by Paige Tyler
“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 milder 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’d 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’d done 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 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’d risked his life to protect her, so she knew she’d 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’d 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’d 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. Although from 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’d 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. “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 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. 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’d 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 slid 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.”
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?”
“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 laughed 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 cane-flavored 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.
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’d 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. She could have used it about now.
Chapter Three
Sosie woke up the next morning to the most amazing aroma she’d 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. On the other hand, it could be worse. She could have spent the night curled up on a sidewalk somewhere. She’d 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 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’d still been wearing that sheet. He turned 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 with 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 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 gave the scrambled eggs a longing look, but did as he suggested. 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.”
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, 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.