Page 9 of Naughty Elf: Wink

Fumbling with the keys, I finally got the front door open and stumbled into the house, my Uber driver waiting until I got inside before pulling away. The house was entirely dark, except for the string of lights on the Christmas tree, and for some odd reason, my vision blurred with tears.

It had been a sad tree to start with, which was why I’d brought it home. I’d found it in the back of the lot in the discard pile, and the thought of that spindly tree being tossed had made me feel… so alone. I was a lot like that tree in some ways. Being left behind, not really living up to people’s expectations.

So here I was, drunk and crying in the dark, and I bent down to try and take my shoes off. No big surprise, my balance was off, and I overcompensated and tipped straight over. I luckily rotated at the last second and ended up on my ass instead of my head, but there was no way I was getting up.

I spread out and lay there spreadeagled on the floor, staring at the tree lights’ reflection on the ceiling. “I guess I just live here now,” I said out loud.

I wasn’t sure how long I laid there, and I may or may not have fallen asleep for a few minutes, but I soon became aware of a break in the lights, a shadow moving through my living room. Chewy?

There was no chance I had the energy to turn my head and look, but I didn’t have to wait long until a worried face appeared above me. A sleepy smile bloomed on my face. “Hey, it’s my sexy dream elf,” I was pretty sure I said out loud.

Should I have been scared about an intruder right now? Because I really wasn’t.

“Are you okay?” he asked cautiously. “Should I call… one of those things with the flashing red lights?”

Confused, I asked, “An ambulance?”

“Yeah. Should I call one? Are you dying?” He looked genuinely worried as he crouched down beside me, his hands hovering over me like he was scared to touch me but felt the need to do something.

I frowned, taking stock of myself. “No, I’m just drunk.”

“Oh. I didn’t know shifters could get drunk.” I had no clue what a shifter was, but I was distracted when his eyebrows dipped down into a frown that perfectly mimicked my elf ornament. When did he get so big?

I blinked hard, trying to get the two images of him to align. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be hanging on my Christmas tree?” I asked suspiciously, pointing a finger at the one of him on the left.

“Yes, and I’ll get right back there as soon as I get you into bed. Come on.”

He offered me a hand, and when I reached out and took it, it sent tingles all the way up my arm and into my chest. He heaved me up to my feet, sending my world into a tailspin, and I leaned into his chest, groaning. “Oh gods, make it stop.”

My mystery man brought his arms around me and just held me, protecting me from the worst of the nausea. Wow, I’d never been so drunk that I’d hallucinated before, but he felt soreal! I brought my hands up to brace myself and felt firm muscles beneath a soft fabric. I pulled back and smoothed my hands back and forth over his chest. “Is that velvet?”

“Uh-huh.” I saw his Adam’s apple bob in a gulp, a hitch in his breath. My hands coasted lower, entranced by the ridges of his abs, and when I looked up, his eyes were shut tight. “Can you maybe… not touch me like that? It’s very… intimate.”

I dropped my hands fast, embarrassment cutting through the drunk fog. “Oh. Sorry.” Damn, even in my hallucinations I was rejected, I was just that much of a loser. I tried to back away but slipped and nearly went over again.

My elf’s grip on me remained firm, though, and he swept me up into his arms with ease, as if I weren’t a fully grownman not much smaller than he was. He carried me down the hall, depositing me on my bed.

“You can leave now,” I said, shame still making my stomach churn. I tried to roll away, but he set a hand gently on my shoulder.

“Derek, you’re drunk,” he said softly, by way of explanation. “You probably won’t even remember this tomorrow.”

“Of course I will,” I said with a scoff, my eyeroll making the room spin. “I think about you all the time.”

“You do?” There was a hint of hope and curiosity in his voice.

“How can I not?” I wanted to reach for him, draw him into bed with me, but he’d already said no once, so I curled up on my side and let him draw the blanket over me. “Will you at least tell me your name?”

He paused, about to leave. “It’s Wink.” Then he leaned over me and placed the softest of kisses on my forehead. "Happy New Year," he whispered.

I was asleep before he even left the room.

When I woke the next morning, I couldn’t remember how I got home.

7

Wink

It wasn’t like I’d been expecting him to come out of his room the next morning and dash over to the tree, singing, “Good morning, Wink! See? I remember!” Because of course he didn’t remember. Just because I wasn’t surprised, that didn’t make the disappointment any less sharp. He’d simply been hungover and extra grouchy.

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