Winter Magic
Authors: TL Reeve
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Winter Magic
Copyright 2015 by TL Reeve
ISBN:
978-1-61333-917-6
Cover art by Fiona Jayde
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
Look for us online at:
www.decadentpublishing.com
Table of Contents
Dear Reader,
Happy Holidays!
I hope you enjoyed Fawn and Kalum’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Winter is one of my favorite seasons. So, being able to write a story centered around the solstice, made it even more special for me. This is story is about finding one’s self along with trust. Fawn is a little bit broken, but a tenacious woman who doesn’t give up. Kalum is just the guy to bring her out of her shell and when they get together, their chemistry is explosive. As always, I love hearing from you the readers! You can find me on facebook or email me at
[email protected]
TL
Black Hills Wolves Stories
Wolf’s Return
What a Wolf Wants
Black Hills Desperado
Wolf’s Song
Claiming His Mate
When Hell Freezes
Portrait of a Lone Wolf
Alpha in Disguise
A Wolf’s Promise
Reluctant Mate
Diamond Moon
Wolf on a Leash
Tempting the Wolf
Naming His Mate
A Wolf Awakens
The Wolf and the Butterfly
Infiltrating Her Pack
Omega’s Heart
Raven’s Claw
Claiming the She-Wolf
Worth Fighting For
Dangerous
Uncaged
Promiscuous Wolf
Disquieted Souls
A Cougar Among Wolves
Long Road Home
A Mate’s Healing Touch
Winter Solstice Run
Wolf’s Holiday
Winter Magic
Winter Secrets
Winter Ménage
Wolf in Winter Clothing
Saving Their Princess
The Dom and the Bodyguard
Their Secretary
Craving Cameo
All Or Nothing
Omega’s Heart
Winter Magic
There's magic in the air...
Kalum Truesdale is willing to take the leap and mate. Fawn Hawthorne has been at his finger tips for months now since his return, but the timid wolf rebuffs him at every turn. With the Winter Solstice right around the corner, he's got a couple of tricks up his sleeves to finally catch the elusive wolf.
Fawn Hawthorne isn't ready for a mate. After years of torture, all she wants is to be left alone. However, the handsome and persistent Kalum Truesdale, isn't willing to let her hide. So, when presents start arriving in the days leading up to the Solstice, Fawn has a decision to make. Take what Kalum is offering her, happiness and love. Or continue to fear the world around her while always wondering, what if?
Dedication
A big thank you to Heather Long, Rebecca Royce and Laura Garland, you guys are awesome. To Robyn and Rhonda, thank you for being my biggest cheerleaders. To the readers, thank you for your unwavering support. And to my family, thank you. I love you guys.
Winter Magic
Black Hills Wolves
Winter Solstice Run
By
TL Reeve
Fawn Hawthorne forced the spoon toward her mouth and took a bite of oatmeal. The texture didn’t appeal to her; in fact she downright hated it. However, her goal to experience one thing each week she hated required she push through. Maybe she would still hate the hot cereal when she was done, or maybe she associated it with something bad from the past. Either way, she considered it therapy after everything she’d endured under Magnum’s reign as Alpha. On the upside, she earned a reward every time she tackled one of her personal challenges. Tonight’s prize: pizza.
With her cup in one hand and her breakfast in the other, she settled at the computer to eat and work. Located on the outskirts of Los Lobos, Fawn’s home had been a fixer-upper even when her mom owned it. Since moving back in, Fawn worked as an accountant, and, when she had the money, she made tiny repairs to the place. Though the revitalization of Los Lobos was a work in progress, she took pride in the fact she provided a valuable service for her pack—even when she felt like an outcast—plus she’d gained a few customers in Rapid City.
Today, her schedule included a few clients dropping off their books for the month and a visit from the man who drove her insane, Kalum Truesdale. “Arrogant buffoon,” she muttered, grabbing a pencil out of her mug with a picture of a howling wolf on it.
The broad-shouldered, Southern-charmed cowboy had crawled under her skin. Made her want things she didn’t need.
He commanded her.
Demanding her attention every time he walked into her home office, he would tip his hat and greet her in his lazy drawl….
Ma’am.
She shivered, remembering his gravelly tone. Rough with a hint of sexual intent, it reverberated through her. Not to mention the jokes he told. They were corny to the nth degree and made her groan. Of course, he’d later saunter out of her office, laughing after his silly barbs.
Several times, she’d tried to hand him lists of accountants who’d better serve his bovine endeavors, but he never took the hint. The Wolf-slash-cattle rancher seemed determined to stay under her skin, like a tick sucking the life from her. No, she didn’t mean it like it sounded. Persistent was more like it. Yet, a sick, twisted part of her reveled in his attention. She looked forward to the beep of her alarm system signaling his arrival.
By now, she knew him by his scent—leather and aftershave, even though he wore a scruffy beard. Her mouth watered. It wasn’t right the way his Wranglers encased his ass, fitting him to perfection. Or the glimpse of a dimple in his left cheek when he smirked at her. Or the way his cool, slate-colored eyes assessed her. Peering deep into a soul tattered and torn. Worn threadbare by years of abuse.
Not to mention, he had a horrible way of making her forget about everything, including logging onto her computer. She typed her password and hit Enter. The cheerful greeting Tinks programmed into the startup scrolled across the screen before a picture of two wolves filled the monitor. The bigger of the two stood over the smaller, protecting her from any predator that might happen upon them.
Like you wish someone would have protected you?
She mentally shook off the thought as the desktop icons appeared. An old picture of her and her brother, Kru, stared back at her.
Without a second thought, she pulled up her accounting program then licked her spoon. As she ate her paste-like breakfast, daydreaming about pizza, she worked on the files lying in front of her. The majority of it was easy: print out the clients’ checks and balance their ledgers. Tomorrow, she’d run to town and get them to sign them and send them off.
“Hello?” The alarm chimed seconds after Kalum called out. His heavy footfalls echoed against her hardwood floors. “Your welcome light is off, sugar.”
His scent filled her workspace. The clean, crisp smell wrapped around her, draping her in its safety. Her mind betrayed her, encouraging her to use him as a security blanket of sorts. “Well you weren’t due here for another half hour so….” She shrugged. Taking another bite of breakfast, she frowned and smacked her lips together. God, she hated oatmeal.
“Right. Sorry. I have a guy I need to meet in Rapid City about a couple head of cattle. Here.” He handed over his information and a small four-by-four box.
“What’s this?” She eyed the plain box suspiciously.
“Don’t know, sug. Why don’t you open it?” Kalum sat in the chair across from her and extended his lean yet muscular legs. The cocky gleam in his eyes along with his relaxed posture unnerved her.
“How about no. Now” —she pushed her bowl away from her—“are you buying today or selling?”
He scratched his chin. The rasp of his scruffy beard sent a shiver down her spine. Kalum stared at her, narrowing his eyes before he shifted and sat up a bit as though contemplating a chess move or a new strategy with which to approach her. The top three buttons on his plaid shirt were open, exposing the white thermal underneath. Why did she feel disappointed at not being able to glimpse his sun-kissed flesh? Or the smattering of coarse chest hair? God, how many nights had she imagined running her fingers through it while wrapped in his embrace? His hands on her body, caressing her.
“Selling,” he said, jolting her out of her thoughts. “The spring brought me five bulls and six heifers. I’ve already got my studs. I don’t need more. As luck has it, this fellow does.”
“Great,” she answered while opening his file on the laptop. “Anything else I should know about before you go?”
“Have dinner with me, Fawn.”
“What?” She blinked and glanced up at him. “Kalum, we can’t. We have a professional relationship. I don’t blur lines.”
“Hmm.” He went back to rubbing his chin. “Well, I hate to do this, but you’re fired, sug.”
Fawn laughed. “We both know you’re not serious, especially after the attempts I’ve made to find you several new accountants.”
“Sugar, I’m dead serious if it means you’ll go out with me.” He leaned forward and tipped his hat up. “You went through all the work of finding replacements because you’re scared. I get it. However, we both know if I let you ship me off—whether because I force your hand by firing you or I take on one of those accountants you found, we’ll both be hurting.”
“You don’t know for sure, Kalum,” she whispered. It already hurt her to see him every day. He was the one thing she desired more than her next breath, but taking a step, making a move—any kind of move—could destroy everything she’d worked so hard on—herself.
“You can’t deny you feel the pull, Fawn. It’s been there since I moved home. We’ve been doing this Texas two-step around each other for a while now. Don’t you think we owe it to each other to try a cha-cha instead?”
Smooth.
She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. Most everything inside of her said,
Do it. Live a little. Go on this date with Kalum. Explore whatever this pull is between us
. Except her sensible side shook off the need.
No. Don’t deviate from your plan. You’re not healed enough. Perhaps in the spring.
“I’ll have everything ready for you in the morning. Let me know how much you sell those bulls for.”
There, she’d dismissed his silly idea as easily as she’d disregarded his firing her. Kalum stood. His hand rested on his belt buckle, drawing her attention to his groin and the thick outline of his erection. “See you then, sugar.” He tapped the plain brown box he’d brought in with him. “You should open the box. You never know what you might find.”
“Yeah, maybe.” She watched as he strolled out of her office. His loose-legged gait spoke of pure sexual prowess. Her sex ached and her nipples beaded beneath her Henley. Thankfully, she wore a heavier sweater over it. Because, had she not, he’d have seen her nipples pressing against the front of her shirt. “H-hey Kalum,” she called out. “Thanks for the offer.”
“Anytime, sugar.”
When the door finally closed, she let out a breath, and pushed away from her desk. All of a sudden, her skin felt too tight. The air smothered her. Her heart pounded. Her head went light.
Panic attack.
She inhaled deep and let it out. Counted down from ten to one.
Remember, pizza is your reward.
For the oatmeal, not the conversation with the man who drove her to drink, even though she didn’t touch the hard stuff. Fawn covered her face and groaned. Of all days to rile her up, and boy did he rile her up, today was not the best day to do so.
