Page 2 of Santas' Elf

He reached out and squeezed my shoulder. “I’ll let you get back to work.”

“Yeah.”

He walked out and I sighed. “Well… if nothing else, it’s an extra bullet point on my resume.”

Chapter 2 - Pete

“Fantastic, thank you,” I said into the phone. “I’ll let Warren know.”

“We’re looking forward to having you two again this year,” replied the mall manager.

“We’re excited too.”

“Stop by the office to sign your contracts when you get a chance. I assume you still have your own costumes?”

“Yep.”

“Great. See you soon.”

“See you soon.”

I ended the call, then walked over and took a seat next to my husband.

“Was that the mall?” Warren asked as he wrapped an arm around my waist.

I leaned against him and rested my head on his shoulder. “Yep. We got the job again this year.”

“Did they tell you who the third Santa will be?”

“Yes, but it wasn’t a name I recognized from previous years.”

He shrugged and turned to kiss my forehead, his well-groomed beard soft against my skin.

I ran my fingers through it as I tipped up my chin to kiss him back. “I have to admit I’m a bit jealous,” I said when we parted.

“Hmm? About what?”

“You won’t have to bleach your beard.”

He chuckled against my lips. “Are you making fun of my premature graying?”

“Maybe,” I teased.

He laughed and ran his fingers across my stomach. “Then I’m jealous that I need more padding than you.”

“Hey!” I protested with a laugh. “You like my belly.”

He slipped his fingers under the hem of my shirt, making me shiver. “I do like your belly.”

“Mmm,” I hummed. “I’ll still need to pad to fill out the suit.”

“Oh what a shame,” he purred, leaning in and running his hand across my skin. “You know…”

“Nope,” I laughed, pressing a finger to his lips. “This Santa isn’t going to eat extra cookies just so his husband walks around with a stiffy more often.”

“Hmph,” he sat back with a pout.

I laughed harder. “You used to love my flat belly, remember that?”