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“Good thing. We’ll need sustenance if we’re going to do that again before the night’s over.” Mason meets my gaze and flashes a naughty grin.
This is shaping up to be a very memorable holiday season indeed.
SANTA’S LITTLE ELF
Noel loves Christmas but more than anything she loves spreading joy.
When she meets her new sexy, dark, and mysterious neighbor Luka Donovan she can’t help but notice how gloomy and grumpy he is about the holiday season.
I mean he tries taking her Christmas lights down, or so she thinks. She wants to cheer him up, but isn’t sure how.
That is until she realizes it’s not the Christmas presents under the tree that he wants to unwrap, it’s her.
1
NOELLE
I swear,when I find who’s been screwing with my decorations, they’re going to get a lump of coal wedged straight up their ass. Maybe I’ll hang a sprig of holly off the end for good measure.
I know it’s just dumb kids who don’t know any better. They don’t understand how much lights cost, especially when you put up as many as I do. A few of the neighbors like to joke that my house can be seen from space. I like it that way.
What really sucks and has me gritting my teeth as I climb a ladder for maybe the fifth time in the past few weeks is the way it seems like somebody has a problem with me going all out every year. This year, I did more than ever before—I’ve added a few strings of lights every season, and this time around, I also put out a few light-up reindeer. They look great with Santa sitting in his sleigh, who waves an arm to people passing on the sidewalk when I turn him on.
It’s not easy disconnecting the string of lights that somebody was mean enough to cut through, what with it being so cold outside. Even with my gloves on, I fumble around with the plug. Don’t they know they could end up electrocuting themselves? And this was definitely done with a pair of scissors or a knife. The wire is perfectly cut, not frayed the way it would be if an animal had chewed through it. I can’t help but cast a disparaging look around me as if I expect to find the culprit watching, smirking, and holding a pair of scissors that they’ll snap menacingly. No, my street’s as quiet as it usually is on a Sunday morning, and even in my less-than-charitable mood, I can’t help the happy sigh that stirs in my throat when I admire the fresh snow that fell yesterday. It makes everything feel even more Christmassy.
Unfortunately, it also makes setting up a ladder a little treacherous when you accidentally place it on a block of ice rather than on the ground. I know the instant I lean over to disconnect the other end of the string of lights that I’ve made a mistake. The ladder sways hard enough that I can’t maintain my balance, and the next thing I know, I’m falling through thin air before hitting the ground with a bone-rattling thud.
“Hey!” A man barks in the distance, and a moment later, I find myself in his shadow as he hovers over me. “You okay?”
“Give me a second, and I’ll let you know.” I groan.
Aside from an extremely frozen ass, I think I’m fine. Embarrassed but fine.
“You should go to the hospital to get checked out. Adrenaline can be deceptive, and it’ll be coursing through your body right now.”
He backs up a step, and I can’t help but gasp in surprise at the sight of my hunky next-door neighbor, aka the last person I would expect to come running outside once he saw me or anybody else fall. He’s lived in that house for months but has barely said a word to anybody on the block. I’ve asked around, too. Mostly because we’re all pretty friendly and easygoing, so he sticks out like a sore thumb.
Sure, tell yourself that is all you want.Okay, so it doesn’t hurt that he’s the hottest man I’ve ever met in person—definitely the hottest human being, male or female, in this neighborhood. If there was ever a textbook definition of the phrasetall, dark, and handsome, he’d be it. His muscular body and chiseled face stirred up rabid interest from the ladies on the block from the day he moved in and when he painted the shutters without a shirt on? I could’ve sold tickets to the salivating women wanting to watch from my side windows.
Now, it’s much too cold for him to show off those broad shoulders and eight-pack abs, but there’s still plenty of reason for him to stand out. His is the only house on the block with no decorations. Not a single light.
He’s wearing his customary scowl as he helps me up. It’s nice of him, but still, he doesn’t have to look so put out by the whole thing. I didn’t ask him for help.
“I’m pretty sure I’m okay. This isn’t the first time I’ve fallen while putting up decorations.”
He narrows his piercing blue eyes to squint up at the lights lining my roof. “Yeah, I can imagine that.” I can’t tell if he’s making fun of me or just plain grumpy. “Anyway, be careful.” He’s not wearing a coat, I realize. Which would explain why he’s in a hurry to get back to his house. Is it wrong of me to admire his muscular build beneath the thick sweater he’s wearing? Not to mention the way his jeans highlight a perfect peach of an ass?Maybe.
But at least he came out to see if I was okay. He knows how to be neighborly.
Once I’ve finished replacing the string of lights and have warmed up in the house, I put together a plate of cookies for him as a thank you. He can’t be such a bad person if he ran out without even taking time to put on a coat, right? He just needs a little encouragement to come out of his shell.
That’s what I keep telling myself as I cross the frozen lawn and step onto his front porch. The house looks so gloomy and depressing against so many bright, colorful displays. It could possibly be this is the first actual house he’s ever lived in. He might not have the decorations, and I know all too well how expensive they can be. Would it seem rude if I offered a few strings of lights in case he wants them?
I make up my mind to do just that as I ring the bell, waiting for him while wearing a smile.
A smile that doesn’t stand up to his scowl once he flings the door open. “What?”
His greeting startles me out of any holiday cheer I was feeling. “I wanted to thank you for helping me before, so I brought over some cookies. They’re homemade. I usually make a ton of them and give them out to the neighbors, anyway, so you’re getting yours a little earlier than usual.”
