Naughty Elf: Alfie (Santa’s Naughty Elf Mates)

6. Pisces

Chapter 6

Pisces

I lock up the shop with Alfie trailing behind me. He’s got a bounce in his step that I envy. He looks to me, bright eyed. “Let me drive. You’re exhausted.”

After unlocking my car, I toss him my keys, then settle into the passenger seat, hoping I don’t regret my decision. “You’re really good with the customers.”

“I’m a people person. I love talking about anything and everything.” Alfie starts the car and gets the heat going. It’s not insufferably cold yet, thankfully. That’ll come in January, then it’ll be spring, as if winter never even showed up.

“I really liked having you at the shop today. It was like a weight lifted off my chest, having someone there to help. I get anxious when it’s just me, but I’ve been too scared to budget for an employee. I think I will, though.”

His shoulders drop. “I’d love to be with you every day. Elves are used to daily work. If I’m not busy, I get anxious and an anxious Alfie gets into mischief.” He winks then pays attention to the road. He’s a smooth driver, and it doesn’t seem like he’s stressed about it at all. “I saw a cute little restaurant on our way here this morning.”

Our stomachs rumble at the same time.

Alfie chuckles. “And please don’t argue with me. I’m buying us dinner.”

“Okay.” I sink deeper into my seat. If my alpha wants to take care of me, I’ll let him. At least this once.

His posture straightens, and his shoulders give a little shake. “I’m going to spoil you, my omega. Just you wait.”

“I don’t need spoiling.”

“It doesn’t matter if you need spoiling. I want to do it. Take away your cares. You’re stressed, and I want to take some away from you.”

“I’ve never had anything like that, so you’ll probably experience some resistance.” Honesty is the best policy in my book.

Alfie nods. “I plan to make you feel like the most cherished omega in the world, so be prepared.”

“Just so you know, I have no idea how to be cherished or let anyone help me. I’ve been on my own for a long time.” I fight the tears wanting to fill my eyes.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Alfie whispers. “I want to take away all that pain.”

“I’m not sure you can.” I fiddle with my seat belt, needing something for my hands to do.

“At least let me help ease you from it. I have a lot of love to give, Pisces. Let me love you.”

“It’s because we’re fated mates. Would you give me two glances if we weren’t?”

“You are my catnip. Everything about you is exactly what I’ve always dreamed of in an omega.”

My cheeks heat at the knowledge. “You don’t exactly know all my baggage, Alfie. We don’t know enough about each other to know anything.” Except that’s a lie. In the short time I’ve known Alfie, I know he’s kind and gentle. He lights up the room he’s in. He’s the most charming person I’ve ever met. And he smiles at me. Me . As if I’m the only one he wants to look at. He respects my need to not sleep with him as soon as possible. Sex needs to be on my timetable.

“I’ll be here when you’re ready to share. I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me to leave. Tell me you’re not interested in seeing where this goes and I’ll leave.”

Tears fall now. “I am interested, and I’m scared. Scared that once you really know me, you won’t be interested. I don’t know that I’m strong enough for that kind of heartache.”

“You are, but I don’t plan on breaking your heart. Not ever.” Alfie holds out his hand.

Slowly, I take it and sit with the sizzling electricity that shoots up my arm. It doesn’t take long to get to the restaurant he saw. I’m not sure I’ve ever noticed it.

Alfie parks and he’s on my side, opening the door before I get my seatbelt undone. The action makes my heart flutter and I take his hand when he offers it. I don’t think I’ve ever touched anyone so much in my life.

“Let’s get to know each other, Pisces.”

The restaurant is a little mom and pop place that sells comfort food. It’s not busy, but the inside is cheery and still decorated for Christmas. Christmas music plays softly on a speaker somewhere in a corner.

“Now, Pisces, tell me something no one else knows.” Alfie locks his fingers together and leans forward, setting his chin on his knuckles.

I fidget in my seat. “Only if you do the same.”

“Naturally.” He gives me a toothy grin. “I’ll go first if it’ll help.”

I nod and grab the cloth napkin from the table to give me something to fidget with. Alfie is so handsome it’s hard to look at him. Never in a million years would I have thought I’d have a mate, fated or otherwise, so good looking. I resigned myself to being single my entire life because I won’t let an alpha control me. Alfie doesn’t seem the controlling type. My heart says I can trust him.

Alfie taps his bottom lip. “Okay, so I didn’t think this through. It’s a hard question!”

“It really is. I can only think of one thing.”

Alfie leans forward. “Yeah?”

“But you said you’d go first, so you have to wait.”

Alfie snorts and nods. “Got me. Okay… something no one else knows.” His nails tap on the table. “I like the harmonica and have a small collection from all over the world.”

I blink back at him. “I never would have guessed.”

“I know the instrument annoys a lot of people, but I find it soothing. Plus, damn near anyone can learn how to play it. I’m not that smart, but?—”

“Don’t say that. You’re smarter than you give yourself credit for.” I know it.

“Okay, I’m not very musically inclined, and I’ve tried so many times with different instruments. The only thing that clicks is the harmonica.”

That’s so charming. He’s charming. I might already have fallen for him. Alfie looks at me expectantly, but I can’t look him in the eye right now.

“My name isn’t really Pisces, but Pisces is the name I chose for myself.”

“Pisces suits you, though.”

“I think so anyway. I like it better than Peter,” I mumble my given name.

Alfie’s eyes go wide. “Like?—”

“Yes, like Peter Cottontail,” I groan out.

“Pisces is much better.”

“That’s what I think.” Too bad I’m not really a Pisces, but a Taurus, but Taurus didn’t feel like the right name for me.

The server brings out our drinks. Water for me and sweet tea for Alfie. We put in our orders and the server leaves us again.

Maybe I can be brave. Share with Alfie more about myself than even Yolanda knows. “I don’t tell people this, but my biological parents gave me up. They were both rabbit shifters and… well… rabbits tend to have giant families, procreating until they just can’t anymore. I was their last, a single birth, number twenty-two, and they decided I was the one they couldn’t keep. Apparently, twenty-one kids were all they could afford. So, they gave me away.”

“I’m sorry.” Alfie strokes my hand.

“It’s fine. I got a letter when I turned eighteen explaining it all and my family history. I didn’t go looking for them, they haven’t come looking for me. It is what it is. I don’t care for the most part. But it makes me feel guilty about wanting a large family. What if?—”

Alfie squeezes my hand. “You’re allowed to dream big.”

“I never thought I’d find someone that would understand me, so I’ve kept to myself. Never dreamed about having the family I want. Which is about seven kids, if I’m being honest. And I… I’m not a virgin, but the only sex I’ve had is heat sex in clinics with random alphas assigned to me.” My face heats. My heart pounds. No one knows any of that. A cold sweat prickles my brow as embarrassment floods through my body.

The color drains from Alfie’s face and I pull away. I’ve scared him. He doesn’t want that many kids. He thinks I’m a weirdo.

I push to my feet, ready to hightail it to the bathroom to cry in peace.

“Pisces.” His soothing voice brings me down from the brink of panic. “Please stay. I know you’re upset, but for the life of me, I don’t know why. There’s nothing embarrassing about what you’ve shared with me. And…” He nibbles his bottom lip and looks at me through his lashes. “Seven kids sound perfect,” he whispers. “I’m an only child and I’ve always been envious of my fellow elves with siblings.”

I drop back into my chair and stare at him. “You really wouldn’t mind seven kids?”

He shakes his head. “I used to help in the North Pole daycare when I had free time and loved every minute of it. I think if I weren’t so good with calligraphy, Santa would have transferred me to the daycare unit permanently. But, uh, I’d have to rein in what I spelled out with the alphabet magnets around kids.”

“They wouldn’t have understood what you spelled out.” I bite back a grin, but when his stunning smile beams back at me, I can’t help it.

“I hope you brought your appetites!” the server says as they bring out our food.

The warm scent of freshly baked rolls and roast beef fills my senses. We both dig in and I moan into my first bite.

“I don’t usually have big meals,” I confess. “Certainly not with sexy alphas.”

“Life with me will be… different. Let me paint the future for you.” Alfie wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “Pieces of Pisces is so busy you have to have several employees to help run it. I’m your promo manager. You do your thing and keep the whole place running the way you like it ran. When we’re ready, we’ll start a family. The shop will sustain all nine of us or more, however many kids we have. We’ll go on adventures when the kids are old enough. We have loads of friends. And most of all, we’re deeply deeply in love.”

“Sounds beautiful.” I sigh and take another bite. What would a future like that be like?

“It’ll be hard work, but we’re both hard workers.” The determined look in Alfie’s eyes tells me he really does believe his words. Maybe I can too.

“I’m willing to give it a go.”

“Really?” Alfie has a roll poised to his lips, and he drops it. “You want to?”

“I want to see where fate takes us. I want to see this vision played out.”

We chat as if we’re old friends. Alfie is the easiest person to talk to and the longer we talk, the more at ease I become. Just his voice calms my itchy brain. Usually I’d be anxious, ready to dart out of the restaurant as soon as possible, but with Alfie, I want to just be with him. We share a dessert and before I know it, we’re back at my car.

Without even thinking, I hand him the keys.

“Can I kiss you, Pisces?”

Nerves come back and eat at my stomach. “There’s something I forgot to mention before.”

“You’ve never been kissed?”

I nod. “I’ve never dated. Never been kissed. Never made love.”

“We have a lot of firsts to look forward to.” He eyes my lips, but doesn’t move.

Alfie is letting me set the pace. Everything is on my timeline, and he’s not pushing me for anything. The simple request for a kiss was a request only.

I stand on my tiptoes and press my hands to his cheeks, taking in his beautiful honey eyes. Alfie leans into me and when our lips connect, it’s like the world stops for just us. His arms wrap around me, pulling me closer, and I can’t get enough of him. He tastes like dessert. Like Alfie. Like sunshine. Like life itself. His hands thread in my hair and I want him closer still.

Too soon, the kiss ends, and we gasp for breath.

“So that’s kissing.” No, that’s kissing my fated.

“Yeah,” Alfie’s as dazed as I am. We stumble apart and climb into my car.

But I don’t want to stop. I launch at him from across the center console, needing to touch him. He chuckles and lets me slide into his lap. We just stare at each other from this position until, like we’re sharing a brain, we kiss. Again and again. Just kissing. Feeling. Exploring with hands. Nothing below the belt, but we don’t need that. Not yet.

“Pisces,” Alfie breathes out my name when we break for air. He nuzzles my neck and I practically melt in his arms right here. I never want to be too far from him. “Let’s get some place more comfortable. We don’t have to do anything more than kiss.” He kisses my nose and I slide back over to my side of the vehicle.

“Got carried away.” But embarrassment doesn’t burn through me. No, I feel empowered more than anything.