Christmas Elf
Ellora's Cave
Genre: Paranormal/Christmas
ISBN #1-4199-0480-9
Book Length: Novel
Buy the eBook

After being kicked out of Santa's Workshop for being a little cranky, Marlie is sent on a mission in the Outside World: teach Jacob Triumph-the real-life role model for Scrooge-the true meaning of Christmas. He's a tough case but she's determined to succeed and earn her place back in the Workshop.

Unfortunately, it's very easy to get distracted. Jacob is so handsome and she has the strangest urge to run her hands and her lips and oh, maybe her tongue, across his whole body. It's all very confusing.and delicious.

A brief foray into Jacob's dreams-for research purposes, of course-reveals the most unusual desires. His dreams are filled with kissing and licking and bodies rubbing together-and the whole process just makes her hungry for more.

What's an elf to do? Make a wish and try to make Jacob's dreams come true.



Excerpt:
Marlie hunched her shoulders and slunk around behind the painting factory foreman. There was no chance of slipping in unnoticed, but if she could avoid making eye contact, she wouldn't have to see the gentle reproach on his face.

She was late. Again. It was becoming harder and harder for her to make it to work on time.

She slid into her chair and forced a tight smile at Teresa who sat across from her. Teresa had to take up the slack when Marlie wasn't there, but Teresa never complained. No one here ever complains. Too cheerful, Marlie thought with a grimace. She picked up her red paintbrush and began haphazardly applying a thick layer of red to the toy fire truck in front of her.

"Good morning, Marlie," Teresa greeted with a bright grin. "Can you believe it? Only fourteen days until Christmas. I'm so excited. I can hardly wait."

Marlie's fingers squeezed the end of her paintbrush. Here we go again.

Voices from all sides chimed in as the factory burst to life at the sound of the word "Christmas".

"Is only two weeks? But there's so much to do."

"Think of all the children on Christmas morning, opening their new presents."

"We'd better get busy if we're going to make it on time."

Marlie's taut nerves stretched to the point of snapping. She didn't know how much more of this she could take.

The deep voice of the Factory Foreman erupted into a rousing version of "Here Comes Santa Claus". Seconds later, several other workers joined in perfect harmony. Teresa bounced in her chair as she painted a bright blue beach ball, her body moving with the perky rhythm of the song. Marlie glared across the table.

She gripped her paintbrush tightly between her fingers, resisting the almost overwhelming urge to pitch it at Teresa's smiling, cheerful face. Although the brush stayed in Marlie's hand, the words didn't stay in her mouth.

"Do you have to do this every morning?" Marlie's peevish tone echoed through the workshop.

Immediate silence blanketed the room, as if her angry words had sucked the cheer and joy from the factory. Several heads drooped forward and stayed low as they returned to their work. Teresa's bottom lip trembled, her eyes filling with tears. All eyes turned to Marlie-not in anger, but reproach and sadness. Sighing, she dropped back into her seat and waited. Any moment the Factory Foreman would come over and have another little "chat" about working with others and how they all had to try to get along.

"Marlie!" Uh-oh. She slid further into her chair. "In my office, right now!"

She should have known he'd be watching. A guilty conscience made her look at the faces of her co-workers as she walked down the aisle to his office. She deserved their scorn, their anger, but it wasn't there. Teresa's tears disappeared and she looked at Marlie with sympathy and support. In fact everyone at the table smiled encouragingly as she walked by. Even that irritated her.

Why can't they be smug when I'm getting in trouble?

She stopped outside the closed office door and waited. The silence of the workshop and the weight of each pair of eyes made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Taking a deep breath, she tapped quietly on the door.

"Come in." Marlie entered at the brusque command. She tried to smile at the man waiting for her, but he would have none of it. The cheerful twinkle in his eye was gone and the rosy red in his cheeks seemed a little too florid.

Most people would have thought it was impossible. But she'd done it. She'd pissed off Santa Claus.

The door had barely closed behind her before she jumped into her defense.

"Now, Santa, I can explain." She paused. "Well, maybe not explain, but I can apologize. I promise I'll do better. I have been doing better, haven't I? I haven't thrown my paintbrush at Teresa in weeks. And it's not as if I haven't wanted to but I remembered what you said and." The stern line of Santa's face hadn't changed and the solemn look in his eye stopped her stream of words.

He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair. Even underneath the snowy white beard Marlie could tell he wasn't smiling. He shook his head sadly.

"Not this time, Marlie. You're a Christmas elf with no Christmas spirit." He stood up behind his desk and began to pace. "You're grouchy. You're late for work. You hate Christmas carols-" He ticked off each item on his fingers.

"I don't hate them," Marlie interrupted. "But do we have to sing them all the time?"

"And your attitude is beginning to affect the other elves," Santa continued as if she hadn't spoken.

"They've complained?" Marlie stared at the man in red.

Santa gave her a disgusted look. "Of course they haven't complained," he said.

"Of course not."

"And you're sarcastic," Santa added. "Now, did I forget anything?"

Marlie reviewed the list.

"No, that about does it," she agreed with a sympathetic wince.

"Something's got to change, Marlie."

"I really am trying, Santa."

"I know," he answered with a resigned sigh. Shivers skipped down her arms. Something was really wrong. "You're not going get your spirit back if you stay here," he concluded.

"You're moving me to another part of the Workshop?" That wasn't so bad. In fact, that was great. It was better than she'd dreamed. It was chance to do something different. Something besides paint red on fire trucks and little red wagons.

"No, Marlie. You need something more. The best way to help yourself is to help someone else. So you're going help someone else revive their Christmas spirit."

Marlie scanned the office, waiting for this person to appear, someone in more trouble than she was. After long moments, it was clear no one was popping out of any secret door. "But, Santa, everyone else has their Christmas spirit."

"I'm sending you away from the Workshop."

Air locked in Marlie's throat. Her heart pounded at double speed. Cold drenched her body from the top of her pointy ears to the soles of her curled up shoes.

Like every elf, she'd heard tales about the "Outside World". Whispers really. Many of the elves who left were never seen or heard from again. No one talked much about their fate, but it had to be horrible. The elves who did return spoke about it only in hushed terms, warnings to the other elves.

This was her punishment for being a little crabby? She folded her arms across her chest and sunk into a pout. It was a little extreme.

"You will leave the Workshop-"

"But Santa-"

"You will leave the Workshop," he repeated, "and help a human of my choosing revive his Christmas spirit. You have less than two weeks." Her mouth bobbed open and closed. Santa held up his hand to stop her protests. "I'll send the information to your room. You'd better go pack. You have until Christmas Eve."



Reviews:
"This story is a delightful romp through the lives of two people who need to put some fun back into their lives. The premise is intriguing and can easily provide a fun distraction for an avid reader looking for something unique. The descriptions of Santa's workshop and those who work in it are delightful and create a charming atmosphere for the book. The plot is unusual but is a welcome respite from the usual holiday fare.

Marlie is not great at being an elf but she is a wonderful woman who makes an enchanting heroine. She and Jacob are terrific characters who are fun to read about. The love scenes are hotter than a blazing campfire and could melt a glacier. Ms. St. Clare is a talented author with a wonderful sense of humor. I recommend Christmas Elf to anyone looking for a romantic yet lighthearted tale to spend a little time with on a cold winter's night."

Coffee Time Romance


"Christmas Elf will make even the meanest Scrooge smile at this romantic tale of sensually delectable scenes and characters that certainly know how to tempt the imagination. Marlie was a witty and funny character that gave me plenty of entertainment; I absolutely adored her, even when she was crabby. And Jacob was just the same, except there were times I just wanted him to wake up and smell the roses, or in this case, see what was in front of his eyes. Ms. St. Clare should be congratulated on creating two strong characters that made this story a perfect romance for the heart. If you want a funny, entirely entertaining and guaranteed heat raising story to read on a cold winter's night then this is a book not to pass up on because it will give you this and more, so run and get your copy today."

ECataromance


"For all fans of A Christmas Carol this story is a delicious treat. In this case, however, Marlie works magic all on her own.The story flowed very well from Jacob's initial bad attitude through gradual change to a new view. Ms. St. Clare did a beautiful job of telling the story of someone finding what is special in the common world around him. This story is a gift to give yourself and a reminder of what we can give each other and how much joy there is in the giving."

Just Erotic Romance Reviews