“Oh yeah. Good point.” She slumped her shoulders and raised her opposite hand to cover the old injury protectively. “How does this look? Convincing enough?”
“Looks good to me, Dr. Rizzo,” Dawn squeaked, taking the kettle off to make us individual cups of instant coffee.
“Are we all leaving soon?” Serena asked, taking a seat beside me on the sofa.
I was really tempted to dance around the issue. I wanted to maintain my offer to get everyone safely home, but Gage beat me to a reply. “Yes. It’s a done deal. The seven of you will go with the Deputy Sheriff when he’s ready to leave. Gage and I will head back to Reno in the Lincoln. I’m pretty sure we’ll make it home sometime in the afternoon on Christmas Eve. Right, Gunner? Mom and Dad will give us hell for years to come if we don’t at least try.”
I glanced over at Serena. Gage was right. We needed to get home, but hell, saying goodbye so soon felt like a whole new and different torture. Dawn brought around a tray of steaming hot black coffee. Serena took a cup. Her brows furrowed as she lifted the cup to her lips, had a sip, and waited for my answer.
I didn’t know what to tell her, so I went with, “Come with Gage and me.” Her eyes flashed up from her coffee. She didn’t say a word, so I continued. “Dawn mentioned your sister lives in Red Ridge, Arizona, and that your father is in Chicago. Maybe you can spend Christmas Eve with us, and if you want, I’ll drive you to see your sister sometime between Christmas and New Year’s on our way home to north Las Vegas. Dawn, you can come too, if you’d like.”
“Uh, I can’t, fellas. My parents are probably worried sick. I’ve got to go home.”
“I’ll come along,” Thorn offered. “The whole reason I was flying to Houston was to have my first shift with my granddad. It’s kind of tradition, but that plan is pretty much moot now.”
“No problem at all, Thorn,” Gage answered. “But no more talk about the ‘s’ word. We’ve learned more than enough than we know what to do with right now.”
No kidding. I looked over at Serena again. “So? What do you think? Christmas in Reno, and New Year’s in Red Ridge?”
“Let me give it some thought,” she answered. “There may be another benefit to heading back there. The equipment on Mount Houghton can help me dig a bit deeper into that celestial event. Plus I can have a visit with my sister.”
I gulped down my entire cup of coffee. I had just made a bold move, inviting Serena home after knowing her for about seventy-two hours. But it felt right. “Take all the time you need before the Deputy is ready to head out.”
“I think I’m going back to Reno!” she announced, leaning into my chest. “How soon can we leave?”
Chapter 12
Epilogue - Serena
December 25, Reno, Nevada.
I woke up in a bed I’d never slept on before. Another rule, broken just like that. Yet it felt like a damned good start to Christmas morning with Gunner, after saying our goodbyes to Finn, Lauretta, Dawn and the babies, then spending almost thirty hours in the Lincoln to get right back where we had come from.
Rolling to my side, I gazed over at him as he slept.
“Merry Christmas, Serena,” Gunner groaned in a sleepy voice, eyes still closed.
I smiled. “Merry Christmas.”
He brought his arm around my waist and pulled me tight to his blazing hot skin. “Had a good sleep?”
“I did, thanks to you.”
“Aren’t you tired from all that driving?”
“A little,” I said, leaning over to kiss his welcoming lips that drifted toward me.
“My brain feels like we’re still navigating bumpy roads in the vehicle right now,” he admitted.
“I know what you mean. So, can I make everyone breakfast or something?”
“Nope. You’re a guest, and my mother will chase you out of her domain if she finds you.”
“All right. I just want to show them how grateful I am. They’ve been so welcoming.”
“Relax. We’ll have all day to thank her,” he whispered. “For now, get over here, sexy.”
He tightened his grip around my waist, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. The faint smell of his body wash curled up my nose, doing unspeakable things to my core. At this rate, we’d end up in bed all morning. Not that I had a problem with the idea. Swinging a leg over his hips, I pressed my center against his groin as his kiss that started off gentle became hungry. Gunner helped me climb on top, letting out a primal growl. He was so hard right now, throbbing at my wet center. I pulled from his lips and smiled down at him, wondering how I’d become so lucky to wake up in bed with this smoking hot man.
Gunner gazed up at me at the same moment and laced his hands through my messy hair. “You’re so fucking sexy, woman,” he groaned, reaching over to the night table for a condom.
He began to kiss my neck, and all my thoughts stopped. His hot breath escaped his lips, doing wicked things to my need as he lifted up my hips and rolled on the condom. Reaching a hand down between us, I wrapped my fingers around his thick, rigid shaft. My heart began to race as he captured my lips again, sending my need to feel him inside me through the roof. I didn’t wait. Neither did he as he dug his nails into my hips and pulled me down hard, boring into me. Gunner let out a growl from the back of his throat that vibrated against my mouth. Every motion of his tongue was matched to the thrusts of his hips.
I laced my fingers through his hair and rocked my hips. He was buried so deep inside of me, it took all my will not to speed up my movements and let my climax take over.
“Come for me, Serena,” he rasped out, picking up the pace, pounding into me as though reading my mind. He must have seen it on my face as my eyes began to roll up into the back of my head. Either that, or he just knew the effect he had on me. Soon, my legs were trembling as I felt myself being pelted to an approaching peak. I couldn’t stop if I tried. Deep in my core, heat, flames and sparks burst out from one spot, blinding me as it spread throughout my body. Gunner didn’t stop. He continued to thrust into me, sustaining my orgasm until he exploded through his release too.
Pulling me down into his hot chest, he clutched me tight until we both stop shaking. I was still breathing heavily when he moved my hair to one side and whispered, “I’m not done with you yet.”
I groaned, aware that I’ve not quite recovered, but I wanted him all over again. “Maybe this is the Christmas gift that keeps on giving,” I tell him as he rolled me onto my back.
“And there’ll be many, many more, Serena,” he whispered in my ear.
The End
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About Bella Love-Wins
Bella loves writing steamy, high-action romance stories about firefighters, billionaires, shifters, and alpha males who know what they want and aren't afraid of laying claim to the women who catch their interest. She enjoys a happy ever after ending, as well as reading, hiking, the countryside, and traveling to destinations unspoiled by commercial tourism, like Las Vegas. :)
Like so many characters in her novels, Bella gets all hot and bothered for action, romance and unexpected love connections that take her breath away. For the next while, you'll find her in Toronto, plotting and writing about her latest stories on her Macbook.
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Kissed by Temptation by Deanna Chase
About Kissed by Temptation
From New York Times bestselling author Deanna Chase, Kissed by Temptation, a holiday story set in the Coven Pointe universe.
The last place sex-witch Mati Ballintine wants to be is at a holiday sorority party. But when the high angel from the council orders her to protect a new angel recruit, she has no choice but to go and grit her teeth through the frat boys’ advances.
The night turns from bad to worse when a demon appears and is hell-bent on taking the angel to Hell. Mati and her incubus boyfriend Vaughn will need to c
ombine forces to not only save the angel, but everyone else the demon leaves in his wake.
Chapter 1
Going to school full time while keeping an eye on some newbie angel sucked ass. Especially when the new recruit was raiding my closet for a dress that wouldn’t make her look like she was fresh off the buggy from Amish country.
“Oh, my,” Janie said, a blush creeping up her pale flesh. “This one, um… looks like it’s missing a couple of yards of fabric.”
I glanced at the silk spaghetti-strap dress and sent her a sly smile. “It gets the job done.”
“Only if you’re looking to…” She bit her lip as heat nearly radiated off her bright red cheeks.
I held back a snarky remark. Damn my sister Chessandra for foisting the newbie angel on me. Chessandra was the high angel of the angel council, and lucky me, every time she had a pet project, she tapped me to do it. And I wasn’t even an angel—I was a witch. A sex witch, at that. Not exactly the most respectable of witches in the eyes of the public. But that was their problem, not mine. I found it empowering, and, let’s face it, fun.
But it also meant most of my wardrobe had been purchased specifically for seduction. If Janie was going to shop in my closet, she was going to look hot by the time I was done with her. “Try this one,” I said, handing her a silk dress with a plunging halter-top neckline.
“I don’t—”
“If you wear that dress you’ve got on”—I swept my skeptical gaze down the length of her body—“you’re going to stick out like a church lady at a wet-T-shirt contest.”
“Mati!” She grabbed the halter and pressed it against her chest. “If I wear this, I might as well head straight for the strip bar. There’s no way this… handkerchief is going to cover all this.” Arching her back, she waved a hand in front of her ample chest.
I refrained from rolling my eyes. “Just try it on.”
She ran a hand through her perfectly coiled curls, unintentionally turning her look from too perfect to casually mussed. It was a start. She bit her lower lip. “I’m not sure about this.”
“Janie…” I gave her a stern look.
She swallowed, closed her eyes, and disappeared into my bathroom.
I let out a long sigh. Janie was a sweet girl, and I genuinely liked her. I just wasn’t a big fan of the night’s planned activity. We were headed to a holiday party put on by her sorority at the university, an elite Greek house only for those with magical gifts. It was hard to imagine she’d even want to be a part of the group considering she seemed happier in the book club and the drama department. That is until I met her mother—a socialite witch from Memphis whose life revolved around people of a certain social status and their connections. Janie was a legacy recruit, and if she hadn’t joined, her mom would’ve made her life hell.
Which was ironic, considering Janie was a low-level angel who would spend her life protecting souls from demons. She’d literally have her fair share of run-ins with Hell. In fact, it had already started. A week ago, Janie had accidently crossed paths with a couple of demons and barely escaped. It was now my job to keep her safe while the other resident New Orleans angel, Lailah, tracked the demons down.
I stared at my closet, contemplating the night’s outfit. If Vaughn were in town, I’d wear the silver-beaded number with the slit up to my hip just to torture him until we could get somewhere private. Oh, why not? It’d been weeks since I’d felt sexy. I pulled the dress out and slipped it on. The bodice showed just enough cleavage to be enticing but was still tasteful, while the skirt hit mid-thigh, showing off ample leg. It was that slit that put the dress into the danger zone. And I loved it.
The door to the bathroom swung open slowly. Janie’s blond head poked around the corner, a grimace on her face. “This isn’t going to work.”
“Get your skinny ass out here,” I said as I slipped into my matching silver heels.
Her eyes widened as she took in my transformation.
“Janie.” I stood with my hands on my hips. “You’re going to be late.”
She glanced at my wall clock, and then with a pained expression, she shuffled out of the bathroom. Her arms were crossed over her chest, hiding the deep plunge showing off her magnificent breasts. Damn, what I wouldn’t have given for a pair of those double Ds.
I grinned at her. “It’s perfect. Classy with just a little bit of sin.”
“A little?” She patted at her curls. “I messed up my hair.”
“No you didn’t.” I reached over and mussed them just a little more. “Perfect. Now slip on those shoes and we’ll get out of here.”
She strapped her feet into the black kitten heels I’d put out for her. Her scowl vanished as she admired them and seemed to relax a tiny bit. They were a far cry from my four-inch stilettos. Still, she couldn’t seem to keep from wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to keep her cleavage covered.
“Here.” I handed her a loosely knitted sweater that would give her a layer of fabric but not really cover anything. “Stand up straight and stop fidgeting. There’s nothing more attractive than a girl with confidence. Got it?”
Her arms fell to her sides as she forced a smile and trailed after me as if she were on a death march.
“Janie?”
“Yeah.” Her fists clenched, but at least she didn’t cover her chest again.
“Do you want me to get you out of this? I can come up with something.”
She pressed her lips together, clearly in thought, and then shook her head. “No. Thank you, but I’m supposed to be meeting someone there. I don’t want to disappoint him. Otherwise, I might take you up on the offer. This sort of thing just isn’t my scene, you know?”
I nodded. I did know. It used to be my kind of scene, but only because hot, horny college guys would be there and they were easy pickings. These days, I steered clear. Who needed frat guys when I had Vaughn, the hottest incubus demon hunter in town? “Who are you meeting? Anyone I need to check out first?”
A tinge of blush crept up her cheeks again. “No. He’s just an athlete I tutored last semester. His aunt is a witch, so he knows about our world but doesn’t have any power. He’s not a threat in any way. We were supposed to bring dates, and well, he’s a friend.”
“Okay. Well then.” I winked, determined to hook her up with jock boy. If anyone needed a night with a hot-blooded male, it was her. Grabbing my clutch purse, I said, “Let’s go get ’em.”
Chapter 2
Janie and I stood out front of the sorority house, staring at the twinkling snowflake lights. Each one was completely different and seemed to float in the air over the immaculate gardens.
“Gorgeous,” I said.
Janie nodded. “They’ve been working for days on the decorations.”
“It shows.” Everything about the place was a magical winter wonderland. Isolated blue-silver snow fell and gathered on the window frames, leaving a frost on the glass despite the fifty-two-degree weather, and the doors and windows were draped with frosted garland blooming with live poinsettia flowers.
The air tasted of powerful magic, electrifying me. My pulse quickened and that desire that lived deep inside me rushed to the surface. Dammit, where was Vaughn when I needed him?
He’d been out of town the past three weeks, tracking a demon, and uh… without his attention, my power wasn’t exactly up to par. Unfortunate for me, considering I had to go into the party full of supernaturals and protect Janie if a demon showed up. If anything went down, I was going to be seriously handicapped in the kick-ass-magic department.
If I’d had a choice, I would’ve gone straight home, popped the top on a fresh carton of Blue Bell ice cream, and had a Netflix marathon. Because in my current state, my sex-witch pheromones were going to be damned hard to keep under wraps.
Janie visibly shivered beside me in the chilly New Orleans air. “Ready?” she asked, her teeth chattering.
It wasn’t that cold was it? That was one thing about being a sex witch, our blood ran
a little warmer. “Sure.” I waved a hand for her to go ahead of me.
As soon as Janie stepped into the yard, actual magical snowflakes started to drift from the sky. I couldn’t help the tiny giggle that escaped when one hit my arm, causing magic to spark over my skin. “Nice touch.”
Janie shook her arms, brushing the glowing flakes to the ground. “I don’t like it. The magic stings a little.”
“Really? That’s unusual.”
She shrugged. “It always has. Just one of my quirks, I guess.” She said it in a mocking tone, making me believe that was something she’d heard a majority of her life. My heart cracked a bit at the thought. Then I was just pissed. This girl was gorgeous and smart, and I was getting the impression she hadn’t heard that nearly enough.
I clasped my fingers around hers. “Come on. Let’s go show you off and find that boy of yours.”
A small smile curled her lips as she inclined her head and followed me up the glowing walkway.
“Welcome to a Kiss of Magic,” the bubbly witch at the door said, waving us in. “Here are your party favors. Please put them on then make your way to the champagne station. We’re just about to start.”
“About to start? I asked Janie.
“The meet and greet.” The pained look on her face made me laugh.
“Okay. Don’t worry, we’ll do this together.” While we stood waiting for our champagne flutes, I tore into the silver-wrapped box. Inside lay a snowflake-charm bracelet that glowed with power. It was warm to the touch and caused tingles to ripple across my skin. Oh, this would be fun if… never mind. No Vaughn, no tingles. I slipped the bracelet onto my wrist and tried to ignore the seductive magic building inside me.
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