by Amy Lamont
Something clicked in my head. Something had made me run a check on that clerk after I had a run in with him and the other investigator Ivy’s father hired. I hadn’t come up with any evidence he’d committed a crime, but the stuff he spent his time looking at online was enough to give me nightmares for a week.
My eyes moved to Ivy. “I don’t want to turn you over to your father. Something was bothering me about the file since the moment I got it. I didn’t call him this afternoon. I called my boss. I thought the episode you had today was part of your…illness. I wanted to talk to him about hooking us up with the counselor some of the guys work with and a lawyer to help navigate getting you out of your father’s guardianship.”
She shook her head. “Not an episode. A premonition.”
“What?”
“This afternoon. I had a premonition. I saw you bringing me up to your room and sending me to the shower while you looked at my file on your tablet. I saw you pick up your phone, but it ended there. I just assumed you were calling my father to claim your bounty.”
“No.” Hope speared me like a shaft of light through my chest. Her description of what I did this afternoon was pretty accurate. “A premonition?”
She nodded. “I don’t usually react badly to them. But I don’t usually find out the man I spent twenty-four hours in bed with is really waiting to turn me into the father who wants to use me for his own personal gain.” She chuckled a little, finally sounding like the woman I knew and not some hollowed out version of herself. “How did you think I managed to stay a step ahead of the men my father sent after me? I have the survival skills of a toddler. The day in Montana was the first time I saw you in a premonition. I woke up in the middle of the night and had a vision of the man tracking me paying the hotel clerk for information. And then you walked in behind them and told him his services were no longer needed. I was tempted to stick around and figure out exactly who you were since I’d been dreaming about you for a month. But I didn’t have much faith in my ability to not get caught if I didn’t get out of town.”
“That’s exactly what happened in Montana,” I said, unable to hide the awe in my voice.
She tilted her head toward her shoulder. “I know. Why do you think I’m so valuable to my father? My premonitions have an almost one hundred percent accuracy rate.”
And in that moment, I knew she was telling the truth. Relief poured through me. I had planned on keeping her no matter what. She was my mate. In sickness and in health until, death do us part. But knowing I was wrong about what I witnessed this afternoon lifted a weight from my shoulders. I couldn’t bear to see her in that kind of anguish on a regular basis.
“Stay with me,” I said.
“What?”
“You and I are meant to be. I knew it the minute I saw your photo in that file. And you’ve known it since the minute I turned up in your dreams. You just didn’t want to admit it when you thought I was in cahoots with your father.”
She stared at me for what felt like eternity. I watched the emotions war on her face. She wanted to believe in me. Believe in us. But I couldn’t blame her for doubting.
I closed the distance between us and took her hand. I placed it over my heart and dropped my forehead to hers. “I love you, sweetheart. You’re mine. And make no mistake, if you go back on the run or return to your father or negotiate your own deal with the government, I’m going to keep tracking you down. You’re not going to get rid of me that easily.”
She held my gaze for a long moment before the doubt fell away and she threw herself in my arms, tucking her face into my neck. I felt her tears against my skin. “I knew you were the man of my dreams.”
“And you’re the woman of mine,” I said quietly, my lips beside her ear.
Her arms got tighter around me and I shudder went through her as if she was fighting off tears.
I pulled back so I could look down into her tear-filled blue eyes. “Does this mean you’ll stay with me?”
She tilted her head to the side and gave me a wobbly smile. “Can we get a Christmas tree?”
Love and relief and too many emotions to count poured through me as I pulled my mate into my body. “We can get anything you want, sweetheart.”
She held on tight. “Then you’ve got yourself a deal.”
Epilogue
Ivy
I woke up Christmas morning to find two dark eyes staring down at me.
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
I smiled up at my dream man. It was hard to believe that I’d only known him for weeks. I felt like he’d been part of me forever. From what Cole explained to me, that’s how things worked with shifters. They mated for life and even when their mates were human, that bond was felt on both sides.
I leaned up and kissed his stubble-covered jaw. “Mmm, merry Christmas.”
I raised my gaze to the tree. Not only did my bear shifter make good on his promise to get me a tree. He’d gotten us the biggest one he could fit in his great room and outfitted it with so many white lights, I think he thought it was a competition to see if he could outshine the Northern lights.
Last night after we’d spent the evening with members his new den, we’d come home and he’d surprised me with a bed mattress set up under the tree so we could spend the night under the lights of our Christmas tree. And every last minute of the night from there on out was nothing short of magical.
“Presents?” he asked.
I grinned. “I wouldn’t say no to opening a present or two.”
Cole laughed, a sound I loved and got the feeling he didn’t have the opportunity to do much of before I came along. It made me feel better knowing I gave him that lightness. I wanted to give him something after everything he’d given me.
And that everything included my freedom. Turned out Cole and his employers at Ursus Security Solutions had connections in pretty high places. They’d been able to find out more about the information I shared with Cole, and the government agency my father worked with was none too pleased to find out I was being used like a science experiment. They’d been waiting until I reached adulthood to approach me about hiring me, and they’d been under the impression I’d given my father power of attorney to negotiate for me.
So now I had a job offer from the government. And Cole’s fears had been put to rest about my abilities. Even after he asked me to stay, I knew that had been a bit of a worry for him. His desire to believe me warred with his desire to make sure I was healthy and happy.
And my father had been brought up on charges of fraud among other things. I tried really hard to dig up some sympathy for him, but knowing his true thoughts and his plans for my future, I couldn’t say I minded knowing he’d be behind bars and out of my life for a good long time.
Cole turned to me with a small box he’d pulled from out of the mountain of presents we had under the tree. I might have gone a little crazy getting him gifts once I’d been allowed to hit the stores again.
He placed the box on my stomach. I picked it up and turned it over in my hand. It was wrapped in gold foil with a pretty red ribbon tied around it. I slowly pulled the paper and ribbon off and when I saw the black velvet box inside, my heart started pounding in my chest.
“Did you have any premonitions about this?” Cole asked.
I shook my head as he tugged me into a sitting position and got on one knee in front of me. He pulled the box from my hand.
“Ivy, you know in my heart and soul, I’m already mated to you. You are mine and I’m yours. Always.”
I nodded, his words causing tears to sting behind my eyes.
“But I know that shifers and our ways are new to you. I know you feel our commitment as deeply as I do.”
I nodded again and this time a few tears leaked out.
He opened the box and I gasped as a gorgeous diamond ring winked up at me.
“Ivy Quinn, will you do me the very great honor of being my mate and my wife?”
A sob escaped me as I threw myself in
to his arms.
He laughed as he caught me to his chest. “Can I take this as a yes?”
“Yes,” I said into his neck. “I want to marry you. And be your mate. And have your little bear shifter babies.”
“Babies, huh?”
“Don’t think it’s escaped my attention that we’ve never once had a discussion about birth control.” I shook my head at him, using a finger to wipe the tears from my eyes.
“Well, I guess it’s a good thing you’re going to let me make an honest woman of you if you’re going to be having my cubs, isn’t it, sweetheart?” His voice had that grumbly growl that I loved as he pulled the ring from the box and slipped it on my finger.
“Definitely a good thing,” I said turning my face up to his for a kiss as I marveled at how far my life had come in a month.
He obliged me by giving me one of the long, lingering, deep kisses that I loved.
Definitely a good thing.
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Christmas with the Billionaire
Holiday Encounters Book One
The Bet
Emma
The four of us tripped onto the train in turkey-induced stupors. We managed to snag the seats at the end of the aisle that faced each other, letting us keep our little huddle intact.
I dropped into one of the vinyl-covered seats with a sigh. That last slice of chocolate cream pie pretty much sucked my will to move. Heading out into the chilly November evening to catch a train home stretched me to my limits.
“Oh my God, I’ve never been so happy to be on New Jersey transit in my life.” Paige sank into the seat next to mine.
“Holy crap,” said Jade as she fell into the spot across from me, “me, too. My parents had Thanksgiving catered for forty and we only had twenty-five people. I’ve never seen that much food in my life.”
Katelyn slid into the seat next to Jade. “I just wish all the food kept my family from talking so much. Apparently interrogating me is right up there with the parade and football when it comes to favorite Thanksgiving Day activities.”
“You, too?” Paige asked. “I swear my parents and aunts and uncles planned an ambush before Emma and I got there.”
I nodded. I’d spent most holidays with Paige and her family since my parents were killed in a car crash when I was in tenth grade. I guess they considered me part of the family now because nobody hesitated to ask me about jobs and possible matrimonial prospects. Since I had zero romantic interests at the moment, and I’d rather eat Paige’s mom’s green bean and okra casserole than explain what I did for a living to Paige’s geriatric aunts, keeping my mouth stuffed seemed like the best defense.
“I don’t get it,” Jade said. “I feel like we lived our whole lives for this moment. We graduated from college. We’re out there in the real world. Isn’t this supposed to be the most exciting time in our lives? Why would we be in any hurry to find husbands and settle down?”
I didn’t know if we were totally out in the real world yet, considering we still lived rent free in the apartment Jade’s parents bought when the four of us decided to go to colleges in Manhattan. But I got her point.
“Let’s see, I spent last Saturday night pulling an all-nighter to catch up on studying and the Saturday before that cleaning up puke at the hospital. What could be more glamorous and exciting than that?” Paige shifted and put her long legs up, tucking her feet into the seat next to Katelyn.
“At least you have the chance to mingle with lots of hot doctors,” Jade said.
Paige rolled her eyes. “First of all, if my class is anything to go by, hot is definitely not a prerequisite to get into medical school. And even if there are a few hot, single doctors, most of them aren’t interested in lowly volunteer med students covered in vomit.”
“Ugh, please stop talking about vomit.” Katelyn rubbed her stomach. “I think medical school sounds exciting compared to how I spend my days. I thought being a social worker meant I’d spend all day helping kids. Instead I spend most of the time doing paperwork, trying to deal with a bunch of bureaucratic bullshit, and making latte runs for my boss.”
Jade sighed and slumped further into her seat. “At least you guys have jobs in your fields. My art degree isn’t exactly opening doors for me all over the city. Juggling temp work and job hunting sucks.”
I twisted one of my curls around a finger. I didn’t know that I would call my current employment my dream job, but I got to write every day and get paid for it. And to be honest, I kind of liked working from home and being able to stay connected to my friends despite all the odd hours they kept.
Jade popped up straight in her seat, her silky, black hair swinging with her movement. “We need to do something to shake things up. If our lives aren’t as exciting as we’d like, we need to do something about it.”
My stomach churned and it had nothing to do with the turkey, stuffing, or two slices of pie. Jade’s tone told me she already had an idea to shake things up. And for some reason her schemes always felt like getting on a roller coaster without a seatbelt. I wrapped my arms around my middle and braced myself.
“What do you have in mind?” Paige asked.
Jade’s gaze hit each of us and then she grinned. “I’m thinking we should make a bet.”
“A bet?” Katelyn glanced my way and her single look said it all. Jade’s wild hairs tended to scare the crap out of her, too.
“Yup,” Jade said. “I say we make a bet to see who can have the wildest adventure.”
Paige leaned forward. Shit, I recognized that look on her face. She was already on board.
“What kind of adventure?” Paige asked.
“It can be anything we want. But it has to push each of us out of our comfort zone.” Jade’s eyes rested on me briefly when she made that last comment. “And we have to do it sometime in the next six weeks. Whoever has the adventure of a lifetime by New Year’s Day wins.”
“But who’s going to decide which adventure is the wildest?” Paige asked.
Nobody spoke for a moment and I closed my eyes. Maybe we’d all lapse into Thanksgiving comas and forget this idea.
“We vote.”
My eyes popped open. Since when did Katelyn encourage Jade’s crazy schemes? One look showed me she was serious. A determined glint lit her brown eyes.
Huh. What the heck was that all about?
I peered over at Paige to find a similar look on her face. That wasn’t so surprising. She’d been known to come up with a few crazy ideas herself over the years.
“Good idea. On New Year’s Day we all vote anonymously on who had the best adventure. The only rule is we can’t vote for ourselves,” Paige said.
Jade nodded, a mischievous grin lighting her delicate features. “Perfect.”
“What does the winner get?” Katelyn asked.
“You mean besides bragging rights?” Paige ran a finger over her lower lip. “How about cash? If we all throw two hundred and fifty dollars in the pot, that’ll be a thousand for the winner.”
Katelyn bit her lip. I knew money was tight for her. Even with Jade’s parents covering our housing expenses, living in the city didn’t come cheap. And social workers weren’t exactly paid the big bucks.
“How about a favor from each of us?” I blurted out before I thought better of it.
Well, shit. What was wrong with me? I had no desire to be part of this bet.
Jade rubbed her hands together. “This is getting interesting. What kind of favors?”
I looked around at my friends, all three of them eyeballing me eagerly. Great. I held back a groan and pulled in a deep breath. Looked like I was in this. I might as well just keep going. “How about if we leave it open-ended? We’ll each owe the person who wins a favor of their choosing. It’ll be up to the winner to decide what they want.”
“I love it,” Paige said.
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“Me, too.” Jade nodded.
“Count me in,” Katelyn said.
All eyes swung back to me.
I sighed. “Fine. I guess I could use a little more adventure in my life. I’m in.”
“Fabulous! It’s a bet.” Jade sank back in her seat. “Finally things are going to get good around here.”
I leaned my head against the cold windowpane, concentrating on the vibrations of the glass on my cheek. I could pretend to go along with the bet, and let my friends have a little excitement if they needed it.
But then the thought of the favors they might extract if I didn’t at least try to win floated through my head.
What had I gotten myself into?
Chapter 1
“Come with us, Emma.”
I shook my head as two of my three roommates headed for the apartment door. I couldn’t help my grin. If they wanted adventure, they’d get it in those outfits—hair out to there, short skirts, high heels. They were taking no prisoners.
“Thanks, but no thanks. I’m good here.” I gestured to the table laden with Chinese takeout cartons and then to my comfy pink flannel pajamas. I had zero desire to go out clubbing. Standing next to my gorgeous friends, I’d be next to invisible. “Besides, I promised Paige I’d keep her company.”
Paige strode into the room in yoga pants and an oversized Columbia University sweatshirt. She threw herself onto the sofa across from my chair, snatching up a carton of Kung Pao chicken and a pair of chopsticks as she went. “Don’t use me as an excuse. I’ve gotten about four hours sleep in the last two days. I’m scarfing down some food and then I plan on being unconscious for the next eight hours at least.”
Dang. Foiled. I stuck my tongue out at her and she blinked slowly and then stared back at me, all wide-eyed innocence. I narrowed my eyes. Innocent, my ass.
“We’ll wait if you want to get changed,” Katelyn said, sweet as always.