Winter Magic by T.L.Reeves
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?
Excerpt:
“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?”
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