Page 39 of Santa's Wish
I took the offered cup and sipped at it while I thought. "I haven't been … unhappy," I tried again.
"You're great with the public," they said. "With us, you're guarded and withdrawn. It's been worse since Key and Greed left."
"I'll see them on Christmas Eve."
They nodded. "Good. Will I get to meet your 'someone'?"
Shit. Of course they would be there. Key and his little sister had tons of friends at the club. Why had I thought it would be a small gathering?
"Yeah, I'm bringing him."
They nodded. "Good. See you there!"
Now I had something else to distract me from thinking about Boz. While we were slow, I asked around. The rowdier bunch were holding their own party in the abandoned warehouse Dobbins had vacated. Only a handful knew about Key's party.
Still, a handful of my coworkers were about to discover how far gone I was for Boz. The thought terrified me.
The witch showedup at my doorstep at dusk the following night. She was pleasant enough, and efficient. In a half-hour, she reinforced my wards so tight I could feel the boundary when I walked through. Any vampire who meant harm to me or my tenants would feel the sun's wrath, no matter what time of night.
The spell charged during the day, like a solar battery. It would be weaker during the winter months, but it was far more powerful than the binding spell I'd bought a century ago.
"They're watching you," the witch whispered to me when I brought her back inside and handed her the envelope of cash for her services.
"Who?"
"Another witch cast the spell. It's a magical recording device. Who knows where the information it captures is saved, or who's watching."
"Thanks. You've reminded me why I don't trust witches." I grinned in an attempt to soften my harsh comment.
She snorted. "I don't trust most vampires, but I like Colette, and she told me about your tenant, Boz. That's the only reason I told you about the surveillance spell."
Boz made alliances everywhere he went, it seemed.
Dr. Bredlow's words from the night before haunted me as I walked the witch back to her car and watched her drive away. I hadn't flirted with her, either.
I metBoz at his door at dusk on Christmas Eve. Strings of LED lights glowed above the door and across the kitchen counter, but the strongest light in the room was from the Christmas tree in the corner.
I shoved a box into Boz's arms. "Merry Christmas!"
"What the hell?" He took the box but didn't move from the doorway. "I was saving your present until … wow. You look fucking amazing."
I shimmied my shoulders and did a quick heel spin to show off my black suit with shiny red sequins.
"What's in here?" he asked, shaking the box.
"A necessity," I said. "Key loves to dance as much as I do. I'm sure he'll have music playing."
Boz finally waved me in and shut the door behind me. "Have you ever tried to dance to Christmas music?"
"I'll dance with you to any music if you put those on."
He dashed to his bedroom so fast, I wondered if someone had turned him into a vampire while I wasn't looking. I knew that wasn't the case, of course. He still smelled human, and the only reason he seemed to move fast was because I watched him with such intensity. I wanted to memorize this moment, this night.
I had it so bad. I shouldn't have fallen for him, but my feelings had become harder to deny.
He returned a moment later in the pants and tuxedo shirt. "The jacket doesn't fit."
"It stretches." I sped around him, grabbing the jacket and holding it out for him to try it on before his gaze registered my movement.
