Chapter 2
“There must be a mixup,” Lisa says.
“We’re playing Santa.” Rudy’s hardly said anything until now, and his tone is affable like his brother’s, but there’s a territorial undertone.
Nick’s chest puffs out as his shoulders go back. “The role is filled.”
For my part, I’m just trying to figure out how four men this handsome are suddenly assembled in one place.
As I observe the new arrivals, I decide they’re definitely not identical, though they must be brothers. They have the same eyes, similarly high cheekbones, and full lips, but one is taller and their features have small differences that set them apart.
“Club Red sent us over,” one of them says.
Lisa bites her bottom lip. “Oh, right. I did put in a call for help over there. The Stantons have always been so supportive. But I never heard back, so I wasn’t expecting anyone.”
The taller brother shrugs, then turns his gaze on me and the stack of costume pieces I’m holding. “Are you playing Mrs. Claus?”
When I nod, his lips curve into a devilish grin, and he keeps his eyes on me as he tells Lisa, “We’re staying.”
“Well, I suppose you could be Santa’s helpers,” she says. “Hopefully, we’ll have long lines, and with more help, we could move people through more quickly.”
“Sounds good,” the other dark-haired brother says, distractedly. The look he’s giving me makes me feel like I’m the last gingerbread cookie on the tray, and he’s ready for a treat.
All I can think about, though, is what he said a moment ago.
Club Red. That’s the male revue club here on the island.
Are these men dancers there? They certainly have the looks for it.
All four of these men do, but I can’t quite picture the sweet, smiling Frost brothers taking their clothes off for an audience.
“We’ll be Santa. They can be the elves,” one of the Club Red guys says, tilting his head toward the Frosts, his mouth curled back into a snarl.
Nick opens his mouth to protest, but Lisa raises her hands to cut off a potential argument. “How about you all take turns? You look to be nearly the same size—” She looks the men over, and I seize the opportunity to do more of the same, because they’re so nice to look at.
All four of them are broad and muscular. The perfect male specimens, actually, even though the two sets of brothers couldn’t be more different otherwise. Light and dark, sweet and spice. Two are the type you’d be proud to take home to your family, and two your family would warn you away from.
“You can share the Santa costumes—I’ll have them cleaned every week—and I’ll order helper costumes for everyone right away. You know, I’d better get your measurements, because those outfits have a tighter fit. Holly, can you help me?”
The next thing I know, I’m on my tiptoes, helping Lisa hold a measuring tape across one of the new men’s shoulders. He’s warm, even through his t-shirt, and smells of spice, and the number of butterflies in my stomach have now doubled.
We measure the Frost brothers too, who smile sweetly at me, in contrast to the volunteers from Club Red, who still look like they want to eat me up.
When we’re done, Lisa returns to her desk to jot down the measurements. “What are your names?” she asks the latecomers.
The man with longer hair and the devilish grin speaks up first. “I’m Felix.”
“Jasper,” says the other man, who looks brooding when he’s not giving me sex eyes. “Jasper Winter.”
“We’re brothers,” Felix says.
Lisa’s still making notes. “Two sets of brothers. How nice.” She goes over more details with all of us, answers questions, then wishes us a Happy Thanksgiving and tells us she’ll see us on Saturday.
“I’ll have the elf costumes for you at the park,” she adds as an afterthought, as the five of us are leaving her office.
“Elf costumes,” Jasper grumbles, shooting his brother a dirty look.
In reply, Felix looks at me and arches a dark brow, and I’m surprised I don’t dissolve into a puff of smoke.
The Frost brothers, ever the gentlemen, rush to open the door again, and I nod my thanks.
“Do you have any plans after this?” blond-haired Nick asks me as soon as we’re outside.
Felix slides a leather-jacketed arm around my shoulder, claiming me. “We’re going to go practice being Mr. and Mrs. Claus. What’s your name, darling?”
Despite the fact that it feels good being tucked in against him, I pull away, and he lets me go without resistance. “Holly,” I tell Felix, then turning to Nick, I say, “I don’t have any plans.”
“Can we take you out for coffee?” Nick tips his head toward his brother to indicate that his invitation includes the three of us.
“Don’t think you’re staking a claim on Mrs. Claus.” Jasper’s voice is a deep rumble as he fixes me in his seductive gaze. “Maybe she’d rather hang out with us.”
I’m flustered and dazzled, and wracked with indecision, because I completely gave up on men a couple of months ago. After a ridiculously long string of bad dates, capped off by a man who claimed to be a car salesman but turned out to be a drug dealer, enough was enough.
Not dating has been surprisingly easy so far, if a little lonely. Sure, companionship during cozy season would be nice, but I’ve been envisioning a stress-free, man-free Christmas.
However, I’ve never been asked out by a man anywhere near as appealing as these four.
I should say no to coffee, but maybe it makes sense to get to know the Frost brothers better … you know, since we’re going to be volunteering together.
A sudden gust of wind has me wishing I’d stayed under Felix’s arm. I try to zip up my hoodie, but can’t manage it with my hands full of costume packages.
Nick’s still grinning amiably, even as he pointedly ignores the Winter brothers. “What do you say, Holly? Want to warm up with a hot drink?”
Felix takes a step back. “Hey, I get it. Maybe you need to go out with these guys first to find out you like us better. After your boring coffee date, why don’t you come see us at Club Red?” He reaches into one of the pockets of his leather jacket and hands me what looks like a business card.
It turns out to be a coupon for half-price admission. “Are you strippers?”
“Performers. Revue dancers,” Felix says.
When I glance at Jasper, he winks at me. “We only take it all off for the luckiest women.”
After planting that distracting image in my head, the Winter brothers take their leave, heading toward two motorcycles parked in the lot, and I make plans with Nick and Rudy to follow them to the coffee shop.
Despite the way my body reacts to them, I can’t imagine going out with Felix or Jasper. They look like heartbreakers, the type who’d give you one unforgettable night in bed, then disappear.