Donner and Prancer

by Robin Badillo

  Evernight Publishing ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2015 Robin Badillo

  ISBN: 978-1-77233-637-5

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Katelyn Uplinger

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  This story is for anyone who has doubted his or her own worth, so pretty much every human on the planet. We all have imperfections and insecurities, but don’t ever let that keep you from taking chances. You never know what’s waiting just beneath the surface, and those treasures are pure perfection.

  DONNER AND PRANCER

  Romance on the Go TM

  Robin Badillo

  Copyright © 2015

  Chapter One

  “You should go over, ask her out, and be done with it.”

  Noah Donner gripped his bottle of beer and gazed across the crowded room to where his cousin, Sandra, sat chatting in the back of the bar with Mira Prancer. “You don’t get it. Mira’s the only woman who’s ever flat out ignored me.”

  Brock Flannery, Noah’s best friend and one of Santa’s reserve reindeer shifters, leaned toward him. “Oh, so this is a matter of ego, not love.”

  Swirls of uneasiness bombarded Noah’s insides at the sound of the L word. “Love? Seriously? How can I love someone who won’t even speak to me?”

  “Then what the hell is it? She’s not exactly your type. I mean, come on, she’s okay, but she definitely isn’t a—”

  “It’s not about that.” Noah reclined against the back of the barstool as his mind wandered to three days ago when he’d bumped into Mira outside the North Pole Corporate Headquarters where all of Santa’s reindeer shifters were required to complete their annual physical prior to the holiday rush.

  He’d sat in the waiting room that day reading a magazine, doing what he usually did—wondering if the receptionist was as good in the sack as he’d imagined.

  His erotic thoughts were interrupted though, when Mira came stumbling through the door, tripping over her own feet, and carrying that huge leather handbag she always clung to as though it were a life raft and she was a psychic who’d just boarded the Titanic.

  Noah’s chivalrous instincts kicked in and he’d immediately rushed to her aid, but Mira’s less than gracious entrance affected him in a way he hadn’t expected. The instant his hand touched hers, an electrifying tingle zapped through him and his heart raced out of control.

  He’d heard of love at first sight, but that couldn’t have been what had happened. He’d known Mira for decades.

  He also had to consider Mira’s bizarre behavior. Her reaction hadn’t exactly been appreciative. She’d glared up at him like a deer caught in headlights, and being a reindeer shifter as well, the comparison hadn’t been much of an exaggeration.

  While his body had gone into hypersensitive overdrive, Mira simply blew a mess of blonde curls away from her eyes and stomped off in a clumsy rush, without even so much as a thank you.

  Her unmistakable honeysuckle and lemon scented perfume had lingered though, infiltrating Noah’s senses, leaving him entranced.

  From that moment on, she’d been all he’d thought of.

  “So, what are you going to do? Sit here and gawk at her like a crazy stalker all night?”

  Noah winced from the climactic feeling of uncertainty pooling in his gut. “I’ve never dated anyone from the team and I’ve never been rejected. What if she shoots me down?”

  Peter Hill, another shifter from Santa’s backup team, shook his head. “You’re fucking kidding me. The king of seduction is sitting here acting like some pimple-faced, high school geek intimidated by the prom queen?”

  Noah turned his beer bottle up and downed the remaining contents. “You’re right. There isn’t a woman on the planet who wouldn’t want some of me.” He took a deep breath. “One more beer and I’m going in for the kill.”

  “Now you’re talking like the stag we all know and admire.” Brock slapped him on the back. “You know, now that I’ve actually paid attention to her for more than a passing glance, she’s a lot better looking than I thought.” He tilted his head to the side and narrowed his gaze as he stared across the room at Mira. “In fact, she has quite a rack.”

  Peter laughed. “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind rutting up against those on a cold night.”

  Noah’s jaw ticked as he glared at them both, succumbing to the heated effects of jealousy, an emotion he’d rather not have experienced. “You can both shut up now. I get the hint. No need to turn this into a competition.”

  “No competition, man, but I would like to make a little wager on the deal.” Peter pulled his wallet from his back pocket, opened it, and slapped a hundred dollar bill onto the table. “I say Noah mounts the fair maiden before the night is through.”

  Brock reached for his wallet as well. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen Noah act like this about any woman. He just might choke.”

  “Are you guys serious?” Noah shook his head. “You’re gambling with my love life?”

  “Might as well.” Brock set his money on top of Peter’s. “You’re damn sure not taking any chances sitting here with us when you could be over there, charming the pants off of Mira.”

  The nerves at the back of Noah’s neck tingled at the thought of Mira actually giving him a chance to show her his true self. He’d been a ladies’ man for decades, but now that Mira had gotten under his skin, Noah suddenly had ideas and thoughts about the future in ways he’d never had. She could damn sure be the one he’d been searching for all these years without even knowing it, and she’d literally been under his nose all along.

  For the first time in his life, Noah Donner doubted his abilities to charm and seduce. What if she really doesn’t like me? Is that even possible? Noah quailed at the thought of it as he realized just how high the stakes were. More than a couple hundred dollars were on the line. Noah could lose his heart.

  “Okay, but look, I don’t like the idea of a bet. I’ll go over there and whatever happens happens. If she’s not interested, then I’ll just have to accept it.”

  “And if she decides to take you up on your offer?” Brock cocked an inquisitive brow.

  What would he do if she really wanted him? A one-night stand wasn’t an option with Mira. He’d guessed that much about her already, and he’d accepted it. In all the scenarios he’d run through the last few days, none of them included a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kind of ending. If she was into him, Noah definitely wanted more. As impossible as it sounded even to him, somehow, he had no choice.

  Noah glared at the beer bottle in his hand as he searched for the words. “If she wants me, then I’ll gladly end my rein as a ladies’ man, settle down, and start a team of my own with her.” Noah’s stomach flip-flopped at the thought of mating with Mira. What the hell is wrong with me? He cast nervous glances toward his friends. “Shit! Did I just say that?”

  Peter shook his head, his skin tone growing more pallid by the second. “Holy hell. You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  A bead of sweat accumulated on Noah’s upper lip and nausea swished in his gut.

  “Say something.” Brock shook Noah’s shoulder.

  Noah couldn’t speak. His hands trembled. He couldn’t catch his breath. Was he even capable of being with only one woman? Why her?
Why now?

  Peter stood and came around the table. “I think he seriously wants to mate with her.”

  “Mate?” Brock inched toward Noah. “You’re kidding, right?”

  Tingles vibrated up and down Noah’s back and his mouth became instantly dry. He swallowed hard. “I don’t know. M—maybe.” He shook his head. “I’ve never considered anything like that before.”

  “I don’t know what to say, man.”

  Noah looked over at Brock. “Me either.” He anxiously scratched at the paper label on his beer bottle as his brain went into overdrive skimming over the memories of the countless women he’d been with over the last few years. His reputation had been legendary and even though those women knew Noah had only been after sex, they still flocked to him like flies to honey, all wanting a taste of what made him so special.

  It started at a very young age. He recalled the first time he’d realized his powerful attraction to females. And more importantly, he’d discovered how intensely they had reacted to him, as though he were a giant magnet in a scrapyard. It just came naturally.

  There had only been one girl to break him down though, one girl he’d been willing to take a chance on. Noah had jumped in with all four hooves back then, and in the end, he’d lost more than his heart.

  Right after they broke up, she started pursuing Rudolf, the lead reindeer on Santa’s team. The girl had nearly ruined Noah for all women, and damn near wrecked his and Rudolf’s friendship. Much to Noah’s relief, Rudolf caught on to her game, and dumped her.

  Eventually surviving the heartbreak, Noah made a vow never to be hurt again and his life became one meaningless tryst after another.

  There had been times when Noah wished someone would have stuck around and fought for him, but no one ever had. They’d all happily enjoyed a roll in the hay and moved on, satisfied—he was sure—but gone nonetheless.

  His buddies might have been envious at times, but he’d bet none of them really knew how it felt to be left as unfulfilled as he’d felt. Lonely even. He’d never revealed that to any of them. After all, he had an image to uphold and his entourage expected conquests.

  Noah laughed to himself as he thought of how people talked about him adding notches to his headboard when so many times he often felt as though he’d been the notch on theirs.

  Mira was different. She’d fallen all over herself all right, but not because of him. She was special, and from that slight brush of her skin against his when he’d steadied her that day in the Headquarters’ office, he knew she wouldn’t make things easy for him. She was a challenge, and now, Noah worried he might not be up to the task.

  “So what are you going to do?” Brock slid a fresh beer in Noah’s direction, breaking the train of thought that had stifled the conversation.

  “I’m going to drink this beer then see what fate has planned.”

  “Now you’re talking.” Brock grinned then looked over at Peter. “I just might lose this bet after all.”

  Chapter Two

  Mira Prancer had entered the club and headed straight for the back as she usually did—completely unnoticed. Just the way she generally preferred.

  She sat patiently waiting for her best friend, Sandra Donner, with a tightened grip on the strap of her oversized handbag resting safely in her lap to hide everything about her body she hated most.

  The waitress appeared at her side. “What can I get ya, honey?”

  Mira swallowed hard to calm her startled nerves. God, she hated crowds. “Uh …”

  “She’ll have tequila and lots of it.” Sandra slid into the booth beside her. “Just keep ‘em comin’.”

  A flutter of uneasiness settled in Mira’s stomach. “I don’t do well with tequila.”

  “You’ll do fine. One way or another, you’re getting laid tonight, missy.”

  Mira scooted farther away as bile shot up into the back of her throat. “Please don’t start that again.”

  “Honey, it’s been six months. Are you trying to earn back your virginity?” Sandra laughed.

  “I’m not looking for a one-night stand.”

  “Well, hell. What are you looking for?”

  The waitress returned with the drinks and Mira took the distraction as her chance to change the subject. “How’s David?”

  Sandra shot her an annoyed glare. “David’s someone who should have remained a one-night stand.”

  “Sorry.” She truly was sorry. Sandra had worse luck with men than Mira. “Maybe he’ll change. You never know.”

  Sandra shook her head and offered a cocky grin. “Honey, the only things that change where men are concerned are the size of their cocks and whichever lie they’ve chosen for the night.”

  Mira had heard her friend’s skepticism before, but tonight it had taken on a whole new level of loathing. She stifled a grin, though she couldn’t have agreed more.

  Sandra licked the skin on the back of her hand between her thumb and index finger, sprinkled a little salt on it, and grinned. “Okay, Mira, let’s rock this joint.” She raised her shot glass of tequila. “Bottoms up.”

  Reluctantly, Mira followed her lead and together they licked the salt then downed their shots of tequila. Mira’s mouth seethed from the burn of the alcohol scalding the back of her throat. She grabbed a lemon wedge and sucked it dry then followed up with a nerve-rippling shudder caused by the sour fruit. “Ugh.”

  “Again!” Sandra waved for the waitress. “Doubles this time.”

  Mira lifted her hands in protest. “Oh, no more for me.”

  “Bullshit. It’s almost Christmas and you deserve a night of fun before you go.”

  Mira leaned back in the booth and considered what Sandra said. In a few weeks she’d be on a private jet headed to the North Pole. The holidays would be busy as hell and there would be very little time for fun. “Okay, but just one more.”

  “Now you’re talking.”

  Once a year, for the better part of December, Mira had the honor of working for Santa as one of the few remaining reindeer shifters left in the world. Sure, some shifters had the good fortune of shifting into mountain lions, wolves, and even really lucky ones shifted into eagles or other birds of prey, but only a few became those mystical creatures only read about in Christmas stories.

  Mira and her kind were indeed special. Not only able to shift into reindeer, but also gifted with the magic of flying, and she loved every moment of the perks accompanying the gift. As a reindeer she looked like everyone else on the team: sleek, beautiful, and majestic. Life felt simpler when she was a reindeer. If she were able to exist in that perfect, alternate form all the time, she would, but that was impossible. Her human form was just as important, and she had to make the most of it. Too bad she had to manage it alone.

  Somehow, it never seemed to balance out and that really wasn’t fair. Most of the time, her secret caused more problems than it solved.

  Keeping the secret wasn’t impossible, but in a relationship, disappearing for nearly a month, during what was arguably the biggest holiday of the year, had been hard to explain. Sandra only knew because her cousin, Noah Donner, had inherited the shifter gene passed down in their family.

  Mira’s jaw clenched tight as her mind wandered to maddening thoughts of Noah.

  Damn that man for being so handsome and charming. And damn him again for being such a scoundrel. Noah, with his to-die-for good looks and fuck me bedroom eyes had been a thorn in Mira’s side since the first time she’d laid eyes on him. She’d had the displeasure of being harnessed right in front of him for the last seven trips around the globe. This year would probably be no different.

  If he makes one more comment about my ass … Mira gripped the shot glass tighter as the waitress brought another round of tequila shots.

  She needed a distraction. The alcohol helped untangle her twisted nerves, but not other effects like the fluster of heat on her skin.

  Why couldn’t Noah see past the few extra pounds? Why did he insist on dating tall, statuesque,
super-model types? Why the hell did Mira even care? All good questions to ponder, especially the last one.

  Running into him a few days ago at Corporate Headquarters had opened Mira’s mind up to several things she’d never given a second thought. Something in the way he looked at her had nearly taken her breath away, but all she could do was get away as fast as possible.

  Mira’s mind wandered to even more insane thoughts as the alcohol muddied her ability to remain rational. I should have wrapped my legs around him and rode his sexy ass all the way to the North Pole.

  She fanned her face. “Is it hot in here?” Her vision dimmed and her head swam as the tequila infiltrated her bloodstream.

  Sandra looked over at Mira with one eye open and the other fixed at half-mast. “Nope, at least, I don’t think—hic—so. I can’t feel my f—hic—ace.”

  Mira giggled at her friend’s epic case of hiccups. “Shit. Then I’m drunk.”

  Sandra grinned. “Good.”

  “Hey, Sandra.”

  Mira turned her blurred gaze toward the direction of the familiar male voice.

  Noah? Mira slowly blinked. “Uh, Sandra, we have company.”

  Sandra looked up from her shot glass. “Hello there, Noah.” She snickered. “We’re celebrating. Wanna join us?”

  Noah glanced over at Mira. His handsome brow bent with what appeared to be amused curiosity. Mira couldn’t be completely sure, of course. After all, there were two of him. “What are you celebrating?”

  “Shhh.” Sandra placed a finger against his lips. “It’s a secret.”

  Mira’s stomach did backflips as she focused on his mouth. Oh-so-kissable lips.

  “Mira’s gonna get laid tonight and I’m gonna help her, but you can’t tell anyone.”

  Mira gripped the table’s edge to keep from tipping to one side.