Undercover Santa

  Undercover Santa

  A Forever Safe Christmas, Book 14

  Pixie Chica

  Undercover Santa

  © Pixie Chica 2019

  All Rights Reserved by the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for brief quotations used in a book review. This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental. The use of actors, artists, movies, TV shows and song titles/lyrics throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as an advertisement. Trademark names are used editorially with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark. This book is intended for adults only. Contains sexual content and language that may offend some. The suggested reading audience is 18 years or older. I consider this book as Erotic Adult Romance.

  ASIN: B07ZY4K3N8

  ISBN: 9781674134871

  Editor: Elizabeth E. Neal

  Cover: Pixie Chica

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Dedication

  Prologue

  1. Crystal

  2. Joe

  3. Crystal

  4. Joe

  5. Crystal

  6. Joe

  7. Crystal

  8. Joe

  9. Crystal

  Epilogue One - Joe

  Epilogue Two - Crystal

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Other Books by Author

  Dedication

  To Brandie, Nikki, and my arc team members. #UndercoverDirty

  From concept to reality, you all inspired this book.

  Prologue

  Joe Claus

  Watching the trolley as it leaves with my only remaining sibling in the North Pole stings, but more so when she’s your twin and it’s your fault she's on it to begin with. There was a time her and I had been attached at the hip. We would sit in our rooms and talk about how we were going to run this place together. We’d even perfected the plan of how it would go, down to the littlest details. It consisted of driving our brother insane until he left it to us. We even stuck glue on him once and it took hours to pry him of the sleigh. It was always supposed to be just me and her against the world. Well, we seemed to have succeeded in one part. Only now I had done the same with the only person who I had ever been close to.

  I had started pushing my sister away years before. I can’t even pin-point exactly when it happened, but I just knew one day we hated each other. Now I was going to have to explain to my parents that their favorite child has left because of me. That is a conversation I’m not quite ready for. While my parents said they loved us all the same, that was a lie. They definitely had a favorite, and that was Brandie, followed by Ron, and I was dead last.

  Heading back to the factory with dread at what lies ahead, I try to think of how I was going to tell them she left. As I make my way down the street thinking over my options, I see John Alexander heading my way. Great just what I need, another person who has replaced me in some way. If I heard my sister say one more time. ‘why couldn’t he be her brother’, I was going to pull my hair out.

  “Yo, Joe hold the fuck up.” He says making his way over to me with that slow walk of his. He never once faltered from his routine, not even to speed walk my way. The man was predictable to a fault, down to wearing the same style suit day in and day out. No wonder him and my sister got along.

  “What do you want John? Come to chastise me?”

  “I don’t know, did my best friend just leave town because of you?” His expression clearly not amused by the turn of events. Join the club.

  “I don’t think that’s any of your business.” I reply, turning to leave, but he grabs me by the shirt collar.

  “You made it my business, why the fuck did you do that? Maybe you need to get someone to show you how to stop being a fuck up.”

  Both our tempers flare, and I push him off me. I want to kick his ass, but that will only add to the trouble I’m already in. “Leave me the fuck alone John, you don’t want to mess with me.”

  “Maybe I do. Maybe I will show you how to respect your sister, something she obviously never could get from you.” He says just before taking a swing at me that I duck, and not one of my proudest moments, I swing back. But mine lands right on his ribs, knocking the wind out of his lungs, and he immediately doubles over. Onlookers are now gathering and this is going to turn into a shit storm once Molly sees I’ve hurt her son. Just as I predicted, I see her run down the street. The look of horror appears clear as day when she looks at her son. He’s pretty strong himself, but I had the training as a boxer on my side. I had taken boxing lessons growing up, ironically, to help channel my anger.

  “What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you hit him?” Molly screams at me. I am so ashamed at the action; I have no response for her. John was a friend of mine too growing up, and like everyone in my world, I pushed him away.

  “Auntie Molly, I’m sorry I… it was a reflex, he grabbed me and I swung.”

  Looking appalled at the words that just left my lips, and a bit incredulous too, she looks at her son who is now standing next to her, although holding his middle. “Why would you swing at him?”

  “Because genius here made his sister leave the North Pole. That’s why.”

  “What does he mean, your sister left? As in left for the day?” My father, Gregory Claus, aka Santa Claus comes up behind me, taking in the situation. His tired expression causing me to pause. He looks so much more drained than he did at the beginning of the year, and this was my one chance to show him I could be counted on.

  “No as in for a whole year.” John spews out and I have to control myself because as bad as I felt seconds ago, I want to punch him again. The only reason I don't is because I know this would cause more grief for my father. But even that doesn’t stop my smart mouth.

  “What, you got the hots for my sister or something? News flash she doesn’t swing that way.”

  “Yeah neither do I, what’s your point? I’ll still fuck you up. I don’t have to be into someone to be a decent human being.” He launches at me again, but his mom holds him back.

  “Man whatever.”

  I start to walk away, my need for clear space overwhelming me. But my father’s demand that I meet him upstairs in the office has me changing direction. Walking up the steps to where we just were, not even an hour ago. My dad storming beside me and my mother following suit. When we enter, he sits at the head of the conference room table, and my mother right next to him. Signaling me to sit, I do as I’m told and wait for the scolding I’m about to get because of the situation.

  My father runs a hand through his beard, stress getting the better of him. My mother lays her hand on top of his, only solidifying that there will be no second opinions. One always agreeing with the other and no space for arguments.

  “Tell me son, why did John say your sister left?”

  “Well, like I said, she had a conniption when she found out I would be taking over, and decided to leave the North Pole.”

  Expecting him to yell, I'm surprised when he stands up quietly, and pulls my mom with him, pulling her against his chest. “I’m sorry Gene, I tried, but it won’t be this year either.” His deep sigh does more to me than any amount of yelling could have done.


  “It’s ok baby, let’s get you some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a long day, at least twelve hours. I’ll call in some reinforcements.”

  “Ok, do that. Give me a second alone with our son and I’ll meet you downstairs. I’ll cancel our plans for the evening, we need to go over numbers now that Brandie has left.” She simply nods giving him a soft kiss and heading out, but not before glancing at me with sadness. I wait until she’s out of the room and then try and plead my case to him.

  “Dad, you have to believe me, it was never my intention. I tried to stop her.”

  “Silence.”

  Fear creeps up my spine as I'm taken aback by his harsh tone. One I've only heard once before. It was the day I came home in a totaled car, and my sister had been in it with me. He was so outraged at my disregard for safety, when it had been an honest accident.

  “Dad, you gotta let me explain.”

  “What exactly Joe?” He slams his hands on the conference table, nostrils flaring. “You’re going to explain to me, how my only daughter abruptly left the only home she’s ever had? Or how I already lost one son over this stupid fight you both have been having for years? Or better yet, are you going to explain how I’m supposed to send you to find her weeks before Christmas, and run the whole place when I promised your mother a honeymoon.”

  “I’m sorry.” Is all I manage to say, shame filling every part of me.

  “Yeah sorry isn’t going to cut it. That woman who you take so easily for granted by ruining this...that woman has stood by me as I said goodbye to my father. She left her whole life behind when my own brother refused to take over, and built all this. And do you know that I have never been able to give her what I always wanted… a honeymoon, where she could be just my wife. Not your mother, not Mrs. Claus, not a hostess, just my wife.

  “No I… I didn’t know that.”

  “Of course not, because that’s what parents do, we take care of our kids first, but you are a grown man. I finally thought you were ready to be serious. Guess not. Get on the next trolley and find your sister, do not come back without her. I’ll call the family to see who she may have gone to stay with.”

  Two days later…

  The trolley approaches, and no one is here to see me go, not that I expected any different. Everyone in the shop hates my guts because word got around that I caused the prized child to leave town. When it came to me and my siblings, I was going to always be the black sheep of the family. I take my seat with only a duffle bag in tow. I do not plan on being gone for that long, because I am going to find my sister and redeem myself in front of my parents. This one was not going to land on my shoulders.

  Not that it wouldn't anyway, it is always how it ends up. Me taking the blame when things go wrong. My sister got the smarts, and the kissing ass skill perfected. To everyone she could do no wrong, and I was tired of everyone believing her sweet act. I could see past all of it, she was a control freak who wanted things to forever remain the same in the North Pole. Then there was my brother Ron, the fucker. He was the prodigal son who was always blaming shit on me and my sister. I was even more pissed at him than I could ever be at Brandie.

  I could see past his act too, he wanted nothing to do with the North Pole, and took the first way out. It had always been expected that he would take over the shop, but when the time came, he skipped out on it. Took years to go find himself and now that dad was nearing retirement, his new excuse was the bickering between the Claus twins.

  Brandie and I being younger than him ended up not being able to leave as much as he had. We’d been expected to help out more since our parents were older now. Yet no one even blinked an eye whenever a new adventure was calling for him. His whole family is that way, and I secretly despise him for it. Even when my sister opted to go to college, I stayed behind, learning trades from the people in the workshop.

  Taking my phone I call up my sister again still no answer. I was going to really go find her.

  Chapter One

  Crystal

  December 4th…

  “Thank you so much, have a very, merry Christmas.” Ugh, only three more hours of this shit. Having to serve another customer is going to make me insane. Don’t get me wrong, I love that they enjoy my baked goods, my problem is I don’t want to actually deal with people. I’m not a people person and I hate Christmas, not so much because I have some tragic story, not that it’s all that great, but it’s not that. I just rather stay in my kitchen cooking, not seeing everyone in their Christmas cheer, and endless bags of goodies they have to give out.

  All the over indulgence that the season brings pisses me off. Especially when it’s being put up by all the sales companies and shoved down your throat. Everyone knows there’s no real Santa, and yet we let kids believe it, only to get their souls crushed.

  Then that feeling gets turned into actual greed when they figure out that the stores have everything they want… but certainly don’t need. Overpriced bullshit left and right. I should know, my parents own one of the better-known Christmas pushers. They spend millions on marketing this holiday more than any other. Between the high-end clothing stores, to the money sucking toys, they are the true Christmas devil… and I’m a skeptic with good reason.

  My family is another sore spot especially during the holidays. While everyone is trying to spend it with loved ones, I get to see them once a year around this time, and hope I don’t gouge my eyes out. I opted to leave the family, being the middle child in a family of five, where every child was brighter than the next. Except for me, according to my parents. I knew it was bullshit, but it was the way our parents made it seem growing up. We were always in competition with each other. Who got the best grades, who had the most accolades. My youngest brother was 15 and already had a PHD, then there was me. The baker, and disappointment to the parents, because the one skill I had I would not use for their advantage. If there is something I can do it’s bake, and I’ve created the perfect cookie recipe. When I refused to give it to them, the small light that had been thrown my way was taken, and back to being the underachiever I went.

  As soon as I was 18, I left the hell out of that home, but not before coercing my parents out of my share of the fortune. Yeah, I could have done it all by myself and been one of those rags to riches stories but #SorryNotSorry. My parents were evil and if I learned anything from them it was how to be a shrewd business person. So I took them for all I could and pissed them off with the ultimate fuck you. I opened Crystal’s Christmas Cookies & Bakery, and rubbed it all over their faces... and that’s how anti-Christmas me ended up with a Christmas shop.

  Most days I simply ignored the festive attitudes and treated customers as best I could, seeing it as a business decision. But today I was on a warpath wanting to eliminate everyone in sight. My mother had stopped by with the pretense that she needed to give me the invitation to the Sugarplum Ball that would be in less than a week. I had purposely avoided the RSVP, hoping to get out of it this year, but no such luck. She came, and disapproved of every little thing in my shop, my clothes, down to the color of nail polish I had on. Then like the sneaky woman she was she turned the conversation to business, and tried to buy a load of my cookies for her company. I refused. I wasn’t about to let her lure me into her trap. It was bad enough I had to see her again once more before the end of the year.

  The only reason I still managed to go was so I could see my siblings. I still loved them and although their views on life had been skewed to match our parents, I was the one sister they all loved. None of them felt threatened by me and I was okay with that. She finally left after an hour and now I was in the worst of moods.

  My best friend and roommate comes in the front door and I just give him the look. He’s late having to be here a couple hours ago, to get me off the floor before I snapped. I’ve had over 150 orders since I opened, and it seems more are coming in by the minute.

  “I’m sorry! I got caught up, between you, Grace, and the DJ-ing I’m running ragged.”
He says rolling his eyes at me. Anyone else would have already been fired, but him I just smack playfully across the arm. “You lucky you’re easy on the eyes, it’s a quality that sells.”

  “Really? Now you’re pimping me to sell those cookies? No wonder they selling like hotcakes.” He says lifting the bottom of his shorts up to mid-thigh. “Oooo get ready 400 sales coming right up.”

  “May your tongue get burned to ashes. I’m barely able to deal with the amount we have coming in now.”

  “No, you barely can deal with the customers and all their Christmas cheer.”

  “Same bullshit.”

  He scratches his nose doing the accidental middle finger, and I can’t help but laugh at it. Working with your best friend is the best part of having my own company. We met about three years ago when he came strolling into my small shop. I was 22 and green as can be when it came to people skills, and he took one look at my attitude and told me I needed help. He started working for me that day and polishing my fake smile. My sales skyrocketed and I offered him a room in my apartment. A couple months later we met Grace, and our fearless trio was born. Although, with Grace I had to learn to eat my words. She spent her life looking for the good in the world, and owned a year-round Christmas emporium. It took some getting used to, but the girl who believed Christmas was a hoax created by Christmas companies, was best friends with the one who lived in perpetual Christmas bliss. Kent being the sarcastic glue that held us together.

  “Anything new I should know about?” He asks and I shake my head.