Page 164 of Forbidden Heroes

I shrug to myself, loving the devil whispering in my ear…but, Wynter what do you have to lose?

Right. Fuck it.

I can forever be the mousy invisible woman waiting for someone to see me and my life to begin. Or I could make my own damn Christmas miracle.

One that landed a certain Latin lover between my legs.

Merry Christmas to me!

“Fuck me!” Pepper’s jaw dropped, exposing the giant wad of pink bubblegum in her mouth. Pepper hailed from Staten Island. We’d met on the job and became instant besties. True to her Staten Island roots, Pepper embraced big hair, fluorescent nails and a flamboyant wardrobe. But for her position as the head stylist at the Luna, she adopted a posh East Coast accent, nude nails, and tamed her black curls into a sleek knot at the base of her neck. She sold beauty without even trying.

I swing through the doors and sigh with relief to see it’s just the two of us. Pepper greeted me with a smile and whirled me across polished marble floors post large black and white photos of stunning supermodels covering the walls. Each one we passed caused me to question my plan. Everything in this place oozed glitzy glamour. Just like everything else in the hotel. Luckily, this morning’s snowstorm kept the customers snuggled down in their beds so nobody witnessed my hopeful transformation from duck to swan, if Pepper’s reputation is anything to go on.

Pepper slid me into an empty chair and leaned me back, my thick long hair in her hands. “I’d ask what brought on this change of attitude, but I know you. If you think about this for three more minutes, you’ll chicken out and I’ll have to chase you down.” She glared at me in the mirror as if daring me to even try.

Ten minutes later I’m stripped of my clothing. Boots, socks, pants, panties…it’s all off.

“What? I couldn’t if I tried.” I hold my hands up to show off my new heated terrycloth robe and thick fleece socks. “I would have to shuffle in these things and we both know you move like a momma with a list on Black Friday.”

Pepper snorted. “I tell you one story from my vacation with my sisters and you forever hold it against me.”

We both smile.

My best asset is currently freshly shampooed and combed out. It might be pin-straight, but the thick silky locks made up for the lack of bounce and curl. Pepper whips out a black apron and pins it into place.

Behind me, Pepper rubbed her hands together in anticipation. “What are we doing?”

“Cut it all off.”

“Fuck me!” Pepper’s gum dropped out of her mouth this time, landing on her pristine white lab coat. She plucked it off her boob and popped it back in her mouth.

Okay then.

“Really?” She reached for her scissors with what I swear is an evil grin plastered on her face.

“No!” I stared at her in the mirror, wide-eyed. “Lord no, woman! Just kidding,” I laughed. “I seriously just want something different but not crazy drastic. Stylish, not like I’m shipping off to basic training next week.”

Pepper crossed herself. “Thank you, Sweet Jesus. I would have gone straight to hell for cutting something so pretty!”

As she set to work, the other stylist, Lana, arrived. Her clients had canceled, too, so Lana set to work on my manicure and pedicure.

I closed my eyes, enjoying the citrus scents of the salon and all the pampering I usually deny myself. If this was queen status, I never wanted to leave.

“How’d you get out of work?”

I peeled an eye open and grinned ruefully. “I’m going on the naughty list for this one, but I told my office I wasn’t feeling well and heading home to work.”

Pepper tsked and laughed softly. “Wish I could do that every once in a while. Only thing is in a town this small, step outside once and everyone knows your business.”

I held up my hand, fingers crossed. “Yeah, um, let’s hope not.”

Normally even thinking of doing something like that would wrack me with guilt, but the idea of Mateo placing an ad on Jolly Nights gave me some new motivation. Could it be he felt the same disconnect from the world as I did? Just the thought that he might be lonely meant I had a new mission this year: rock Scrooge’s world!

And my own.

“What do you think?” Pepper swung me around to face the mirror after she spent a very long session with the blow dryer.

Wispy bangs framed my face and my long hair hit my nipples instead of my ass where I had it half an hour ago. Lana had waxed my brows so they drew attention to my hazel eyes.