It was Evie's last day and he wanted it to be perfect. He'd offered her the option of doing anything she wanted. He loved handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, but he'd happily skip this year if there was something else she wanted to do.As it turned out, Evie's preferences were pretty simple. They spent the hours from midnight 'til dawn in bed. Then he showed her the joys of shower sex, taking her up against the wall with the water spraying all around them. He shaved her legs for her because she wanted to look more modern, if only for him.And that led to his carefully shaving her all the way up, until her luscious pussy was as bare and pink as could be. Of course he couldn't resist diving in to taste then filling her so she could feel the difference without hair.Then he finally let her get dressed. They were both moving gingerly when they made their way down the stairs for brunch. He hadn't had a workout like this since - well, ever."I have a birthday gift for you," she told
She pulled back to look him in the eyes. "Me too, Sam. I don't regret a moment, not for myself. Knowing you was worth a hundred-year wait. But you...you have to go on living. Promise me you'll try to find someone. A kind woman who can make you laugh again, who can share your life, maybe give you a family to fill this old, lonely house.""I can't promise that." He wiped the tears from her cheek with his thumb. "After you - I don't know that any other woman would ever measure up."No, this couldn't be happening. It was all right for him to care about her, and it was fine for him to have broken her heart. She'd given it freely. But Sam had so much life ahead of him. "You have to promise to try. The Fates wouldn't be so cruel, Sam. There's a living, breathing woman out there for you somewhere. Please don't give up." She sniffled as more tears spilled down her cheeks."Don't cry anymore, Evie." His voice, already hoarse, cracked. "I promise, sweetheart. I'll try. Just maybe not right awa
Sam watched Evie survey the last few kids out and about. He was just about to turn off the lights and call it a night. Time for one last interlude with the woman he loved. Her song had haunted his mind all day. Likely it would the rest of his life.He saw the young teen walking alone and heard the car come around the corner far too fast. In the moonlight, his heart lurched as he saw Evie start to run.Sam vaulted the porch rail and nearly caught up to her just as she shoved the kid out of the path of the car.He was just close enough to see it strike her, to see her beautiful face as she screamed and fell.The car screeched to a halt and the driver burst out of the door as Sam frantically searched for Evie, calling her name.But all trace of her was gone. No blood marred the pavement.The kid picked himself up off the grass and turned. "What the fuck?" Eyes wide, he looked up at Sam. "Dude, you saved my life. But I could have sworn it was a chick."Sam swallowed hard. He remembe
"I hate office Christmas parties." Shelby Carter crossed her arms on her desk and buried her face in them. "I want to finish up this damn end-of-the-year report, go home and forget all about the Holiday Card Company until after the holidays." She'd taken a vacation day for Monday, and Tuesday was Christmas Eve, so the office was closed. As soon as she left work tonight, she was actually free for almost a week."You and every other employee," Jana Pierson agreed, leaning in the doorway of Shelby's cubicle. Jana's desk was across the aisle - she was responsible for tracking product shipments while Shelby coordinated accounts receivable.Shelby nodded. "None of us want to go, but Mr. Holiday, Senior, still insists we show up, tug our forelocks and get presented with a new set of livery.""That's it, I'm cutting you off from historical romance novels," Jana said with a laugh. "Although, god, that's just about what it feels like sometimes. Wouldn't it be nice if they'd just hand us the b
Shelby woke to the sound of bells. Soft, silvery, chiming bells.She tried to draw in a breath but found she couldn't inhale deeply. It seemed as if there was a tight band wrapped around her rib cage, constricting her chest. She tried to sit up and found her head spinning."Easy there." She recognized that voice with its faint Southern accent overlain with a hint of British. Strong hands gripped her shoulders and helped ease her into a seated position. Her eyes blinked open and she looked up into the stunningly handsome face of Noel Holiday.His eyes were the dark blue of an evening sky, his hair a true blue-black. High, strong cheekbones and a square jaw framed a face that would have been at home in a Renaissance painting, or on a Hollywood movie poster. Right now, those blue eyes were looking at her with concern as he tucked a couple of pillows behind her back to prop her up. "How do you feel?""Okay, I guess. Mostly confused. Did I pass out or something?" It was still hard to br
Noel couldn't stand the look of fear in Shelby's pretty green eyes. Never mind that he was her boss, sort of, right now they were in this together and he was the only person she had to count on. He wrapped his arm around her corseted waist and pulled her close."I think so," he admitted. "I haven't finished looking around - I wanted to wait here until you woke up, but I have poked my head into the rooms adjacent to this one. They look almost exactly like I remember the miniature."She leaned into him and clutched at his hand with her own and Noel tried not to notice how smooth her skin was. "So, did somebody lace the eggnog with LSD, or what? Because these things don't really happen. I'm an accountant for goodness' sake.""Your guess is as good as mine, Shelby. My dad has always maintained that there's real magic in the holidays, but I never thought he meant anything like this." It was the only thing he could think of while he'd paced the room waiting for her to wake up. Somehow, th
The lavish holiday dinner they'd glimpsed through the miniature window was still on the table in the dining room. Only now did he see that the table was set for two."The food is still hot," Shelby cried, holding her hand over the roast goose - at least that's what Noel thought it was. A bottle of wine sat in an ice bucket on the sideboard, a silver corkscrew beside it. Candles burned amid a centerpiece of holly, ivy and evergreen branches on the table."It looks like they've provided for everything we need to survive," Noel acknowledged. "I'm not sure if that's comforting or frightening.""A little of both," Shelby agreed. "It's kind of Alice in Wonderland, isn't it? 'Eat Me, Drink Me.' Do you think we should go see about the other buildings now?"Noel's stomach growled and he gave a reluctant laugh. "No, I think we should eat while it's warm. Christmas Eve is three days away and we don't know if we're stuck here until then, or if this is the only food we'll get."Noel held out a
"What's it like working with your whole family?" They climbed the steps to the house and Shelby could almost feel the warmth radiating from inside. It was as if the house welcomed them back."It's nice, most of the time." Noel held the door and ushered her ahead of him. As soon as he'd closed the heavy oak portal, he helped her off with her cloak before doffing his coat. "We all get along and it's cool to know the company has been in family hands for over a hundred years."There were five Holiday children and each of them played an integral role in the company. Noel's brother Val managed the IT department while his sister Summer handled sales and marketing. Sam was in charge of the new holiday décor product line, while sister Star was the head writer for the greeting card division. Even their mom ran the personnel department. None of them threw their weight around, which helped make Holiday a reasonable place to work.And getting involved with Noel, even temporarily could ruin that. Sh