Free Sleighing Her Elf (Operation Reindeer Retreival Book 3) by Viola Grace Page A

and his golden eyes were opened.
    He licked his lips. “Why did you stop?”
    She grinned. “Because you weren’t broken and your body now seems to be on the way to heating itself. I will just run your clothes through the washer and dryer, and you can be on your way.”
    He sat up, and she got up, tossing the sheet over him to the waist. She gathered his clothing up and wandered out to her small laundry corner, shoving his clothing into the washer after she had gone through his pockets out of reflex.
    A small, heavy object was inside his jeans’ pocket. She picked it up and recognized her collar.
    Her company had shuffled out behind her, and he stared at the small object in her hand. “I can explain.”
    “Start with your name, elf. It will speed things along.”
    “Merkoss. I am one of the elves assigned to the naughty-or-nice list.” He inclined his head and bowed gracefully.
    “You may call me Penny. My true name will be resumed soon enough.” She finished loading the washing machine and grabbed clothing from her pile of folded clothing. Sweater, long shorts and high socks all went on in moments.
    “Well, Merkoss. What kind of soup do you want to help warm you up? I have quite a selection.”
    “You aren’t angry that I was sent to seduce you into returning?”
    She shuffled in her socks across the floor toward the kitchen. “You can try. I am just wondering why you left it so late.”
    “What do you mean?”
    She looked back at him.
    “Today is the twenty-second; if I am to fly, I need to head home tomorrow at the latest.”
    He looked shocked once again. “That is impossible. I set out weeks ago.”
    “You do know that you were standing in the road with a casing of snowman around you. The bright scarf managed to catch my attention, and I missed hitting you with the plow.”
    He winced. “It felt like something hit me.”
    “Don’t be a wuss. It was only three hundred pounds of ice and snow travelling at fifty miles an hour.”
    “You rescued me.”
    She selected two cans of chicken noodle and started to open them. “I wouldn’t leave a human, and I didn’t leave you.”
    He winced. “You rate elves lower than humans?”
    “Elves can usually take care of themselves.”
    “Wait, what do you mean today is the twenty-second? I left the workshop weeks ago.”
    “It seems that the magic directed you into a snowman just now. It wasn’t there two days ago when I last cleared that route.”
    Merkoss rubbed his head. “I am still a little cold.”
    She sighed and went back to her bedroom, grabbing a quilt and draping it over his shoulders. “Have a seat and tuck in. It will be a few minutes before the soup is ready.”
    Merkoss shuffled over to the armchair, and he tucked himself in. “This is very strange.”
    “What? My house or that you were a snowman?”
    “That you are not startled or afraid of my being here.”
    “Why would I be afraid? All you could do was try to get me there a day earlier. I am already packed for tomorrow.”
    “You were already coming back?”
    “Of course. That was the plan all along. We just wanted freedom to work off our heat and live in the human world for a time. I have enjoyed it.” Penny smiled and added the water to the condensed soup and set it on the element while she made sandwiches and got crackers ready.
    She set a kettle of water on, anticipating that Merkoss would need a little more heated liquid to get himself comfortable.
    She settled on her couch and noted that she hadn’t lit the main fireplace. With a grunt, she got up and created flame with the competency that came with practice.
    As the flames began to crackle, she pulled the screen over and returned to the couch.
    “You do that easily.”
    She chuckled. “It was always my job at the workshop. I mean, Vixen had her own skills with fire, but mine have been more direct.”
    He looked forlorn, tucked into the quilt and sheet. “Thank you for saving me.”
    “You are welcome, and you were lucky.