A Yowling Yuletide Read Free

some reason he just couldn't bring
himself to care right now. He was far to consumed by the woman
seated in front of him.
    When he appeared too tongue-tied to reply,
Miranda continued with her story.
    "Rachel told me about her friend Morgan's
grandmother's Book of Shadows, and that they've practiced a few of
the rituals inside."
    The redhead leaned even closer and Matt
nearly whimpered as the move revealed a sneak peek down her blouse.
Was she intentionally trying to kill him? The muscles in his chest
and stomach were already so tense he could hardly breathe.
    "Well, my grandmother also kept a Grimoire,"
she revealed in an excited whisper. "But she wrote more than just
spells and rituals inside. She also recorded all of the witches,
who they married, and…um, unique traits that appeared in some of
the children."
    "It was her fascination in genetics, do you
see?" Miranda beamed at him.
    Matt was too spellbound by the woman to
notice that she was waiting for some kind of response from him.
    "That's why you fell in love with me so
quickly," she added, shocking Matt out of his state of mute
captivation.
    Straightening abruptly, he shoved his chair
back from the desk and quickly stood. Striding to the other side of
the small office, he shook his head to clear it, before turning
back to face her.
    "I think you should leave," he suggested
with more severity than he actually felt. "This is not a work place
appropriate conversion."
    "Stop talking like a lawyer and just think
about it for a second,” she chastised. “Have you ever fallen in
love so quickly, or so completely?”
    “ You’re assuming a lot,”
he growled, not ready to admit anything, especially to
her.
    She shrugged and actually managed to look a
little shy.
    “ Well, I know that I’ve
never felt this way about anyone before you.”
    The world bucked like a monstrous bull
beneath him, nearly throwing him off. He thrust out one hand to
grab the bookshelf beside him, desperately seeking to regain his
balance, and nearly succeeded in toppling the heavy piece of
furniture over instead.
    He turned on her with a stunned snarl, ready
to shake the truth out of her if necessary. But the demand died
unspoken on his lips, because her emotions were glowing bright and
beautiful in those golden eyes.
    Miranda didn’t give him time to recover.
Sliding off from the desk, she came to stand just in front of him.
She was so short, the top of her head barely reached his shoulder,
so she had to tilt her face way up to look into his eyes.
    When she placed her open palms upon his
chest, his entire body trembled. It was like being touched by raw
electricity. A crackling energy flowed between them, tensing every
muscle and making him ache for what he’d tried so hard to deny.
    His arms instinctively moved up to embrace
her, pulling her closer when he should have been pushing her
away.
    Surprise and hope flashed through her golden
eyes as they flickered down to rest upon his mouth, then the tip of
her pink tongue darted out to moisten her lips. That gesture had
nearly destroyed him the first day they’d worked together and it
had an equally devastating effect upon his libido now.
    The fury and apprehension that he’d felt
moments before vanished as he was overwhelmed by a fierce and
unforgivable need to taste those lips, to discover if she tasted as
good as she looked.
    Then, ever so slowly, she smiled and stood
up on her toes. There was a hint of hope and pleasure in her eyes,
even as her cheeks turned an enticing shade of pale pink. She was
stepping outside of her comfort zone, seeking his acceptance and
approval.
    It was impossible for him to deny all those
soft, feminine curves filling his arms. The warmth of her body
seduced him, as her inviting smile filled his mind with the endless
fantasies that had haunted him all week.
    With a harsh curse, he tightened his arms
fiercely around her body, lifting her up so he could capture her
mouth beneath his own.
    Miranda made no attempt to