Betrayed by a lover, Jamie rents an isolated cabin on Lake Huron, wanting only to be left alone. Instead, he is pulled from his solitary existence as an artist and tumbles headlong into the legend of Saint Nicolas.<br><br>As a young man, Nicolas accidentally killed a man intent on murdering three children, only to have the man's malicious spirit rise up against him. Fleeing through the centuries from the Krampus, the evil troll-like creature that dogs his steps, Nico finds refuge with the young artist who takes him into his home and bed. But Jamie has questions. Who is Nicolas, and why does the Krampus want to destroy him?<br><br>When the Krampus begins to torment and torture anyone Nico comes in contact with to punish him, Jamie's life is put in danger. And Jamie isn't sure whether he can help Nico defeat his nemesis or if he's merely a pawn in the Krampus's game.

Nicolas

Jamie yawned as exhaustion caught up to him. He blinked sleepily, then fell into a heavy doze with the man’s warm breath on his neck.2


Jamie woke with reluctance, not wanting to climb from the warm limbo he found himself in, feeling safe, secure. Arms pulled him a little closer, and he snuggled against the firm chest, resting his ear over the strongly beating heart. He wanted to stay there forever, but it soon grew stifling under the blanket; he pulled the edge down and blinked at the warm hazel eyes meeting his gaze. Who was this?


The stranger smiled and a hand crept out of the blanket, fingers brushing Jamie’s lips. “Angelo mio.”


What…Memory surfaced, and he pulled back a little, face heating when he realized they were both almost naked, the guy lean and strong and…hard, against him. Feeling out of his depth with the man he slid farther back, and fell off the edge of the couch onto his tailbone.


Chapter 4