Page 33 of The Naughty Elf

Son of a bitch thinks my flirting is inappropriate, does he? Well, he can just sit in syrup. I grin and offer donuts to the remaining five workers inside. I don’t find Sawyer anywhere. Usually, he’s tucked away somewhere, engrossed in a custom project.

Well, today is just full of surprises. I swing around to the entrance to find Ashley waiting, arms folded across his chest as he follows my every movement.

Done giving out treats, I flash Ashley a dirty smile, stepping closer in a slow, confident move. His arms drop, features softening as I near the door. I stop and glare at him.

“Ginger…” His voice is rough, but I hold up a hand to stop him.

“Don’t worry, I won’t stick around to distract you.” Flipping my hair, I breeze past him and stomp my way back to the office. Jackson isn’t in his office when I return, which is good. My mood has plummeted in the last ten minutes.

Stuffing the remaining few donuts in the fridge, I grab my lunch and bring it upstairs with me. I need a long bath when I get home to decompress after this.

Because, seriously, what the fuck is Ashley’s problem? If I’d known fucking him would transform him into a jealous asshole, I wouldn’t have crossed that line.

Probably.

This is so messed up.

Leaning back in my comfy office chair, I close my eyes and just breathe.

Until I hear footsteps coming up the stairs. God, now what?

I’m on my feet before Jackson rounds the corner, taking a quick look around. “You changed things around.”

I shrug. “Feeling a bit at loose ends with the carnival over.”

Hovering between him and my desk, I don’t really know what to do. Usually, I’m full of confidence, but I screwed the pooch by screwing all three of my bosses. What the fuck is wrong with me?

Why does everything have to be so awkward now?

But when Jackson meets my gaze, heat spreads from my middle, thawing out all of my worries. I barely blink before he’s stepped into my space, one hand around my waist and one hand in my hair as he lowers his mouth over mine.

I melt against him, grabbing the front of his shirt to kiss him back.

15

JACKSON

All of the tension in Ginger vanishes when I kiss her until she coils around me. God, I want to sink into her and never resurface. When I pull away, it’s not because I want to. The kiss is too short for my liking, but I keep her close.

I’m already imagining a slew of stolen moments in here with her. “Hey.”

Her blue eyes blaze up at me. I caress her cheek with my thumb, glad she doesn’t seem to regret what we did after the carnival. Especially when she bolted on me. We barely got to experience the afterglow.

My arms ached with the desire to hold her the entire weekend. I might be a bit too romantic, a bit too advanced for where the two of us currently stand, but I’ve also always known what I wanted.

And I want Ginger.

Her fingers graze my chin, her smile a small one. Intimate. Just for me. “Hey.”

Why did you run away? The question lingers on the tip of my tongue.

“You’ve been elusive all morning.” My fingers flex at the small of her back. I can’t seem to retreat from her. Not even an inch.

Her slender finger taps against my chest. “No. I haven’t. I’ve been here all morning.”

It’s not exactly what I mean. Ginger has been distant. Cool. Unruffled.

Not that I expected her to throw herself at me when she got to work. What I wanted first thing this morning was this.

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