Christmas Kisses Read online

“I never beg.”

  “Then tonight you’ll learn.”

  How many nights with Bree would be enough? Ten? One hundred? A Thousand? No, not even a lifetime would be enough.

  Despite her belonging to another man, every touch with Bree I claimed her as mine. Every kiss was a brand.

  I sucked her breasts and rubbed the outside of her panties. I ran my thumb along her seam. She was already wet.

  “You are neglected.” I slid a finger inside her panties. I gently inserted my finger. A sigh escaped her and I caught it in a kiss. Then I added another finger inside her. Rubbing and stroking. Feeling her grab and bear down on my hand. “Has he ever tasted you?”

  “What?” She sounded dazed. “Not in a long time.”

  I slid off her panties. She was spread-eagled on the bed.

  “Cold?”

  “A little.” She smiled.

  “This will warm you up.” I dropped my head between her knees.

  She propped herself up on her elbows, watching me. What a sight she was.

  I tasted her desire. Her breathy moans fueled my own needs.

  “Please, Angus, please.”

  I moved up to rub my cock against her pussy then I sank my cock deep inside her. She felt so good. Every thrust was a delicious agony of her pussy gloving me.

  “Deeper. Harder,” she murmured in my ear. Her tongue trailed along with her words.

  I happily complied.

  We climaxed at the same time, she quivering and moaning under me while I emptied my seed into her.

  The truth crashed over me like an avalanche.

  Bree.

  The memories flooded back to me.

  She was who I was searching for. She was home.

  “Apollo is my son,” I said wonderingly. The words fell from my lips as my brain made the connection.

  The aftershocks of her orgasm twitched her limbs beneath me.

  “Yes, he is.” She kissed me.

  “You should’ve told me.”

  “Without my amulet, I despaired of you ever finding us again. I dared not leave this place, hoping that you would find us again. You had to break the spell by finding your true love again.”

  I kissed her hard. “Thank you for waiting for me. I’ve been a fool.”

  “A fool? No, just a shifter.” She sighed under me. “Merry Christmas.”

  I rolled to my side, keeping her with me. “Merry Christmas, my love. I’ll never leave you two again.”

  “Two?” Bree teased. “Apollo asked for a baby sister for Christmas.”

  “Roll over woman, I’ve got work to do.”

  The End.

  About the Author.

  USA Today Bestselling author Jennifer Hilt (www.jennierhilt.com) writes paranormal romance and urban fantasy from her home in Seattle, WA. Read her Zodiac Shifter Aries story Love’s Warrior.

  Blizzard Bound

  by Rosalie Redd

  Book Description

  Snowed in for the winter solstice…

  Danae longs to celebrate the winter solstice with Aramond according to tradition, but his job takes him into the forest even during a snowstorm. As the hours tick by with no sign from her mate, Danae fears he’ll never return, abandoning her once again.

  Aramond needs to obtain a gift for Danae to celebrate the winter solstice. Not even a snowstorm can keep him from his goal, but he fears leaving her alone and vulnerable. When faced with his worst fear he must battle his internal demons, as well as his enemy, to save the only female who’s ever owned his heart.

  Chapter 1

  Aramond tightened his grip on the ax. A bead of perspiration ran over his brow, as much an indication of his frustration as his exertion. With a final heave, he brought the steel blade down. The tip connected with its target and the old stump broke apart, scattering wood chips into the air. One landed on his shoulder. He brushed it off, and the small shaving caught the moonlight as it slid to the ground.

  He leaned the ax against the woodpile and evaluated his work. The stack of fresh-cut pine would heat Danae’s home for at a least a month. As he inhaled, pride from his accomplishment expanded deep inside, but the brief respite didn’t last. The frustration that brought him to the woodpile returned in an instant.

  Tomorrow was the winter solstice, an important celebration for all Lemurian warriors. As a newly bonded male, he should provide a special gift to his mate, Danae, to honor his goddess Alora and his home planet of Lemuria, but he didn’t have a clue what to get her.

  His gaze drew to the old house with its gabled roof and wrap-around porch. Victorian in style, the home, along with Danae’s tarot card and palm reading business, was an ideal cover for the safe house where rogue warriors obtained a meal and rested before returning to battle. Aramond spent most of his time patrolling the area around the home and along the Keep’s borders, protecting both from their enemy, the Gossum.

  A growl burst from his throat, and the urge to shift rippled under his skin. His panther wanted free to roam the night and guard his territory.

  The hinges on the front door squeaked. Mental note…oil that.

  Danae emerged onto the large porch. Dressed in a tight sweater and a pair of blue jeans that hugged her generous hips, she carried herself with an air of authority. Beautiful beyond compare, her long, dark hair gleamed in the light and warmth reflected in her deep brown eyes.

  Her current client, Amelia, joined his mate on the top step, her gray hair curling around her ears. With a gentleness Aramond knew so well, Danae tugged the older woman into a quick embrace. His chest expanded on a soft growl, love for his mate filling him.

  An old Chevy Impala from an era gone by drove up the long driveway. The engine’s rumble matched the purr reverberating in Aramond’s chest, and a bout of respect for the owner trickled along his nerves. Jeremy, Amelia’s grandson, parked the car alongside the row of trimmed rosebushes, killed the engine, and emerged from the vehicle.

  “Hey, Aramond.” Jeremy raised his hand, and light from the porch cast his profile in relief.

  Despite the darkness, Aramond, with his panther night vision, noted the worry lines around the male’s eyes. He strode across the grass and extended his hand. “Hello, Jeremy. Nice to see you again.”

  Jeremy gripped Aramond’s palm and shook his hand. “Amelia so loves to see Danae.”

  “The feeling is mutual, I assure you. Danae adores her favorite patron.”

  “Jeremy, come help an old lady.” Amelia raised her cane, and the polished wooden handle reflected the lamplight with an eerie glow.

  Jeremy gave Aramond a chagrinned smile then bounded up the steps. Amelia wrapped her fingers in the crook of his arm.

  “Thank you, so much, for a wonderful reading.” Amelia smiled, but a tiredness reflected in her eyes.

  I wonder what the tarot cards said to her this time. The elderly lady wasn’t in good health and her time on Earth wasn’t long.

  Danae trailed her fingers down Amelia’s arm and gripped her hand. “It’s always a pleasure to see you. Next week at the usual time?”

  “Of course, my dear. As long as the forecasted snow melts by then.” Amelia’s attention drew to the dark sky. “Storm’s a brewing. We’re supposed to receive a couple of feet tonight. Ah, well. Jeremy, take me home.” Amelia offered her a quick nod then tightened her grip on her grandson’s arm.

  Danae peered at Aramond. Anguish for the elderly female reflected in her gaze, and he wanted to wipe away her pain, do whatever it took to make his mate smile again. He curled his hand into a fist, frustration coalescing into a tight ball in his stomach.

  “See you inside?” Danae’s sweet voice teased his ears.

  He nodded. “In a minute.”

  Danae retreated into the house, closing the door on a soft squeak.

  Amelia curled her finger at Aramond, encouraging him to approach.

  Confusion swirled in his gut. He rarely talked to clients without Danae around. As he approached the porch, Amelia and Jeremy descended th
e stairs, meeting him halfway.

  “Come closer, Aramond,” Amelia beckoned.

  He took a step forward until her sweet, overpowering perfume washed over him. A tickle started at the back of his throat, and he bit back a cough. “What can I do for you?”

  She wrapped her fingers around his arm, her grasp tighter than he’d thought possible given her age. “Do you have a Christmas present for Danae?”

  He swallowed hard. Lemurians didn’t celebrate the human tradition of Christmas, but the Christian holiday was close to the winter solstice. He ran his hand through his hair and hedged. “Not yet.”

  “Oh, good.” A spark lit up her eyes. “I have a suggestion, if you want to hear it.”

  He inhaled, his heartbeat picking up speed. “Yes, please. I’m at a loss.”

  “I noticed her tarot cards are a bit frayed at the ends. Perhaps a new deck would be a good gift.”

  Aramond’s breath caught in his throat. “That’s an excellent idea.” Before she could say another word, he tugged her forward and wrapped her in his embrace, careful not to injure her.

  “You’re very welcome. The Book Nook in Port Townsend has a beautiful gilded deck. I’m sure she’d love it.” She gripped his hand and placed something thin and papery in his palm.

  Two twenty dollar bills gleamed in the moonlight. “I can’t take these.” He pushed the money toward her, but she held up her hand.

  “Consider that payment for the wood you cut and delivered to my place last week. It’s the least I could do.” Her smile lit up her eyes.

  Aramond swallowed, unable to speak. As a warrior, he didn’t have much human money, and the cash would allow him to purchase the perfect set of tarot cards for Danae. The only problem, he’d have to run all the way to Port Townsend and leave Danae unprotected. His gut twisted.

  Jeremy tugged his grandmother toward the car. “Grandma, we should go. You shouldn’t tire yourself—”

  She whacked him on the thigh with her cane, but took a step forward. “All right, sonny boy. I’m coming.”

  Jeremy raised an eyebrow. “Hey, Aramond, if I don’t see you in the next few days, Merry Christmas.”

  Aramond nodded, grateful for Amelia’s gift. “You, too. May the winter season bring you much joy and happiness.”

  As Jeremy helped Amelia into the classic Chevy, Aramond glanced through the old Victorian’s picture window. The home’s interior light silhouetted Danae’s beautiful hourglass figure. Warmth, along with a deep-seated conviction, swelled Aramond’s chest. Snow or no snow, he’d find his mate the best gilded tarot cards Port Townsend had to offer.

  Chapter 2

  Danae placed her worn and tattered tarot cards in the soft velvet pouch and stowed them in her antique rolltop desk. She trailed her finger over the smooth wood, admiring one of her favorite antiques. Her gaze drew to the large picture window. The light from inside turned the glass into a mirror, duplicating the two claw-foot chairs and the large wooden back sofa marred with chips and nicks accumulated over the years.

  Her attention focused on her reflection and the two small puncture wound scars along her neck. She traced the small circles, warmth filling her. The marks were the sign of a mated female. Last May, she and Aramond had completed the bonding, becoming mates.

  She drew a small pouch from one of the desk’s mail slots and dropped a yellow sunstone into her palm. Clutching the rough cut gem, she brought the jewel to her chest. Aramie, Aramond’s daughter, gave Danae the special stone, hand buffed and polished by one of the blacksmiths within the underground Keep.

  Tomorrow night was the winter solstice. Weather permitting, she and Aramond would return to their special place, the cliff overlooking the valley. It was here they’d reunited after so many years apart. This place would be the perfect setting to honor Lemuria and their goddess Alora.

  The sunstone, and the special chain Danae planned to finish, would become her gift to Aramond. If their goddess was happy with their mating, the light from their planet, Lemuria, would infuse the gem with a special copper color turning the crystal into a special kind of sunstone, a “shiller.”

  Danae’s gaze flitted to the window once again. A tendril of worry slid along her nerves. If only the weather would hold out. As Amelia had mentioned, snow was in the forecast.

  The clomping of boots up the porch steps and the creak of the front door jolted Danae from her musing. She shoved the sunstone into the pouch and returned the special gem to its hiding place. As she tugged on the desk’s wooden slats to close the top, the familiar rattle of wood against wood echoed through the large living space.

  Aramond strode into the room, a pile of wood heaped in the crook of one arm. His dark hair cascaded around his ears, accentuating the shadow of a beard coating his strong jaw. As his gaze met hers, his eyes warmed to a deep brown, the color of chocolate. “It’s chilly outside. Thought you might like a fire before I head out on patrol.”

  Her chest tightened. She despised his job, hated that they were at war with the Gossum, fighting over the right to claim Earth’s water. To make matters worse, all of Alora’s warriors couldn’t go out in the sun. If they did, they’d die from exposure. Danae pushed away from the desk and headed toward him. “There’s a storm in the forecast.”

  Bent on one knee at the hearth, his back to her, Aramond’s shoulders tensed, the muscles rippling under his dark T-shirt. “I must patrol, regardless of the weather.”

  The conviction in his tone beat against her heart, poking at her fear. What if he left and never came back, abandoning her like she thought he’d done years ago? She bit her lip, refusing to give in to her trepidation. Close enough to touch him, she longed to run her hands over his shoulders, ease some of his tension as well as her own. Yet, she held back.

  The strike of a match against stone broke the silence. A warm crackle started in the hearth.

  Aramond rose, turning to face her. The flame’s soft glow reflected in his eyes, and a smile curled his lip. He held out his arms. “Come, let me hold you.”

  She stepped into his embrace, and he wrapped his strong arms around her waist, tugging her close. His familiar scent of pine and fresh rain filled her lungs, reminding her of how much she loved him. “I don’t want you to go. The storm, I’m worried that—”

  “Shh…” He placed his index finger over her lips, letting it linger there for a long moment. His eyes flashed that amber-red she’d once feared but grew to love. “I’ll return as soon as I can. Nothing can keep me from you, my love. You know that, don’t you?”

  She nodded, and he trailed his fingers along her jawline until he cradled her head in his palm. With a tenderness she’d fallen for so long ago, he brought his lips to hers, his passion evident in the intensity of his kiss.

  She mewled under his onslaught, scraping her nails through his hair and along his scalp.

  A deep, possessive growl reverberated in his chest. After a long moment, he broke the kiss. “That will have to tide us both over until I return.”

  She giggled, loving his sense of play, despite the worry lingering in the back of her mind. “I’ll hold you to that.”

  A twinkle sparked through his eyes. “I hope you do.”

  Brushing her fingertip along the stubble on his chin, she kissed him once again.

  He groaned and drew away. “You make this so difficult, my love, but I must go. Protecting this portion of the Keep’s territory is my responsibility.”

  She bit her lip, worry flitting through her mind like a bad dream. “Be careful. The storm could dump several feet of snow—”

  “Or only a few inches. We both know how unpredictable the weather can be around here.” He winked at her. “I’ll be fine and will return before you know it.”

  Before she could stop him, he planted a kiss on her lips then headed for the door. The hinge issued a soft squeak as the door latched shut, leaving her alone with only her fear to keep her company. She hurried to the ornate lamp on the corner table and flicked off the switch. />
  The room slipped into darkness except for the fire’s soft glow. Through the large picture window, Aramond, in his panther form, ran across the yard’s expansive lawn and disappeared between the trees at the forest’s edge.

  Danae brought her hand to her throat, her fingers skimming her small scar. “Alora, dear goddess, please watch over him.”

  Chapter 3

  Aramond tugged on the handle, and the bookstore’s door shut with a soft click and a jingle of bells. With great care, he tucked the new packet of gilded-edged tarot cards into the breast pocket of his coat. He pressed his hand against the firm weight, the deck right over his heart, and his chest expanded with satisfaction. He’d acquired the perfect gift for Danae.

  Snow drifted from the sky, covering the street and sidewalk in a deep blanket of soft white. More had fallen than he’d anticipated. It had taken him a couple of hours to arrive even though he’d run harder and faster than he ever had before, pushing his panther to the brink of exhaustion. The prize, though, Danae’s special tarot cards, was well worth the effort.

  Striding down the bookstore’s steps, he picked up his pace, heading along the sidewalk toward the edge of Port Townsend. Tension bunched the muscles in his shoulders tight. He wasn’t used to interacting with the humans. A few scurried about and one in particular caught his attention.

  An elderly man, with a few strands of gray hair protruding from under his worn fedora, stood outside the pharmacy. He inserted a key into the lock. With a quick twist, the bolt engaged, and the old man met Aramond’s gaze. “Best hurry home. Storm’ll be a bad one this time.”

  “Do you need any assistance?” The urge to shift and hurry home to Danae pulsed in Aramond’s veins, but he had to ensure the old man would be all right. No one should get caught in this storm.

  A smile tugged at the man’s mouth, and his eyes sparked with mirth, giving him a youthful appearance. “Ah, son. I’m fine, thank you. Hurry along. Don’t keep your wife waiting.”