He hoped the same would happen with Ellie, or that she would tell him, the owner of this house and the man who took her in and let her live here, who she really was. This nonsense about elves had to end and he planned to end it the best way he knew how.
He smacked her again, and she jerked again. Good, she felt that.
“Now.” He patted her green leggings, fit for an elf. “How about you start talking?”
“I don’t know what you want to know.” She wiggled over his lap while he stared at her enticing bottom. Focus, Luke, he told himself.
He smacked her harder this time. “I want to know where you are from.”
“Up north!”
He smacked her again. “Not good enough.”
“The North Pole,” she said.
“Try again.” He popped one round cheek.
“Ow!”
Now he was getting somewhere. So he swatted her bottom twice, once for each perfectly delineated cheek. He loved leggings. They should be mandatory elf wear, or wife wear or what was he thinking? He smacked her bottom a little harder this time, just because he was frustrated.
She obliging squealed again.
“Been awhile since your last spanking?”
Oddly, she didn’t answer.
“Well, here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to ask a question and if you don’t answer it honestly, you are getting ten smacks and then we will try again.” He swatted her bottom again and heard her suck in her breath.
“Yes, sir, I understand!”
Now they were getting somewhere. He went ahead and gave her ten, just so she knew what she was getting into. By the last one she was throwing a hand back. Rookie mistake. He’d forgive her for it.
“Now, are you really an elf?”
“Yes, sir!” she squealed out.
He gave her five more, and relented when she tried to wiggle off his lap. Yeah, that wasn’t happening. Firmly adjusting her over his lap, he asked, “What is an elf?”
What is an elf? What kind of question was that and how was she supposed to answer it? That was like a no win question, and dang, she had known he was going to spank her, but had no clue how much it was going to hurt or how helpless she felt over his lap, unable to squirm away. She could squirm away from anything uncomfortable, usually, but apparently not this.
“Someone sent to help?” Okay, would that pacify him? He only smacked her twice, but dang her bottom was already sore.
“Help what?” Two more. He was so not keeping to his rule of ten and she was very grateful.
“Whatever assignment we’re given. Ow! Not there anymore, please!” She didn’t like a spanking. Nope. Three more, which made her try to yank her wrist from his grip. But it did not seem to matter.
“Who gives out the assignments?”
“The boss,” she tried not to sob out the words, but it didn’t work, because she could hear him counting and his hand came down on her poor bottom.
“One, two, three, four, five,” he paused and she tried to catch her breath.
What had she done wrong that made her end up over his knee? This was just wrong! And painful. She didn’t want to beg but knew she was going to. She could be done now.
“Six.”
“No more! Ow, stop!”
“Seven, eight, nine, ten.”
Stretched out of the couch, she couldn’t collapse in a heap, but she felt as if she did. Her bottom hurt!
“Who is the boss?” He smacked her harder and she choked on a sob.
Make it stop. “Just… the boss…” She tried to roll off his lap when his hand fell again.
“Do you need me to get a paddle and pull these pants down and raise a few blisters?”
No, that was just totally the opposite of what she needed. She needed to be up and not getting her bottom spanked. “No, sir, please, no, sir!”
His smacked down again and again and finally she couldn’t stop the tears. “I’m sorry! No more, please, okay? I’m done, no more! Argh!”
“How long will you be here?”
“Till after Christmas.” That one was easy, even if it was almost screamed out, but he didn’t like it because he started waling away at her poor bottom as if it held the answers.
“Is that set in stone?” he demanded and stopped.
Ellie tried to catch her breath, but the tears had started to flow and she didn’t need any more spanks or questions.
“Sort of,” she managed to sob out and tensed, knowing she would be getting more.
“What does that mean?” He put a finger in her waistband and she could feel her pants going down and shrieked.
“No!”
“Oh, yes, naughty elves who don’t tell the truth have their bare bottoms turned a pretty Christmas red,” he said.
“Please!” She grabbed back and tried to pull her pants up. This she did not want! He smacked her right between both cheeks and she started sobbing harder. She could not do this, she couldn’t. It was too much. She didn’t want to be naked to a human or have her bottom hurt any more than it did. She’d had enough.
About fifteen smacks on her bare bottom, that felt like a million, had her howling and begging. “Please, no, please, please. I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you! I promise!” Her rational brain told her no, but she couldn’t do this anymore. She was not cut out to be spanked. It wasn’t her thing at all!
He smacked her again, even harder. “Are you sure?”
“Please let me tell you! Please stop!”
He didn’t though, instead he smacked her about five more times – not that her brain counted – and she couldn’t stop the tears. She did not sign up for this. Well, she did, but she was wrong. Who knew it hurt this much? “Please?” she managed again.
Before she realized what actually happened, she was sitting on his lap and desperately wanted to pull her pants up, but not really because – ow! “Hold me?” she begged, “please?” Had she ever said please this much in her life? Not that she could ever recall. She needed to think of a new magic word because that one didn’t work.
“I’ve got you, baby, you’re safe now. Shh, don’t cry anymore, it’s okay,” he soothed and petted her till she could hear her breath calm again. “But if you don’t start talking soon, you are going right back over, understand?”
Yes. She was not a stupid elf. Just a naive one, apparently, who thought a spanking was no big deal. It was and she never wanted another one! But she liked this petting.
“If I tell you,” she hiccupped, looking up at him with tear filled eyes and he wanted nothing more than to kiss the tears away, but tried to look stern. “If I tell you, then I might be in trouble.”
Trouble? What did that mean? No one was hurting Ellie on his watch. No one. Not even Santa or whoever she called boss.
“Speak, honey, tell me.”
“We are allowed projects. My sister went to your cousin after he came home from Afghanistan and wasn’t doing well. That is how you got on my radar. We check out the family. I wanted to come last year, but I was denied.” His cousin? He hadn’t spoken to his cousin since they were kids and didn’t even know he’d served overseas. How did she?
“Why were you denied?” He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back.
“You weren’t ready. You started to change, by moving here and that is how I got assigned to you.” She clung to him and shivered, whispering, “I can’t tell you much more, but…”
“But what, Ellie? I’ve got you. No one is here but me and you. Tell me.”
“I want to stay, but I can’t.”
“Why not?” He ran his hand through her curls and was amazed at their softness and the cookie scent that rose from them.
“I can only be here till Christmas unless…”
She buried her head in his chest and he stroked and murmured till she calmed down again. “Unless what, Ellie?”
She leaned back and looked at him, eyes still watering and he felt bad, but kissed each gorgeous eye as she said, “Honestly, Luke,
if I tell you, I’d have to leave now. Can you deal with that much? That if I could, I would, but I’d like to stay for as long as I can.” She buried her head again. “If you want me to stay?”
Had he gotten all the answers he wanted? No.
Did he believe everything she said? Again, no.
Did he want her to stay? Yeah, he did.
“How long?” he whispered.
“Through Christmas.”
Just under two weeks. “Then you have to leave?”
She shook her head slightly. “No, I can stay, maybe, but I can’t tell you how, I’m sorry. I wish I could. If you knew, I’d be gone before you blinked twice and you would never remember I was here at all.”
“What about Sam and Cade and their wives? Would they remember?”
“No one,” she said softly. “Can we not talk about this anymore and may I please pull my pants up?”
He kissed the top of her head. “Elves have cute butts.”
“Humans spank too hard,” she said, and turned her back to pull up her leggings while he enjoyed the view. “I’m going to finish cleaning the kitchen. Why don’t you go to bed?”
Suddenly Luke felt so weary he could barely keep his eyes open. All he could do was nod and stumble toward his bedroom, wishing that she would come and cuddle against him on this cold, snowy winter night.
He tried to run the night through his head, but all he could think of was his pillow. He just needed to sleep. What did she do to him? How? Why? Pillow…
The work week seemed to fly by. He enjoyed his work and the people in the new office; so, when Ellie suggested they throw a small party for the office staff and their families, he decided it would be a great idea. What else did he have to do after all? He came home from work, and there was a hot meal and a hot woman waiting for him. His house looked more like the holidays every day, and he didn’t even want to know where it all came from. “Donations” was her go to word, and since she didn’t have access to his credit cards, he wasn’t too concerned. There were, as she promised, presents under the tree, and he’d started to worry about what to get her. What did elves need or want? He didn’t have a clue. But he knew he wasn’t going to be sitting there opening presents on Christmas morning while she had nothing. And, again, even more amazing, he wasn’t going to sitting alone on Christmas morning. His elf would be there. He’d smiled and laughed more in the past few days than he had in the past few years. Work seemed easier, life seemed better, no, it just simply was better.
Was she going to leave him in just over a week? How could that be? The Christmas walks were Saturday and Sunday, then Monday was Christmas. Did she have till midnight? How could he get her to stay? Thoughts raced while he was away from her and worry filled him, but the minute she opened the door to him, in the evening, it just disappeared. Elf magic, he’d decided. Nothing he could do about, just accept it.
She opened the door, as always, just before he put his key in the lock, looking like an elfly vision in a shimmering blue dress and silver heels. He’d never seen her in heels before and decided he liked it. Almost as cute as her curly toed slippers. “You look like someone should take you out dancing,” he said, pulling her into a hug.
“Someone should, but dinner with your office staff will have to do, won’t it?” She flashed her dimples at him and he noticed small blue sparkles in her ears. Jewelry? Women liked jewelry. He would shop on his lunch hour tomorrow. That helped. No, he wasn’t buying her a ring. He’d only known her a week. No matter how he felt or what he knew, that was just wrong. Right?
“Did you get the gift cards wrapped up?” he asked. He knew that the staff would appreciate a Christmas bonus, because who didn’t need extra money at Christmas time? One size fit all.
“Of course I did. Wrapping is an elf’s forte, you know.” She danced into the family room and came back with a gorgeous gift bag that matched her outfit, filled with smaller gift bags.
“Looks like that was challenging.” He smiled at her.
“You are worth it.” She smiled back. “You want a drink and to change clothes before we go?”
Of course he did. Why did all her suggestions just make him want to go along with them? “Aren’t you tired?” Suddenly he was so sleepy he couldn’t move. “Hungry?” He could eat a horse. “Want to throw a party?” Of course he did. “Buy four Christmas trees?” Best idea ever! “I’m an elf.” Amazing but true. She had to be. Otherwise how did she have control of his brain and why wasn’t he upset about it? Mind control. There was no other explanation. Who wouldn’t run screaming like a girl if some strange elf moved into their house and took over their life? Every normal person he knew. Call the cops. Take her to the closest medical facility. What did he do? Made her comfortable, let her take over his life. How weird was that and why did he not care? Mind control. It was the only explanation.
“Not the only one,” she said from the doorway to his bedroom as he buttoned up a clean shirt. Light blue to coordinate with her shimmery darker blue. People would know they were a couple.
“Not the only one?” he repeated.
“Explanation,” she whispered, reaching into his closet to pull out a tie he didn’t know he owned. Naturally.
“Your drink is by the fireplace,” she said, “When you are ready. We don’t have to leave for about half an hour.”
Half an hour of snuggling her by the fireplace with a drink in his hand was just what he wanted to do. So, he did.
An hour later he walked into the restaurant where she’d made reservations for the party, and felt proud to have her on his arm. She was the prettiest elf there, he decided seeing everyone in the room stare at them.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Do you have a last name?” he asked suddenly. Why had he never thought of that before? How was he going to introduce her?
Ellie giggled and walked up to his office manager. “You must be Corinne. I’m Ellie, Luke’s friend.” She threw him a look as if to say, ‘See? Not hard at all.’
That didn’t answer his question, but okay.
He watched her charm everyone she met, and tried to imagine doing this without her. There would be no party if she hadn’t been here. He would still be walking around in a fog. Wouldn’t have an invitation to spend Christmas afternoon with new friends Cade and Stormy. His house would still be filled with boxes, cold and stark instead of feeling like a real home. He would still be feeling like a shell instead of a person. His lips twitched as he wondered how an elf made him feel like a real person. Funny.
As if she’d heard him, she shot him a smile from across the room and he felt something he hadn’t felt since his wife died. Had his Grinch heart just melted? A little? Is that what that feeling was? Or could it be something more?
The waiter came to inform him dinner was ready, and he tapped his wine glass with a bread and butter knife, making it chime. “Please take your seats,” he said. “Dinner is about to be served.”
He sat down at the head of the table with Ellie to his left, and looked down at the smiling people ready for a happy holiday with their families. He would be having one too, thanks to her. How could he keep her? How could he not keep her? He didn’t know everything – or anything – about her, but he did know he wasn’t going to lose her.
As if in response, she leaned over and patted his hand. “Just eat,” she suggested. “It might not be as good as my food, but I hear it’s pretty good.”
He smiled at her, and she felt like melting. She was tired of being the strong one. The one in control and the one who knew what was going on. Her submission to him last Sunday when he’d put her over his knee and paddled her, had been, well, painful, but also amazing. She’d felt freer than she could ever remember feeling. After it was over and she could think coherent thoughts, anyway. She hadn’t known it, but it was what she’d always wanted. Was that why she was so focused on Luke and only Luke being her project? Why she’d waited for him when she could have had her choice of a dozen last season?
She only had another week. She didn’t want to leave at midnight on Christmas night, but the choice wasn’t hers. It was his. She was going to help him decide or, as a character on a tv show said, she’d screw the pooch. She didn’t quite know what that meant, but it felt like the perfect phrase to describe this situation.
Wrinkling her nose, she took a bite of vegetables and rice. Why didn’t anyone season anything around here? How hard could it be?
Chapter 4
“What are we going to do, Boss?” she asked. This was not a good situation, not something they had planned on. Ellie had always had a mind of her own. This went above and beyond, though. Her first assignment. She’d turned down several waiting for Luke. An elf didn’t have to go anywhere they didn’t want to, but they should have known there was something off on this mission. She was sent to help, not fall in love. Not be physical with him – a spanking counted as physical, she knew. Sobbing in his arms while he comforted her especially counted. “How can we help?” An elf helped. It was what they did. She wanted to help Ellie.
The boss chuckled. “Ellie is doing just fine. Just what I expected from her.”
“What do you mean? She’s falling for him. She won’t want to leave at the end of her mission.”
He looked at her over the top of his spectacles. “Do you think I didn’t know that would happen before she went in? I’ve been doing this for many, many years. Ellie is right where she needs to be, and more importantly, right where she wants to be.”
“No.” She knew she was being stubborn, but this was important. “This is her first mission and she’s in over her head. Perhaps we should come in and intercept, or just bring her home?”
12 Naughty Days of Christmas 2018 Page 59