The Werewolf’s Christmas Wish

Kristen Painter

The Werewolf’s Christmas Wish

Kristen Painter

Copyright © 2015 Kristen Painter

All Rights Are Reserved.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Summary

Bridget Merrow has almost everything a werewolf could wish for. And it’s not that her awesome family and popular business aren’t enough – she just wants someone to share it all with this Christmas. Too bad the someone she wants doesn’t want her. Or does he?

1

Bridget washed the last martini glass and put it on the rack to dry. The eggnog martinis had been popular, even with the small crowd that had been in.

She dried her hands on a bar towel as she rolled her shoulders. Her vertebrae crackled like Rice Krispies. It had been a long day and she was ready for it to be over, but since her bar and grill, Howler’s, was one of the mainstays of Nocturne Falls, she was still open for business.

She checked the time. Another thirty minutes and she’d be out of here.

Every other place in town was closed except for Mummy’s, but the diner was a twenty-four seven kind of joint. She couldn’t imagine they’d get much business tonight though.

After all, it was Christmas Eve.

She wiped down the bar. The Trevors were finishing their dinner and would be leaving soon. After that, she’d close up and head over to her brother Hank’s for a fun family evening with him and his wife, Ivy; their son, Charlie; her other brother, Titus and his fiancée, Zoe; their aunt, Birdie; and of course, Ivy’s brother, Sam.

If Sam showed. Bridget had the distinct feeling he’d been avoiding her. She snorted softly at the thought of Sam. Now there was a man who defied understanding. For about two seconds, Bridget had thought there might be something between them, but ever since he’d come back from the fire academy, he’d been all business, giving her the cold shoulder. Oh, he’d been pleasant enough on the rare occasions they’d crossed paths, but nothing like the blatant flirting that had gone on between them when he’d first arrived in town.

Maybe he’d met someone else. Whatever. She didn’t care. If he didn’t like her, that was fine. Maybe she didn’t like him. One Kincaid in the family was enough anyway.

She walked into the kitchen. Juan Carlos, her cook and a mountain of man thanks to the ogre half of his family, was scraping down the grill. “Take off when you’re done. I’ll close up. There’s just the one table left anyway.”

He looked up. “You sure, boss? I can stay.”

She put her hands on her hips. “Juan Carlos. You have a wife and two kids. You shouldn’t be here as it is. And it’s snowing.”

He shrugged. “What was I supposed to do? Leave you here shorthanded?”

“I appreciate you filling in for Lenny. I really do. I swear, that’s the last time I assign a new hire a delicate shift before I know they’re reliable. He’s totally fired. If he ever shows up again.”

Juan Carlos snorted. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“That makes two of us.”

Juan Carlos hung the scraper up and took off his apron. “You have a good Christmas, boss. Thanks again for the bonus.”

“You earned it. You and Marita enjoy your holiday.”

He nodded as he headed out. “Say hello to the sheriff and the chief for me.”

She smiled. “Will do.”

Hank was the sheriff and Titus was the fire chief. Between the two of them, they knew everyone in town. Or maybe it was more accurate that everyone knew them. Bridget went back to the bar and poured herself a club soda. Having them as brothers was the best. But it did tend to make the local guys less likely to ask her out. Not that she had time to date anyway.

She sighed and sipped her drink. The Trevors looked like they were ready for their check. She had just started for the register when the phone rang.

“Howler’s.”

“Bridget, I was hoping I’d catch you.”

The youngest of the Ellingham brothers had an easy-to-recognize voice. Few men could make the act of speaking a woman’s name sound like an invitation to bed. “Evening, Julian. What can I do for you?”

“You could deliver that case of Dom my grandmother ordered. She’s a little cranky it’s not here yet. You know how she likes her champagne.”

“I sent Lenny over with that two days ago. It was in the same delivery as the two cases of wine and the standing rib roast.”

“The wine and the rib roast are here. The Dom Pérignon is not.”

The spot between Bridget’s eyes began to ache. “You’re sure? Maybe your grandmother moved it.” A strange thing to say, but considering that the woman was a vampire, not out of the realm of possibility that a woman of her age could lift such a thing.

Julian snorted. “Didi doesn’t do manual labor.”

“No, I suppose not.” Bridget’s stomach soured as reality set in. Lenny had screwed her more than once. “Lenny didn’t show up for his shift today either.”

“You think he stole the Dom?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. I hope not.”

“I hope not too. That’s about five large in bubbles.”

“I’m aware.” She sighed. “I keep a couple of bottles on hand. I’ll gather up what I have and bring them over. I’m about to close up anyway.”

“I feel bad that you have to do this on Christmas Eve.”

“Lenny’s going to feel worse if I ever get a hold of him. I’ll be over as soon as I can.”

He made an odd sound. “Have you looked outside?”

“I know it’s snowing.”

“Yes, but have you seen the roads?”

“Not really. Are you trying to tell me my Vette isn’t going to cut it?”

“I don’t want this to turn into a rescue mission. Neither of your brothers would appreciate my stranding their sister in the middle of the Georgia hills in the name of champagne.”

“Don’t sweat it. Titus usually has a truck I can borrow for stuff like this. The firehouse isn’t far. I can walk over and pick it up as soon as I close. I’ll be up at the estate in no time.”

“All right then. We’ll see you soon. I’ll smooth things out with Didi.”

“Much appreciated.” Bridget hung up.

What a mess. Lenny was about to move to the top of the sheriff’s most wanted list. Just as soon as she told Hank. She got the Trevors checked out and on their way, then locked the front door behind them and turned off the main lights.

Julian had been right about the snow. White blanketed everything and the snowplows had yet to make an appearance. The snow was pretty though, and perfect for Christmas Eve. She stood for a moment watching it come down. Charlie must be ecstatic. He’d probably wished for this. Kids loved snow anytime, but at Christmas it was even better.

The snow would make the family run later that evening a lot of fun. Jumping into the drifts and rolling around in the stuff was a ball when you were wearing a natural fur coat. In fact, in her wolf form, cold wasn’t a big deal. Right now, however, she wouldn’t mind a cup of hot chocolate. Well, she’d have that soon enough at Hank’s.

She went back to the storeroom to see what she had in the way of Dom. She flipped on the lights and stared in disbelief. “You have got to be kidding me.”

The case of champagne that was supposed to be at the Ellingham estate sat right in the middle of the floor. Several empty boxes sat on top of it, flattened like they were ready to be hauled out to the recycling bin. She leaned the flattened boxes against the wall out of the way. Yep, that was the Elenora’s champagne.

Had Lenny not seen the case? Or just forgotten it? Or more likely been too lazy to haul it out? Either way, she was happy it was there but not thrilled that she now had an entire case to deliver. She found two more bottles and put them on top of the case. They’d go a long way toward smoothing out the error. The Ellinghams ran the town, and while they were always fair, Elenora wasn’t someone whose bad side you wanted to get on.

Champagne sorted, she went to her office to call Titus.

He answered quicker than she’d expected. “Hey, you on your way over?”

“I wish, but not yet. Long story short, I need to make a last-minute delivery.”

“In this snow? You’ll be lucky to make it this far in that fancy-pants car of yours.”

“I know that, dipstick. That’s why I’m calling you. You have a truck over at the firehouse I can borrow?”

“Oh. Um…” He thought a second. “Yeah, I can work something out.”

“You’re the best brother ever. Tell Zoe and everybody else I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Titus cleared his throat softly. “Hey, about that, I was going to tell you when you got here, but… Zoe and I aren’t seeing each other anymore. I mean, we’re not a couple anymore.”

Bridget’s jaw unhinged and it took her a second to compute what he’d said. “Are you freaking kidding me?”

“No. Look, it’s been a long time coming. She wanted to move back to Oregon to be near her folks, and I was never going to move. Then her dad fell and broke his hip last week, and that was it. Her decision was made. We love each other, but we’re not meant to be.”

“But you were engaged.”

He sighed. “She gave the ring back. I’m sure you have all kinds of questions, but honestly, I’m worn out. I’d like to get through the holidays without the whole thing turning into a Titus pity party, which Aunt Birdie is already making extremely difficult.”

“I can imagine. Are you… okay?”

“Mostly. I’m not bitter, I’m not destroyed, I’m just hurt and missing her and I’ll get over it. In my own time. Okay?”

She nodded, feeling numb. “Sure, if that’s what you want.”

“It is. Now let me go so I can call the firehouse. By the time you walk over there, the truck will be ready to go.”

“Thanks, Titus. I love you.”

“I love you too, Bridge. See you soon.” He hung up.

She stared at her phone, shaking her head. “Titus and Zoe?” They’d been a couple for so long. She’d assumed, like the rest of her family, they’d get married, have kids, and grow old together. Then just like that, the dream was gone.

She hurt for her brother. Of the three of them, Titus had always been the one who’d had every aspect of his life sorted out. Hank had disappeared into the military on some quest to turn himself into the perfect alpha who would one day take over their father’s role as leader of the Georgia Pack. Hank’s life had been built around discipline and responsibility. Becoming sheriff seemed the next logical step.

His marriage had only happened because it had been arranged for him. Otherwise, he’d probably still be single.

She’d gone to business school, but that had been because she wasn’t sure what else to do and being the daughter of an alpha meant doing something while she waited on the possibility that she might be married off to the son of another alpha. Instead, Hank had ended up being the sacrificial lamb, but thankfully it had worked out.

The bar business had just kind of happened to her. After school, she’d waited tables and bartended to make some money that was all hers and not tied to pack dividends, but as it turned out, she was good at it. People liked her, and she liked them. Usually. Those she didn’t, she handled with the kind of quick, decisive thinking that had gotten her promoted to manager at the first place she worked.

So when Howler’s had come up for sale, she’d taken a chance and interviewed with the Ellinghams to buy it. She’d already had the supernatural part going for her, and unlike some of the other vampires she’d run across, they didn’t care that she was a werewolf. They’d wanted diversity in their town, and they’d definitely gotten it.

Buying the place had been the best thing she’d ever done, but Howler’s had become her best friend, her child, and her husband. It took tremendous amounts of time. And what social life she had happened in the bar.

But Titus had known right away what he wanted to do. Without the pressure of the possibility of an arranged marriage hanging over his head, he’d gone from high school straight into the fire academy. He’d gotten into a house, settled into a routine, and not long after moving to Nocturne Falls to become chief, he’d met Zoe. Schoolteacher, werewolf, and all-around perfect wife and mother material.

Or so it had seemed.

Bridget put her coat on. The best thing she could do was get this delivery done and get to Hank’s. Titus might say he didn’t want to talk about it, but she could at least be there for him.

She went out the back, locked up, and looped her purse across her body. She checked her pockets for gloves but found none, so she tucked her hands into her pockets instead. The snow crunched under her boots as she headed for the firehouse. If Titus really didn’t want to talk, she could help in him in other ways.

Like whipping up a batch of her famous Naughty and Nice punch. If that didn’t make him forget Zoe for the evening, nothing would.

Sam Kincaid stood at the firehouse window, watching the snow drift down in fat flakes. The year was almost over and a new one was about to begin. But his new year had really begun about six months ago.

When his father and older brothers had gone to prison.

Some days the fact that more than half his family was behind bars was tough to take. And some days, like today, he knew it was the reason he was free.

They hadn’t been good men. Not to their community, not to their pack, and especially not to his sister or mother or nephew.

For their sakes, prison was the best place for the Kincaid men. It was also a constant reminder for Sam to do better. To be better. To make something respectable of his life. And to wring every possibility out of the fresh start he’d been given.

He had his sister, Ivy, and her new husband, Hank, and his family to thank for that. And while Sam appreciated it, he was also aware of that debt every single day. Not because of anything they did, just because that’s how his head worked.

Maybe he should let all that go and try to live like a normal person. He laughed. Whatever that meant.

Living this new life had meant giving up some things. Making some sacrifices. He was okay with that. Everyone had to pay their dues. Even if that meant missing Christmas Eve with his sister and nephew because he was low man on the totem pole and had pulled the holiday shift at the firehouse. Even that was okay.

For one thing, it meant he wouldn’t have to see Bridget Merrow. He closed his eyes for a moment as an image of the breathtaking redhead filled his mind. He shook the picture out and opened his eyes.

She wasn’t for him. He knew that. But knowing that and stopping himself from thinking about her were two different things. And damn, he thought about her a lot. Way more than he had a right to, but he was so far gone over her he wasn’t sure how to stop.

The phone rang, distracting him from her for a moment. “Nocturne Falls Fire Department.”

“Sam, it’s Titus.”

“Hey, Chief. What can I do for you?”

“I’m glad you asked.”

2

Bridget walked into the firehouse expecting to see a few people, but the place was deserted. She supposed it made sense with the holiday and all. But someone had to be here. A skeleton crew at least. What if there was a Christmas tree fire? Or a horrible fondue accident? Or a flaming eggnog that needed dousing?

“Hello?”

Her answer came in a single word from an all-too-familiar, all-too-sexy voice. “Hello.”

She turned to see him walking out from the break room. The only Christmas present she’d asked Santa for, Mr. Tall, Dark and Wolfy. Her heart did a ridiculous flutter. She refused to do more than look bored. “Sam.”

“Bridget.”

She looked at her nails. “I thought you’d be over at Hank’s with Ivy and everybody else.” Which was why she’d planned to go home and fix up a little first. Instead, he got to see her fresh from work, which hello, new chip in her manicure, wasn’t fresh at all.

He shrugged. “Probies don’t get to pick their shifts.”

“No, they don’t.” And unlike Lenny, Sam had actually shown up. And of course he had to be wearing his uniform, which he looked unfairly hot in. He had his sister’s dark hair and deep brown eyes, but the beefy build of an alpha male. Every wolfy hormone in her body sat up and wanted to beg. Down, girl. “I’m just here to borrow a truck.”

He nodded. “The chief called. It’s all set.” He swung a set of keys around his finger. “Where do you need to go?”

Her brows lifted. “I can drive myself, thanks.”

He laughed softly. “Not in my truck you can’t.”

She put her hands on her hips. She wasn’t in the mood for this macho manliness. “I can drive a truck.”

“I’m sure you can, and if you had one of your own, you’d already be in it.”

“Don’t you have to be here? On call?”

“Yes, but I can be on call without being here. Plus the chief has his radio on. Anything comes in before we get back, he’s promised to cover it.”

“Huh.” Sam was awfully quick with the we. And Titus had been just as fast agreeing to take calls. But then maybe keeping busy was good for her brother right now. “Fine.”

A hint of smile bent his mouth. Bridget’s knees went to jelly, and she had to concentrate on what he was saying to catch every word above the nine drummers drumming that her hormones had turned into.

“What do you need help with? Titus said a delivery?”

She unstuck her tongue from the roof of her mouth. “Yeah, long story that I can tell you on the way, but I need to deliver a case of champagne to the Ellingham estate.”

“One of the brothers?”

“No. The grand dame herself, Elenora.”

His brows shot up and he nodded. “We should go then. I’ll grab my coat.”

“Yeah.” Crap. She realized she was about to be in truck cab with him. Those weren’t exactly wide-open spaces. He probably smelled good too. One more thing for her psyche to bring up in her dreams.

He shrugged his coat on, then jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Truck’s out back.”

She nodded and followed him. They didn’t talk much for the next few minutes, which was fine with her. Sam let her into the cab, then shut her door, went around to the driver’s side and got the heat on, then went to work clearing snow off the windshield.

All too soon he was done and in the cab with her. He smelled amazing. Of course. He put his hand on the shifter and glanced over. “Back to the bar?”

She nodded. “Park in back.”

“Got it.” He pulled out and drove.

Being this close to him made the tension between them impossible to ignore. Nothing had happened between them, but it sure as Christmas felt like it had. How was that possible? She stared out the window and tried to imagine how a man who’d been ignoring her, a man she’d never touched, let alone kissed, could make her skin tingle and her body ache.

Full moon fever?

She did a quick mental calculation in her head, but the full moon was two weeks off. That wasn’t it.

“You get this all the time?”

She turned. “What?”

He tipped his head toward the road. “Snow. You get a lot of snow like this?”

Oh, sure. Snow. “Sometimes. The elevation makes it more likely than not.”

He nodded. “I could buy a plow for this thing, probably make a little extra cash clearing driveways.”

“Or you could just shovel them. I know a lot of single women who’d pay to see that.” She clamped her jaw shut, but the words had come out too fast. What had gotten into her?

He laughed. “Is that right?”

She shook her head and looked out the window again. Where was a sinkhole when you needed one? Filled with snow, that’s where. “Maybe. I don’t know.” Why had she said that? Because she was hot for him. But being hot for a guy who didn’t want you back was awful.

Thankfully, he pulled into Howler’s rear lot. She jumped out before the truck came to a complete stop.

“Hey—”

She shut the truck door, yanked her bar keys out of her pocket, and went inside. Why on earth had Titus thought getting Sam to help her was a good idea? He had to know there was something between them. Correction, he had to know she thought there might have been something between them. Both her brothers had teased her about Sam for a while, but since he’d gotten back from the fire academy and things had gone cold, both Hank and Titus had let up.

Until Titus’s little trick this evening.

Sam stormed in behind her. “Hey, what’s with you?”

She answered him without looking at him. “Nothing.”

He snorted. “I guess I haven’t spent enough time around you then to realize you had such a sunny disposition.”

She took a breath and stopped at the door to the storage room. He’d spent very little time around to be honest, but if he wasn’t interested in her, that was perfectly within his rights. And something she needed to get over. She smiled tightly as she glanced at him. “Sorry. Working on Christmas Eve and all that.”

He nodded. “I hear that.”

She flipped on the light in the storage room. “Champagne’s in here. I’ll just be a sec.”

“I can carry it.”

“I’ve got it. It’s not that big a deal.” Except she did have the two other bottles to carry and the bar to lock up. And she needed to lighten up on the crankiness. “Actually, you know what? That would be nice. Thank you.” She picked up the two loose bottles, then patted the case. “This is it.”

He hefted the box. “They just put twelve bottles of really expensive champagne in here? They’re padded or something right?”

“They’re well packed in their own boxes. They should be fine in the back of your truck. Just no off-roading.”

His brows bounced in response. “That’s for sure.”

She followed him back to the truck, turning off lights and locking up as they went. The two loose bottles she took into the cab and laid on the floor between her feet. He strapped the case into the back with tie-downs, then joined her in the cab.

He got the engine going, then leaned on the wheel to look at her. “I have no idea where I’m going.”

“Haven’t you been to the Ellingham estate? It’s not hard. Basically we’re going up into the back country a bit. Past where the vineyards are.”

He nodded as he shifted into drive. “Sounds nice. You ever run up there?”

“Sure, couple of times. The Ellinghams don’t mind shifters on their property as long as no damage is done.”

He pulled out. “They’re pretty cool for vampires, huh?”

“They are.” She looked at him. “You ever know any vampires before you came here?”

“Can’t say that I did.”

“Nocturne Falls must have been a huge change for you.”

He nodded. “It was, but change can be good.”

The look on his face said change could also be bad. She wondered if he was thinking about the rest of his family. His mother had stayed behind in Tennessee. Bridget knew that from talking to Ivy, but their father and all of the other brothers had ended up in prison because of their shady business dealings and tax fraud. “So… you like it here?”

“I do. New job. New people. New start. What’s not to like?”

“You must miss your home.”

For a moment, it seemed like anger darkened his gaze. “I miss my mother, but I have Ivy and Charlie here.”

“True.” She pointed as they came to the road that would take them up into the hills and toward the estate. “Turn here, then just stay on this road until you see the house. You can’t miss it.”

He followed her directions and they fell into silence. She wanted to ask him more questions but got the sense his family wasn’t something he wanted to discuss. “What’s Titus like as a boss?”

“Good. Fair. No complaints.”

She laughed. “None you’d tell me anyway, right?”

“There is that.” The hard line of his mouth softened. “What’s it like running your own business?”

She took a breath. “Lots and lots of work. But I love it.” Except the loneliness part. She reached over to poke his shoulder. “You don’t come in much. I see a lot of the other firefighters, but not you. I don’t bite, you know.”

“We all bite. We’re werewolves.”

“You know what I mean. How come you never come in?”

He shrugged. “Bar’s not my scene.”

“You’re a young male werewolf who also happens to be a firefighter and you’re a Kincaid, and the bar’s not your scene?” She laughed. “No lies on Christmas. Santa’s watching.”

“It’s not a lie,” he growled. “Don’t judge me by my name. Please. You don’t see my sister drinking and out every night, do you?”

“No, but she’s married and a mother.” A blind man could’ve seen how upset he was. “I’m sorry. It was a dumb thing to say. I didn’t mean anything by it, I just thought, I don’t know… You seem like someone who’d be in my place all the time. Anyway, I’m sorry I upset you.”

He stayed silent longer than she was comfortable with. “I appreciate the apology. And I’m sorry I snapped. I hate being defined by my name. You must understand that. Not that it’s an excuse.”

“Sure, I get it. Being a Merrow hasn’t always been easy.”

“I meant you must understand because you know what my family is like. The name Kincaid conjures up a less-than-upstanding image. Doesn’t it?”

It was her turn to be quiet. “Yes. It does.”

He took a deep breath. “This is my chance to reinvent myself. That’s all.”

She felt for him on so many levels. “I feel like we should start over.”

He looked at her. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, we should be friends. We’re basically family since your sister is married to my brother. We should at least be able to be civil to each other.” Since they weren’t going to be making out anytime soon. Regrettably.

“Okay. We start over. Hi, I’m Sam. Your driver for the evening.”

She laughed. “You know what I mean.”

He grinned. “I’m sorry, ma’am, who are you again?”

They both snickered.

The trucked slipped, fishtailing slightly. Sam’s hand shot out and he grabbed her arm, going instantly serious until he had control of the vehicle again.

She sucked in a breath. His instinct had been to protect her. But maybe that was just being a brother and nothing more.

“You okay,” he asked.

“I’m fine.” But it was nice to be asked.

He dropped his hand.

She twisted to see if the case of champagne was okay. It was. She let out a relieved sigh as she turned back around.

He kept his eyes on the road. “How’s the Dom? All good back there?”

“I don’t think it moved. You strapped it in tight. Roads are getting bad, huh?”

He looked up at the sky through the windshield. “This snow doesn’t look like it’s going to let up anytime soon.”

“Good thing we’re almost there.” She pointed ahead to where the Ellingham estate sat atop a rising hill. With the lights on around it, highlighting the falling snow, it looked like a castle of ice.

“Not too much farther then.”

“Nope.”

They returned to silence as he navigated the road.

So they were going to be friends, were they? His agreeing to that much gave her hope. Stupid, foolish, high school hope, but she was a woman after all. And he was gorgeous and built and very sweet and the son of an alpha. A crappy alpha, but that wasn’t Sam’s fault. He was not his father and clearly had no intentions of becoming anything like the man. All that talk about starting over. How could a woman be around Sam and not want him? She sighed.

“What was that for?”

“Oh, nothing.” Just the wolf in her yearning to run free with the wolf in him. She gave him new directions as they pulled into the long driveway. “Just park right in the front of house.”

“Your wish is my command.”

If only, she thought. Then her Christmas would be perfect.

3

Sam opened Bridget’s door, then turned and tipped his head back to get a good look at the building in front of them. He let out a low whistle. “This is some place. No wonder you called it an estate. How many people live here?”

“Not entirely sure. Elenora Ellingham, of course, and her secretary, Alice Bishop, who’s also a witch, so mind yourself. As for the rest of her staff, I know she’s got at least a housekeeper, a gardener, and a chef. Not sure if there’s anyone else.”

He shifted back around to face her. “You’re telling me five people live in a house that looks like a hotel and most of them are staff?”

She nodded. “Yep.”

He shook his head. “Money doesn’t always buy sense, does it?”

A throat cleared and they both turned to see a man standing in the open doorway. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“Hear what?” Bridget asked.

Sam twisted away so the man couldn’t see his face and made crazy eyes at Bridget.

She grinned at him and nudged him with her elbow as she spoke to the man. “Julian, this is Sam Kincaid. Ivy’s brother. You can thank him for the use of his truck.”

Sam turned around and gave a little wave.

Julian snorted. “I think you’d better be the one to thank him, seeing as how this delivery should have already been here.”

“I’ll get the champagne,” Sam said. He slipped around to the back of the truck and wiped a thin layer of snow off the box before releasing the tie-downs. He lifted the box, bumped the tailgate shut with his hip, and walked back to Bridget.

She wore a crown of snowflakes, and in the house lights, they sparkled like diamonds. Something he’d never be able to give her. The thought of how large the delta was between them put him back in a dark place. To be so close to her, to be able to taste her scent on his tongue, and yet still be so far away. It felt like the universe’s way of punishing him for not seeing the truth about his father sooner.

“Come on,” she said. “Julian’s waiting.”

“Forget me,” Julian shot back. “It’s Didi who’s missing her champers.”

Bridget tucked the two extra bottles she’d brought into the crooks of her arms. “Keep your frock coat on. We’re coming.”

Sam followed her into the house. The foyer was large enough to park two of his trucks in. An older woman in a blue velvet gown and loads of expensive-looking jewelry appeared at the far end.

Her mouth made a shape that screamed displeasure. “I see the matter of the champagne has been rectified.”

Bridget nodded. “Elenora. I trust Julian explained what happened?”

The woman nodded. “He did.” Her expression softened. “I do appreciate your coming out here this evening to make things right.”

Bridget held up the other two bottles. “These are on the house.”

“Very kind of you.” She smiled, showing off fangs. Then her gaze shifted to Sam. “See that the bottles are stored in the walk-in.”

He nodded, not sure what else to do.

The woman left, leaving him and Bridget alone with Julian. Bridget waved Julian off. “Go ahead, go back to whatever you were doing. I know where the walk-in is.”

Julian shook his head. “Cook will freak out if I don’t take you in. She’s already in a snit because her kitchen helper quit. Some dustup about getting stuck in the walk-in because of not knowing how to get the door open.” He rolled his eyes. “The woman had a complete claustrophobic meltdown, and now cook has to do Christmas dinner by herself. Between that and the champagne, it hasn’t been a fun day here. Follow me.”

They zigzagged through the house, finally accessing what felt like a back hallway, which it probably was, something used by staff. A strange shriek met their ears.

“What on earth is that?” Bridget asked.

“Cook,” Julian answered. “She likes her opera. Usually Didi makes her keep it down, but today no one’s telling her anything.” He pushed the doors open to the kitchen. The music rolled over them like a wave. Sam had no idea what language it was.

Julian stood there, trying to get the chef’s attention. “Frauke. Frauke.”

A tall woman with the build of a second-string linebacker turned to face them. She wore chef’s whites and held an enormous whisk tipped in white froth. She eyed the strangers, then saw Julian. “Ja?”

He motioned toward Bridget and Sam as he shouted to be heard. “They’re putting Didi’s champagne in the walk-in.”

Frauke threw her hand up like she didn’t care and went back to whisking.

Julian shrugged.

“Hey,” Bridget said. “Is the standing rib roast in that walk-in too?”

Julian nodded.

“You mind if I check that the right one was delivered?”

“Whatever makes you happy. Thanks for bringing the bubbles. You need anything else?”

“No, we can let ourselves out.”

He gave them a nod and pushed back through the door.

Bridget motioned for Sam to follow her. She seemed to know her way through the kitchen. She kept to the perimeter, giving the cook a wide berth. The walk-in was in the back corner. She pulled the door open, reached in to turn on the light, then stepped back to let him through.

He went in and she followed. She put the bottles she was holding on a shelf. The door closed behind them, giving them a break from the opera.

“Wow, that’s loud.” Bridget made a face like she was clearing out her brain. “I think my ears are ringing.”

“Not my kind of music, that’s for sure. Where should I put the rest of this champagne?”

She pointed. “That empty shelf.”

As he did that, she rummaged around until she found the standing rib roast. She crouched down to check the label on the heavy-duty plastic shrink-wrap.

“Is it the right one?”

She nodded and stood. “It is. I guess the only thing Lenny screwed up on was delivering the champagne. And showing up for his shift today. He’s still totally fired.”

“I don’t blame you for that.” Sam rubbed his hands together. The walk-in was chilly. “Ready to go?”

“Yep.” She turned and pushed the release bar on the door. It sank against the frame but the door didn’t budge. “What the—” She jammed it again.

Nothing.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She pounded on the door. “Hey. Hey!”

“What’s the matter?”

She turned to face him. “The kitchen helper didn’t get stuck in here because she didn’t know how to open the door, she got stuck because the pin in the handle is missing. Look.”

She pushed the lever several times. It moved with no resistance.

Sam looked once more at the door, then at Bridget. “Are you saying we’re stuck in here?”

The muscles in her jaw tensed and eyes glittered with the icy anger of the wolf inside. “Yes.”

“How does the cook come and go and not get stuck?”

Bridget glanced around, then kicked something on the floor. “That’s how.”

He looked at the thing she’d kicked. A scarred triangle of wood. A makeshift doorstop. “She couldn’t tell us the thing was broken?”

“I don’t think she speaks much English.”

Sam growled. “Move to the side.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Throw my weight against it.”

She got out of the way. “I’m not sure it’ll work. These things are built like vaults.”

“I’m two hundred and twenty pounds of werewolf. That door’s going to pop like a tick.” He took a few steps back and a stack of plastic medical bags on a high shelf caught his eye. He took a closer look at them. “Is that… blood?”

She glanced in the same direction. “Yes. Why else do you think a solitary vampire needs a walk-in? I mean, besides all the fancy parties Elenora throws here. She likes to keep a large emergency stash on hand.”

He curled his lip. “I’m so glad I’m not a vampire.” He shook his head and leaned his body forward.

Bridget held up her hand. “You do realize if you break that door off its hinges, Elenora will hold you responsible for repairing or replacing it.”

He straightened. “Are you serious?”

She curled her fingers in to point at herself. “Do you not see me here on Christmas Eve delivering her champagne?”

“Good point.” He sighed in frustration. “What then?”

She settled onto a wooden veggie crate. “We wait.”

“We could pound on the door and yell some more.”

“I don’t think she’s going to hear anything over that opera racket.”

“Probably not.” He sat on the floor across from her. “Do you have your phone?”

“It’s in my purse, which is in your truck. You?”

“On the dashboard of the truck. Hey, I suppose they could see my truck out there and figure out what happened.”

She wrapped her arms around herself. “Yep.”

“Otherwise, it won’t be long, will it? That cook’s got to come in here for something sooner or later, don’t you think?”

She shook her head. “She was making whipped cream. Dessert. The meal is over. The next time she comes into this walk-in will be to get that standing rib roast out for Christmas dinner.” Bridget squinted. “It’ll take a couple hours to bring that thing to room temperature, then several more to cook it. They probably eat around seven, maybe. I’d say the earliest she’ll come for that roast is noon.”

Sam let out a quiet curse. “The chief’s going to be ticked when he figures out the station’s unattended.”

Bridget smiled wryly. “He sent you with me. He has only himself to blame.” She pulled her jacket tighter. “Some Christmas Eve, huh?”

“You’re cold.”

“Aren’t you?” She gave him a look. “You have to be. It’s like thirty-seven degrees in here.”

“I’m okay.” He wanted to ask her to sit next to him. To get close and use his body heat. But he wasn’t sure how’d she’d react to that. He supposed when she got cold enough, she wouldn’t care.

He wasn’t willing to wait that long or let her suffer to that point. He stood up and started to shrug off his jacket.

She frowned. “What are you doing?”

“Giving you my coat.”

“Like hell you are. You’re going to need it. Keep it. I’m not taking it.”

“You’re a little stubborn, you know that?”

She snorted. “You just figuring that out?”

“No.” All the Merrows were like that. Like when he’d told the chief he’d find a cheap place to stay and the chief had insisted Sam stay at the firehouse until he got on his feet a little more.

“Is that what changed?”

“What do you mean?”

She looked away. “Never mind.”

“Tell me. You might as well. We’ve got nothing else to do.” He sat back down. If she didn’t want his jacket, she probably didn’t want to sit next to him either. If she got colder, that would most probably change. Hopefully.

She sighed. “I don’t want to have this conversation with you.”

Now he was really curious. “What conversation?”

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about.”

He threw his hands up. “I’m completely lost.”

She stared at him. “Your having no idea what I’m talking about is exactly what I’m talking about. This is a very one-sided thing, and I don’t want to discuss it.”

His jaw dropped open and he blinked. He was genuinely in the dark. “I’ve got nothing here. Totally clueless. You want to explain, great. If not, okay. But if there’s something you actually want to talk about, let’s do it. Because sitting here freezing to death will be a lot less painful if we don’t have to do it in silence.”

She tilted her head back. “Why are men so dense?”

“Was that a rhetorical question?”

She made a face at him. “It’s so easy for you, isn’t it? Emotions and feelings, those don’t even factor into your day-to-day thought process, do they?”

He shrugged. “Again, I really don’t know what we’re talking about.”

“Us.” She spat the word out like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He stared at her. “I didn’t know there was an us.”

“Exactly.” She swung her legs around to the other side of the box to face the door. Like that was the end of the conversation.

“Bridget, can you give me a hint as to what you mean?” Because if she thought they were a thing, he sure as hell wanted to talk about that.

She finally faced him. “You’re really going to pretend like before you left for the fire academy there wasn’t something going on between us? Some kind of chemistry happening? And that when you got back, it was just gone?”

Oh. That.

4

The look on Sam’s face told Bridget everything she needed to know. He understood exactly what she was talking about. “Well?”

He leaned back against the shelves and rested his forearms on his bent knees. “What’s there to talk about?”

“Are you kidding? Can you just turn it on and off like that? Or were you faking all that flirting? And don’t try to say you weren’t flirting because you almost kissed me at least three times.”

He blew out a breath. “I did not.”

She slanted her eyes at him. “Uh, yes, you did.”

He shook his head and looked away.

“What happened? You hook up with some badge bunny at the fire academy?”

“No.”

“Did the age difference finally sink in?”

“What age difference?”

She lifted one shoulder. “I’m three years older than you.”

“How do you know how old I am?”

“I asked your sister.”

So she’d talked to Ivy about him. That was interesting. “I had no idea.”

“Well, what then?”

“I don’t want to have this conversation.”

“You’re the one who told me how boring it would be to freeze to death in silence.”

“We’re not going to freeze to death.”

She shivered. “I might.”

He patted the spot next to him. “Come sit by me. I’ll keep you warm.”

Yeah, she bet he would. The last thing her wolfy hormones needed was to be wrapped in Sam’s arms. Was the man trying to get himself bitten? “Thanks, but I’m not that cold.”

“Suit yourself.”

“Don’t think you’re changing the topic either. I want to know what happened between when you arrived in town and when you came back from the academy. You did like me, didn’t you?”

He sighed. “Yes. I still do. You’re very nice.”

She pursed her lips. “You know what I mean.”

He put his head down and stayed quiet for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was low and husky and edged with something that sounded very much like need. “Bridget, I do like you. But you and me together is a bad idea. One that can’t happen.”

The timbre of his voice scraped over her skin, raising goose bumps and a few bad ideas of her own. Telling her she couldn’t do something only made her want to do it that much more. “And why is that?”

He looked up at her, eyes alight with the glow of his beast. “You know why.”

“No, I don’t. Tell me. And don’t bring up the Kincaid thing again. We’ve already established you’re a Kincaid in rehab. That excuse is no longer valid.”

He sighed. “Your brother is my boss. And your other brother is the sheriff. Both of them made it clear very early on that you were off-limits.”

“And yet Titus made sure that you and I were together tonight.”

Sam laughed. “You needed a truck. I had one. I don’t think the chief is responsible for that case of champagne needing to be delivered. And if you didn’t drive that impractical car, you wouldn’t have needed a truck in the first place.”

She narrowed her gaze. “So now my car is silly?”

“I didn’t say that. Your car is… an incredible piece of American muscle, and you look hot as hell driving it, but—”

“You think I’m hot as hell?” She grinned.

He scrubbed a hand over his face before staring to the side. At last he faced her. “I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

That left her speechless and warm. When she found her voice, she asked, “Then why haven’t you asked me out?”

“I told you. Your brothers.”

“If you really liked me, they would be minor obstacles, not roadblocks.”

He bowed his head again as if wrestling with something more.

“What is it?” she asked. “What aren’t you saying?”

He got up and paced to the back of the walk-in. Didn’t take much with the length of his stride, just a few steps. He put his hands on the shelves and leaned in, putting his forehead against his knuckles. The width of his shoulders was an impressive thing. “I’m not the man you need, Bridget.”

She barked out a laugh. “Did my brothers coach you to say that? If so, you can take that lovely little turd and flush it. I’ve had enough of them trying to dictate who I spend time with. I’m a grown woman, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“I have. Trust me.” He turned around, eyes wolf-bright with gold. “And no, those words are mine.” The gleam in his eyes faded as he shook his head. “You’re a Merrow. I’m a Kincaid. That’s enough right there to tell you we’re not suited.”

“Your sister and my brother proved that wrong. And seriously, that excuse is done. Try again.”

“It’s not done. Ivy became a Merrow by marriage. You’d have to become a Kincaid. There’s a difference.”

Surprise rounded her mouth into an O. “So you’ve thought about us getting married?” That was way more than she’d imagined. Sam was one surprise after another.

“What? No. Not exactly. I mean… Hell, that’s not what I was saying.”

She jumped up and went to stand in front of him, as close as she dared. “I like you, Sam. I have since I first laid eyes on you. And it’s pointless to deny there’s some kind of chemistry going on between us. So I gottta ask. What’s a big bad wolf like you so afraid of?”

“I’m not afraid of anything.” The words rumbled out of him, setting Bridget’s blood on fire with their defiant tone.

She lifted her chin, trembling with boldness but unwilling to back down. If ever there was a moment to be brave, this was it. “Then kiss me.”

The snarl left his mouth, but the metallic wolf fire returned to his eyes. It took half a second for him to respond. His body snapped to attention, and he moved toward her with purpose. He threaded his fingers through her hair and brought her mouth to his in a searing kiss.

She closed her eyes and lost herself to the moment. The hum of the refrigeration died away, replaced by the thump of her pulse and her sudden intake of breath. She was no longer cold. No longer concerned about being stuck in the walk-in.

Sam Kincaid was kissing her.

His lips were as smooth and firm as she’d imagined they would be. She sighed into his mouth and his lips parted. His tongue darted out, stroking hers.

She shivered, but not because of the temperature. She reached for him, holding on to his arms.

He nipped at her bottom lip, teasing it between his teeth. She moaned, almost delirious with pleasure. His mouth went lower. Across her jaw, down her throat. To the tender spot below her ear. She gasped as a shudder of need tore through her. She broke contact and backed away.

It was that or they were about to create a serious health-code violation in this walk-in.

His eyes were still aglow and no doubt hers were too after that. He stared at her like he was hungry for more. “Still think I’m afraid?”

She shook her head, mute with pleasure. A few seconds passed before she managed to whisper, “No.”

Finally she could form words into sentences. “If you… That is…” Well, she mostly could. “Why did it take my asking?”

“Because we don’t belong together.”

That took some of the buzz off her pleasure high. If her eyes had been wolfy-gold, they weren’t now. “Explain that. Right now. Because based on that kiss, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

All Sam really wanted to do was kiss her again. And again. And again. She’d been everything he’d dreamed of and then some. Soft and lush and sweet and perfect. And despite the temperature in this walk-in, she’d nearly set him on fire.

But kissing her had done exactly what he’d worried it would. It had opened up a discussion there was no turning away from.

The one where he was going to have to lay himself bare before her and show her just how lacking he was. He’d had the conversation a thousand times in his head. He still wasn’t prepared for it. To actually stand in front of her, face-to-face, and strip himself emotionally naked.

He was too in love with her to want to see the look in her eyes when she realized what a mess he was.

He swallowed what was left of his pride. “Bridget, I’m not the man you deserve.”

“Says who?”

“Says me.” And his bank account.

The challenge fell off her face. “Why?”

He stared at the floor. “Because I’m not. Besides the fact that I’m a Kincaid, even one in rehab like you said, I can’t do anything for you. I can’t give you anything. I’m starting a new job. I don’t even have my own place. I’m basically living at the firehouse. That truck is the only thing I’ve got. You deserve a man who can spoil you with gifts and trips and fancy dinners. A man who can at least take you back to his place. I can’t do any of those things. I’m flat broke.”

She blinked. “What are you talking about? And not that it matters, but you must have money. That’s one time when being a Kincaid is a positive.”

“When the law got involved in my family’s business, which was ultimately a good thing because it freed my mother and Ivy—”

“And Charlie.”

“And Charlie.” Sam nodded. His and Ivy’s father was an abusive tyrant of a man, and Ivy and Charlie had taken the brunt of it. Their freedom made Sam’s own hardship easier to bear. “But when the government stepped in, everything was frozen. Pack money, personal money, assets, everything. And the new alpha of the Tennessee Pack declared that no new pack dividends would be dispersed to any Kincaid. I can’t blame him. My family almost destroyed the Tennessee Pack. But it’s made my life hard. If not for the kindness of your brothers, I don’t know where I’d be.”

She shook her head, her eyes glistening with concern. “Sam, I had no idea.”

“No one does. Except for your brothers.” Which was exactly how he wanted it.

“And Ivy.”

“No, Ivy doesn’t know. I told her I had other money. I don’t want her worrying about me. She’s got Charlie and Hank to take care of. She doesn’t need the burden of her brother.”

“I doubt Ivy would think of you as a burden.”

“No, probably not. But this is my business, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

She nodded. “I understand. Completely. I’m the daughter of an alpha, and sister to two sons of an alpha. I get all that macho nonsense.”

He frowned. He’d just laid his soul out and she was calling it nonsense? “It’s not nonsense. It’s a man wanting to take care of things his own way.”

She popped her hip out. “Even if taking care of things his own way means ignoring the woman right in front of him?”

Sam stared at her. How was she not getting it? “I cannot be the man you need.”

“How do you know what kind of man I need? Isn’t that my decision?” She rolled her eyes. “Let me tell you something. Men of the alpha werewolf variety would do themselves a huge favor by getting out of their own way.”

“I’m not in my own way.”

She laughed. “Oh, Sam. So pretty and so dumb. Fortunately for you, that’s a combination I can work with.”

She walked toward him, eyes sparking gold.

The walk-in seemed surprisingly warm all of a sudden. He backed up into the shelves with no further room for retreat. He understood the look in her eyes, but she wasn’t going to sway him with her ridiculous curves and soft mouth and beautiful smile.

Okay, that was a total lie. “Bridget, you don’t understand.”

“No, you’re the one who doesn’t understand.” She kept coming until her body met his.

“What are you doing?”

She slipped her hands underneath his coat and snaked her arms around his torso. “I’m cold, and you’re going to warm me up while we finish this conversation.”

He didn’t want to smile, but he couldn’t stop himself. “You say that like it’s an order, but I already offered twice so clearly I’m happy to do it.”

She tipped her head back. “It is an order. So you have to follow it. Plus, technically, I outrank you.”

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. The feel of her body against his almost dropped him to his knees. “How do you figure that?”

“My father’s pack was bigger than your father’s pack, I’m higher up in the birth order than you, and I’m older than you.”

“The age thing again? You’re only older by three years.”

“So you see my point. I’m in charge of this situation now.”

“I don’t think—”

She pressed her index finger over his lips. “Shh. You just listen. First of all, it completely sucks that you’re paying the price for your father’s crimes, but there’s not much any of us can do about that but move on. Secondly, I don’t need gifts or trips or fancy dinners. You know what I like?”

He shook his head carefully so as not to dislodge her finger.

“I like evenings in. I don’t get many because I work so much, but a night on the couch with a takeout pizza and a movie? Heaven. That only thing that could make that better would be you on the couch next to me. Possibly with your shirt off. Or pants. I’m not picky.”

“I’m exceptional at evenings in. With or without clothes.” He grinned as new ideas rose in his head and fresh heat filled his body.

She patted his chest with her other hand. “That’s the kind of positivity I like. And as far as your current situation goes, I could always use more security at Howler’s. If you want to pick up a few shifts on the nights you’re not on at the firehouse, I’d be grateful to have the help.” She took her finger away. “You interested?”

“Is this a pity job?”

“No way. I’m an awful boss. You’ll see.”

He laughed. “Is that why Lenny quit?”

“Very funny. Do you accept?”

He nodded. If this was her way of helping him out, it was sweet and he needed the money too much to be prideful about it. Not to mention he’d have done it for free just to be around her.

“Good.” Her fingers traced designs on his chest. “I will have to check what the handbook says about employee fraternization.”

“So we’re fraternizing now?”

She nodded and wiggled her finger back and forth between the two of them at chest level. “This? Us? It’s happening. We are officially a thing, and I don’t give a flying fox who knows.”

“And when one of your brothers tells you that you can do better?”

“They won’t. They know better. And I promise you if I’m happy, they’ll be happy.”

“I better keep you happy then.”

She smiled. “Yes, you’d better.”

“That sounds like an order.”

“Well, I am your boss now, seeing as how you just agreed to work for me, so you really have to do what I say.”

“Is that so?”

She nodded. “You don’t want to get fired on your first day, do you?”

He shook his head, doing his best to look serious. “Absolutely not. That would look awful on my résumé.”

“Exactly. So when I tell you to do something, do it.”

“Yes, boss.”

She leaned back, eyes bright with wicked intent. “Kiss me again.”

5

“What the—” Julian gasped as he opened the walk-in door and stared inside.

Bridget got up and stretched, suddenly aware that she and Sam were in their wolf forms. She quickly shifted back to her human one. “Sorry to startle you, but we had no choice to keep warm. What time is it?”

“Nearly five a.m. I was walking through the front of the house on my way out and saw the truck was still outside. Finally put two and two together. Have you been in here all night?”

Beside her, Sam shimmered into his human form as well. “All night.”

“Bloody hell.”

“Yeah,” Bridget said. “Your kitchen helper? She didn’t get stuck in here because she didn’t know how to open the door. The hinge pin on the lever is missing. No one would be able to get out of here. And your cook must have known because there’s a wooden door wedge in here. Maybe your grandmother should learn to speak German.”

Julian shook his head. “I’ll talk to her. I’m terribly sorry. I’m surprised you didn’t just break through the door.”

Sam snorted. “I thought of that, but Bridget said your grandmother would make me pay for it.”

Julian sighed. “She’s not wrong.” He pulled the door wide and stepped out of the way. “You must be freezing. You want some coffee or something?”

Bridget looked at Sam. “If it’s okay with you, I’d rather just get going.”

Sam nodded. “I would too.” He glanced at Julian. “Our families must be worried about us.”

“Of course. It is Christmas, after all. Again, I’m very sorry.”

Bridget shrugged. “Just get the door fixed. I don’t think anyone else would be as easygoing about getting stuck in there.” Because getting stuck with Sam had worked out extraordinarily well.

“That’s for sure.”

“We know our way out.” She gave him a wave and grabbed Sam’s hand.

He squeezed back. “Let’s get out of here.”

They raced through the house and out the front door. The snow had stopped, and in the waning moonlight, everything sparkled and glimmered like a fantasyland. “It’s beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you.” He kissed her. “Let’s get you to your brother’s.” He opened the truck door for her. Once she was in, he got to work brushing the snow off the windshield before joining her in the cab.

He got the engine started, then they both checked their phones while they waited for it to warm up.

“Five missed calls and thirteen text messages,” she announced. “Mostly from Hank and Titus. Aw, one from Charlie wondering where his auntie is.”

“Three missed calls and seven texts for me, including one from Charlie too.” He glanced at her. “We’d better answer some of these, but I’m not sure anyone will be up to get the phone calls just yet.”

“Not even Charlie? It is Christmas morning.”

“Good point. He could be. But I’m not sure Hank or Ivy would appreciate being woken up any early than necessary.”

“True. Just texts then.”

They took a few minutes and returned the messages.

“Ugh.” Bridget wiggled her fingers. “Texting with cold thumbs is really hard.”

Sam put his phone back on the dash and adjusted the temperature. “A few more minutes and the heat will be cranking.”

“Good. Right now I’m not sure I’ll ever be warm again.”

He looked over at her, his gorgeous face lit up with a brilliant smile. “It was pretty warm being curled up together.”

She smiled back. “Yes, it was.” Being next to him in wolf form had been perfect. Warm and comfortable and as easy as if they’d been together all their lives. “When’s your shift at the firehouse over?”

“You mean the one I missed most of?”

She laughed. “Yeah, that one.”

“It’s over at nine a.m.”

“And then?”

“Then I’m going to visit my nephew and my sister and give them their Christmas presents.”

“And visit your girlfriend. I’ll be over there too, you know.”

“Yes, and visit my—” He smiled again and shook his head. “I don’t think I can call you that.”

“You’ll get used to it.”

A hint of sadness pulled at the corners of his smile. “I don’t have a gift for you.”

“Tell you what? Next year you’ll get me two.”

He laughed and shook his head. “You’re so sure this is going to work.”

“Sam, how do you honestly feel about me?”

His face went sweetly serious. “I’m crazy about you. I can already feel those possessive wolf urges kicking in. You’ve started something in me that I don’t think can be stopped.”

“I feel the same way about you. There’s no reason we can’t make a go of this.”

He nodded, slowly. “You’re right. My… girlfriend is right. And hot. And a really good kisser.” He leaned toward her.

She put her hand on his chest and grinned. “This discussion isn’t over yet. After you visit with Charlie and Ivy and me, then what are you going to do?”

Her hand didn’t do much to stop him. He nuzzled her neck while he answered. “Then I’m probably going to go back to the firehouse and crash. I have forty-eight hours until my next twenty-four-hour shift.”

She shivered at what his tongue was doing. She squirmed sideways so she could look him in the eye. “How about you go back to the firehouse, pack a bag, and come to my place? You can sleep there. Then when you wake up, I’ll make you dinner and we can hang out and watch It’s a Wonderful Life and maybe do some more snuggling. That could be my present.”

He nodded as his hands came to rest on her hips. “I could do that.” His eyes narrowed. “Does that mean you’re getting me something? Because really, my being there is about the only present I’ll be able to swing this year.”

She laughed with the sudden surge of emotions that filled her. “You’re all I want for Christmas, trust me. Although I’m pretty sure I can find something extraspecial for you to unwrap.”

“Bridget Merrow. Are you propositioning me?”

She poked him in the chest. “Maybe you’re not so dumb after all.”

Author Note

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About the Author

Kristen Painter likes to balance her obsessions with shoes and cats by making the lives of her characters miserable and surprising her readers with interesting twists. She currently writes paranormal romance and award-winning urban fantasy. The former college English teacher can often be found all over social media where she loves to interact with readers: Website * Twitter * Facebook * Instagram

Other books by Kristen Painter

URBAN FANTASY:

The House of Comarré series:

Forbidden Blood

Blood Rights

Flesh and Blood

Bad Blood

Out For Blood

Last Blood

The Crescent City series:

House of the Rising Sun

City of Eternal Night

Garden of Dreams and Desires

PARANORMAL ROMANCE:

Nocturne Falls series:

The Vampire’s Mail Order Bride

The Werewolf Meets His Match

The Gargoyle Gets His Girl

The Professor Woos The Witch

Sin City Collectors series:

Queen of Hearts

Dead Man’s Hand

Double or Nothing

Stand-alone books:

Dark Kiss of the Reaper

Heart of Fire

All Fired Up