A Very Merry Iona Christmas (6 page)

“Wow, look at that.”
Carly wondered if she sounded suitable impressed to match Hope’s level of
excitement and pride in her work.

“It’s sooo cool.” Hope
bounced in place. Then she dropped Carly’s hand and dashed inside. Carly went
to open her mouth to coax Hope back out when Bo shot by her, along with another
child, a little girl, and Hope’s giggles increased as they yanked down the
sheet and closed off the inside to her prying eyes.

“Coffee?” Annie asked
as she walked up alongside her and folded her arms across her chest. “Or
something stronger?” Annie gave her a small wink and Carly sighed inwardly.

“How could you…?” Carly
accused and Annie raised her eyebrows on a smile.

“Bring her home to
play with the others?” Annie took a moment to consider it. “Yeah, I’m such a
bad person.” She shook her head in mock shame and Carly flushed with
embarrassment.

“She my daughter and you
should…”

“It takes a pack to
raise a child. I was just helping.” Annie started off for the kitchen, leaving
Carly standing there staring after her.

What’s wrong with
these people…?

‘It’s called
community spirit. Ever heard of it?’

Shut up, Iona.

‘The answer from a
person who doesn’t actually have an answer.’

Hope shot out from the
makeshift tent closely followed by the other two children. Giggles filled the
air and Carly sighed inwardly. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected to find when
she got here, but not this.

Her eyes followed Hope
as the child dashed around the back of a chair and straight into the legs of
Douglas; who had just come out of the kitchen. The man whooped a laugh, caught
her under the arms, and spun her in the air before sitting her on one large
forearm… Carly balked…

“Hey there, little
Miss Trouble and where are you off too in such a hurry?” Douglas frowned but
his voice was playful. Carly relaxed a little at the sight of Hope giggling and
grinning.

“Bo’s chasing me.” She
offered on a half whisper.

“Is he now?” Douglas
took a moment to consider it. “Maybe we should turn the tables on him…” Douglas
offered and took off with a roar after Bo. The young pup let out a yelp and
turned tail in the opposite direction as Hope screech out laughter at the sight
of it.

Holy crap I think
I’m having a heart attack.
Carly
resisted the urge to reach out and pluck Hope from Douglas’s big arms as they
dashed past her.
I’m really not seeing this… I can’t look.

‘Oooo, the big bad
wolf has her in his clutches. As the dastardly beta goes to take a bite… Oh no,
wait. That’s a fairy tale, this is real life, and he’s just a man playing with
kids. The bastard!’
Iona’s sarcasm
was getting to be too much. She felt fragile to say the least.

When two large hands
cupped her upper arms she almost jumped through the roof. She knew whose hands
they were without having to look. The tingling against her skin was undeniable,
and she felt her heart slow to a more manageable rate as her eyes closed for
the briefest of seconds of their own accord.

“He has safe hands.”
Mason’s hot breath against her neck and ear caused a shiver to run riot within
her. “Let’s get you that drink.” Carly balked at the idea of letting Hope out
of her sight. Mason felt her body tense again.

“I don’t trust…”

“Easily. I know. But
what am I going to do? Have someone take Hope back to the café?” Mason’s voice
was teasing, but she heard an edge of tension within it.

‘
Sell her on the
black market to vampires. Ooo, no, wait, worse…’
Iona injected her own
particular brand of stupidity.

Shut up, Iona.

‘You say that a
lot. I’m guessing its confirmation that I’m making perfect sense.’
Iona chuckled and Carly sighed.

“This is just too
much. I need…” Carly didn’t know what she needed, maybe a holiday, maybe a new
brain…

“A drink. Come on.”
Mason urged.

‘
I’ll take one.
Wish I could. A sip of the old honey mead would slide down a treat… if I had a
body and taste buds.’

“Yeah. I need a
drink…” She turned her head to look for Hope, but Mason urged her on and her feet
started to move.

“She’ll be fine. You
can hear her happy squeals and laughter from the kitchen.” Mason assured her,
and it did assure her, and for that she frowned again because she didn’t want
to believe a word he said.

~

~

~

Carly knocked it back in
one. She didn’t even taste it, not really, but the fire started a moment later
as the alcohol burned all the way down. She opened her mouth and breathed fire,
at least, that was the way it felt.

“That Scotch is double
malted and older than you. You might want to sip the next one.” Mason grinned
as he reached for a bottle of water and unscrewed the cap. Carly gasped in her
next breath and it burned some more…

“I’m fine…” She lied.

‘
Sure you are.’
Iona chuckled. ‘
Gives you a nice rosy glow.’

Carly left the water
untouched. She wasn’t going to back down from what she’d said. She’d rather
suffer in silence, and the burning was dying down a little.

‘
Ha! Sucker.’
Iona chuckled at her expense some more.

“More?” Mason palmed
the bottle and Carly eyed the devil’s brew. She shook her head to another of
Mason’s grins. The man was insufferable.

‘
But as sexy as
hell, right?’
Iona teased and Carly seethed. She certainly wasn’t going to
admit to that. ‘
Oh come on, just between us girls.’
Iona was like a dog
with a bone.

“Something wrong?”
Mason asked.

“Are you kidding me?”
Carly frowned at him.

“Apart from this
whole… I screwed up and you’re mad as hell at me, but I’m trying to hold out an
olive branch, and you want to beat me around the head with it… thing.” Iona
chuckled and Mason grinned.

“Nope. That about sums
it up.” Carly palmed the table in front of her and pushed up from her chair.
“We have to be leaving.” She offered.

‘
Yeah, like that’s
ever going to happen…’

“Actually…” Mason
pushed up to his full height, a good foot above her, and with those damn broad
shoulders he practically blotted out the rest of the room.

“I don’t want to hear
it, Mason. I came to get Hope and now we’re going home.” Carly was adamant.

“It’s been snowing a
blizzard out there for the last half an hour…” Mason winced. He knew that she
wasn’t going to like hearing that and he was ready for the demons of hell to be
unleashed on his backside.

Carly’s eyes widened
in disbelief. Her head snapped around and her body followed it. She stalked
towards the back door and yanked it open…

The eerily silent
white veil was coming down fast and furious.

‘
How cool is that!’
Iona chuckled with a child’s excitement. Carly felt her stomach drop to her
knees at the sight. She loved snow as much as the next person, but… Damn!

That’s… not cool.
That’s… so not cool that there are no words to describe how not cool that is…
Did you have something to do with this witch?

‘What me?’
Iona screeched her innocence.

Yes. You!

‘Honey, I’m good,
but I’m not that gooood. That right there is fate. Enjoy! Throw a few
snowballs, make a snowman or twelve…’

I hate fate.

‘Ain’t it a bitch!’
Iona chuckled some more. She was in
her element, while Carly was backed into a corner. She tossed the door closed
and her shoulders dropped.

“There are no words.”
She shook her head.

“Relax, Carly….” Mason
wanted to reassure her that she and Hope were perfectly safe there with him and
the pack, but she spun around and did her best Medusa impression, and he
snapped his mouth shut.

“Relax? Really?” Carly
tossed up her hand in frustration. “Sure, I’ll run a bath, put a few scented
candles around, sip Scotch, and just chill out.” Carly snapped as she ran a
hand through her hair and contemplated what to do next.

“So you stay here.
Where’s the harm?” Mason offered. Carly’s arm shot up and her hand shot out,
and then she was pointing her index finger at him. He could see the twitch of
her top lip as anger raged within her…

“Don’t… even talk to
me.” She snapped. Mason held up his hands in surrender. That finger was as good
as a loaded gun and he didn’t want to get zapped.

“That’ll make life
just a little bit harder…” He said. She opened her mouth to snap at him again…
“But doable. I guess.” Mason tried to placate her as she glared back at him
from under her brows.

‘
He’s such a
sweetie…’
Iona gushed and Carly groaned. She just couldn’t catch a damn
break. Between Fate, the witch, and Mason… she was screwed.

‘
Not yet, but soon.
And I like to think of it as making loooove.’

“Oh, somebody shoot
me.” Carly bit out.

‘
Be careful what
you wish for…’

~

~

~

Carly couldn’t believe
her eyes. She’d gone to the toilet for all of five minutes and in that time,
Hope had curled up on Mason’s lap on the sofa in front of the roaring log fire
and was fast asleep. No story or three, just zonk, gone, and on
him
no
less.

‘
Guess he’s got the
touch.’
Iona chuckled and Carly felt the urge to go to the nearest wall and
head butt it. She might have too if she thought Iona could have felt it. ‘
Sour
grapes.’

“I’ll carry her up to
bed for you. No point in disturbing her any more than needs be, and I have good
hands. I promise I won’t drop her.” Mason teased.

“I thought I said no
talking.” Carly reminded him as she tipped her chin up and started towards the
stairs. She couldn’t help but chuckle, but it was a silent one.

‘
Yeah, you know you
like him, just a little bit.’
Iona said and Carly groaned inwardly. She
wasn’t having that conversation.

“I’m not going to run
off with her, sweetheart.” Mason chuckled as Carly waited at the bottom of the
stairs. She frowned. “Top of the stairs, door right at the end.”

Carly started up the
stairs and heard the low, deep growl catch up to her. She shot a quick look
over her shoulder and almost face planted the stairs when she saw the hungry
look in his eyes as they feasted on her backside.

“Hey!” she snapped out
bringing Mason’s eyes up to hers.

“Well, you were kind
of wiggling it in my face.” Mason wasn’t going to apologise for being a man.

“Jerk.”

‘
He got you there.’

Shut up, Iona.

‘You know, you say
that a lot…’

Then I suggest you
take the bloody hint.
Carly snapped
back and gritted her teeth against Iona’s teasing chuckle.

Carly stalked to the
bedroom door at the end and opened it. She felt a rush of trepidation that met
with a jolt of excitement go through her at what she would find, and as the
light from the hallway lit the room, she didn’t find a man cave so much as a
stylish, if not manly room.

Hmm, not what I was
expecting…

‘No bloody
carcasses of deceased animals. No blankets on the floor… oh, would you look at
the size of that bed!’
Iona
exclaimed, but Carly was way ahead of her.

‘
A girl could get
lost in there without a big, strong, sexy man to keep her safe and warm…’

Can it, Iona.

‘Girl, if I could
can what he’s got in spades, I’d be a rich woman…’

Yep, but you
couldn’t spend it cos you’ve got no body.

‘Oh, someone’s
feeling bitchy.’

I guess you’re
rubbing off on me.

‘Careful now, too
much of that and you might just hurt yourself.’

Carly stepped aside
and watched as Mason carried Hope to the bed and gently placed her down. It
touched Carly in a way that she’d never thought possible. She looked away, not
wanting to feel an iota of anything for this man.

‘
You have to admit
that he’s good with kids.’

I don’t have to
admit anything.

Mason turned and started
back towards where Carly was standing at the bedroom door. Just the sight of
him coming towards her like that sent another jolt right through her. And for
one long moment she had the inclination to turn on her heels and run.

‘
Ah, let him tuck
you in. He might even read you a bedtime story in that deep, sexy voice of
his.’

Not helping, Iona.

‘Oh, I’m not on
your side. I’m on his side.’
She
announced with glee.

“If I were allowed to
speak to you, I’d tell you that you should feel free to grab one of my shirts
to sleep in.” Mason looked playful, right before he looked hungry again. He
strolled on towards the door.

“Mason.” Carly turned
slightly and saw him stop. He shot a look back over his shoulder at her.
“Thanks.”

‘
There now, not so
hard, was it?’

“
You are entirely welcome.” He offered her another damn
gorgeous smile just before he closed the door behind him.

~

~

~

‘Admit it.’

Will not.

‘Just admit it and
I’ll shut up and let you get some sleep.’
Iona had been baiting her for ten minute or so.

I’m not going to
admit something that isn’t true, even to get you to shut up, but how I wish you
would.

‘Just say the damn
words, because you know it’s true.’

T’is not true, so I
won’t.

‘He’s growing on
you. It is the way of the world. How it’s supposed to be… and he is as sexy as
sin.’

Oh for the love of…
don’t you sleep?

‘I’m dead. I’m an
entity. Why the hell would a dead entity need to sleep?’
Iona protested the idea. Carly had changed the
subject.

Oh, I don’t know,
maybe to recharge your annoyance battery and get some extra sarcasm stored up.

‘You just have to
say that he’s growing on you…’

Like fungus?

‘Like a mate.’

A mate with fungus?

‘Now you’re being
annoying.’

Oh yeah, how does
it feel to be on the other end of the beating stick?

‘Hey, if you can
dish it out you should be able to take it. I can take it.’

Yeah, well if I
don’t get any sleep I’ll be like a bear with a sore head tomorrow, so sit back
and enjoying the fireworks.

‘Fine. Quitter.
Sleep. Lightweight.’