goddess." He turned to the other men. "She is a vision of beauty, no?"
"Ye're embarrassing her, Jack," a second Santa said with a Scottish accent. He extended a hand. "Welcome to MacKay Security and Investigation. I'm Robby MacKay." Toni shook his hand. "You're related to Angus?" "Aye, but he's much, much older than me," Robby said with a grin. "How do you do?" The third Vamp in the group held out his hand. His eyes were almond-shaped,
and his accent was thicker. "I am Zoltan Czakvar from Budapest." "Oh." She shook his hand. "I'm Attila the Hun." The men laughed. "Will you dance with me, Attila?" Zoltan asked. "Perhaps later. I'm...looking for someone right now." "Ah." Jack nodded his head. "Amore. I'm afraid her heart is already taken, Zoltan." Zoltan bowed. "Then we will hope he is worthy of you." "Okay." Toni smiled as she left the three guys. There was something definitely appealing about
Vamp men. She wandered by another group of men, but none of them looked familiar. Then she saw someone
who was easy to recognize. He was the only black Santa in the room. He was drinking blood from a wineglass, along with another Santa. "Phineas." She lifted a hand. "Hey, sweetness." He gave her a high five and a knuckle pound. "What's up?" She recognized the second Santa as Dougal. "Hey, Dougal. Have you seen Ian anywhere? I can't
find him."
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"The last time I saw him," Dougal said, "he was at the refreshment table, having a Bleer."
Phineas eyed Toni's costume. "Girl, what are you supposed to be? You look like the Jolly Green Giant's little ho." Toni gritted her teeth. "I'm an elf." Dougal laughed. "She makes a good elf." "Thanks," Toni muttered. Phineas snorted. "So do you live in a tree and bake cookies? Whatcha got for me in your oven?"
He winked. She swatted his arm. "I'll sic the Jolly Green Giant on you." She marched off, feeling even more ridiculous in her costume. She had a red feather in her silly
green hat, and jingle bells on her green slippers that made noise with every step. If anyone else
made fun of her costume, she might have to stake him into oblivion. She circled the dance floor. The music had changed to a slow, modern dance. She spotted Heather dancing with a Santa, probably her husband, Jean-Luc. And Shanna was dancing with another Santa, probably Roman. As she neared the Vamp refreshment table, she saw the two questionable Rockette ladies talking with another Santa.
One of them pressed a hand against the Santa's chest. Her fingernails were painted a bright red. "Oh my God, look at you! You're all grown up!"
Toni winced. The Rockette's voice was definitely male. "Our sweet little boy," the second male Rockette said. "All grown up and so handsome." He waved a hand in front of his face. "I'm think I'm going to cry."
"Don't you dare, Tootsie," the first Rockette warned. "If you start crying, I'll completely lose it,
and I just hate runny mascara. Don't you, Ian?" "I wouldna know," he growled. He spotted Toni, and relief flooded his face. "Toni, I've been looking for you."
"Oh my!" The Rockette named Tootsie looked Toni over. "Has our little Ian found a sweetheart?"
Ian pulled her to his side. "Toni, let me introduce you to Tootsie and Scarlett. They teleported here from New Orleans." Toni smiled politely. "How do you do?" Scarlett pressed a hand to his chest. "Oh my God, isn't she just the prettiest thing?" Tootsie's red-painted lips trembled. "They're so precious together. I--I can't help it. I'm going to
cry!" Scarlett huffed. "Well, don't get me started." Ian backed away, dragging Toni with him. "Excuse us, but I promised Toni I would dance with
her." Scarlett sighed. "That's so sweet."
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"And romantic." Tootsie dabbed at his eyes with a lacy handkerchief. Ian led Toni farther away. She glanced back, and the two male Rockettes were still watching them with tears in their eyes.
"They seem very fond of you." "They're verra friendly." Ian put his hands around her waist. "Thank you for rescuing me." She rested her hands on his shoulders and matched his steps as he swayed to and fro. "Where did
you meet them?" "In New Orleans, a few years back. I was doing an investigation for a Vamp with amnesia." "Really? Did you find out who he was?" Ian nodded. "He was a cowboy with a secret baby." Toni laughed. "I'm serious." Ian grinned, and it made his white beard twitch. "And what are ye supposed to be?" "An elf, and don't you dare make fun of me." "Are ye kidding? Yer red tights are driving me crazy." She bumped against his fake belly that stuck out above his belt. "Is that padding in there, or are
you happy to see me?"
His beard twitched again. "And what are these?" He fingered the wooden stakes in her belt. "Are
ye intending to use them on me?"
"Maybe. If Santa doesn't give me what I want for Christmas."
"And what do ye want?"
She almost said, You, but she hesitated. "It's a secret."
"Another secret?" His blue eyes twinkled. "Are ye ever going to tell me yer full name?"
She shrugged. "Maybe never."
"But I need to know. I'm making a list. And checking it twice."
She laughed.
"Tell me, Toni." He pulled her closer. "Have ye been naughty or nice?"
A warm feeling swept through her. She wanted this man so much. She curled her hands around the
back of his neck. He tightened his hold on her.
She glanced at his eyes, and suddenly felt the warmth ratchet up a few degrees. "It might be fun to get a little naughty." A red tint flared in his eyes. "We could go somewhere private. No one would notice one less Santa
in the room."
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Toni licked her lips. The thought of ripping his beard off to kiss him was very exciting. "Your
eyes are turning red." "Your heart is beating faster." He leaned close, his white beard tickling her cheek. "I'd like to peel those red tights down yer legs."
"I might let you," she teased. "If you give me what I need." His eyes glowed a deeper red. "Sweetheart, I have what you need." She grinned. "What I need is a few answers. I have some questions for you." "My favorite color is green. Like yer eyes." "Not that question." She smoothed her hands down his chest. "I could make it worth your while. If
you answer, I'll...take something off." His eyebrows rose. "Now that is naughty." "Of course you have to agree to the same terms. If I answer one of your questions, you have to
take something off."
"Agreed." He glanced around the room. "We'll leave separately. Meet me in the hall in three minutes." He strode away, leaving her alone on the dance floor. She wandered back to the refreshment table for mortals with her mortal heart pounding in her ears.
Good grief, what had she just agreed to? She wanted some answers, but stripping for them was
likely to get out of hand. Good. She smiled to herself. She wanted him. He wanted her. There was no denying that red glow in his eyes.
She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, then drank some punch. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a Santa leaving the ballroom. She drained her cup, then strolled toward the exit. She wandered down the hall in the direction of the chapel. Where was he?
A door to the right cracked open and an arm in a red velvet sleeve reached out and grabbed her. She gasped, then laughed as a Santa hauled her into a dark room. He shut the door and pinned her against it.
"You'd better be Ian." "Aye." He nuzzled her neck. "Take off that beard. I want to kiss you." He chuckled. "Ye're a demanding lass." He locked the door, then led her into the room. It was a conference room, she noted, with a long table surrounded by a dozen chairs. Ian had left
the lights off, so the only light came from the red exit sign over the door and the lights from the parking lot outside the large plate-glass window. "It's snowing outside." She wandered alongside the table. "Should we close the blinds?" "It's one-way glass." He sat in a chair midway down the table. "So what's yer full name, Toni?" "That again? Does it really matter?"
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"I'm only curious because ye'll no' tell me."
"Okay, okay." She perched on the table next to him and propped one foot up on the arm of his chair. "But it'll be worth two articles of clothing." He wrapped a hand around her ankle. "All right." She leaned back, bracing her weight on her hands. "I only know what my grandmother told me, so
my knowledge of the events is a bit sketchy. It appears my mother had a desire to marry a racecar driver when she was seventeen. She went to the Daytona 500 to find a driver and jumped a guy in a jumpsuit in a garage. She was a bit pissed to discover afterward that he was just a mechanic and even more pissed when she discovered herself pregnant."
Ian shook his head. "Yer mum continues to confound me."
"I guess she needed a reminder never to make such a stupid mistake again, 'cause she named me after the racetrack where I was conceived." "Yer name is Daytona Five Hundred?" "No." She glared at him. "Just Daytona. Isn't that humiliating enough? Please don't tell anyone." His white beard twitched. "Daytona Davis. I like it." "Daytona Lynn, actually. It's a Southern thing. Now strip, Santa. Two items." He removed his red Santa cap with the attached wig. "That's one." He took off the beard. "And
that's two." He tossed them on the table. "Yer turn."
"What's the secret Santa thing? And what are you all hiding behind the locked door across from the nursery?" He circled his fingers around her ankle again. "That's two questions." "But they're related, aren't they?" "Och, now that's three." She nudged him with her foot, and the bell on her slipper jingled. "Just answer the question." He smiled. "Roman started the Secret Santa Pact in 1950 when he became coven master. We have
a few Vamps around the country who work the night shift, sorting mail for the post office. Each year, they gather the letters addressed to Santa, and we collect toys. Then on Christmas Eve, some Vamps dress up like Santa to deliver the goods, including places like halfway houses and women's shelters."
Toni sat silent for a while, absorbing this latest news. What more proof did she need that these
Vamps were kind and noble? "That is so awesome." "Thank you." He pulled both her feet into his lap and removed one of her green slippers. "We enjoy it quite a bit." He took off the second slipper. They jingled when he tossed them on the table.
"You mean you're one of the Santas?" "Aye. I've been doing it since I came here to work in 1955." He slid one of her fuzzy red socks off. "There are a hundred of us now." He pulled off her other sock.
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"What are you doing?" "I answered yer questions." He threw the socks on the table. "Two questions." "But you removed four articles of clothing." "Nay. Socks and shoes come in pairs." He wrapped his hands around one of her feet and began
massaging it. How could she argue when it felt so good? "Okay. Ask your next question." He sat there, quietly rubbing her foot while he considered. "Do ye want children?" That surprised her. "Yes." He removed his belt and sword and slid them down the table to the pile of clothes. "That's it?" she asked. "One lousy belt?" "'Twas an easy question for you." "Do you want children?" She knew the answer wouldn't be easy for him. He could never have
children if he married a Vamp. "If I ever have children, I would consider myself greatly blessed." "That's a bit evasive. But still nice." She uncinched her brown leather belt, and her wooden stakes
clattered onto the table. He stood and shoved the stakes across the table, so that they tumbled onto the floor. "A bit sensitive about those, aren't you?" "Aye." He plucked the feathered cap off her head and tossed it onto the pile of clothing. "What are you doing?" "Ye asked a question, and I answered it. In fact, I just answered another one." He tugged at the
lacings on her green elfin tunic.
"Stop that." She swatted his hand away. "Those questions didn't count. That was normal
conversation. Now ask an official question, please."
"Verra well." He sat back down in his chair and studied her. "What do ye want most in life?"
"That's a big one. You'll have to remove five articles of clothing for that answer."
"Four."
"All right, four. But I get to choose which ones."
He smiled. "Agreed."
What did she want the most? "Every morning, I start my day with four affirmations. I guess you
could say they're what I want most in life. Or what I want to believe the most. The first one is I
deserve to be happy."
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"Aye, ye do."
She slid off the table. "I'm taking your boots." She yanked them off and smiled at his argyle socks. So Scottish. "Yer second affirmation?" he asked. "I will accomplish my goals." He nodded. "Ye have worthy goals." She unbuttoned his red velvet jacket. "Take it off, Santa." He tossed the jacket on the table, along with the small pillow that had masqueraded as a belly. "Go