“It’s a frou-frou watch,” Collosa said. “Kiss her and move on to the next present.”
“You’re just grumpy because you got the low toss,” Fabio told him. “I need a moment.”
But he didn’t take more than a few moments to give a proper thank-you kiss and nipple tweak, because Collosa was right. Four times four is sixteen gifts, and their grizzly had cut down on that some by giving a joint gift, but it was still taking a while to do this. They were good on time as far as opening gifts, but then they wanted to take their girl to bed and give her endless orgasms until sunrise.
He opened the ends of the box and then released the tape on the bottom, so the wrapping paper came off all in one piece. He knew they were going to throw it away, but it still bothered him to rip into the pretty paper. Once again, he sat and stared at the logo on the box. It was an Ed Brown custom. He opened the box, and then took out the carrying case, and opened it. Inside was a gorgeous weapon — matte black with a snakeskin texture. It was a 45ACP, and was engraved with the Ed Brown signature, and then lower on the body, Ed Brown Products, the city and state, and his own private custom serial number with the month and year after it. And, as with the scope he’d put on the rifle, the sights were military grade, not yet available to civilians, which meant Eunice had to ask Aaron or Nathan to help him with the purchase.
“Dude. It’s perfect. It’s like you know me, or something.”
Eunice chuckled. “Or something. I sprang for a few extras I know you appreciate. The paperwork is inside, but Collosa will start nagging if we go through it now. I don’t need a kiss, so go ahead and open Collosa’s gift to all of us.”
“Seriously. Thanks. It’s perfect.”
He reached for the gift from Collosa, and this time, when he went to open it, Kelsey stepped forward, grabbed the paper, and ripped through it. “It’s wrapping paper. You’re supposed to rip it off.” She looked to Eunice. “Now you rip some off, and then he can be careful with whatever’s left.”
Eunice chuckled, leaned forward, and ripped another chunk off.
Fabio glared at both of them, but then shook his head and removed the rest of the paper — no ripping required at that point.
Inside the archive-type box was a three-ring binder. He opened it, and saw a picture taken from the top of a mountain. Fabio thought it might be somewhere near or in the Smokey Mountains, but he couldn’t be certain. The next page was a picture of a cabin on top of a mountain. A two-story log cabin. The top level was mostly glass, the bottom level had normal sized windows from the front. When he turned the page, he saw the same could be said of the back.
Fabio looked up and met Collosa’s gaze. “What gives?”
“Keep going.”
There were shots of the inside — a great room, a huge kitchen, and a game room on the first floor. The top floor was one big seating area. All four bedrooms were below ground level, with one clearly made for a vampire, complete with hidey-hole.
And then the last page was the deed, in all four of their names.
“It’s in the Robbinsville area, in the general direction of Joyce Kilmer. Two hours and fifteen minutes from here in normal traffic. We have just over ten acres of land, and it’s far enough from civilization and hiking trails, we should be able to change and explore the mountain without worry of running into humans. The driveway is shit, raw dirt with huge ruts, and it’s much too steep, so we’ll need to take the Jeep or truck until we have some work done on it. I made it up okay in my truck, but it took some maneuvering. The realtor arranged for us to go to the top on ATVs when I viewed it with her.” He shrugged. “The price was right, and it’s perfect for us. The only thing I’ve done so far is make Kelsey’s hidey-hole. The rest is as I bought it. There’s two bathrooms downstairs, and one on the first level. We might want to add another, but I can’t see much else that needs doing.”
“You bought us a vacation house?” Kelsey asked.
“Yeah. A place we can go to get away. Just us. Doesn’t have to be all four of us.”
“I can’t wait to see it in person,” Fabio said. “My cat is going to love it, and I’m sure your bear already does.”
Collosa nodded. “Yeah. He does, but I got it for all of us. We can’t get married, you know? But owning real estate ties us together financially. It’s a legal document with all four of our names on it. It seemed...” he shrugged. “Seems important.”
Kelsey stood and levitated to him, so their heads were the same height when she hugged him. “That may be the most romantic thing ever, James. Thank you.” She turned to face the other men. “Thank you doesn’t seem enough for anything. The car, the brooch and ring, and now the cabin. The thought that went into them — I never expected to have anyone care so much for me. Care enough to come up with the perfect gift, and nail it, and you all did.”
Fabio thought she might start crying, but she shook her head, took a breath, and levitated down. This oh-so-timid vampire with a spine of steel when she needed it, had grown on him until he was madly in love with her. Before he got emotional about it, he moved them forward before the grizzly had a chance to.
“Okay, time for us to watch ’Losa open his gifts.”
Collosa opened the package that smelled like a gaming unit first. It could’ve been something else electronic, but the size of the box told him he wanted to open it first. Also, the fact it was from Eunice spoke strongly of being the latest and greatest, released just barely in time for Christmas.
He grinned when he saw he was right, and then smiled even bigger when he discovered it included four controllers, and a brand-new setup for driving. The old one would be backwards compatible, but there were always little glitches. It was best to buy the new hardware. Plus, this way, two people could drive against each other, since they’d have two setups upstairs now.
“It’s just what I wanted,” he told Eunice.
“It also comes with a ninety-five-inch HD television, but that was a bit much to wrap.”
Collosa looked through the games Eunice had chosen, and couldn’t wait to try them out. He had no idea which to try first. He wanted to play them all.
He blew out a breath. “Okay, as much as I want to read up on the games and start putting it together, I know the drill. Onto the next one.” He looked back to Eunice. “You did seriously good. Thanks.”
Kelsey’s gift was about six by eight, and two inches tall, but it weighed mere ounces. He ripped the paper off, opened the box, and saw pictures of outdoor kitchens.
“There’s a list of the stuff I bought — an outdoor sink, oven, grill, and stovetop. Also, the outdoor cabinets, and the bricks and tile. There are three options shown on the pictures. The stuff I bought will work in any of those configurations. It includes delivering it and building it, complete with the plumbing for the water and gas. If you want it in a different configuration, we can figure it out.” She sounded a little embarrassed. “I should’ve thought to put the pictures in a fancy binder, instead of just giving them to you loose. Your way was better.”
“This is perfect, Kelsey. We’ve talked about doing this, so we can cook outside. An outdoor room. This will get us started on it.” He went to her, sat beside her, and moved her into his lap. “I think my inner bear might be as touched as I am. It’s exactly what I want.”
He could feel her relief. She’d been worried about handing him pictures and a list, rather than the actual gift.
Fabio handed him the last gift, and Collosa grinned. “Someone’s ready to take our Santa girl to bed.”
“Guilty as charged. Open it already.”
This time, it wasn’t a binder, but three clear protective sleeves. Inside one was confirmation of reserving the Drake plane for two days, two weeks apart. The second was confirmation of approved vacation time for the same two weeks in mid-January, pending the request by each employee. And finally, confirmation of a rental cabin about an hour’s drive from his parents’ house. A rental cabin with ‘v-accommodations’ in the basement, which
meant it had a vampire hidey-hole and a living room — at a minimum — underground, away from sunlight, for those who rose before sunset.
“Wow. This is perfect. Two weeks in the Canadian wilderness, and we can spend a few days with my folks while we’re there.” He looked to Kelsey. “I can’t wait for you to meet my parents, and for them to meet you.”
Kelsey didn’t try to hide her surprise. “You’ll tell them you’re seeing a vampire?”
He shook his head. “I’ll tell them I’m in love with a vampire.”
And that was the fucking truth. It had started the night he’d driven her from Florida to Tennessee, and it had grown from there. He’d never in a million years expected to care this much about anyone, but Kelsey was everything he wanted in a woman — soft and curvy and brilliant, submissive when she needed to be and something of a bad-ass when the situation called for it, despite the fact she’d never intended to be a bad-ass. He loved her with all of his heart, and he couldn’t wait to introduce her to his family.
He looked to Fabio and tamped his emotions down. “Thanks. It’s perfect.”
Kelsey stood and paced to the window and back, trying to figure out how to say what she needed her men to hear.
“Before I was turned, one of the vampires who counseled me told me I should be prepared to be mostly miserable for a century. He said joy and happiness would be past tense, for the most part. I’d be at the bottom of the hierarchy, and I’d be constantly tested. I’d be weak, and for the first couple of decades, I’d be hungry. Starving. Even right after I’d fed, I’d still crave blood. Once I got over the hunger, he assured me I wouldn’t have any personal relationships worth shit for at least a century and a half because I’d be a thing, not a person. I’d be a commodity.”
Eunice started to say something, but she shook her head. “I know I sped that up. That I’m fortunate my willpower has been able to get me beyond some of the hurdles, and my strength is getting me past others. But today isn’t about my strength. Mere months ago, in Australia, his statement was still true. I found enjoyment with my work occasionally, but otherwise, I was a thing to the vampires. Not yet treated as a fully developed being. Still a baby vamp. Meat to be passed around. Ordered around. Survival of the fittest — if you aren’t strong enough to keep them from fucking you, you deserve to be fucked. The rules are different for every Master Vampire, but those were the rules, there.”
Collosa and Eunice were on opposite ends of the sofa, and Fabio was in a chair. She stood so she could face all three, and talked fast, so she could get it all out.
“And then I came here, and found a family. My joy is no longer a memory. I’m cared for, loved, protected. More than that, you’ve found a way to let me be submissive without being humiliated. Without being less than.” She took a breath and finished.
“My joy, my happiness, my reason for being is right here, in the present tense.”
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Other Christmas book in the Pleasure Times Four series include:
Unexpected Gifts
The Gift
Nathan, Mordecai, and Kirsten’s story can be found in the epic saga leading up to the battle between good and evil. It starts with Only Human.
Kendra’s story can be found in Riding the Storm
Aaron Drake’s story can be found in The Dragon King.
Mira and Panda’s story can be found in Countdown to Murder.
Gabi and Horse’s story can be found in Horse.
Keep reading for an excerpt from, Only Human.
Bibliography
If you enjoyed Present Tense, you may also like other books set in the same universe, though in different series.
Only Human series, urban fantasy
Only Human
An Unhuman Journey
Of Humans and Monsters
Defining Human
Edge of Humanity
Infinitely Human
Unhuman Acts
Out of the Fire series, paranormal romance:
The Gift
Countdown to Murder
Present Tense
Chattanooga Supernaturals series, paranormal romance:
The Dragon King (Aaron Drake’s story, and the first time we meet Duke and Brain)
Riding the Storm (Kendra and Eric’s story)
Acceptable Risk (Bethany, Ranger, Mac, and Jonathan’s story)
Careful What You Ask For
Hallowed Destiny – Forged by Darkness
Uncaged (Ghost’s mother’s story)
Cocky Queen
Unhallowed Murder
Unexpected Gifts
Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club Series
Duke
Brain
Bash Volume I
Bash Volume II
Bash Volume III
Horse
Gonzo (where we first meet Britches/Briana)
Nix
Ghost
Bud
Razor
Bubbles
McGyver
The Birmingham RTMC
Dementor
Bobcat
Frost
Squatch
The Dark Underbelly of The Chattanooga Supernaturals
Pride (A short story featuring The Lion King)
Indentured Freedom: Owned by the Vampire (Gavin)
Leashed (Abbott)
An Elegant Weapon (Bran)
A Dark(ish) Faerie Tale
Slave
Lady
Consort
Queen
The Safeword series, intense BDSM contemporary romance
Safeword Rainbow
Safeword: Davenport
Safewords: Davenport and Chiffon
Safeword: Quinacridone
Safeword: Matte (Sam and Ethan Levi’s story, we first meet Frisco and Cassie)
Safeword: Matte – In Training
No Safeword: Matte – The Honeymoon
No Safeword: Matte – Happily Ever After
Safeword: Arabesque (Frisco, Cassie, Abbot, and Cam’s story)
Safeword: Mayday (TBA)
Check out other books by Candace Blevins at candaceblevins.com.
Keep reading for an excerpt from Only Human!
Only Human Excerpt
Book one of the Only Human urban fantasy series…
Someone is abducting women and killing men in a way to get Kirsten O’Shea’s attention. Luckily, she’s made some formidable friends and allies in the supernatural world, and she isn’t without her own defenses, either.
A powerful master vampire romances her while the alpha werewolf flirts with her, and an ancient being who used to be worshipped as a god wants her dead, but Kirsten survives, even if she is Only Human.
Only Human - Chapter 1
“Aery, I need a shot!” I screamed, holding back the energy pulsing at my fingertips until he was out of the way. The instant he maneuvered the fighting to give me a clear path, I unleashed the fiery red energy and watched it streak through the air until it hit the grotesque monster who’d been holding his own in a fight with Aaron Drake.
My power drained from me as it hit our foe in the chest, slicing and melting through skin, bone, and more. I lifted my arm a few inches and the caustic light streaking from my hand rose like a laser. When it reached the hideous creature’s throat, I moved my hand right and left until he was decapitated, and then watched in horrified fascination as the body seemed to evaporate before my eyes.
My gaze shifted to my friend, and I checked to be sure he was okay. I was used to Aaron totally dominating, no matter the species he was fighting, and the fact he’d maneuvered to give me a clear kill shot told me Aaron wasn’t sure he could’ve won. My heart settled when I saw he seemed okay. He’s hard to kill, but I had no idea what we’d just fought.
As far as I know, I’m the only person who can get away with a cute nickname for the sexy, tough-as-nails, bad-ass owner of Drake Security, but I never do it
around other people. I wouldn’t have said it today while battling an unknown monster, but it slipped out. No problem though, the bad guy seemed to evaporate and turn to smoke once the life force left his body. I usually want to cry after a kill — even when it’s a really bad guy — but not having to look at a body made it easier. Either way, I couldn’t give in to the guilt and soul searching until the op was over.
“What was that?” I asked Aaron.
“No idea,” he said, barely out of breath. “I used to see things kind of like him a few thousand years ago, but not since we entered the Common Era. I got a decent look at him — I’ll send a sketch to a few friends and see if they have any ideas. I was about to shift into dragon form and see if my fire would work, but your laser did the trick.”
I took a breath and pulled energy in from the forest around us. I’d used almost all my reserves with that one shot, and I’d be useless if something else came along. I leaned against a tree and tried to relax in the crisp, autumn air. It’s easier to absorb energy when you’re at peace.
Aaron, of course, noticed. “I can top you up. You know I have plenty.”
I shook my head. “I’m not up for pain right now. Just give me five minutes with a few trees.” I could almost always find an ancient tree willing to give me energy. It might take a little time, but not as long as gathering it from the air around me. A waterfall would be faster, or even a creek or stream, but I didn’t hear running water.
“I won’t push more in than you can take, not during a mission.” Aaron said. “You used it to save me, the least I can do is top you back up.”
Present Tense: Pleasure Times Four (Out of the Fire Book 3) Page 30
