over his powerful thighs and the bulge of his cock—still semi-erect from dressing me.
He zips them slowly, the sound a low rasp in the quiet room, and his fingers lingering at the waistband.
He is so fucking hot. He slides into the black boots; the leather creaking as he tugs them up over his calves, his fingers pulling the lace tight against the muscle.
The boots gleam under the soft glow, polished to a midnight shine, hugging his legs like a second skin.
He covers his neck with a black scarf, wrapping it around his throat in loose coils, the soft wool brushing his tattooed skin, adding a rogue shadow to his broad shoulders.
It’s the skull mask that truly transforms him—the stark white bone design covering only his mouth and nose, leaving his piercing eyes exposed, dark and predatory above the hollow sockets.
The mask molds to his face, edges sharp against his jawline, muffling his breaths into hot and filtered exhales that make my pulse quicken.
Nox walks to be fully attired; he’s a vision of dark holiday menace.
His boots planted wide, pants clinging to every ridge of his hips, scarf fluttering slightly as he prowls closer.
The Santa coat lies on the bed behind him, forgotten for now, as he reaches for my hand and I stand up from my vanity.
His hand moves to my waist, pulling me against the hard planes of his body.
The mask's edge grazes my cheek as he leans in, his voice sounding like a muffled growl through the fabric.
"All dressed up and straight onto Santa’s naughty list." His hands slide down to grip my ass through the fabric of the dress, his thumbs hooking into the stockings' lace. I tug myself up onto my toes, aligning our bodies in a promise of more unraveling heat.
I arch a brow at his dramatic look, the skull mask catching in the light.
"You look like the ghost of Christmas mischief."
Nox tilts his head, his voice is low through the mask. "At least I come bearing surprises."
"Surprises or trouble?"
"Both, but you’ve always had a taste for trouble." So true.
He pulls me closer.
I smile faintly. "You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?"
"Of course. What’s the point of a holiday if you don’t have a hot guy delivering your gifts?"
"Oh?"
Nox’s hand slips into his pocket, his fingers brushing against the soft edges of a small black box. He holds it there for a moment, as though steadying his breath before drawing it out. The box looks unassuming in his palm, but the way he offers it makes the air between us thrum in anticipation.
When I ease it open, the faintest catch of breath escapes me.
Resting inside, cushioned by dark velvet, is a thin gold chain, fine as a thread of sunlight.
At its center rests a single onyx stone, deep and lustrous, its polished surface catching the light to swallow it whole.
The contrast of the dark stone against the delicate gold makes it seem almost alive, as if it holds secrets in its depths.
For a moment, I say nothing. My fingers hover above the necklace, not yet touching, as if I’m afraid the fragile beauty might vanish if I do. When I finally lift it from the box, the chain slips across my skin like liquid gold, cool at first, then warming in my hand.
Nox steps closer, his voice low. "May I?"
I turn, baring the line of my neck. The brush of Nox’s fingers as he fastens the clasp is feather light, the intimacy of it sending a shiver down my spine. The onyx stone settles against my collarbone, stark and striking against my skin.
I turn towards him, my smile breaking wide and luminous. "It’s beautiful," I whisper, my fingertips brushing the stone. "You… you thought of me when you saw this?" I feel my eyes burning.
Nox’s eyes soften. "You consume me even when I’m trying not to think of you. But you… you are the breath in my lungs, the pulse in my veins. Without you, I'm a shadow—moving, but never truly alive. You charge me with something I can’t name."
My lips tremble, his eyes fixed on me as though I’m the only important thing in the world. "Neo… you are the spark that keeps me burning. Without you, I’m nothing more than embers fading into ash."
I laugh lightly, though my eyes shimmer with tears.
Nox steps closer, his hand brushing my cheek, lingering there.
"Then stay with me. Always. I want to be the fire and the reason it never falters.
" I tell him between tears as I lean into his touch, my smile soft but fierce.
"I already chose you, and I’ll keep choosing you.
You are my bat boy; no one and nothing can change that! "