Deadly Attraction

She stared him down.

Finally, he rolled his eyes. “You’re not seducing me. You’re manipulating me.”

Her lips curled. “Am I?”

With a grunt, he sat up again and got to his feet. Her arms and legs wrapped around him and he carried her into the bedroom. He placed her on the mattress and she slid between the sheets.

Following her under them, he reached for her and said, “Seduce me a little more.”

* * * * *

Darien was off on another military mission, leaving her a few days before Christmas. He wouldn’t give her any indication of what he and Morgan had discovered that had them so hush-hush and scouring the Canadian border. All he told her, in a placating tone that had made her simper, was that they had a lead on a small colony of demons they thought were under the rule of the fire wraith.

The fact that the demons had vacated the area made Darien and Morgan believe the wraith wouldn’t terrorize her again. Especially since Darien wouldn’t be close to the village—there’d be no point in using Jade as bait again. That, how

ever, did not keep the slayers from heavily protecting her, upon the king’s orders. He’d also charged a small patrol with watching the woods on the demon side of Ryleigh’s border.

When Tanner dropped her off at the village square on Christmas Eve morning, he said, “We’re back to training tomorrow, right?”

“Yes. I’m fine now. Come for me in the afternoon.”

He nodded. “Walker will take you home tonight after you’re finished at the tavern.”

“Thanks,” she said. “You’ve been a huge help, Tanner.”

He rode off and she headed toward Lisette’s library. But the line of people outside the bakery drew her attention. So too did the fact the sidewalks and streets had been cleared of snowbanks. A layer of packed snow still covered the surfaces, but it was so much easier to trek through the village—a treat this time of year.

As she approached the bakery, Ginny Lambert, the last in line, called out to her. “Jade! Thank the Lord. You really are safe.”

Unexpectedly, the older woman gave her a firm hug.

Malcolm Carter, the town’s highly skilled blacksmith, said, “You had everybody worried.”

“I’m fine,” she assured them as her presence drew interest. Ignoring the curious looks, she nodded toward the inside of the small shop and asked, “What’s all the fuss about?”

Just then, Marge Leighton, the baker’s wife, appeared. “I heard Ginny say your name. Thank goodness you’re okay. Attacked by a fire wraith? How horrific.”

“Yes,” she said as she fought the shiver that chased down her spine at the reminder.

“Here, take these.” Marge thrust her plump hand toward Jade. She held a small bag. “Cranberry and orange muffins. They’re to die for. Well,” she added hastily as the group gathered about seemed to collectively gasp. “Those aren’t quite the appropriate words to use in our village, are they? But the muffins will not disappoint.” She whirled around and headed back inside to keep the customers moving along.

“Wait!” Jade called out.

“For you, they’re on the house, Jade!”

She gazed down at the bag and shrugged. “Okay.”

Leaving the crowd, she found another line at the coffee shop. Similar to the bakery, it was a rare instance. The shop offered little more than the standard fare in coffee. It was just more convenient to grab a mass-produced mug there than brew a pot over the fire.

“What on earth is going on?” she asked Walt Steinham, the village dentist.

“Gourmet coffee, so I hear.”

Jade sniffed the air. “Smells like Christmas.”

Walt said, “Nutmeg. Cinnamon. Hazelnut. I can’t even figure out what they’re using to spice up the coffee, but it beats the hell out of the same old, same old, don’t you think?”

“I do.”