Shifters in the Snow

by Jacqueline Sweet

  “Oh, and I think someone has earned herself a brand new car,” my father said as he smiled and winked at me.

  “Don’t worry about the car, Dad,” I said before I walked over and gave him a big hug. “I’m just glad to be back home with you and mom for the holidays.”

  My mother turned and looked at me and Nate after I went back to my chair and sat down. “And we’re glad to have you here with us too, Nate,” she said.

  “Thank you so much for having me here,” he said. “It’s so nice to be able to the spend Christmas with you and your daughter.”

  We all smiled as we raised her glasses in the air and said, “Merry Christmas” in unison.

  * * *

  About the Author

  I love writing about all things billionaire, whether they’re shifters, bad boys, or anything in between. If there’s a story in my head, it’s going to make its way into a book. I love letting my imagination run wild and sharing the stories with my readers.

  Sign Up For My Newsletter to stay up to date on all my book news!

  NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

  Visit My Amazon Page to learn more about all my books!

  Follow me on Twitter! @Misha_Carver

  Snow Leopard Mountain

  by Suki Selborne

  The New House

  “Cadence!”

  We had only just gotten inside the new house. My boss waited all of thirty seconds before starting up with the complaints.

  “The realtor promised that the maid would give the house a deep clean before we got here. And look. Those windows are smeared! Do you see that? I don’t see any flowers, either. Did you order the flowers? That second flight was too long. I hate changeovers. Can you change our ticket home, so we fly direct from Denver? You might want to hire a bigger car for that though, because that’s, what, three hours instead of twenty minutes? Gosh, I need to perk up before tonight. Can you get the coffee machine set up now?”

  I didn’t get a chance to answer, because the talking hadn’t stopped.

  “Did you fix me a hair appointment? I need my eyebrows done in the next day or so. The kids’ dressers will need to be moved before they all get in next week. They want to sleep in the same room, for god knows what reason. Did Edgar say when his case wraps up? He’d better be here by the weekend. Jenny and Doug fly in on Friday, and we promised them brunch.”

  That was my boss. Just like she always did, Deborah fired questions and orders at me like bullets from a semi-automatic weapon.

  She paused for breath. But I knew the next round was on its way.

  “So. Coffee. Then, the next thing I need is my laptop. I want to finalize the West Coast report and send it over to Mark before the charity dinner tonight. Did my dry cleaning arrive? Check the closet. They probably left the plastic wrap on, but my gown needs an airing before I put it on. Wow, my back really aches today. I may need a re-alignment. Hey, what happened to the sweater I took off on the plane?”

  I held up a cloud of cream cashmere. She nodded briskly. No ‘thanks, Cadence’, no ‘oh, you’re so efficient’ — just a dismissive nod.

  I folded the sweater neatly and placed it on the back of the sofa. She’d paused for more than a second. It was time for me to answer.

  “Deborah, we have a hair stylist visiting the house tonight at six. I asked if you wanted an aesthetician, but you said no, so I didn’t book anyone. But Lucille Jones in Denver said we could make a last-minute reservation with her, if needed. She just needs a couple hours notice to get over here. She’s a masseuse too, so maybe she could help with your back? Your call. Just let me know what you prefer.”

  I handed Deborah the cellphone she was suddenly scrabbling for, without breaking my flow.

  “Edgar and the kids get here on Saturday morning. The dressers will be moved tomorrow when the new maintenance guy stops by. The coffee machine is still boxed and I’ll open that now.”

  Deborah followed me into the kitchen, still flinging out questions and demands. She barely stopped for air while I removed the packaging from the new coffee machine.

  And oh wow, the machine was a beauty. Powder blue cast iron, direct from Italy. Yeah, the boss never skimped on quality. It must be great just to buy something without worrying about the price. I’d never experienced that. I set the jug and filter aside, ready to hand-wash and dry.

  “… And that’ll be all for now, I think, Cadence. So, you put the laptop in the study?”

  I looked up from the sink, wondering if I’d missed something.

  “The laptop? You mean did I put your laptop in the study?”

  She looked at me in amazement, like I’d said ‘what’s a laptop?’

  “Of course, mine. What else would I be talking about?”

  “No Deborah, I didn’t put it in the study. Actually, I don’t remember handling any of your electronics during the flight at all. I thought you packed it with the iPad in your carry-on bag? You dealt with that yourself. I don’t usually pack any of that for you.”

  “What?”

  Deborah’s face contorted with panic.

  I was used to high drama when anything went wrong. At the same time, I felt a nagging sense of anxiety. Deborah was terrible at backing up her files. There was no way she’d have another copy of the report anywhere. She really needed that back before her dinner engagement.

  I knew it wasn’t my mistake, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t my problem.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll take a tour around the house. Maybe we put it down somewhere, and just forgot.”

  Of course, by ‘we’, I sure as hell didn’t mean me. I busted my ass every day to make sure I never forgot anything. Forgetting stuff would have made my job impossible. It was hard enough already.

  “Say, Deborah, why don’t you work through the calls on your list, and I’ll look into it, okay?”

  I wandered through the house, checking around all the rooms. Deborah’s Louis Vuitton luggage was stacked in size order in the bedroom. I knew her laptop wouldn’t have been packed in any of those suitcases. It would have been carefully transported in a carry-on bag, not thrown in the aircraft hold.

  Oh god. If any of Deborah’s work had gone missing, I’d be in one hundred shades of shit. That’s how it was, working for a senior businessperson. You were paid to take the fall when things went wrong, as much as anything.

  I searched the pristine house, trying to stay calm. It was possible all of Deborah’s office supplies had been left at the airport. That’d be a hot mess, but as long as it had made it through Denver onto the Aspen plane, I’d have a good chance of tracing it. Hopefully.

  Please, universe. Let me find this frickin’ laptop.

  Deborah finished her first call. I stood in the living room doorway, holding the car keys.

  “I’ll just drive back to the airport and see if it could have been left in baggage claim.” My voice sounded calm and in control. She didn’t need to know I was actually exhausted and stressed.

  Deborah waved a hand irritably in my direction and started another call.

  Great, I thought. She’s already pissed.

  I sank back into the Mercedes and slammed the door with a sigh. The engine growled to life.

  As I coasted down the highway, I remembered how much I used to love December. The Rollinson family’s ski week had always been a mandatory vacation week for me. And, I sure as hell never complained. While the family headed off to a rental house in Aspen, I’d have time to deal with my own life, at last. I’d spend a few days Christmas shopping. I’d deep clean my apartment. I’d catch up with my poor, neglected friends. It was just the break I needed. Every year, the second week of December was my time.

  But, all that had come to an end. Now they’d bought a place of their own out here. And suddenly Deborah had decided she needed me desperately this whole week. In fact, she’d even insisted we travel here a few days early, so she could make it to a charity dinner run by some business associate of hers.

  So, here we were. Same shi
t, different state.

  But, I had to admit it — Aspen looked amazing in bright, cold sunshine with just a light dusting of snow. A change of scene was always good. Plus, all this fresh mountain air had to be healthy, right? In fact, just being surrounded by nature felt great.

  The Rollinsons let me stay for free in a closet-size studio apartment they owned, and living in the city was incredible. But New York couldn’t offer a view like this.

  The Rockies took my breath away. Towering pines and jagged snow-topped peaks — the whole scene was awe-inspiring. It felt glamorous and grand. Damn cold. But, I was used to New York winters, so that was no big deal. And, this place was truly beautiful.

  It was a pity I was so busy. The winter wonderland vibe could land a girl in the mood for the holidays.

  But, I had nobody to spend the holidays with. I barely had time to say hi to the checkout girl at Target. My family was scattered all over the country, and nobody cared enough about Christmas to get together. Thanksgiving was long gone.

  How could I even date when I worked seven days a week for one of America’s most demanding overachievers?

  This was no time to dwell on my pathetic love life, though. Back to work. Like I ever stopped.

  I turned right and drove out of the gates, back to the airport.

  On The Road

  The road down from Snowmass was pretty empty. It wasn’t a busy time of day, I thought. Or, maybe it was always this quiet. Being used to Manhattan traffic, an open road was a rare pleasure.

  The new house was only twenty minutes out from the airport. With any luck, I could get this errand finished within the hour.

  That reminded me of a magnet I used to see on my mom’s fridge: ‘The impossible I can do right away. Miracles take a little longer.’

  Then, life threw me another curveball.

  While I waited to turn left, a big cat leapt in front of the car.

  A big cat. On a public highway. In daylight.

  What the?

  I hit the car horn as hard as I could.

  But, the animal didn’t startle. It just sat there in the road, a few feet from me. It seemed to tilt its head, watching me curiously. I couldn’t see any fear in its eyes at all.

  What the hell was this animal, anyway? Was it dangerous?

  I knew there were mountain lions in Colorado, but this had black-patterned markings all along its oatmeal-colored fur. Sort of like a leopard, or a cheetah. Not like any cougar I’d ever seen, that’s for sure.

  But, there aren’t any leopards or cheetahs in America, I told myself. It has to be a mountain lion.

  Maybe it’s a new deadly breed of mountain lion. Maybe it’s a hybrid that attacks drivers randomly. Great.

  Now what?

  Whatever kind of cat it was, it didn’t seem inclined to move.

  I honked the horn again. Then, I revved the engine.

  Nothing. It just narrowed its eyes, making the same contented face domestic cats do when they’re being stroked. I half-expected it to roll over and purr.

  “Oh, for crying out loud! Move, kitty!”

  At that, the big cat stood up and approached the car. I jumped.

  “Oh, no you don’t. Back to the mountains with you. I don’t have time for this shit. Seriously, kitty. Scram.”

  I hit the horn again. Just like before, it had zero effect.

  Then, it came right up to my window and peered in.

  My hair stood on end. The car seemed to fill with the sound of my heart pounding.

  I looked in all directions to see if there was anyone out there who could see what was happening. Maybe someone in another car had spotted the animal? Maybe they could scare it away for me, so I could get moving again?

  Frustratingly, nobody seemed to be driving in a position where they could see me. Ahead, cars sped past the junction. Behind, the road was clear. There was no way anyone had noticed my problem so far.

  Damn it.

  I couldn’t just drive away and risk hurting it. I knew I didn’t have it in me to mow down an innocent animal. Especially not when it hadn’t actually tried to hurt me. Yet.

  But, I also wasn’t sure it was a good idea to open the car door and approach it. Yeah, I was an animal lover, but I was also unarmed. Going near a predator like that would be a bad move, unless you had something to defend yourself with. I never carried, although I was starting to think maybe I would if I lived out west. This situation was crazy.

  Before I could make a decision, the cat darted away. It disappeared behind some scrub on the side of the road.

  I paused for a minute then looked all around. It really did seem to have gone.

  “Thanks for going, spotty lion thing,” I said out loud.

  Then I practically leapt out of my skin again, because now a half-naked dude was wandering toward my car.

  Half-naked — in snow.

  First a wild animal, now a crazy person. Great.

  As he got closer, I realized he was a crazy, incredibly handsome person. Hmm.

  The handsome crazy man held his hand up in greeting. In his other hand, he held a shirt and a pair of boots.

  Yes, he was barefoot and naked from the waist up in twenty-five degrees of cold.

  Was this what Aspen guys were like? Although, if they all looked like him — I couldn’t help staring as he got closer to the car.

  “Hey,” he called, dropping the boots. He fastened his jeans with one hand and shook out his crumpled shirt with the other. “Everything all right in there?”

  As he said this, he tapped my window and indicated that I should open it.

  I frowned at him. Why would I open my window for a crazy person?

  Then I opened it a couple of inches, because for a half-naked snow-dweller guy, I had to admit he didn’t look that crazy.

  “I’m sorry? You’re asking me if I’m all right?”

  “That’s right, ma’am.” He used very polite words, but there was a kind of mischief in his tone that annoyed me immediately.

  “I’m not the one walking around half-nude in winter. Should you even be out alone? Do you have someone who looks after you?”

  He laughed, a deep rumble that gave me goosebumps.

  “No, I live in blissful solitude. Other people are a pain in the ass.”

  He fixed me with his luminous, light green eyes. I’d never seen eyes like that before. He must have been wearing colored contact lenses. What a vain idiot.

  Still, he had a lot to be vain about. The man was hot. Ripped and tall, with a cut-granite jawline and a kind of dark-chocolate warmth to his voice that I bet charmed the pants off a whole lot of women.

  Not me, though. Nope. No way. I don’t form instant crushes on guys who just wander up to me at intersections.

  “So, is the car in need of a little TLC?”

  “Excuse me?” I blinked at him, baffled.

  “Say, you do apologize a lot. There’s really no need.”

  His eyes twinkled with amusement. I didn’t crack a smile.

  “Look, sir—”

  “Oh, ‘sir’ is a bit formal. I’m Sawyer Haines. You can call me Sawyer.” He slid a hand through the gap in my window. I shook it awkwardly.

  “Cadence Bradley.”

  “Is this car dead, or are you just parking here for the view?”

  I sighed sharply. “The car’s fine. I was trying not to hit a mountain lion. Or, any crazy-ass semi-naked guys who seem to have gotten lost on their way to Miami Beach.”

  He laughed again. His joyful roar was infectious. I couldn’t help smiling a little.

  “I’m too tough to feel the cold, Cadence Bradley. Don’t you worry about me.”

  I shrugged. “Okay. I’d better get going now.”

  He wasn’t leaving.

  “Listen, do you need help finding your way around Aspen? I see you’re driving a rental car and I’m a local, so if you need someone with intimate knowledge of the area…”

  He trailed off and raised his eyebrows, smirking. The in
solent gesture sent a shiver down my spine. To my irritation, I was also feeling a little hot and bothered from being at eye-level with those sculpted abs.

  It annoyed me immensely how my body was responding to his presence, even when his entitled manner bugged the hell out of me. What was it with this man?

  “Okay, you can help me, right now. Can you check if that lion thing has gone?”

  He froze for just a second, then shaded his eyes with his hand, looking over the mountains.

  “Oh, there are mountain lions all around here. You should be careful. Lock your car doors. Don’t open your windows wider than this.” He tapped the small gap in my window.

  “Yeah, I’ll remember that. Thanks. Is it gone?”

  I watched his face flash to a haunted expression, then back to a confident grin. He nodded his head toward my cellphone on the dash.

  “I’d say so. Can I borrow your phone for a moment?”

  I stared at him. “You don’t have one?”

  He patted his pants pockets and mimed a shrug. I rolled my eyes and handed him the phone.

  “Don’t tell me. You left it in your other invisible winter coat.”

  He laughed again. “You’re funny, Cadence Bradley. I like you.”

  I felt my face flush. Cool it, you idiot, I told myself. Don’t let this smooth-talking stranger throw you off-balance.

  “I’m really in a hurry, Sawyer,” I said, smiling sweetly. “This little meeting has been great, but—”

  “Can I call you?”

  “I’m sorry?”

  “Always with the apologies.” His eyes ran hungrily over my curves, and I felt my skin warming under his gaze. “You have absolutely nothing to be sorry about.”

  I bit my lip and tried to control my racing pulse. This guy was clearly hitting on me. And, oh boy, look at him. He was gorgeous.