Page 66 of Seduced
The children clap, then lose interest in my party trick as Mrs. Hobb entices them with freshly baked currant buns. It’s just past dinnertime on the darkest night of the year, and all the villagers have gathered in the large clearing in front of the Lodge to celebrate. The sea dragons of Amber Bay do Christmas in smaller family circles, but the solstice is a chance for everyone to gather before we face thetruewinter.
I have no idea what true winter means because it’s freezing cold already. We’ve had snow—more snow than I’ve ever seen in my life—and yet the guys told me those were ‘just flurries.’ I can’t even imagine what a proper snowstorm will look like. It’s hard to know sometimes whether they’re making fun of me. Ty told me they had nine feet of snow one winter, so they had to shift into their dragon forms and melt the snow with fire breath, but I’m pretty sure that was a joke.I hope. But you never know in Alaska.
Putting my mittens back on, I peck Jack on the cheek and stroll over to where Cora is handing out mugs of mulled wine. It’s so thick with honey and spices, it almost counts as a magical potion, and it warms me right up. Dragons drink it purely for the taste as they can’t really get drunk. I’m a lightweight and have to stop myself after the second cup, a fact that Cora knows well. She and I have become good friends since she gave me a cute pixie cut that fixed the burned mess that Cameron made of my hair.
Now she grins and exchanges the mug in my hand for a gingerbread cookie shaped like a little dragon. “Did you get the job?” she asks.
I sidle closer to her and lower my voice to avoid being overheard. The villagers might have accepted me as a witch, and they even enjoy some benefits of my power, but I don’t want to alarm anyone.
“I did,” I murmur. “We’re setting up the new secure server this week, and we should start building the database soon.”
It’s a crazy project I cooked up with another witch who calls herself Artemis online. I’m pretty sure it’s only a nickname, as is mine: Princess. Ty laughed himself stupid when I told him I used my dog as inspiration, but in my defense, I was really excited about finding a super-secret, encrypted forum used by witches. I hacked my way inside, which was how I got offered the present job in the first place—I breached walls that were supposedly tighter than the CIA’s.
Cora presses my arm, worry flashing over her face. “You’re being careful, right?”
“Always,” I promise. “I’d never endanger the clan by doing anything stupid.”
And I mean it. My life here and the safety of my clan means more to me than chasing thrills by doing covert work with other witches. But I want tohelp, and creating a database of magical resources that any witch could access sounds exactly right to me. Then covens like my old one wouldn’t be able to hoard all the knowledge. And witches like me who don’t fit in with their families—or those who don’thavefamilies—wouldn’t have to live a sad life on the margins of the magical society but could connect with others who are experiencing the same issues.
I catch Aiden’s gaze across the bonfire, and he winks at me. This is new, a light-hearted and relaxed Aiden spending time with his clan instead of being locked in his office, poring over account books. I love the transformation. Winking back, I blow him a kiss, then sneak off toward the Lodge.
Christmas is days away, and I got a present for each of my men, of course, but I want to give them a more pagan gift tonight. I’ve been planning this for a while, and it took a lot of sneaking around and subterfuge to get everything I needed, especially since all deliveries are brought from Anchorage by one of them—they’re the ones who fly the plane.
Even though I was careful and didn’t alert any of them as I tiptoed away from the fire, I know I don’t have long to prepare. One is bound to notice that I’m missing, and when that happens, all three will come searching for me.
In the Lodge, I rush through the main room, give Princess Penny a treat, and shuck my outer insulated clothes. Then I continue through the hallway and into a broom closet at the opposite end from Aiden’s bedroom. It’s one of the only hiding spots in the Lodge where I could stash my purchases without the guys noticing.
I stand on my tiptoes and reach for the unassuming cardboard box. When I shoved it up there, it didn’t seem as high as it does now…
“Shit.”
I must have slid it too far back. Looking around, I find an old paint bucket. It’s small, but it might do the trick. I put one foot on it, balancing precariously, and reach for the box again.
“What are you doing in here?”
Jack’s voice startles me, and I shriek in surprise, then wobble on the paint can. Strong arms catch me before I hit the floor, and I find myself staring up into Jack’s gray eyes.
“Um,” I say. “Nothing?”
He lifts one eyebrow in clear disbelief. “So if I peek into that box…?”
“No, don’t,” I rush to say. “It’s a surprise.”
“For me?” The corner of his lips turns up, rendering him even more devastatingly handsome.
I push against his muscular chest until he puts me down. “Forallof you.”
“Ah. What will you give me if I promise not to call Aiden and Ty right now?” His voice turns soft and seductive, and he trails his thumb over the line of my jaw, then slides the rough pad over my bottom lip.
My breath catches in my throat at his expression. “A kiss.”
He leans down and claims my lips in a blazing kiss. We’re amazing together, combustible, and he never fails to make me hot. I twine my arms around his neck and open up for him, letting him claim me.
Breathing hard, Jack breaks the kiss and stares at me, anticipation thrumming in the air between us.
“Show me what you’ve got,” he demands.
If I really wanted to, I could deny him and tell him he needs to wait. But I don’t. In fact, another, better idea pops into my head as he lifts the box from the shelf without a problem.
