Her Christmas Tree Read online

  Miranda wrapped her arms around his shoulders, kissing him back. She moaned into his mouth while he filled her with his hard shaft. She could feel her orgasm rising and knew that her awareness was going to shatter into a million pieces. Matthias increased his pace, obviously racing to meet her at the peak.

  Miranda pulled her mouth from his and screamed…

  *

  Matthias sat up suddenly, panting for air. His body was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, his heart racing in his chest.

  Miranda! He dove off the couch and ran for his bedroom. He opened the door to find her writhing on the bed, whimpering. He crossed the room quickly, thinking to take her in his arms to comfort her from her nightmare. He assumed it was a nightmare. When he sat down beside her, cradling her close, the perfume of her arousal reached his senses. He almost dropped her back on the bed, astonished. She wasn’t writhing and whimpering from pain or fear, she was aroused, achingly so.

  Matthias rose to his feet, backing away from the bed, his eyes wide. That was when he remembered the dream he was having before her cries woke him, He all but fled the room, his chest heaving as he leaned against the closed door. He waited a long time, until he was sure she was asleep again.

  Matthias let himself back into his bedroom, searched out clean clothes for the day and went to shower in the guest room. No way was he showering in his room while Miranda was there. It was still dark outside, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep anymore that night. He would work instead, hopefully keeping his thoughts off his hot little assistant that was currently naked and aroused, lying in his bed. Matthias groaned. A cold shower, very cold shower, was what he needed.

  * * * *

  Miranda woke the next morning feeling as if she’d been hit by a Mack truck. Everything hurt, including her hair. She was a little disoriented when she opened her eyes and didn’t recognize the room she was in. Looking around, she realized that this must be Matthias’s bedroom.

  Miranda was confused as to how she ended up here. The last thing she remembered was the car rolling and smacking her head on the window. If someone had found her wrecked car, why would they bring her here and not to the hospital? She had a fuzzy memory of dreaming of kissing Matthias. She lifted her fingers to trace her lips.

  Miranda started to shake her head to dispel the cobwebs, but it hurt too much. She groaned when she realized she had another pressing matter that would require her to get out of bed. Forcing herself to go slow, she sat up, then waited for the room to still. When the sheet fell to her hips, she noticed that she was naked. How had that happened?

  *

  Matthias had felt when Miranda awoke. He was rising from his chair when he felt her confusion mounting. Reaching for the doorknob, Matthias tapped lightly on the door–-and then opened it without waiting for a reply. Miranda jerked the blanket up to cover herself, but not before Matthias got an eyeful. Her breasts were even better when she was upright. He closed his eyes and bit back the groan. No thinking about her breasts! “Excuse me. I didn’t expect you to be sitting up.” He opened his eyes, tilting his head. “Why are you sitting up? You should be resting.”

  Miranda flushed scarlet. “I, uh, I…need to…” She pointed toward the bathroom, looking utterly mortified.

  Matthias looked at her, looked at where she was pointing and back again. “Oh, I see. Do you need help?”

  Miranda cleared her throat and looked down at the bed. “Please. If you could just help me walk to the door, I can do the rest myself.”

  Matthias stepped further into the room, shutting the door behind him. “Of course.” He walked to the bed, prepared to lift her out and carry her.

  Miranda put her hand on his arm and shook her head. “I need to try to walk, Matthias.”

  He shrugged and waited for her to swing her feet over the side. She hesitated and started blushing again. “What is it, Miranda? Have you changed your mind about walking?”

  “No, no…I just…Where are my clothes?”

  Realization dawned on Matthias and he smiled. “I’ll get you a robe.” He left and returned quickly, a black fuzzy robe in his hands. He helped Miranda get into it, keeping his eyes averted more for her sake than his. He’d already seen her nude when he’d undressed her, but he wasn’t going to remind her of that. She probably hadn’t thought of it, and he wasn’t going to inform her unless she asked. He didn’t think she would.

  Wrapped in the too-big robe, Miranda swung her feet over the edge of the bed, attempting to stand. She swayed a bit, but Matthias was right there, gripping her elbow to make sure she didn’t fall. Slowly, they made their way across the room to the bathroom. Miranda stepped inside, gripping the counter for balance, and tried to smile at Matthias. “I got it from here.” She shut the door, softly, in his face.

  Matthias knew she was finished in the bathroom when the door swung open to reveal Miranda standing there. She looked a little paler than she had at the start of this trip, so Matthias scooped her up despite her protests and carried her back to bed. He set her down gently, and tucked the blankets back up around her. “Are you up to eating?” he asked. “Would you like something to drink? I don’t have a lot of nursing experience, I’m afraid, so I’m not exactly sure what to offer you.”

  Miranda flashed him a tired-looking grin. The trip to the bathroom had obviously taken a lot out of her, more than she wanted to admit. “How about a couple of ibuprofen and a glass of water?”

  Matthias nodded and walked to the bathroom to gather the things she’d asked for plus a fresh dressing for her head. He sat down beside her, giving her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you don’t feel like being touched right now, but I need to change your bandage. You can take the ibuprofen first, though.” He handed her a couple of tablets and a glass of water to wash them down. She took them and handed the glass back. Lying still, she let Matthias change the bandage on her head.

  “Miranda? I’m going to my study to work for a while. If you need anything, just yell. I’ll hear you.” Matthias was already opening the bedroom door.

  “Mmkay,” Miranda answered.

  * * * *

  Sleeping all night and mostly all day had done wonders for Miranda, Matthias thought. When evening rolled around, she insisted Matthias let her go back to her own room. Matthias grumbled and growled and eventually gave in, but only after he went out and bought her a new PDA, since hers had been destroyed in the crash.

  When Matthias lay down in his own bed that night, Miranda’s scent surrounded him. It was all over his pillows and blankets. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, knowing this was the only way he’d ever get to enjoy her while he was awake.

  The next morning, while Matthias was hard at work, a knock sounded at his office door and Miranda came in. She moved a little slower than she usually did, but her eyes shone with the determination to do her job as usual. He bit back the comment that was on the tip of his tongue.

  Miranda put the files she knew he needed on his desk, and gathered up the files he had finished. She went to the coffeepot, sniffed and frowned. With a snort, she dumped out the coffee that Matthias had made and brewed a new pot. Going back to her desk, Miranda started typing up letters and checks to pay the bills.

  By mid-afternoon Matthias came out of his office and glared at Miranda. “Enough. Take the rest of the day off.”

  Miranda looked up, scowling. “What do you mean take the rest of the day off? It’s not even five o’clock yet! I have work to do, Matthias!”

  “It will still be there tomorrow. Do as I say, Miranda.” With that, he walked back into his office and slammed the door behind him.

  *

  Miranda stood up, ready to march into Matthias’ office and demand that he allow her to work the last two hours of the day. Then she realized she was a bit tired, and maybe knocking off early wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

  Walking back through the house toward her room, Miranda glanced in the living room. She stopped where she was and sighed sadly. She re
ally would have liked to have a tree for Christmas, but there was no way she was asking for one now. Matthias would undoubtedly veto that idea before she was finished, after what happened the last time. Her shoulders slumped a little as she started back toward her room.

  Over the next few days, Miranda healed from her accident and everything seemed to get back to normal around the house. Matthias seemed happy to see Miranda moving around like her old self, and the bruises were starting to fade. The doctor came about a week after her accident to remove the stitches in her scalp. Miranda kept her hair fixed so that the cut wasn’t noticeable at all.

  When Miranda had a need to leave the house for anything, Matthias insisted on having his driver take her where she needed to go. She would have liked to protest more, but at the moment, she was stuck. The insurance company had declared her little car a total loss, but she had yet to receive the check so she could go buy herself a new ride. That was okay with her, though, because she hadn’t really decided what kind of car she would get. She decided that another mini was probably not the best idea with the way the winters were here.

  Beth and Vicki had called, wanting Miranda to come join them for dinner and drinks Friday night. Miranda had readily agreed, needing to get out for a while.

  I’m going out with Beth and Vicki on Friday night. They are coming to pick me up around six o’clock, she texted Matthias.

  All right. I suppose I can’t say anything to change your mind, so be careful and have a good time, he texted back.

  Miranda released the breath she’d been holding. She’d been sure he was going to throw a fit. She rolled her eyes. He’d probably beep her PDA every fifteen minutes to check on her.

  Chapter 3

  Friday night rolled around, finally. Miranda put on a pair of fitted jeans and a cream sweater. After applying her makeup and fixing her hair, she went to the living room to wait for Beth and Vicki.

  “You look very nice, Miranda.” Matthias’s voice came from behind her.

  Miranda turned around, smiling. “Thank you, Matthias. You know, you could come with us if you wanted to. You’re more than welcome.”

  Matthias smiled back and shook his head. “Thank you, but no. You go have fun with your girlfriends.”

  Miranda tilted her head. “All right. But if you change your mind, we’ll be at Jack’s.” Just then a horn sounded from outside the front door. Miranda grabbed her coat and waved at Matthias. “See you later!”

  “Have a good time,” Matthias said.

  * * * *

  Miranda, Beth and Vicki were sitting at a corner booth in Jack’s, laughing and munching on appetizers. “So, how’s work, Mandy?” Beth asked Miranda. “Is your PDA broken? We’ve been here all of a half hour, and your boss hasn’t beeped you once.”

  Miranda grinned and shook her head. “Work’s fine, and no, my PDA isn’t broken.” She shrugged. “I’m a little surprised, too.”

  The three of them went out on the dance floor for a few songs. When they were out of breath and needing a break, they went back the table. Lifting her drink to her lips, Vicki let out a gasp and hissed, “What’s he doing here?” Miranda and Beth turned to look toward the door, to see who she could be talking about.

  Miranda’s expression turned sheepish, and she mumbled under her breath, “I, uh, sort of invited him.”

  “You did what?” Beth asked, incredulous.

  Miranda shrugged. “He looked lonely. I felt bad for him.” She pasted a smile on her face and waved at Matthias, catching his attention. “Be nice!” she said through her smile.

  Matthias moved in their direction. He smiled when he reached their table. “Hello. How are you ladies tonight?” The women chorused their hellos and gave Matthias pleasant smiles.

  He slid into the seat beside Miranda, who glanced at him through her lashes. He’d put on a pair of faded jeans and a button-up dress shirt. She supposed this was as casual as he was used to, and he did look nice.

  Just when Miranda opened her mouth to speak, the music changed and Beth and Vicki squealed with delight. She turned a questioning gaze at them when they jumped up out of their seats. Each of them grabbed one of Miranda’s hands, dragging her to her feet and toward the dance floor. The song blaring through the speakers caught her attention, and she grinned. She loved dancing to this song as much as Beth and Vicki.

  Beth and Vicki released Miranda’s hands and she reached back, grabbing Matthias’ hand, bringing him along. She didn’t know if he danced, but it would be fun to try.

  Surprisingly, Matthias did dance. He didn’t go all out like the women did, but he did have a couple good moves.

  *

  The women were great to watch, but Matthias’ attention was focused on Miranda. Watching the way she moved stirred his libido.

  The music slowed, and he held his hand out to Miranda. He wasn’t positive this was a good idea, but when she took his hand it was too late to back out. Pulling her against him, they started swaying to the music.

  Over the course of the night, the women got Matthias out on the dance floor several times. He even took a couple of turns slow dancing with each of the women, but he danced more with Miranda than the other two together. He kept his face and body language casual, only projecting a friendly facade. During one dance with Miranda, he spoke in her mind so she could hear him over the music. Thank you for inviting me, Miranda. I am really having a wonderful time.

  Miranda looked up at him and smiled.

  You’re very welcome, Matthias. I’m glad you came.

  Matthias’ flexed his arms, drawing her a little closer. When the song ended, he escorted Miranda back to the table. He finished off his drink and gave the women a smile. “I thank you for the wonderful evening, ladies, but it’s time for me to go.” He turned his attention to Miranda. “I’ll see you at home later, Miranda.”

  “Goodnight, Matthias.” Vicki smiled.

  “Night!” echoed Beth.

  “Thanks for coming, Matthias. I’ll be home in a little while,” Miranda said.

  * * * *

  Matthias unlocked the door and walked into the empty house. It was too quiet with Miranda gone. He headed toward his bedroom to change out of his clothes. While he changed from his jeans and sweater, he thought back over the night. He really had had a good time hanging out with Miranda and her friends. He could tell by the way they interacted that they were close, and had been for a long time. He sighed, hanging up his sweater, remembering the days of having friends to, as they said these days, goof off with. It had been a long time since he’d let anyone close enough for true friendship. It had gotten too hard on him to leave when he didn’t age and they did. Explaining who and what he was hadn’t gone well the first couple of times he tried. Matthias had almost ended up in a sanitarium one time, and almost lynched at another. After that, he just moved on when people might have noticed that he wasn’t aging as they were.

  Matthias pulled his bathrobe around himself, walking toward the kitchen to get something to drink. He was going to need to feed soon, but the idea of finding an anonymous person was losing its appeal. It had been since Miranda had started working for him, becoming worse after she moved in. He could purchase donated blood, but it generally tasted like the plastic bag it was stored in.

  The sound of the front door opening caught his attention. Miranda was home. He strode from the kitchen to go out and greet her—

  But it wasn’t Miranda. It was some strange man who he’d never seen before. “I know what you are,” said the man. He was visibly shaking, but trying not to.

  Matthias looked at him, keeping his face blank. “I’m sorry, my good man. You’ve made a mistake, and I don’t know you. Please leave my home.”

  The man pulled a cross from inside his shirt, holding it up. “I vanquish you! Begone, demon!”

  Matthias almost laughed out loud. Did people actually talk like that anymore? He crossed his arms over his chest, waiting. When nothing happened, he cocked his eyebrow.

  “Beg
one, demon!” the man shouted at him. He reached inside his coat pocket, and pulled out a revolver. “This is loaded with silver bullets! I’ll shoot you if I must!”

  “And I’ll call the police if you don’t get out of here.” Matthias stood still and watched the man. He knew he could use his speed to get the gun before the man could fire, but he didn’t want to hurt him if he could avoid it. This wasn’t the first time he’d had some poor soul come to exorcise him. In about ten seconds the man would lose his courage, freak out and run off into the night. They never did get around to shooting him. “Sir,” he said kindly, “You need help. Let me call someone for you.” Like the police.

  The man aimed the shaking gun at Matthias. “I have to protect my family. Everyone’s families.” He fired the gun, catching Matthias by surprise and hitting him in the chest. Matthias flew backward. His last thought before he lost consciousness was of ironic amusement. It seemed he’d been wrong this time. He just hoped the man was gone before Miranda came home; he didn’t want her to get hurt.

  *

  A man ran back out the front door, almost knocking down the incoming Miranda. Miranda grunted, watching the man run away as if he was about to be murdered. Confused, frowning, she walked into the house and saw Matthias lying on the floor. She could smell the scent of blood. Miranda ran across the foyer and dropped to her knees beside Matthias. “Oh my God! He shot you!” She parted his robe roughly, wanting to see how bad the wound was.

  Matthias didn’t appear to be conscious. Miranda leaped to her feet, ran to the kitchen and grabbed a dish towel to apply pressure to the hole in his chest. She ran back to where Matthias was lying, put the towel on him and pressed down. Matthias moaned. “Hang on, Matthias, just hang on.” What should she do? She had no idea how to deal with this.

  Phone—

  She ripped her phone out of her pocket, scrolled down and found Dr. Benson’s number. She waited impatiently for him to answer.

  The doctor assured her that he would be there right away, and disconnected. Miranda looked down at Matthias. “The doctor’s coming, Matthias. You’ll be fine.” She wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince him or herself. She couldn’t lose Matthias…Whoa, where did that come from? Never mind. This wasn’t the place or the time for that.