THE RED ENVELOPE

                        ~DAMIEN~

The cold air hits my lungs like ice as I walk back into the mall, forcing deep breaths, forcing distance, forcing control I barely have left

Holly’s scent still clings to me….warm sugar and winter vanilla, and every step feels like I’m dragging myself through quicksan

I shouldn’t have kissed he

Moon goddess, I shouldn’t have touched he

But I can still taste her on my lip

I shake my head hard, trying to pull my mind back to where it needs to b

Ell

I need to find Ella

I weave through the Christmas crowd….kids laughing, parents calling, carol music echoing, and I’m barely holding myself together when suddenl

“Dad?

I tur

Ella stands near the center fountain, holding two bags, her hair pulled into a messy bun and her expression frozen in surpris

Her gaze locks on me, eyebrows shooting u

“Dad, what are you doing here? I thought you were at home.” She walks toward me, confusion written all over her face. “Why did you come out

I swallow, trying to keep my voice calm

“Decided to take a stroll. Was passing by and saw Holly just outside. She informed me you're in here” I sa

She opens her mouth to speak. Then she suddenly looks past my shoulder and lights u

“HOLLY!” she shrieks, waving wildl

I freez

My heart stop

I turn slowly, carefull

And there she i

Holly steps out from behind a pillar, her cheeks flushed from our kiss, her hair slightly tousled, trying, and failing, not to look rattled. Her eyes meet mine for barely a secon

Barel

But it’s enough to punch the air right out of my ches

Holly quickly looks away, smoothing her hoodie as she approache

Ella rushes toward her. “Where have you been? I’ve been looking all over the mall for you

Holly exhales shakily

“I decided to step out for a bit for fresh air. So sorry for making you worried” she apologizes softly to Ella. “Besides, you're busy taking pictures

Ella sighs and shakes her head

“It is fine. I would have been out since, but I just went to grab one last thing

“It is fine. It's a season of happiness…you should do things that make you happy and not resist it,” Holly say

And why do I feel she's indirectly throwing that statement at me

I almost snort. She is. And I know wh

Ella links her arm with Holly’s. “Anyway, we’re done, right? Let’s go. I’m starving

Holly nods and forces a small smile. “Yeah… let’s go

She stands close to Ella, but her gaze flickers toward me once….quick, nervous, before she looks away agai

They turn toward the exit, walking together through the glass doors into the cold evenin

I follow behind, giving space. Too much spac

Because if I get close to Holly again, I don’t trust myself not to…

Something catches my ey

A sudden flash of re

A single red envelope is tucked deep in the large Christmas tree near the entrance. I wouldn’t have noticed it if a cold gust hadn’t blown through the open door

Branches shak

Ornaments jingl

And the envelope loosens, slips, and falls…..landing right at my boot

I frow

I bend dow

And then I see it….written in small, neat letterin

To Santa—from HOLL

My breath stop

A heavy, cold shiver runs down my spin

I turn the envelope in my han

It’s sealed. Warm from the lights of the tre

And absolutely unmistakably hers

It must be her letter of wishes to Santa. The one she had written in the boot

What did she writ

Why does my chest tighten like thi

I glance toward the glass doors where Holly and Ella just stepped out into the sno

Then back down at the envelop

And against every logical part of me, against every instinct screaming at me to walk away, I break the sea

And slowly, carefully…I begin to rea

The moment my eyes hit the first sensual lin

I want him. The man I should never want

my entire body goes rigid

As I read further—every erotic detail, every sinful desire, every description of what she wants me to do to her ... .my jaw clenches harder, breath roughens, pupils dilat

And by the time I read the last line

Give me him this Christmas, Santa… just one night to be touched by him

I am not breathin

I fold the letter slowly, deliberately, like a man trying to control a wildfire spreading inside my ches

Then I look u

I see her across the snow-covered courtyar

And something in me snap

                     ~ HOLLY~

I see Damien walking toward me….not calm, not collected, but with a dark, focused intensity that makes the world fad

“Go home now, Ella. Holly and I will join you later. There's something I need to show her,” he tells Ell

It's a command. Her brows furrow in confusion, but she dare not argue…not when he used that ton

“Okay, dad” she says softly, then to me. “See you later, Holly

And then she's on her way back hom

“Damien?” I whisper, confused as I watch Ella go hom

He doesn’t answe

His hand wraps gently but firmly around my wrist, pulling me into the shadow behind the tree, hidden from the crowd and the light

The moment we’re out of sight, he pins me softly against the wooden beam behind us, not rough, but with the unmistakable hunger of a man who’s been pushed past restrain

He holds up the red envelop

“You hung this on the tree,” he says quietl

His voice is deep, dangerous

My heart stop

What the fuck?? Did he just read all my sinful confessions

Damn!

“I…Ella told me to…” I stammer, searching for words to sa

“Ella told you what to write??” He teases, his tone laced with dark obsessio

I shake my head. “No

“You wrote this.” His eyes burn. “You wrote every word

My breath trembles

“Yes

The word barely leaves my mouth before he steps closer….so close that his chest brushes mi

and his breath warms my lips

“You want me to ruin you for Christmas?” he murmurs, repeating my words back to me, sinful and slo

Heat shoots straight through m

I nod shakil

He exhales a harsh, tortured breath—the sound of a man losing the last thread of contro

His hand slides to my waist. The other to the back of my neck. He tilts my chin u

“Then look at me when you say it

My lips par

“I want you

His grip tighten

“Say it the way you wrote it

My knees weake

“I want you to touch me,” I whisper. “To kiss me. To take me the way I imagine at night. I want every forbidden thing….

And that’s all it take

                        ~DAMI

The cold air hits my lungs like ice as I walk back into the mall, forcing deep breaths, forcing distance, forcing control I barely have left

Holly’s scent still clings to me….warm sugar and winter vanilla, and every step feels like I’m dragging myself through quicksan

I shouldn’t have kissed he

Moon goddess, I shouldn’t have touched he

But I can still taste her on my lip

I shake my head hard, trying to pull my mind back to where it needs to b

Ell

I need to find Ella

I weave through the Christmas crowd….kids laughing, parents calling, carol music echoing, and I’m barely holding myself together when suddenl

“Dad?

I tur

Ella stands near the center fountain, holding two bags, her hair pulled into a messy bun and her expression frozen in surpris

Her gaze locks on me, eyebrows shooting u

“Dad, what are you doing here? I thought you were at home.” She walks toward me, confusion written all over her face. “Why did you come out

I swallow, trying to keep my voice calm

“Decided to take a stroll. Was passing by and saw Holly just outside. She informed me you're in here” I sa

She opens her mouth to speak. Then she suddenly looks past my shoulder and lights u

“HOLLY!” she shrieks, waving wildl

I freez

My heart stop

I turn slowly, carefull

And there she i

Holly steps out from behind a pillar, her cheeks flushed from our kiss, her hair slightly tousled, trying, and failing, not to look rattled. Her eyes meet mine for barely a secon

Barel

But it’s enough to punch the air right out of my ches

Holly quickly looks away, smoothing her hoodie as she approache

Ella rushes toward her. “Where have you been? I’ve been looking all over the mall for you

Holly exhales shakily

“I decided to step out for a bit for fresh air. So sorry for making you worried” she apologizes softly to Ella. “Besides, you're busy taking pictures

Ella sighs and shakes her head

“It is fine. I would have been out since, but I just went to grab one last thing

“It is fine. It's a season of happiness…you should do things that make you happy and not resist it,” Holly say

And why do I feel she's indirectly throwing that statement at me

I almost snort. She is. And I know wh

Ella links her arm with Holly’s. “Anyway, we’re done, right? Let’s go. I’m starving

Holly nods and forces a small smile. “Yeah… let’s go

She stands close to Ella, but her gaze flickers toward me once….quick, nervous, before she looks away agai

They turn toward the exit, walking together through the glass doors into the cold evenin

I follow behind, giving space. Too much spac

Because if I get close to Holly again, I don’t trust myself not to…

Something catches my ey

A sudden flash of re

A single red envelope is tucked deep in the large Christmas tree near the entrance. I wouldn’t have noticed it if a cold gust hadn’t blown through the open door

Branches shak

Ornaments jingl

And the envelope loosens, slips, and falls…..landing right at my boot

I frow

I bend dow

And then I see it….written in small, neat letterin

To Santa—from HOLL

My breath stop

A heavy, cold shiver runs down my spin

I turn the envelope in my han

It’s sealed. Warm from the lights of the tre

And absolutely unmistakably hers

It must be her letter of wishes to Santa. The one she had written in the boot

What did she writ

Why does my chest tighten like thi

I glance toward the glass doors where Holly and Ella just stepped out into the sno

Then back down at the envelop

And against every logical part of me, against every instinct screaming at me to walk away, I break the sea

And slowly, carefully…I begin to rea

The moment my eyes hit the first sensual lin

I want him. The man I should never want

my entire body goes rigid

As I read further—every erotic detail, every sinful desire, every description of what she wants me to do to her ... .my jaw clenches harder, breath roughens, pupils dilat

And by the time I read the last line

Give me him this Christmas, Santa… just one night to be touched by him

I am not breathin

I fold the letter slowly, deliberately, like a man trying to control a wildfire spreading inside my ches

Then I look u

I see her across the snow-covered courtyar

And something in me snap

                     ~ HOLLY~

I see Damien walking toward me….not calm, not collected, but with a dark, focused intensity that makes the world fad

“Go home now, Ella. Holly and I will join you later. There's something I need to show her,” he tells Ell

It's a command. Her brows furrow in confusion, but she dare not argue…not when he used that ton

“Okay, dad” she says softly, then to me. “See you later, Holly

And then she's on her way back hom

“Damien?” I whisper, confused as I watch Ella go hom

He doesn’t answe

His hand wraps gently but firmly around my wrist, pulling me into the shadow behind the tree, hidden from the crowd and the light

The moment we’re out of sight, he pins me softly against the wooden beam behind us, not rough, but with the unmistakable hunger of a man who’s been pushed past restrain

He holds up the red envelop

“You hung this on the tree,” he says quietl

His voice is deep, dangerous

My heart stop

What the fuck?? Did he just read all my sinful confessions

Damn!

“I…Ella told me to…” I stammer, searching for words to sa

“Ella told you what to write??” He teases, his tone laced with dark obsessio

I shake my head. “No

“You wrote this.” His eyes burn. “You wrote every word

My breath trembles

“Yes

The word barely leaves my mouth before he steps closer….so close that his chest brushes mi

and his breath warms my lips

“You want me to ruin you for Christmas?” he murmurs, repeating my words back to me, sinful and slo

Heat shoots straight through m

I nod shakil

He exhales a harsh, tortured breath—the sound of a man losing the last thread of contro

His hand slides to my waist. The other to the back of my neck. He tilts my chin u

“Then look at me when you say it

My lips par

“I want you

His grip tighten

“Say it the way you wrote it

My knees weake

“I want you to touch me,” I whisper. “To kiss me. To take me the way I imagine at night. I want every forbidden thing….

And that’s all it take

s..”n..”s..”t..”p.l.y.e.w..ne.”. .”.”n.y.!!??s..y.e.t.s.r.e.e..”e.a.e.

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  s.d.p.t.g.….….e..…e—d.l.e.w.s?e?h..e.d.e.s.Y.g:n.n.s.e.e.s.d.e..e.g.n..”.”y.??s..”. .”. !”s.t.y.d.s.y.s.e.y.p.y.. ?”p.e.n.!”y….a.e.s.r.r.d.. htens.

“Say it the way you wrote it.”

My knees weaken.

“I want you to touch me,” I whisper. “To kiss me. To take me the way I imagine at night. I want every forbidden thing…..”

And that’s all it takes.