Her Christmas Tree

  Her Christmas Tree

  Tracey Steinbach

  Published 2015

  ISBN: 978-1-62210-314-0

  Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © Published 2015, Tracey Steinbach. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  Liquid Silver Books

  http://LSbooks.com

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Blurb

  Miranda works for the arrogant vampire, Matthias. She lives in a wing of his home so she can be at his beck and call whenever the mood strikes him. Matthias knows that Miranda is his mate but he has no desire to bind himself to a human, fall in love and watch her die, so he keeps his distance. When Miranda asks for a Christmas tree for the house, he reluctantly agrees. Miranda has an accident before she can get the tree, though, and he uses their bond to rescue her.

  After Matthias is shot, Miranda must let Matthias feed to regain his strength and possibly save his life. This bonds them closer together. He gives up the fight and throws himself into winning her over. The first thing on his list? Her Christmas tree.

  Chapter 1

  Miranda’s heels clicked loudly across the marble floor as she stomped her way down the hall. She pressed her lips together to keep from shrieking at the infuriating man. If he didn’t watch himself, she was going to stake him through the heart in his sleep. Would serve the arrogant bastard right if she did.

  Did you hear that? One of these days I’m going to stake you in your sleep!

  Matthias’s deep chuckle was the only answer she received. That quickened Miranda’s stride, sparking more of her anger. How dare Matthias deny her a few days off? It was Christmas, for heaven’s sake! She knew he didn’t celebrate it, but she did. It was her favorite holiday, and she wanted to spend it doing what she wanted, not catering to his every need. No, she didn’t have any family to spend it with, and she barely had any friends, it seemed like every time she planned something with Beth and Vicki, Matthias would beep her with some emergency. They never turned out to be real emergencies, though. Miranda suspected that he was trying to keep her in the house and away from other people. She just couldn’t figure out why. It wasn’t like she was going to go blathering on about her boss the vampire. Who would believe her?

  Miranda had stomped her way to the other side of the house when her PDA went off. The man was bound and determined to make her crazy today. She activated the touch screen, bringing his message up.

  If it will make you happy, you may put up a tree in my living room. Not that I want one. I do not. But if it will keep you from staking me in my sleep, so be it.

  Miranda could almost feel his amusement. Fine, he was giving her permission for a tree? It was going to be the biggest tree that would fit in there. Miranda allowed a small smile to curve her lips. At least she’d get to do some decorating. When she’d moved from her dinky little apartment to the wing of Matthias’s house, she had mourned the loss of her own space to decorate for holidays. Matthias had said she could do whatever she wanted to her rooms, but it wasn’t the same as having a tree lit in front of a picture window, sharing it with whomever happened by. That was one of the best parts of the Christmas season, to her mind. The feeling of giving and sharing, that normally eluded the public, was present. It warmed her heart to do for others, which was one of the things that made her good at her job. Yeah, sometimes her boss was a pain in the ass, but she was happy most of the time. He obviously was happy with her, too, or he’d have fired her long before now.

  * * * *

  Matthias sat behind his desk, pulling on his upper lip while he mused. That little spitfire of an assistant of his was going to drive him insane. When he’d hired her almost a year ago, he hadn’t planned on her staying long. He assumed that once he showed her his true nature, she would flee—and he would be forced to hunt her down and wipe her memory. That hadn’t happened. In fact, a couple of months after she started working for him, he grew frustrated with waiting for her to drive across town when he needed her, so he offered her the wing on the opposite end of his home. It was private and more than big enough for her yet close enough that if he needed her, she would be there in just a few short minutes.

  At least that was what he was telling them both. He had no desire to examine his feelings for her. She was an assistant, and nothing more. He didn’t feel protective or possessive; it didn’t matter to him that she wanted to spend time outside his estate. Why should he care who she spent her time with, or what she was doing? As for the Christmas tree, that was just a whim. He didn’t really care if she was happy with him. And in no way did he fear for his life. Miranda, stake me? He scoffed. As if.

  Matthias wasn’t examining his feelings, because he already knew what they were. He had no desire to pursue them, though. He’d watched enough loved ones and friends die in the past, while he never aged and never died. Just once he wished he had someone that he could talk to, who was actually there like he was, instead of someone who only read about his times in history books—someone from his childhood who remembered the time they’d climbed that tree and damn near fell out…Matthias sighed. There was no use in wishing. Wishes were for the innocent minds of children. He was much too jaded, and had seen way too much, to be innocent anymore.

  Matthias watched Miranda stop and look in the living room. He was positive she wasn’t aware of the closed-circuit security cameras that littered the estate. He made sure that she wasn’t near when he called up the monitors and looked over the feed. Matthias picked up the phone and placed a call, his eyes remaining on Miranda. When the call was finished and everything had been arranged, he turned his attention back to his paperwork.

  *

  Miranda finished the work she had on her desk and started calling local tree dealers, looking for the perfect tree. She was on her third call when she hit pay dirt. She assured the gentleman on the phone that she would be right over to look at it, and hung up. Grabbing her purse, coat and scarf, Miranda typed a quick message to Matthias.

  Going to pick out a tree. I won’t be gone long. Try to not need me for the next half hour.

  She stowed her PDA in her pocket, and headed out the door. She almost squealed with delight when she saw the snowflakes floating to the ground. It was going to be a white Christmas! Apparently it had been snowing for a while, since the roads were starting to cover. Miranda didn’t mind driving in the snow. Ice, now that was different, but just plain snow didn’t bother her.

  Miranda climbed into her mini-cooper and started for the tree farm. It wasn’t that far a drive: only about fifteen minutes. Turning up the radio when Jingle Bell Rock came on, Miranda began singing at the top of her lungs. Well, why not? It wasn’t as if anyone could hear her.

  A deer darted out in front of her.

  Miranda slammed on the brakes and clutched the wheel when the back end started sliding. What did you do when you were sliding? Steer into the skid or opposite? She couldn’t remember. She started to sigh with relief when she felt the car steadying, but it was too late. She was too close to the edge of the road, sliding over the side and starting to roll. The car thumped to a stop, landing on its top. Miranda’s last clear thought was, I hope Matthias doesn’t need me soon.

  * * * *

  Matthias was p
issed off. Miranda had said she’d be gone half an hour, it had been twice that, and she still wouldn’t answer any of his texts. He tried calling her phone and didn’t get an answer then either. If this was what he got when he was nice, he’d show her when she got home. That damn tree could go right back to the lot she bought it from.

  When dusk approached, Matthias started to worry. Where could Miranda be? She’d been gone for hours, and still wasn’t answering any of his calls or texts. He pushed himself from his chair and strode for the front door. It was dark enough now that the sun wouldn’t bother him. Fucking brrrrr! It was damned cold outside, and there must have been a good six inches of snow covering the grass and drive. He looked, but couldn’t see the tire tracks from when Miranda left, which meant it had snowed this much since she’d been gone.

  Matthias stood on the front steps for a few minutes, watching the driveway. He was turning to go back inside when he heard Miranda groan. He froze in mid-step, listening. His chest constricted with an overwhelming feeling of pain. Miranda! She was hurt.

  Matthias didn’t think, he just started running. He tore off through the brush and weeds, entering the small woods a mile from his house. He jumped over limbs and dodged low hanging branches, following the feeling of Miranda.

  He stopped when he saw her little car, lying on its roof against the tree. “Miranda!” he shouted. There was no answer from her.

  He dropped down to his belly, looking through the car window. Miranda was unconscious, blood covering one side of her face. Using his more-than-human strength, he pulled the door closest to him from its hinges and threw it off to the side. He crawled into the car, checking the pulse in her neck. He knew she was alive from feeling her pain radiate through him. He gauged the situation before deciding he needed to right the car before he freed her from the seatbelt restraints.

  Crawling back out, he went to the driver’s side of the car. He crouched down, gripped the battered roof of the car, and pushed. With a metallic groan, the car rolled back to its tires, rocking with the impact. Matthias ripped Miranda’s door off and reached for her seatbelt. The damned thing was jammed. He gripped it in both hands and pulled, shredding the belt. Miranda slumped down in the seat, and Matthias caught her before she could hit her head on the steering wheel.

  He pulled her from the wreckage and laid her out on the soft blanket of snow. He knew he couldn’t let her lie there for long—she was badly chilled already—but he needed to see how badly she was hurt. He moved his hands over her arms and legs, finding no broken bones. Her knee was swollen, probably from hitting the dashboard. He ran his hands over her chest, but didn’t feel anything like a broken rib. Satisfied that it would be safe to move her, he gathered her in his arms.

  Running back the way he came, Matthias carried Miranda into the house. He took her straight to his bedroom and eased her onto the bed, looked down at her, and saw that her lips had a blue tinge. The poor girl was freezing. He went to the fireplace and started a roaring fire to warm up the bedroom, then set to getting her out of her wet clothes. He tried to be impartial and not notice the soft skin and generous curves of her body. When she was undressed, he pulled the blankets up to her chin and made his way to the bathroom adjacent to the bedroom. He placed a quick call to his personal physician, telling him to come right away, then filled a basin with hot water, grabbed a washcloth and went back to the bed. Sitting beside her, he started washing the blood from her face. Once the blood was washed away, he could see the gash on her head. It would need stitches.

  The doctor walked into the bedroom, carrying his bag. Matthias had to hand it to the Dr. Benson, not only did he make house-calls, but he knew how to be discreet. He never once commented on the fact that Miranda was lying in Matthias’ bed. He hadn’t even blinked.

  “What do we have here, Matthias?” He came to the bed, gazing down at the unconscious woman. Then he lifted Miranda’s wrist, looking at his watch.

  “From what I could tell,” Matthias explained, “she had an accident with her car. I found her unconscious and bleeding from the wound in her head. She may have been lying in that car for as much as two hours. Will she be all right, Doc?” Matthias moved to lean against the wall, out of the doctor’s way. He forced his body to relax but inside his heart was hammering in his chest.

  “Go wait outside for me, Matthias,” said Dr. Benson. “I’ll check her over and close the head wound. When I’m done, I’ll call for you.” The doctor peered at Matthias over the rims of his glasses, sighing when Matthias only shook his head. “Of course not. What was I thinking?” he muttered.

  The doctor got to work, checking Miranda over. He closed up the cut on her head and went to the bathroom to wash up. Matthias watched and fretted silently.

  When Dr. Benson came back out of the bathroom, he started gathering his things. He looked up at Matthias. “I won’t lie to you and tell you that she’ll be doing cartwheels in the morning, but I don’t foresee any immediate danger. When I closed up the wound on her head, and I couldn’t detect any internal bleeding. She should wake up soon, though. Watch for signs of fever and concussion. If she doesn’t wake by this time tomorrow, call me, I’ll come back. Do you have any questions?”

  Matthias pushed off the wall and walked over to the bed. “No, I don’t think so. I’ll watch her carefully.” He shook the doctor’s hand, and Benson left.

  Matthias pulled the chair from across the room to the bedside, and sat down. He kept a close eye on Miranda, only getting up when he needed to stretch his legs.

  When Miranda’s face started to flush, he immediately checked her for fever. She was warm but not feverish. He lowered the blanket to lie across her breasts, baring her shoulders. His fingers itched to touch her creamy-white skin, but he refrained.

  Matthias dozed off at some point, only waking when he heard a groan come from the bed. Instantly, he was on his feet next to her. “Miranda?” he called softly. He was sure she’d have one hell of a headache when she woke.

  Chapter 2

  “Matthias?” Miranda croaked. She cleared her throat.

  Matthias smiled down at her. She drew his mouth down to hers, touching her lips to his. “How do you feel?” he asked after he pulled away.

  “Mmm…My head hurts, but another kiss will make it all better.” She smiled, drawing him back down before he could resist.

  Matthias knew it was wrong to kiss her, but she was so soft and warm, so tempting…His lips pressed to hers, prying them open just enough to slide his tongue inside for a quick taste. He was just getting into it when she moaned. The sound brought him back to his senses and he stood up, moving out of her reach.

  Miranda frowned at him. “You pulled away. You never pulled away before.” Her last words were thick with sleep, and then she was out again.

  Matthias breathed a sigh of relief even as her words confused him. What had she meant he “never pulled away”? He knew he dreamed of her, kissing her, holding her, making love to her, but was she having the same dreams? The exact same dreams? He’d heard of that happening to mated pairs when they had bonded, but he certainly hadn’t bonded with Miranda. He was determined not to. He couldn’t let his feelings for her deepen any more than they already had—and then turn around to watch her die before him. Been there, done that, not doing it again.

  Looking at the time and realizing that Miranda probably wouldn’t wake again soon, Matthias left his bedroom, leaving the door cracked open and went to his study. He was so attuned to her, he’d know if she needed him. He poured himself two fingers of whiskey and tossed it back. Time to sleep, he decided. He set the alarm on his watch for three hours so he could go check on Miranda. Grabbing the throw-blanket from the back of the couch, he lay down and closed his eyes.

  “Matthias…Matthias…I need you,” Miranda called to him. Matthias turned toward her voice. His feet started to move across the room to where Miranda stood beckoning him with her finger. His cock was lengthening with every step he took. The slumberous, loving look on her fa
ce did that to him every time.

  Matthias reached Miranda, gently pulling her into his arms. He lowered his head, taking her mouth in a hungry kiss. Her arms wound around his neck, her body pressing closer to his. He growled deep in his chest and felt her shudder. He knew what that sound did to her.

  Pulling back, he looked down at her and smiled. “You shall have me, my love,” he answered her plea.

  Bending down, he swept her into his arms and laid her on the bed. His fingers pulled at the delicate ribbons that held her robe together. Her robe parted with the release of each ribbon, revealing the treasure beneath.

  *

  Miranda’s breathing had already started to quicken at the look in his eyes. He looked as if he was about to devour every inch of her flesh. She shuddered. God, she hoped so.

  Matthias’s lips closed around the hardened peak of her breast, suckling lightly. His tongue flicked the tip, making Miranda’s back arch. She brought her hands up to feather through his hair, holding him to her breast. Her nipples were so sensitive these days.

  His hand moved down to glide over the curve of her stomach, sending love to the child within her, his child. It continued to move down to the soft curls that shielded her heat. His fingers parted the wet folds, finding her engorged bud, and then started to rotate, pressing down.

  Miranda’s heels dug into the mattress as she moved her hips under him, small whimpers falling from her lips. Her heels dug into the mattress, trying to push her hips up.

  Matthias chuckled softly against her breast. His mouth moved from one breast to the other, giving it the same attention while his fingers teased her needy nub.

  Miranda’s head thrashed back and forth on the pillow. “Please, Matthias…” she gasped.

  Matthias raised his head from her breast and smiled down at her. He moved his hips between her legs and thrust deep and groaned Matthias captured her lips with his, kissing her desperately while he thrust inside her.