Malled by Christmas (Operation Reindeer Retrieval Book 2) Read online

  “Well, in that case, we had better get started.” The brunette with the dancing blue eyes gave her a considering look. “May I make some recommendations?”

  “Please. I have no idea where to start.”

  The experience began with the attendant getting her shoe size so that appropriate footwear could be matched to the gown.

  Dana was tucked into a changing area while the attendant brought dress after dress. Two hours after she had entered the shop, Dana had a long, flat box in her possession and a smaller box with the matching shoes.

  The bill was less than she expected. “Excuse me, you undercharged me.”

  The woman smiled. “I saw your picture on the news this morning. You did an excellent job of defending that mall worker, and kicking those guys to the curb was a moment that I definitely enjoyed watching. I gave you the shop worker’s discount. Nobody needs to worry about leaving the mall during this season because thugs have decided to go after easy prey.”

  “I can’t accept the discount.”

  “Too late. I have rung it through.” She smiled brightly. “Merry Christmas.”

  Dana wanted to argue, but the woman’s features were politely shuttered. There would be no arguing with her.

  “Thank you. Merry Christmas.” She nodded her head and left the shop.

  She returned to her car, put the dress and shoes in the back seat and then headed for the nearest drive-thru. She wasn’t fussy about food; she just needed to eat when she got hungry. Her toast had just worn off.

  Well, with no work for the rest of the day and a dress to get home, she headed back to her place to hang up her purchase and try to figure out what she should do with the unexpected time.

  With some dark glasses and her hair loose, she snuck into the mall just after eight in the evening to check on her domain.

  Nero was wielding his camera with precision, and Dana had a sudden thought. What was the harm in sitting in Santa’s lap for a photo?

  She waited in line with the rest of the crowd, slowly shuffling forward step by step. When she was a few folks away from Santa, one of the elves stopped, stared and went running to Nero.

  Dang. Ah, well. She stood straight, brushed lint from her jeans and the vest that she wore over her buttoned-down shirt. Her heels clicked softly as she shifted her weight on the tiled floor.

  She was wearing her favourite outfit for her off days, and it included above-the-knee boots. Since her work was done barefoot and the rest of the year was spent in flat leather slippers, she enjoyed the heels and the feel of leather against her calves.

  When she got up to the front of the line, there were only a handful of people behind her. It was nearly close of business, so she gave up her spot and went to the back of the line. She waited patiently, and when it was her turn, Santa beckoned her forward.

  Dana had taken two steps when Santa got up and bolted. “Hey!”

  Nero came forward and sat in the throne. “Come on, I am not letting you get on that lap. You have no idea what has landed on it before you get there.”

  Dana had caught the mall Santa with his girlfriend behind the trash bins, so she could see Nero’s point.

  “So, why are you taking his place?”

  “I thought you could tell me what you want for Christmas. I promise to pass it along to Santa.” He winked.

  She mentally debated for a moment and then took a seat across Nero’s thighs. “I don’t really need to ask him for anything. I left him a letter.”

  He touched her jaw to get her to look up at him, and the camera snapped. “A letter?”

  “Yes. We all wrote one. When we left, we gave them to Ru, and she was going to pass them on when it was figured out that we had scooted.”

  Nero leaned toward her, his lips brushing against her cheek, “What did you ask for?”

  “A life. Friends. And something for my teammates.”

  She heard the camera click again. “Why are you taking photos?”

  “Because everybody needs a picture in Santa’s Grotto.” His lips were so near hers, she could feel his breath whisper across her mouth.

  She leaned toward him. “I know one thing I want to do.”

  “Yes?”

  “I want to dance.” She kissed him and heard the click of the camera. She didn’t mind. She wanted to remember this moment any way that she could.

  When he lifted his head, he smiled, “Then, dance you shall.”

  Dana didn’t know why she had always been compelled to fuss with makeup and hair, but she was glad for the practice. She had grabbed her kit from her locker the night before and put the finishing touches on her face before she slipped her lipstick into her small clutch purse.

  She hadn’t bought the clutch; it had been slipped into her shoebox with a little note. May the happiness of the holiday season keep you filled with joy. Leara.

  That little note had connected the dots for her. She had been fitted for a dress by one of the vast network of elves throughout the human world. No wonder Nero had sent her to that shop. There was a connection and that connection was magic.

  Dana sighed and checked her reflection one more time. She looked like a normal human ready for a formal evening. She felt like a nervous wreck.

  When the knock sounded at her door, she nearly jumped out of the golden beaded gown.

  “Keep yourself together, Dana.”

  She walked to the door and opened it. Her escort for the night was resplendent in his tuxedo. “You look wonderful.”

  He blinked and gave her a small smile. “I was going to say the same, but you beat me to it. Dana, you look stunning.”

  She blushed and took a step outside.

  “Don’t you need a wrap?” He frowned.

  She paused then shrugged. “Nope. I don’t get cold. None of us do. We wouldn’t be able to do our job if we did.”

  “Well, in that case...” He offered her his arm, and she turned to pull the door closed.

  With her home secure, she took his arm and walked to his vehicle. He opened the door of the low, flashy red car and tucked her skirt in carefully. He had obviously done this more than once before.

  She buckled up, and they were on their way to the ball.

  He kept glancing over at her, and she turned her head toward him. “Why are you staring?”

  “You just look so terrified. I promise, there isn’t anything unusual about this night. We are just a man and a woman attending a fundraiser for the local children’s hospital.”

  Dana nodded and tried to relax.

  The lineup of expensive vehicles caused her to tense up again. When they arrived at the entryway, the valet ran around while Nero got out of the car and came around to her side, opening the door for her and taking her hand to help her out.

  She got to her feet and snugged in close to his side as they entered the building. It appeared to be a museum and an old manor house together in one.

  There was a checkpoint inside, and Nero produced two elaborately engraved invitations from the interior of his jacket.

  They passed the checkpoint with a polite nod from the man at the door and headed up a set of carved stairs. Two young women with dangerous cleavage emerging from their gowns presented them with masks. Dana had a gold mask, Nero a black one.

  He helped her tie her mask on and gave her a quick kiss. She didn’t have time either to get outraged or to enjoy it. He tucked her hand around his arm and escorted her into the ball.

  A waltz was already playing, and despite the modern gowns on some of the women, Dana was transported back to when she had watched a ball through a window on one snowy Christmas night.

  “Would you care to dance?” Nero’s voice was a low whisper in her ear.

  She nodded, and he led her to the dance floor. He pulled her against him, and they were off.

  Her skin was tingling two hours later as she paused to get a glass of lemon water while Nero spoke to some friends of his.

  “You two have matching tattoos; how cute.” The sn
ide voice sounded from behind Dana, and she turned to see an elegant woman in a bottle blue gown.

  Dana smirked. “They don’t match. His is on the right side, mine is on the left and the designs are different.”

  The woman blinked. “I was his escort last year.”

  Dana sipped at her water. “Well, it is a charity ball.”

  The woman gasped, and Dana merely put her water down and left her to try and come up with a comeback.

  She eased up to Nero’s side, and he put his arm around her waist. Their dancing had definitely broken the ice when it came to physical contact. She didn’t want to tell him, but dancing with him worked on her hormones ten times faster than seeing him only wearing a sheet. Guys were funny about stuff like that.

  She smiled as the couple he was speaking to expressed their admiration for his latest photographic exhibition.

  The woman smiled happily and asked Dana, “Have you seen his latest work?”

  Dana grinned. “I have seen him working, but I haven’t gotten to see the end result.”

  The squeeze to her ribs told her to behave.

  The woman told her that she was missing out. Apparently, Nero had fans.

  “Would you care to return to the dance floor?” Nero was already in motion when he asked.

  “Why would I ever refuse that?” She laughed and swung into his arms as the music pulsed around them.

  She swung the mask from her fingers and hummed happily as he drove her home in the small hours of the morning.

  “Did you have a good night?” Nero looked over at her.

  “It was wonderful. I can’t thank you enough.” Dana turned her head just in time to see another car surge toward them through the rear windshield.

  She just had enough of a view of that her mind was nearly sure she recognized the distinctive grill when they were struck and Nero fought to keep the car from spinning end over end.

  She didn’t shout; she waited. She had been in crashes before while tied to eight of her closest friends. Nothing was solved by panicking.

  They skidded to a halt and the engine shut down. Nose first in a ditch would make it easy for them to get out.

  “Dana, are you all right?”

  She looked into his worried gaze and blinked as he lost his human seeming for a moment. He was all elf, and she got the feeling that toy making was not in his repertoire.

  “I am fine, but I am very angry.” She looked in the side-view mirror and watched the approach of one of the idiots that she had thumped two days earlier.

  She noted their posture and sighed. “They have guns.”

  “Lovely. You stay in the car.”

  She ignored him. “I fly over Texas. I am not afraid of guns.”

  She opened the car door and kicked her feet out, standing up with only a little effort. Her shoes were not made for grass and gravel.

  She looked around with her senses, and when she knew that they would be unobserved, she sprouted her horns.

  The other car door opened, and Nero came out, but he wasn’t alone. He was carrying a blade half as tall as he was. She had seen that blade before.

  “How did you get that?”

  “Not the time, Dana.”

  She shrugged and turned toward the young men who were busy yelling epithets and threatening the bitch who disrespected them.

  She waited for them to get closer, and then, she grabbed the first one and hauled him down to the ground, dislocating his arm. He screamed, and she heard a shot and then a shout.

  Dana left her target and turned to watch Nero pulling three feet of the Spirit of Christmas out of the young man’s chest. The thug dropped to his knees and a beatific expression took him over.

  Dana grinned. “Stab this one, too. He keeps going for his gun.”

  Nero came forward and ran him through, leaving the touch of the spirit where the rage had been.

  “You know what this is?” He raised his brows.

  “All we have to read is the list and history books. Yes, I know the Spirit of Christmas when I see it. So, obviously, you are one of the ten who can wield it.”

  He nodded and looked at his car. “I don’t suppose you can help me get that out of the ditch.”

  “First, call the police. We have located the guys from the other night. Then, I will push your vehicle back onto the road, though you may still need a tow.”

  He grimaced. “This is not the end to the evening that I had intended. Did they shoot you?”

  She looked down and cursed a blue streak. “I haven’t even finished paying for this dress yet. Damn it.”

  Nero looked at her and chuckled, releasing the sword back into the ether where it lived and removing his jacket in one easy move. He tucked it around her. “This should hide the mark that isn’t bleeding.”

  He made the calls, and she pushed his car back onto the edge of the road. The tow truck hitched his vehicle up while the police took care of the other two. Nero pointed out that one of them had a dislocated shoulder, and the police nodded.

  A quick statement, a tow truck and a cab later and they were on their way to her home.

  Nero was depressed.

  “What is it, Nero?”

  “This is not what I wanted for the evening.”

  She patted his thigh. “As I know all too well, what I want doesn’t usually matter. You have to enjoy the moments that appear, not the ones you hope for.”

  “Can I borrow your couch again tonight?”

  Dana smiled. “You can. I will even make a proper breakfast tomorrow.”

  “Unless I beat you to it.”

  She grinned. “That’s the spirit.”

  He laughed and pulled her in close as the cab brought them to her home.

  Once inside, she kept hold of his hand and hauled him to her bedroom. She had a plan, and she didn’t care how it turned out as long as she tried.

  Nero took the hint and slid his jacket off her shoulders. “I had no idea that you were impervious to bullets.”

  She chuckled. “Since humanity started looking for us on Christmas Eve, there were others who took aim to bring down the pagan symbol using weapons. We worked on the enchantments until we could manage to take anything short of a ballistic missile.”

  He set his jacket aside on the chair she kept for reading, and he stroked his hands down her shoulders, pressing kisses along the skin that he had just caressed.

  Dana sighed and leaned back into his embrace while Nero unfastened her gown, and it slid to the floor with a hiss and a rustle.

  The starch of his shirt rubbed against her back as he pressed against her, wrapping his arms around her while he moved his hands over the front of her torso, learning her curves.

  Dana surrendered herself to him and turned in his arms when he shifted her toward him.

  She eased the studs of his shirt free and tugged at his tie until it slithered free. She was wearing her shoes and panties, nothing else.

  “I think you are over dressed, Nero.”

  He chuckled and released his cuffs before wrenching the snow-white shirt off. She backed away as he unbuckled his belt and kicked off his shoes. She wished she had thought of that. Little straps bucked her shoes around her ankles.

  He stepped back and peeled off his trousers, tossing them on top of his jacket.

  Nero flicked off his socks and grinned as he stood. “Now, who is overdressed?”

  She stepped out of the circle of her dress and walked over to the bed. “I am wishing that I had anticipated this when I picked out the shoes, but I was thinking of the dancing.”

  When she sat to remove her shoes, he followed her and knelt, taking her foot, setting the shoe on his thigh, and he unbuckled it with a few economical motions. “Why are you so crazy for dancing?”

  Dana shrugged. “We all pick our different obsessions. It has helped to keep us sane over the centuries. We have tried everything from arts and crafts to solitude and a ton of things in between. I found that I like the freedom of movement.”
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  As she said freedom, he released her second shoe and she wiggled her toes. “Thanks.”

  He grinned and leaned forward so that they were face to face. “You are still wearing more than I am.”

  She grinned. “True. You might want to remedy that.”

  “I intend to...in good time.”

  He kissed her, and she stopped the fleeting wonder of what he was waiting for when their tongues slid against each other and he lifted her to bear her back onto the bed.

  Dana smiled as he moved over her and she could press her breasts against his chest.

  He woke her body with long strokes of his limbs against hers.

  She felt her panties get damp when he kissed her belly, and she gasped when he used his teeth on the underside of her breasts.

  Dana was shocked at the jolt she experienced when he sucked her index finger between his lips, swirling his tongue around it.

  She shook with surprise and gasped. Her finger came free of his mouth with a pop, and he finally slid his hand between her and the golden silk and lace that were her only covering.

  He leaned back to get them off her legs and flicked aside. To her embarrassment, they ended up on his jacket and trousers.

  She only had a moment to focus on her errant underwear, because he moved over her and parted her thighs.

  Dana looked him in the eye as he fitted himself to her and his cock slid inside.

  She winced when he had a bit of a struggle to work himself inside, but he retreated and moved forward again. This time, the inward thrust worked just fine, and she gasped, arching her neck as the first course of pleasure spun outward.

  When she caught on to his rhythm, she started moving in counterpoint. Nero’s hair was still caught up in a braid, but he lost his human seeming while he was thrusting into her.

  The beautiful features sharpened into a visage that was nearly cruel, but his focus on her took the danger out of her mind. There was no pain with the pleasure, so she simply enjoyed their dance.

  She alternately clasped and clawed his shoulders and ribs as she approached her orgasm. When it finally snapped free, she was sure that she drew blood in addition to her howl.