On Comet Read online

  On Comet

  Stella Lang

  Contents

  On Comet

  1. Cee

  2. Vixen

  3. Cee

  4. Vixen

  5. Cee

  6. Cee

  7. Vixen

  8. Vixen

  9. Cee

  10. Vixen

  Epilogue

  Also by Stella Lang

  Who is Stella

  Copyright © 2019 by Stella Lang

  and F Squared, LLP

  All rights reserved.

  Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission from either the author and or the above named publisher of this book with the exception for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction.

  On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer, on Vixen, on Comet…

  How many men do you meet named Comet?

  I’m probably the only one, right?

  Well, it’s no wonder that when I finally meet a woman who turns my world upside down that I can only think of one thing…

  How to get her ON COMET.

  ~ Comet (Cee) Kringle

  One

  Cee

  I gripped the edge of my desk, as the voice of the CEO, aka my father, burst through my phone’s intercom system. "Dammit, I assume that I have you and your I paid way-to-much for college education for this dribble? Why is that every generation thinks that they know it all?" I could picture his face red to match his temper.

  I released my hold, I swear that I wasn’t envisioning the grip to be my father’s neck, I wasn’t that big of an ass. Instead, I reached for a mug of coffee just as my father shouted again and I jerked. Fuck, now there was coffee everywhere.

  "Pops, I gotta go. Someone is at my door." No one was really there but I needed to hang up before he could oppose. I moved to my bathroom and grabbed some paper towels. As I wiped up the Jamaican Blue Mountain roast, I thought of how I was going to deal with the old codger. When the mess was cleaned up, I wadded the paper towels, took aim, shot, and he scores.

  The crowd goes wild, okay not really. But I was a typical man, well as typical as it could be when your last name was Kringle, your family owned a Christmas store, and it was December. I envisioned every toss being a free throw, every run being for a touchdown.

  I set my mug down and picked my phone back up and dialed my pops. "Okay, let’s try this again. How about with a little more Christmas spirit and a little less resemblance of the manners of shoppers on Black Friday? To answer your question, no, I’m not responsible for that copy of the marketing report or as you call it, dribble that you found on your desk. It was sent to us from a local marketing firm. However, I think they are spot on. It’s what I’ve been harping on you about for years.

  "No. When your great-grandfather opened Noel’s there was no internet, people came into a store to shop. They made a family outing of is, it was an experience. We are built on tradition."

  "But did great-grandfather have a tax lien filed against them and a month to come up with the money?" I peered down at the calendar on my desk. "I take that back twenty-five days?"

  "Why do you always have to be such a smart ass?"

  "Are you still taking that class on How-to-win-Friends-and-Influence-Others- With-Their-Charming-Personality?" I asked. But hey, he accused me of being smart ass.

  I hope you sit on some antlers." My father disconnected.

  I pressed my palms into the sockets of my eyes. Why did I get so frustrated with the old man? I knew his health was frail but dammit all to hell, he wouldn’t listen to any new ideas. This was as much my legacy as it was his. I had a vested interest in seeing Noel’s succeed.

  I glanced up at a knock on my door. "Come in."

  "Mr. Kringle?"

  "Yes?" I asked and Mary, she was the shared assistant for me and my father, opened the door."

  "There is a woman here to see you, she doesn’t have an appointment."

  "I don’t have time today. I’m sorry. Ask her to come back another time, my father is in rare form."

  "Yes, I heard. But this woman says that she is the one who sent the marketing report."

  I jumped up practically knocking my chair over. "Bring some coffee and meet us in my dad’s office. I flashed her my trademark smile which always helped me get my way.

  While Mary went and fixed the coffees, I headed for our waiting area. I froze. Had it not been for the fact that I was in Orlando Florida, I would have sworn that I was at the North Pole. My eyelids were like ice and I couldn’t blink, I’m sure that my skin had turned that rosy red like I used to get when I would play out in the cold. And yes, it got cold in Orlando. Sitting in front of me, was beauty, sheer sexual beauty. I couldn’t explain it, I was thirty-two and never once had I been so overcome by the presence of one woman that I was willing to throw everything out and runaway with her. That was until I came face to face with this raven haired, put a bow on it, let me slowly unwrap gift sitting in front of me.

  "Uh-huh." I stepped back at the sound of a cough and realized that she was staring at me. "Mr. Kringle?"

  "Call me Cee, my father is Mr. Kringle. And who might you be?" I asked this even though I already knew the answer and that was, Mrs. Cee Kringle, the mother of my children. Even though she didn’t know it yet.

  She held out one hand, "Hi, I’m Vixen Brenna, and I own Jolly Marketing, I sent you and your father a copy of an analysis report that I worked up for Noel’s."

  "I love what you did. Do you have some time?"

  "I have all day," Vixen offered.

  Vixen? The name totally suited her and in my family it would be a perfect fit. "My father is a tad bit set in his ways, so we will have to work as a team. I read over your report and find it brilliant. I think that you can absolutely help us, I just wish that it would have been sooner. We are on a time crunch."

  "No worries Mr. Krin— Cee, I can help, time crunch or not."

  We rounded the corner to the grinch’s, I mean my father’s office and pushed the door open. "Pop, you’ve got a moment? I have someone I’d like you to meet."

  "Absolutely. Come on in. At Noel’s we always have time for our customers. I’m Nick Kringle."

  "Dad, this is Vixen Brenna."

  "Brenna, hmmm, not sure that I know of anyone by that name." My dad darted his eyes up to the ceiling as he tried to think of the name."

  "Here you go Mr. Kringle." We all turned as Mary came in with the coffee and sat them down. "Thank you Mary." She nodded and left as quickly as she had entered.

  We all took a seat, dad behind his desk, while Vixen and I sat across from him. "You know that report you found this morning?"

  "Not that cockamamie report again."

  "Mr. Kringle, if you just give me a second. "I am one of your customers, in fact I love Noels. I for one would hate to see it go under. But, the days of strictly operating as a brick-and-mortar storefront are over. Rising fuel costs, limited spare time for shopping, crazy traffic which thanks to Orlando being vacation central we have. Not to mention that it now takes two incomes to keep most people above water, all of this equates to no one having spare time to shop."

  My dad began to interject again, and I silenced him with a look.

  "Two, digital footprints across multiple markets gain an insane targeting reach over traditional channels for a meager cost. Price points can be manipulated to reduce t
he customer's perceived sting at shipping costs. Overall, operations can improve their margins while maintaining high levels of customer loyalty."

  I was transfixed by her knowledge…yes knowledge, it nothing to do with the fact that all I could think of was the way her dark hair would look splayed out across my red sheets. Vixen continued to spout off all the things I had been trying to get my dad to listen to for the last several years.

  My mouth watered at the thought of how her breasts heaved with each breath, and how I urged to hold them in my hands. I followed my gaze down her body and stopped on her long legs, her knees were crossed, one foot bounced, and she was sporting a killer pair of Louboutin pumps. My family owned a high-end department store that celebrated Christmas year-round and made it’s mark for finding the perfect Christmas gift for everyone on your list, yes, I knew what Louboutin heels were.

  My surroundings fell quiet.

  A smile cut across her plump red lips. "Cee, don’t you agree?"

  My breathing slowed. "Yes, absolutely. Vixen is absolutely correct dad." I managed to force a wry smile cross my lips. I shifted in my seat to hide my growing erection as Vixen’s grin only widened and the edge of her tongue darted out and licked one corner.

  Fuck, I was so hard I could carve an ice sculpture.

  "Miss Brenna, I’m afraid, that I’ve let my pride go on too long—"

  "Mr. Kringle, that’s nonsense. It has nothing to do with pride. It is more about keeping traditions in a modern world. Plus, I’ve wanted to see Noel’s turn around for so long that I’ve been working on something that we can actually have up and running tomorrow. That is if you will trust me."

  "I don’t know," my dad hemmed and hawed.

  "Yes, yes we totally trust you. We have nothing to lose. This is my legacy and I want to see it survive another one-hundred years. So I say yes." I turned my focus to my dad. "It’s my turn, you keep reminding me that I need to take the reins soon. Let me."

  My dad nodded.

  "What do you have in mind Vixen?"

  "I’ll need your help, because I'm planning a full-on marketing sales push beginning this Friday morning. We will pack this store with ready-to-buy shoppers and send them home with packages in hand for the holidays. Plus, each shopper will be encouraged to download an App on their phone. We will tell them that is where they will find our latest sales and coupons but in all honesty it is where you will be able to stay in touch with your customers and give them the ever-famous-Noel’s customer service."

  Two

  Vixen

  I sat and for the first time in my life, I understood the phrase, could hear a pin drop. In front of me I had Nick Kringle who was supposed to be the jolliest man in Orlando but from the scowl on his face I quickly learned that his reputation was ill placed. To my left I had Cee, I had no clue what kind of name Cee was or if that was even his real name but ever since meeting him I’d rolled his name around in my head to the tune of, Cee, Cee, oh god, oh god, yes, yes. Call me sick, but the man was hot and although I was never the type to write a man’s name in my diary, I was known to roll it around my tongue to see how it sounded being yelled during orgasm.

  The man was hot, like underneath his suit, I could drop some chocolate chip cookie dough on his abs and they would bake, kind of hot. His blue eyes were that perfect shade of ice blue but there was nothing cold about him.

  As I watched him, I tried to remind myself that I had sworn off men. It was a necessity as I built my business. I was an all-in-it kind of woman. When I put my mind to something, I jumped in with both feet even before I knew how to swim, I assumed I would learn along the way. Saving Noel’s would be a major accolade for my small company and it would be like old times when I—

  Not now, I couldn’t go there. No time for sentimental crap.

  Somewhere in the back of my mind, a little voice pleaded for temporary sanity before I dragged this handsome man back to his office to play naked-office-furniture-games. My perverted mind considered the interesting ways we could use his desk, filing cabinet, hell, the things I could do with tape.

  Raging hormones quelled, I noticed Cee was watching me.

  "What are you two waiting for? Sounds to me like you’ve got work to do. Mrs. Brenna—"

  "Miss." I corrected Mr. Kringle. "It’s Miss but you can call me Vixen."

  "Very well Vixen, if you should need anything, my son will be your point of contact here at Noel’s. I’m looking forward to what you have in store for us."

  Cee stood first and held out one hand to me, when I placed my hand in his and our fingers touched, sparks raced up my arm. I tried to jerk back, but he held on tight as he helped to lift me from my seat. One strong hand moved to the base of my back as he escorted me from his father’s office. We stopped at the desk of the receptionist.

  "Mary, this is Vixen. The old Man has finally caved in and allowed us to move into the modern age. Here’s hoping we aren’t too late. You’ll be seeing Vixen around here a lot. If you could please get her an all access badge made and get a memo sent out that everyone is to assist her with whatever she needs. She is going to try and save us."

  Mary raced around the desk and wrapped her arms around me. I wanted to sink into the motherly touch. I’d missed this feeling.

  "Will do. Swing by here before you leave Vixen and I’ll have everything ready for you. What’s your last name so I can put it on the badge?"

  "Brenna."

  "Kringle," Cee announced a bit louder and at the same time as me. "Just put Kringle, everyone will think you are a cousin or something and they will go out of their way even more to help. It will also gain you instant trust."

  Mary shot Cee a strange look but what did I care what the badge said, I was getting to work and hopefully save Noel’s.

  Cee once again placed a hand to the base of my back and escorted me off. "I’d like to show you around. Let’s start at the bakeshop." Cee glanced down at his watch. "Fresh cinnamon buns should just be coming out of the oven."

  "At a set time?"

  "Every hour on the hour."

  "You mean you don’t waft canned fragrance through the vent system?"

  Cee looked affronted by my comment. "That’s sacrilege. Don’t make me spank you."

  I raised one brow, my mind was totally on overspeed, what else could I say that would make him want to spank me?

  We swung by the bakery, and I listened as Cee pointed out the facts about their bakeshop and what made it incomparable to any others. We grabbed two rolls and then moved on. Cee guided me down a hallway, I felt as if we were backtracking.

  "Where are we going now?"

  "We have some important things to discuss." He said this as he gazed down at me through hooded eyelids and move his hand down to hook his arm around my waist.

  He pushed open a heavy set of doors and then we were standing in what could only be his office.

  Over the passed few hours, Cee had awoken passions in me that I had pushed down and left dormant all for the sake of a career. Everything about Cee touched me: his strength, his size, his possessiveness, the light stubble on his jaw, even the dewy scent of his cologne imprinted itself forever in my psyche.

  Three

  Cee

  Safely inside my office, I pulled Vixen against me. I gazed down at her to find her eyes darkening to a shade that almost matched her hair. I ran my fingers along the flesh of her ear.

  "We have a lot to do Vixen, but I need this one thing right now."

  Framing her face, I pulled her toward me until our lips were touching. Her mouth was smooth as silk and soft as satin, and my tongue traced along the seam. Our first kiss, this feeling, this day, the sixth of December, would be forever etched in my memory. A memory that would be my last thought at the moment of my last breath.

  I deepened my kiss and she accepted me without reserve. I wound her hair around my fingers as she tried to inch closer to me until our hips were touching.

  I released my grip on Vixen as I turned to lock my do
or. My insides were on fire, burning for this woman. Never had I had feelings for another woman in this way, so intense, so fast, so all encompassing. The mere thought of her leaving my side and not knowing every inch of her and being assured that she was mind…that thought, it was unfathomable.

  Vixen made her way behind my desk. I leaned back against my door, marveling at the beautiful creature before me. She wasn’t shy. Not that I was shocked, Vixen was one hundred percent as alpha as I was. I didn’t move over to her, not yet, I was afraid that I would jump her, to hell with foreplay.

  Vixen slid one hand along the edge of the elegant rosewood top of my desk. I had always preferred old-time styling and had actually searched for months before finding this desk at an auction. It had taken renting a small crane and a team of men to get the piece in through the window of my corner office on the third floor but it was worth it. Before today, it was my favorite thing I owned, and now it was nothing compared to the woman next to it. It’s beauty paled, and the only way it could even come close to Vixen was if I took her across the shiny surface.

  A lift of her eyebrow indicated she totally knew where my mind had just been. She took a seat and swiveled. She sat forward for a moment running her red-tipped fingers across the smooth top. My desk was so polished that normally I could see my reflection in the marble inlay. Glancing to her right, her eye caught the unlit cigar I kept in a fine-china antique pencil holder.

  She bit her lower lip in a well-rehearsed coy smile, I held my breath waiting to see what she did next. She plucked the cigar from the holder and then leaned back and kicked her heels up on the corner of my desk.