should have been full out weeping by now. She took a deep breath. “Okay. Here goes.”
Before she could continue, someone—or something—in the basement began to shriek.
Chapter Nine
M EAGHAN GRABBED THE saucepan off the counter and pulled open the cellar door, John right behind her. The shrieking grew louder. She flipped on the light switch and they ran down the stairs.
Natalie, naked except for the sheet wrapped around her, was standing in the middle of the basement, glaring at the elf. “Stop leering at me, you sick bastard pervert!” She whirled toward Meaghan and John. “That asshole elf was pretending to be asleep.”
The elf wasn’t shrieking, Meaghan realized. It was laughing, at a pitch and volume that made her ears feel like they were bleeding. She looked around. Owen hopped out of the shadows, zipping up his trousers.
“Can you shut this thing up?” Meaghan shouted to him.
“Sure.” Owen grabbed the saucepan from Meaghan and backhanded the elf across the side of its face. With one final shriek, the elf crumpled to the ground. Owen gestured toward Natalie with the saucepan. “I told you hexing wouldn’t work. When they start caterwauling like that, it’s cold iron time.”
John stepped toward the elf and stared down at it. “I thought they were supposed to be beautiful. This one is not.”
“It’s all the dampening spells,” Owen said. “It can’t mess with your head.”
“No,” Natalie said. “It just likes to watch.” She kicked the unconscious elf several times. “Pervert.”
“Calm down, Red,” Owen said. “I think we got him.”
Natalie, her anger waning, took in Meaghan and John gawking at her, then looked down at the sheet she wore. “Oh. Shit. Um . . .” She looked back at them, her face flushing. “We were . . . um . . .”
Owen handed the saucepan back to Meaghan. “They know what we were doing.” He grinned at Meaghan. “Don’t kick my ass. I really like your sister. I have for a while.” He nodded at John. “Sorry for the drama.”
John grinned at Meaghan. “I like this one. He’s not like the other leprechauns.”
“So,” Meaghan said, feeling her own embarrassment. “I guess we’ll be heading upstairs now. Leave you . . . to it. Um . . .”
“I think we’re done for now,” Owen said. “Mr. Elf will be out cold for a while, if you want to head upstairs.” He smacked Natalie lightly on the bottom. “Come on, firecracker, let’s go clean up a little and let your sister process all this. When does Lynette get here?”
“Six, I think.” Natalie adjusted the sheet more tightly around herself and bent to pick up an overnight bag. “What time is it?”
“Five forty-three,” Owen said, looking at his watch.
“Oh, shit.” Natalie scurried for the stairs. She caught Meaghan’s eye on the way past. “Don’t tell her anything, okay?”
“Not a word,” Meaghan said.
“The gossip will start and I’m . . .”
Meaghan looked at Owen. Natalie was obviously embarrassed, but Meaghan couldn’t tell how much of it was being caught like this and how much was being caught like this with Owen.
Owen winked at Meaghan. He didn’t seem to care.
Which made Meaghan feel a flash of sisterly protectiveness. She stared at him, eyes narrowed.
Natalie must have been paying better attention than Meaghan realized. “I really like him. This has been brewing for a while. Don’t get all impervious and ass-kicky, okay?”
John snorted back a laugh.
Meaghan raised an eyebrow. “Have I really been that touchy?”
“Yes,” Owen and Natalie said in unison.
Meaghan sighed. “We’ll keep an eye on him until Lynette gets here. Go get dressed.” She glared at Owen. “If you’re just getting laid—”
“I know. You’ll kick my ass, blah blah blah.” He and Natalie climbed the stairs, giggling.
“Would you get me some more coffee?” Meaghan asked John.
He stared at the unconscious elf.
Meaghan hoisted the saucepan.
Before she could continue, someone—or something—in the basement began to shriek.
Chapter Nine
M EAGHAN GRABBED THE saucepan off the counter and pulled open the cellar door, John right behind her. The shrieking grew louder. She flipped on the light switch and they ran down the stairs.
Natalie, naked except for the sheet wrapped around her, was standing in the middle of the basement, glaring at the elf. “Stop leering at me, you sick bastard pervert!” She whirled toward Meaghan and John. “That asshole elf was pretending to be asleep.”
The elf wasn’t shrieking, Meaghan realized. It was laughing, at a pitch and volume that made her ears feel like they were bleeding. She looked around. Owen hopped out of the shadows, zipping up his trousers.
“Can you shut this thing up?” Meaghan shouted to him.
“Sure.” Owen grabbed the saucepan from Meaghan and backhanded the elf across the side of its face. With one final shriek, the elf crumpled to the ground. Owen gestured toward Natalie with the saucepan. “I told you hexing wouldn’t work. When they start caterwauling like that, it’s cold iron time.”
John stepped toward the elf and stared down at it. “I thought they were supposed to be beautiful. This one is not.”
“It’s all the dampening spells,” Owen said. “It can’t mess with your head.”
“No,” Natalie said. “It just likes to watch.” She kicked the unconscious elf several times. “Pervert.”
“Calm down, Red,” Owen said. “I think we got him.”
Natalie, her anger waning, took in Meaghan and John gawking at her, then looked down at the sheet she wore. “Oh. Shit. Um . . .” She looked back at them, her face flushing. “We were . . . um . . .”
Owen handed the saucepan back to Meaghan. “They know what we were doing.” He grinned at Meaghan. “Don’t kick my ass. I really like your sister. I have for a while.” He nodded at John. “Sorry for the drama.”
John grinned at Meaghan. “I like this one. He’s not like the other leprechauns.”
“So,” Meaghan said, feeling her own embarrassment. “I guess we’ll be heading upstairs now. Leave you . . . to it. Um . . .”
“I think we’re done for now,” Owen said. “Mr. Elf will be out cold for a while, if you want to head upstairs.” He smacked Natalie lightly on the bottom. “Come on, firecracker, let’s go clean up a little and let your sister process all this. When does Lynette get here?”
“Six, I think.” Natalie adjusted the sheet more tightly around herself and bent to pick up an overnight bag. “What time is it?”
“Five forty-three,” Owen said, looking at his watch.
“Oh, shit.” Natalie scurried for the stairs. She caught Meaghan’s eye on the way past. “Don’t tell her anything, okay?”
“Not a word,” Meaghan said.
“The gossip will start and I’m . . .”
Meaghan looked at Owen. Natalie was obviously embarrassed, but Meaghan couldn’t tell how much of it was being caught like this and how much was being caught like this with Owen.
Owen winked at Meaghan. He didn’t seem to care.
Which made Meaghan feel a flash of sisterly protectiveness. She stared at him, eyes narrowed.
Natalie must have been paying better attention than Meaghan realized. “I really like him. This has been brewing for a while. Don’t get all impervious and ass-kicky, okay?”
John snorted back a laugh.
Meaghan raised an eyebrow. “Have I really been that touchy?”
“Yes,” Owen and Natalie said in unison.
Meaghan sighed. “We’ll keep an eye on him until Lynette gets here. Go get dressed.” She glared at Owen. “If you’re just getting laid—”
“I know. You’ll kick my ass, blah blah blah.” He and Natalie climbed the stairs, giggling.
“Would you get me some more coffee?” Meaghan asked John.
He stared at the unconscious elf.
Meaghan hoisted the saucepan.
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