Kiss of Christmas Magic: 20 Paranormal Holiday Tales of Werewolves, Shifters, Vampires, Elves, Witches, Dragons, Fey, Ghosts, and More

by Eve Langlais

  Hunter remembered Emily mentioning the company she’d been laid off from and wondered at the reasons behind it. More accordingly, he wondered if perhaps she might be one of many that might be suffering from some wrongful termination suits of their own that Coughlin might need help with. “Jerry, you should check on Coughlin Marketing,” Hunter suggested. “Not a union shop, but they might be in need of legal counsel about some employment issues.”

  Jerry grunted and pulled his smartphone out of his pocket and tapped a note on the screen.

  “Coughlin Marketing?” Stephen asked. “Where’d you get that tip?”

  Hunter shrugged. “I hear things.”

  Tyler coughed into his hand, earning two stares and one glare.

  “What? It’s dusty in here,” he mumbled and cleared his throat. “I need a drink.”

  Hunter snorted and turned back to Jerry as he began discussing past, present, and future financials. The partners met every Thursday and normally Hunter followed the meeting with the same hunger he pursued everything with. Now that he’d thought about Emily, the meeting dragged on while he found himself torn between thoughts of Tiffany’s earlier behavior and daydreaming about Emily. Through it all, Tyler kept staring at him with eyes that hinted they knew more than they should.

  Chapter Six

  “Hello?”

  Hunter breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Emily’s voice answer the phone. He wasn’t worried that Tiffany would pick up–she was at work–rather that no one would answer and an answering machine would show his number on it. “Emily?”

  He heard her sharp intake of breath before she said, “Yes. Who is this?”

  “Sorry, this is Hunter. You know, the man lucky enough to have you in a three–way with my car the other night?”

  “Oh my God! Hunter! I mean, Mr. Wynn!”

  Hunter chuckled. “Please, call me Hunter. I was wondering if you had any plans later on. I’ve got two tickets to a Redwings game and one of them has your name on it.”

  “Oh! Redwings? A real hockey game? I’ve never been to one of those. Is it cold? I mean, all that ice–”

  “Is that a yes?” Hunter interrupted.

  “This is real?”

  “Very.”

  “But–um, okay, I guess.”

  “You guess?”

  “Well, I had some serious plans painting my toenails and then cuddling up with a cuddly hunk who’s always been there for me, but this sounds like one of those opportunities I don’t dare pass up.”

  Hunter frowned. A cuddly hunk? He wasn’t interested in making a friend. Nor was he interested in someone with a lot of baggage. “If you’ve got someone else–”

  “No!” she all but shouted into the phone. A heartbeat later, she realized what she’d done and hurried to explain. “I mean, I don’t–what’s your phone number?”

  Hunter frowned. “My phone number? You mean the one I just called you on?”

  “What–oh! Shit! You must think I’m an idiot.”

  “Of course not,” Hunter lied. “I caught you off guard and you’re not used to that. Perfectly understandable.”

  “Okay, good. Um, give me a minute, okay?”

  The phone call was not going anything like he expected. Caught off guard himself, he replied, “Um, okay. I don’t have much time, though.”

  “Only take a minute, I promise. Thanks!”

  Hunter opened his mouth to reply when he realized the connection had closed. He turned and stared at his phone and blinked. She’d just hung up on him. Nobody hung up on him! He was–

  Hunter stopped when his phone buzzed with an incoming message. He opened up the text and saw a picture of a very large brown teddy bear. He stared at it and then couldn’t stop himself from laughing. His phone rang in his hands with a different number he didn’t know– the same number that had sent the picture message. He hadn’t managed to get control of himself but he answered it anyhow. “Large and cuddly protector, I get it now.”

  “Mr. Ruffles has saved me from more monsters under the bed and in the closet than you can imagine. I feel sorry for the man who thinks he can replace him,” Emily answered in a serious voice.

  “I see,” Hunter said. “Well, if I let myself go, I can be a pretty hairy fellow.”

  “I don’t know–this is quality fur. Can you stand up to a washing machine and a dryer? I tell you what–leave the monster fighting to Mr. Ruffles. There are other holes in my life that need to be filled.”

  Hunter snorted into the phone. “Did you just say, ‘holes that need to be filled’?”

  “Oh my God!” Emily squealed. “I so did not mean that! Oh shit! You must think I’m a–a–well, I’m not. Whatever it is.”

  Hunter held his other hand over his eyes and fought to keep from laughing again. He felt the strain in his face and neck. She was something else. “I think you’re refreshing,” he told her. “Charming and original. Cute.”

  “You think I’m cute?”

  “Well, right now yes. When I saw you the other night, you were absolutely ravishing.”

  She didn’t respond but he heard her gasp.

  “So the game starts at seven thirty. Can I pick you up at six? We’ll get dinner after.”

  “Oh my God, this is really happening, isn’t it?” she breathed.

  “Was that one of those rhetorical questions you’re supposed to save for yourself?”

  She was silent for a moment and then groaned. “Yes, yes it was. I just totally outed myself, didn’t I?”

  “I’m afraid you did,” he informed her. “And in the interest of fairness, I want you to know I am going to use that to my advantage.”

  “Oh my God!” she groaned.

  “Totally,” he said, teasing her.

  She groaned again. “Shit! What time is it? Two fifteen? Oh crap, I’ve got to go! I have to get ready.”

  Hunter raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got four hours.”

  “Look, mister, I’ve been on a lot of interviews lately–so many I think I get a free set of steak knives with my next one. I know what it takes to make a good impression and apparently I haven’t quite done it yet. So maybe this is my chance. Everything has to be perfect.”

  “Wow, now you’re even making me feel a little pressured and this was my idea.”

  “You?” Emily asked. “Oh! You thought this was for you. I’m sorry. No, I’m talking about that beautiful car of yours. I don’t want her thinking I cut any corners!”

  Hunter laughed and shook his head. “Just be yourself and she’ll be impressed. In fact, I’ll even put in a good word for you.”

  “You’re too sweet,” Emily said. “Okay, I’ve got to get going. I’ll see you later. Oh, and Mr.–I mean, Hunter–thank you.”

  Hunter smiled and ended the call. He studied the stuffed animal on his phone and added her number to his contacts, complete with the animal as her picture. Now he only had to buy the tickets to the game and finish up work. Which probably meant he wouldn’t be doing any more work today; it was a Friday and he didn’t have any pending cases he couldn’t work on over the weekend.

  Chapter Seven

  “Can I ask you a personal question?”

  Hunter risked a glance at his date and then forced his eyes back up from her long legs enclosed in her tight yoga pants to the road. “I can’t believe you’ve never watched a hockey game before and you’re from Detroit.”

  “What? Oh. Just bits and pieces. I didn’t understand it. You helped, though. It was fun watching them beat the Blackhawks tonight. I like it when they run into each other.”

  “Body check,” he supplied. “It’s called body checking.”

  “Oh, yeah. Anyhow, that’s not my question,” Emily said. She shifted in her seat to turn and face him, drawing one leg up enough to create shadows beneath her sweater. “I want to know why you let this beautiful lady get so cold?”

  Hunter had to take another look at her. He blinked, at a momentary loss when he saw the hint of a smile on her lips. Emily
reached out and ran her fingers across the stick shift in a way that seemed scandalous to him. “My car?” he asked.

  “Of course,” she said. “You have to treat a lady right if you want to keep her around, you know.”

  Hunter chuckled and turned onto the expressway to get out of Metro Detroit. “Well, she gets spoiled often. Bathed, waxed, and all of that. If the weather’s bad–not just cold but if there’s ice or it’s snowing–I’ll take my other car. But like you said, a girl this pretty wants to be driven hard, and she likes to be seen.”

  Emily laughed. “Why, Mr. Wynn, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were accusing her of being less than ladylike.”

  Hunter grinned. “In the right situations, you’d be amazed at what she can do.”

  “When no one else is around to watch?”

  Hunter blinked. “Yes, something like that.”

  “I see. So where are we going now?”

  “I’d planned on a steakhouse, if that’s all right with you?”

  “Steak?” she asked.

  Hunter frowned. “You’re not a vegetarian, are you?”

  Emily laughed. “God no! I’m just not sure I could eat something as heavy as steak. They probably have salads though, right?”

  “You’re worried about your figure? I promise, I won’t tell if you actually eat enough to stop being hungry.”

  Emily grinned. “So much for my girlish figure.”

  “You’re all woman, near as I can tell.”

  She gasped. “As near as you can tell?”

  Hunter flashed her a smile. “Well, I haven’t seen everything.”

  She laughed. “Smooth. Very smooth.”

  “The greatest hunt,” he said. “The heart of a woman.”

  She studied him for a moment before asking, “Is that what you’re after, my heart?”

  Hunter smirked. She was full of herself and not afraid to show it. If that came across in an interview, he could see why she’d been turned down so often–it took a rare boss to hire someone with that much confidence. “It’s a bit early, don’t you think?”

  “Oh?”

  “I’ve hunted a lot of things in my life,” he said. “Big game and small. The thrill is in the chase.”

  Emily frowned. “Wait, is that what this is? Am I just another trophy?”

  Hunter kept his expression neutral. “I suppose we’ll have to wait and see, won’t we?”

  She stared at him a moment longer and then turned to look out the front window. Several miles passed beneath the Corvette’s tires before she said, “I’m not sure I’m all that hungry.”

  Hunter turned to look at her. He smirked, earning a flash of irritation from her eyes. “Just like that?”

  She turned to face him and let him have it. “Yes. Just like that. I’m a real person, you know. Maybe I’m not filthy rich and maybe I’m not as educated as you are, but I’m still a person. I don’t deserve to be treated like an animal waiting to be hunted.”

  He glanced at the navigation screen on the dash that showed the upcoming roads. “All right, I’ll take you home then.”

  “Jesus Christ!” she sputtered. “I don’t believe this. Here I am stressing over whether you liked me or not. Should I come on to you or be playful? Should I give it up on the first date or try to make you work for it?”

  He let out a sharp laugh. “Always give it up if you’re interested.”

  “What?” she asked.

  “That way you know if I’m any good in bed. Can I make you cum? No, I know I can do that. Can I make you forget every other man you’ve been with? Can I make you scream out my name and pass out? That’s what you need to find out. If I can’t, then why waste your time? Why continue the hunt?”

  Emily stared at him with her jaw hanging open. She shook her head and tried to talk, but only ended up staring several seconds longer.

  “That lets me decide too,” he told her. “Did I waste my time? Or were you dedicated enough to make it worth my effort? The body grows old and fades, Emily. Beauty changes and turns gray. Passion and energy, those last as long as we let them. Do you have the kind of passion and energy to keep me interested? Can you make me want nothing ever again except for you?”

  “Holy shit,” Emily managed to whisper.

  “You’ve been full of life and confidence up until now. Where’d that go?”

  “I can’t–is this how rich people talk? You just say whatever is on your mind?”

  “Hardly,” Hunter said. “Words are powerful things. Just the other day, I was telling your roommate the same thing when she came to ask me about the raise she’d received.”

  Emily twitched and interrupted him to ask, “You really gave her a raise?”

  Hunter smirked as he pulled off the expressway and headed north. “She thought I wanted more from her. She offered it too.”

  “That slut!”

  Hunter shrugged. “I don’t fuck the people I work with. Otherwise, I’d have offered you a job.”

  She stiffened. “What? Wait a minute! We haven’t–who said I was going to f–to sleep with you?”

  “Don’t worry–the sleeping comes after,” Hunter told her.

  “After?” she repeated.

  “After you pass out.”

  “Oh. My. God!”

  Hunter watched her turn and stare out the window of the car. Her eyes darted around, proof that she was thinking frantically and uncertain about what to say or do. He could hear her breath coming faster, his talk exciting her even as it outraged her. More importantly, he could smell her arousal. She liked it, even if she didn’t realize it yet. She was turned on and wanted more.

  Hunter turned off onto a small road and then into a gated community.

  “What–this isn’t–”Emily clamped her mouth shut as the gate slid open in front of them. Hunter drove ahead and slowed as the garage door of his house opened. As he pulled in, she found her voice and demanded, “What are you doing?”

  Hunter put the car in park and turned to her. “You asked me to take you home.”

  “This isn’t my home!”

  He smiled. “True, but how else will you know?”

  “Know what?” she challenged.

  “Know if you’re as wet as you think you are.”

  She gasped and shifted in her seat. “Damn it, Hunter! I–”

  “Kiss me,” he demanded. “Don’t think; just give in and do what you want. Kiss me.”

  She stared at him instead and shook her head. “I–”

  He turned on her, faster than she expected but slow enough to make her gasp. He pulled her to him and pressed his lips against hers. She stiffened and then began to melt in his arms. It only lasted a moment before she collected herself and tensed up again. She pushed against him and backed away.

  “You can’t do that!” she gasped and continued to pant.

  “I just did,” Hunter pointed out. “And I don’t like being denied. I’ll let it go, but you have to decide what you want right now. Are you willing to find out what’s got you turned on?”

  She groaned and turned to stare at the tools on the wall of his garage. She looked back at him, her lip caught between her teeth, and shook her head slowly. “What is it?” she whispered. “How can you do this to me?”

  Hunter smiled. “Let’s go find out.”

  She bit her lip again and nodded, and then leaned across the seat and parted her lips to meet his.

  Chapter Eight

  “Mr. Wynn?”

  Hunter locked out the screen on his phone and looked up. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you knock.”

  “Must be a serious case you’re working on,” Mercedes said. “You didn’t answer my call either. Tiffany would like to speak with you, if you’ve got a moment?”

  “Something like that,” he agreed without letting himself get caught up in the pictures he’d taken of Emily. They were trophies, but she’d made him prove he didn’t have similar trophies from every woman he’d ever been with. Only the finest, he assur
ed her. And he hadn’t lied.

  “Shall I send her in?” Mercedes prompted.

  So much for not getting caught up in his memories of the weekend spent with Emily. And now Tiffany wanted to talk to him? Emily’s roommate? He sighed through his nose. “Yes, go ahead. Let’s get this over with.”

  Mercedes tilted her head enough to show his response caught her off guard.”Um, all right, I’ll send her in.”

  Hunter slipped his phone in his pocket during the brief lull before Tiffany opened his door and stepped in. She shut it behind her, giving him a chance to appreciate her outfit. Back–breaking open–toed blue heels beneath a matching navy blue skirt and jacket. Even her toenails had been painted the same shade of blue.

  “It’s hot in here,” she muttered as she turned away from the door to face him and reveal she wore a white blouse beneath the jacket. The blouse was unbuttoned low enough to highlight the silver necklace that sparkled in her plentiful cleavage.

  Hunter smiled and gestured to the same seat she’d occupied before. “Please, Miss Ackers, have a seat and tell me what I can do for you.”

  She hesitated and then walked across the hardwood floor of his office with her hips swaying enough to make him take notice. He kept his focus on her face, knowing better than to risk giving the woman he hoped would take on all human resources an opportunity to build a case against him.

  “A couple of things,” she said after she sat down and crossed her legs. The action caused her skirt to slide up her leg and reveal a generous amount of skin along the side of her thigh. “I’ve been thinking about what you said. I’ve got some ideas, but I’m not sure how to bring them about. Do I speak to you about them, or should I talk to someone else?”

  “I suppose that depends. What sorts of ideas are they?”

  “Organizational ones, outside of me stepping up my game and finding ways to make my staff more efficient.”

  “Your staff?” Hunter challenged.

  Tiffany blushed and glanced down at her hand in her lap. She looked back up at him and said, “Sorry. I think of them as mine since I trained them and handle their various requests. That’s part of the organizational changes I’d like to make. A clerical /administrative pool that I would administer as the work flexes. Day–to–day wouldn’t change much, but it would streamline all sorts of things. Time off, vacation, sick days, work coverage and notifications, whenever extra resources are needed, and even more I haven’t thought of yet.”