Welcome Ayla Ruse!

Happy December everyone!   This is my favorite time of the year: cooler weather, festivities going on everywhere, and wishes. What would life be without wishes?

In Emmy’s Wish, the dear little Workshop Elf is asking – no, begging - for a huge, um, male for Christmas. All the Workshop Elves are well, little, and Emmy wants a taste of something more.

Have you had your own Christmas wishes? Something you wanted more than anything?  One of mine, believe it or not had been to get a Kitchen Aid mixer. What about you? I’d love to hear some of your Christmas wishes.

Emmy's Wish by Ayla Ruse

Excerpt:

Emmy woke up Christmas morning hopeful, excited, and with eyes squeezed shut. She took a deep breath and peeked to her right.

Damn. No hulking male. Shrugging her shoulders, she bounced out of her bedroom. Her destination: the kitchen, and breakfast. Even though it was still early and not much sunlight filtered in, she didn’t turn on her lights. She’d decorated the high, open beams throughout her cottage with bright, twinkling, multi-colored rope lights, lending a festive glow throughout her home. Dancing a little to make her bell sing as she made her way into the living room, she didn’t pay attention around her, and her leg banged against something solid. Off balance, she fell over the obstacle and landed hard on the floor.

“Mmm, Merry Christmas to me,” a low, male voice resonated through the room.

Emmy froze with her forearms on the floor, and her waist caught over what she quickly realized was a male leg.

“Does that sweet ass come with a face?” the voice inquired seductively.

Her initial embarrassment fled and excitement poured through her. She pushed up to her hands, turned her head and became speechless at the sight of the male draped across her couch. As she looked up his length, his clothing stood out first. His pants and shirt shimmered a blue and white blend that reminded her of the frozen lakes out back. She smiled at the bulge growing under his pants, but moved her eyes up to his face. Lean yet formidable, his dark skin stood out starkly against so much white. It was difficult to pinpoint under the colored glow in the room, but she’d put his coloring at a light smoky gray. Like the first shadows to fall at dusk. His white hair was long, thick, and shaggy -- not in a derelict way, but more of a blending in with nature kind of way.

She stopped breathing when their gazes locked. His eyes were white, with icy blue irises and a brighter starburst of white for pupils. He tilted his head and her gaze averted to his pointed ears. Elf’s ears. It couldn’t be.

“You’re an elf?” she asked incredulously.

He nodded. “I’m a Border Elf.”

“The ones that protect and patrol the North Pole? I’d heard you guys were ugly.”

The Border Elf laughed out loud.

“You are definitely not ugly,” she said hurriedly, teetering on his leg as she worked herself upright. Once on her feet, she didn’t stay there for long. She crawled right up and over the male and straddled his hips as if she’d done so a million times before.

“Whoa.” He grinned. His blinding smile dazzled her. “What’s this about?”

“Santa sent you, right?”

“He did. He told me he had an elf who wanted to play with a Border for a day.”

She clapped her hands and, raising her head, whispered, “Thank you, Santa.” Looking back into the arresting face of the male underneath her, she said, “You’re my gift. I get to play with you all day!”

Today, Ayla is giving away an ebook from her backlist to one lucky winner. To enter, answer Ayla's question above about your Christmas wishes, or comment on her post in some other way. Her contest will stay open all day, and her winner will be announced tomorrow on the thread.