What are besties for?
After a quick trip into the house, Dani returned with the last of what she needed to complete her masterpiece—a carrot. She shoved the carrot in the snowman to represent his penis and smiled widely. “Ah, now that’s decorating.”
“Help me. He’s stuck,” Mimi said, wiggling her backside to the Christmas music she’d insisted on playing from her cell phone as she yanked on the oversized Santa, trying to free him from his box. “He’s too big.”
Dani laughed. “Is there such a thing as a man who is too big? Speaking of size, I need a bigger carrot for my snowman. Hmm, do you think a cucumber would work better?”
“Dani, get that off there!” Mimi shrieked.
“Fine. Go ahead. Suck the joy out of that holiday spirit you were so anxious for me to get.”
Mimi gasped as she lost her grip on the Santa. She fell backward and hit Dani, knocking her to the ground with a thud. A dull ache centered at the base of Dani’s skull. “Ouch.”
“Crap. Sorry,” said Mimi, trying but failing to get up. “Slippery spot. There are a bunch of them out here.”
The coppery taste of blood filled Dani’s mouth. She swallowed and bit back a groan as her already battered body adjusted to the newest onslaught of discomfort. Mimi would worry if Dani dared to let on that she’d not fully healed from the battle the night before. As a slayer, Dani healed nearly as fast as most supernaturals. But she’d gotten pretty knocked around and it would take her at least another day to be back to something close to normal. “Way to draw first blood.”
“Well, it really is the only way I can get a lick in on you,” Mimi said, laughing as she went to sit up.
Grabbing her friend’s wrist, Dani winked, keeping Mimi held down to the ground. “It’s snow angel time.”
“Dani?” Shocked didn’t even begin to cover the expression Mimi had on her face.
“You heard me. I’m letting out that inner child of mine. The one you were complaining about. Snow angels. Now. Or I go back to erotic snowman-building. Only this time”—she put her hands out wide—“I’ll make his cock the size of a zucchini.”
“I hate it when you use those words in public,” Mimi snipped, wrinkling her nose as Dani swooshed her arms and legs out, making her snow angel. “You could be a little more ladylike. It wouldn’t kill you.”
Grinning, Dani tossed a handful of snow at her. “Here I thought zucchini was a ‘Mimi correct’ word for it.”
Mimi wiped the snow from her face and rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. I swear, you let the first thing that comes into your mind fly right out. And do you ever think about anything but sex?”
“Yes, dear. Visions of sugarplums will be dancing through my head all night. If, and only if, the nightmares take a break long enough to allow that to happen.” No part of her wanted to upset Mimi with talk of the past, so Dani put her hand out and smiled. “Come on, you can help me castrate the snowman. When we’re done there, I’ve got three, almost four Santas we could do too. Oh, and twelve non-tiny reindeer. Wow, we could be at this all night.”
She pushed to her feet and made a move to rush toward the large Santa. Mimi grabbed her ankle and laughed. “Danielle, you are not going to deface Christmas decorations!”
“Not deface, de-dick, darling.” Twisting, slightly, Dani attempted to break Mimi’s hold on her without harming Mimi. The second she realized it wasn’t going to work, Dani gave in and fell forward. Mimi picked then to let go of her, leaving Dani slipping on a patch of ice. Both of them ended up on their backs in the snow again, laughing.
Chapter Two
Offer to stuff her stocking
“There a reason you keep staring out that window? You’ve been doing it since sunset when I got here.”
Cornell Sutton slipped his fingers around his whiskey tumbler, his dark gaze remaining in place as he stared out the window of his study and into the neighbor’s front yard. He couldn’t look away. She was out tonight, playing, enjoying herself, looking so carefree. She held his attention, unlike any other woman ever had or ever would.
Dani Malloye.
He longed for these rare moments when he could see her without any cares or worries and without her knowledge. She was always so guarded when she was around him and aware of his presence. Last night, he’d had to fight to keep from drawing her into his arms and holding her until dawn’s break. She had been injured in a battle, one he was sure had been staged to lure his enforcers out and then ambush them.
When he’d happened upon her in the alley and found her staggering, holding her side and bleeding, his rage had nearly taken hold of him. The demon he shared his body with had wanted to unleash its hell upon Dani’s attackers. Several had managed to elude capture, but he planned to hunt them on this night. They probably thought themselves safe, having lasted the day. However, they were anything but.
He had their scent.
And they’d dared to harm his Dani.
Oh, they would most certainly pay.
For now, he would watch the blonde who captivated him as she continued her youthful antics, bringing a smile to his face. A face that belonged to a man who all too often forgot to find pleasure and happiness in the things around him—a fault many immortals suffered from. Becoming jaded was easy to do.
As of late, Cornell had found himself falling into the trap. But he had Dani. She was his salvation. His tie to humanity, though he’d never actually been human.
She was a curious woman, one who managed to always keep him guessing. He knew of her past. Of the horrors she’d endured at a young age at the hands of those like him—vampires. When Cornell had been informed of what Dani had suffered through, he’d gone on a hunt for those who had harmed her and he made them pay—for weeks on end, again and again. Until they understood what a mistake it had been to harm Dani and those she loved.
Of what an error it had been to ever lay a hand upon his woman.
Mine.
Burning-hot need rushed over him, and he held his drink so tight he was amazed he didn’t shatter the glass. He had spent years longing for the woman, wanting to know the feel of her body against his, the taste of her lips, the sound she would make when coming.
“Ignoring me now, are you?” asked his best friend and fellow vampire, Finn Mackay. The man’s brogue had never waned in all the years he’d lived in the States.
Many supernaturals that had centuries under their belts tended to cling to certain aspects of old. Cornell did so in the form of his home. He had it built from memory, based off his home from long ago in Europe. This was not the first time he’d had the castle-like mansion recreated. It would more than likely not be the last, either.
“No. I am not ignoring you, despite how much I am considering it,” returned Cornell. “There is a reason I’m looking out the window. And I suspect you already know what that reason is.”
Finn whistled low and laughed. “Aye, you mean who. And my money would be on the tall blonde, not the tiny redhead, though she’s a looker. I would nae kick her out of my bed for eatin’ crackers.”
Cornell sighed, as all the reasons why he could never have Dani for himself, despite what the Fates appeared to think, rushed over him. She was a natural-born slayer. He was a vampire. She was his subordinate. He was her boss. The list went on and on. “It could never work.”
He watched as she danced around an obviously male snowman she’d built that was anatomically correct. Dani’s friend Mimi seemed too focused on adding light-up decorations to an already over-lit display to notice Dani’s antics.
Cornell had been obsessed with the young slayer since he’d first met her five years back, upon her completion of slayer training, and right before she had been officially brought into the Bureau for agent training. She was eighteen at the time. Far too young for him to have the feelings and desires he’d had stirring inside him. Cornell had placed a trusted friend in charge of overseeing Dani’s training within the Bureau, knowing his willpower was pushed too far wh
en it came to the stubborn blonde.
The last few years had been sweet agony for him, being near her day in and day out, yet not in the way he wished and longed for. He wanted her in his bed, by his side as a mate should be. He didn’t bother denying what he and his demon knew to be true—the real reason why he felt so drawn to her.
She’s my mate.
He knew the truth, though he’d not admitted it out loud just yet, let alone to her or anyone else. Besides, she wouldn’t be open to hearing such a proclamation from him. She always came off as disliking him greatly. It didn’t matter. He was more than fond of her.
With as old as he was, he knew better than to fight nature. It ended poorly for any who tried, and for some reason, many supernatural males did. They thought if they buried their heads in the sand, and pretended what was before their very nose was not true, then they could continue living the way they’d become accustomed to. He supposed it was a flaw of most alpha males, it didn’t matter what type of supernatural they were.
As a natural-born vampire, Cornell had never been a slave to his demon to the extent the sired were. But when it came to Dani Malloye, he found himself no more able to control his demon side than a newly sired vampire fledgling.
He moved his free hand to the window as he stared out at her, watching her laughing with her friend. It was difficult to keep from smiling as well—her expression was that infectious. He wanted to touch her, to know the feel of her skin. Countless hours were spent fantasizing about what she would feel like beneath him, his cock buried deep in her, their bodies intertwined.
“Corny, old buddy, old pal,” said Finn, interrupting Cornell’s thoughts. “I can smell your arousal and I do nae want to be here if yer going to start jerkin’ off. As close as we are, I have to draw the line somewhere. I pick there.”
Groaning, Cornell cast a speculative look over the top of his glass at Finn, who sat with his legs open, beer in hand. The beer was foaming over the sides of the glass and down his hand, onto a sofa worth thousands. “I greatly dislike being called Corny.”
“I know,” returned Finn with a waggle of his dark brows. “’Tis why I do it.”
Figures.
Finn stood and approached, dripping beer on his way over the oriental area rug, before joining Cornell at the window. “I see the way you look at her. And let’s nae forget where we’re standing, in the home you had built to be near her. That is nae creepy at all. Nope. Nae a bit.”
He had to admit that it was over the top to build his home directly next to Dani’s, yet he’d been unable resist being near her any longer.
Cornell wondered when and how he’d become such good friends with Finn. The Suttons weren’t known for their fun and fancy-free ways. Kendrick, one of Cornell’s brothers, was even worse. He lived by the rules and found comfort in routine. He was a born leader. Also, Kendrick had a low tolerance for Finn. Finn often goaded him when the opportunity presented itself. That was probably part of the problem. Cornell had always found Finn’s outlook refreshing and welcomed it. They’d been friends for centuries, but some days he did wonder how, since they had very little in common. He enjoyed Finn’s lust for life. Many vampires lost themselves over the years, moving far from their human ways.
Not Finn.
While Finn was certainly a force to be reckoned with in vampire circles, he kept hold of his humanity, but that was perhaps because he had started out as human. Unlike Cornell and his siblings. Finn’s ability to stay removed from his demon—something almost unheard of in those who had been sired—had been what prompted Cornell to ask the man to oversee Dani’s training. And Finn had done him proud.
Cornell stared out the window, his gut clenching. “She was injured last night.”
“She’s fine. I read the report. Banged up but fine, Cornell.”
He stiffened, regret washing over him, sinking deep and settling there. “I should have been there to help her from the start.”
“Her job is dangerous and she’s good at it,” Finn said, his tone light. “One of your team’s best enforcers.”
“I know, but it changes nothing. I let her be harmed,” he said, feeling defeated. He’d been tied up with another matter and had been unable to shadow Dani as he normally did.
“You’ve got it bad for her.” Laughing, Finn shook Cornell’s shoulder lightly. “Go over and speak to her. Nae as her boss but as a man. I seem to recall a time, long ago, when you were verra guid with the ladies. Try to remember what that was like.”
“What would I say?” he asked. The man he’d been long ago had left no trace of himself behind. He was a mere shadow of who he’d once been when it came to Dani. Once upon a time, he had wooed women to his bed nightly, using them to sate his needs—both sexually and blood-related—and then he’d send them away, having no desire for repeat visits. Dani was different. He ached for her so much that it tested his limits. Much more and something would give. He wasn’t sure what, and that terrified him. “At times, I run out of work-related items to discuss with her.”
“Offer to stuff her stockin’. Ladies love it when they get pumped full of a big one.”
Cornell choked on his whiskey and Finn patted his back.
“See, the idea of fillin’ her with yer holiday cheer has you speechless,” returned Finn with another chuckle.
Cornell groaned. “It really is amazing I don’t stake you myself.”
“I know, right?” Finn clapped his hands. “I’m also right about you needing to make yer move. If you do nae, she might find some handsome bastard and decide to shack up with him. You think seeing her get a little bruised on a hunt is bad. Imagine seeing her get the hell fucked out of her. She’s young and in the prime of her life. I do nae think she’s going to remain single forever. Do you?”
The very thought of Dani with another man set Cornell’s teeth on edge. His demon reared up, threatening to force fangs to show as his mood soured. He pushed his glass of whiskey at Finn and stormed toward the door, grabbing his coat as well. As a vampire he was already cooler than most and he wasn’t a fan of the bitter cold any more than anyone else.
Finn downed the last of the whiskey and rushed up behind him, laughing. “I do nae want to miss this. ‘Bout time you vampired-up, Corny.” He withdrew his cell. “I may record this so yer brothers believe me when I retell the tale.”
Cornell gave him a piercing look. “I am about to make a move on my mate and you’re worried about how this will appear when retold?”
“Aye.” He waggled his brows. “I should call Matthew. He’ll nae believe it. He thinks vamps are pussies when it comes to claiming their mates.”
Cornell came to a sudden stop and Finn ran into him from behind. “Why aren’t you surprised I called Dani my mate?”
Finn chuckled. “Every one of us but you two seem to have figured it out, buddy.”
“Really?”
“You should have heard yer sister,” said Finn. “She’s been threatening to lock the two of you in a room until you admit yer feelings for one another. Athena is strong. I’d be worried if I were you. Now, Operation Mate-Claiming has commenced. What can I do?”
“Avoid saying anything to piss her off,” answered Cornell.
“So yer saying I should nae speak. Got it.” Finn pointed. “Look, she’s on the ground. Best you take advantage of this straight away. Yer already way behind on making a move here.”
Cornell groaned as he took large steps through his snow-covered side yard in the direction of Dani’s front yard.
“Did you get a glimpse of the snowman? Sweet mercy, if the lass is after a dick that is only as big as a carrot…”
Cornell looked over his shoulder. “Finish the sentence. I dare you.”
“Nae. I’m guid.”
Chapter Three
Tall, dark, dead, and the boss
“Dani Malloye, do my eyes deceive me or are you playin’ in the snow? Bit old for snow angels, do you think?”
The sound of a Scottish brogue brought a
smile to Dani’s face. She knew that voice and had been friends with its owner from a young age. “Finn, I’m off the clock, and if you’re here to offer me overtime, I’m passing. I barely have a life. Sutton has me working fourteen-hour days as it is. He’s trying to kill me. I’m sure of it.”
“I doubt that verra much,” returned Finn.
With a snort, Dani lay on the ground still, shaking her head. “You’re wrong. I’m pretty sure he hates me. Why else would the man work me nonstop? Wait. Why are you here?”
“Cornell does nae hate you, lass. Far from it. And I had some business to attend to at Sutton’s,” he said with a laugh that was infectious. “Spotted you outside. Thought I’d stop by.”
Pushing up and off the ground, Dani made it less than one step before Mother Nature decided to place her on her backside once more. She lost her footing on the patch of ice, her feet went out from under her, and she flopped onto her backside. Discomfort exploded up her back, but her pride hurt more than anything. If she had been at full strength, a patch of ice would not have done her in.
Finn laughed, extending a hand down to her. “Trick spot, huh?”
“Want to kiss my boo-boo?” she asked.
“I do nae think that wise. Though I do know someone here who would be willing to kiss your arse,” he said, a suggestive note in his deep voice. “Though, I’d be willing to watch the actions happening.”
She stared into the grinning face of the man who had trained her when she was brought on as a slayer. “Of course you’d see me do a butt plant. It will be all around the office next week, won’t it? Tell me you didn’t get a picture of it. I don’t need to be the start of the next office blooper reel.”
Hunted Holiday: A Vampire Romance Page 2