Santa's Wayward Elf

SANTA’S WAYWARD ELF by

Paige Tyler

WHISKEY CREEK PRESS www.whiskeycreekpress.com

Published by WHISKEY CREEK PRESS Whiskey Creek Press PO Box 51052 Casper, WY 82605-1052 www.whiskeycreekpress.com

Copyright  2011 by Paige Tyler Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 (five) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. ISBN 978-1-61160-141-1

Credits Cover Artist: Gemini Judson Editor: Edna Curry Printed in the United States of America

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT ANIMAL ATTRACTION 2009 Epic Award Finalist “Animal Attraction is paranormal romance writing at its finest. I really loved the interaction with Eliza and Hunter. They have this initial attraction that sizzles. Paige Tyler is an author with a knack for creating a werewolf who is sinfully sexy and she kept me totally engrossed right from the beginning. I am hoping for an additional story featuring Hunter’s brother Luke. I also look forward to more offerings from Ms. Tyler in the very near future. I would recommend Animal Attraction to anyone who enjoys stories of werewolves and shifters!” Joyfully Reviewed “Animal Attraction is scorching hot. I blushed being witness to the sheer animalistic attraction shared by Eliza and Hunter. The love scenes were erotic but romantic, forceful but sensual, and naughty but playful. The feelings and depth of emotions were believable and so very sexy. I will never again look at a hot tub without remembering this risqué but thoroughly entertaining novel. Paige Tyler is now on my list of authors to watch for and I know that other readers will feel the same way!” Wild on Books Reviews

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT ANIMAL INSTINCT #1 WCPT Bestseller “This story was excellent! I loved the setting, it totally made me want to go visit Alaska, just to see it for myself, and maybe pick up a sexy Alaskan werewolf like Luke. Heidi’s character was also very well developed, and I loved that she was not some wilting flower, she was capable of solving her own problems, but she was also woman enough to realize when she was over her head, and

needed help. Luke’s character was perfect-strong, able to take care of his woman, but not overbearing about it. He was alpha, but not to any extreme. He was able to control himself to let her go, and hope that she would come back to him. All in all, this was an amazing story, with some very hot scenes between Luke and Heidi. Excellent job!” ParaNormal Romance “Shapeshifter romances are really hot at the moment and this book explains why. With spicy love scenes, sexy alpha males, and a good storyline, it’s no wonder that women (and men) are flocking to the stores to pick up these books. Animal Instinct was a well written, sizzling tale that has left me eager to read Ms. Tyler’s next book. If you enjoy a good paranormal erotic romance, then I would recommend Animal Instinct hands down!” The Novel Blog

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT LIBRARIAN BY DAY Top Ten WCPT Bestseller “The first sentence of Librarian By Day captured my interest immediately, and every word that followed, delivered a delicious erotic tale, oozing with sensuality. This is a book that will make the most staid, reserved reader, want to beg their partner for a well delivered spanking, or—gasp—ask for permission to give one! Paige Tyler completely enthralled me with the blatant and yet innocent, gentle sexual fantasies of Jennifer, and Nik’s firm but loving deliverance of what she wants most. The wording and writing style, used by Tyler, is beautifully phrased and draws the reader in. I personally enjoyed the soft meshing of the focus, spanking, into the characters love story in a way that was both romantic and edgy at the same time. Tyler’s characters are fresh, entertaining and enjoyable to get to know, with dynamic byplay between them. Librarian By Day is one red-hot book! I will definitely be looking to add more of Paige Tyler’s work to my library.” Dark Angel Reviews

“This book is ‘Hot’, just like Jennifer describes to her best friend Stacy: ‘Hot—Just like my bottom after Nik got done spanking me’. I had never thought that spanking was something that would interest me, but this book definitely kept me interested. The library scene where when Nik comes in after closing and acts out some of Jennifer’s deepest held fantasies, on the tables and desks between the stacks is very stimulating to say the least. This is a fun story, enjoyable and a pleasure to read. It is well written and edited and a good story for those that are curious about spanking and light bondage play. This one is definitely highly recommended.” Long and Short Romance Reviews (Whipped Cream) 5 Cherries! “Librarian By Day definitely delivers by exploring fantasies that many women would never dare to admit to craving. Jennifer and Nik complement each other beautifully especially since they’re both so willing to step outside their comfort zones and try something new. I admit I’ve often wondered how or even if spankings would be something I’d enjoy, however I also believe i would depend on the partner and so therefore, I’ll live vicariously through Jennifer and Nik’s story and keep my own deep dark desires hidden—for now.” Romance Junkies 4 Blue Ribbons! “Librarian by Day was an enjoyable story exploring Jennifer and Nik’s initial forays into kinkier lovemaking. I think most of us can relate to having a few naughtier fantasies that we might not have shared with a previous lover, so it was fun reading about Nik’s initial reaction to spanking and how he showed Jennifer that he was willing to try something that clearly fascinated her. I also enjoyed Jennifer’s shock and curiosity as to whether something she'd fantasized about for years would turn out to be as exciting as she'd hoped. Nik was well up to the challenge as he was very in tune with Jennifer’s reactions and found to his surprise that he really enjoyed this activity, too. The sex scenes were detailed and well written and had a sense of novelty about them in that for these

two, this new form of foreplay really put some heat into everything that came afterward. There was also a scene featuring exhibitionism as Nik and Jennifer put on a show for another couple. If you’ve ever been intrigued with a spanking scenario, pick up Librarian by Day and enjoy.” JERR 4 Stars!

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT MODERN DAY VAMPIRES: VAMPIRE 101 “Absolutely delightful and wickedly tempting, Ms. Tyler has put a new spin on the vampire curse giving it a fresh look. Filled with deliciously sinful love scenes written to set the sheets on fire and characters that will make your mouth water and leave your eagerly flipping to the next page to see what happens next. Guaranteed to tease the senses, push you to the brink and leave you squirming in your seat. There is no way I will be missing anything Ms. Tyler puts out next. My hats off to the author, a splendid job!” Long and Short Romance Reviews (Whipped Cream) 5 Cherries! “Modern Day Vampires: Vampire 101 is another mouthwatering hit from Paige Tyler. I absolutely devoured this book. Savanna and Kaige are so mesmerizing that it felt like I actually knew them. They could have been my neighbors they were so realistic. The romance that blossoms between them is heartfelt and passionate. I was rooting for them from the very beginning. Kaige is such a protector of Savanna. He makes it his job to keep her safe at all costs. When it dawns on him that he’s falling in love with her, I wanted to hug him, he was so dumbfounded about it. Savanna is a jewel. Sweet, innocent, charming and when it really counts, strong and passionate. At turns, Modern Day Vampires: Vampire 101 is hilarious, comical, suspenseful, erotic and downright captivating. Paige Tyler is wicked with a pen and knows how to yank her readers in and leave them breathless from beginning to end. If you’re in the mood for a superb paranormal romance with some erotic scenes woven in with a splash of suspense for good measure, Modern Day Vampires:

Vampire 101 is definitely the book for you. This one is going on my keeper shelves and I’ve already re-read it three times, so I guarantee you’ll love it!” Dark Angels Reviews “Vampire 101 is a well-written and entertaining book, a roller coaster ride of thrills and chills, extreme highs and very few lows. The reader is able to watch Savanna run through the gamut of emotions as she deals with Kaige, is he truly the man of her dreams, or even a real man at all? I love this author’s writing style; she has such a vivid imagination, inviting the readers into her world, initially mesmerizing us into complacently believing that this is a typical vampire tale when it is anything but that. Further reading shows a book filled with intrigue, mystery, adventure, and sensuous romance—everything a discerning reader needs to stay focused for hours of enjoyment. Ms. Tyler knows how to keep her readers on the edge of their seats till the very end of her book, which is the mark of a true storyteller. Pick up a copy of Vampire 101 you will not be disappointed.” You Gotta Read Reviews

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT PROTECTIVE CUSTODY #1 WCPT Bestseller “I have to admit I was first drawn to this book because of the erotic cover, but after the first few paragraphs, I knew I was in for a real treat. Ms. Tyler captivated me with her writing style, impressive voice, and extremely well developed characters. I have read several other stories where the protector and the protectee fell in love, but never one as powerful or as palpable as Protective Custody. Ms. Tyler is skillful at interweaving suspense with romance while having her characters maintain genuine actions and dialogue. For an amazing read that will have you hanging on to every page for either the suspense or the sizzling sex scenes, Protective Custody won’t leave you disappointed!” The Reader’s Roundtable 5 Gold Crowns

Recommended Read “Protective Custody was a very good action packed read. I really enjoyed the dynamics between the Paisley and Gray. There is a storyline that is very enjoyable to read and I loved getting to know Paisley and Gray. Nice job Paige Tyler.” Night Owl Reviews Reviewer Top Pick

Other Books by Author Available at Whiskey Creek Press Torrid: www.whiskeycreekpresstorrid.com Animal Attraction Librarian By Day Modern Day Vampires: Vampire 101 Animal Instinct Protective Custody

Dedication With special thanks to my extremely patient and understanding husband, without whose help and support I couldn’t have pursued my dream job of becoming a writer. You’re my sounding board, my idea man, my critique partner, and the absolute best research assistant any girl could ask for!

Chapter 1 Sosie flipped through the magazine on her lap with a bored sigh. It was an old copy of Working Elf someone had wedged in the seat pocket in front of her, so she’d already read most of the articles. Even so, she paused when she came to an article on which products were going to be a big hit for the holiday season. It would have been more interesting if she hadn’t spent the last four months up to her elbows in the exact same gadgets and gizmos the author claimed were so wonderful. After making three thousand copies of anything by hand—even the Happy Rabbit Clitoris Vibrator she’d helped design—the thrill was gone. It hadn’t always been that way. She used to love coming up with ideas for new toys, then building them to see if her visions were as good in real life as they’d been on the drawing board. She had never gotten bored, not even after making thousands of the same toy. But lately something had changed. After seventy-five years of working in Santa’s workshop, making Tickle Me Elmos and high-tech video games had gotten old seemingly overnight. Even a move to the coveted sex toy department four Christmases ago hadn’t been enough to get her back in the groove. Which was why she had finally taken the plunge and requested a transfer to the South Pole. The request had raised a lot of eyebrows among her fellow elves. No one ever volunteered to go to the South Pole. It was where elves went when they got on Santa’s bad side. She’d had to 1

Santa’s Wayward Elf do something, or she was going to go crazy, and leaving the North Pole for a change of scenery, even if that scenery did happen to be in the armpit of the elfin world, seemed like the only way to stop her from going insane. So now, on the night before Christmas, after months of waiting for her request to be approved, she was finally in a transport sled on her way to her new home. Armpit of the elfin world or not, she was determined to make the best of it. Turning the page, she glanced up from the magazine to check the computer monitor displaying their geographical position. She groaned. Figgy, they hadn’t even reached Canada’s southern border yet. As fast as the sled moved, she’d thought they would be halfway to the South Pole by now. Then again, it was rather far. She nibbled on her lower lip as she tried to remember what she’d learned in her geography classes. The classes had been decades ago and geography hadn’t exactly been her favorite subject in school, so it took a minute for the lessons to come back to her. From what she remembered, they had to go down the eastern coast of the United States, then skim over the Caribbean and finally fly the long way across South America to get where they were going. Santa’s beard, she hated flying. It always took so long. Sosie turned her attention back to her magazine when she noticed two male elves peeking at her through the space between the two seats ahead of her. Though she couldn’t completely see their faces, it was obvious they were embarrassed at getting caught staring because they quickly turned around the moment they realized she’d seen them. They were probably petrified she might actually say something to them. She shook her head as she went back to flipping through her magazine. She was used to that. Elf guys had always been…well…intimidated by her. She wasn’t exactly a normal elf girl. At a few inches under five foot, she was on the tall side compared to the rest of her kind. Okay, maybe more than a little tall. She was practically an Amazon next to them. 2

Santa’s Wayward Elf Of course, her height wasn’t the only thing that made her different, but it was the first thing other elves saw when they met her and it was enough to make them uncomfortable. She’d been taller than everyone else ever since she could remember. At first, it had been fun being special like that. Until she went to school, that is. By the age of eight, she’d been as tall as any adult elf she had ever met. By the time she’d finished her technical training at age fourteen, she had towered over her classmates by more than a foot. It hadn’t been so much fun then, especially when the other elves had pointed and laughed at her, calling her hateful names like snow giant or yeti girl and implying her mother had slept with one of the big people while she was out on a supply run down south. Sosie had tried not to let it bother her, but their words had hurt all the same. Her mother had told her the other elves were jealous of her because she was so pretty and unique. Sosie’s mom was quite beautiful and unique herself, so Sosie had assumed her mother was probably right. But their insults were still hard to take, especially the ones about her dad being something other than an elf. Sosie knew her father had been lost in a freak sledding malfunction before she was born, but no one else believed it. She didn’t care what they thought. She knew she was a real elf, through and through. Being different hadn’t become a major issue until she began her advanced technical training in toy design and manufacturing, and started noticing the opposite sex. While she’d had plenty of friends there despite her height, few of them had been guys. It hadn’t been that big of a deal when she’d been younger, but as she started getting interested in boys, she’d hated being so much taller than everyone else. Then she’d had to deal with a whole new dilemma—dating. There weren’t many elf guys confident enough to go out with an elf girl who was literally heads and shoulders taller than they 3

Santa’s Wayward Elf were. The ones who thought they could handle it quickly found out how wrong they were when they realized they had to look up at her all the time. It had put a real damper on her social life. Not to mention her sex life. That was even worse. She frowned. She hadn’t thought about it at the time she’d put in the request, but now she realized her pathetic luck with the opposite sex was one of the main reasons she had asked for a transfer to the South Pole. According to her mother, the men down south were bigger and more masculine. If that was true, maybe they wouldn’t be so intimidated by her four-foot-eight-inch frame. Sosie was still daydreaming about the possibilities of actually meeting a big, masculine elf who might actually be able to look her in the eye when the transport sled suddenly bucked so hard it almost knocked her out of her seat. She gasped and grabbed the armrest, her pulse pounding. Figgy, if it wasn’t for the restraining lap belt, she probably would have bounced right off the ceiling. What in Santa’s name was the pilot doing up there? It was as if they were sledding down a hill of snow moguls. “Excuse me, elves and elfettes, this is your pilot speaking,” a calm, male voice said over the intercom. “We seem to be having a few minor mechanical issues with the sled, so please make sure your lap restraints are securely fastened. Things could get bumpy.” At that announcement, the other elves around her began to babble nervously. Sosie would have done the same if any other elves had been sitting near her. Instead, she tightened her grip on the armrest and tensed in her seat, preparing for Santa only knew what. Within minutes, however, the pilot had the sled on a more stable—and thankfully less bumpy—flight path. Relaxing her grip on the armrest, Sosie cautiously peeked out the small, round window beside her and gulped. Santa’s reindeer, they were as low as a snowman’s butt. A few minutes ago, she hadn’t been able to 4

Santa’s Wayward Elf see anything but the heavy cloud cover that blanketed the northern hemisphere in the winter months. Now, she could see the motorized sleds moving about on the streets below. She didn’t know a lot about flying, but she knew that couldn’t be good. “Elves and elfettes, this is your pilot again. I’m afraid the mechanical issues are not as minor as we thought. We’re going to have to make an unscheduled stop in the city below for repairs. There’s no need for you to panic, though. Everything is fully under control and we’ll be on our way in no time.” Sosie’s heart raced. Stop in the city below? The pilot might as well have said he was going to feed them into a Christmas tree chipper. She might not know a lot about the world beyond the North Pole, but every elf knew the cities of the big people—or BPs as they were called—were horribly dangerous places. She had read one recent article in The Snow City Gazette describing how BPs sometimes ran each other down with their street sleds simply because they didn’t sleep well the night before. Then there was that six-week expose on The Polar Evening News a while back. Sosie shuddered as she remembered all the horrible crime statistics the news anchor had gloomily read through. Whole families killing each other with cooking utensils because the evening meal was cold. Neighbors shooting each other because a newspaper had landed in the wrong yard. Children tying up their school teacher and beating her because she had given them bad grades. It was horrible. Definitely not a place a proper elf wanted to be. The dangers of dealing with BPs were the biggest reason most elves never ventured away from the North Pole. The only elves who ever mingled with them were the ones on the Special Forces Survey Teams. They were highly trained elves responsible for figuring out which elvish items would sell well on the BP economy, as well as handling the transfer of completed merchandise to the elfin front companies in various countries. They 5

Santa’s Wayward Elf had a lot of contact with the BPs and she had never heard of those elves encountering anyone dangerous. But everyone knew the news programs were never wrong. Sosie nibbled on her lower lip nervously, alternating between wondering what terrible fate awaited them and berating herself for deciding to venture down to the South Pole, when the sled started hurtling toward the ground below with alarming speed. As the bottom of the sled hit something hard, then slid along it wildly, she braced herself for the worst. But it didn’t come. Instead of slamming into something as she’d feared, the sled miraculously came to a sudden, screeching halt without hitting anything at all. Realizing they had survived the landing, she opened her mouth to let out a cheer along with the rest of the elves, only to give into a fit of coughing as the inside of the sled filled with acrid smoke. Her eyes watering, Sosie pulled up her wool scarf to cover her nose and mouth. While it didn’t completely keep out the smoke, she could at least breathe without choking on the nasty stuff. Pop! Pop! Pop! Sosie jumped at the sound, startled. She stared as all three exit doors on the sled slid open. As a pleasant, swirling wind filled the cabin, the smoke began to clear and she took the scarf away from her mouth. That was when she noticed fresh air wasn’t the only thing pouring into the cabin. Along with it, came the sounds of complete and utter chaos unlike anything she’d ever heard before in her life. The cacophony of noises was almost mind-numbing and she had to fight the urge to put her hands over her ears. It sounded as if the city was tearing itself apart. Sosie looked around the transport sled to see what the other elves thought of the deafening sound and discovered they were all squeezed into one corner of the cabin, huddled together and trembling. 6

Santa’s Wayward Elf “Don’t worry, everyone,” the pilot said, his voice calm and sure over the intercom. “We had to open the doors to keep from choking on our own exhaust fumes, but our cloaking device is still completely functional, so none of the big people know we’re here. We should be able to get the transport sled up and running in no time. While we’re doing that, you can step outside the sled and look around if you like. It’s quite safe as long as you stay inside the cloaking shield.” Sosie’s eyes went wide. She hadn’t realized it would be safe to leave the transport sled. Now that she knew it was okay, she had to admit she was curious about the world of the big people. After making toys for them for decades, it would be nice to actually see them in person. Or at least get a look at one of the cities where they lived. She turned her gaze on the elves huddled in the corner, wondering if one of them would be brave enough to venture outside with her. As she took in their frightened faces, she decided it would take a whole lot of cajoling to get any of them out of the sled. That, or a crowbar. If she wanted to go look outside, she was going to have to do it on her own. Sosie’s gaze strayed to the open door. Well, an elf only lived once, even if it was for centuries. Unbuckling her lap belt, she got to her feet and made her way over to the door. “W-where are you going?” Sosie turned to see which of her fellow passengers had spoken. From the expectant way the red-haired elf on the far righthand side of the group was looking at her, Sosie figured it must have been her. “Outside,” Sosie said. The other elf’s eyes went wide. “Outside? Have you lost your Santa-loving mind? It’s dangerous out there.”

7

Santa’s Wayward Elf “The pilot said we’d be safe as long as we stay inside the cloaking shield.” Sosie scanned the group of elfin faces hopefully. “Anyone want to come with me?” They all shook their heads vehemently and without hesitation. Figgy, they could have at least pretended to think about it first. They looked as if she’d asked them to sabotage Christmas. Whatever. They thought she was strange already, so she might as well not disappoint them. She lifted her chin. “Well, I’m going. If any of you change your mind, I’ll be right outside.” Turning back to the door, she slowly walked down the ramp. Even though she was excited to see what the city looked like, she was nervous, too, and she had to stop at the bottom of the ramp to steady her wobbly legs. Unfortunately, she couldn’t see much of anything from where she was standing. She was going to have to get closer to the edge of the cloaking shield if she hoped to get a glimpse of something. Resisting the impulse to look over her shoulder to see if the other elves were watching, Sosie took a deep breath and cautiously stepped off the ramp onto the hard ground. As she moved away from the transport sled, she tried to figure out where they had landed, but all she could see through the translucent cloaking shield surrounding the sled was the night sky. They were on the roof of a building. Figgy. She wouldn’t be able to see a thing from up here. Hoping she could get a better look if she got closer to the parapet, she ventured further from the sled until she was at the very edge of the cloaking shield. Unfortunately, the building the sled had landed on was apparently one of the tallest in the area, which meant she’d have to get right to the edge of the roof if she wanted to see down to the streets below. To do that, she was going to have to leave the safety of the cloaking shield. Sosie nibbled on her lower lip. The pilot had warned them to stay inside the shield, but she desperately wanted to see the city 8

Santa’s Wayward Elf and this might be her only opportunity. It wasn’t as if transport sleds malfunctioned every day, after all. Besides, she was on top of a roof. The big people would never know she was there. She looked back at the sled and was relieved to see none of the other elves peeking out at her. She had the rooftop all to herself. Good. Turning around, she took a deep breath and stepped through the cloaking shield. It rippled and flexed around her, making her feel as if she were underwater, and she hurried out the other side. Once there, she froze in place. She didn’t know what she was waiting for. Maybe for one of the big people to see her appear out of nowhere and run screaming in the other direction. Or for one of her fellow elves to come running after her and drag her back. Neither of those things happened. In fact, nothing happened at all. Laughing at her own foolishness, she ran to the parapet and eagerly looked over the side of the building, only to gasp and immediately take a step back, her stomach fluttering. Prickly fir tree, they were a long way up. Unlike BPs, her people tended to build structures a lot lower to the ground. Either that, or tunnel down into the ice. Even Santa’s house only had four floors, and two of those were underground. The building she was on definitely had more than that. Then again, BPs were a lot taller than elves, so they probably needed taller buildings. Gathering her courage, Sosie edged closer to the parapet and looked over it again, more slowly this time. What she saw took her breath away. There were big people everywhere, hundreds of them in fact. Street sleds, too, zipping back and forth below her like snowballs on the first day of winter. And lights. More lights than she had ever seen in her life. It was as if the whole city was aglow. Now that she was outside the cloaking shield, the sounds she had first heard coming from the city didn’t seem as jarring as before. There were funny hornlike sounds mixed in with the 9

Santa’s Wayward Elf motorized hum of the street sleds, and in between, she could hear voices, punctuated by occasional shouts and lots of laughter. Actually, all together, the sounds were amazingly beautiful. Loud and discordant for sure, especially compared to the serene calm she was used to in the North Pole, but beautiful nonetheless. Sosie leaned on the railing and gazed down at the city in fascination. As she watched the people scurry along the busy streets, she realized there was an odd, rhythmic beat accompanying the other sounds. Her pointed ears perked up under her hat. Was that music? If it was, it was unlike any she had ever heard before. It was pulsing and hypnotic, and it made her want to sway back and forth. She scanned the street below, trying to pinpoint where the music was coming from. It was difficult to tell at first because there was so much going on down there, but after listening for a few moments, she finally realized it was pouring out the doors of the large building across the street. She frowned in confusion at the huge group of people lined up along the sidewalk outside, wondering what they were all doing there. Then it struck her. It was a dance hall and the people were waiting to go inside. Her frown deepened. Why would they have to wait to go inside? The building looked quite big. Surely, they all could fit. As she stood there listening to the people talk and joke while they waited patiently for their turn to enter the building, it occurred to her that no one in the crowd was being violent. They weren’t yelling, or pushing and shoving, or physically attacking each other. None of the street sleds drove up onto sidewalk and ran into anyone. It didn’t look like the places the reporters from the Snow City Gazette had described. Maybe this city was nicer than the ones she had seen on the news. That was lucky. Sosie propped her chin on her hand and looked longingly at the people going into the dance hall, wishing she could join them. She loved dancing, but unfortunately, she didn’t get a chance to do 10

Santa’s Wayward Elf it much up in the North Pole because she spent most of the time working. Between designing new toys, making prototypes, then producing thousands of copies of each of them—usually by hand— she barely had time to breathe. When she did have time to go to a dance hall, she mostly sat at a table in the corner tapping her toe because no one would ask her to dance. In her experience, guys didn’t like to dance with a partner who was taller than they were. But out here, on top of the roof where no one could see her, she didn’t have to be self-conscious and before she realized what she was doing, she was dancing back and forth in front of the parapet. She was twirling around when she caught the shimmer of the cloaking shield behind her. That’s when she abruptly remembered there was indeed someone who could see her. Figgy. She’d forgotten all about the other elves. Heart racing, she stopped and darted a quick look at the sled, but of course she couldn’t see it behind the shield. Running over to it, she stuck her head through the shimmer of air. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that none of the other elves had been watching her. Thank goodness they hadn’t seen her. That would have been embarrassing. She frowned at all the clanking, banging and swearing coming from the sled’s engine compartment area. From the sounds of it, they weren’t going anywhere soon. Sosie turned and was about to go back over to the parapet so she could do some more dancing when she suddenly got the craziest idea. Why dance all by herself up on a rooftop when she could go down and shake her tree skirt in the dance hall with the big people? She gave herself a mental shake. What was she thinking? She could get in serious trouble if anyone found out she’d left the transport sled. Then again, what were they going to do? Send her to the South Pole? 11

Santa’s Wayward Elf She stood nibbling on her lower lip as she tried to decide what to do. Going down to mingle with the big people was more than crazy. It was insane. Not to mention possibly dangerous. Special Forces elves did it, of course, but only after years of intense training. But this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that was too good to pass up. She’d be back before the engineer got the sled running. Darting another quick look through the shield to make sure her fellow elves weren’t watching, Sosie ran around to the other side of the roof to look for the stairs. BPs did use stairs, didn’t they? She was still wondering about that when she spotted a door with the words neatly lettered on it. Good thing she could read BP languages. All those years of writing operating instructions had finally paid off. Turning the knob, she opened it cautiously and peeked her head inside. She didn’t see or hear anyone, much to her relief. Taking a deep breath, she slowly made her way down the steps. There were a lot of them, she noticed. That made sense. It was a very tall building. At the bottom, she eagerly grasped the doorknob, but then hesitated when she heard the sounds of the passing crowd outside. She caught her lower lip between her teeth. Figgy, there were a lot of BPs out there. What if they recognized her as an elf? What would they do? From everything she’d heard on the news, they weren’t very nice to anyone who was in any way different from them. Figuring her pointed ears were the biggest giveaway, she pulled her wool hat down more securely on her head to cover the tips, then fluffed her long, platinum blond hair over her shoulders before pushing open the door and resolutely stepping out onto the street. 12

Santa’s Wayward Elf Sosie had intended to run directly across to the dance hall the moment she got outside, but instead, she stumbled to a halt, her eyes going wide. Oh, my Santa. There were so many people. And they were big. Well, actually, now that she saw them up close, they weren’t as tall as she’d thought. In fact, quite a few of the women were almost her size. She had expected them to be at least twice her height. But they weren’t. By her calculations, the average height of the men was about six feet, perhaps a little more. Still taller than she was, of course, but not enormously so. She pressed back against the door and held her breath, waiting for them to stop and stare at her, maybe even point. But they didn’t. In fact, other than a few of them throwing a glance or two her way as they passed, no one paid any attention to her. Pulling her hat over her ears had worked. Her identity was safe. Maybe this Special Forces thing wasn’t so tough, after all. Now that she didn’t have to worry about anyone knowing she was an elf, she turned her attention to the dance hall. Unfortunately, she had come out further down than she’d thought, so she was going to have to cross to the other side of the street and go down the sidewalk a ways to get to the dance house. She warily eyed the street sleds as they zipped up and down the busy thoroughfare. It seemed the reporter who had done that expose in the Snow City Gazette had been right about one thing. These BPs did drive like crazy people. She wondered if she should try to dart in front of the street sleds, but then decided it would be better to wait for a gap in the traffic. As fast as they were going, they were likely to run her down without stopping. She forced herself to wait patiently until she could safely cross, then ran as fast as she could to the other side. Resisting the urge to keep running all the way down the sidewalk to the dance hall, she stopped to look up at the top of the 13

Santa’s Wayward Elf building she’d come out. She sagged with relief when she saw the shimmer of the cloaking shield surrounding the transport sled. Still there. Good. Reaching up to make sure her hat was still covering her ears, Sosie hurried down the sidewalk to the dance hall. She was going to run in, listen to the music, dance some, then go right back to the transport sled. She got so distracted by looking at all the interesting people as she went, she barely realized she’d reached the dance hall until she was almost past it. She stopped and rushed back to the door. If she asked sweetly enough, maybe the people at the front of the line would let her slip in ahead of them. When she got to the door, she saw that two men were blocking the entrance. She blinked. Snickerdoodle, they were huge. Almost twice as tall as she was, they had wide shoulders and broad chests that seemed to puff up whenever the next person in line approached them. She watched in fascination as they allowed certain people into the dance hall, while turning others away. Since she didn’t see anyone with an admission ticket of any kind, she wondered what the men based their decision on and whether they would let her inside when she got in front of them. If she ever got in front of them. She frowned as she looked at the long line. Figgy, there were a lot of people. As slowly as they were moving, it would take hours for her to get inside. She couldn’t wait that long. Taking a deep breath, Sosie squeezed through a group of heavily made-up women trying to talk their way inside and stepped directly in front of the two men blocking the door. She hated being rude, but she didn’t have a choice. She had to get inside the dance hall. Ignoring the unhappy grumbling coming from the rest of the people in line, she smiled up at the giants. “Excuse me. I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m only in the city for a few minutes and I would love to see inside your wonderful dance hall. May I please go in?” 14

Santa’s Wayward Elf The man on the right didn’t look at her, but the other one, a completely adorable black man with a huge expanse of broad chest showing from behind his unbuttoned shirt, grinned down at her. Up close, he wasn’t as scary as she’d first thought. Actually, he was kind of cute—in a big, ol’ teddy-bear kind of way. His grin broadened as he took in her red, wool jacket, multicolored, horizontal-striped leggings, green skirt and low black boots with their slightly upturned toes. “Baby doll, I’m absolutely digging that Christmas outfit you’re wearing. With a look like that, you definitely get a trip to the front of the line. Move on through, baby doll.” Sosie looked down at her clothes, her brow furrowing. She wasn’t wearing a Christmas outfit. This was what she wore every day. She opened her mouth to explain that to the nice man when the people behind her began to complain again. The black man’s charming smile disappeared to be replaced with a dark scowl. “Shove that noise!” he bellowed over her head at them. “You don’t like the way I run the door, you can always go to another club.” He looked down at Sosie, his expression softening. “Run along, baby doll, and have a good time.” He gave her a wink. “If you don’t find what you’re looking for inside, just remember that I get off work at two.” Sosie didn’t know why he was telling her when he would be getting off work, but she grinned and gave him a wave anyway as she hurried into the building. The inside of the dance hall was even bigger than she’d thought and all she could do was stand there and stare. Strobe lights accompanied the pulse-pounding music she’d heard from the rooftop, and the people in the center of the room were dancing to it with the most awe-inspiring gyrations she had ever seen. She dragged her gaze away from them to look around. Tables and booths filled one side of the dance hall while a long counter ran the length of the wall on the other side. Behind the counter, men 15

Santa’s Wayward Elf and women were serving beverages of every color imaginable. Some of the servers were throwing bottles in the air and catching them as they created their concoctions. Fudgy, that looked like fun. She wondered if they would let her do it. That would have to wait, though. She had come here to dance. Turning back to the dance floor, Sosie eagerly headed in that direction, but was intercepted by two men before she could get there. “Hey, babe, you looking for us?” one of them asked. Both tall, with blond hair that looked as if it hadn’t been brushed in a while, they were attractive enough, though a bit dense. She obviously didn’t know them, so there was no way she could possibly be looking for them. She shook her head, raising her voice to be heard over the loud music. “No. I came here to dance.” They exchanged grins. “Great. We can dance with you.” She blinked. Snickerdoodle, she wasn’t used to guys wanting to dance with her. Now, she had two cute guys eager to dance with her and she’d only been in this “club,” as the giant out front had called it, for a few minutes. She didn’t know what city she was in, but she liked it already. She gave the men a smile. “Then come on and let’s dance.” Crooking her finger at them, she led the way onto the dance floor. They exchanged another grin, then followed. Dancing at the club with the BPs was way more fun than doing it on the rooftop. The two guys with her weren’t doing it very well, however. They spent more time trying to circle around behind her so they could ogle her wiggling bottom than actually dancing. She didn’t know what that was about, but if they were more interested in checking out her moves than their own, that was fine with her. She was having a good time anyway. She was really getting into the music, even putting a little extra wiggle in her hips for her dance partners now and then, when 16

Santa’s Wayward Elf one of them—the guy who’d done all the talking earlier—moved closer and yelled something in her ear. “What?” she shouted back, unable to hear him over the loud music. He moved in closer. “I said, if you like this, I have something you’re going to like even better.” Sosie found that hard to believe. She was having more fun than she’d ever had in her life. This was like a dream come true. She was dancing in a room full of people who didn’t think she was some freak of nature simply because she was tall. If anything, they probably thought she was short in comparison. But she had to admit she was curious about what the guy meant. She grinned. “Like what?” He took her arm. “Come on. I’ll show you.” Sosie didn’t protest as he led her off the dance floor and through the crowd of people, his friend in tow. She had no idea where they were taking her, but this was sort of fun. Daring even. They ended up in a long hallway at the back of the club. Sosie glanced over her shoulder and saw that somewhere along the way, they had picked up two more BPs. The new men were blond, too, but one was shorter and more stocky. Halfway down the hallway, the man holding her arm stopped in front of a door. He nodded at the taller and more lanky of the new men. “You know what to do.” Sosie frowned. “What’s he going to do?” But the man ignored her. Tightening his grip on her arm, he opened the door and shoved her inside. She frowned as she took in the row of sinks on one wall and urinals on the other. She wrinkled her nose at the unpleasant odor coming from them. She was in a men’s washroom. She turned around and was surprised to see that two of the other men had come into the room as well. The predatory way 17

Santa’s Wayward Elf they were eyeing her made the hair on her neck stand up and she took a wary step back. She turned her attention back to the man who had suggested she come back here with him. He seemed to be the leader of the group. “I thought you were taking me to another dance floor.” He grinned. “Oh, we’re gonna be on the floor all right, but we sure as hell won’t be dancing.” Okay, now she was more confused. She opened her mouth to ask him what he was talking about only to close it again when he began to unbuckle his belt. On either side of him, the other two men were doing the same. That’s when it hit her. Oh figgy. They had brought her in here to have sex with them. Well, they picked the wrong elf because she wasn’t that kind of girl. “I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding,” she said. “I only came here to dance. While I’m sure you’re all very nice, I don’t have time to make out with any of you.” She didn’t wait for a reply, but instead started for the door. The one she had pegged to be the leader stepped in front of her, blocking her path. “Then you need to make time, bitch, because one way or the other, we’re going to get what we came for.” A tremor of fear rippled through Sosie. This had suddenly gone from being the best night of her life to her worst nightmare all because she had been foolish enough to let some guy talk her into coming back here. These three men intended to have their way with her, and she wasn’t sure there was anything she could do to stop them.

18

Santa’s Wayward Elf

Chapter 2 Derek knew the blonde was in trouble the second he saw the two guys lead her off the dance floor. His fears were only confirmed when he saw the other two men attach themselves to the entourage and head toward the back of the club. The only thing back there were the bathrooms. That and a whole lot of privacy for what those bastards probably had planned for her. She wasn’t drunk or high, and yet she seemed to be going with them willingly. Doesn’t the girl have a suspicious bone in her body? It was as if she had no idea what could happen to her if she went off with those assholes. But as a cop, Derek knew all too well. And his gut told him they had something nasty in mind for her. He had been hired by the club’s owner to act as extra security. There had been some punks hanging around causing trouble and management wanted them scared off. Problem was that the big, beefy guys the club had around for security usually only figured out there was a problem after everything had already gone down. The owner thought a real cop would have better instincts and know when something bad was about to happen. Not only had Derek done a good deal of moonlighting work for the various clubs in New York City, but he had a reputation for taking care of things with the minimum amount of noise and complications. That was the big thing here. Management wanted 19

Santa’s Wayward Elf these shitheads gone, but they didn’t want it splashed on the morning news. That was bad for business. Derek was fine with that. Handling a situation like this lowkey was actually in his best interest. The brass downtown was aware a lot of cops worked extra jobs on the side. They knew more than anyone how hard it was to try to make it in New York on a cop’s pay and moonlighting paid damn good. But the unspoken rule was simple—take care of business quietly and don’t embarrass the uniform. Of course, the other issue with moonlighting was the lack of backup. It wasn’t as if Derek was going to ask the bouncers for help, so if anything went down, he was on his own. Which was exactly how he liked it. He left his post by the bar and headed toward the bathrooms. Time to earn his extra paycheck. The way that crew of guys had moved in on a single girl, then quickly and efficiently gotten her segregated from the rest of the club’s patrons without any fuss on her part probably meant they’d done this before. The question now was whether they only meant to rob her or if they were after something more. Derek was inclined to believe the latter. As he approached the bathrooms, a guy dressed in leather pants and a silk shirt stepped in front of him and held up his hands. “Sorry, dude,” he said to Derek. “The bathrooms are out of order. You need to go somewhere else.” Derek didn’t bother to slow down. Pulling out his badge, he shoved it in the guy’s face, forcing him backward until he was pressed up against the wall. “Right now, I’m going to assume you aren’t with the assholes who dragged that girl in the men’s room a few minutes ago. Because, if you are, I’ll have to bust you like I’m going to do to them.” He lifted a brow. “Am I right or wrong?” 20

Santa’s Wayward Elf The guy turned white as a sheet at the threat. His mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. Finally, he took off running down the hallway. Derek watched him go. The bastard was so scared shitless, he probably wouldn’t come within five blocks of the club again. Good. Derek strode over to the door and shoved it open. The blonde was cowering against the far wall beside the urinals, a terrified expression on her pretty face while the three goons stood spread around her in a semicircle, cutting off her access to the door. They turned at Derek’s entrance and he saw that one of the men already had his pants half unzipped. “Party’s over, shitheads,” Derek announced, holding up his badge so they could get a good look at it. “Get the hell out of here.” The guy in the center—the one with his pants unzipped— studied it for a moment, then sneered. “That ain’t no real badge and you ain’t a real cop. Why don’t you get the hell out of here, shithead, before we beat the shit out of you.” The show of bravado seemed to give the other two scumbags courage and they advanced on Derek as if they intended to make good on their friend’s words. Derek would have liked nothing better than to haul all three of their asses down to the precinct and put them in lock-up for the night. But if he did that, there would be paperwork, and he hated paperwork. Especially on Christmas Eve. The guy in the center—the one with the big mouth—was the key to diffusing the situation. He was clearly the leader of the group and the other two were feeding off him. If Derek wanted them to back off, he needed to take Big Mouth down a peg or two. Before Derek could act, Big Mouth reached into his pocket and came out with a switchblade. That gave the two guys with him pause and their eyes locked on the weapon in surprise. Maybe this was going further than they’d expected. 21

Santa’s Wayward Elf Derek didn’t waste any time. Lunging forward, he grabbed Big Mouth’s wrist before he could open the switchblade, then brought his knee up and rammed the would-be rapist in the balls. The asshole dropped the knife and fell to his knees, grabbing at his package and whimpering. Knowing the man would be out of commission for a while, Derek kicked the knife across the floor and turned his attention to the other two guys, silently challenging them to come at him. They took one look at their buddy writhing on the floor, then ran for the door, almost falling over each other in their haste to exit the bathroom. Derek wanted to check on the girl, but there was one more piece of business he needed to take care of first. Grabbing Big Mouth by the shirt, he rolled him onto his stomach. Holding him there with one hand, he dug in the guy’s back pocket for his wallet with the other. He flipped through it until he found the jerk’s driver’s license, then pulled it out. Rolling the guy over onto his back again, he tossed the wallet on his chest. “Your license will be waiting for you at the door of the club tomorrow night,” Derek told him. “Of course, by then every bouncer in this part of the city will have a copy of it on his stay-thefuck-out list, so if I were you. I’d think twice about trying to get in any of the clubs around here.” Big Mouth tried to say something, but all that came out was a groan as he curled back up into a fetal position. He’d think twice about trying to rape an innocent girl in the bathroom again, too. If his dick worked after this. At the reminder of the girl, Derek lifted his gaze to find the blonde gazing at him with the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen. Damn, those were some seriously blue peepers. A guy could lose himself in there if he weren’t careful. Realizing he was on the verge of doing that right there in the middle of the men’s bathroom, Derek cleared his throat and held out his hand. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.” 22

Santa’s Wayward Elf She hesitated, as if unsure whether to take his hand or not, but then reached out to grasp it. Her hand was small in his, almost delicate. Giving her would-be attacker a wide berth, she quickly stepped around him and let Derek lead her to the door. Outside the bathroom, he didn’t linger in the hallway, but took her directly back to the main part of the club. Derek didn’t want her having to look at Big Mouth’s ugly mug when the bastard finally peeled himself off the tile and came wandering out. Once back in the crowd of people, Derek turned to look at her. He’d been too busy with Big Mouth to notice it before, but now he realized how petite she was. Shorter than he was by more than a foot, she barely came up to his chest even with the little heels on the black boots that went with her costume. He could see why the people who did the hiring down at whatever department store she worked in picked her. With her small, slightly upturned nose and creamy skin, she looked exactly as he imagined an elf would look. Although he had to admit, he didn’t picture an elf having quite so many sexy curves. While she was slender, she was rounded in all the right places. As if that weren’t enough to get him going, she had long, silky hair that hung down to her waist. Damn, he’d always been a sucker for a woman with long hair. Man, if he weren’t at the club in a professional capacity, he would definitely be hitting on her. Abruptly aware he was standing there looking down at her like an idiot, he cleared his throat again. “Are you okay? Those guys didn’t hurt you, did they?” She shook her head. “No, but I fear they would have if you hadn’t come to my rescue when you did. Standing up to them was very heroic.” Derek felt himself flush at her words. Everyone called cops heroes, but hearing this beautiful woman say it sort of got to him. He gave her a small smile. “Just doing my job.” 23

Santa’s Wayward Elf She looked confused by that, but then her lips curved. “Well, you have a very heroic job. Thank you.” “You’re welcome.” He glanced at the people on the dance floor, then back at her. “It’s dangerous for a woman to be on her own in a club. There are a lot of jerks like those guys in the bathroom back there who hang out here, but they’re less likely to prey on you if you stay with a group. You should stick with your friends.” She regarded him with that same confused expression, as if she had no idea what he was talking about, then her eyes went wide. Muttering something under her breath that sounded like, “Figgy,” she turned and ran for the exit. Derek watched her go, a frown creasing his brow. What the hell? He told himself it was none of his business why she’d run off or where she’d run to, that he’d done his duty when he got her away from those bastards in the men’s room. But the white knight in him came out and he found himself pushing his way through the crowd of people to follow after her. She was quicker than he thought, and by the time he caught up with her, she was already outside. She was standing on the sidewalk, gazing up at the roof of the building across the street, a look of what could only be called disbelief on her pretty face. He followed the direction of her gaze, scanning the rooftop in an effort to figure out what she was staring at, but he didn’t see anything. Derek turned his attention back to the girl. She was still looking up at the roof. He gently put a hand on her arm. “Hey, you okay?” She tore her gaze away from the building across the street to blink up at him with those impossibly blue eyes. “Wh-what?” “You look upset,” he said. “Is everything all right?” The wind swirled her long hair around her face and she reached up to push it back. “Um… Yes… No… The people I came here with left.” 24

Santa’s Wayward Elf “Oh.” Her friends must have seen her go off with those guys and figured she was going to hook up for the night. “I’m sure if you call them, they’ll come back for you.” She shook her head. “I can’t. I don’t have a phone and neither do they.” None of them has a cell phone? That’s hard to believe. “Well, maybe they went to another club or something. I’m sure they’ll come back to get you soon.” She nibbled on her lower lip as she considered that. Although she still looked unsure, she nodded in agreement. “You’re probably right. Once they realize I’m not with them, they’ll come back to look for me.” Once they realize she isn’t with them? What is she, a pet Chihuahua? She is short, yes, but damn hard to miss. Whatever. “Listen, it’s kind of cold out here. Maybe you should wait for your friends inside where it’s warmer.” She hesitated, then shook her head. “I’d better not. I don’t want to miss them when they come back.” “You sure?” She nodded. “I’m sure.” Derek hated to desert her, but he didn’t have a choice. He was on the clock for another two hours and she seemed adamant about waiting outside for her friends. “Okay. Well, if you change your mind or you get cold, tell the bouncers I said to let you back in.” “Bouncers?” “The two big guys standing at the door. Tell them Derek Clayton said to let you in.” “Oh.” She smiled and Derek couldn’t help but notice how it seemed to light up the winter night. “I will. And thank you. Again.” “You’re welcome.” His mouth curved. “Have a Merry Christmas.” 25

Santa’s Wayward Elf Her grin broadened. “Merry Christmas to you.” Giving her a nod, Derek turned and reluctantly headed for the club. Before going back inside, he stopped to ask the bouncers to keep an eye on the girl. He didn’t want her getting harassed by any more assholes. Derek glanced back at her. She was still standing on the sidewalk staring up at the building across the street, her beautiful smile replaced by a worried look that etched a line between her perfectly arched brows. She was so small and forlorn he had to fight the urge to say to hell with his job at the club and go back over to her. **** Sosie couldn’t believe the transport sled had left without her. Hadn’t they noticed she was missing? It wasn’t exactly as if she was an easy elf to forget. Even if the other passengers had somehow failed to realize she wasn’t onboard, the sled crew should have figured it out. Apparently not. As much as she wanted to, she knew she couldn’t put all the blame on them. If she hadn’t given in to her curiosity and come down here to dance, she would be safely on her way to the South Pole right now instead of being stranded in a far-off city. She hugged herself and looked up at the roof across the street, wondering if she should go up there and wait. At some point, one of her fellow elves was bound to notice she wasn’t with them and they would come back for her like the handsome man from the club had said. But the longer she stood there, the less likely she began to think that was going to happen. For all she knew, they’d realized she had gone off somewhere and purposely left her. Not because they didn’t care, but because it was too dangerous to venture into the city to look for her. They had probably already reported the whole thing to Elf Central. The Special Forces elves 26

Santa’s Wayward Elf were most likely getting ready to mount a rescue mission even now. That should have made her feel better, but instead it only made her more nervous. She’d never heard of an elf getting lost. Just because they set out to rescue her didn’t mean they would find her right away. She would have to fend for herself until they did. That was easier said than done. Going into a dance hall for a few minutes was one thing. Living in a BP city for an extended length of time was definitely another. She glanced over at the line of people waiting to get into the club. She wasn’t a Special Forces elf. She had no training on how to survive on her own for long periods of time outside the North Pole. It was true she’d learned about how the BPs lived, worked and played when she’d been in school. In addition to that, there was all the research she’d done as part of her job as a toy designer. And of course, she had seen plenty of stuff on The Polar Evening News. But all that was a far cry from actually knowing how to live among them while keeping her identity secret. While she waited for Elf Central to find her—if they could— she was stuck with no food, no water and no place to stay. She was up a Christmas tree without a ladder and she wasn’t so naïve to think she could depend on everyone being as kind as the handsome man who had rescued her from those barbarians in the club. In fact, she thought as she watched a man and woman arguing across the street, some of them were grouchy grinches. Tears stung her eyes suddenly and she blinked them back. Figgy, what was she going to do? “Your friends never showed?” Sosie was so caught up in worrying about the mess she was in she didn’t realize anyone was talking to her until she felt a gentle hand on her arm. She turned to see the handsome man from the club standing beside her, a concerned look in his kind, dark eyes. She was so happy to see a friendly face she almost hugged him. Of 27

Santa’s Wayward Elf all the things that had happened to her tonight, meeting Derek Clayton was by far the best. She resisted the urge to throw her arms around him and shook her head. “No. We got kind of separated when we got here and I don’t think they realized I went into the club.” She hated lying to him, especially after everything he’d done for her, but it wasn’t as if she could admit her elfin transport sled had flown away and left her. On the other hand, she hadn’t really told him a lie. Her fellow elves didn’t know she’d gone to the club. “Oh.” He regarded her in silence. “Couldn’t you take a cab home?” If she weren’t about to cry, she would have laughed. He had no idea how hard it was going to be for her to get home. She caught her trembling lower lip between her teeth and shook her head again. Derek must have realized she was close to tears because he reached out and gently brushed her hair back from her face. “Hey, it’s okay. I’ll pay for a cab for you.” Sosie had learned on the news that a cab was a street sled people hired on a short-term basis to drive them wherever they wanted to go. The only problem was that there wasn’t any street sled that could drive her to the North Pole. She couldn’t tell him that, though. “It’s kind of you to offer, but I live a long way up north. I don’t think a cab could take me there.” He looked surprised at that. “You’re not from New York?” She shook her head. “I’m just visiting.” “And your friends up and left you? Well, that sucks.” He thought a moment. “Do you have their address in the city? You know, where you were going to stay while you were in town?” “No.” She gave him a shrug. “I thought I would stay with my ride and that would get me where I was going.” 28

Santa’s Wayward Elf Again, not really a lie. “Okay. So you can’t call your friends and you can’t take a cab to their place. Do you have money for a hotel?” Sosie knew enough about the BP world and money to know she wasn’t going to get anywhere without it. “I left everything I had in the transport…with my friends.” He didn’t say anything. Probably because he thought she was dimwitted. Looking at the mess she’d landed herself in, she was beginning to think so, too. “Maybe you could suggest someplace I could stay that wouldn’t require money?” she asked hopefully. He let out a snort. “Not anyplace you’d be safe.” Figgy. She’d been hoping he might know of a nice park or a nearby forest. The weather was much more mild than it was up at the North Pole. She could sleep under a fir tree. She glanced up at the roof across the street again. “Maybe I should wait here in case they come back to get me.” He scowled. “You can’t stay here all night. You’d freeze to death. Besides, it’s too dangerous.” She hadn’t thought about it being dangerous, but then she remembered what had almost happened to her in the men’s washroom and she realized he was right. “Look, why don’t you spend the night at my place?” Sosie blinked. Derek was offering to let her stay in his home, a woman he had met in a club only a few hours ago and barely knew at all? She never imagined a BP could be so considerate or so nice. Not only had he protected her from those mean men, but he’d followed her outside afterward to make sure she was okay. Of course, he would downplay the whole thing and say he’d only been doing his job, but she knew he did it because he was a sweet, caring man. She could tell. “Yeah,” he said when she didn’t answer. “I completely understand how uncomfortable you’d be staying with a guy you 29

Santa’s Wayward Elf just met. Hell, you don’t know me from Adam. Look, why don’t I put you up in a hotel instead. How does that sound?” She frowned. Figgy. She didn’t know who Adam was or why he thought she was acquainted with the man, but it was obvious Derek thought she was nervous about staying with him. He couldn’t be more wrong. He had risked his life to protect her, so she knew she would be safe with him. And spending the night in a warm bed was way better than sleeping on the ground in the forest. “Actually, I’d be more uncomfortable staying in a strange place where I didn’t know anyone,” she said. “If you wouldn’t mind, I would very much like to stay at your place.” She hoped he would be okay with that because she didn’t want to stay in a hotel. According to The Polar Evening News, those places were absolutely teeming with bed bugs. If there was one thing she was terrified of, it was bed bugs. She had actually never seen a bed bug of course—or any bug for that matter since there weren’t any up in the frozen north—but the thought of seeing one of the wiggling things the news anchor had described was enough to make her shiver. To her relief, he smiled. “I don’t mind at all. Come on, we can catch the subway down the street.” Sosie had heard of a subway, but the news stories hadn’t prepared her for how big—and loud—they were. As she waited for Derek to buy her a ticket from one of the dispensing machines along the wall, she had to resist the urge to cover her ears. She didn’t know how he could stand the noise, but apparently it didn’t bother him because he paid no attention to the rumbling sound as they descended a set of stairs to the building’s lower level. There seemed to be as many people waiting for the subway as there had been up on the street, and Sosie tried hard not to stare at them too much while she stood there with Derek. She didn’t want to let on that she was a visitor to their city, after all. Although from 30

Santa’s Wayward Elf the way the people stared back, she began to think they might have caught on anyway. To her surprise, almost everyone in the waiting area got on the same subway she and Derek did. She automatically looked around for a seat, but they were all taken. She was about to ask Derek if they were going to have to get off and wait for another subway when the thing suddenly sped forward. She stumbled and would have fallen if a strong arm hadn’t wrapped around her waist. Startled, she looked up to find Derek gazing down at her. “You okay?” he asked. Sosie opened her mouth to tell him she was, but all that came out was a gasp. She had already come to the conclusion he was well built from how broad his shoulders were underneath the leather jacket, but she hadn’t known how hard his body was beneath all those clothes. Snickerdoodle, the man was as solid as a chimney. She blushed when she realized he was still waiting for an answer. “I-I’m fine. We took off kind of fast.” He chuckled, but didn’t take his arm from around her waist, much to her delight. “You’ve never been on a subway before, have you?” She shook her head. “We don’t have subways where I come from.” Actually, they didn’t have any form of public transportation in the North Pole, other than the transport sleds, of course. But they were only for running down to the land of the big people. Snow City was so small that everyone simply walked from place to place. With Derek’s arm around her, Sosie didn’t notice how loud the subway was or how many people were crammed inside the small compartment with them. All she could focus on was him. While she tried not to be obvious, she couldn’t help gazing up at him from beneath her lashes whenever he wasn’t looking. She hadn’t noticed before, but up close she saw his brown eyes had little flecks of gold in them that seemed to shimmer when they 31

Santa’s Wayward Elf caught the light. He had a trace of scruff on his chiseled jaw, too. It was a shade lighter than his dark, silky hair, and she had to stop herself from reaching up to run her hand over his cheek. Afraid she might give in, she turned her attention to his wide, sensuous mouth instead. That was a mistake because then she not only had to fight the urge to caress his cheek, but to kiss him, too. She stifled a groan, wondering how she could be expected to control herself when he was quite possibly the most gorgeous being she had ever seen among elf or man. Sosie was almost relieved when Derek announced the next stop was theirs. While he didn’t keep his arm wrapped around her as they made their way up the steps and out onto the street, he stayed close in the crowd of people, occasionally putting his hand on the small of her back and sending shivers of pleasure through her. Derek lived within easy walking distance of the subway in a big, four-story brick building. Although it was late, the Christmas tree in the center atrium was still lit and Sosie’s lips curved at the brightly twinkling lights as he led her up the steps to the topmost floor. “My apartment is kind of small,” he said as he stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway. He gave her an apologetic look over his shoulder as he fitted a key into the lock. “I wasn’t expecting company, so it’s kind of messy, too.” “That’s okay. I don’t mind.” But Derek’s apartment wasn’t small at all, not compared to her one-room dwelling back home. It wasn’t very messy, either. Other than some dirty dishes in the sink, the place was surprisingly neat. “As you can see, we’ve got the living room and kitchen out here.” He led her down a small hallway, turning on the light above them as he went. “Back here is the bedroom and the bathroom. You can have the bed. I’ll sleep out on the couch.” 32

Santa’s Wayward Elf Sosie’s gaze went to the bed. Figgy, it was huge. Two of the big people could easily fit in it, much less an elf like her and a man Derek’s size. She turned back to him. “There’s plenty of room in the bed for both of us. Are you sure you want to sleep out on the couch? It can’t be very comfortable.” His mouth quirked. “While I’m sure that would be a lot of fun, I think I’d better be a gentleman and sleep out on the couch.” Sosie was disappointed, but she supposed she could see his point. She wouldn’t get any sleep at all if she was in such close proximity to that hard body of his. Not that she would have minded. She might be sleep-deprived when morning came, but she was sure sleeping next to him would be more fun than a snowball fight. “Do you need a shirt or something to sleep in?” She shook her head. “No, thanks. I sleep naked.” At his raised brow, she blushed and quickly added, “But since I’m a guest, maybe it would be better to wear a shirt.” He nodded. “Much.” Sosie nibbled on her lower lip as he opened a dresser drawer and pulled out a shirt. She hadn’t meant to make him uncomfortable. Perhaps she shouldn’t mention being naked around him again since it seemed to cause him concern. “It’ll be big on you, but all my shirts will be like that,” he said, handing it to her. “I just realized I never asked your name back at the club.” “It’s Sosie.” “Sosie.” His mouth edged up. “That’s pretty.” “Thank you.” She looked up at him from beneath her lashes. “And thank you again for letting me stay with you. It’s very kind.” Derek grinned. “Don’t worry about it. I couldn’t let you stand outside the club all night. Besides, what kind of guy would I be if I left you to fend for yourself on Christmas Eve?” 33

Santa’s Wayward Elf “Not a very nice one, I would say.” He laughed. “Okay. Well, I’m going to go hit the sack. If you need anything, shout.” Sosie wasn’t sure his neighbors would appreciate her shouting in the middle of the night, but she nodded anyway. That must have satisfied Derek because he told her to have a good night, then left. Taking off her clothes, Sosie folded them neatly and put them on top of the dresser, then pulled Derek’s shirt over her head. It was dark blue with the words Property of the NYPD across the front in scrawling letters. She couldn’t help but wonder why Derek had a shirt that was the property of someone named NYPD, but it was still nice anyway. She couldn’t help but laugh as she looked down at herself. He was right about it being big on her. The thing hung down to her knees. Crossing the room, she quietly opened the door and slipped into the bathroom so she could clean up before going to bed. Hoping Derek wouldn’t mind, she squeezed a bit of his toothpaste on her finger and swiped it across her teeth, then used some of his green mouthwash. They didn’t taste as good as the candy caneflavored stuff she was used to at home, but they weren’t bad. When she walked out of the bathroom, the lights in the living room were already off. Wondering if Derek was asleep yet, she tiptoed down the hallway and peeked into the living room. She’d intended to thank Derek one more time for his hospitality, but the words got stuck in her throat at the sight of him. He was sprawled on the couch, the blanket pushed down to his waist, leaving his muscular chest and rock-hard stomach bare. Holy Kris Kringle. She thought he’d looked good with his clothes on, but half-naked, he was even more gorgeous. She’d never seen muscles like that on an elf guy. Never, ever, ever. It was all she could do not to jump on the couch with him and run her hands all over that glorious body of his. 34

Santa’s Wayward Elf If he looked that good from the waist up, she could only wonder what he looked like underneath the blanket. Her pussy purred at the image and Sosie had to stifle a groan. Allowing herself one more long, lingering look at all those delicious muscles, she turned and hurried back to the bedroom. She climbed in bed and snuggled into the pillow, but didn’t fall asleep right away. Big surprise. With visions of a half-naked hunk like Derek dancing in her head, there was no way she would be getting any sleep at all that night. Too bad she hadn’t brought one of those tiny pocket vibrators with her from her workshop in the North Pole.

35

Santa’s Wayward Elf

Chapter 3 Sosie awoke the next morning to the most amazing aroma she had ever smelled in her life. Spicy and a little sweet, it made her mouth water and her stomach growl. The elves next door must be trying out a new porridge recipe. She might have to go over there and invite herself for breakfast. She breathed in the wonderful scent again and snuggled into her pillow. That was when she realized it wasn’t her pillow. Or her bed. Or her home. Figgy, she wasn’t even in the North Pole. Last night’s events suddenly came rushing back to her and she groaned as she remembered she was still an elf stranded in a strange city. That’s what she got for being adventurous, she supposed. On the other hand, it could be worse. She could have spent the night curled up on a sidewalk somewhere. She had been very lucky to meet Derek. Thanks to him, she’d had a roof over her head and a warm bed to sleep in. She had no idea what she would have done if he hadn’t been so kind to her last night. Of course, she had no idea what she was going to do tonight, or the nights after that. But for right now at least, she had a place to stay. That was enough. She would worry about figuring out how to contact Elf Central after she had some of the delicious-smelling food Derek had made for breakfast. Throwing back the blanket, she hopped out of bed and hurried for the door. Halfway there, she stopped, her gaze going to the colorful clothes neatly folded on the dresser. She supposed she 36

Santa’s Wayward Elf should put her skirt and jacket back on, but the shirt Derek had given her to wear was so soft and comfortable that she didn’t want to take it off yet. Hoping he wouldn’t mind if she borrowed it a little longer, she reached up to make sure her hair covered the tips of her elfin ears, then skipped off to the kitchen. Derek was standing at the small stove stirring something in a frying pan and looking as gorgeous as he had last night. Though she was slightly disappointed to see he was dressed. She wouldn’t have minded if he had still been wearing that sheet. He turned at her entrance and flashed her a grin. “Hey there. I was wondering when you were going to get up. Merry Christmas.” Sosie smiled and returned the greeting. Christmas was a joyous time for elves, too, but for a different reason. For her kind, it meant the busiest time of the year was over with and they could finally take a breather. “What’s that delightful smell?” she asked, peeking around him to look into the frying pan. He glanced at her as he stirred the yellow mixture. “Nothing special. Just your basic bacon and eggs.” “Those are bacon and eggs?” She’d heard of bacon and eggs, of course, but had never seen them. They looked light and fluffy and she had to resist the urge to pick some up in her fingers and pop them into her mouth to see if they tasted as delicious as they smelled. “Actually, these are the eggs. The bacon’s in the oven staying warm.” He frowned. “Wait a minute. You’ve never had bacon and eggs before?” She shook her head. “What do you eat for breakfast then?” “Porridge.” She watched as he stirred the eggs a few more times. Finally unable to control herself any longer, she reached out to nab some 37

Santa’s Wayward Elf of the fluffy, yellow stuff, but he pulled the pan out of the way before she could get her fingers on it. “Porridge, huh? Like oatmeal, you mean?” He grinned as he spooned the eggs onto plates. “Well, then you’re in for a real treat because this is way better than porridge. You have to wait until I get it on plates, though. Sit down at the table and I’ll bring it over.” Sosie did as he suggested but only after giving the scrambled eggs a longing look. She hadn’t known how hungry she was, but after seeing how tasty breakfast looked, she realized she was starving. To keep from getting too impatient, she distracted herself by watching Derek work. He was wearing what the big people called jeans and a T-shirt, and as he moved around the kitchen, she couldn’t help but notice his backside. He had quite a nice ass. She bet it was very muscular. She was so busy admiring his butt, she almost didn’t realize he’d turned around and was carrying the plates over to the table until he set one of them in front of her. Blushing, she quickly picked up the glass of orange-colored drink at her place setting and took a big swallow. It was tangier than she’d expected and she had to fight to keep her mouth from puckering. “Coffee?” Derek asked, a glass pitcher poised above the empty mug in front of her. She nodded. She’d never had coffee either, but she was eager to try it. Along with everything else the BP city had to offer. Like eggs and bacon. Picking up her fork, she piled it high with the fluffy stuff and put it in her mouth. “Mmm,” she breathed. “These are delicious.” Across from her, Derek picked up his fork and dug into his own eggs. “Better than porridge?” She picked up the bacon and took a bite. “Much. We don’t have anything like this back home.” 38

Santa’s Wayward Elf He took a swallow of coffee. “Where is home? You didn’t say last night.” “Where?” He nodded. “Yeah. You said you were visiting friends.” “Oh. Right.” She had said that, hadn’t she? “Um, up north.” “Canada, you mean?” She looked down at her plate. “A little farther north than that.” “What’s the name of the place?” He wasn’t going to let it go until she told him, was he? “Snow City. But you’ve probably never heard of it.” “You’re right. I’ve never heard of it. And it’s north of Canada, you said?” She nodded. “I didn’t think there was anything north of Canada except the Arctic Ocean and the North Pole.” She gave him a small smile. “And Snow City.” “And Snow City.” He grinned. “Which I now know if there’s ever a Trivial Pursuit question about it.” Sosie laughed, familiar with Trivial Pursuit from her time spent in the game department back in Santa’s workshop. Relieved Derek didn’t seem inclined to press her for more details, she picked up the coffee he’d poured for her and took a sip. She made a face at the bitter taste. Derek chuckled. “Let me guess. You’ve never had coffee before, either?” She shook her head. “Does it always taste like this?” “Only when you don’t put cream and sugar in it. Hang on. I’ll get you some.” Getting up, he crossed the kitchen to get something out of one of the cabinets, then did the same with the enormous refrigerator. A moment later, he came back to the table with a carton and several yellow packets. Picking up two of the packets, 39

Santa’s Wayward Elf she tore off the tops and dumped the white powder in her coffee, then added the contents of two more before filling the mug to the brim with cream. “Guess you like things sweet, huh?” Derek said. She blushed as she lifted the mug to her lips and took a sip. The sugar she’d added had made the coffee sweeter, but it certainly wasn’t too sweet for her. More importantly, it made the coffee taste better than before. “You know, if you can’t get hold of your friends, you’re welcome to spend Christmas here if you want.” Sosie blinked at him over the rim of the mug. “I am?” He picked up his toast. “Yeah. We all get together in the common area downstairs to have Christmas dinner and exchange gifts.” “We?” “The other people in the building. At least the ones who don’t go visit family.” “That sounds like fun. I’d love to have dinner with you. If you don’t think everyone else would mind.” “Of course they won’t mind. There’s always more food than everyone can eat. And even if there wasn’t, you’d still be welcome. No one should be alone on Christmas, especially in a strange city where they don’t know anyone.” It was official. She had definitely lucked out meeting Derek. She bit into her second slice of bacon and chewed thoughtfully. “You don’t go visit your family on Christmas?” “Normally I do. But this year, my parents are spending Christmas at my sister’s place in Indiana, so I had dinner with them last night before they flew out. I couldn’t go because I have to work.” Sosie didn’t know where Indiana was—she didn’t even know where they were—but from what Derek said, it sounded as if it was far. 40

Santa’s Wayward Elf “Do you work at the club every night then?” He shook his head. “Only a couple nights a week. If I’m offduty.” “Off-duty from what?” “My real job. I’m a detective. I only moonlight at the club for some extra cash.” Sosie wondered why he only worked at the club when the moon was visible, but she’d have to remember to ask about that later. Right now, she wanted to know more about his other job. She nibbled on her toast. “What do you spend your days detecting?” Derek chuckled as if he found her question amusing. “Well, I spend my days detecting bad guys. Right now, however, I’m spending less time detecting and more of it trying to prove they are the bad guys. I work in the organized crime bureau, so that’s to be expected I suppose.” Sosie frowned. The term “organized crime” didn’t make a lot of sense to her. Did that mean the bad guys he’d mentioned worked according to a schedule and committed crime in an orderly fashion? Was there such a thing as unorganized crime, too? But she didn’t ask him for details. She didn’t want to come off as completely clueless. It was bad enough she didn’t know what bacon and eggs looked like. So, as he told her about his job, she nodded and said things in reply she hoped sounded intelligent. While she enjoyed listening to him, she was nervous he was going to ask her questions about where she was from. Every time it seemed as if he might, she quickly turned the conversation back around so they were once again talking about him. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to notice. “I almost forgot,” he said as he pushed his empty plate out of the way. “I told one of my neighbors about your friends abandoning you at the club and she gave me some clothes for you 41

Santa’s Wayward Elf to wear. She has a teenage daughter about your size, so they should fit okay.” She paused, the mug of coffee halfway to her lips. “You did? That was sweet of you.” “I figured you wouldn’t want to wear your Christmas costume all day. Why don’t you change while I clean up? The clothes are over there on the couch.” Derek thought her red and green clothes were a costume, like the bouncer at the club. Sosie wondered if she should tell him they weren’t, but then decided against it. From what she’d seen so far, BPs didn’t dress anything like elves. “Feel free to use the phone in the bedroom if you want to call your friends. I’m sure they’re worried about you,” Derek said as she picked up the clothes and started for the bedroom. Sosie nodded, but didn’t say anything. She knew he would think it odd if she told him she still had no way to contact her friends. She would have to pretend she’d tried to call them, then tell him she hadn’t been able to get in touch with them again. Although she was still reluctant to take off Derek’s soft, comfortable T-shirt, she was eager to try on the clothes his neighbor had been kind enough to give her. The jeans fit her perfectly, even if they were snugger than she was used to. The shirt was a little tighter than the ones she usually wore, too, but it was still a great fit. She had no idea what an American Idol was, but the words splashed across the front of the shirt were cool anyway. Hoping she looked okay, Sosie went back out to the kitchen. Derek was putting the breakfast dishes in a small, square contraption underneath the counter when she walked in. He glanced up, then did a double-take. She frowned. “What’s wrong? I look okay, don’t I?” “You look great. Better than great, actually. It’s just that…” “Just what?” 42

Santa’s Wayward Elf “I probably should have asked you before this,” he said. “How old are you?” Her frown deepened. She didn’t see what her age had to do with how great she looked in the borrowed jeans and T-shirt. “Eighty-nine.” Derek’s mouth quirked. “Very funny,” he said as he closed the door on the contraption he’d put the dishes in. “Seriously, how old are you? As young as you look in those clothes, my neighbors are going to think I’m some kind of pervert.” She’d never heard that word before. “Pervert?” “Yeah. You barely look eighteen in those clothes.” Oh. So, that’s what was going on here. Sosie had forgotten elves aged slower than BPs. She tried to remember what she knew concerning an appropriate age for a BP woman of her appearance. She had to be at least eighteen because that would mean she’d finished school and could be out and about on her own. She studied Derek, trying to figure out how old he was. In his thirties, she’d say. Since she had nothing to use as a basis for comparison, it was impossible to guess, so she finally decided to take a random grab from Santa’s bag. “I’m thirty…” she began, but at the look on Derek’s face, she decided she must have guessed wrong and changed what she’d been going to say. “Twenty…five?” Derek arched a brow. “Are you asking me or telling me?” She nibbled on her lower lip as she tried to gauge his reaction. “Telling you. I’m twenty-five. I got confused for a minute. You know, converting from…” “From?” he prompted when she hesitated. Figgy, she’d almost said elf years. She was going to have to be more careful around him. “Well, it’s just that when you live as far north as I do, the year seems a lot longer, so sometimes we don’t think about them the way you do down here. We don’t ask each other our age very often where I come from, either.” 43

Santa’s Wayward Elf He frowned. “I hope I didn’t offend you.” “No, of course not.” She grinned. “As long as you tell me how old you are in return.” He chuckled. “Fair enough. I’m thirty-two.” She’d guessed right. Maybe she knew more about BPs than she’d thought. He ran his gaze over her one more time, then cleared his throat. “Come on. Let’s go see if anyone is downstairs yet.” Although she was excited about meeting Derek’s neighbors and taking part in a real Christmas celebration, Sosie couldn’t help but be a little nervous as she followed him downstairs. Despite the fact no one had figured out she was an elf since getting stranded in the city, she was sure she was going to do or say something that would give it away. Once they reached the common area, however, she was so busy taking everything in she forgot all about being nervous. The place had looked beautiful last night, but today it was even more festive. In addition to the dozens of colorfully wrapped gifts underneath the Christmas tree waiting to be opened, the stair rails and banister had been wrapped with lush garland and twinkling lights. The long tables that had been against the wall were now covered in red and green tablecloths and filled with delicious-smelling food. Figgy, this was about as big as the party they threw at the North Pole on Christmas. Derek took her hand. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to everyone.” His big, strong hand felt so good wrapped around hers that Sosie had a hard time concentrating on anything else, much less putting names with faces as they spent the next hour working their way around the common area. Besides Bob and Betty and their son, Jimmy, the nice family from the second floor, there was John, the heavyset, jovial man who lived in the apartment beside them. Next was Ben, the apartment building’s elderly superintendent and 44

Santa’s Wayward Elf resident handyman, and his wife Mabel. Then there was Connie, the neighbor who had generously given Sosie new clothes to wear, and her teenage daughter Jane, as well as Linda and Tracee, two women who shared the apartment down the hall from Derek. That was just to name a few. By the time Derek was through, her head was swimming, but she tried to remember as many of their names as she could. Unlike some of the grouchy grinches she’d seen last night, Derek’s neighbors were as nice as he was. In fact, they were genuinely concerned when he told them Sosie was from out of town and had been abandoned by her friends at the club the night before. After hearing about it, Tracee said, “Well, don’t worry about them because you found new friends.” “That’s right,” Linda agreed. “And we won’t be abandoning you, either.” Sosie was touched by their words. That was certainly a sweet thing to say, especially to a woman—er, elf—they’d just met. “How did you and Derek run into each other?” Linda asked as soon as he went off to get Sosie something to drink. Almost a foot taller than Sosie, she had chin-length dark hair and a bright smile. “Some very nasty men were bothering me and he rescued me,” Sosie told her. “I think it was very brave of him, but he said he was doing his job.” Tracee shook her head. Not quite as tall as her friend Linda, she had curly, red hair and freckles. “That’s Derek for you. I have to admit I’m very jealous he asked you to stay with him, you know.” Linda nodded. “Me, too.” Sosie looked from one to the other. “Why?” “Because he’s totally hot, of course,” Tracee said. “Totally,” Linda agreed. 45

Santa’s Wayward Elf Sosie blinked as understanding dawned on her. “Oh! Yes, he is very hot.” She nibbled on her lower lip, her gaze going from one woman to the other again. “Are either of you and Derek…” Figgy, what is the right word? “An item? I wish.” Tracee made a face. “Linda and I have been trying to get him to notice us ever since he moved in, but no luck. Unfortunately, he thinks of us more as sisters than girlfriend material.” “Either that, or he doesn’t want to fish off the apartment pier,” Linda said. The two women want to go fishing with Derek? Sosie wanted to ask, but Tracee continued. “Well, whatever it is, we’re not going to get a shot with him. Which means Linda and I will have to live vicariously through you.” She grinned at Sosie. “Did you and Derek hook up last night?” Sosie frowned. “Hook up to what?” “To each other, silly. You really aren’t from around here, are you?” Tracee asked, then clarified, “You know, did you two have sex?” “Oh!” Sosie blushed. “No. Derek was a complete gentleman.” At the crestfallen looks on both women’s faces, she added, “But I did see him without his shirt. Tracee and Linda looked at each other, then sighed in unison. “Well, don’t leave us hanging,” Tracee said. “We want details.” Linda nodded eagerly. “Does he look as good underneath his T-shirt as we think?” Sosie grinned. “Better. I had a hard time falling asleep after seeing that chest of his.” Both women let out another dramatic sigh.

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Santa’s Wayward Elf “Okay, you’ve made me jealous enough for today. Let’s talk about something else besides our hunky neighbor,” Tracee said. “Like how long you’ll be in the city.” Sosie hesitated. “I’m not sure. Probably a day or two.” Or however long it took for Elf Central to find her. Since they weren’t going to come looking for her in Derek’s apartment, she was probably going to have to go back to the building where the transport sled had landed. She doubted she would meet up with the search party, but she could at least leave a note telling them where she was. If she could find the building again. “Linda and I would be happy to show you the sights while you’re here, if you want.” Tracee grinned. “If Derek doesn’t want to play tour guide, that is.” Sosie looked over at Derek as she considered that. While she certainly wouldn’t mind spending more time with him, she didn’t think he’d be able to play tour guide, as Tracee had called it, since he did detective work during the day and his moonlighting job at night. She opened her mouth to tell the dark-haired woman as much, but Derek came over before she could say anything. “Sorry it took me so long.” He held out the plastic cup he was carrying. “I wasn’t sure whether to get you beer or soda, so I went with the soda.” Sosie had never had either, so whatever he picked was fine with her. Taking the cup, she lifted it to her mouth and was surprised when bubbles tickled her nose. She cautiously took a sip. It was different than anything she was used to drinking up at the North Pole, but it was good. Really good. “We’re going to mingle.” Tracee gave Sosie a wink. “We’ll see you later.” Sosie sipped her drink as she watched the two women make their way over to where John was standing talking to another man. She had a sneaking suspicion Tracee and Linda had left so she could be alone with Derek. 47

Santa’s Wayward Elf “Tracee and Linda didn’t talk your ear off, did they?” Figgy, she hadn’t known such a thing was possible. Sosie quickly reached up to check that both ears were still firmly attached. “Still there.” “That’s a relief.” Sosie silently agreed. She was rather fond of her ears. It was only after she saw Derek’s mouth twitch that she realized he’d been teasing about the women actually being able to talk her ears off. Embarrassed, she took a sip of soda. “Tracee and Linda thought you might want to show me around the city while I’m here, but I figured you’d probably be too busy with your work.” He looked at her over the rim of the brown bottle in his hand as he lifted it to his mouth and took a swig of whatever was inside. “Actually, I’m not busy at all. I have off tomorrow anyway, so I’d be glad to show you around. If you haven’t already gotten hold of your friends by then, I mean.” She had no idea if Elf Central was coming to get her, much less when. And after Derek’s invitation, she was hoping they’d leave her stranded a little while longer. Sosie smiled up at him. “I’d like that.” His mouth curved. “Me, too.” Derek looked as if he was about to say more, but Sosie would never know what because at that moment, a remote-control toy car zipped across the floor and smacked into his foot. Jimmy came running after it, controller in his small hands. “Sorry,” he called. “No problem, dude,” Derek said. “You’re lucky I’m off-duty, or I’d have to give you a ticket.” The little boy looked up at him with wide eyes. “Really?” Derek chuckled. “Nah. I’m teasing.” He reached out to tousle the boy’s light brown hair. “Go ahead and go crazy.” 48

Santa’s Wayward Elf “All right!” Jimmy cheered. Grinning, he turned his remotecontrol car around and sent it speeding toward the other side of the room. Sosie smiled as the boy ran off after his toy. She had made hundreds similar to it in Santa’s workshop over the years, but she’d never actually seen children play with any of them. It was heartwarming to see how much they enjoyed the things she and her fellow elves made. Still smiling, she turned back to Derek. “That was very sweet of you.” He shrugged, a lopsided grin curving his mouth. “What can I say? I’m a sweet guy.” Yes, he was. But she’d already known that. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s get something to eat.” Figgy, she had been so busy meeting everyone, she’d completely forgotten about the food set out on the tables. Back home, there would have been plates of herring rolls, smoked salmon or tuna spread on tiny squares of crunchy toast, and spice bread filled with sweet, creamy cheese, as well as a variety of meat dishes. But here there were plates with little pieces of different color cheeses accompanied by a variety of crackers—all of which were quite delicious—and bowls of different dip to go along with the crispy discs she learned were called chips. Those were extremely tasty, too. Derek must have found her enthusiasm about the food amusing because he chuckled as she reached for another chip and popped it in her mouth. “You going to have room for dinner?” he asked. She looked at him in surprise. “I thought this was dinner.” “Chips and dip? You really aren’t from around here, are you?” He grinned. “It wouldn’t be Christmas dinner without turkey and all the fixings, not to mention dessert.” 49

Santa’s Wayward Elf Sosie had heard of turkey, of course, but had no idea what kind of fixings came with it. She wanted to make sure she had room for all of them, so she resisted the urge to eat any more chips. Though they were rather addictive. Maybe she’d have some more later. While Sosie absolutely loved the turkey and all the side dishes that went along with it, she enjoyed talking and laughing with everyone even more. It was as if the people who lived in Derek’s building were one big, happy family. While she had friends back home, they never got together like this, and when they did, they didn’t tease or joke with each other as the BPs did. She couldn’t remember ever having so much fun. And they hadn’t even opened presents yet. That was another new experience for her. Although they celebrated Christmas, elves didn’t exchange gifts for the holiday. Which, now that she thought about it, was a bit odd, especially since they did nothing but make them all year long. As she watched first the children, then the adults open their gifts, she couldn’t get over how enjoyable the tradition was. “And this,” Connie said, handing her a beautifully wrapped box, “is for you from all of us.” Sosie blinked. “Me?” The dark-haired woman nodded. “I always like to keep an extra gift on hand in case someone brings a guest.” Sosie gazed down at the package. The gesture was so sweet, it almost brought tears to her eyes. She lifted her head to see everyone regarding her expectantly. “But I didn’t get any of you anything.” Connie waved her hand. “Having you here is present enough for all of us.” She grinned. “Now, go ahead and open your gift.” Sosie didn’t need any more encouragement. She tore into the paper, eager to see what Connie had given her, and was thrilled to find out it was a bottle of perfume. She read the name on the box, 50

Santa’s Wayward Elf but didn’t recognize it, of course. Wondering if it smelled like the scent she wore at home, she took it out of the box and sprayed some on, then inhaled deeply. Soft and delicate, the fragrance was more tantalizing than the usual cinnamon and sugar scent she wore. She gave Connie a smile. “It smells beautiful. Thank you.” Beside Sosie, Derek leaned in closer. A moment later he lifted his head to grin down at her. “Mmm, that is nice.” Sosie’s pulse skipped a beat. She had heard perfume could have a very desirous effect on members of the opposite sex, but hadn’t believed it since she’d never experienced its power herself. Then again, maybe it didn’t work on elf guys. Maybe it only worked on BP men. Right then, she didn’t care. She liked the way Derek was looking at her. She opened her mouth to thank him only to be interrupted by a child crying. She turned to see tears running down Jimmy’s face as he stared down at the remote-control car in his hands. Figgy, she hoped he hadn’t gotten into trouble for playing too wildly. His father kneeled down in front of him. “It’s all right, buddy. We’ll take it back to the store tomorrow and get you a new one.” The boy sniffed. “B-but I want this one.” The man put his arm around his son. “I know, but this one doesn’t work anymore.” Sosie chewed on her lower lip. While she hadn’t worked on that particular model of toy, she might be able to fix it if she had the right tools. Setting the bottle of perfume down on a table, she walked over to kneel down beside Jimmy and his father. “I have a knack with toys,” she said. “Want me to take a look at your car and see if I can fix it for you?” Hope filled Jimmy’s tear-filled eyes. “Do you really think you can?” “All I need is a few common hand tools.” 51

Santa’s Wayward Elf “I’ve got those,” Ben said, coming over to stand beside her. “What do you need?” “Some screwdrivers and a small pair of pliers,” she told him. “Oh, and a soldering iron, if you’ve got it.” “As a matter of fact, I do. I’ll go get them for you.” Behind Jimmy, his mother frowned in concern. “I don’t know about this. Are you sure you can fix it without breaking it? I don’t want to void the warrantee.” “She can fix it, Mommy,” Jimmy said confidently. “I know it.” Sosie gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. It’ll be good as new. I promise.” The woman still looked unsure, but didn’t say anything. A moment later, Ben came back, tools in hand. Turning the remotecontrol car over, Sosie unscrewed the cover on the underside and took it off. She immediately saw the problem and was relieved she could indeed fix it. She would have felt awful if she’d had to disappoint Jimmy. But luckily, a few wires had broken loose from the circuit board. She had them soldered back on in no time flat, then tweaked the settings on the main PCU so the car would move faster. She popped the cover back on, then held it out to Jimmy. “Why don’t you go take it for a spin and see what you think?” He eagerly obeyed, giggling like crazy as the car spun in a tight circle, then sped across the floor. “Thank you,” Jimmy’s mother said. “Both for fixing it and for saving me from having to go back to the toy store and stand in that line of people who are going to be returning things tomorrow.” Sosie blushed. “No problem. I’ve always been very handy with anything electrical.” “Is that so?” Ben regarded her thoughtfully. “How are you with central air units?” Her brow furrowed. “Central air units?” “Yeah. I can never get the AC to work.” 52

Santa’s Wayward Elf She didn’t know what AC was, either, but she didn’t want to look stupid in front of everyone. Fortunately, Derek came to her rescue. “Sosie is from way up north, Ben,” he reminded the older man. “I don’t think they have a big call for AC there.” “Oh, that’s right. I didn’t think about that.” Ben shook his head. “I wish we didn’t need it here, because the unit they installed in this building is a piece of crap. It breaks down all the time. Do you think you could take a look at it before you leave?” “I can try.” Sosie and Derek stood watching Jimmy playing with his car for a while before he suggested they grab some eggnog. “That was nice of you to fix Jimmy’s toy,” Derek said as he handed her a plastic cup. “And to offer to help Ben with the air conditioning. I think he gets overwhelmed trying to keep up with everything around here.” His mouth twitched. “I’d offer to help him with it myself, but I probably couldn’t figure out how to get the cover off unless I used a crowbar.” She laughed. “It’s the least I could do. Everyone’s been so nice to me.” Most especially Derek. Sosie wished she could think of some way to pay him back for everything he’d done for her. “You two do realize where you’re standing, don’t you?” Sosie turned at the sound of Tracee’s voice to find that she and Linda had come over to join them. For some reason, both women were regarding them with amusement. Sosie glanced at Derek and saw he looked as confused by the question as she was. Tracee gave them an impatient look. “Look up.” Sosie obeyed and blinked when she saw the sprig of mistletoe hanging from the doorjamb above their heads. Elves might not celebrate Christmas with roast turkey and presents, but they did put up mistletoe, so she knew what standing underneath it meant. Wondering if Derek did, too, she looked up to find him gazing 53

Santa’s Wayward Elf down at her with that same sexy glint he’d had in his eye when he leaned in to smell her perfume before. Her pulse quickened and she wet her lips in anticipation. But to her dismay, Derek didn’t move to kiss her. Maybe he didn’t know the tradition, after all. “Well, what are you waiting for?” Tracee said impatiently. “Go ahead and kiss her already.” He chuckled. “They’re not going to be satisfied unless I kiss you, you know.” She smiled. “Then I suppose you’d better kiss me.” Giving her a lopsided grin, Derek bent and lightly touched his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle, his mouth moving tenderly over hers, and she leaned into him, her hands sliding up the front of his shirt. He tasted like spiked eggnog and the pumpkin pie they’d had earlier, and something else she couldn’t put a name to. All she knew was that it was decidedly male and more intoxicating than any alcohol she’d ever had in her life, and she wanted more. Derek must have felt the same because he slid one hand into her long hair and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. She parted her lips, sighing as his tongue swept into her mouth and tangled with hers in a sweet dance that left her knees weak. She’d been kissed by elf guys before, but never like this, and when Derek finally lifted his head, she could only gaze up at him in wonder. The moment was so magical Sosie completely forgot they were in a room full of people until she heard the sound of excited voices, followed by the scramble of feet. Jerked out of her reverie by the commotion, she reluctantly turned her head to see everyone crowding around the common area’s two small windows and looking at something outside. “It’s snowing!” Linda squealed. Sosie couldn’t help but smile at the excitement in the darkhaired woman’s voice. Snow was so common in the North Pole 54

Santa’s Wayward Elf she’d almost forgotten it wasn’t an everyday occurrence in the rest of the world. Derek cleared his throat. “I guess we should go take a look, huh?” She would much rather have spent the rest of the night kissing him under the mistletoe, but since she knew that probably wouldn’t be very appropriate considering they weren’t alone, she nodded instead. Although she “oohed” and “aahed” along with everyone else at the snow falling outside, Sosie couldn’t think about anything but the kiss she and Derek had shared under the mistletoe. She’d never been kissed so thoroughly or so expertly before. It had been enough to curl her elfin booties. Not to mention leave her wanting more. Trouble was, she wasn’t sure how to go about letting Derek know she wanted more. Figgy, she wouldn’t even know how to let an elf guy know. Where she came from, it was the guys who made the first move, and the second. She stood sipping her eggnog and casting Derek covert looks beneath her lashes from across the room as she tried to come up with something, but nothing came to mind. “So,” Tracee said, sidling up to Sosie with a mischievous look on her face. “Is Derek a good kisser?” Sosie felt her face color. “A very good kisser.” The redhead exchanged looks with Linda, who grinned. “That was absolutely brilliant of you to lure him under the mistletoe. I only wish I’d thought of it. My guess is he won’t be sleeping on the couch tonight, not after a kiss like that.” Sosie worried her lower lip with her teeth as she considered Linda’s words. “You think so?” “Only if you give him a not-so-subtle hint,” Tracee said. “Derek is definitely into you, but he’s too much of a gentleman to make a move unless you give him the okay.” “How do I do that?” Sosie asked. 55

Santa’s Wayward Elf The other woman grinned. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.” Confused, Sosie watched as Tracee walked over to the doorway where the mistletoe was hanging. Reaching up, the woman removed it from the hook it was on, then came back over and handed it to Sosie. She frowned. “What am I supposed to do with this?” “Put it anywhere you want Derek to kiss you, of course,” Tracee said, giving her a wink. Sosie blushed as she suddenly imagined all the delicious places she wanted Derek to kiss her. She eyed the mistletoe skeptically. “Are you sure that’ll work?” Tracee shrugged. “It worked for you before.” Sosie supposed the redhead was right. Even though she hadn’t purposely lured Derek under the mistletoe as Linda seemed to think, it had gotten him to kiss her. She would have to be more creative. Bold, too. Which was something she’d never been with guys. But she could be if it got Derek into bed with her. Thinking of what his hard, naked body would feel like against hers was enough to make her moan, and she had to bite her lip as one erotic image after another flashed through her head. By the time the party wound down a few hours later, Sosie was more aroused from her fantasies than she’d ever been in her life. She was an elf in lust and nothing was going stop her from getting Derek into bed with her tonight. She didn’t care how much of a gentleman he was, there was no way he was sleeping on the couch again. In fact, if she had her way, he wasn’t going to be sleeping at all. After they got back up to his apartment, however, her confidence faltered. But then she thought of the frustrated night she would assuredly have ahead of her if she didn’t proposition Derek, and how much she would regret it when she left. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face him. “I had a great time at the party. It was very nice of you to invite me.” 56

Santa’s Wayward Elf He grinned. “I’m glad you came. I had a good time, too.” Sosie nibbled on her lower lip. Okay, it s now or not at all. Time to be a bold elf. She looked up at him. “You know, I feel awful about putting you out of your bed again. I was thinking maybe you might want to sleep with me tonight.” He studied her in silence, his dark eyes unreadable. Sosie held her breath as she waited for him to say something. What if Tracee and Linda had been wrong? What if Derek wasn’t as “into her” as they’d thought? “If I share the bed with you, Sosie,” he said softly, “sleeping is the last thing either of us will be doing.” She gave him what she hoped was a flirtatious look. “Good. Then the mistletoe won’t go to waste.” His mouth curved into a grin at the tiny sprig of greenery dangling from her fingers. “Mistletoe, huh?” “I thought I could put it wherever I want you to kiss me.” He chuckled. “Honey, you don’t need mistletoe for that. I’ve spent the past two hours fantasizing about kissing every inch of you.” Her pulse skipped a beat. “You have?” “Uh-huh.” Cupping her face in his hand, he bent his head to cover her mouth with his. This time, there was no hesitancy in the kiss. This time, his mouth moved over hers with an urgency that left her breathless, and she had to cling to his shoulders to keep from melting as his tongue plunged into her mouth to take possession of hers. It was as if he couldn’t seem to get enough of her. The desire was mutual. She couldn’t get enough of him, either. With a groan, Derek swung her up in his arms and strode toward the bedroom. She’d never had a guy do something so romantic before—mainly because she was always taller than the elf guys she’d slept with—but she decided it was very hot. 57

Santa’s Wayward Elf Once beside the bed, Derek set her on the floor, letting her slide slowly and deliciously down his body. Arms still looped around his neck, she pulled him down for another kiss. This time, she was the aggressor, her tongue seeking his and exploring every inch of his tasty mouth. Derek groaned and ran his hands down her back to firmly cup her ass through the tight jeans she wore. She murmured her appreciation against his mouth as he pulled her more tightly against him. His erection strained against his jeans, pressing into her belly. Mmm. Well, that answered the question as to whether he was well built everywhere. It felt as if he had a huge candy cane hidden in there. Suddenly impatient to see how well built, Sosie ran her hands down his chest to the bottom of his shirt and urgently pushed it up. Derek must have thought she needed some help because he reached back and pulled it over his head to toss it on the floor. She’d thought getting a glimpse of him without a shirt last night had been a treat, but seeing all that sculpted muscle up close was even better. Figgy, he was gorgeous. Eager to find out if he felt as incredible as he looked, she reached out and slowly ran her hands over his smooth chest and down his rock-hard stomach, then back up again. Unable to help herself, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his nipple. It stiffened at her touch and she swirled her tongue around it, drawing the hard peak into her mouth to gently suckle on it before releasing it and doing the same with its counterpart. Above her, Derek sucked in a breath and thrust a hand into her hair, gently bringing her head up. “My turn,” he said huskily. Urging her onto the bed, he found the hem of her T-shirt and lifted it over her head. His gaze lingered on the tops of her breasts as if mesmerized by what he saw and she felt excitement course 58

Santa’s Wayward Elf through her as she reached around to unclasp her red lace-trimmed bra. Derek gazed down at her, his dark eyes seeming to smolder as they caressed her bare breasts, and Sosie felt her nipples tingle. “God, you’re beautiful,” he breathed. Sosie blushed. She’d never had a guy tell her she was beautiful, and the way Derek said it made her feel warm all over. She opened her mouth to thank him, but the words were muffled against his mouth as he bent to kiss her again. Cupping her breasts in his hands, Derek gently pushed her back onto the bed, then slowly trailed hot kisses along the curve of her jaw and down her neck. The scruff on his face made her skin tingle and she shivered. Elf guys didn’t often grow facial hair and when they did, it came in all soft and wispy. But as he took one of her nipples in his mouth Sosie forgot all about how rough Derek’s stubble felt. She gasped and arched against him, letting out a moan as he swirled his tongue around the taut bud before taking it in his mouth to suckle on it. She’d always had sensitive nipples, but tonight, they seemed to be even more receptive. As he moved from that nipple to do the same glorious thing to the other one, she decided her reaction had nothing to do with how sensitive she was and everything to do with how good Derek was at touching her. Flicking his tongue over her nipple one more time, he kissed his way down her belly until he got to the waistband of her jeans. Unbuttoning them, he pulled them off and tossed them over his shoulder to join the rest of the clothes already on the floor. Her tiny, red panties followed, though not as quickly since he seemed to enjoy taking his time slowly wiggling them over her hips. When she was completely naked, he leaned back to gaze down at her. “I was wrong before when I said you were beautiful,” he rasped. “You’re absolutely perfect.”

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Santa’s Wayward Elf Sosie’s breath hitched. Perfect? He thought a too-tall elf who’d spent her whole life not fitting in was perfect? She was speechless. Not that she would have been able to say anything even if she could have managed to find her voice because just then Derek kneeled down in front of her and gently spread her legs. Sosie’s heart raced and she bit her lip to stifle a moan. She hadn’t had that many elf guys go down on her and the ones who had, hadn’t been very good at licking pussy. She had a feeling it would be different with Derek. But rather than bury his face between her thighs like she wanted him to do, Derek leaned forward and slowly kissed his way down her leg. He seemed content to take his time working his way up to her pussy, and she shivered as much from the stubble on his jaw as she did from the anticipation of what his tongue was going to feel like on her clit. The closer Derek got to her pussy, the more that area of her body throbbed. Figgy. If he didn’t put his mouth on her soon, she was going to go insane, she was sure of it. “Derek, please…” she begged as he pressed a gentle kiss to the tender skin on the inside of her thigh. He lifted his head to give her a look that was both hot and teasing at the same time. “Please what?” Sosie almost groaned in frustration. He was going to make her say it, wasn’t he? “Lick my pussy.” “Like this?” he asked, before bending his head to swipe his tongue along her slick folds. “Exactly like that.” “What about like this?” he asked, before pushing his tongue into her wet opening. “Oh, yes. That, too.”

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Santa’s Wayward Elf Derek shifted, cupping her ass cheeks with his hands. He ran his tongue up her wet slit. “Mmm,” he breathed. “You taste delicious, do you know that?” She’d never had a guy tell her that before. But then again, she’d never been with a BP before. “Do I?” His tongue glided over her again. “Mmm-hmmm.” Sosie felt her cheeks grow warm. He really knew what to say to get an elf girl hot and bothered, didn’t he? She was about to thank him when he began to make slow circles round and round her clit, and the ability to speak once again disappeared. He seemed to have a way of doing that to her. Sosie dropped her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes, writhing on the bed as Derek did things with his tongue she hadn’t known were possible. He used quick, little licks to push her close to the brink, only to draw her back by slowing his movements and running his tongue up and down her slit. It was almost as if he could sense when she was about to come. Maybe he could. Maybe it was a special power BP men had to help please a woman. She would have to ask him later. Right now, all she wanted to do was lose herself in the delicious sensations rushing through her body. Just when she couldn’t imagine how it could possibly get any better, Derek slipped one long, tapered finger inside her pussy. She gasped in surprise, only to let out a moan of pleasure when he began to wiggle his finger back and forth. That alone would have been enough to send her off the ski slope, but then he began swirling his tongue around her clit at the same time. The two sensations were more than enough to shove her over the precipice and into ecstasy. Her orgasms were usually slow and leisurely, but this time it coursed through her with dizzying speed, and all she could do was clutch the bed sheets and go along for the ride. Sosie threw her 61

Santa’s Wayward Elf head back and screamed her release loud enough for the whole apartment building to hear. When she finally floated back down to earth, she could only lay back on the pillow and try to catch her breath. Figgy, she’d never come so hard in her life. Derek pressed a kiss to the inside of one quivering thigh, then the other. “Was that okay?” She pushed herself up on her elbows to find him regarding her with a teasing grin. “Okay? It was better than a sleigh ride down Snowflake Mountain.” Derek chuckled. “I’ll assume that must be one heck of a sleigh ride then.” Getting to his feet, he unbuckled his belt, then made quick work of the buttons on his jeans. Sosie watched eagerly as he pushed them down. His legs were long and well muscled, like the rest of him, and she let her gaze run over them before fixing her attention on the bulge in his boxer briefs. She waited breathlessly for him to push them down, too. When he finally did and his hard cock sprang into view, all she could do was stare. Holy Kris Kringle, he was twice the size of any elf guy she’d ever seen. More perfect, too. She took in the thick shaft and smooth, rounded head. Her pussy spasmed. She could only wonder what he would feel like inside her. But he didn’t join her in bed right away. Instead, he opened the top drawer of the bedside table and rummaged around for something. She was about to ask what he was looking for when she saw the foil packet in his hand. A condom. Figgy, she’d completely forgotten about one. She licked her lips in anticipation as he slowly rolled it onto his erect cock, then climbed onto the bed and settled himself between her legs. Sosie’s pulse fluttered as he braced himself with a hand on either side of her head. He might tower over her while they were standing, but in this position, she felt engulfed by his 62

Santa’s Wayward Elf strong, masculine body. The effect was absolutely intoxicating, and her breathing quickened as he positioned the head of his penis at the opening of her pussy. That part of her body immediately began to throb in anticipation. Instead of entering her right away, Derek slowly slid his cock up and down her wetness, teasing her over and over. She ran her hands up his muscled chest to grab onto his shoulders, silently pleading with him to slide inside. But he was either oblivious to what she was trying to tell him or simply determined to torment her, because he only continued to rub the head of his shaft up and down her slick folds. He was driving her crazy. Finally unable to take any more, she opened her mouth to demand he slide in when Derek suddenly stopped torturing her and slowly eased himself into her pussy. Sosie gasped. She had never been with anyone who filled her so completely or so perfectly. It was as if Derek had been made for her. Wanting even more of him, she wrapped her arms and legs around him, pulling him in as deep as he could go. “God, you’re so tight,” he said, the words a ragged whisper in her ear. “I’m almost afraid to move.” “Why?” He gazed down into her eyes. “Because you feel so damn good wrapped around me that I’m afraid I might come much faster than either of us wants.” Bending his head, Derek closed his mouth over hers in a kiss so thorough and possessive she was left gasping for breath when he finally pulled away. If she hadn’t already been lying down, Sosie was sure her knees would have given out. Figgy, the man could kiss. He nibbled his way along the curve of her jaw and down her neck. She turned her head on the pillow, giving him access to that part of her anatomy while at the same time making sure her hair hid her ears. But as he started to slowly thrust in and out of her 63

Santa’s Wayward Elf pussy, it was difficult to concentrate on anything but how good his cock felt. “Harder, Derek,” she demanded. “Harder!” Derek complied, responding to her request with quick forceful thrusts that almost took her breath away. “Yes,” she gasped, her head falling back on the pillow as she lifted her hips up to meet his. “Just like that. Don’t stop!” He didn’t. Instead, he pumped into her so hard and fast it made the bed shake against the wall. She was sure she was going to orgasm when Derek suddenly rolled onto his back, taking her with him. The change in position surprised her so much that it took her a moment to catch her breath. She’d definitely never had a guy do that in bed before, but she liked it. “Ride me,” Derek commanded softly. He didn’t wait for her to obey, but cupped both her ass cheeks in his hands and urged her up and down on his cock. Being on top made it feel as if he was going deeper than he’d been before and Sosie let out a moan each time she came down on his shaft. It felt so wonderful that part of her wanted to sit down hard on his shaft and stay there forever. But she wanted it to be good for him, too, so instead she rode all the way up and down, letting the tip of his erection almost slip out each time before she sank back down on him. “Faster,” Derek ordered, his voice hoarse. “Ride me faster, baby.” She obeyed, bracing her hands on his muscular chest and bouncing up and down on him so hard that the sound of her ass smacking against his hips as he drove up into her echoed around the room. Dear Santa, she’d never experienced anything so amazing in her life. It was as if her entire body was being pleasured all at once. Derek gripped her ass more firmly, urging her up and down. “That’s it,” he rasped. “Come for me.” 64

Santa’s Wayward Elf The words were all it took to push her over the edge. Throwing her head back, she cried out long and loud. Unable to hold herself upright any longer, she collapsed forward onto his chest. Derek thrust harder, grabbing her ass tightly and pumping his cock deep into her over and over until she was sure she was going to pass out from the intense pleasure. When he finally buried his face in the curve of her neck and let out a hoarse groan of release, she thought she actually saw stars and all she could do was moan as her pussy quivered in one long, continuous climax. By the time their orgasms had subsided, Sosie was completely sated, happy to spend the rest of her life right there on Derek’s broad, muscular chest, breathing in his scent and feeling their hearts beat together. She’d just had the very best sex of her life, and it hadn’t been with an elf, but a man. Even now, her pussy was trembling with the memory of what it had felt like to have that perfect cock of his pounding into her. No matter how many elf guys she slept with after this, she would never forget the night she had spent in Derek Clayton’s arms.

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Chapter 4 Derek woke up the next morning feeling more rested than he’d been in a long time, which was surprising considering Sosie had kept him up most of the night making love. He wasn’t sure how many times they’d done it or in how many different positions, but at some point during the night he remembered thinking it was the best sex he’d ever had in his life. The fact that it was with a woman he happened to run into at a club wasn’t lost on him. What are the odds of finding the perfect woman in a meat market like that? His mouth curved into a smile as he gazed at her. She was fast asleep on the pillow beside him, completely unaware he was awake and studying her, which gave him the perfect opportunity to feast his eyes on all that beauty. Her long, blonde hair fell over her shoulder, hiding half her pretty face and flowing over her perfect breasts. He wanted to reach out and gently tuck the silky strands behind her ear, but he didn’t want to wake her so he forced himself to resist the urge and went back to thinking about last night. It had been more than Sosie’s boundless sexual energy that made what they’d shared so incredible. He wasn’t saying he hadn’t enjoyed her energy and enthusiasm, because he definitely had. He’d been especially amazed at how she had been able to get him up over and over and over again. He liked to think he was a stud in bed, but he’d never been able to get it up that many times in one night before. When he had laughingly told her that, she’d giggled and said it was “elfin magic.” More like sex-kitten magic. 66

Santa’s Wayward Elf But despite all that, he got the feeling she hadn’t been having some meaningless tumble in the sack with him. At least, it hadn’t felt that way. Even though she was clearly skilled in bed, she’d made it seem as if every second of last night had been some new experience to be treasured. Almost as if he were her first. That should have scared the hell out of him, but it didn’t. Maybe because he’d never been with a woman like her. It wasn’t every day he ran into a hot girl who knew how to use a soldering iron, after all. He chuckled. It might sound ridiculous, but it was true. There weren’t many women who could fix remote-control cars, much less an air conditioning unit, especially ones who looked like Sosie. It didn’t fit with her girly-girl image. He had to admit the whole Lady MacGyver thing she had going on was pretty damn sexy. In fact, he’d been tempted to say the hell with being a gentleman and make a move on her right there at the party. As much as he’d wanted to, he would never have done it. Sosie was stranded in a strange city with no money, no friends and nowhere to sleep. He didn’t want her to think she had to have sex with him in return for a place to stay, so he’d resigned himself to lusting after her from afar. Until Tracee and Linda pointed out he and Sosie were standing under the mistletoe. He hadn’t noticed anyone had pinned the plant above the doorframe, and considering how remote the place Sosie lived was, he didn’t think it had any significance to her. He was about to explain the silly, old tradition when Tracee demanded he stop wasting time and kiss Sosie already. That was when he’d noticed the twinkle in Sosie’s eye and realized she not only knew exactly what standing under the mistletoe was all about, but didn’t mind carrying on the tradition. If she was willing, so was he. It wasn’t as if he was demanding a kiss in return for food and board. He was determined to be a gentleman, so he’d only intended to give her a simple peck on the lips. However, the moment his 67

Santa’s Wayward Elf lips touched hers, any idea of a chaste kiss completely disappeared. She’d tasted too damn good. Felt too damn good. And if there hadn’t been about forty people in the common area at the time, he probably would have pulled Sosie into his arms for a kiss that would have been anything but family friendly. The rest of the party had been a blur after that. It had been damn hard focusing on anything when all he could think about was kissing Sosie again and how bad he wanted her in his bed. But then he’d remembered he was still technically her host and told himself it would be wrong to try to seduce her, even if she had kissed him back under the mistletoe. For all he knew, she’d been playing along because she thought she owed it to him. He couldn’t stand the thought of that. He wanted a woman in his bed because that was where she wanted to be, not out of some kind of obligation. Which was why he’d kept his raging hard-on in check and decided he would take a cold shower when he got back to his apartment. The moment he and Sosie stepped inside, however, she’d come on to him. With mistletoe, no less. His mouth quirked. She definitely knew how to get a guy in the Christmas spirit, that was for sure. Beside him, Sosie stirred, her eyes fluttering open. Still halfasleep, she looked at him in confusion, then her lips curved and he was treated to that brilliant smile of hers. “Good morning,” she said. He leaned over to kiss her. “Good morning to you, too.” She reached up to cup his face, her fingers lightly caressing his scruff. “When I first woke up, I was afraid last night had been a dream.” He grinned. “No way. No dream could ever be that good.” She laughed, a soft blush coloring her cheeks. She started to pull him down for another kiss, only to hesitate. “What’s wrong?” he asked. She turned her head to stare at the window, her eyes wide with wonder. “That noise outside. What is it?” 68

Santa’s Wayward Elf He listened, then chuckled as he realized she was talking about the traffic down on the street below. “That’s New York. There are always people going somewhere.” “Oh.” She nibbled on her lower lip as if considering something, then gave him a quick kiss. “I’m going to see what they’re doing.” Throwing back the blanket, she jumped out of bed and ran over to the window, heedless that she was completely naked. That was something else he liked about her. She wasn’t body conscious at all. Not that she has any reason to be. Derek let his gaze caress her petite, slender figure appreciatively. “Where are they all going, do you think?” Derek tore himself away from her tight, little ass long enough to answer. “Who knows? Work. Shopping. Sightseeing.” Sosie didn’t say anything, but instead gazed out the window as if fascinated by what was happening on the street below. That was okay with Derek because it let him ogle her perfect ass some more. Until she whirled around to face him, of course. But that was fine with him, too, since he got to ogle her equally perfect breasts in this new direction. “Let’s go outside.” He frowned. “Outside?” She nodded. “Right now?” She nodded again, more eagerly this time. “You said you would show me around the city, remember?” When he didn’t say anything, she hurried across the room and jumped into bed to kneel beside him, her blue eyes wide and pleading. “Can we go now? Please.” Derek would much rather have spent the whole day in bed, but Sosie looked so excited at the idea of going sightseeing, he couldn’t say no to her. “Okay.” She clapped her hands, bending to kiss him. “Thank you.” 69

Santa’s Wayward Elf He stifled a groan as her naked body pressed up against his. It was all he could do not to say the hell with playing tour guide and keep Sosie right where she was, but a promise was a promise. He’d have to satisfy his urges later. After getting dressed, they grabbed a quick bite to eat—Sosie wasn’t nearly as impressed with the bowl of cereal as she had been with the bacon and eggs—then headed for the door. It wasn’t until he was shrugging into his leather coat that Derek realized Sosie didn’t have one. He reached into the closet for his other leather jacket and held it out to her. She eyed it curiously, but didn’t take it. “What’s that for?” “To wear. You’re going to need a coat.” She glanced down at her borrowed jeans and T-shirt. “Why?” “Because it’s ten degrees out there.” “Is that cold?” Maybe not where she came from, but to him, it was colder than a well-digger’s butt. “Too cold to go out in jeans and a Tshirt.” He held open the coat so she could put it on. “Humor me, okay? It’ll be too big for you, but it’s better than people thinking you’re on crack or something.” Her brow furrowed as if she had no idea what crack was, but she didn’t ask for clarification. Instead, she turned around and slipped her arms into the sleeves of the coat. She hugged it around her. “Thank you. It’s very cozy.” On the way downstairs, they ran into Tracee and Linda, who promptly said they needed to borrow Sosie for a minute, then dragged her off to the other side of the hallway to talk in hushed whispers. As the three women laughed and hugged each other, he marveled at how fast they had become friends. It was hard to believe Sosie had met the other women the day before. Then again, Sosie did have that way about her that made people immediately take to her. “What was that all about?” he asked as they walked outside. 70

Santa’s Wayward Elf “Nothing. Just girl talk.” Which was her way of saying it was none of his business. As they made their way along the sidewalk, Derek noticed that not only hadn’t Sosie bothered to zip up her coat, but she didn’t seem to notice the swirling wind whipping around them. Maybe this temperature actually was pleasant compared to what she was used to at home. If that wasn’t a reminder Sosie wasn’t from around here, then her fascination with everything around them was. She’d never seen a Fed-Ex box or a jewelry store and wanted to know what they were, along with the guy standing on the corner with a cup in his hand. She couldn’t understand why he was called a panhandler when he clearly wasn’t holding a pan, and said it must be one of those things that was lost in translation. Derek had a ball teaching her about all of it, astounded at how much fun it was to see the wonder and joy on her face. It made him look at the city with fresh eyes and reminded him of how great it really was, something he often forgot thanks to the sleazy side of it he saw on the job. After getting a slice of pizza—something else Sosie had never eaten before, but thought was delicious—they took the subway to Midtown so he could show her around Central Park. Sosie especially loved the horses that hauled the carriages around, though she kept calling them reindeer. Derek couldn’t help but smile at that. “Do you want to take a ride?” he asked. She shook her head as she gently ran her hand down the gelding’s nose. “I’d rather stay and talk to the horses.” Derek thought she’d meant it figuratively, but then Sosie attempted to tell the driver the horse said he was bored with walking the same route over and over, and would rather run straight across the middle of the park instead. The driver had a good laugh at that, and so did Derek. Until Sosie referred to the 71

Santa’s Wayward Elf horse by name without the driver telling her what it was. That freaked the man out so much that Derek slipped his arm around Sosie and suggested they leave and do some more sightseeing. “How did you know the horse’s name?” he asked when they were out of earshot. “The horse told me,” she said simply. He chuckled, figuring she was messing with him, but she said it with such a straight face that he wasn’t sure. They went to the ice rink at Rockefeller Plaza next. The minute they got there, Sosie ran out on the ice like a kid, giggling and calling out for him to join her. Derek stared at her incredulously. She didn’t have skates on and yet she moved around better than most of the people who did. Spinning around, she put her hands on her hips and gave him an impatient look. “Aren’t you coming?” He laughed. “Hang on. At least let me get some skates first.” Though Sosie insisted she didn’t need any, Derek rented a pair for her, too. Once she had them on her feet, she was even more amazing on the ice. She skated like an Olympic gold medalist, and her twirls had everyone oohing and aahing, including him. Then she pulled him out onto the ice with her and helped him skate. He was terrible at it, but her joy was so infectious he couldn’t help but enjoy himself. After falling on his butt for the tenth time, he finally managed to talk her into taking a break so they could get some hot chocolate. She’d had it before, but never with marshmallows, and she giggled at the fluffy, white confections floating in her cup. The moment they had finished their drinks, however, she dragged him back onto the ice again. Even though he was better at staying upright this time, he spent most of it standing off to the side watching Sosie twirl around. She was such a joy that the rental guy didn’t make a fuss when they returned the skates thirty minutes late. 72

Santa’s Wayward Elf “Where’d you learn to skate like that?” Derek asked as he laced up his boots. “Home. Everyone learns to skate there.” She jumped to her feet. “Where to now?” He grinned up at her, knowing exactly where to take her next. “It’s a surprise.” Derek hadn’t been to FAO Schwartz since he was a kid, but he got the feeling Sosie would love the place. He was right. Sosie squealed the moment they walked in the door and immediately ran over to sit down on the floor in the center of the store to play with the toys. Within minutes, she had a dozen kids down there playing with her. There were even a few adults who joined her. Though it completely destroyed his cool cop exterior, Derek found himself loading wood blocks in a Tonka truck right along with everyone else. That was when he realized how amazing Sosie was. He wouldn’t get down on the floor of a toy store and relive his childhood for any woman, that was for sure. But something told him Sosie wasn’t simply any woman. She was special. Which was why he couldn’t resist buying her the huge stuffed reindeer he spotted sitting on one of the shelves. “But you’ve already done so much for me already,” she protested. He grinned. “Think of it at as belated Christmas present.” She nibbled on her lower lip as if not sure whether to accept the gift, then smiled. “I love it. He looks exactly like Prancer.” She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Don’t tell anyone, but he’s always secretly been my favorite.” Derek only chuckled. When they finally left the store a little while later, he was stunned to see that it was already dark outside. “What do you say we stop and have dinner on the way home?” he asked, pulling her into his arms to give her a kiss. “At the same place we had lunch, I hope. That pizza was delicious.” 73

Santa’s Wayward Elf He chuckled. “I was thinking of something more substantial than pizza. Italian does sound good, and I know this great place a few streets over from here. What do you say?” She pulled him down for another kiss. “I say it sounds wonderful.” Derek was afraid they would have to wait a while for a table when they got to the restaurant, but the hostess seated them almost as soon as they walked in. As he and Sosie sat at a quiet table in the corner sipping wine and eating antipasto, he had to admit that while he’d had fun running all over the city with her, it was nice to finally spend some time simply talking with her. Especially since she knew almost everything about him and he knew practically nothing about her. Maybe it was because he was a cop, but Derek couldn’t help noticing Sosie hesitated before answering any of his questions. In his experience, that usually meant a person was trying to be careful about what they said. He didn’t press her about it. Lots of people had secrets, and coming from a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, he figured she probably had more than her fair share of them. Besides, it wasn’t as if she was a suspect he was interrogating. “What about family?” he asked as he added freshly grated parmesan to the fettuccini alfredo he’d ordered. “Any brothers or sisters?” Sosie shook her head. “No. It’s always just been my mom and me.” “She lives in Snow City, then?” “Not anymore. She moved away to a retirement villa in the mountains after I graduated from school and went out on my own.” “Do you still see her often?” “Not in a long time.” “That must be tough on you.” 74

Santa’s Wayward Elf Sosie looked down at her plate. “It was at first. But it’s been years since I’ve seen her.” Derek frowned. Considering Sosie was twenty-five, it couldn’t have been that many years ago. He found it difficult to believe her mother had been old enough to retire. While Sosie gave the impression she was okay with it, he didn’t think she was fine with it at all, especially since she seemed close to her mother. He wondered if Sosie had concocted the whole story to explain to herself why her mother had run off and left her the minute Sosie was old enough to take care of herself. “What about your dad?” he asked. “My father died when I was little. I don’t remember him.” That must have made her mom’s departure even rougher. Derek was amazed a woman who had been through as much grief as Sosie obviously had could be so upbeat all the time. Wanting to see her smile again, he steered the conversation away from her parents to something else. “Where did you learn to fix toys?” “I’ve always been good with anything mechanical or electrical.” Her lips curved. “Toys are my specialty, though.” He grinned. “I got that impression. Have you ever given any thought to making them?” Her eyes danced. “Actually, I have.” Derek was sure there was a story behind that, but before he could say anything, the waitress came by to take their empty plates. “Can I get you some coffee and dessert?” He gave Sosie a questioning look. “I think I’ll pass on the coffee, but I wouldn’t mind some dessert.” “I’ll bring you a menu,” the waitress said. He thought Sosie would go for the chocolate mousse or tiramisu, but she surprised him by choosing chocolate ice cream instead. 75

Santa’s Wayward Elf “I’ve never had it before, but anything with the words chocolate and cream in the title has to be delicious,” she said. Derek was astonished she’d never eaten ice cream, especially since she lived in the great white north, but as she spooned some into her mouth and let out a low, sexy moan of appreciation, he couldn’t focus on anything but those luscious lips of hers and what they’d feel like wrapped around his cock instead. He stifled a groan as his jeans tightened in the groin. Suddenly, he couldn’t wait for Sosie to finish dessert so they could go back to his place. Sosie, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to his plight and what she was doing to him. She took her time, slowly savoring every bite of ice cream until he thought he was going to explode. When she was finally finished, it was all he could do not to toss some money down on the table and whisk her out of the restaurant. Somehow, he managed to control himself. Once outside, he didn’t lead Sosie to the subway, but hailed a cab instead. With the hard-on he was sporting, he wasn’t sure he could have walked that far anyway. Sosie didn’t mind. In fact, she loved the idea of taking a cab. Like so many other things, it was a first for her. Derek was sure she probably would have “oohed” and “aahed” over everything inside it, but he didn’t give her a chance to look around. Instead, he pulled her into her arms for a searing kiss. Sosie kissed him back, parting her lips as her fingers threaded in his hair to pull him in close. She tasted like the chocolate ice cream they’d had for dessert and it was even sweeter on her tongue. God, what was it about her that had him losing control? He didn’t remember the cab ride back to his apartment, much less paying the cabbie. One minute he and Sosie were running up the stairs, the next they were inside his apartment. Shoving the door closed, Derek urged Sosie back against the wall. He slid both hands in her hair and tilted her head back to cover her mouth with his. She moaned and dropped the shopping bag on the floor, sliding both hands up the front of his shirt to grasp 76

Santa’s Wayward Elf his shoulders. Her breasts were soft against his chest, her body hot as a furnace underneath her clothes. Oh, man. There was no way they were going to make it to the bedroom. He was going to take her right here against the wall. He slid his hand inside her coat and up the front of her T-shirt to find her nipple and give it a gentle squeeze. Sosie gasped. “Do you like that?” he asked softly, dragging his mouth away from hers to trail a path of hot, wet kisses along the curve of her jaw. She only moaned in reply. Taking that to mean she did, Derek continued to tease the stiff peak with the pad of his thumb. She arched into his hand, gasping again as he gave her nipple another squeeze. He chuckled softly and ran his hand down the front of her body to cup her hot sex through her jeans. She writhed against him, and beneath his palm he felt her pussy throb with need. He pressed his lips to the curve of her neck and made lazy circular motions on her clit with his finger. Sosie moaned again, louder this time. As much fun as it would have been to see if he could make her come through her clothes, he wanted to see that beautiful body of hers naked. He pushed her coat off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor, then slid his hands underneath her T-shirt and pulled it over her head. He was torn between her bra and her jeans, not sure which he wanted to take off first. Eager to see her beautiful rosetipped breasts in all their glory, he removed her bra first. Then he went for her jeans, unbuttoning them with urgent fingers and pushing them down over her curvy hips, leaving her naked, except for her panties. Even though he’d seen her without clothes before, her body was too perfect not to stop and take in her bare breasts, slender 77

Santa’s Wayward Elf waist and curvy hips before caressing her long legs. She had to be the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen. Resting one hand on the wall beside her head, Derek slid the other down her taut belly to the tiny triangle of material covering her pussy. But rather than push her panties down right away, he teased her through them with his fingers, going round and round her clit. She caught her lower lip between her teeth, looking up at him with pleading blue eyes. “Take off my panties. Please.” Derek did as she asked, slowly sliding her panties all the way down her legs before moving back up to touch her again, making the same circular motions as before, only this time directly on her clit. Sosie clutched at his shoulders, her breath coming in quick, little pants, and he knew her orgasm was approaching. “Don’t stop,” she begged him. “Please don’t stop.” “I won’t,” Derek promised, moving his fingers faster. “I’m going to make you come like this.” As he watched, her eyes fluttered almost all the way closed and her body started to tremble. She leaned her head back against the wall and cried out in one long, continuous moan as she climaxed. “That’s it,” he urged. “Come for me, baby.” When she finally opened her eyes again, it was to gaze up at him with a mix of passion and awe. Sliding her hand up to cup his cheek, she pulled him down for a long, hard kiss as she impatiently pushed his leather jacket off his shoulders. She had half the buttons on his shirt undone before the coat fell to the floor. Tossing it in the general direction of their other clothes, she hooked her fingers in his belt and yanked him close. As she ran her hands up his smooth chest, a small sound of appreciation escaped her lips. Giving him a seductive look, Sosie knelt down on the floor between his legs. As she tugged at his belt, her fingers brushed his 78

Santa’s Wayward Elf abs and Derek sucked in a breath. Damn, he was about to explode already. And she hadn’t touched him yet. From the smile playing at the corners of her mouth, he got the feeling Sosie knew exactly what she did to him. It was as if she enjoyed torturing him. He watched her slowly undo the buttons on his 501 Jeans. Though he didn’t know how he did it, he forced himself to wait patiently as she slipped one button after another through the hole. When she got to the bottom, however, his control slipped and he eagerly shoved down his jeans and underwear, pushing them out of the way. Laughing at his eagerness, she ran her fingers up his thighs and wrapped a hand around the base of his hard cock. Then, looking at him from beneath lowered lashes, she leaned forward and slowly ran her tongue up the entire length of his shaft before taking the head in her mouth. Derek groaned. Her mouth was so warm and soft around him, as she slowly moved up and down on him. He let out another groan as she gently cupped his balls in her other hand. Damn, she is talented at that. “Oh yeah, baby,” he breathed. “Don’t stop.” Sosie moaned, running her tongue over the tip of his erection before moving her mouth up and down again. She fell into an easy rhythm, taking him deeper each time until he could feel the head of his shaft press against the back of her throat. He sucked in a breath. Daaaaaaammnn! Afraid he would come right then, he slid his hand in her long hair to slow her down. Sosie must have sensed how close he was to orgasm because she went back to teasing him with her tongue before taking him in her mouth again. Derek liked to think he was disciplined, but what she was doing felt too incredible for him to be able to hold back much longer. He tightened his grip in her hair, tugging her head up. 79

Santa’s Wayward Elf “I’m close,” he said hoarsely. “And I want to be inside you when I come.” Sosie didn’t need any more encouragement. Running her tongue over her lips in a move that made him groan all over again, she got to her feet. Grabbing his jeans, he reached into the pocket for his wallet and the condom he always kept there. Making quick work of the wrapper, he rolled it onto his shaft. Without a word, he grasped her ass in both hands, then lifted her up and buried himself deep inside her in one forceful motion. Sosie gasped, her arms and legs going around him. Her pussy was so hot and tight that for a moment he couldn’t breathe. He tightened his hold on her ass and began to pump in and out very slowly. He went deeper and deeper with every thrust, driving her back against the wall. She clutched at his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin. “Harder,” she demanded huskily. “Take me harder!” He obeyed, pumping into her hard and fast. He realized he should slow down, knowing he was going to come right then if he didn’t. But it was hopeless. He’d been teetering on the edge for hours already and when she screamed out her pleasure, he knew there was no holding back anymore. Gripping her ass, he lifted his own to meet them in one hard thrust that had him emptying himself with a hoarse groan. Derek didn’t release her even after both their orgasms had subsided. Instead, he held onto her, his still hard cock nestled deep in Sosie’s pussy while she clung to his shoulders. “I think that may have rivaled what we did last night,” she said softly. Chuckling, he lifted her head to kiss her, then pulled back to give her a sexy grin. “What do you say we go into the bedroom and see if we can top it?” 80

Santa’s Wayward Elf He felt her pussy spasm around his cock at the suggestion. Her lips curved. “What are we waiting for?”

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Chapter 5 Sosie jerked awake the next morning to the loudest, most horrible screeching noise she’d ever heard in her life. She bolted upright in bed, covering her ears with her hands. Santa’s white beard, what the fig is that? She looked back at Derek to see if he’d heard it, too, and found him stirring on the pillow beside her. How could he possibly sleep with that awful sound blaring in his ears? “What is that terrible noise?” she asked, raising her voice so he could hear her. He didn’t answer as he calmly rolled over and thumbed a button on top of a piece of some type of electronic equipment on the bedside table. The terrible noise ceased immediately. Derek rolled onto his back to look up at her. “It was the alarm clock. Don’t tell me you don’t have those where you come from, either.” Her face colored. “Of course we do. Ours just don’t sound like that.” “What do they sound like?” “They have a series of soothing tinkling bells that are nice and peaceful. Nothing like that torture device you have. That thing is enough to wake a hibernating polar bear.” Derek chuckled and pulled her down for a kiss. She had no problem snuggling up with him again now that her ears weren’t ringing. 82

Santa’s Wayward Elf “Why didn’t you use the clock to wake us up yesterday?” she asked. “Because I didn’t have to go to work yesterday.” Sosie lifted her head from his chest. She’d hoped they would be able to go sightseeing again. “You have to go to work?” “Afraid so, babe. I already had two days off and unfortunately, crime doesn’t take much of a holiday, so it’s back to the grind.” She threw her leg across his and rubbed his semihard cock with the inside of her thigh. “Sure I can’t convince you to stay home and play hooky instead?” “Woman, are you attempting to interfere with an officer of the law in the performance of his duty?” Regardless of his stern tone, Sosie had the feeling he was teasing her. Since she couldn’t be sure, she decided it might be best if she stopped rubbing her leg against his penis. But when she went to move it, he wrapped his hand around her thigh, pressing it more firmly against his now rock-hard shaft. Her pussy purring, she leaned forward to kiss her way up his chest. “I’m guilty as charged, Detective. Perhaps you should punish me by staying home and making me scream at the top of my lungs for the rest of the day.” Derek groaned. “You are a bad girl, aren’t you?” He lifted her leg and slid her over so that she was beside him. “And while I’m tempted, I have to go into work this morning.” She gave him a playful pout. “You wouldn’t leave a poor damsel in sexual distress like this and run off to work, would you?” “Sexual distress, huh? Well, we can’t have that, can we?” With a growl, Derek urged her onto her back, then settled between her legs and drove his cock into her very wet and waiting pussy. “I thought you said you had to get to work,” Sosie said, the words coming out in a rush as he drove the breath from her lungs with his fast, hard thrusts. 83

Santa’s Wayward Elf She wrapped her arms and legs around him. This wasn’t going to be the same kind of slow, languorous lovemaking like they’d had the night before, but something wild and frantic. Primal. Not that she was complaining. Derek could do this to her as long as she was trapped here in the land of the BPs as far as she was concerned, which, hopefully would be for a good long time. “I do have to get to work,” he said, bending his head to nuzzle her neck. “But I’m not the kind of guy to leave a woman in sexual distress. Besides, I set the clock early in case I woke up horny.” Sosie was pretty sure he hadn’t sprouted horns since last night, but decided it must be another one of the strange phrases BPs used and concentrated on what Derek was doing to her body instead. And right now, he was doing incredible things. Like finding that perfect spot inside her with his cock that sent her tumbling over the edge into oblivion and had her coming so hard she was dizzy from it. Afterward, Derek stayed where he was, his breathing ragged, his cock pulsing inside her as the last tremors of orgasm faded. He bent his head to kiss her. A slow, deep kiss that made her moan. “Now I really do have to get ready for work.” She groaned. “Couldn’t we stay in bed for a little while longer? I’m as tuckered out as a flying reindeer after that.” He chuckled. “You can stay in bed and sleep some more. I’m going to hit the shower, then take off anyway.” As much as she wanted to spend the day lazing around in bed, she couldn’t let Derek go off to work without breakfast. Her mother had always told her it was the most important meal of the day. Though they all seemed pretty important to her. Throwing back the blanket, Sosie put on the T-shirt Derek had given her to wear that first night and padded barefoot into the kitchen to whip up something while he took a shower. While she would have loved bacon and eggs again, she wasn’t brave enough to try making them. On the other hand, she didn’t want the cold 84

Santa’s Wayward Elf cereal they’d had for breakfast yesterday. That left bread pudding. She could definitely manage bread pudding. She was setting the bowls down on the table when Derek walked into the kitchen. He wasn’t wearing jeans today, she noticed. Instead, he had on a pair of tan-colored pants and a dark blue button-up shirt, along with a tie. “You look very handsome,” she said. He seemed embarrassed by the compliment. “Thanks.” His gaze went to the table. “You made breakfast? You didn’t have to do that.” “I wanted to.” She pulled out her chair. “I wasn’t sure how to make bacon and eggs, so I thought I’d make bread pudding instead. I hope that’s okay.” He flashed her a grin as he sat down across the table from her. “That’s fine.” Sosie watched eagerly as he spooned some into his mouth. “I put butter, honey, maple syrup and some of those yellow packs of sugar in it along with the milk. What do you think?” He shook his head, letting out a chuckle. “I think it’s sweet.” She caught her lower lip between her teeth, unable to ignore the pang of hurt she felt at his words. “You don’t like it?” “I love it. I mean, it tastes amazing. It’s just that I…um…like to watch what I eat.” His mouth quirked. “No one wants an overweight cop with clogged arteries on the force, right? How could I go out and catch bad guys?” Her shoulders sagged. “Oh. I didn’t think of that.” She had completely forgotten BPs dealt with a myriad number of health issues as a result of poor nutrition. Elves didn’t have that problem, which meant they could eat whatever they wanted. She would have to remember that when she cooked for Derek again. She didn’t want him to be unhealthy. She picked up her spoon. “What will you be doing at work today?” 85

Santa’s Wayward Elf “I’ll probably be catching up on some paperwork this morning, then see if anything new has turned up on any of the cases I’m working. If I’m lucky, one of my informants will have something for me.” “Informant. What’s that?” Derek looked at her over the rim of his coffee mug. “People who give information to the cops that helps them out on whatever case they’re working.” She thought about that. “I see. They’re concerned citizens.” “Not exactly. Most of the time, they’re petty criminals who give information on other, not-so-petty criminals in return for the cops looking the other way.” She frowned. “That doesn’t seem right. If they’re criminals, shouldn’t they be imprisoned, too?” “Yeah, well sometimes you have to let the little fish go in order to catch the bigger fish.” He downed the rest of his coffee in one swallow. “I’ve got to get going.” Pushing back his chair, he got to his feet, then bent to kiss her on the mouth. “Thanks for breakfast.” Sosie was still trying to figure out his fishing reference as she followed him into the entryway. “Where is your workshop?” He chuckled. “It’s called a precinct, not a workshop, and it’s a few blocks over from here.” She nodded. Maybe she would surprise him by stopping by his precinct later. He grabbed a folded leather pouch and a set of keys from the table, shoving them in his pocket. “I know you’re probably eager to meet up with your friends, but you’re more than welcome to stay here for however long you’re in the city. If you want to, I mean.” “Are you sure?” “Of course, I’m sure. In fact, I was kind of hoping you would.” 86

Santa’s Wayward Elf “I’d love to.” “Good. Feel free to hang around and watch TV if you want, or do some more sightseeing. Be careful if you go out, though. The neighborhood is safe during the day, but you still have to keep your wits about you.” He opened the drawer underneath the table and took out a key. “This is for the door and there’s some money in the cookie jar in the kitchen, in case you want to go shopping for more clothes or something.” Sosie didn’t know what to say. Not only had Derek offered to let her stay at his apartment for as long as she liked, but he’d given her a key and told her to use his money, too. Could she have run into a nicer guy? While she didn’t mind staying at his place, she wouldn’t feel right about using his money. She was about to tell him as much, but stopped when she saw him shrug into a strange collection of leather straps. She thought at first they were some kind of suspenders designed to hold up his pants like Santa wore, but then she spotted the gun tucked into a pouch on one side. Even though she’d never seen one before, she knew what a gun was and what they were used for. According to The Polar Evening News, every BP owned at least a dozen of them. Since she hadn’t seen one since she got here, she’d thought the news had been mistaken about that, too. Apparently not. She chewed on her lower lip, worried Derek was taking one to work. Maybe the “organized” criminals he went after were more dangerous than their names implied. As he put on his coat, she opened her mouth to confess her fears, but he bent his head to capture her lips with his. “Have fun today and don’t get into too much trouble.” She didn’t know what kind of trouble he expected her to get into, but she smiled up at him anyway. “I’d have more fun if you spent it with me.”

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Santa’s Wayward Elf Derek chuckled. “It’s tempting, believe me. But if I don’t go now, I’ll never get out of here.” Tilting up her chin, he gave her another kiss. “I’ll see you later, babe.” After Derek left, Sosie stood in the entryway, wondering how she was going to occupy herself all day until he got home. She considered his suggestion to do some more sightseeing, but quickly decided against it. After spending the day with Derek yesterday, wandering around the city by herself didn’t seem as if it would be very much fun. She could always ask Tracee and Linda if they wanted to go with her, she supposed. If they weren’t working. Then again, she had promised Ben she would take a look at the air conditioning unit while she was there. Maybe she should do that instead. Before she did anything, she needed to get dressed. Walking around in Derek’s T-shirt probably wouldn’t be a good idea. As she passed the huge television in the living room, she stopped. It was much bigger than the one she’d had back home, and according to The Polar Evening News, BPs had hundreds of channels to watch, unlike elves. On impulse, she picked up the remote control from the coffee table and turned it on. Since she was unfamiliar with the stations, it took her a while to figure out what she was watching. At first she thought it was a news program because the man talking to the viewers was sitting at a table reporting on something called football, but as she continued to watch, she realized it was a station devoted to nothing but sports. Eager to see what else was available, she went through the channels, pausing to watch each of them for a few minutes before going on to the next. When she came to a show about healthy cooking, she put down the remote control, fascinated as the woman on the screen made a delicious-looking pasta dish. According to the host, it had less fat and calories, which made Sosie think Derek would love it. She couldn’t find anything to write the recipe on, so she had to commit the ingredients to memory. 88

Santa’s Wayward Elf Luckily, she was good at that kind of thing. It was like assembling a toy. That show went into another, then another, and before she realized it, two hours had gone by. Abruptly remembering she wanted to help Ben, she went into the bedroom to change clothes. She left the television on so she could hear it, though. She didn’t want to miss out on any great recipes, after all. After getting dressed, she checked her appearance in the mirror to make sure her long hair was covering her ears. Turning to leave the bedroom, she caught sight of the alarm clock on the bedside table and frowned as she remembered the horrific noise it had made earlier. She chewed on her lower lip. It probably wouldn’t be too hard to adjust so it didn’t screech so terribly. She would have to remember to ask Ben if she could borrow a few tools. Going back into the living room, she shut off the television, then left the apartment, making sure to lock up with the key Derek had given her. Ben opened the door of his apartment as soon as she knocked. “Sosie! I thought you’d be out sightseeing with Derek. Come in.” She did as he asked, giving Mabel a wave. “Derek had to go to work today, so I thought I’d see if you wanted help with the air conditioning.” “That’s mighty nice of you,” Ben said. “I was about to go do the maintenance rounds, but we can take a look at it after that. You’re more than welcome to come with along me if you want. I sure could use the help.” Her lips curved. “I’d be happy to.” She and Ben spent the next few hours going from one apartment to the next doing minor repairs. The work was easy and fun, and she had a great time meeting all the people she hadn’t met at the Christmas party. When Ben explained she was staying with Derek, more than a few commented on what a great guy he was— 89

Santa’s Wayward Elf which she already knew—and that a woman could do a lot worse than getting “hooked up” with him—which she thought she knew, but wasn’t sure. She smiled and nodded anyway. She had never in her life imagined an elf would be so welcome in the land of the big people. In a lot of ways, she felt more accepted and comfortable here than she had up in the North Pole. After she and Ben were finished with the repairs, he led her down to the basement to show her the central air unit. Although she had never seen one before, she was able to figure out the problem fairly quickly. Ben didn’t have the parts to fix it, however, and wouldn’t be able to get to the store to get them for a few days. “Mabel should be getting lunch ready,” Ben said as they walked back into his apartment. “Do you want to join us? A free meal is the least I owe you for all your help this morning.” “Actually, I thought I’d take a walk over to the precinct and see Derek. But thank you, anyway.” “I made a fresh batch of cookies,” Mabel said from the kitchen. “I’ll put some in a container, so you can take them to him.” “That’s very nice of you. I’m sure Derek will love them.” Sosie looked at Ben. “I don’t suppose you could give me directions to the precinct, could you? Derek said it wasn’t far from here.” “I’ll do better than that.” The older man smiled. “I’ll draw you a map.” As it turned out, Ben was very good at drawing maps, which made it easy for Sosie to find the precinct where Derek worked. For some reason she thought the place would be more grand since Derek and his fellow detectives did such important work, but it was a rather nondescript gray building with a set of steps leading up to big double doors. Reaching up to make sure her hair was covering her ears, she walked up the steps and went inside, only to stop and stare at the strange scene that met her eyes. Half a dozen men dressed up like 90

Santa’s Wayward Elf Santa were cuffed and sitting on a bench along one wall. On the bench across from them were four women similarly restrained and wearing green outfits Sosie assumed were supposed to be elf garb. Except Sosie had never seen any self-respecting elf dress like these women. They literally had parts of their anatomy falling out of their clothes. It would be completely impossible for an elf to work in an outfit like that. The men dressed as Santa didn’t seem to mind, and were ogling the women in obvious appreciation. She frowned as she looked at the men again. Now that she thought about it, their outfits didn’t look quite right, either. In fact, one of the men didn’t have any pants at all. If it wasn’t for the tiny briefs adorned on the front with a felt Christmas tree, the man’s entire lower body would be naked. “Excuse me, ma’am. Can I help you?” Sosie dragged her gaze away from the strange group of people to see an older man in a blue uniform sitting at a counter in front of her. She walked over to him. “I’m looking for a friend of mine. Derek. He said he worked here.” She held up the plastic container in her hands. “I brought him some cookies.” “Derek who?” “Derek Clayton. You can’t miss him. He has these amazing biceps and his stomach is so tight you could bounce gum drops off it. Oh, and his eyes absolutely smolder when he’s…” The man behind the counter grimaced. “Detective Clayton is in the Organized Crime Division. Third floor, turn left. You can’t miss it.” Sosie opened her mouth to thank him, but he’d already directed his attention back to the clipboard in his hand. Murmuring a quick word of thanks anyway, she started to walk away, but then stopped and turned back to him. “Um, excuse me. I’m curious about something.” She pointed at the men and women sitting on the benches. “What did they do 91

Santa’s Wayward Elf wrong? Is parading around as half-naked Christmas figures a crime in New York?” The man gave her a wry smile. “Only when they do it in the middle of Times Square and proceed to put on their own sex-filled version of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas while every car and tourist in town stops to watch and take pictures. They backed up traffic all the way to the tunnels.” “Oh. I see.” But she didn’t. Maybe she would ask Derek to explain it to her. Thanking the man behind the counter again, she turned and went upstairs. Once she got to the third floor, finding the Organized Crime Division wasn’t hard at all because it was written on the first door on the left in neatly printed letters. She walked in, expecting to see Derek at one of the many desks in the office, but he was nowhere in sight. Seeing a man dressed in the same dark blue uniform as the older gentleman downstairs, she walked over and asked if he could direct her toward where Derek worked. He looked up, did a quick doubletake, then pointed across the room to a set of tall glass windows. Turning her head, she saw Derek sitting at a table with several other men. Thanking the man in the uniform for his help, she made her way over to the adjoining room and stuck her head in the door. Derek didn’t see her right away, but one of the other men did. He quickly got to his feet, interrupting the conversation. Derek turned his head and looked in her direction. He gave a start of surprise, then pushed back his chair and came over to her. “Sosie, what are you doing here?” “I thought I’d stop by and see where you worked. I brought you some cookies, too.” She glanced at the other men, then looked at him again. “I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?” 92

Santa’s Wayward Elf “No, of course not. Come in and let me introduce you.” He gestured to the other men in the room. “This is Matt, Nick, Aaron and Tony. Everyone, this is Sosie.” She smiled at the men. Matt and Nick were about Derek’s age, while Tony looked a few years younger and Aaron much older. “It’s very nice to meet all of you,” she said. “I didn’t realize Derek worked with so many other detectives. It’s a good thing I brought a lot of cookies.” They all laughed, each of them eagerly reaching for one when she put the container on the table. “Is this the reason you came in so cheerful this morning?” Tony asked, gesturing in Sosie’s direction with his half-eaten cookie. When Derek only chuckled in reply, the other men teased him, saying Sosie must be a good influence on him and wondering if it was only her cookies that had him smiling so much. She blushed and laughed with them. She had gotten along well with the other elves in her department up in Santa’s workshop, but their relationship was nothing like this. Derek and the other detectives seemed more like brothers than coworkers. Their laughter abruptly ceased as Derek and the other men turned their attention to the windows behind her. Curious, Sosie turned to see what they were all looking at. A tall man in an expensive-looking suit was weaving his way through the maze of desks toward the exit door, two other well-dressed men behind him. As they passed by the room she, Derek and the others were in, the first man shot Derek a look of pure loathing. Sosie felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She’d never seen such intense hatred in anyone’s eyes before and she got the feeling he would have done Derek harm right then if he thought he could get away with it. She shivered, instinctively taking a protective step closer to Derek. 93

Santa’s Wayward Elf A gray-haired man followed the trio, but instead of leaving with them, he came toward the room Sosie was in. Considering he wasn’t as well dressed as the other men, she figured he probably wasn’t with them. Which meant he was most likely another detective. She didn’t wait for Derek to introduce him. “Who was that man who looked at you?” she asked Derek. “He seemed very nasty.” The man in the doorway let out a snort. “Nasty is an understatement for that A-hole, pardon my French.” She knew a little French and “A-hole” didn’t sound like any French word she knew. Before she could say anything, Derek spoke. “Sosie, this is my captain, Bob Sherman. Captain, this is my friend, Sosie. She stopped by to see where I work and bring cookies.” “Nice to meet you, Sosie.” The older man smiled warmly at her. “Anyone who brings cookies is a friend of mine.” “That dirtbag was Sammy Saldino, infamous mob boss and allaround bastard,” Derek explained, answering her earlier question. Sosie didn’t know what a mob boss was, but from the disdain in Derek’s voice, she assumed it wasn’t something nice. “He looked at you as if he hates you. Did you do something to make him dislike you so much?” Derek snorted. “You could say that. I’ve been trying to put his ass in prison for the past five years.” “Well, that could be coming to an end,” the captain said. “The band of merry men with Saldino are his lawyers. He stopped by to let the department know he’s going to officially be filing harassment charges against the NYPD, the Organized Crime Division specifically.” “That’s a load of crap,” Tony said. “He’s a pig and everyone knows it.” 94

Santa’s Wayward Elf The captain’s mouth tightened. “Yeah, well unfortunately, the law doesn’t recognize his porcine nature as a crime. It doesn’t help that he has some damn good arguments on his side. We’ve been publically investigating him for five years and have bupkis to show for it, whereas he can supply a whole laundry list of business losses he claims are a direct result of our ongoing and relentless investigation.” “That’s bullshit, Captain,” Aaron said. “He lost money because we keep putting all his soldiers in jail.” “I know that and you know that, but I doubt a judge is going to see it that way, especially if Saldino buys him off.” Derek crossed his arms over his chest. “What did you tell him, Captain?” “What do you think? I told him to eat shit and die.” He glanced at Sosie. “Pardon my French again, ma’am.” Sosie nodded, but was almost certain those words hadn’t been French, either. Actually, she hadn’t understood most of the men’s conversation. All she knew was that none of them were happy about whatever was going on with Sammy Saldino. The captain let out a sigh. “Look, I love spitting in Saldino’s face as much as the next cop, but if you guys don’t get something solid on him in the next week, this investigation is over and the task force is going to be reorganized.” Derek swore under his breath. “And Saldino walks.” The captain didn’t say anything, but Sosie sensed his silence was answer enough for Derek and the other men. Giving Sosie a nod, the gray-haired man told her again it was nice to meet her, then left the room. Derek and the other men didn’t go back to their good-natured teasing once their captain was gone. Instead, they all stood grim-faced and silent. Sosie wanted to say something to make Derek and his friends feel better, but it was clear this thing with Sammy Saldino had sort of shaken all the tinsel off the Christmas tree. 95

Santa’s Wayward Elf As if just remembering Sosie was still there, Derek gave her a wan smile, then took her hand and led her out of the room. “Thanks again for stopping by,” he said as they stepped out into the hallway. “And for bringing the cookies. It was very thoughtful of you.” “Of course.” Sosie chewed on her lower lip. “What about Sammy Saldino? Your captain seemed to think he’s going to get you all in trouble.” Derek’s mouth edged up. “Nah. We’ll find some dirt on him, don’t worry.” Sosie had no idea how finding dirt on the man would help, but didn’t ask. Derek sounded as if he knew what he was doing. He looked up and down the hallway, then bent to kiss her. Sosie had to resist the urge to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him close. That probably wouldn’t be at all appropriate in his place of work. “Come on,” he said. “I’ll walk you out.” Outside on the steps, Derek turned to face her. “Can you find your way back to the apartment okay, or do you want me to get you a cab?” “I can find it. Ben drew me a map.” “I’ll see you tonight, then. Be careful going home.” “I will.” Going up on tiptoe, she kissed him, then turned and hurried down the stairs, a skip in her step. She was glad she had stopped by to see Derek. Not only had it given her the opportunity to meet all the nice detectives he worked with, but she’d gotten to see what he did for a living. She could have done without seeing that terrible man Sammy Saldino, though. He made the other grouchy grinches she’d seen seem like bundles of cheer in comparison. Derek was confident everything would work out okay, and she believed him. **** 96

Santa’s Wayward Elf Derek pulled into the apartment’s parking garage a little after five that evening. Usually, he worked until seven or eight every night, but that was before he had a beautiful woman like Sosie waiting for him. She’d been all he could think about the rest of the afternoon. Not even the mess with that asshole Saldino could dampen his mood. Sosie was curled up on the couch watching television when he walked into his apartment. The minute she saw him, she jumped up and ran over to greet him with a kiss that had him seriously reconsidering his plan to take her out to dinner. It didn’t help that she was wearing his T-shirt again. Despite the fact that it hung to her knees, she still looked sexy as hell. But man could not live on love—or in this case, sex—alone. He bent to kiss the tip of her pert nose. “Why don’t you go get dressed while I take a quick shower, then we’ll go out to dinner?” She grinned. “You go out to eat a lot.” “This is New York. Everyone does.” He gave her a gentle push. “Now go get dressed.” He emphasized the last part with a smack on her ass that made her squeal and run toward the bedroom. The place he’d picked for dinner was down the street from his apartment building, so it didn’t take long for them to walk there. He’d discovered the family-owned restaurant when he’d moved into the neighborhood five years ago and had been going there ever since. The décor wasn’t fancy, but the food was good and the prices were right. Sosie was especially fascinated with the old-fashioned Christmas ornaments on the tree. Until she saw the menu. She wanted to try one of everything on it, but he managed to talk her out of that. Finally, they settled on cheeseburgers with fries, as well as a chocolate milkshake for Sosie. She couldn’t stop exclaiming over how delicious everything tasted. 97

Santa’s Wayward Elf “What do you usually eat back home?” he asked, picking up a French fry and dunking it in ketchup. She stirred her milkshake with the straw, then took a sip. “Fish, mostly.” “That must get old.” “I didn’t used to think so until I came here. After this, I don’t know how I’ll ever go back.” Derek didn’t say anything. When he’d first met Sosie, he hadn’t thought of her staying with him for more than a night or two until she’d gotten in touch with her friends. But after three amazing days and nights with her, he had to admit he was getting used to having her around. It was going to be hard seeing her go. It occurred to him then that she hadn’t mentioned contacting her friends. He wondered if he should ask, but then decided against it. Probably because part of him wanted her to forget about meeting up with them. Instead, he asked her what she did that day. “I went with Ben on his maintenance rounds,” she said as she popped the last of the burger in her mouth. “Were you able to take a look at the air conditioner for him?” “I was, but Ben needs to pick up some parts before we can fix it. I figured out what the problem was, though.” Derek listened with half an ear as she went into detail about the coolant unit, his attention drawn to a pair of men standing outside the big glass window that ran the length of the front of the restaurant. He didn’t know why they’d caught his eye. Maybe because they had that up-to-no-good look about them as they scanned the tables. Or maybe it was because he was a cop and it was in his nature to be suspicious of everyone. But then their gazes came to rest on him and Sosie and stayed there for a hell of a lot longer than they should have before both turned and headed down the street. Okay, that was damn odd. Derek gave Sosie’s hand a squeeze. “I’ll be right back.” 98

Santa’s Wayward Elf He didn’t wait for a reply, but instead headed for the door. By the time he got outside, the two men had disappeared into the bustling crowd of people moving up and down the sidewalk. Derek swore under his breath. Those two assholes worked for Saldino, he’d bet money on it. But what was the purpose of having his thugs follow Derek home, then out to a restaurant? Was it a warning, or a threat? Whatever it was, Derek didn’t like it. He liked the fact that they’d seen him with Sosie even less. His first instinct was to take her home where it was safe, but when he walked back over to their table, he didn’t have the heart to drag her away from the ice cream sundae the waitress had set in front of her. “Is everything okay?” she asked as he slipped into the booth. “Yeah. I thought I saw someone I knew.” Derek expected Sosie to ask who, but she simply handed him one of the spoons while eagerly digging the other into the mountain of whipped cream topping the sundae. Even though he shared it with her, he couldn’t shake the bad feeling he had about the two men. There could be only one reason why Saldino would have men watching him. The bastard was planning on using Sosie as a way to get to him. If the mob got within a foot of her, Derek didn’t care how many laws he’d have to break. He’d kill the son of a bitch.

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Chapter 6 The alarm clock went off with a much sweeter sound the next morning. With a few adjustments, Sosie had gotten rid of that awful noise and replaced it with gentle, tinkling bells like those of a wind chime. Of course, Derek wasn’t conditioned to wake up to such a relaxing tone, so for about the first minute or two, he lay there beside her, snoring softly. It was absolutely adorable. The chimes must finally have intruded, because after a few moments, he opened one sleep-filled eye and looked at her. “What the heck is that?” “That’s your new alarm,” she said. “I reprogrammed it. Isn’t it more soothing than it was before?” Derek frowned and rolled over to stare at the alarm clock. After a moment, he reached out to turn it off. “Alarms aren’t supposed to be soothing,” he said, rolling back over to look at her again. “They’re supposed to wake you up, not put you to sleep.” She smiled sweetly at him. “You’re awake, aren’t you?” But obviously Derek needed his horrible alarm clock in the morning to wake up as much as he needed coffee because it took him a while to drag himself out of bed. Of course it could be the fact that they had stayed up half the night making love again. While Derek showered and got dressed for work, Sosie made breakfast as she’d done the day before, only something healthier this time. Yesterday, Ben had told her he’d been eating nothing but 100

Santa’s Wayward Elf oatmeal for breakfast since he was a kid and it had done wonders for his blood pressure and cholesterol. Sosie didn’t have a clue what those things were, but since she’d eaten porridge for breakfast most of her life as well, oatmeal sounded like a good idea. Luckily, Derek had a container in the cabinet. Derek didn’t seem thrilled with it, however. Sosie was more than a little confused by that since he’d said he watched what he ate. “Just because I know it’s good for me, that doesn’t mean I like it,” he said. Sosie didn’t understand that at all, but decided to let the contradiction pass and instead asked what Derek had planned for the day. “No more confrontations with nasty men in suits, I hope?” “Not unless his thugs spot us.” He shoved the last big spoonful of oatmeal in his mouth. “We’re still going after Saldino, but I’ll only be sitting on a stakeout today.” She frowned. “I don’t understand. Why would you sit on a piece of steak?” He chuckled. “Not steak as in meat. Stakeout is another name for surveillance. It means we’ll be watching Saldino and his men, and listening in on their conversations. If we get lucky, we’ll get something that will finally let us arrest Saldino.” That certainly made much more sense than sitting on a piece of meat. BPs had so many words that sounded like one thing but meant another that it was hard to keep track. “How do you do that without Saldino and his men seeing you?” she asked. Derek took a swallow of coffee. “Aaron, Tony and I will be in a truck down the street from Toscalini’s, the restaurant Saldino owns.” Sosie nodded even though she didn’t get the connection between the nasty man she had seen yesterday and the restaurant he owned. Maybe he was charging too much for the food he was 101

Santa’s Wayward Elf selling or stealing secret recipes. It made sense that a detective like Derek would investigate those kinds of things. It wasn’t right to charge too much for food. Stealing someone else’s recipe was worse. Santa would put Saldino on the permanent naughty list for that. Regardless of how important Derek’s work was, sitting in a large transport sled with two other detectives waiting for someone to say something illegal sounded very boring. “Do you sit in the truck all day?” “Until the next shift comes to relieve us.” “What if you have to use the washroom?” “We use the one in the bodega down the street.” “What about food?” “We’ll grab donuts or something at the bodega.” She frowned at that. Elves had their own version of donuts up in the North Pole, so she knew what they were. And what they weren’t. “But I thought you said you were supposed to be eating healthy food. Donuts aren’t healthy. Why don’t you come back here to eat? I saw this recipe the other day on the food station that I could make. The host of the show said it’s very healthy.” He chuckled. “I’m sure it is, and I appreciate the offer, but I can’t take off in the middle of stakeout. Especially not to get something to eat.” “But you can go get donuts at a bodega? That seems silly.” His mouth quirked as he pushed back his chair. “Yeah, well those are the rules.” She stood and walked into the entryway with him. “It still seems silly.” She’d never been big for following the rules herself. But then again, Derek was a rule enforcer. She supposed he was a stickler for following them himself.

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Santa’s Wayward Elf He shrugged into his leather jacket, then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “I’ll probably be home late tonight. You going to be okay here?” She wished he didn’t have to work so late, but she understood. “I’ll be fine. Most likely, I’ll spend the day helping Ben around the apartment building.” “Well, if you decide to go out, be careful. If you see anyone or anything that looks suspicious, go somewhere with a lot of people and a telephone and call me on my cell.” “What do you mean, suspicious?” “Anything or anyone who makes you feel uncomfortable.” “But I thought you said the neighborhood was safe.” “It is. Just…” He hesitated. “Promise me you’ll be extra careful, okay?” “I promise.” Derek bent his head to give her a long, lingering kiss. “Okay, I gotta get going. I’ll see you tonight, babe.” Locking the door behind him, Sosie went into the kitchen to clean up the breakfast dishes. She was finishing up when the doorbell rang. Drying her hands on a towel, she hurried into the entryway to open it and was amazed to see Tracee and Linda standing there. “We’re playing hooky from work and thought you might want to go shopping with us,” Tracee said. “I’d love to. But I don’t have any money.” Linda laughed. “Neither do we. Which is why they invented credit cards.” Ah. Sosie knew what credits cards were. Most of Santa’s business came from those magic pieces of plastic that let people get things they didn’t have money for, all in exchange for a lifetime of very reasonable payments. Of course, it hadn’t always been like that. Santa and the elves used to give their products away for free. Then the business-minded elves and efficiency experts had pointed 103

Santa’s Wayward Elf out how silly that was, saying Santa could improve the standard of living for all elves if he would sell their wares on the open market. Before they knew it, “profit before presents” had replaced “it’s better to give than receive” around the workshops. It wasn’t long after that when people stopped believing in Santa Claus altogether and started buying their gifts from the stores the elves sold their wares to. She gave the two women a sheepish look. “I don’t have a credit card, either.” Tracee and Linda seemed shocked at that, but said that was okay. Sosie could still go window shopping with them. “You’re going out to buy windows for your apartment?” she asked, confused. The other women laughed. “No, silly,” Tracee said. “We look through the store windows at all the stuff we can’t afford to buy.” “Oh.” Sosie grinned. She didn’t know why, but that sounded like fun. “I’d love to go window shopping with you then.” According to Tracee and Linda, the best place to go window shopping was along Fifth Avenue. Walking down the sidewalk with the two women an hour later, Sosie had to agree with them. From clothes to shoes to jewelry, everything looked fabulous. They went into a few of the stores and tried on some of the stuff, which was loads of fun, even if Sosie didn’t have money to buy any of it. She twirled in front of the three-way mirror outside the dressing room, her lips curving into a smile as she admired the slipdress she had on. Short and slinky, it showed off her legs and made them seem a mile long, something which was rather difficult to achieve considering she wasn’t very tall. Tracee and Linda never mentioned her height once, even though she was much shorter than either of them. When Sosie brought it up at the first store they’d gone into, the two women shook their heads and told her they were more jealous of her 104

Santa’s Wayward Elf curves than concerned about her height. Sosie laughed, sure they must be teasing her. She’d never had friends like the two women before and she felt lucky to have met them. In fact, Sosie was having such a good time with them that she almost slipped up more than once when they asked questions about her life back home. Fortunately, she caught herself before she said anything she shouldn’t. The other women must have noticed she was being evasive, because when they stopped by a place called Starbucks for coffee and a snack a few hours later, Tracee leveled her gaze accusingly at Sosie over the rim of her mug. “It’s been obvious from the start that you’ve been fibbing to us, so you might as well spill it, girl,” the redhead said. “We know exactly who you are.” Sosie felt her mouth go dry. “You do?” “Of course,” Linda chimed in. “You’re an illegal alien from Canada who snuck into the US for chance to live in freedom. You gave up everything to escape your previous life and now you’re completely dependent on the kindness of strangers to survive in this hostile, new city.” Sosie blinked. Though not entirely accurate, Linda was scary close to being right. “I am?” Tracee nodded. “But don’t worry. Your secret is safe with us. We both lived in Hoboken before we moved here, so we know what it’s like to feel trapped and completely understand the need to be free.” “Oh. Well, thanks. I guess.” Sosie didn’t know where Hoboken was and right then she didn’t care. She was thankful neither woman had figured out her secret. Linda waved her hand. “Don’t worry about it. That’s what friends are for, right? And we’ll help in any way we can.” “Of course we will.” Tracee regarded Sosie thoughtfully as she sipped her coffee. “Though hooking up with a cop is pretty damn 105

Santa’s Wayward Elf ballsy considering you’re on the run. Do you plan on staying in New York or will you keep moving around?” Sosie didn’t answer right away. In truth, she had no idea what she was going to do. She’d thought Elf Central would send out someone to find her, but now she wasn’t so sure. Would they bother mounting an operation to rescue a semiproductive elf girl from the sex toy department who had requested a transfer from the North Pole anyway? And if they did, would they ever find me? This was an awfully big city and she didn’t stick out as much among the BP population as she’d thought she would. What if her fellow elves simply abandoned her? What would she do? How would she survive? Other than through the kindness of strangers, as Linda had said. She realized the other two women were looking at her expectantly and she swallowed hard. “Um, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I haven’t thought it out that far.” Tracee reached across the table to cover Sosie’s hand with hers. “Hey, it’s okay. I didn’t mean to upset you. We’ll figure something out.” “Definitely,” Linda agreed. “The first thing you have to decide is whether you like it here.” Sosie smiled. “I love it here. There’s so much to see and do, and everyone has been so nice to me.” “Especially Derek,” Tracee said with a wink. Sosie felt her face color. “Especially him. He’s so sweet and kind and caring, and he’s absolutely the greatest in bed.” The redhead’s lips curved. “That answers the question then. Which means there’s only one thing to do.” “There is?” Sosie asked. “Uh-huh. You need to make Derek fall in love with you, so he’ll marry you and you can become a citizen. That way you can stay in New York as long as you like.” Linda grinned. “And then we can go window shopping all the time.” 106

Santa’s Wayward Elf Sosie stared at the two women incredulously. Make Derek fall in love with me? Surely Tracee and Linda aren’t serious? How can I get Derek to fall in love with me? We barely knew each other. Even if she could somehow manage it, did she want to? While he was a great guy and she was most definitely sweet on him, it seemed underhanded to get a guy to fall in love with her simply so she could have a place to stay. When she told the two women as much, they looked at her as if she was crazy. “Sosie, you’re missing our point,” Tracee said. “We’re not saying you should trick him or anything. He already has a thing for you and I suspect you’re already on your way to falling head over heels for him, am I right?” Sosie had never heard it put quite that way, but she knew what the redhead meant. She nibbled on her lower lips as she considered that. “Well yes, I suppose that’s true. At least the part about me falling for him. But it still seems wrong to make him fall in love with me. It’s as if I’m manipulating him, like a gingerbread cookie.” Tracee pursed her lips in thought. “Okay, maybe I put it the wrong way. Don’t think of it as making him fall in love with you. Think of it as letting him fall for you.” She supposed it did sound better when the other woman said it that way. Sosie still wasn’t sure it was the best answer to her dilemma, but had to admit it was romantic to think she could fall in love with a man she’d just met and live happily ever after right there in New York. “Do you think he would?” she asked softly. “Fall in love with me, I mean.” “Girl, I don’t think so, I know so,” Tracee insisted. “Derek was a goner the moment he kissed you under the mistletoe. All you have to do now is give him enough reason to come to the obvious conclusion on his own.” 107

Santa’s Wayward Elf The more she thought about it, the more Sosie found herself warming to the idea. She already liked Derek, and New York seemed a great place to live. Much better than the South Pole certainly. But then she faltered. What the fig was she talking about? She didn’t know how to get any guy, much less one as hot as Derek to fall for her. Long-term relationships among elves were complicated and usually took years, if not decades to develop, and she didn’t exactly have much experience in the field. Electronics, she understood. Sex toys, she understood. Men, not so much. She sipped her hot chocolate. “Suppose I agree this is a good idea. How do I go about getting Derek to fall in love with me?” “That’s easy,” Tracee assured her. “Keep doing exactly what you’ve been doing, only do more of it.” Sosie frowned in confusion. “You mean sex?” “There’s a little more to it than that, but sex is always a great place to start,” Linda said. “In fact, why don’t you call Derek and suggest he come home for a quickie at lunch?” Sosie shook her head. “I can’t. He’s on a stakeout today investigating some big crime at a restaurant. I think the owner is stealing recipes or something. It sounded very important and I don’t think he’d want me bothering him with sex.” “Sosie, if this plan is going to work,” Tracee said, “the first thing you have to learn is that there’s never a bad time for sex when it comes to men.” “I agree,” Linda said. “Now, where did you say this stakeout was?”

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Chapter 7 Derek stared blankly at the piece of audio recording equipment in front of him as he listened to the hubbub of conversation coming through the headphones he wore. He’d been sitting in the fake delivery truck with Aaron and Tony for half the day, but trying to focus on work was damn difficult when all he could think about was Sosie. Instead of taking notes on who Sammy Saldino was talking to and what they were talking about, he kept counting the hours until his shift was over so he could be with her again. It wasn’t only because he couldn’t wait to have sex with her again, though that was part of it. He was a red-blooded male, after all, and she was a certifiable love goddess. It was because he enjoyed spending time with her more than he’d ever enjoyed being with another woman. Even if she had screwed with his alarm clock. “Hey, Derek, you goin’ to write anything down?” Derek looked up at the question. “What?” In the seat beside him, Aaron was regarding him expectantly. “I asked if you were going to write anything down.” “Oh.” He grabbed a pen from the table in front of him and tried to remember what he’d heard. “Yeah.” Shit, what the hell had he missed? Couldn’t have been much. They’d had a tap on Sammy Saldino’s favorite booth for months now and hadn’t gotten a thing. Derek was pretty sure that was because the bastard knew the place was wired. Since Derek and his 109

Santa’s Wayward Elf team had been listening, the guy hadn’t so much as admitted to double parking or stiffing a waitress on a tip. That wasn’t to say he hadn’t been talking. Actually, he’d been talking a whole hell of a lot. The mob boss freaking talked to every lowlife and thug who came into the place. The problem was that most of what came out of his mouth was gibberish. Endless questions and comments about family, friends, even cartoon characters, but nothing that could link him to any crimes. This morning, the guy had filled hours of tape with an endless discussion on what he was buying his mother for her upcoming birthday. Nobody was that clean, especially Sammy Saldino. But the asshole was smart. Which meant he had to be talking in code, passing orders and receiving updates to and from his minions right under the NYPD’s nose. The guy wasn’t going to say anything incriminating, so listening with half an ear wasn’t an issue. “Sammy said maybe he’d buy his mother a four-thousanddollar ring on Tuesday,” Aaron said. Derek frowned. “Yeah. So?” “So I thought you were going to write all these gift ideas down in case it was a code for something.” Damn, he had said he was going to do that. It was a long shot, but at this point, he was ready to try anything. It was a flat-out fact that Sammy Saldino was in charge one of the biggest criminal operations in the city. From bookmaking to prostitution to drugs to extortion, if it was illegal, he was into it. Allegedly, of course, because no one had been able to pin a thing on the mob boss. After eight years of trying, the Feds had given up, so now it was up to Derek and the quickly dwindling NYPD task force. And as the captain had told them after Saldino’s visit yesterday, the window to catch this dirtbag was closing. If they didn’t come up with something before Saldino filed the harassment lawsuit, the brass downtown was going to pull the plug on the investigation. 110

Santa’s Wayward Elf Which was why Derek wrote down what Aaron had said even though he didn’t remember hearing Saldino say any of it. “Man, what’s up with you?” Aaron asked. “You seem distracted today. You feeling okay?” “Maybe he’s hungry,” Tony muttered from the far end of the truck. “I know I sure as hell am.” “Yeah, that’s it. I’m hungry,” Derek agreed. “Maybe we should get something to eat.” Aaron leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Oh, no. You’re not getting off that easy. We’ll get something to eat after you tell us what’s going on. I’ve seen that distracted look on a man’s face before and it didn’t have anything to do with food. I’m guessing it must have something to do with that sweet little number who came into the division to see you yesterday. Sosie, wasn’t it?” Derek opened his mouth, intending to deny it, but the older man wouldn’t let him. “Don’t even try it,” Aaron said. Derek chuckled, knowing it was useless. “Okay, okay. It might have something to do with Sosie.” Aaron glanced at Tony. “What’d I tell you?” Tony grinned and lazily swiveled back and forth in his chair. “You never mentioned her before. How long you been seeing her?” “Counting today?” Derek asked. “Four days.” “Four days, huh?” Aaron exchanged looks with Tony again. “That’s some kind of record for you, isn’t it?” Derek scowled. “Real funny.” The two men laughed. Derek probably would have found it amusing, too, if it wasn’t so damn close to the truth. While Aaron was exaggerating, the majority of relationships Derek had been in hadn’t lasted a hell of a lot longer than that, thanks in large part to what he did for a living. Women might be turned on by the idea of dating a guy who came with his own handcuffs, but quickly 111

Santa’s Wayward Elf discovered they couldn’t deal with the late-night stakeouts, double shifts and constant danger that went with it. Derek swore silently. Okay, that was enough soul searching for one day. He took off the headphones and flipped the audio to external speaker rather than hand the task off to either of the other men. It was easier to listen to Saldino’s conversation that way anyway. “I’m going to get something to eat,” he announced. “Either of you want anything?” Both Aaron and Tony said they did, so after finding out what the men wanted from the bodega, Derek got up and headed for the back door of the delivery truck. He was reaching for the handle when someone knocked on the door. Frowning, Derek looked over his shoulder at Aaron. “Was our relief supposed to be here already?” Aaron shook his head, one hand going to his weapon. Tony did the same. Reaching inside his coat for his own firearm, Derek cautiously pushed the door open and was stunned to see Sosie standing there with a smile on her face and a big paper bag in her hands. “Sosie!” Derek looked up and down the street, then back at her. He released his grip on his gun, sliding his hand out from inside his coat. “What are you doing here?” She held up the bag, her grin widening. “I brought you lunch.” He stared at the bag, dumbfounded. “How did you find me?” “You said you were going to be in a delivery truck down the street from Toscalini’s.” Sosie’s smile faltered. “I thought you’d be happy to see me.” “I am. It’s just that…” Damn, he felt like a heel for what he was about to do. But this was a stakeout. He couldn’t let her in simply because she was his girlfriend. He was the lead detective, which meant he couldn’t violate the rules. “Sosie, I appreciate the thought, but you can’t be here.” 112

Santa’s Wayward Elf “Sure she can,” Aaron called from behind him. Derek turned to look at the other man in surprise. “That’s completely against department policy and you know it.” Aaron snorted. “Who the hell is going to tell? Besides, she’s already here now, so she might as well come in.” “And she did bring food,” Tony added. Derek turned back to see Sosie standing there looking up at him with a hopeful expression on her pretty face and he couldn’t say no. He checked up and down the street one more time to make sure no one was watching, then took Sosie’s hand and helped her inside. Aaron moved across the truck to sit in the chair beside Tony, vacating his seat for Sosie. As she sat, Derek turned down the loudspeaker. They could still hear the audio, but barely. That was fine since it was all being recorded anyway. “Your ears must have been ringing,” Aaron said, giving Sosie a smile. “We were just talking about you.” “You were?” Sosie reached up to touch her ears under her hair. “Why would that make my ears ring?” When the other two men gave him an odd look, Derek chuckled as he sat down beside her. “Sosie isn’t from around here, so she’s not familiar with a lot of our expressions.” “That’s okay. Neither is Tony.” Aaron gave the younger detective a grin. “Where are you from?” Sosie hesitated a moment before answering. “Up north.” “Up north, huh? What brought you down to the Big Apple?” Derek saw Sosie’s brow furrow in obvious confusion. “Aaron means New York City.” “Oh.” She shrugged. “I needed a change of scenery.” Tony eyed the bag in her hand. “It was nice of you to bring Derek something to eat. Don’t suppose you have extra in there, do you?” “As a matter of fact, I do. Derek mentioned he’d be working with the two of you and I wanted to make sure I brought enough.” 113

Santa’s Wayward Elf Opening the bag, she reached inside and pulled out a huge container of pasta with red sauce as well as another equally large bowl of green salad. Derek’s eyes went wide when he saw how much food she’d actually brought. Even with the four of them, it was still a lot. “It’s whole grain pasta,” she said as she handed each of them a plastic plate filled with food. “I’ve heard it’s very healthy.” Derek dug into the pasta right away. “This is good. Where’d you get it?” “I made it.” She gave him one of her dazzling smiles. “I saw the recipe on the cooking channel, so I figured I’d give it a try. I’m glad you like it.” Derek was impressed. He had naturally thought she’d stopped at a restaurant and gotten take-out. After the bread pudding she’d made for breakfast the other day, he honestly hadn’t thought she could cook. “Like it?” Tony loaded up his fork again. “This is some of the best pasta I’ve ever eaten.” He gave a Sosie a wink. “I think I might be in love.” Derek scowled at him, then looked at Sosie. “He’s kidding.” Sosie laughed, a blush coloring her cheeks. As they ate, Derek had to admit he was glad Sosie had shown up, even if it was a little unconventional. Not only was the food delicious, but now he wouldn’t have to wait the whole day to see her. That was definitely worth breaking the rules for. Of course, there was a flip side to that, too. After being with her in the close confines of the truck, he was probably going to have a raging hardon for the rest of the day. Man, what he wouldn’t do for a few minutes alone with her. Unfortunately, he couldn’t come out and ask the other two detectives to take a hike.

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Santa’s Wayward Elf Aaron must have been able to read his mind, because after they had finished eating, he announced he and Tony were going to head over to the bodega across the street to use the facilities. Tony mustn’t have gotten the hint because he leaned back in his chair. “Nah, I’m good.” “No, you’re not,” Aaron said, giving him a meaningful look. “You have to go. Come on.” Tony frowned, but then his gaze went from Derek to Sosie and back again, understanding dawning on his face. He got to his feet. “Right. I do have to go. Nice seeing you, Sosie. Thanks again for the food. Feel free to bring more any time.” At the door, Aaron turned. “We’ll be gone for about twenty minutes or so.” Sosie frowned. “Is Aaron okay?” “Yeah,” Derek said. “Why do you ask?” “Because twenty minutes is a long time for someone to use the facilities.” Derek chuckled. “I don’t think he really had to use the facilities. He wanted to give us some privacy.” “Oh.” Her eyes lit up. “Oh! Well, that was certainly nice of him.” “I’ll say.” Derek leaned in close to cover her mouth with his. “I wanted to do that since you got here.” “You have?” She blinked up at him in surprise. “I was afraid you were mad that I came.” He gently brushed her hair back from her cheek. “I could never be mad at you.” “Well, in that case…” Getting up, Sosie came over to stand between his spread legs. Derek wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him when she took his face between her hands and kissed him. Her lips were soft and sweet as they moved over his, her tongue teasing as it intertwined with his. 115

Santa’s Wayward Elf Now that he had a taste, he knew one kiss was never going to be enough to last him until he got home and could make love to her. But they couldn’t do it right there in the truck. Or could they? Before he could answer that question, Sosie lifted her head and pulled away from him. He tried to use the time to clear his head so he could start thinking with that instead of his dick, but then she kneeled down in front of him and he suddenly couldn’t think at all. Tugging open his belt, she slowly unzipped his khakis, then shoved down his boxer briefs enough to free his hard cock. Giving him a seductive look, she wrapped her hand around the base, then leaned forward to slowly run her tongue up the entire length before taking the head in her mouth. Derek groaned as her long, silky hair fell forward to brush his thighs. Her mouth was warm and wet as she moved up and down on him, and he groaned again as she gently cupped his balls in her other hand and lightly massaged them. Damn, she was good at giving a blowjob. He slid his hand into her hair, cupping the back of her head. “Oh yeah, baby. That’s it.” Sosie moaned and swirled her talented, little tongue over the tip of his shaft before going down on him again. She took him deeper each time she repeated the move until the head of his penis was finally touching the back of her throat. Then she swallowed. Derek sucked in a breath. Daaaaaaammnn! He’d never met a woman who could do that. Sure he was going to blow right then, he tightened his hand in her hair. She moved her mouth back up his cock, swirling her tongue around the head before taking him deep again. “God, that feels incredible,” he rasped. “Don’t stop.” 116

Santa’s Wayward Elf Sosie wrapped her hand more firmly around the base of his shaft and continued to bob her head up and down, sometimes swirling her tongue over the tip, other times deep-throating him, keeping him on edge all the while but not in danger of exploding. Unable to help himself, Derek gently thrust his hips in time with her movements, pushing his cock down her throat. He wanted to hold back, wanted to make it last the rest of the afternoon, but what Sosie was doing felt too incredible for that and before he knew it, he was shooting a load of hot cum into her mouth. She moaned around his cock, swallowing all of his cream, then carefully licking him clean until she got every last bit. When she was done, she sat back on her heels and ran her tongue over her lips. Buttoning his pants, he bent over to kiss her long and hard on the mouth. “God, you’re amazing.” She smiled up at him. “You’re pretty amazing yourself.” Derek chuckled and would have kissed her again, but a knock on the door of the truck interrupted them. “We’re back,” Aaron called from outside. Has it been twenty minutes already? Damn. He’d wanted to return the favor. Derek stood up and helped Sosie to her feet, then ran a hand through his hair and cleared his throat. “Come on in,” he told the men. Derek waited until Aaron and Tony had climbed in, then walked Sosie to the door. Behind him, Aaron turned up the sound on the audio and Saldino’s voice filled the truck. “…meet at the warehouse down by the docks tomorrow night and finish that damn punk once and for all. Nobody steals from Sammy Saldino and lives to tell about it.” Sosie’s eyes went wide. “Did he mean what I think he did?” “Yeah.” Derek couldn’t believe their good fortune. He looked over at Aaron and Tony. Both men were grinning from ear to ear. 117

Santa’s Wayward Elf “Sammy Saldino finally screwed up and let something slip, which means we’re going to be able to nail the bastard after all.” “That’s good, right?” Sosie asked. Derek turned back to her. “It’s better than good. It’s freaking fantastic, and it’s all because of you.” “Me?” He reached out to cup her face, heedless of the two men in the truck with them. “Yeah. We’ve been sitting on Saldino for years and haven’t gotten anything, but you come by, and bam, success. You’re one very beautiful good luck charm.”

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Chapter 8 Derek wanted to know if Sosie could find her way home okay or whether she needed a cab, but she told him she could get there fine. She was so happy, she could have floated all the way back to the apartment. She’d thought the plan Tracee and Linda had come up with to get Derek to fall in love with her had seemed silly at first, but maybe they were on to something. Even though she and Derek had only recently met, the more time she spent in New York with him, the more it felt as if this was the place she was meant to be—and Derek the man she was meant to be with. She wasn’t sure if she believed in love at first sight, but she was certainly falling for the gorgeous detective in a big way, and it seemed as if he was falling hard for her, too. Could she give up her elfin heritage and everything that went with it so easily, though? Working in Santa’s workshops, the Christmas spirit, her elfin friends? To her surprise, the answer was a resounding yes. For the right guy, she’d leave it all behind without hesitation. Besides, she had already been transferring to the South Pole anyway. Since her mom had retired and was now living a life of relaxation in the retirement village in the Alps, there was nothing to keep her tied to either pole. She smiled to herself as she strolled down the sidewalk back to Derek’s apartment. Or should she think of it as their apartment? Probably not yet. That would be presumptuous. He obviously 119

Santa’s Wayward Elf liked her, but that was a long way from being in love with her, and even further away from him inviting her to live with him. They were headed down the right path, though, she was sure of it. There was this chemistry between them she’d never experienced with anyone else. That had to be a good sign, right? And then there was the sexual spark. That was hugely important, she imagined. According to Tracee and Linda, most romantic relationships among the BPs were based on nothing more than that. If it worked for them, it would work for her. Her smile faded. She wanted her relationship with Derek to be based on more than sex. She couldn’t believe she was saying that, not after all the hot, sweaty nights of fantasies she’d had back home in her tiny bed up in the North Pole. She wanted something more with Derek. She wanted a soul mate, a life partner. Surely that could happen between an elf girl and a big person. Before it did, however, she was going to have to be honest with him. There was no way she could hope to have a real, meaningful relationship with Derek if she started everything out with a lie. He needed to know she was an elf. How could she tell him, though? BPs didn’t believe in things like elves and Santa Claus. Derek would only think she was making it up. Worse, he would think she was crazy, and in the BP world, that meant they would lock her up. She caught her lower lip between her teeth and chewed on it thoughtfully. Maybe it would be better to talk to Tracee and Linda about it first. As much as she wanted to confide in Derek, it would be easier to share her secret with the other women first and ask for their advice. They hadn’t steered her wrong yet. Sosie intended to go directly up to her friends’ apartment, but when she got back to the apartment building, she ran into Ben and ended up helping him with a few repairs around the place, first fixing a leaky toilet, then replacing a light switch in one of the apartments on the second floor. 120

Santa’s Wayward Elf “I think you’re a better handyman than I am,” Ben said as they finished up. “I don’t think there’s anything you can’t fix.” Sosie felt her face color under his approving, fatherly gaze. “I don’t know about that.” “Well, I do.” He regarded her thoughtfully. “You know, there’s always been an extra position for a maintenance person here in the building, but I’ve never been able to find a person who was qualified for the job since you have to be a jack-of-all-trades. The pay isn’t great, but it’s not horrible, either. There’s a free apartment that comes with the position, too, but for some reason I don’t think you’ll need that,” he added with a smile. “Are you interested?” “Very interested.” “I was hoping you’d say that. We’ll need to do up all the usual paperwork to make it official, so I’ll need your social security number and immigration papers.” Sosie didn’t answer. She had no clue what those things were, but she knew she didn’t have them. “Um, I don’t have them yet.” He waved a hand dismissively. “No big deal. You can give them to me when you get them. I’ll pay you under the table until then, if that’s okay with you?” She nodded. She’d be okay with getting paid on top of the table, but if Ben felt better passing it to her underneath, she supposed that was fine, too. In fact, it was more than fine. She couldn’t believe it. First, she’d found a place to stay and a boyfriend, then some girlfriends to go window shopping with. Now she’d found a job, too. Taking a chance and walking out of that broken-down transport sled had been the best move of her life. She was so ecstatic, she barely heard Ben ask if she could run down to the local electronics store to pick up the parts she’d need to fix the apartment’s central air unit. She’d only had to look at it for a few minutes to figure out that most of the important parts of 121

Santa’s Wayward Elf the microcomputer that controlled the massive unit were fried. Ben had groaned, saying the company that built the unit had said the same thing, but claimed it would take thousands of dollars to replace the entire unit. Sosie was confident she could rebuild the unit herself with a good collection of computer chips and some basic electronic supplies, something Ben had been relieved to hear. “This should cover anything you need,” Ben said, handing her two-hundred dollars. She stared down at the money. “Surely it shouldn’t take this much.” “Probably not, but I want to make sure you have enough. You can keep whatever you don’t spend.” She looked at him in surprise. “Are you sure?” “Consider it an advance on your pay.” The electronics store was about a dozen blocks from the apartment building and though Sosie could have taken a cab now that she had money, she preferred to walk. She did a fairly good job of following the directions Ben gave her, only getting confused a few times. She was just turning down the correct street when she ran right into someone coming from the opposite direction. She automatically opened her mouth to apologize only to gasp when she realized the other person was a fellow elf. And not any elf, either, but the chief of elfin security—Mendike. She’d never met the other elf personally, but she had heard horror stories about what a grinch he was, always hassling worker elves like herself about missing parts and equipment up at the workshops, accusing them of being petty criminals and saying they were ripping off Santa. When she’d thought Elf Central would send out a rescue party, she hadn’t expected Mendike to come after her personally. Figgy, she should have known some fly was bound to show up in the Christmas pudding sooner or later. He glared up at her with beady, accusing eyes. “Sosie, I’ve been looking for you everywhere, do you know that? The transport 122

Santa’s Wayward Elf crew didn’t figure out you were missing until they landed in the South Pole, then they tried to cover it up because they figured they would get in trouble. Then Elf Central spent a day trying to figure out which bureau had responsibility for tracking you down, North or South.” “Looks like the North won,” Sosie muttered. “Lucky me.” “Yes, you are lucky.” Mendike squared his shoulders and drew himself up to his full height, which was still a good foot less than her. “Now that I’ve finally found you, we need to get going. I have my sled on the top of a building near here. It’s cloaked, so no one will probably see it, but I’d rather not take the chance in broad daylight.” He didn’t wait for an answer, but turned on his heel and started walking. He didn’t realize she wasn’t following him until he was halfway down the block. When he finally did, he marched back over to her. “Why the fig are you still standing here?” he demanded. That first night, she would have been thrilled to see another elf had come to take her home, even a grinch like Mendike, but things had changed since then. She didn’t want to leave anymore and no one was going to force her to go. Especially not Mendike. She was a free elf. She returned his glare with one of her own. “I’m not leaving.” He stared up at her as if unable to believe what he’d heard. Then his eyes narrowed. He swore under his breath. “Up to this point everyone has been content to consider this a simple mistake, Sosie. You wandered away from the transport sled and it took off without you. But if I call this in as a runaway, then things will go very differently for you.” Sosie was sure Mendike thought he came off as menacing and scary to his fellow elves. Maybe he did. But his threats didn’t have the same effect on her as they would on another elf. Being a foot taller than he was probably had something to do with that. Besides, 123

Santa’s Wayward Elf they were on a sidewalk full of people. He wasn’t going to try anything here. She put her hands on her hips. “What are you going to do, tell Santa that I’ve been a bad girl so he’ll put me on his naughty list?” Mendike’s mouth tightened. “Trust me, girl. We have ways of dealing with runaways, and you aren’t going to like them.” Sosie bent over to look him in the eye. “You don’t scare me, Mendike. Now run on back to the North Pole and tell Santa that I quit. He can keep my last check, including the Christmas overtime.” Mendike regarded her in silence, then shrugged. “If that’s the way you want to play it, okay by me. But you’ll be sorry, Sosie, mark my words.” With that, he turned on his heel again and marched down the street, disappearing into the crowd. Sosie watched him go. Mendike didn’t scare her. He was a bully and a blowhard and all his posturing was a bluff. She hoped. She couldn’t deny she was worried. Mendike had said they had ways of dealing with runaways, as if Elf Central had a method for punishing elves who had done it. She’d never heard of another elf running away, so she had no idea if that was true or not. Shivering, Sosie hurried down the sidewalk to the electronics store and went inside. Seeing the vast array of fascinating things they sold helped take her mind off Mendike and his threats and she spent the next hour browsing around. The items she needed were very reasonably priced, so she was able to get everything and still have plenty of cash left over. She was thinking about how she would rebuild the central air control unit as she walked back to the apartment building when another store caught her eye. She stopped in front of a window display of female mannequins wearing very sexy lingerie. The sign on the wall behind them said the store also sold adults toys. From 124

Santa’s Wayward Elf her time in the sex toy department up north, she knew exactly what that meant. Sosie tried to tell herself it was professional curiosity that made her go inside, but it was more than that. She wanted to see what kind of naughty stuff they had available here in New York, and whether she could afford to buy any of it to surprise Derek. He seemed like the kind of guy who appreciated a bit of playfulness in the bedroom—or any other room for that matter. Giggling at the thought, she eagerly made her way over to the lingerie section of the store. They had everything from bras and panties to bustiers and corsets, which made it difficult to choose one outfit. But she wanted to make sure she had enough money to pick up a sex toy, too, so after careful consideration, she decided on a silky red babydoll with matching panties. It didn’t take her nearly as long to choose which sex toy to buy. Once she spotted the Happy Rabbit Clitoris Vibrator, she knew she had to get it. Field testing the adult toys she’d designed was one of the perks of working in the sex toy department, so she knew from experience that particular vibrator was magical. Since she’d left hers on the transport sled along with the rest of her things, she definitely needed a new one. When she got back to the apartment building, Sosie stopped by Ben’s first and dropped off the electronic supplies, telling him she would work on the air conditioning unit first thing in the morning. She would have started on it right then, but she wasn’t sure what time Derek would get home and she wanted to greet him at the door wearing her sexy, new babydoll. Changing clothes would have to wait, however. She’d been so eager to see Derek earlier, she had left the pots and pans in the sink, telling herself she would clean them later. Well, it was later. Groaning, she tossed her shopping bag on the couch and went into the kitchen to tackle the mess. 125

Santa’s Wayward Elf By the time she finished up, then took a quick shower, it was after ten. She eyed the babydoll, wondering if she should put it on, then decided against it. Derek was bound to be tired by the time he got home. If it turned out he wasn’t, she could always change into the lingerie then. It wouldn’t be the same as greeting him at the door dressed in the skimpy outfit, but somehow, she didn’t think he’d mind. Pulling Derek’s T-shirt over her head, she turned on the television, then curled up on the couch with a yawn. She hadn’t realized she was tired. She’d be lucky if she didn’t fall asleep before Derek got home. **** It was almost midnight by the time Derek left the precinct. He was beat, but wired pretty good, too. After Sosie had left, he’d called Matt and Nick to come relieve them so he, Aaron and Tony could go back and brief the captain on what they’d heard. The older man had been thrilled to hear they finally might have something to pin on Saldino. This case had been a lead weight around everyone’s neck for a long time, his more than anyone’s. While Derek and the other detectives on the task force would be reassigned to a new case if they failed to get anything on Saldino, someone was going to take the fall if the mob boss went through with his plan to file harassment charges, and that someone was the captain. Derek would hate to see the man forced into retirement, especially since he was one of the best senior officers on the force. Derek, Aaron and Tony had spent the rest of the afternoon and most of the night working their informants to confirm what they’d heard on the wiretap. It had taken a while, but they’d discovered one of Sammy’s drug dealers had been caught skimming some of the product off each shipment. As if that wasn’t stupid enough, the guy had then decided to start selling the drugs in Sammy’s own territory. Word on the street was that Saldino’s men had already picked up the idiot, but that the mob boss himself was 126

Santa’s Wayward Elf going to be the one to put a bullet in the traitor’s head, as a sign Sammy Saldino didn’t put up with that kind of bullshit. The whole thing sounded too good to be true, and Derek would have thought it was a load of crap if they hadn’t confirmed the story from three different sources. After years of playing it extra carefully, Saldino was finally going to do something incriminating, and Derek was going to be there to catch him. Getting the time and place when the execution was supposed to go down had been more difficult since Saldino owned a lot of warehouses, but Aaron had come through on that. One of his contacts had heard the workers at one of the buildings on the West Street docks had been told not to come to work tomorrow night, and that they should consider it a paid day off. Since most of the docks down there were part of the Saldino organization, it was a perfect place for the mob boss to conduct his own particular brand of law and order. Advance teams were already on their way to set up recon posts on the edges of the West Street area. Not close enough to tip Saldino off, but near enough to know if any of his crew showed up early. Derek wasn’t sure if Sosie would still be awake since it was so late, so he unlocked the door to his apartment and went inside as quietly as he could. Sure enough, she was curled up on the couch asleep with the television on and the maintenance manual for the central air unit as company. His mouth edged up. She was definitely one of a kind. Walking into the living room, he shut off the television, then turned to gaze down at her. She looked so comfortable lying there that he hated to rouse her. He wondered if he could pick her up in his arms and carry her into the bedroom without waking her up. Probably not. Deciding to wake his sleeping beauty with a kiss, Derek sat down beside her and reached out to gently brush her hair back from her face. Sosie let out a small sigh, but didn’t stir at his touch. 127

Santa’s Wayward Elf If she had, she probably would have immediately reached up to pull her hair forward again so that it covered her ear. For some reason, she seemed to be very self-conscious about them. He didn’t know why. From where he was sitting, she had the prettiest ears he’d ever seen. They were petite and perfectly formed, like the rest of her. He bent to kiss her, but paused when he caught sight of the top of her ear. Instead of being rounded at the tip, it was pointed, like the elves in the Lord of the Rings movie. His mouth curved. So that was why she was so shy about her ears. Admittedly, they were different, but certainly not ugly. In fact, they were cute as hell. Since she was obviously self-conscious about them, he wouldn’t say anything. In time, he’d convince her she had nothing to be embarrassed about. Leaning over, he gently pressed his lips to hers. Sosie stirred immediately, letting out a murmur of what he hoped was approval as she kissed him back. When he lifted his head, it was to find her smiling up at him. “You’re home,” she said softly. “I tried to wait up, but I guess I must have fallen asleep.” “Sorry I’m so late. After you left, we went back to the precinct and started coordinating for the bust. We’re going to take down Saldino tomorrow night.” “What’s a bust?” His mouth quirked. “It’s cop speak for arresting a bad guy and putting him in prison.” “That’s good, right?” “It’s very good.” He smiled as she stifled a yawn. “Come on, sleepyhead. Let’s go to bed.” She didn’t say anything as she took his outstretched hand and let him lead her into the bedroom. The moment they were inside the room, he immediately caught sight of the silky, red negligee and vibrator on the bed, and his mouth curved. 128

Santa’s Wayward Elf “What’s all this?” Color stained her cheeks. “I was going to surprise you by greeting you at the door dressed in it, but then I noticed how late it was and figured you’d probably be too tired to make love.” He pulled her into his arms for a kiss. “Honey, I’m never too tired for sex. Why don’t you put it on and model it for me?” “Now?” “Yeah. Unless you’re too tired.” She grinned. “Never.” He chuckled. “Good. I’m going to go grab a shower while you change then.” Knowing Sosie was slipping into something even sexier than his old T-shirt had Derek’s cock so hard he could barely focus on lathering the bar of soap between his hands. He groaned. As turned on as he was, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to hold back long enough to appreciate that sexy, little red silk number she’d bought. **** Sosie leaned back against the pillows and drew one leg up, trying to arrange herself as seductively on the bed as she could. From the way Derek’s eyes had glinted when he saw the lingerie, she had the feeling she could be standing in the middle of the kitchen making oatmeal and he’d still be turned on. Even so, this whole seduction thing was new to her and she wanted to do it right. She looked down at herself, wondering if she should bend her knee some more when the bathroom door opened and Derek walked into the bedroom. At the sight of him, Sosie forgot all about whether her pose was seductive or not and focused on him instead. He was naked, his hair still damp from the shower. She wanted to jump up and run her hands over every magnificent inch of him, but the heat in his gaze made it impossible to do anything except catch her breath. “God, you’re gorgeous,” he breathed. 129

Santa’s Wayward Elf The words made her blush, something she seemed to be doing a lot of since getting involved with the handsome detective. She waited for Derek to come over, but instead he folded his arms across his broad chest and leaned against the doorjamb. “Aren’t you going to get into bed with me?” “In a minute.” The corner of his mouth lifted. “Right now, I think I’ll stand here and watch you pleasure yourself with that new toy you bought.” Sosie’s pulse quickened. She had never done anything like that it in front of a guy before, but the idea of Derek watching her masturbate made her pussy quiver. Lying back more on the pillows, she ran her hand up her bare thigh and over the tiny triangle of silk covering her pussy. Derek followed her movements as if mesmerized, his dark eyes hungry. She caressed her sex through the material, doing it to tease herself as much as him. Her panties were already damp and clinging to her, making it easy for her fingers to glide over her folds and find her clit. But soon, touching herself through her panties wasn’t enough for her. She suspected it wasn’t enough for Derek, either. Giving him a sultry smile, she slid them down her legs with painstaking slowness until they were all the way off, then tossed them in his direction. He caught them in one hand and lifted them to his nose to breathe in the scent of her arousal. Sosie didn’t think she’d ever seen a guy do anything so hot in her whole life. As he watched, she reached for the vibrator and turned it on, then leisurely rubbed the tip up and down her slick folds. Her pussy spasmed at the contact and she teasingly pressed the head of the toy against her opening before slowly sliding it all the way in. Sosie moaned as the rabbit’s ears vibrated against her clit while the dildo filled her. Because of the way the sexy toy was designed, she could pleasure her clit while plunging it in and out of her pussy, which always made her come extremely fast. Since she 130

Santa’s Wayward Elf was putting on a show for Derek, she didn’t want to bring herself to orgasm too quickly, so she rested it against her clit until she was on the verge of climax, then eased off for a few moments before doing it all over again. She was so caught up in how good it felt that she didn’t realize Derek had left his post by the door and joined her until she felt the bed dip beneath his weight. She opened her eyes to find him propped up on an elbow beside her, a roguish glint in his eye. “I think I’ve got the hang of it now,” he said, taking the vibrator from her. Sosie suspected he had the hang of it all along, but only moaned against his mouth as he slowly plunged the vibrator in and out of her pussy. Mmm, this was so much better than doing it solo. He didn’t tease her clit like she’d done, but instead pressed the rabbit ears to the plump nub until her entire body was trembling. The orgasm went on and on, making her dizzy, and all she could do was cling to Derek’s shoulders and let the waves of ecstasy wash over her. After, she lay back against the pillows, panting for breath as Derek gently slid the vibrator from her pussy. She watched through half-closed eyes as he opened the drawer of the bedside table and took out a condom. Her pussy tingled in anticipation. The Happy Rabbit Clitoris Vibrator she’d designed might be one of the best toys she had ever come up with, but it didn’t compare to the real thing. She waited for Derek to settle between her legs, but instead he sat back against the headboard, then took her hand and urged her onto his lap so she was straddling him. Mesmerized by his soulful, dark eyes, she couldn’t do anything more than hold onto his shoulders as he sheathed himself inside her. Groaning, Derek slid his hands in her hair and covered her mouth with his in a long, drugging kiss. Sosie moaned and made circular motions with her hips, slowly riding him. 131

Santa’s Wayward Elf Murmuring something unintelligible, Derek tore his mouth away from hers to trail hot kisses along the curve of her jaw before moving back up to reclaim her lips again. He drew her bottom lip into his mouth, sucking on it as he slid his hands down her back to grasp her ass. He guided her up and down on his cock in a slow, sexy rhythm that sent surges of pleasure through her. Sosie would have been content to ride him like that all night, but the sensations were too intense and she clenched her pussy tightly around him, milking his cock as she shuddered and cried out her release. Derek dragged his mouth away from hers to bury his face in her neck with a hoarse groan. She wrapped her arms around him, holding onto him tightly as they came together. Their joining was so amazing it brought tears to her eyes. Earlier, she hadn’t been sure what she felt for Derek, but now she knew unequivocally. She was totally and completely in love with him. All she had to do was tell him who she really was, then they could live like this forever.

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Chapter 9 Sosie wanted to confess her love to Derek the next morning, but he was up before the alarm clock went off, then out the door almost as soon as he’d showered and dressed. They barely had time for a piece of toast and a quick kiss. “I’ll make it up to you with a late dinner.” He flashed her a grin as he shrugged into his jacket. “If everything goes as well as I think it will with this raid tonight, I might be able to take a few days off so we can do some more sightseeing.” Although Sosie was thrilled about him taking some time off from work so he could be with her, she was nervous about the raid. Over breakfast, he’d told her the arrest could be the biggest of his career and that it would get a bad man off the streets, but hadn’t gone into too many more details other than saying some stuff about SWAT teams, automatic weapons and search warrants. She didn’t know what a SWAT team or a search warrant were, but the fact that guns were going to be involved made her think it was going to be dangerous. She nibbled worriedly on her lower lip as he shoved his gun in its leather pouch under his jacket. “You’ll be careful, right?” “I’m always careful.” He bent to kiss her, then opened the door. “See you tonight, beautiful.” After he left, Sosie leaned back against the door, savoring the taste of his lips on hers. She knew it was silly and that Derek was obviously capable at his job, but she couldn’t help worrying about 133

Santa’s Wayward Elf him. That man she’d seen at the precinct, Saldino, seemed as if he could be a very mean person. She gave herself a shake. Derek would be safe and when he got home tonight, she would laugh at how foolish her fears had been. Pushing away from the door, she went into the bedroom to change, only to stop as she took in the rumpled sheets and the vibrator sitting on the bedside table. Unable to help herself, she crawled back into the still-warm bed and wrapped her arms around Derek’s pillow, breathing in his masculine scent. It made her feel warm all over. She smiled, thinking how lucky she was to have found him. She didn’t know how, but somehow she would find a way to tell him who she really was and that she was in love with him. Sosie sighed. It was tempting to stay in bed curled up with Derek’s pillow all day, but she’d promised Ben she would fix the air conditioner today. After taking a quick shower, she got dressed and went down to Ben’s apartment. He and Mabel were finishing breakfast, but when she apologized for interrupting them, they shushed her and offered her some oatmeal. She told them she had already eaten with Derek, but agreed to a cup of coffee. She still didn’t think much of the taste yet, but since all the BPs seemed to drink it, she supposed she should get used to it. She was going to be one of them after all. An hour later, she and Ben went down to the basement so she could rebuild the air conditioner. She had always enjoyed this kind of work, so it was easy to get lost in what she was doing. She still couldn’t believe she was getting paid to do it. Her lips curved. She hadn’t officially earned any money and yet she already found herself planning on how she would spend it on Derek. Maybe she’d buy him a hot dog at one of those carts on the streets. They probably weren’t very healthy, but they smelled good, and surely one wouldn’t hurt. 134

Santa’s Wayward Elf Getting him a hot dog wasn’t enough for all he had done for her, though. She chewed on her lower lip as she tried to think of something else she could buy him, something a detective needed. He already had a gun, so she couldn’t get him one of those. Maybe a colorful tie to wear to work, or a pair of striped socks. A splash of red or green would go a long way to brightening up the ensemble he wore. She was humming a holiday song that always played in the workshop back home when Ben came in. She looked up from the mass of wires, chips and electronic test equipment in front of her and realized with surprise that it was almost noon. She’d been so wrapped up in what she was doing and thinking about Derek that she hadn’t realized how much time had passed. “You’ve been working on that thing nonstop all morning,” Ben said. “Take a break and get something to eat. I don’t want Derek claiming I overworked you on your first day.” Sosie opened her mouth to tell him elves worked much longer hours in between breaks, but bit her tongue when she realized what she’d almost let slip. Instead, she smiled and told him she’d be back, then went upstairs. On the way to the Derek’s apartment, she ran into Tracee and Linda. “I thought you were at work,” she said. “We were,” Tracee said. “We came home for lunch. Want to join us?” “I’d love to.” Fifteen minutes later, she and the two women were seated around the table in the kitchen eating tuna sandwiches and drinking diet soda. Sosie was familiar with tuna, but had never had it prepared with mayonnaise and served on bread. It was especially delicious that way. “How is Operation Get-Derek-To-Fall-In-Love-With-You going?” Tracee asked, before sipping her diet soda. 135

Santa’s Wayward Elf Sosie picked up the other half of her sandwich. “It’s going great. Or at least I think it is. If everything goes well tonight, he’s going to take a few days off from work so we can do some more sightseeing together.” The redhead grinned. “That’s excellent. You’ll have him eating out of your hand soon.” Sosie frowned. “Do I want that? I mean, it sounds messy.” “You definitely want that,” Linda said. “You want him to be so crazy about you he barely knows which end is up. Men are much easier to manipulate that way, trust me.” Sosie set down the sandwich and reached for her glass, her frown deepening. She didn’t want to think she was manipulating Derek, but that was exactly what she was doing by not being honest with him about who she really was. She tried to tell herself it didn’t matter, that it would be easier to tell him she was an elf after he fell in love with her, but it did matter. Especially now that she knew was in love with him. Keeping something as important as her elfin heritage a secret from him was tearing her up inside. Tracee must have picked up on her dismal mood because she reached across the table to cover Sosie’s hand with hers. “Hey, we were kidding about having Derek eating out of your hand. If that’s not your bag, you can always have a good, old-fashioned, honest relationship.” Tears stung Sosie’s eyes. “I can’t.” “Why not?” Linda asked. She reached up to wipe the tear trickling down her cheek. “Because I haven’t been honest with him or anyone since I got here. Everything has been a lie.” Tracee’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?” Sosie hesitated, unsure whether to go on. There was no going back now, though. She’d already let the reindeer take off with the sled. She took a deep breath. “For one thing, I’m not from Canada. I’m an elf.” 136

Santa’s Wayward Elf Silence met her words as both women stared at her. Sosie felt her stomach knot. They didn’t believe her. Or they believed her and were so horrified they were speechless. She didn’t know which scenario was worse. She was torn between trying to come up with something to say and running out of the apartment altogether when Linda spoke. “You’re not from Canada? I was so sure you were. I’m bummed.” “The hell with Canada, Linda.” Tracee gave her friend an impatient look. “Didn’t you hear what she said?” “I heard her. She’s an elf.” Linda shrugged. “So that means she’s from Finland or New Foundland or somewhere like that.” The red-haired girl shook her head. “Damn, girl, you can be thick as a brick sometimes. She’s an elf, as in from the North Pole.” Sosie watched as what Tracee said suddenly dawned on Linda. She dreaded the next words out of the other girl’s mouth, afraid they were going to be something cruel. “Oh. That kind of elf.” The dark-haired girl grinned. “Cool! I never knew you guys were real. Does that mean Santa is real, too?” Sosie blinked. Whatever she had expected Linda to say, it wasn’t that. Sosie turned to Tracee. The redhead didn’t look freaked out by learning Sosie was an elf any more than Linda had. If anything, she looked curious. “Well, is he?” Tracee asked when Sosie didn’t answer. “Yes, Santa is real.” Tracee sat back in her chair. “I knew there was something different about you the moment I saw your pointy, little ears when Derek was kissing you under the mistletoe.” Sosie gasped, instinctively reaching up with both hands to make sure her hair was still covering her ears. Linda squealed. “You have pointy ears? Let me see.” Sosie started to shake her head, but one look at Linda’s face told her the other woman wasn’t going to let it go until Sosie 137

Santa’s Wayward Elf showed them her ears. Sosie took a deep breath and pulled her hair back to reveal them. Linda’s eyes went wide. “Oh my God, those are so cool!” Sosie stared at her incredulously. “You’re not freaked out?” “No. Why would I be? They’re just pointed ears. It’s not as if you’re a monster or anything.” She shot Tracee a venomous glare. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me Sosie has elf ears.” “Not my ears, not my secret,” the redhead said. “How did an elf end up in New York City from the North Pole anyway? That is where you live, right?” Sosie nodded and found herself telling them everything— what her life had been like in the North Pole and how unhappy she’d been, her planned transfer to the South Pole, the breakdown with the sled, and finally, meeting Derek. She knew she shouldn’t dump all of it on two women she barely knew, but it felt so good to finally be able to let it out. By the time she finished, both Tracee and Linda were wiping tears from their cheeks. Linda sighed. “That is so romantic. You came all this way looking for love and stumbled right into Derek. It’s like a fairy tale. Or an elf tale, I suppose.” Sosie gave her a wan smile. “If only I could tell him all of it.” “Why can’t you?” Linda asked. “I’m afraid of what he’ll say.” “Derek’s already half in love with you, Sosie,” Tracee said. “Finding out you’re an elf isn’t going to change how he feels about you.” Sosie wasn’t so sure. He might not care she was an elf, but she had still lied to him about who she was. What if he couldn’t forgive her? “Tracee’s right.” Linda sipped her diet soda. “You said Derek’s going to take some time off, right? You can tell him then. By the way, why does he have to wait to see how things go tonight to take some time off? What’s going down tonight?” 138

Santa’s Wayward Elf “I’m not sure,” Sosie admitted. “He tried to explain it to me, but it didn’t make much sense. He and the other detectives are going to bust some mob boss named Sammy Saldino. He said arresting Saldino will make his career, but to be honest, I’m worried. Even with SWAT and all their automatic weapons, it sounds dangerous.” “It is dangerous,” Linda said. On the other side of the table, Tracee gave her friend a warning look. Linda mumbled something under her breath, her face coloring. Tracee waved a hand in the dark-haired woman’s direction. “Don’t mind Linda. She’s a drama queen sometimes. Derek will be fine.” Sosie looked from one woman to the other, her stomach tying itself into a knot at the worried look on their faces. “What aren’t you telling me?” “Nothing,” Tracee said. “Really.” “You’re lying,” Sosie said. “Derek is going to be in danger tonight, isn’t he?” Tracee was silent for so long Sosie thought the other woman wasn’t going to answer. She was about to prompt her again when Linda finally spoke. “She needs to know, Tracee.” “Know what?” Sosie demanded. “That being a cop is dangerous,” Linda answered when Tracee didn’t say anything. “It is?” Sosie felt her mouth go dry. “I mean, I know Derek carries a gun, but I thought everyone did. I didn’t know someone might try to hurt him.” Tracee shared another look with Linda, then reached out and covered Sosie’s hand with hers. “Derek will be fine, honey. He’s a good cop and he’s a smart one. He’ll be fine.” 139

Santa’s Wayward Elf Sosie didn’t say anything. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t even seem to breathe. Everyone she’d met had been so nice to her since coming here that she had come to the conclusion all the things she’d heard about rage and violence among the BPs were stories made up by Elf Central so the elves would be afraid to leave the safety of the North Pole. The thought that Derek might actually get hurt tonight—or worse—just about scared her to death. Dear Santa, how the fig was she ever going to keep it together until he walked into the apartment and she knew for sure he was safe? **** Derek checked his watch in the dim glow of the streetlight. Almost eight. Saldino and his men should be at the warehouse soon. The day had been a blur. First, there had been the endless preoperational mission briefings between all the main players in the raid, followed by some one-on-one meetings with key department and city officials. After that, he and the rest of the task force, along with the support personnel had slowly moved into position around Saldino’s West Street dock warehouse. In addition to SWAT teams for entry, uniformed officers for perimeter control and plainclothes detectives from other divisions were there to act as back-up and apprehend any perps who made it out of the warehouse. A lot of the top brass and the assistant DA were also there. It had taken the better part of the day to get everyone in position, but by sundown everything was ready. All they were waiting for was Saldino to make his move. Then Derek could give the signal. Though the captain and precinct commanders were on the scene, they were only there as observers. This was Derek’s case, which meant he was going to be the one who pulled the proverbial trigger. And took the blame if things went wrong. That 140

Santa’s Wayward Elf meant nothing could go wrong. If it did, he was going to be back in uniform on foot patrol. If he was lucky. Derek looked down at his watch again. Eight on the nose. He and the rest of the organized crime task force had set up in a warehouse a few blocks down from Saldino’s place. From there, they could maintain a visual on the front of the huge building and see when Saldino arrived. Assuming he arrived by way of the main road along the docks. Not that it mattered which entrance the mob boss used. Derek had made sure every square inch of the building was covered by surveillance. Five minutes past the hour, a line of sedans approached the warehouse. Derek’s pulse kicked up a notch. Even though the information had been good, part of him had been worried the mob boss wouldn’t show. But that was Saldino and his crew, no doubt about it. The man liked to travel in style. Derek had hoped the vehicles would stop in front of the warehouse, so they could get video of Saldino’s men dragging the drug dealer inside, but the vehicles didn’t slow down. The big doors of the warehouse rolled up and all six sedans drove inside, then the doors came back down. A moment later, two men dressed in suits came out of the main entrance and took their posts on either side of it. Shit. Not only wouldn’t they have any video footage of them dragging their hostage inside, but the two guards at the door would make the approach to the warehouse more difficult. Derek glanced over at the men sitting at a table in the back of the room with headphones glued to their ears. “Any audio coming out of there yet?” Both men shook their heads. “Negative,” one of them said. “There’s some kind of interference scrambling the signals. They might have jammers installed in there.” Shit. 141

Santa’s Wayward Elf The captain looked at him. “What’s your move. Derek? With no video and no audio, we’re going in there blind.” Maybe, but they couldn’t very well wait for a gunshot, then go in and bust Saldino. Not only would that get the drug dealer killed, but they’d have no way to prove it wasn’t self-defense on Saldino’s part. That’s if one of Saldino’s guys didn’t throw himself on the sword and take the blame. No, they had to catch the mob boss red-handed and they had to move quickly. Knowing Saldino, the man would savor the moment for a bit before he pulled the trigger, but Derek couldn’t depend on that. If Saldino popped the drug dealer before they got inside, then they were screwed. “We go in now, but not like we originally planned,” Derek said. “If we don’t get those two guards at the door out of the way, we’ll never be able to surprise Saldino, so Aaron and I will go in first. Everyone else waits for my signal.” The captain gave him a nod. “Watch yourselves out there.” Derek took off the blue jacket with the word “POLICE” printed on the back in big block letters and shoved his gun in the back of his jeans, then shrugged into his leather jacket, zipping it up to hide the bulletproof vest he wore. Once Aaron had done the same, they headed down the street to Saldino’s warehouse. The two men standing guard at the door exchanged looks as he and Aaron approached. “What are you doing here?” one of the men demanded. “Mr. Saldino gave everyone the day off.” “We’re here for our overtime checks,” Derek said. “We were told to pick them up tonight.” The two guards looked at each other again. “Well, whoever told you that made a mistake. You’ll have to come back tomorrow.” Derek glanced at Aaron, giving him a slight nod before turning back to the two men at the door. He thanked them, then 142

Santa’s Wayward Elf made as if to turn away, but instead he drew his gun and leveled it at one of the men while Aaron did the same to the other. “Not a word,” Derek said softly. The two men eyed them, clearly debating whether they should go for their own weapons, but must have changed their minds when Derek and Aaron were surrounded by a dozen other cops a few moments later. As two uniformed officers cuffed the guards and led them away, one of the commo techs moved in to attach an audio probe to the wall beside the door. While he did that, Derek checked to make sure the other entry teams were in place at the back and side entrances to the warehouse. He’d even stationed an undercover team in a boat off the pier in case Saldino tried to escape that way. “Anything?” he asked the commo tech. The man shook his head. “Nothing. There’s definitely something interfering with our equipment.” “Damn.” Derek lifted his radio, thumbing the button on the side. “Anyone got an eyeball on what’s going on in there?” Each team had the same reply. Negative. Derek swore under his breath. They couldn’t wait any longer. They had to make their move. Now. He lifted the radio again, about to give the order, when the sound of gunshots echoed in the warehouse. Shit. “Go, go!” Derek shouted. At his order, the SWAT team with him immediately mobilized, the officer in the front busting open the door with a battering ram. Derek and his fellow cops surged forward, weapons ready. The other entry teams burst into the warehouse from three different directions, SWAT leading the way in black ski masks, waving automatic weapons and barking orders. Derek expected to find the drug dealer lying dead on the floor, or at least wounded and begging for his life, Saldino using 143

Santa’s Wayward Elf him for target practice while his men watched. Instead there were twenty kids sitting frozen in their chairs staring at him and the rest of the cops wide-eyed. Some of them were holding the remnants of popped balloons in their hands. Others had obviously been about to shove birthday cake into their mouths when the SWAT teams had burst in. In the stunned silence, one of the kids started crying, then another and another until the whole warehouse was full of bawling rug rats and their screaming mothers. Several men stood off to the side, Sammy Saldino among them, an angry but satisfied expression on his face. Fuck. They’d been completely set up. And the bastard Saldino had used a kid’s birthday party to do it, not giving a damn any of them could have been shot. Or maybe the mob boss had been hoping one of them would be so he’d have something else to use as leverage against the NYPD. “Lower your weapons!” Derek shouted to the cops who were still aiming their weapons at the group. “Lower them now, dammit!” Saldino smirked as they followed the order. “Looks as if you’ve given me more ammunition for my harassment lawsuit, Detective.” Derek clenched his jaw. Unzipping his jacket, he holstered his gun. That was when he noticed the video cameras sitting on the table. Shit. The kids’ mothers must have been recording the party, which probably meant they had captured everything on tape. Could this fiasco get any worse? He found out the answer to that question a moment later when the captain walked in with the brass and the assistant DA. The latter threw him a furious glare, then hurried forward to apologize profusely to Saldino. The glower the ADA gave him didn’t compare to the looks his boss and other senior officers sent his way. He was so fucking screwed. 144

Santa’s Wayward Elf Figuring their presence in the warehouse would only make things more tense than they already were, Derek got SWAT and the rest of the cops out of the building. Once he did, he made sure to tell all the support teams on the perimeter to stand down as well. After that, he thanked the SWAT team leader and commo techs and got them the hell out of there before the press showed up. That left him standing with Aaron, Tony and the rest of the organized crime task force. “How the hell did Saldino manage to set us up?” Tony demanded. “He must have known we were listening in and fed us some bogus shit over the wiretap,” Nick said. Matt frowned. “I don’t know. I mean, he couldn’t have faked all that intel we got off the street.” “I agree,” Tony said. “Saldino was planning to pop the drug dealer tonight, I’m sure of it. Somehow he found out we were planning to bust him.” “What are you saying?” Aaron demanded. “That someone on the inside ratted us out?” “I don’t want to think one of our own might be dirty any more than anyone else, but I don’t have another explanation, do you?” The other detectives didn’t answer. Derek refused to go there. “The only people who knew we were moving on Saldino tonight were you guys, the captain and a couple of high-ranking personnel in the DA’s office, none of whom I’m willing to label a rat. There has to be some other explanation.” They were still trying to figure out what that other explanation might be when the captain walked out of the warehouse. He looked older than his years and tired as hell. “I need to talk to Derek,” he said. “The rest of you can go on home.” 145

Santa’s Wayward Elf The other men looked reluctant to go, but after giving Derek a nod, they turned and walked down the street to their respective cars. The captain fixed him with a hard look. “I want you and your badge in my office first thing in the morning. And bring your department-issued sidearm.” Derek didn’t have to ask why. Most cops used their own privately owned weapons rather than the weapon issued to them. The only time a cop ever brought it out of the lockbox he kept it in was when he was going to retire or be suspended. He had expected the captain to chew him out, maybe transfer him to another division. He hadn’t expected to get suspended. But someone had to take the fall for the fiasco that had happened tonight and as the lead detective on the investigation, it was going to be him. Aaron and Tony were waiting for Derek by his car. Both men wore grim expressions. “What did the captain say?” Tony asked. Derek clenched his jaw. “He wants me in his office tomorrow with my badge and my gun.” “Shit,” Tony muttered. Aaron cleared his throat. “Derek, there’s something I need to say to you and I don’t want you to get pissed off.” Derek frowned. He wasn’t in the mood to be lectured by Aaron. Not after the day he’d had. “You said the only people who knew we were making a move on Saldino were us, the captain and the DA’s office, but that’s not true,” Aaron continued. “There was someone else who knew exactly what we were going to do.” “Who?” “Your new girlfriend, Sosie.” Derek stared at him incredulously. “You’re joking, right?” Aaron didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. The expression on his face said everything Derek needed to know. 146

Santa’s Wayward Elf Derek shook his head. “Fuck you.” Aaron took a step forward. “Dammit, Derek, listen to me for a minute.” “The hell I will. Sosie doesn’t have anything to do with this.” “You sure about that?” Tony asked. “Aaron might be on to something.” Derek clenched his jaw. He should get in his car and leave them both standing there. But he didn’t. “What do you know about this girl, Derek?” Aaron asked. “Other than the fact that she comes from somewhere up north and makes great pasta? You don’t even know if Sosie is her real name.” He knew she was beautiful and sweet and that she could make him laugh. He also knew she was better with a toolbox than he could ever be. On top of all that, she was some kind of amazing in bed. He couldn’t tell Aaron any of those things, though. “I know that she came to New York with some friends and they abandoned her at the club where I work.” “She came to New York with friends and they abandoned her.” Aaron snorted. “Right. Let me guess, she came up to you and said she needed your help?” “No. I saw some lowlifes drag her into the men’s bathroom, so I followed and told them to get the hell away from her before I arrested their punk asses. I didn’t know she came to the club with anyone until I found her standing outside the place two hours later still waiting for her friends to come get her.” Aaron exchanged looks with Tony. “And you don’t think the whole thing could have been staged for your benefit? You do have a habit of helping strays and damsels in distress, you know.” The older man swore under his breath. “Look, I’m not saying I’m right about her. I’m just saying it’s suspicious. This girl comes into your life out of nowhere and suddenly Saldino serves himself up on a silver platter right when Sosie happens to be in the wiretap van.” 147

Santa’s Wayward Elf “Then when we move on him, we make complete asses of ourselves,” Tony added. Derek looked from one man to the other, his jaw tight. He wanted to clock both of them right there. But they weren’t worth the trouble. “You know what? Fuck both of you.” He jerked open the door of his car and got in, speeding off without a backward glance. He couldn’t believe Aaron and Tony would accuse Sosie of setting him up. The girl didn’t have a deceitful bone in her body. The idea that she worked for Saldino was ridiculous. Or is it? His grip tightened on the steering wheel. As much as he hated to admit it, Aaron had been right. He didn’t know anything about Sosie other than her name and where she came from, which now that he thought about it, sounded fishy. He’d known something about her hadn’t added up right from the beginning, but he’d ignored his gut instinct. That wasn’t a good thing for a cop. The way he and Sosie had met was too convenient. She’d supposedly been with some friends at the dance club, but he hadn’t seen her with anyone. What kind of friends left and never came back? She’d made no attempt to get hold of them, either. That didn’t sound right. She’d had no money, no cell phone, not even a wallet or any form of ID that he knew of. If she was here from out of the country, where the hell was her passport? Shouldn’t she at least be worried about losing it? The thing that really should have had his cop meter pegging was the fact that she didn’t nag him about what he did for a living. In fact, she didn’t act as if she was interested in his job at all, which was unusual. The women he’d gone out with had all thought his job was cool and sexy, but when it came to putting up with the crappy parts of the profession, they usually didn’t want any part of him. Sosie had taken it in stride when he’d to leave at o-dark-thirty 148

Santa’s Wayward Elf in the morning or work late on a stakeout. That more than anything convinced him there was something going on with her. The thought that Saldino had put Sosie on him in order to set up Derek and the task force made his blood boil. The dirtbag was exactly the kind of chess-playing crime lord who would come up with some scheme this complex. Not only would it get the NYPD off his back, but it would also make the task force look completely incompetent. What better way to make sure the head of the task force took the bait than slip a woman in his bed? Not any woman, either, but one so perfect there was no way Derek could resist her. It was difficult to believe Sosie could really be some kind of femme fatale vixen considering how sweet and naïve she seemed, but he was going to damn sure find out. He clenched his jaw as he pulled into his apartment’s parking garage. By the time he got done, he was going to know everything there was to know about her. And if she tried to keep any more secrets from him, he was going to toss her out on that pretty rear end of hers.

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Chapter 10 Sosie paced back and forth in front of the coffee table, her nerves frazzled. She’d almost gone to the precinct a dozen times since talking to Tracee and Linda that afternoon. The only thing that had stopped her was the knowledge Derek wasn’t there but out on the raid, which meant she’d have to wait in that big, stone fortress of a building where he worked all alone. So, she’d stayed at his apartment, hoping he would call, but he hadn’t. That only worried her more. She was giving him ten more minutes, then she was going down to the precinct. Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait that long because a few minutes later Derek’s key rattled in the lock. Her heart leaped in her chest. Dear Santa, thank goodness he was home. The moment he stepped inside, she ran to the door and threw herself into his arms. “I was so worried about you,” she said, her words muffled against his chest and coming out in a rush. “Tracee and Linda told me how dangerous what you did tonight was, and what a SWAT team is, and about the automatic weapons they use, and how violent that man Saldino is, and…and…I was so afraid for you.” Sosie was so happy he was home and safe she didn’t realize Derek hadn’t put his arms around her in return. Fear surged through her anew. 150

Santa’s Wayward Elf She stepped back to look up at him. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” When he didn’t answer, she reached up, intending to cup his face in her hand, but he pulled away. “Oh dear, you are hurt, aren’t you? Let me see.” He took another step back, a scowl on his face. “I’m not hurt.” She frowned. “Then what is it?” “You don’t know?” “No.” Her frown deepened. “Derek, what happened? Why are you so—” “So pissed? Because everything went all to hell tonight.” “What happened?” “We were set up, that’s what happened.” The muscle in his jaw flexed. “We busted into Saldino’s warehouse expecting to find him in the middle of an execution. Instead he was hosting a birthday party for a bunch of kids, complete with balloons, cake and video cameras that captured the whole thing. It was a complete fiasco.” She lifted her hands to her mouth. “Oh no! None of the children got hurt, did they?” He didn’t answer right away, but only regarded her with an odd expression. Finally, he shook his head. “No.” That was a relief at least. “What about Saldino? Will you still be able to put him in jail?” Derek muttered something under his breath. “Dammit, Sosie. Cut the crap, okay?” Sosie jumped at the harsh tone in Derek’s normally soft voice. She knew he took his job seriously, but that didn’t mean he had to take his disappointing day out on her. She wanted to think it wasn’t like him to do such a thing, but she realized she hadn’t known him long enough to say. “What crap are you talking about?” she asked in a small voice. 151

Santa’s Wayward Elf He shook his head. “You don’t know when to quit, do you? Look, give it up. I know all about you.” Her heart seized in her chest. Oh, no. Somehow, he’d found out she was an elf and he was furious she’d lied to him. “Derek, I…” She swallowed hard. “I can explain.” “Is that so?” He folded his arms over his broad chest to glare down at her. “Go ahead. I can’t wait to hear what lie you come up with next. Let me guess, Saldino forced you to do it and you had no choice, right? He threatened you or your family or some crap like that, right? Or were you one of his girls and he told you he’d get you out of the life, maybe put you up in a nice cushy apartment, if you helped set me up?” She stared at Derek in confusion. One of his girls? What did that mean? And what did any of this have to do with Derek finding out she was an elf? “What are you talking about?” “Dammit, stop it!” Derek ran his hand through his hair, his nostrils flaring. “I’m not buying your fucking innocent act anymore, Sosie. I know you’re working for Saldino.” “Saldino? I don’t work for Saldino.” That didn’t make any sense. Had Derek lost his mind? “Why would you think that?” “Because nothing you’ve told me adds up, and if I hadn’t been thinking with my dick, I would have seen through your lies from the beginning.” Sosie’s face flamed. She might not have lied to him about something as terrible as working with Saldino, but she’d lied to Derek all the same. Now, he thought everything they’d shared the past few days had been a complete fabrication. And it was all her fault. By not being honest with him earlier, she had let him draw his own conclusions, and he’d drawn the very worst ones. Tears stung her eyes and she took a beseeching step toward him. She wanted to touch him, do something as simple as put her hand on his arm, but the hard look in his eyes stopped her. 152

Santa’s Wayward Elf “Okay, I did lie to you,” she admitted. “But not about everything.” “Name one thing you’ve been honest about.” “I really do come from a place up north called Snow City.” “Sure you do.” Derek snorted. “God, you must think I’m stupid if you expect me to buy that.” “Of course I don’t think you’re stupid. Derek, please—” “Okay, let’s say I believe you and this place you come from does exist even though I’ve never heard of it. Let me see your passport.” “M-my passport?” “Yeah. You wouldn’t have been able to get through immigration without one. Unless you’re here illegally, of course.” “I…” She desperately wanted to tell him she was an elf, but she couldn’t get the words out. They hung there, stuck in her throat. “You want to know what tipped me off that something was completely off about you?” Derek continued. “When I realized you were too good to be true. Coming into my life and acting so perfect, as if you’d been made just for me. The reason you’re so perfect for me is because Saldino trained you to be that way, isn’t it? He knew once you had me all wrapped around your finger, it wouldn’t be hard to get me to fall for his trap. Well, it worked. I fell for all of it, including you, and now I’m not only humiliated, but I’m probably going to get fired, too.” He let out a harsh laugh. “I guess I should count myself lucky I figured out what you were all about before I did something really stupid like marry you.” Hearing Derek talk about marrying her as if it would have been the worst mistake of his life hurt her more than anything else he had said to her since he’d begun his verbal assault. Not only because the words were cruel, but because she’d spent the last two days hoping he would do exactly that. Now everything was ruined. Unless she could find some way to make him believe her. 153

Santa’s Wayward Elf “Derek, please listen…” “To more of your lies? I’ve heard enough of those.” His lip curled mockingly. “What was it going to be this time? Were you going to tell me that you came to care for me? While you were stabbing me in the back, that is.” Sosie reeled back as if he’d slapped her. The tears that had been threatening before flowed freely now, spilling down her cheeks unchecked. She wanted to tell him he was wrong, that she didn’t work for Saldino but was an elf from the North Pole who had gotten stranded in New York City, that she’d intended to leave once a rescue party showed up and had ended up falling in love with him instead. But she couldn’t stand there and listen to Derek yell at her anymore. Especially since she knew he’d never believe her now. Brushing past him, she jerked open the door and ran blindly down the hallway. As much as she wanted to get away from Derek, part of her still hoped he’d come after her, but he didn’t. That, more than anything, told her how little he cared for her now. Sosie didn’t know where she was going, but somehow she ended up at Tracee and Linda’s apartment. She choked back a sob and pounded on the door with her hand, praying they were home. Tracee opened the door, her eyes going wide when she saw Sosie. “Oh God, what’s wrong? Did something happen to Derek?” Sosie shook her head. “No, he’s f-fine. Can I c-come in?” “Yes, of course.” As soon as Sosie was inside, the redhead put her arm around her and led her over to the couch, gently pushing her down beside Linda. Tracee kneeled down on the floor in front of Sosie and took her hand. “Honey, what happened?” Sosie sniffed, willing the tears to stop long enough for her to explain, but relating the story to the two women only made her cry harder. 154

Santa’s Wayward Elf “He didn’t believe you even after you told him who you are?” Tracee asked incredulously. Sosie wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “I couldn’t tell him.” Linda frowned. “Why not?” “Because he wouldn’t have believed me. Not after all the lies I told him.” “Maybe not right now,” Linda agreed. “But when this whole thing blows over, he’ll figure out you weren’t involved.” “Unfortunately, that might not be for a very long time, and by then, it could be too late,” Tracee said. “What do you mean?” Sosie asked. “Honey, this thing with Saldino is bad,” the redhead explained. “It’s already all over the news. Saldino has made the entire police department look like a pack of incompetent idiots. Not only that, but the NYPD has already leaked Derek’s name to the press, saying he was the lead detective on the investigation and making him the scapegoat. He’ll be lucky if the only thing he loses is his job. He may have to face Saldino’s lawyers completely on his own. The city is going to do everything they can to make it look like Derek is the one to blame.” Fresh tears welled in Sosie’s eyes. “Oh no. This is horrible. And it’s all my fault.” “No, it isn’t,” Tracee said. “Yes, it is. If I had been honest with Derek from the beginning, then none of this would have happened.” She sniffed. “I have to fix it. I have to make it right.” Ignoring the confused looks the two women gave her, Sosie got to her feet and hurried to the door, tears running down her face. “Where are you going?” Tracee asked. Sosie glanced over her shoulder as she yanked open the door. “I’m going to prove that Derek didn’t do anything wrong.” 155

Santa’s Wayward Elf Sosie didn’t elaborate, knowing her friends would try to stop her if they knew what she intended to do. Instead, she dashed out of the apartment and ran down the hallway. Her plan was crazy and dangerous, and there was no guarantee Derek would forgive her regardless if she managed to prove he was a good cop and that Saldino was a bad man, but she had to try. She owed Derek that much. **** Derek stared down at the untouched glass of whiskey in his hand, wondering what the hell he’d done. Or more precisely, what he’d done an hour ago. That was how long it had been since he had fucking lost his mind and unloaded on poor Sosie. He barely remembered what he’d said to her, but he knew it had been cruel. The memory of the tears streaming down her pretty face was like a knife to his gut even now. He wanted to believe he’d been justified interrogating her, or that Aaron was partly to blame for making him think Sosie was responsible for what had happened at that warehouse, but that was a load of crap. He had been pissed about his career blowing up in his face and he’d taken it out on her, for no other reason than because she was there. Despite all the accusations he’d thrown at her, he didn’t truthfully believe Sosie had been part of some complex underworld scheme to lure him into making a fool of himself and the entire organized crime task force. Sosie might be naïve, secretive and more than a little unusual, but she didn’t have a conniving bone in her beautiful body. Truth was, he didn’t need anybody’s help in making a fool of himself. He could handle it fine on his own. He set the whiskey glass on the coffee table and pushed it away. His impending unemployment wasn’t the only reason he’d gone all mental on Sosie. To be truthful, this was a pattern with him. Whenever things starting going good with a woman, it tended to trip some internal self-destruct mode, leading to relationship hari-kari. 156

Santa’s Wayward Elf This time was different. This time, he recognized he was being stupid and he was damn sure going to find Sosie and do some serious apologizing. He only hoped she’d be willing to listen to him after what an ass he’d been. He got to his feet and headed for the door, but then stopped when he realized he didn’t have a clue where to look for Sosie. She might be with Ben and Mabel, but Tracee and Linda seemed the more likely choice since they were closer to her age. He’d check with the women first, then with Ben and Mabel. If she wasn’t at either apartment, he’d go to Central Park next. Sosie liked the park, so it made sense she’d go there. He was terrified to think she might go there at night, but that was exactly like her. She wasn’t very good at recognizing danger. When Tracee and Linda greeted him with pissed-off expressions on their faces the moment they opened the door, he knew Sosie was there. He tried to see around them, but they blocked his view of the apartment. “Can I come in?” he asked when neither woman invited him inside. “No,” they said in unison. Damn. This was going to be harder than he thought. “Look, I was a jerk, I know that, but I want to apologize to Sosie, that’s all. Can I please come in and talk to her?” Tracee exchanged looks with Linda. “Sosie isn’t here. She left more than half an hour ago.” Damn. “Do you know where she went?” “We thought she went back to your apartment,” Linda said. “When you find her, you’d better listen to what she has to say because she’s been trying to tell you something important for a long time and hasn’t been able to.” He frowned. “What does that mean?” “It means that for a detective, you’re not very bright,” Tracee said. “It’s her secret to tell, not ours. But I can tell you it has 157

Santa’s Wayward Elf nothing to do with Saldino.” A worried look suddenly crossed her face. “Oh, no.” “What is it?” he asked. “I didn’t think anything of it before because I thought Sosie was going back to your apartment.” It felt as if he was interrogating a suspect. “Think of what? Spit it out, Tracee.” “Sosie said she was going to make things right,” the redhead explained. “She said she was going to prove that none of this thing with Saldino was your fault.” Derek’s heart dropped. There was only one way he could think for Sosie to try to make things right. Shit. Leaving the two women to stare after him, he turned on his heel and ran back to his apartment. He went inside long enough to grab his gun and his car keys, then raced down the stairs to the parking garage. What the hell was Sosie thinking, that she could simply talk to Saldino and somehow get him to…what? Confess he was a mobster and had set Derek and the taskforce up to look incompetent? Derek didn’t want to think Sosie could be that naïve, but he knew in some ways she was. Hell, she probably didn’t realize how dangerous Saldino was. If she was thinking of doing something that crazy, where would she go? She didn’t know where Saldino lived. At least Derek didn’t think she did. He’d never mentioned the mobster’s home address anywhere in her hearing, he was sure. He cranked the engine and put the car in gear, but then hesitated. Where would Sosie go to find Saldino if she intended to confront he man? The only place he could think she might associate with Saldino was the restaurant he’d been staking out the day she had stopped by the wiretap van. Derek breathed a sigh of relief. Sammy Saldino might own the place, but it was unlikely Sosie would find him there at this time of 158

Santa’s Wayward Elf night, especially after the victory he’d won. The bastard was probably sitting back somewhere with his soldiers laughing at how he had duped the cops. Derek squealed out of the parking garage. Please God, let him find Sosie standing outside the restaurant, looking forlornly in the darkened windows when he got there.

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Chapter 11 Sosie wasn’t sure what she was going to do if she actually found Saldino. Maybe nothing more than give him a piece of her mind and tell him Derek was a good man who didn’t deserve to be fired. She didn’t imagine a person like Saldino would care what she thought about him, but she had to do something to help Derek. When she got to the restaurant, it was already closed for the night. Figgy. She cupped her hands together and peeked through the frosted windows, hoping someone might still be inside. If they were, perhaps they might be able to tell her where Saldino lived. Although she didn’t see anyone, she saw a light coming from the back of the restaurant. It was probably some poor cook or dishwasher cleaning up the place. Lifting her hand, she knocked on the door, then waited. When no one came out to open it, she knocked again, this time a little louder. Apparently, whoever was inside couldn’t hear her. Wondering if there was another door, she made her way down the sidewalk and around to the back of the building. Rather than knock right away on the back door, she tried the knob and was surprised when it turned. Pulling it open, she cautiously stepped inside and found herself in a small entryway. She wondered if she should call out to the person in the kitchen, but hesitated at the sound of raised voices coming from that direction. 160

Santa’s Wayward Elf “Did you think you could fuck with me and live?” Sosie froze at the words, her heart hammering in her chest. While she had never heard the man’s voice before, she was positive it had to be Saldino. There couldn’t be many people who could be that mean. Her first instinct was to turn and run back the way she’d come, but then she realized this might be her chance to prove Saldino was the criminal everyone knew he was. All she had to do was catch him in the act of doing something illegal. She took a deep breath, then slowly edged along the hallway until she could see around the corner and into the restaurant’s huge kitchen. There were shiny, steel tables and wooden work surfaces, as well as stacks of freshly washed dishes and several large ovens. Sosie barely took notice of any of it as her gaze locked on the men in the center of the room. At least a dozen of them, they were standing in a semicircle around Saldino and a younger man she didn’t recognize. The younger man was on his knees, his hands out in front of him beseechingly as he begged Saldino not to kill him. Saldino waved the gun he held at the man. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice you were stealing from me?” The younger man shook his head. “I’m sorry. I-I won’t do it again, I promise.” “Damn right you won’t.” Tears filled the younger man’s eyes. “Mr. Saldino, please, I’m begging you. You’ll get all the drugs back I stole, I promise. I’ll pay back every penny.” Sosie held her breath. The man sounded sincere and she certainly would have forgiven him, but apparently Saldino wasn’t moved by the offer because he laughed. “Too late for that, asshole. I need to make an example out of you so other people don’t think I’m a pushover.” Sosie looked around at the other men in the kitchen, wondering how they could stand there blithely while Saldino 161

Santa’s Wayward Elf threatened the poor guy. She recognized the two lawyers she’d seen with the mob boss in the precinct that day. Then again, they did work for the thug. All the same, neither one of them seemed pleased they were there, which made sense. She didn’t know a lot about what lawyers did, but it didn’t seem like a good idea if their clients let them see the crimes they committed. It would be hard to argue their client was innocent of murder if they watched him do it. She let her gaze wander over the rest of the men. Standing in the back of the group was another face she thought she recognized, but couldn’t quite place. He’d been at the precinct that day, she was sure of it. Is he another one of Saldino’s lawyers? Then it came to her. He isn’t a lawyer. He is Derek’s boss! She frowned. The captain was a cop, like Derek. Wasn’t he supposed to stop Saldino from shooting the guy on the floor? Maybe he was waiting for Saldino to shoot him first, so they’d have a reason to put the mob boss in jail. That didn’t seem right. Saldino wouldn’t shoot someone right in front of a cop, would he? All at once, a sick feeling entered her stomach. Suddenly it all made sense. Derek thought she’d betrayed him because Saldino had known exactly when Derek and the task force were going to bust him. Sosie had been too upset at the time to consider who had actually set Derek up. Now she knew. Derek’s boss had been giving Saldino an early look at the Christmas list. He was the one to blame for the trouble Derek was in. Sosie chewed on her lower lip, wondering what to do. Maybe she should call Derek and tell him Saldino was about to do something terrible to that young man on the floor and that his captain was standing there watching the whole thing. After the fight they’d had, would Derek believe her? She didn’t know, but she had to try to convince him anyway. 162

Santa’s Wayward Elf Sosie was about to back out of the kitchen when she felt a hand jab her in the back and give her a shove. Off balance, she stumbled into the kitchen. Everyone turned to look at her, including Saldino. “I found her standing in the hallway spying on you, boss.” Sosie turned to glare at the man who had shoved her, intending to tell him how rude he was, but the words died on her lips when she caught sight of the gun he had pointed at her. Uh oh, she was in deep reindeer poop. She turned back to Saldino to see him studying her from beneath bushy, black brows. A chill ran down her back. “Wait a minute. I recognize you,” he said. “You were with Clayton at the police station. What are you, another cop?” Sosie opened her mouth to answer, but Derek’s captain spoke first. “She’s his girlfriend.” Surprise flickered across Saldino’s face, but then his lip curled in a sneer. “His girlfriend? What, did the coward send you to do his dirty work for him?” Sosie bristled at the words. She knew Saldino was a dangerous man and that she should choose her words carefully, but as Tracee and Linda would say, that wasn’t how she rolled. Not when the thug called the man she loved a coward. Ignoring the gun in Saldino’s hand, she marched up to him and fixed him with her best glower. “For your information, Derek is the bravest man I’ve ever known, so to answer your question, no, he didn’t send me to do his dirty work. In fact, he doesn’t know I’m here.” It didn’t occur to Sosie that she probably shouldn’t have added the last part about Derek not knowing she was there until she saw Saldino smirk. “Is that right?” the mob boss said. “Why are you here then?” 163

Santa’s Wayward Elf Sosie lifted her chin. She might be terrified of Saldino, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of backing down. “I’m here to tell you that you’re a no-good criminal, and that you need to tell everyone Derek is a good cop and that you set him up tonight.” She turned hard eyes on Derek’s boss. “And you, too.” Saldino stared at her for a moment in silence, then laughed. Sosie’s cheeks colored as the rest of his men joined in. If she weren’t a peace-loving elf, she would slap every one of their smug faces. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard,” Saldino said. He motioned with his gun toward the man still cowering on the floor. “It’s almost enough to make me forget about capping this fucking bastard down here.” The guy looked up at him hopefully. “Really, boss?” Saldino scowled. “No.” Then, before Sosie realized what was happening, Saldino casually leveled his gun at the poor man and shot him right between the eyes. She was still standing there in shock when the mob boss turned his cruel, dark eyes on her. “Guess you’re next, little girl.” **** Derek parked his car two blocks down from Saldino’s restaurant, then waited for a few minutes to see if there was any movement inside before taking out his gun and jogging up the street toward the building. On a positive note, the windows of the restaurant were dark, which meant the place was closed. To his relief, Sosie was nowhere in sight. Hopefully, she hadn’t come here, or if she had, she’d already left. He wasn’t leaving until he was sure. Coming to a stop in front of the restaurant, he looked casually up and down the block, then took a quick peek in the window. The place was empty, locked up tight for the night. 164

Santa’s Wayward Elf He let out the breath he’d been holding. At least Sosie wasn’t here. Where the hell was she then? Thinking he should check out Central Park next, Derek was about to go back to his car when he saw a flash of light coming from the back room of the restaurant. It was immediately followed by a loud, unmistakable bang. The sound of the gunshot was still reverberating through the building when a woman’s scream rang out in the night. Sosie. Derek didn’t stop to think. He charged to the door of the restaurant and kicked it in. The glass shattered, echoing like thunder as it hit the floor inside, but he barely heard it as he darted across the room. He hadn’t gone more than ten feet when the sound of multiple gunfire came from the direction of the kitchen. Who the hell was firing? Had a mob war started? Derek didn’t know and didn’t care. Sosie was back there in the midst of all that shit. He had to get her out. One of Saldino’s men came running out of the kitchen, the gun in his hand visible in the light coming from behind him. It took him a moment to see Derek advancing on him in the dark, but as soon as he did, he raised his weapon to fire. Derek got his shot off first. The man spun in a circle as the round tattooed him through the center of his chest, then fell to the floor. Derek hesitated only long enough to make sure the lowlife was down for good before heading toward the kitchen again. He stopped outside the door and peeked around the jamb, but jerked back as a piece of the wall exploded right next to him. He waited a moment, then took another quick glance in the room. Saldino and his men were hunkered down by the stoves along the wall just inside the door, while another group of thugs was firing at them from the far side of the kitchen. There was so much lead flying around in there, it might as well have been a war zone. 165

Santa’s Wayward Elf Derek leaned back against the wall, contemplating his next move. Sosie’s scream had come from the kitchen, so she had to be somewhere in the middle of all that gunfire. He had to get to her regardless of how many men were in the kitchen or the danger they posed. On the other side of the wall, the gunfire slowed. The men were probably reloading. Thinking that might be his chance, Derek cautiously poked his head around the corner. He didn’t see Sosie, or Saldino for that matter, but there were so many people in the kitchen, it was difficult to see anyone. He cringed when he saw bodies on the floor, but thankfully, Sosie wasn’t among them. From the looks of it, most of the dead men were from Saldino’s side. Whoever the guys over by the door were, they were damn good if they could take out Saldino’s crew this quickly. A few more minutes of this and Sammy Saldino wouldn’t be a problem for the city of New York anymore. Derek was afraid where that would leave Sosie. He scanned the kitchen. When he finally found her, his gut clenched. Saldino was crouched down on the floor behind her, one arm tightly wrapped around her waist. The bastard was using her as a shield. Her face was pale, her eyes wide and frightened. Derek tensed, preparing to throw himself at Saldino before Sosie got hit by a stray bullet, but a voice coming from the other side of the room stopped him in his tracks. “Hand over the girl and we’ll be on our merry way.” Derek craned his neck, trying to see who had spoken, but couldn’t. The guy must be hiding behind one of the food prep tables. Derek could see the other men with the guy quite clearly, however. They were the same ones who had been spying on him and Sosie at the restaurant a few nights ago. Who the hell were these bastards and what did they want with her?

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Santa’s Wayward Elf “Who the fuck do you think you are?” Saldino shouted back. “You don’t have a fucking clue who you’re fucking with, you stupid fucks!” The man behind the table shook his head. “Tsk, tsk. That foul mouth is going to get you put on the naughty list. I couldn’t care less what you get in your stocking next Christmas, though. Hand over what’s mine and you can go back to grunting like the dirty pig you are.” From his cowardly position behind Sosie, Saldino’s face turned red. Derek raised his weapon, aiming it at the mob boss. Saldino was going to do something stupid and Derek wasn’t about to let Sosie get hurt because of it. The man behind the food prep table either didn’t know how volatile Saldino could be, or didn’t care, because he came out from his hiding place. At first, Derek thought the man was still kneeling behind the table, but then realized he was standing at his full height. He was barely a foot taller than the counter. The man’s height must have shocked Saldino as well because the mobster’s eyes went wide. “Who the fuck are you?” Saldino asked. “I’m a cleaner of sorts, you could say. A man in your line of work would appreciate the kind of work I do. I get called in to clean up little messes and right now that girl you’re holding is the mess I’ve been sent to clean up. The man I work for wants her back, so she’s coming back.” Derek frowned. His gaze darted to Sosie. She looked more ashen than she had a minute ago. She knew the short guy, that was obvious. But who did they both work for? A rival crime family? Moreover, what the hell could she have done to warrant this much effort and killing to get her back? Saldino looked down at Sosie, his eyes narrowing as if he were trying to figure out what made her so valuable. 167

Santa’s Wayward Elf “What the fuck did she do?” the mob boss asked the short man. “She left without permission and the boss can’t have that, or else everyone will want to leave.” Saldino pulled Sosie more tightly against him. “It looks as if I have something of value to you then. I think it’s time we made a deal.” The other man smirked. “Fine. You give me the girl and we walk out of here. You don’t, and my boys start shooting again. I’d rather have her alive, but dead works for me, too.” Sosie whimpered. Derek clenched his jaw. Oh shit. This whole thing was about five seconds from going really fucking bad. The short guy had embarrassed Saldino in front of his soldiers. There was no way the mob boss was going to stand for that. Derek tried to catch Sosie’s eye so he could let her know he was there and she was safe, that he would do whatever he had to do to protect her, but she was so caught up in the drama going on between Saldino and the other man that she didn’t see him. Saldino’s lips curled. “Fucking jackass. That’s not the kind of deal I’m talking about and you know it. You can’t walk out of here after what you did.” He slanted his men a pointed look. “Finish ’em!” Derek was through the door and running across the kitchen before Saldino’s men could fire the first round. With the element of surprise on his side, the mob boss never saw Derek coming as he slammed into him and Sosie. All three of them tumbled to the floor as a hail of bullets erupted over Derek’s head. Although he’d tried to avoid hitting Sosie directly, the force of his impact still sent her flying across the floor with a strangled cry. Saldino handled the tackle a hell of lot better, barely letting out more than a grunt as Derek rode him all the way to the floor. Unfortunately, the mobster didn’t lose 168

Santa’s Wayward Elf control of his gun, and he didn’t waste any time trying to twist around so he could take a shot at Derek. Derek didn’t give him the chance. Grabbing the back of Saldino’s head in both hands, he rammed the damn prick’s face into the tiles a half-dozen times until the man was unconscious. He wanted nothing more than to smash the asshole’s melon to a pulp, but he had to get to Sosie before she tried to do something foolish. Like stand up. Slamming Saldino’s face into the floor one more time, Derek left the man where he was and scrambled to Sosie’s side. She rolled onto her back only to immediately shy away from him. She must have assumed he was Saldino or that mean-ass bastard who had come to bring her back to whoever the hell she worked for. When she realized it was him, her eyes went wide. She pushed herself up on her elbow. “Derek! How…” He grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back down to the floor as gently as he could. “I don’t have time to explain right now. I have to get you out of here.” Derek ducked as someone sailed over the table toward him and Sosie. He wasn’t sure which group of dirtbags the man was part of, and he didn’t care. Instinctively throwing himself over on his shoulder, he raised his gun and fired, nailing the guy in midair. Sosie screamed as the guy landed on the floor beside them. The guy twitched once, then lay unmoving. Derek didn’t bother to look for a pulse. Instead, he grabbed Sosie and urged her along the floor behind the long, stainless-steel table. He’d intended to head for the back door, but unfortunately, the bastard who had come for Sosie was blocking the way, along with his men. Derek swore under his breath, immediately jerking Sosie back. Luckily, the men were more interested in ducking and diving in between shooting at Saldino’s crew to notice him and Sosie. Even so, there was no way he and Sosie were going to get past them. 169

Santa’s Wayward Elf Derek dropped his magazine to see how many rounds he had left. Shit. Three in the clip and one in the chamber. Not exactly enough ammo to shoot his way through a pack of killers mean enough to go up against a New York City mob boss without batting an eye. But what choice did he have? He slammed his clip back in and prepared to launch himself at the men when Sosie grabbed his shoulder. He turned to find her gazing at him with tear-filled eyes. “You came after me,” she whispered. “Why?” The words wrenched at his heart and he reached out with his free hand to cup her face. “Of course I came after you. Just because I was stupid and yelled at you didn’t mean I wanted you to leave. It means I’m stupid.” “B-but you said you thought I set you up and betrayed you.” Derek clenched his jaw. This wasn’t the time or the place to have this conversation. He glanced over at the men by the door. They still hadn’t noticed him and Sosie, but sooner or later, they would. It already seemed as if they were getting the better of Saldino’s men. Any second this would be over and whoever was left standing would focus their attention on him and Sosie. He turned back to her. “Sosie, honey, we don’t have time to go into this in depth right now, but I was wrong to accuse you. I didn’t mean it. I was mad at the situation with Saldino. I love you and I’ll apologize a hundred times to you as soon as we get out of here, I promise. But right now, we have to go.” He started to turn away, but Sosie grabbed his arm again. “You love me?” Why do women have to be so difficult about stuff like this? “Yes, I love you. Now, let’s go.” Derek didn’t wait for an answer, but turned back to the men blocking the door. He was about to charge when whatever was left of Saldino’s crew decided to retreat back into the restaurant’s 170

Santa’s Wayward Elf dining room. The men who had come for Sosie immediately headed after them and away from the back door. This was their chance and Derek sure as hell wasn’t going to hesitate. As soon as the men were out of sight, he grabbed Sosie’s hand and dragged her toward the door. She gripped his hand so hard it almost cut off the blood flow, but he barely noticed it. To his relief, they made it out of the kitchen and into the darkened hallway beyond without anyone trying to stop them. Damn, this might work. As they stepped outside, the silhouette of a man appeared in front of them. Derek raised his gun, about to pop off a quick shot when he recognized the man’s lined face and graying hair. He lowered his weapon, a new surge of relief flooding through him at the sight of his captain. It looked as if the cavalry had finally arrived, and not a moment too soon. He grinned. “Damn, am I glad to see you. Where’s everyone else?” The other man didn’t return Derek’s grin. In fact, he didn’t reply at all. Instead, he raised his own pistol and fired two slugs into Derek’s chest at point blank range.

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Chapter 12 “Nooooo!” Sosie screamed. She dropped to her knees beside Derek. Her heart stopped at the pain in his bewildered eyes as blood spread over the front of his shirt. She grabbed his hand, gripping it tightly, tears running down her cheeks. With everything that was holy and pure and good in the world, she couldn’t lose Derek now. Not after he’d told her he loved her. It wouldn’t be fair. He couldn’t die. She pressed her other hand to the wound on his chest, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. She had to get him to a medical facility. Gravel crunched underfoot nearby and she looked up. The captain was standing over them, his gun pointed at Derek. But after one look at him, he turned his full attention—and his weapon—on her. “Why?” she sobbed. “Why would you do this?” His mouth twisted in a smirk. “A man has to plan for his retirement and I’ve always had bigger plans than a captain’s pension could cover. Working for Saldino made perfect sense.” It didn’t make sense to Sosie. “Derek is going to die all because you wanted more money?” “That’s unfortunate, I admit. But I knew you’d tell him about me and Saldino. I couldn’t have the two of you screwing up my retirement party.” 172

Santa’s Wayward Elf The gray-haired man leveled his gun at her with an almost apologetic look. Sosie squeezed Derek’s hand harder and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the inevitable. While the sound of the gun going off made her jump, she didn’t feel any of the pain she expected. She opened her eyes, wondering if the man had somehow missed, only to find him standing there with a stunned expression on his face. Sosie jumped again as another gunshot rang out. This time, the captain stumbled backward, red staining his shirt right in the center of his chest as he fell to the ground. Still wondering who had shot the captain, but too worried about Derek to care, Sosie looked down at the man she loved and realized he’d been the one who had saved her life. She thought that meant he might not be hurt as badly as he looked, but even as she watched, the strength left him and his hand dropped, the weapon falling onto the ground. “I’m s-sorry,” he whispered weakly. Sosie shook her head, tears clogging her throat. She wanted to tell him he had nothing to be sorry for, that even if he did, she would forgive him. But his eyes had already drifted closed. Dear Santa, no. She threw herself on his chest, sobs wracking her body. “Please don’t leave me, Derek. I love you.” Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she should go for help, but she was afraid of what would happen to Derek if she left him alone for even a minute. Instead, she stayed where she was, begging him not to leave her and praying help would come. “Well, isn’t this touching? It’s almost enough to make me cry. Or gag. I finally put a bullet in that dumbass Saldino in there, then I have to come out and listen to this? What a night. ” Sosie was so lost in her tearful litany, she almost didn’t hear Mendike’s voice. She wanted to shout at the other elf to leave her 173

Santa’s Wayward Elf alone so she could grieve in peace, but then she realized he might be her only hope of saving Derek’s life. She lifted her head to look up at the other elf through tearfilled eyes. “He needs to get to a medical facility. You have to go for help.” Mendike laughed. “Go for help? Now why would I do that when I was planning to kill him myself anyway?” She stared at him incredulously. She knew Mendike was mean and nasty, but she hadn’t thought even a loathsome toad like him would resort to murder. Elves were peace-loving and nonviolent. That, more than anything else, had been what separated them from the big people. Until now. “Mendike, please. I’m begging you.” The elf let out a snort of disdain. “You’re just like your mother. You’d rather stay here with a BP than live with us. Why the fig any self-respecting elf girl would want to tie herself to a nasty place like this, live here with a piece of shit like him is beyond me. Santa’s hairy balls, he’s not even our kind.” Sosie’s eyes narrowed, her hackles rising at the vile things he’d said about Derek. “Shut up, you self-righteous jerk! You wouldn’t know anything about why I do what I do. I want to stay here with him because I love him. But you’ve been doing Santa’s dirty work for so long you don’t remember what it’s like to be a real elf, to care about someone more than you care about yourself, to love that person so much it hurts when you’re not in the same room with them.” His mouth tightened. “I haven’t forgotten. Nor have I forgotten what it feels like when that person doesn’t love you in return.” Sosie wasn’t sure when the conversation had become about Mendike, but right now she didn’t have time to listen to his problems. Derek was going to die if she didn’t get him medical 174

Santa’s Wayward Elf attention. “Mendike, please. I promise I’ll go back to the North Pole with you willingly if you get him help.” “I’m not taking you back to the North Pole. As much as I’d like to drag you back there and put you in the icehouse for a few decades, killing you after I finish off your lover so you can die here with him is a much more satisfying revenge.” Sosie’s blood froze in her veins. She didn’t know why the other elf hated her so much, but there was no way she was going to let him shoot Derek again. No matter how badly Derek was wounded, she wasn’t going to sit there and do nothing when there was still a chance he might live. Taking a deep breath, she lunged for Derek’s gun. She’d never seen anyone shoot a weapon until tonight, so she had no idea if she was doing it right, but she wrapped her small hands around the huge handle like she’d seen Derek do, then slipped her finger over the trigger and pulled hard. The gun went off, but she was so intent on trying to make the thing work she missed Mendike by a dozen feet and the bullet bounced off the brick wall behind him. The elf jumped, as if startled she’d actually fired at him. Eyes narrowing, he leveled his own weapon at her. Sosie squeezed the trigger again, praying fate would guide the bullet to its target this time. She wasn’t sure who was more amazed when it did, her or Mendike. The elf spun around from the impact, but didn’t go down, much to her dismay. The gun trembled in her hand as she wondered if she should shoot him again. Before she could decided, Mendike turned to face her, one hand clenched to his bloody shoulder, the other gripping his pistol. She squeezed the trigger again, only this time nothing happened. Confused, she looked down at the gun and saw that the top of the weapon was locked back in a funny position, as if there was something wrong with it. Or it was empty. 175

Santa’s Wayward Elf Oh figgy. It was over. She knew it and Mendike knew it. Mendike shook his head. “You stupid girl. I’ve seen this day coming for a long time. I told Santa the day you were born that you were going to be trouble, but he didn’t listen. In fact, he didn’t seem to care your mother got knocked up by one of them.” He motioned with his gun at Derek. “But you know the big guy, heart soft as whipped cream. He loved you even though you were some BP’s half-breed bastard. If it had been me, I would have kicked your mother out of the North Pole on her lying, traitorous, elfin ass, and you along with her. I’m going to clean up the mess she made now, for good this time.” Sosie didn’t have to ask what the threat meant. Dropping the useless gun, she leaned over Derek and put her arms protectively around him, determined to keep him safe for as long as possible. His face was so cold where it touched hers that it brought a rush of fresh tears to her eyes. He was almost gone. She could feel it. Even if she could get help now, it would probably be too late. She closed her eyes and waited for Mendike to pull the trigger. Maybe it was better this way. At least she would be with Derek. For the second time that night, though she heard a gunshot, she didn’t feel any of the pain that came with it. The next thing she knew, hands were on her shoulders, trying to pull her away from Derek. She held onto him more tightly, determined not to let Mendike take her away from the man she loved. When he refused to give up, she turned to shout at him only to find it was Aaron leaning over her instead of Mendike. “It’s okay,” the detective said. She wanted to tell him it wasn’t okay, that Derek was already dead and nothing would be okay ever again, but when she tried, Aaron gently pulled her away from his body. Tony immediately took her place, putting his fingers to Derek’s neck. 176

Santa’s Wayward Elf “He’s still alive,” Tony said, relief clear in his voice. Sosie was sure she hadn’t heard right. Derek is alive? But how could that be possible? There is so much blood on his shirt. She looked around for Mendike, afraid he might still be a threat despite Aaron and Tony being there. She found him lying on the ground a few feet away, a bullet wound in his chest. That must have been the gunshot she’d heard. The sound of sirens filled the alley. A moment later people in white shirts were leaning over Derek and putting him on a narrow bed with wheels. She turned to Aaron. “I want to be with him.” Aaron looked as if he was about to protest, but to her relief, he led her over to the transport sled with the pretty flashing red lights and helped her into the back of it, then climbed in after her so they could both sit beside Derek as the people in white tried to save him. As they rode to the medical facility hospital, Aaron asked her a lot of questions about what had happened back at the restaurant, but she didn’t answer any of them. Instead, she sat there with a blanket wrapped around her that she didn’t need and cried as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest. **** Two hours later, Sosie sat in the waiting room of the medical facility, her eyes dry, all the tears spent. Aaron and Tony sat on either side of her. They didn’t ply her with questions anymore, but only patted her shoulder and told her over and over Derek was going to be okay. Although she appreciated their kindness, she knew they weren’t telling her the truth. She’d been hanging around BPs long enough to recognize when they were lying to her. It didn’t help ease her mind any when the somber men and women in green clothes came out every half-hour to pull Aaron or Tony aside. She didn’t know what the men and women said because neither detective would tell her, and she was afraid to ask, but the 177

Santa’s Wayward Elf fact that Aaron and Tony frowned and threw worried glances her way each time told her everything she needed to know. While Aaron and Tony didn’t ask her any more questions about what had happened at the restaurant, two other cops showed up who wanted to know everything about it. They introduced themselves as Internal Affairs, but didn’t explain what that meant. She got the impression Aaron and Tony didn’t like them very much, but she didn’t know why. Aaron and Tony did their best to keep the other cops from bothering her, but the men were insistent about talking to her. When she realized they weren’t going to give up, she agreed to answer their questions so they would go away. “I’m going to need your name and address,” the cop with the notepad said. He had introduced himself and his partner when they’d sat down, but Sosie didn’t remember their names. She was so numb right now, she could barely remember her own. “It’s Sosie.” “Sosie what?” “Just Sosie.” He eyed her suspiciously. “You must have a last name.” Sosie shook her head. Elves didn’t have last names. She couldn’t tell the cop that, and she was too exhausted to make one up. Fortunately, Aaron stepped in. “Drop it, okay? She said she doesn’t have a last name.” The man’s eyes narrowed behind his glasses. “Then I’m going to need to see some ID.” “She doesn’t have any on her,” Aaron said firmly. “The girl’s been through hell tonight, so forget about what her name is for now and ask your damn questions about what happened at Saldino’s place, or get the fuck out of here.”

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Santa’s Wayward Elf The other cop glowered at Aaron for so long that Sosie thought the two men might get into a fight, but to her surprise, he let it go, asking her what had happened at the restaurant instead. Sosie wasn’t sure where to start, so she explained about going to see Sammy Saldino and her plan to get him to admit he had set Derek up at the warehouse. The cop with the notepad raised an eyebrow at that, but wrote down what she said. Then she told them about sneaking into the restaurant and about Saldino shooting the guy on his knees, then about Derek’s captain being there, and finally about the other “gang” who had shown up to fight with Saldino’s men. She didn’t mention that Mendike was an elf. They would figure it out soon enough when they saw his ears. “And what’s your relationship with Detective Clayton?” the cop asked when she got to the part about Derek showing up to rescue her. “I’m…” She swallowed hard. “I’m his girlfriend.” It was the first time she’d said it out loud. She prayed it wasn’t the last. “What happened when Detective Clayton got there?” “He got me away from Saldino and out of the restaurant. We were trying to get away when his captain walked up and shot him.” A tear trickled down her cheek and she reached up to wipe it away. “I tried to warn Derek, but it was too late. The captain would have killed me, too, but Derek shot him before he could.” Another tear made its way down her cheek. This time she let it go. “I-I don’t remember much of what happened after that.” It was a lie. She remembered all of it, every hateful word Mendike had said about Derek. To her relief, the cop with the notepad didn’t press for more. Instead, he thanked her, offering some words about hoping Derek recovered, then led Aaron and Tony down to the far end of the hallway to ask them questions. 179

Santa’s Wayward Elf Sosie was glad when they left. She wanted to be alone so she could bury her face in her hands and cry without Aaron or Tony trying to comfort her. They couldn’t comfort her. No one could. Inevitably, someone sat down beside her a few moments later. She kept her face in her hands, hoping if she ignored them, they would go away and let her be. It didn’t work. The person beside her cleared his throat. She lifted her head to tell whomever had sat down beside her to go away and found herself gazing into the gentle, blue eyes of the big guy himself—Santa. He was exactly the way the BPs imagined him. Chubby, with frost-reddened cheeks, a white beard and mustache, and a big belly. Sosie reached up to wipe the tears out of her eyes so she could make herself presentable, but ended up throwing herself into his arms instead. Santa didn’t say anything as she sobbed, but only held her close. His jacket was cold underneath her cheek, as if he’d come from outside. He’d probably cancelled his post-Christmas vacation to come deal with this fiasco. For some reason, that made her feel worse. She was the one who had decided to run away not only from life in the North Pole, but her life as an elf. She should at least act like an adult. Instead, she was dribbling tears and snot all over Santa’s clothes. He patted her back, waiting until her sobs had all but disappeared before setting her away from him to gaze down at her with kind eyes. “You really love him, don’t you?” Sosie wiped her nose with a tissue. She didn’t have to ask how he knew about Derek. He was Santa Claus. He knew everything. “I thought as much.” Santa smiled. “You’re just like your mother. She had too much energy to stay cooped up in the workshops, too. Only she didn’t try to run off to the South Pole. She slipped off a broken-down transport sled in the middle of the Dakota Black Hills while on a supply run. She never told a soul 180

Santa’s Wayward Elf what had happened during the two months she was gone, but when you came along, everyone knew.” Sosie frowned. Her mother had never told her anything about being stranded in the land of the big people. “I don’t understand.” “Sosie, dear, your father wasn’t an elf. He was one of the big people.” Her frown deepened. “One of the big people? B-but I thought…” “That he was an elf who had gotten killed in a transport accident. I know. Your mother thought it would be better that way.” Sosie swallowed hard. All the elves who’d teased her when she was a kid had been right. Her mother had slept with one of the big people and gotten pregnant. “How could lying to me about who my father was be better for anyone? Unless she was ashamed.” “Your mother wasn’t ashamed, Sosie. Of you, or your father. In fact, she loved him very much.” Sosie tried to wrap her head around that, but couldn’t. “If my mother loved him that much, then why did she go back to the North Pole instead of staying here with him?” “Because she wanted you to be around other elves and your elfin heritage.” “But I would have been as happy living here among the big people.” Sosie shook her head. “My mother sacrificed her happiness, her life with the man she loved, for me.” “Yes, she did. But she didn’t see it that way. And neither did your father. He understood why she wanted to come home. Which was why he waited for her to go back to him.” “What do you mean?” The corner of Santa’s mouth curved. “That’s something else I’m afraid your mother fibbed to you about, Sosie. She didn’t go to a retirement village in the Swiss Alps when she left. The driver of 181

Santa’s Wayward Elf the transport took a detour to South Dakota and dropped her off, figuring no one would ever know.” “But you knew?” “Of course.” His smile broadened. “No one can keep a secret from me. I am Santa after all.” Keeping secrets from him was rather difficult, she supposed. “If you knew, why didn’t you send someone like Mendike after her to bring her back?” He frowned at the mention of the security chief. “Back then, when I was more involved in day-to-day operations, there weren’t any elves like Mendike. I’m sorry there are now. It’s one of the first things I’m going to change as soon as I return to the North Pole.” At least something good would come of what had happened. “Thanks to Derek’s friends, you won’t have to worry about Mendike anymore.” “So, I gathered.” Santa’s frown deepened. “Sosie, there’s something else you should know. Mendike was very much in love with your mother. He was sweet on her for decades, close to a century in fact, but she didn’t return his affection. When she chose your father over him, it changed him, filled him with hatred not only for the man she fell in love with and the rest of his kind, but for you, too.” That explained why Mendike had said the things he had. Sosie studied the wadded up tissue in her hands. “Does my mother still live in South Dakota with my father?” Santa let out a heavy sigh. “Sosie, dear, your mother left the North Pole to be with your father almost sixty years ago. They’ve both passed on now.” “Passed on?” She shook her head. “I don’t understand.” “As soon as your mother left the North Pole and gave up her elfin life to be with your father, she started aging as a normal human ages.” He reached out to cover her hand with his big 182

Santa’s Wayward Elf mitten-covered one. “But she and your father had a long, happy life together, Sosie, and she never regretted what she had to give up.” Sosie nodded, but the tears came all the same. Learning her mother was gone on top of losing Derek was almost too much to deal with. Santa slipped his fingers beneath her chin and gently lifted her chin. “Would you do that for this man Derek, Sosie? Would you be willing to grow old and die with him? Would you give up all the things that make you an elf?” He reached up to brush the hair back from her. “Like these cute pointed ears of yours.” “Of course, I would,” she said. “I would give anything to spend one more hour with him. But it doesn’t matter what I would give. Derek is so badly hurt, and though the doctors haven’t said anything to me, I know he’s not going to make it.” Just saying the words out loud brought fresh tears to her eyes. One trickled down her cheek and Santa lifted his hand to tenderly wipe it away. “I wouldn’t be too sure of that,” he said. “W-what do you mean?” Santa didn’t answer. Instead, he leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. Then he put his finger to the side of his nose and gave her a wink. “Elfin magic, Sosie. Don’t ever forget it.” He stood up, getting to his feet faster and more nimbly than he should have been able to for a man his size. “I’ll miss you up there in the workshops.” Sosie looked up at him, bewildered by his words. “I don’t understand.” But Santa was already walking down the hallway. She would have chased after him, but right then the door to the operating room swung open and one of the doctors came out. Even though she feared the worst, Sosie hurried over to stand with Aaron and Tony so she could hear what the man had to say for herself. “How is he?” she asked. 183

Santa’s Wayward Elf “It was touch-and-go in there for a while considering he lost a tremendous amount of blood, but we’ve got bullet out and the bleeding stopped.” The doctor’s mouth curved into a tired smile. “He’s not out of the woods yet, and he has a long recovery ahead of him, but I think he’s going to make it. It’s nothing short of a miracle.” Sosie didn’t know why, especially since she was so incredibly happy, but at the man’s words, she burst into tears again. After all the crying she’d done, she wouldn’t have thought there were any left. Suddenly remembering what Santa had said about elfin magic, she turned to see if he was still around so she could thank him, but he was nowhere to be seen.

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Chapter 13 Sosie had to restrain herself from jumping on the bed and smothering Derek with kisses when he finally woke up the next day. However, she knew he was still too weak for that, so instead she hurried over to the side of his hospital bed and took his hand in hers. He blinked up at her with sleep-laden eyes. “Sosie.” Even dry and hoarse, his voice was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. Tears of happiness stung her eyes and she blinked them back as she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’m right here, sweetheart.” He looked around, his eyes clouding with confusion as he took in the drab walls and dingy curtains. “Where am I?” “You’re in a medical facility.” She sat down on the side of the bed. “You were shot.” His frown deepened as if trying to recall what had happened the night before. “By the captain, right?” She nodded. “You don’t remember?” “I remember hearing him admit to being a dirty cop and trying to kill you, but I don’t remember much after shooting him. Not much of anything that makes sense, anyway.” He shook his head. “I remember someone saying something about elves, of all things. Elves and the North Pole. I must have been hallucinating, I guess.” The way Derek was looking at her made Sosie think he was silently asking her to tell him he wasn’t crazy. She could have 185

Santa’s Wayward Elf agreed with him, told him he’d been delusional because of the gunshot wound. He would have laughed and that would have been the end of it. But not telling him the truth when she’d had the chance earlier had almost cost her everything. She wasn’t going to make that mistake again. “Sosie, honey, what’s wrong?” “Nothing’s wrong.” She tried to give him a reassuring smile, but couldn’t quite manage it, so she caught her lower lip between her teeth instead. “I need to tell you something, but I’m afraid.” He frowned again. “Afraid? Why?” Tears clogged her throat and she swallowed hard. “I’m afraid if I tell you, it will ruin everything between us, and I couldn’t handle that. Not after almost losing you.” He reached up to cup her cheek. “Honey, you could never ruin what we have together. I love you.” A tear escaped to trickle down her cheek at the tenderness in his voice. “I love you, too. That’s why I’m so afraid.” “Honey, please. I hate to see you cry.” He wiped away the wetness on her cheek with his thumb. “You can tell me anything, you know that. I don’t care what that guy said about you in Saldino’s restaurant. I don’t care what crimes you’ve committed or who you worked for before you met me. All that is in the past. What matters is what we have right now.” Sosie chewed on her lower lip. He thought she was a criminal. It would be so much simpler to go ahead and admit to that. Certainly a lot easier for him to believe. But she couldn’t lie to him anymore. “I’m an elf.” The words were out before she realized she’d said them. She held her breath, waiting for him to say something, but he only looked confused. Then he chuckled. “An elf? Right. That’s a good one.” 186

Santa’s Wayward Elf Sosie frowned. He thought she was joking. “Derek, I’m being serious. I’m an elf. As in one of Santa’s elves. From the North Pole.” Derek grinned. “Like the kind of elves I hallucinated about in the alley, right? Aaron and Tony heard me talking in my sleep and put you up to this, didn’t they?” Figgy. He still didn’t believe her. “You weren’t hallucinating, Derek. I’m an elf. A real honest-to-goodness elf from Santa’s workshop. I was on my way to the South Pole when the transport sled broke down on the roof across from the club where you were working. I heard the music and decided to do some exploring while they were fixing the transport. I was having such a good time dancing that I forgot all about my fellow elves and by the time I ran outside, the transport had left. I fully intended to go back home when they sent a rescue party for me, but then I met you and I fell in love, and I didn’t want to go back anymore.” Derek laughed again. “Okay, babe, I like a good joke as much as the next guy, but you can stop now. You can tell Aaron and Tony that they got me.” Sosie had known he would be skeptical, but she hadn’t expected him to think she was playing a practical joke on him. There was only one thing to do. Reaching up, she pushed her hair back to reveal her pointed ears. Derek didn’t seem shocked by them, or even surprised. “Okay, you have pointed ears.” “Elves have pointed ears.” He shrugged. “So do a lot of people.” “No, they don’t. Only elves have pointed ears.” She sighed, frustrated. “Derek, don’t you remember when you first met me, and how I said and did all those strange things, like talk to the horses in Central Park? I didn’t know what a nightclub or a cab or a hotel was. I’d never been on a subway before and I had no idea what you were talking about when you told me you were a 187

Santa’s Wayward Elf detective. Figgy, I didn’t know what any of the food at the Christmas party was, or what beer and soda were. Derek, I didn’t know anything about your world, except what I learned on The Polar Evening News, and most of that wasn’t accurate.” Derek didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. The range of emotions that crossed his face spoke volumes. Amusement was slowly replaced by confusion, which gave way to amazement and finally realization. “You’re not joking, are you?” She shook her head. “You’re really an elf?” She nodded. “I’ll be damned.” There was awe in his voice. “When I saw your ears the other night, I never dreamed you were an elf. Hell, I didn’t know elves existed.” She covered her ears with her hair again, suddenly selfconscious. “You saw my ears?” “When you fell asleep on the couch waiting for me to come home. I pushed your hair back to kiss you and saw them.” “They didn’t disgust you?” “Of course not.” His mouth curved. “I think they’re cute.” She blushed. “I was afraid you would think they were ugly. I’m glad you don’t. Not that it matters, since they won’t be pointy for much longer.” “What do you mean? You’re not planning to get plastic surgery or something, are you?” “No, of course not. Why would anyone get surgery done with plastic? Santa said if I stay here with you, I’ll have to give up everything that makes me an elf, including my pointy ears. After a while, they’ll be as round as everyone else’s.” Derek let out a breath. “Santa, huh? Knowing elves are real is one thing, but knowing he’s real is going to take some getting used 188

Santa’s Wayward Elf to. That’s who the short guy at Saldino’s restaurant works for, isn’t it?” “He did.” “From what he said, Santa doesn’t seem like the jolly, old elf the stories make him out to be.” She couldn’t help but smile at the description. Santa wasn’t an elf, but she didn’t correct Derek. “Actually, he’s as jolly as the stories make him out to be and more. Mendike—the elf you saw at the restaurant—was acting on his own. He had reasons for wanting me back that had nothing to do with Santa.” At the questioning look on Derek’s face, she explained what Santa had told her about Mendike and her mother, and how her mother had fallen in love with her father, then subsequently left the North Pole to be with him. “You’re more like half-elf then,” Derek said when she’d finished. “I suppose so.” She chewed on her lower lip. “Are you sure you don’t mind?” “That you’re part elf?” He reached up to cup her cheek again. “Honey, I love you. I’d love you if you told me you were an alien from another planet.” “You’re not just saying that?” “No, I’m not just saying that. Now, stop being so foolish and come here.” Derek didn’t wait for her to obey, but instead pulled her down on top of him. Sosie opened her mouth to protest, afraid he would tear his stitches, but he silenced her with a long, lingering kiss. “If I wasn’t in this hospital bed, I’d have your clothes off in ten seconds,” he growled. She laughed, the words sending a surge of arousal through her body. “But you are in a hospital bed, which means you need rest. And sleep.” 189

Santa’s Wayward Elf “Wait a minute,” he said as she leaned over to adjust his pillow. “You can’t leave me hanging after dropping that bomb on me.” She frowned down at him. “I didn’t drop anything on you.” “It’s a figure of speech. I mean that you can’t announce you’re an elf, then not tell me about your life in the North Pole.” “Oh.” She smiled. “That’s a long story and one I promise to tell you after you get some rest.” He didn’t look pleased with her decision, but didn’t protest. He caught his hand in hers. “You’ll be here when I wake up, right?” “Of course.” She leaned over to kiss him tenderly on the mouth. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

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Chapter 14 Sosie surveyed her reflection in the full-length mirror, taking in the beautiful, white wedding gown. She’d wanted to wear red and green, especially since it was Christmas Eve, but Tracee and Linda had insisted white would be more appropriate. Since the two women were rarely, if ever, appropriate themselves, she decided she should probably listen to them this time. It was hard to believe she had met Derek a year ago on this very night. So much had happened since then that everything that had come before it seemed like another lifetime. In a way, she supposed it was. Things had been crazy since Derek had gotten out of the hospital. He’d been in there two very long weeks, during which she’d never left his side. As a result, they’d had lots of time to talk. True to her word, she’d told him all about her life up in the North Pole. Derek made it seem as if he was taking it in stride, but she could see the surprise and wonder on his face as she described how magical Snow City was. She’d fully expected him to ask her to take him there so he could see it for himself, but he didn’t. As much as she wouldn’t have liked to show him around Snow City and Santa’s workshop, there was no way she could. Outsiders weren’t allowed inside the city, even if they were married to an elf. Tracee and Linda had visited Derek in the hospital, along with everyone else in the apartment building. The women had been thrilled to hear she was staying, but were upset when she’d told 191

Santa’s Wayward Elf them she would lose her elfness, specifically her pointed ears. They had immediately run home to get their digital camera, insisting she should have plenty of pictures to remember them by. Sosie tried to tell them it wasn’t a big deal—they were just ears, for figgy’s sake—but even Derek wanted to make sure she had pictures. Derek’s family and friends weren’t the only visitors. Nearly every cop in the city had stopped by to see him while he’d been recovering. Aaron and Tony had told her it was to meet her as much as to see Derek. Apparently, the two men had told everyone how she’d stayed by Derek’s side after he’d gotten shot, going so far as to use her own body to protect him when Mendike had been about to kill him. That had earned her a lot of points in everyone’s book. In her opinion, Derek was the hero, and she made sure everyone knew how he’d gone up against the whole Saldino crime family by himself to rescue her after the department had turned against him. His superiors had insisted they’d had his back the whole time, but Derek’s fellow cops didn’t believe them. But while Derek might be a hero, he was a lousy patient. Despite knowing he was supposed to rest when he’d gotten home from the hospital, he still tried to get out of bed every five seconds. Sosie had to put her foot down more than once, and when that hadn’t had the desired effect, she’d taken all of his pants over to Ben and Mabel’s apartment. She’d figured Derek would be less likely to try and go anywhere without his pants. She’d been right. Of course, sitting around for days on end without any pants had made him randy as a white snow minx. She’d refused to take part in any form of sex until the doctor had assured her they wouldn’t tear out his stitches. The moment the man had given them the okay, Derek made love to her in every way imaginable. After that, she’d decided it was safe to return his pants. Looking back on it now, she probably should have kept a closer eye on him because the minute she had given his clothes back, he’d disappeared on her. She’d been frantic with worry and 192

Santa’s Wayward Elf on the verge of calling Aaron and Tony to ask for the department’s help in finding him when Derek walked in the door. When she’d asked him where the fig he had run off to, he’d pulled out a little, blue box with a gorgeous diamond ring inside it, gotten down on one knee and stunned her by asking her to marry him. Of course she’d said yes. Then she’d lectured him about running off without telling her where he was going. Derek wanted to get married right away, but Sosie had wanted to wait until he was completely recovered. He’d grudgingly agreed to give her two weeks. After learning exactly what went into a traditional BP wedding, however, she’d told him she would need more than two weeks to plan everything. Those plans had come to a stumbling halt when Derek told her they would have to apply for a marriage license, something that was impossible without some official form of identification. Luckily, Derek’s job put him in contact with a lot of unsavory characters, including people who were good at creating authenticlooking fake identifications. Finding the right person to do it hadn’t been as difficult as she’d thought. The man had even given them a good discount in return for Derek’s help with some parking tickets. The hardest part about the whole thing had been choosing a last name. She had wanted to use Derek’s last name, but he’d explained she was going to need a maiden name to put on the marriage license. After doing some research on BP surnames, she’d finally decided on Alfus because it was Latin for elf. The forger had made her a complete set of identification, including an American passport and a social security card. Getting the marriage license after that had been a snap. Then all they had to do was figure out where to have the ceremony and the reception. Sosie wanted to have both in the apartment’s common area where they’d held the Christmas party the year before and Derek had kissed her for the first time, but his mother insisted they had to 193

Santa’s Wayward Elf get married in a church. Sosie had reluctantly agreed, especially when she realized how small the common area was in relationship to how many people were coming to the wedding. Since they couldn’t hold the reception in the apartment building, either, Sosie had suggested the nightclub where she and Derek had met. Derek hadn’t been too keen on the location, saying the man who owned the place probably wouldn’t go for it, especially since he didn’t moonlight there or at any other club anymore since meeting her, but to please Sosie, he’d asked the man anyway. To her delight, the club’s owner had graciously agreed to close the club for their reception. Although planning the wedding took up most of her waking hours, she still found time in her hectic schedule to work with Ben on the day-to-day repairs around the apartment building. She told Derek she wanted to use the money she made to take him some place nice for their honeymoon, like Alaska, but he insisted on paying for the whole thing himself. That had seemed silly to her, especially since she had the money, but she got the feeling paying for the honeymoon was important to him, so she’d agreed. Going to Alaska had been quickly vetoed when the last of her elfness disappeared, since the cold weather bothered her a lot more than it used to. Even the air conditioner, which she’d finally gotten around to fixing, gave her the shivers. With Alaska out of the running, she and Derek decided to go to Hawaii instead. Sosie studied her reflection in the mirror again, wondering if she had the veil on right. She was about to reach up and adjust it when Tracee and Linda rushed into the room in a swirl of red and green satin. She turned to look at her bridesmaids. “Derek is waiting for you at the altar,” Linda announced excitedly. “He looks so handsome in a tux, I could melt.” Sosie was pretty sure it was impossible for the other woman to actually melt, regardless of how handsome Derek looked. On the other hand, the thought of her hunky fiancé all dressed up in 194

Santa’s Wayward Elf one of those tuxedos she’d seen in the bridal magazine was enough to make her pulse quicken so she supposed it might be possible after all. “You look beautiful, Sosie,” Tracee said. “Are you sure?” She turned back to the mirror, plucking at the filmy material covering her long hair. “I don’t know about this veil. Are you sure I have to wear it?” “Yes, you most certainly have to wear it. It’s tradition.” The redhead reached out to fuss with it. “Here, let me straighten it for you.” Sosie obediently stood while Tracee lifted the ends to cover part of her face with the see-through material. On the other side of her, Linda’s eyes filled with tears as she watched. “I still can’t believe your pointed ears are gone.” She sniffed. Sosie’s mouth curved. Her ears had been round for a while now, and yet Linda still cried every time she saw them. Sosie turned to give the dark-haired woman a hug. “Pointed ears or not, I’ll always be an elf in my heart,” she assured her friend. Sosie would have hugged Tracee, too, but Ben came in before she could. He smiled. “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” Her brow furrowed. “I don’t know. Am I?” “You are indeed.” He laughed as if what she’d said was funny. “Everyone’s waiting. Are you ready for me to walk you up the aisle?” At Sosie’s nod, he offered her his arm. She took it, allowing him to lead her from the room. “I hope you planned for a few extra people with the caterer, Sosie, because some more people showed up from your side of the family,” he said as they followed the two women down the hallway. “They did?” 195

Santa’s Wayward Elf Other than the friends she’d made in the neighborhood and those in the apartment building, she didn’t know anyone else in the city well enough to invite them to the wedding. Maybe that was Ben’s way of telling her some of the people who lived in the apartment building had decided to surprise her by sitting on her side of the church so it wouldn’t look empty. By the time they stepped into the vestibule a few minutes later, Sosie forgot all about who was sitting on her side of the church. She only had eyes for Derek. He was standing at the altar with Aaron and Tony beside him, and looking more gorgeous in his tux than she’d imagined. Linda had been right. He was enough to make a girl melt. As Ben led her down the aisle, she caught a glimpse of exactly how many people were sitting on her side of the church, or more precisely, how many elf-size people were sitting there. She blinked as she recognized her fellow elves from the North Pole. They were all dressed in BP clothes, as if trying to disguise who they were. It must have worked because no one was looking at them oddly. She couldn’t believe they’d come all the way for her wedding. She hadn’t realized they knew about it. Then she spotted Santa and Mrs. Claus, and she realized he must have told them. Her eyes misted with tears as he gave her a wink. When they reached the altar, Ben placed her hand in Derek’s, then took his seat beside Mabel. Sosie hadn’t understood the whole concept of a wedding when Tracee and Linda had described it to her because elves didn’t take part in an actual ceremony when they got married. Over the past several months, she had come to understand the deep significance of the ritual and as Derek smiled down at her, she couldn’t help wondering if her mother had gone through this ceremony with the man she had loved so much. She hoped so. Derek leaned in as they turned to face the priest. “Is that who I think it is?” he whispered, jerking his head toward Santa. 196

Santa’s Wayward Elf Sosie nodded. “It is. So, don’t mess up your vows like you did at the rehearsal or you’ll be getting coal in your stockings for years to come.” Derek chuckled. His vows, like everything else, were absolutely perfect, and an hour later, she was Mrs. Derek Clayton. After the ceremony and the requisite pictures, a limousine whisked them off to the club for the reception. Thanks to Derek, they were both a bit disheveled by the time they got there, but Sosie didn’t mind. In fact, she was tempted to ask the limousine driver to take them around the block again so they could make out some more, but the man was already opening the door for them. During the reception, Sosie got a chance to catch up with her friends from the North Pole. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed her fellow elves, but talking with them brought back all the things she’d loved best about Snow City and Santa’s workshop. Not that she would ever trade her life with Derek to go back there, of course. It was just nice to see them. The other elves filled her in on everything that had happened since she’d left. Santa and Mrs. Claus had implemented quite a few new rules, which had resulted in a lot of changes up at the workshop. The so-called efficiency experts, otherwise known as slave drivers when she’d been living there, had been reassigned to new jobs and things were slowly going back to the way they had been so many decades ago. Along with a set schedule of hours and time off, the elves now had the opportunity to take vacations and visit the BP world as well, as long as they kept their identities secret. According to her fellow elves, it was all a big hit. While the male elves seemed content talking shop all night, their female counterparts were more interested in pulling her aside to find out about what it was like living with the BPs. “Are they dangerous?” “Are they violent?” 197

Santa’s Wayward Elf “Are the men good in bed?” “Are their candy canes really that big?” “Can we take a few of them back to the North Pole with us?” Sosie laughed and tried to answer all their questions as best she could, though she was pretty sure Santa would probably frown on the elf girls taking some of the men back to the North Pole. Still laughing at the idea, she glanced over at her husband to see him talking with Santa. The serious look on her husband’s face sent a surge of panic through her. What if Santa had changed his mind and was telling Derek she had to go back to the North Pole with the other elves? But when Derek reached out to shake Santa’s outstretched hand, she knew they hadn’t been talking about that at all. That was a relief. She was still curious about their conversation and was about to go join them when Derek walked over to her. “Ladies.” He flashed the elves with her a grin. “You don’t mind if I borrow my wife for a dance, do you?” They shook their heads, letting out a collective sigh when Derek took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. He took her in his arms and smiled down at her. “So, Mrs. Clayton, are you having a good time?” Sosie felt her heart do a cartwheel at her new name. “A very good time.” She looped her arms around his neck, swaying against him in time with the music. “I noticed you talking to Santa. What were you and the big guy chatting about?” “He wanted to make sure I’d take good care of you.” Derek’s smile disappeared to be replaced by that same serious expression he’d had when she saw him talking to Santa. “He also wanted me to know how much you gave up to be with me. He told me how old you really are and how much longer you would have lived if you had stayed up in the North Pole. It wasn’t only your pointed ears you gave up, was it, Sosie?” She didn’t answer. When she’d told Derek about her life in the North Pole she had purposely left out the part about elves 198

Santa’s Wayward Elf living hundreds of years because she’d been afraid he would blame himself if he knew what she was sacrificing. She went up on tiptoe to kiss him gently on the mouth. Even in high heels, she was still a foot shorter, but she barely noticed the height difference between them anymore. “No, that’s not all I gave up to be with you, but it was worth it. I’d give up anything to be with you, Derek.” “And I’ll be eternally grateful for that, every day of my life, sweetheart.” She thought she saw tears shimmer in his eyes, but he pulled her close to rest his chin on the top of her head before she could be sure. “I’ll never forget how fortunate I am that you came into my life.” Sosie’s eyes misted with tears of her own and she clung to him as she blinked them back. She would have been content to stay in his arms right there on the dance floor all night, but then a thought occurred to her. She lifted her head to look at him. “You don’t mind being married to an older woman, do you?” His mouth twitched. “I think I can handle it.” She laughed and kissed him again. “Speaking of handling things, what do say we find a back room and disappear for a few minutes so you can handle the incredible urge I’m feeling to have you inside me?” He groaned as she pressed against his rapidly hardening erection while they danced. “I think we might be able to find some place to go. Though it might take more than a few minutes to get you out of that dress.” “Who says I have to take it off?” She gave him a playful smile. “There’s no reason I can’t leave it on while we make love.” His chuckle was soft and husky in her ear. “Now that would be a neat trick.” “Not a trick,” she corrected him. “Elfin magic.” 199

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Paige Tyler is a full-time, multipublished, award-winning writer of erotic romance. She and her research assistant (otherwise known as her husband!) live on the beautiful Florida coast with their easygoing dog and their lazy, I-refuse-to-get-off-the-couchfor-anything-but-food cat. When not working on her latest book, Paige enjoys reading, jogging, doing Pilates, going to the beach, watching Pro football, and vacationing with her husband at Disney. She loves writing about strong, sexy, alpha males and the feisty, independent women who fall for them. From verbal foreplay to sexual heat, her wickedly hot stories of romance, adventure, passion and true love will bring a blush to your cheeks and leave you breathlessly panting for more!

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