Scarlet's Naughty Christmas: Bubble Bath Romance

By Max Watson

It's Christmas, which means screaming kids, carols on repeat, and angry impatient parents giving me the evil eye. Every year I think this part-time gig as Santa's helper will fill me with Christmas cheer and every year I'm left at Santa's altar while he's off drinking himself into a stupor. It's time I gave up and quit this nonsense already. But then the latest Santa rent-a-drunk—Luke—turns out not to be a drunk at all. In fact, he's a hunky hottie that has me drooling and falling all over myself. I may not get filled with Christmas cheer this year, but maybe I can get this sexy Santa to stuff my stocking…

 

Scarlet's a force to be reckoned with. This little firecracker has given me the cold shoulder before I could so much as introduce myself. But the moment I slip out of that heat trap of a Santa costume, suddenly she can't look away. Before I know it, she's throwing me into the back of her car and the next thing I know, we're knockin' stockings. Not that I'm complaining. But I want to tame this firecracker and stick around longer than the holiday season. Is this a Christmas fling or the real thing?

 

Scarlet's Naughty Christmas is part of Max Watson's Bubble Bath Romance collection. Each standalone short story is intended to be read in one sitting—in a hot and steamy bubble bath! Each book features steamy romance with an HEA.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Max Watson Books LLC
• Release date: Dec 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781734019766

Max Watson

Max Watson braves the sweltering heat of Dallas, Texas along with her husband Spencer, their son Jack, and their three kitty overlords. From roofing, to flipping houses and businesses, to building race cars, to ladder-climbing in corporate America, Max Watson loves to jump from one challenge to the next. In her career working for the man, she frequently found herself enthralled by the human psyche and was always daydreaming twisted tales. Running away screaming from corporate America, she decided to tackle the itch just under the skin and begin her writing career.

Book preview

Scarlet’s Naughty Christmas

This book is part of Max Watson’s Bubble Bath Romance collection. Each short story romance is designed to be read in one sitting while you sit back and relax in a hot and steamy bubble bath!

Chapter One - Scarlet

I want a pony.

You and every other little girl on the planet. Do you know how many little girls there are versus ponies? It’s not happening.

But—

Aren’t you too old to believe in Santa, anyway?

M-mommy! The young girl screams and runs from Brady’s lap. I smile at the young boy next in line to stifle the urge to roll my eyes. I send Brady a ‘get your shit together’ glare but instead of taking the hint, he waves me over to his red and white plush throne with an air of impatience.

You reek. I wave a hand under my nose as the stench of sour liquor wafts from the worst Santa I’ve had the misfortune of pairing with in many years.

Yeah, yeah. Then gimme a candy cane or something. I ain’t drunk, just a little hungover. Anyway, can we take five? I gotta piss somethin’ awful.

Oh my God. Fine. Just go.

Hey! Where’s he going? I’ve been in line for almost an hour already! The young boy’s father yells at me while pointing at Brady’s receding back.

Santa heard Rudolf was feeling scared so far away from the north pole so he’s going to go check on him. You wouldn’t want him to be scared and alone, would you? I kneel down to the young boy and gaze into his pale blue eyes. His father’s dull gray stare shoots daggers at me.

Santa isn’t real. My mom wants a picture of me sitting in that hobo’s lap. I’m hungry! When’s he gonna be back from the smoke break?

Well. I’ve had about enough of this. Every year it’s the same. I put away my Halloween decorations, break out the silver and gold right before Thanksgiving, and I get that itch. The desire to be part of something bigger than myself, to give back, to be surrounded by the holiday cheer.

Every year I think it’ll be different. This time children will line up, their eyes filled with excitement and wonder. The families will gather around, snap pictures, and swoon over the holiday display I spend hours perfecting. I’ll go home every night feeling fulfilled and connected. And come the day of Christmas as I slip into my favorite robe and slippers and trod down the stairs to open the presents I wrapped for myself, I won’t feel so alone. I’ll be filled with the Christmas spirit from this job.

But every year is the same. Some sad sack sits in the chair drunker than the last guy. The children are as fed up as the parents and the whole holiday is cheapened by the experience. These fake Santas have to be the kind of men who can’t even hack a grocery store greeting gig. Otherwise, I can’t fathom why these spoil sports would want to listen to children’s wish lists all day if they all seem to hate children as much as they do Christmas.

I put up one of the many clever signs I’d painstakingly painted that give bullshit excuses with a holiday flair for the frequent disappearances of our various rent-a-drunk Santas. This one reads: Back in five minutes, Mrs. Claus needs to talk to Santa.

The father at the front of the line mouths something foul at me then stomps away, dragging junior sourpuss behind him. After five minutes, half the line has wandered away. Ten minutes later and the line drops to a small cluster of ten kids and their adults.

Every year it’s worse and worse.

We should try another mall somewhere else. This mall Santa is always a joke.

I wanna see Santa! I never get to see Santa!

A high pitched wail erupts from the back of the line. I catch a glimpse of the look of hurt and despair on a little girl’s face and my heart twists in a knot. I spin on my heel to hide the tears as they form.

How could I be so stupid to put my holiday happiness in the hands of such a failed project? I took this seasonal job on a lonely whim five years ago and it’s never once been the whimsical experience I’d hoped.