Page 8 of Naughty Elf: Merry

“You guys startled me.”

Holly jumped up—knowing her, she was jealous they were getting my attention. I hadn’t known she could get up that high. And maybe she couldn’t have even the day before. She was growing like a weed.

“Get down, sweet girl. You don’t want to break Daddy’s friends.” I scooped her up and placed her on the floor.

Somewhere along the line, her tail must’ve hit one of the elves because the next thing I knew, they were toppling over, tumbling down to the next day’s firing projects.

Instinctively, I lunged for them, not wanting them to break, and I caught one midair. The next thing I knew, I was no longer standing in the room alone. In front of me was the sexiest man I’d ever seen in the most ridiculous outfit. I raked my eyes up and down his body, trying to figure out what was happening. I stopped when I reached his ears, his very pointy ears.

“What the… who are you?”

Chapter 7

Merry

“Merry. That’s me.”

The stranger rubbed his chin and closed one eye. “You’re happy? Okay, great. But what are you doing here?”

I chortled, not because him making a joke about my name was funny. A lifetime of Merry jokes got a little tiresome. My fake laughter was because I didn’t know what to do, where I was, and if this guy was supposed to be my mate. He scented yummy, but was that enough?

“That’s my name.”

He tilted his head. “What is?”

“Merry.” I held out my hand. “Nice to meet you.”

I’d imagined getting my mate in so many different ways and places, but I was in what appeared to be an artist’s studio. Surely, we were supposed to fall into one another’s arms, right?

Maybe he wasn’t the one. Judging by his scent, this guy was a shifter. There were enough reindeer shifters in Christmas Villagefor me to recognize a shifter. He wasn’t a reindeer because he didn’t have that mossy smell.

I peered around him, but there was no one else here.

“Merry.” The R’s rolled over his tongue, and I shivered.

This place had that same mud-like aroma, one that irritated my nostrils. If he wasn’t my mate, I wanted out of here.

“Hernan.” He grabbed my outstretched hand, and we shook. He had a firm grasp and his palm wasn’t sweaty.

A plus and another plus.

“Merry,” he repeated. “You must get fed up with jokes about your name.”

I nodded because my name was the last thing I wanted to discuss. I was here for mating, and if Hernan wasn’t it, he needed to show me my mate or move out of the way and let me find him.

“Ummm, yeah, but jokes are part of my business.”

“You’re a stand-up comedian?” He folded his arms, revealing dirt under his nails.

“No.” I couldn’t talk about Christmas Village and the Santas. We signed a contract, ensuring we kept the place and the people a secret. “But that’s not why I’m here.”

“Why are you here?”

Damn, I’d stepped into that. First mentioning work and now the plan to meet my mate. I had to get myself out of this and change the subject.

“Where am I?”

“My workshop.”