Sugar, Spice, and Shifters: A Touch of Holiday Magic

by Élianne Adams

  In the end, those memories were what made her return to Encantamiento year after year. She longed to spend time with her loved ones and reconnect with her roots. Back in LA she was Jade Garcia, hot shot advertising executive, but here… she was just a little girl surrounded by the wonder of nature and the warmth of family.

  The winding road continued for a little while further but eventually the thickets of trees on either side of the path gave way to the sprawling resort. Cabins dotted the snow-covered landscape on either side of the road, available for people who wanted a more private experience. Ahead, the lodge loomed looking like a rambling gingerbread house with its frosted windows and snow-covered rooftops. Twinkling Christmas lights dangled from the eaves and along the railing that wrapped around the porch, and Jade could make out two gigantic wreaths hanging from the double doors.

  Beyond the house and further up the hill, Jade could see the ski slopes, still empty given the early morning hour. She knew by the number of cars parked outside the lodge that they would be full in just a few hours, though, and it made her glad that Encantamiento continued to be popular amongst the locals.

  Parking the car and making her way up to the front porch, Jade found her Abuelita already standing outside waiting for her.

  “Jade.” Abuelita’s face was wreathed in smiles as she embraced her, the scent of cinnamon and green chili enveloping her. “I’m so glad you made it. I was worried when you didn’t arrive yesterday.”

  Jade pulled back and kissed her grandmother on the cheek. “I’m sorry, Abuelita. I ended up stuck at work trying to finish up a project last minute and didn’t leave until really late.” She stifled a yawn. “I only slept a few hours, though, because I was so excited to get here.”

  Abuelita’s dark eyes widened in shock. “Don’t tell me you drove all night?”

  “That sounds exactly like my girl,” interjected the rich baritone that was Abuelito’s voice.

  The wooden stairs behind Jade creaked, and she turned to see her Abuelito walking up the steps to the front porch, dressed in a heavy flannel jacket, snow pants, and a fleece hat with ear flaps. His dark eyes sparkled as Jade flew into his arms, and he wrapped her up in his embrace, still as strong and comforting as when she was a child.

  “Oh, I missed you so much,” Jade murmured into the red and black plaid of his jacket. He smelled of wood smoke, tobacco and clean, fresh snow. “You’ve already been up at the slopes?”

  His handlebar mustache twitched as he grinned at her. “Someone’s gotta keep this place running, nina,” he said in that gravelly voice of his. He then moved passed her to lift one of her hefty suitcases. “Here, let’s get you inside to your room.”

  Jade grabbed the other suitcase before her Abuelita could and then followed her grandparents into the lodge. The foyer was just as she remembered it—cozy groupings of couches and chairs and bear rugs in front of multiple fireplaces where people could hang out and talk plus a bar towards the back where guests could order beverages and snacks.

  Overhead, the ceiling soared and Jade could see the garland-covered balconies of the three floors above where guests stayed. Christmas music floated from hidden speakers, adding charm to the already festive atmosphere and reminding Jade of the unwrapped presents in her trunk.

  The one thing Jade did not see in the middle of the foyer was a ten-foot tall Christmas tree. Her heart sank a little as she remembered her grandfather’s words from a couple of days ago—even though business was doing okay, they’d come upon a lot of unexpected expenses recently and money was pretty tight. Usually the tree would have been up by now, and there would have been presents under it for all the staff from her grandparents, as they did every year. Instead, there was a much smaller tree standing near one of the lounging chairs off to the right, decorated with a modest amount of Christmas ornaments and with only a few fake presents sitting atop the tree skirt.

  A sigh escaped Jade’s lips. She was going to have to do something about the lack of presents if she could.

  Jade waved at Gabriel, her cousin’s son who was checking in a guest at the front desk, and then hurried passed to keep up with her grandparents. Abuelito bypassed the huge, carved wooden staircase toward the rear in favor of the single-elevator, which they’d had installed about ten years ago. They rode up to the third floor where her grandparents kept a suite of rooms. Though they could have lived in any one of the cabins, they preferred to live in the lodge so as to stay close at hand in case they were needed.

  “Here you are,” Abuelita said, showing Jade to the guest room. It was the same room she always stayed in, just outside the living room. The cozy interior was adorned with hand-carved oak furniture and Indian-style blankets and rugs. “Do you want some breakfast? I was about to whip up some huevos rancheros.”

  The idea of a plateful of eggs, beans, salsa and guacamole served on one of her grandmother’s freshly made tortillas did sound appealing. But the queen-sized mattress’s call was stronger, and Jade wasn’t able to suppress a yawn.

  “I’d love some but maybe after a nap?” She asked, running a hand through her long brown curls.

  Her grandmother’s dark brown eyes scanned her critically. “Well, you do look healthy enough,” she relented. “I’ll feed you after you’ve slept. Sleep well, nina.”

  Jade blushed as her grandmother closed the door behind her and tugged a little on the pink sweater she wore. Abuelita hadn’t meant anything by what she’d said, but there was no denying that Jade was a big girl. Her thick, curvy shape was a far cry from the svelte figures that populated Hollywood. She tried not to let it bug her too much, but it was hard to ignore the pressure when all the other women who worked in her field looked as if they could model for one of their own advertisements.

  Oh, stop it with the negativity. Shaking her head, she pulled off her gloves, jacket and boots. It hasn’t gotten you to where you are now, and it won’t get you to anywhere else you’re trying to go.

  True. The fact that she was dwelling on it just meant that she was tired. Sighing, she curled up under the thick, welcoming covers, laid her head against the pillows, and promptly fell asleep.

  — — —

  “Jade? Jade!”

  Jade groaned at the sound of her Abuelito’s voice. Cracking open her eyelids, she looked at the digital clock by her bed and then jolted upright when she saw that it was two o’clock. Jesus, where’d the time go? I must’ve been asleep for at least six hours!

  “What is it?” She asked, jumping out of bed to pull open her bedroom door. Her grandfather’s troubled expression told her it wasn’t something as simple as missing breakfast. “Is something wrong?”

  Abuelito sighed. “Rachel’s car died on the way up here, and Gabriel has to head out. I hate to ask this of you so soon, but…”

  “You want me to cover the front desk.” Jade smiled and patted her grandfather’s shoulder despite the disappointment that panged in her chest. Helping out the family business was par for the course whenever she came to visit, but she was hoping to have at least one day of reprieve. “No problem, Abuelito. Just give me a few minutes to freshen up.”

  “Gracias, nina.” He enveloped her in another one of his hugs. “You’re the best.”

  Jade changed into a new pair of jeans and a green sweater that brought out the color in her eyes. With no time to shower, she settled for scrubbing her face over the sink until her cheeks were rosy, then quickly touched her face up with some make-up before heading down the stairs.

  Gabriel was standing by the reception desk, already buttoned up for the snowy weather outside. “Thanks so much,” he said, giving Jade a quick hug.

  “No problem.” Jade smiled up at him, amazed at how much taller the 19 year-old had grown since she’d last seen him. “I’ll have to catch up later with you and your mother, huh?”

  “For sure.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and was gone.

  Sighing, Jade settled behind the counter and re-familiarized herself with the computer, th
e register and the drawers. Her username and password from the previous year still worked, so she logged in and pulled up a game of solitaire so she’d have something to do since the lodge was mostly empty, its guests already checked in and out on the slopes.

  Ten minutes later, the door opened and a gust of cold air whooshed in behind it, distracting Jade from her game. She looked up as a tall, dark haired man dressed in a thick, heavy woolen jacket with a fleece lined hood and dark jeans entered the lodge. He stomped his snow-encrusted boots on the rug before looking up at her, causing her breath catch in her throat as his deep silver gaze connected with hers. Frozen to the spot, she could do nothing but stare as he approached, and the closer he got, the more his eyes pulled her in.

  Damn, he’s hot. Thick, wavy black hair dusted with flecks of snow framed his tanned, oblong face. The tight jeans he wore showcased long, muscular legs, and though the jacket was thick and padded, it didn’t hide the breadth of his shoulders or his trim physique. She bet there were muscles under there, too, maybe even a six pack.

  “Excuse me?” His deep, slightly gravelly voice drew her gaze back to his face with a snap—and it is a gorgeous face, she thought with an inward sigh. His silver eyes were thickly lashed, his mouth firm and sensual, his cheekbones razor-sharp. A five o’clock shadow dusted his strong, square jaw, and there was a cleft in his chin she was dying to flick her finger against. “I’m here to check in?”

  “Of course.” Flustered, Jade dropped her gaze to the computer and pulled up the guest reservation portal. “Umm, what’s your reservation date?”

  He arched a brow, a slight smile playing on his sculpted lips. “That would be today.”

  Heat scalded her cheeks. “Right,” she muttered, wishing she was in private so she could smack some sense into herself. Why was she tripping over her tongue like a fool? She’d lived and worked in Hollywood long enough to get fully desensitized to masculine beauty, so he shouldn’t have affected her just because he was hot. But, for some reason, he was making her pulse skyrocket and her hormones fly into overdrive, and she wasn’t sure whether she liked it or not.

  “What’s your name so I can look up your reservation?” She pasted on a bright smile as she said it to cover up her awkwardness. She was not going to mess this up any further.

  “Dawson McKinnon.” A smile tugged at the wicked curves of his lips. “And you are?”

  Butterflies tickled the lining of her stomach. “Jade Garcia.”

  “Jade,” he murmured. “Just like your eyes.”

  Oh God. She was going to combust if he kept talking to her like that in that deep, sexy voice of his. “I’ve found your reservation,” she chirped. “You’re here for the week?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He slid his credit card over the counter so that Jade could charge it, and their fingers brushed. Electricity raced through her nerves, and she snatched her hand back as quickly as she could without being offensive.

  “That’s nice.” She swiped the card, then laid it back on the counter. “With friends?”

  “No.” Something flashed in his eyes that spoke of bitterness. “No friends. Just me and the wilderness.”

  “At Christmas time though?” She couldn’t stop herself from asking the question even though she knew better than to pry but something about the look in his eye tugged at her heartstrings. “Seems like a strange time to want to be alone.”

  His lips curved, and he crossed his arms over the counter, leaning forward. “Oh, I never said I wanted to be alone,” he said, his husky voice like rough velvet. “Just that I haven’t managed to find any company yet.”

  “Oh.” The sound came out as a squeak, and Jade wanted to kick herself. She was acting like some mousy little girl! Straightening her shoulders, she tossed her curly brown hair over her shoulder and smiled. “Well, I’m sure you’ll find many people here you can enjoy the slopes with. We’re usually packed this time of year.”

  “I’m sure,” he agreed, but he didn’t increase the distance.

  Seconds ticked by as they stared into each other’s eyes, and the skin beneath Jade’s sweater grew uncomfortably warm. After a few moments, he straightened up, and Jade sighed in both relief and disappointment. But, his next words threw her off balance all over again.

  “I’m also sure you’d make good company yourself. And if you’re not too busy, I’d love to take you out on the slopes tomorrow and teach you how to ski.”

  TWO

  Dawson had never seen a woman look so taken aback after he’d asked her out. Usually they smiled coyly up at him, gave him an annoyed look or simply brushed him off—the last one was rare but it happened occasionally—but none of them had ever looked completely floored as though they hadn’t expected the question at all.

  The silence stretched on for several seconds, and then something unexpected happened. She giggled.

  His brows furrowed as her hand flew up to cover her mouth, her eyes wide, but that didn’t stop the laughter. Her elegant shoulders shook beneath her green sweater, and soon the sound of her merriment filled the lobby.

  “Alright.” He crossed his arms over his chest, feeling decidedly annoyed, though he wasn’t sure whether or not it was with himself or her. “What exactly is so funny?”

  She shook her head, still clearly trying to get hold of herself. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t laugh. It’s just…my grandparents own this lodge, and I’ve been skiing since I was ten years old. So, the idea of you offering to teach me as if you were doing me some kind of favor… I’m sorry. I just thought it was funny.”

  “Well.” He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling decidedly embarrassed. He supposed he should have expected an employee of a ski resort to know how to ski. She’d looked so soft and curvy, he’d assumed she was an indoorsy type. “You certainly know how to make a man feel good about himself.”

  Jade cleared her throat delicately. “Well, I suppose I could pretend to be ignorant about skiing so that you can teach me and feel good about yourself again.” Her pale green eyes sparkled with mirth.

  Dawson couldn’t help it—he grinned. “That sounds more like it,” he said. “Two o’clock tomorrow?”

  “That should be fine.”

  “It’s a date, then.” Before she could change her mind, he plucked her hand off the counter top and pressed his lips to it. Her skin was soft against his mouth, and he smiled as he heard her indrawn breath and felt her pulse rocket. “See you tomorrow.”

  He felt her jade eyes on him all the way out the door, and it took a mighty effort for him to resist the urge to turn around. But, he knew if he did that he’d want to spend the rest of the day hanging around the lobby with her, and he didn’t want to come off as a total creep.

  As he got into his truck and made his way over to his assigned cabin, Dawson wondered what had drawn him to her so quickly. He wasn’t usually attracted to thick, curvy girls, but something about her had pulled him in hard and fast.

  There’s no denying she’s beautiful, he thought as he opened his cabin door. Her exotic, Latin-American features were beguiling, and those thickly lashed, sparkling green eyes of hers seem to hold another world in them...and that figure. While not slender, it was killer. He was definitely looking forward to getting his hands on those curves.

  Dawson set his suitcase by the front door, then looked around the living room. It was a charming space with oak furniture and muted, earthy colors. A small fire crackled in the hearth, already lit in anticipation of his arrival, and he sat down in the wooden rocking chair next to it. As his cell phone buzzed, Dawson pulled it out of his pocket to read a text from one of his pack mates, Rand.

  Dude. When you coming back? You’re needed here.

  Gritting his teeth, Dawson resisted the urge to chuck the phone in the fire and instead powered it off, tossing it onto the coffee table. He’d come out here to get away from the pack—the last thing he needed was for the problems he’d left behind to follow him.

  As the beta to the Los Angeles Wolf Shifte
r Pack, Dawson was responsible for enforcing the Alpha’s Law. But lately, the Alpha had become more and more unreasonable in his demands, causing pack members to desert. The result was a dwindling spiral—the more people who ditched, the harder Romero, the Alpha, wanted Dawson to crack down on the ones left.

  In the end, Dawson was long overdue for a vacation, so he’d told Romero he was taking off for a little while. Someone else could be around to deal with his mood swings and crazy bullshit. What Dawson needed to do right now was get some time and space, and hopefully some perspective, so that he could make the right decision.

  Right… And falling into bed with a human woman is going to help you do that?

  Dawson cringed. Good point. Shifter and human dalliances were problematic enough on their own, especially when the human in question didn’t know your true nature. Add in the fact that he was going through a mid-life crisis and you had the makings for a disaster.

  But does it really have to be a disaster? He argued with himself as he stared into the crackling flames. It wasn’t as if the pack were there now to make his life a living hell. He could surely enjoy Jade’s company for a few days. A good romp in the sheets would be just the thing to clear his head and release the pent-up tension and frustration burning a hole in his gut. And once that was done, he could focus his attention to the future, and make a decision once and for all as to what he wanted to do with his life.

  THREE

  “And just where are you off to this afternoon?”