Hunted Holiday: A Vampire Romance Read Online Free PDF Page A

totally and completely swept up and lost in his eyes. That happened a lot when she dared to make eye contact with the man.
    He kept her hand on her cheek. “I did like seeing you enjoying yourself.”
    She tipped her head. Why was he being so nice to her? Normally by this point he’d have barked orders at her or talked about how careless she was in her patrolling. “Sir?”
    He smiled, and she couldn’t recall a time she’d seen him do that before. “You are the only one who calls me sir.”
    “I figure it irks you,” she returned, her voice low, her body caught up in how close he was.
    “You and Finn derive great pleasure from doing things to annoy me,” he commented, and damn if his lips didn’t seem even closer.
    She stilled, afraid if she moved she might very well go in for the kiss. Far too many of her fantasies involved her lips on his. With Mimi’s winter wonderland surrounding them, lights reflecting on the snow-covered ground, the moment already felt surreal—having Cornell’s mouth this close to her own was pushing it way too far.
    Finn was right. Cornell was tall, dark, and her boss. Giving in and kissing him would be very bad. Super bad. The worst thing ever.
    Damn, if she didn’t jump right into the worst move ever.
    One second, Dani thought she had control of her hormones, and the next, her lips were pressed to Cornell’s. Fireworks exploded in her brain as her heart beat madly and her body tingled from head to toe. In the next breath, her lips parted and his tongue was suddenly joining hers.
    Her mind went blank.
    Nothing but the feel of his tongue on hers mattered. She tipped her head, giving him better access to her mouth. As her hands began to feel their way over his torso, she froze, realizing what she’d done.
    More than that, what he hadn’t done.
    Push her away.
    Gasping, she leapt back, hitting the same patch of ice that had bested her more than once already. Dani went down hard, but she wasn’t alone. Cornell slipped with her, his body riding hers to the ground. Somehow, he managed to cradle the back of her head with his hands and flip their bodies at the last second, taking the brunt of her full weight on him. She lay there, spread over the top of him, her groin pressed to his, their bodies seeming at home with one another.
    She yelped.
    He laughed.
    She yelped again. “Sir!”
    “Dani,” he mocked, before swatting her backside playfully.
    She hadn’t even been aware Cornell had a playful side. She remained perfectly still on top of him. It took her a moment to realize they were being laughed at. She glanced up and found Mimi and Finn, laughing, and walking in the direction of Cornell’s home.
    Finn looked back at her. “Enjoy yerself. I know he will if you keep lying on him like that. Grind and make the man’s year, Dani.”
    Dani nearly fell over herself trying to scramble off Cornell. He shot up as if on strings, ever the model of grace, and caught her around the waist, his body pressing to hers once more. He steadied her and remained in place. Normally, when Dani felt uneasy, she kicked the living crap out of the thing causing it. That was what a slayer did. She wasn’t sure what to do now. The guy she’d been crushing on for ages had returned her kiss and then swatted her butt. Her front yard looked like the Christmas section of a department store, and her best friend had just abandoned her to deal with her hormones on her own.
    I’m so screwed.
    Cornell turned her to face him fully. “Dani, you’re never this quiet.”
    Confused, she stared at him.
    He looked amused. “I was sure I spotted mistletoe.”
    “What?” she asked, her lips still feeling the aftereffects of his kiss.
    “In all this,” he said, motioning to the yard and the decorations. “I’m sure I spotted mistletoe. You’ve a good eye.”  
    She began to follow his logic. He was giving her an out for kissing him. The coward in her wanted to take it. Her stubborn streak forbade it. She righted