A Christmas Home Read Online Free Page A

that. But I’m still going to want to come back to see you after my
meeting. Maybe not for dessert, but definitely to spend time with you. I want
to know you, Ophelia, all about you. Let’s order and then you can tell me all
there is to know about your sexy little self.”
    That
had her smiling. She wasn’t exactly a tiny girl. She was a fit size sixteen
with big boobs and a bigger butt but she was healthy and that was all that
counted. No one, not even her ex, had ever called her sexy. “I want to get to
know you, too, Jagger. I like your name, by the way.”
    She
placed her order with the waitress who came to take their order, a woman who
was a perfect ten, the type of woman that handsome, sexy men like Jagger
typically went for. Oddly enough he didn’t give her attention save to give his
order. “What is it with this town? Everyone is so handsome or so gorgeous. All
of the world’s magazines could have came here to get their cover models.”
    “Good
genetics, for the most part. The majority of the town are shifters. Even in the
animal kingdom they find their mate based on a number of factors, strength,
skill, and whatever ticks the box for looks in their mind. Which leads to damn
good-looking kids. Works the same way in the shifter world, although the fates
do have some help in choosing who we hook up with. They throw them in our path
and then it’s up to us to decide if they are truly the one for us or not. Why
are you staring at me like that? I know for a fact I haven’t grown a second
head.”
    She
had her drink in her hand and stopped dead in her tracks. “Wait. What?” Her
hand shook when she put the drink down. “Shifters? Like werewolves?” Oh God,
that was it. He was hotter than hot but crazier than a fucking loon. That’s why
he was attracted to her. Was this him making fun of her? Did he lose a bet?
“That’s not even funny.” She scooted to the edge of the booth seat. “At all. If
you lost a bet or something or you were told to find the next fattie that came into town and fuck with
her I don’t appreciate it.” She was angry now, shaking. She was hurt, very
hurt, because she liked this man and now he was pretty much trying to weave a
tale of bullshit around her. She didn’t appreciate it and dammit she was
crying, which made her angrier.
    “What
the hell, Ophelia?” Standing, he tugged her from the booth and led her to the
hall where the bathrooms were located. He pulled her into his arms and held
her. “There is no bet, and I don’t see any fatties in here, sweetheart. I’m not
lying to you, or pulling your leg. I’m giving you the facts as they are. You
can ask any of the locals, shifter or human, and they will tell you the same
thing. There are currently six shifter packs living here. I’m with the Kodiak
bears. We do have wolves, jaguar, lynx, grizzly, and tiger. Plus a nearly equal
amount of humans. We all live in harmony working and living side by side. I’m
sorry if you thought I was teasing you, but I’m not. I don’t do subtle very
well, have never liked playing games unless they’re sexual in nature, and I
prefer straight-up blunt truth. It tends to keep hurt feelings to a minimum.”
    She
did the only thing she could think of. “Show me,” she whispered. “If you are a
bear, show me. Change your hand or your face, something?” she asked and found
herself soaking up the heat of him. God help her. She wanted to believe him but
it was so hard because she didn’t believe in silly things like shifters, or
whatever. “And why me? Why tell me? I’m just a tourist who will be gone in a
month, so why?” Okay, so maybe she was getting ahead of herself.
    “That
part we’ll get to later,” he said. Then he threw a look around before he lifted
a hand between them. When she looked down she saw it thickening up, the nails
getting longer, thicker, and curving as they darkened. “Will that do for
proof?”
    She
was gasping and felt her vision going blurry. “Holy shit.”