A Hunter Under the Mistletoe

by Addison Fox

  * * *

  “Wow,” Rafe commented the second Meghan sailed out of the restaurant. “I’m guessing she didn’t like you teasing her about being on time. She went from warm and friendly to frozen statue in seconds.”

  Gabe nodded. “She doesn’t know me well enough to get my bantering. It’s okay. Give her time.”

  “Defending her?” Openly amused, Rafe leaned back in his chair. “Of course, I can’t say I blame you. She is one fine-looking woman.”

  The second instant flash of jealousy at his brother’s joking words both amazed and worried Gabe. How could he be feeling so possessive toward a woman he’d just met the day before?

  “Though not my type,” Rafe said, redeeming himself.

  “Of course not. You’ve got the beautiful Evangeline.”

  “That I do.” Rafe grinned. Glancing at his watch, he stood. “Sorry to run, but I’ve got a meeting with the housekeeping department. I can’t wait to hear how your little shopping trip goes.”

  Gabe grimaced. He’d already begun to regret impulsively inviting Meghan Frost to join him. Christmas shopping was hard enough without having to deal with her. Never mind the simmering attraction between them. He knew with the right provocation, it would burst into flames as swiftly as he would when he Rejuvenated.

  Chapter 4

  At exactly ten o’clock, Gabe found himself outside her door, fist poised to knock. His heart sped up in anticipation as he found himself wondering what she’d be wearing. Then he shook his head. Asking himself what he was doing, he rapped sharply on the wood, three times.

  Immediately, the door swung open. She wore a baggy T-shirt, faded jeans and brightly colored sneakers. The loose-fitting clothes made it impossible to spy the lush curves he knew they concealed. “Hi there,” she said, her mouth curving slightly at his staring. “Let me grab my purse and I’ll be ready to go.”

  Since she didn’t invite him in, he nodded, waiting in the hallway. She seemed different, less at ease. Almost...shy. Which would be ridiculous. He reminded himself what she was. Above all else, a performer.

  “I made sure to get cash from one of the ATMs,” she said. “I don’t want to use my credit cards since my name is on them.”

  “Wise choice.” Taking her arm, he pretended not to notice her slight start. “I’m counting on you to help me, you know.” He dug in his pocket and produced his list. “I’ve got quite a few people to buy gifts for.”

  “Let me see.”

  He handed her the piece of paper, waiting while she read over it. “That’s not too bad,” she said, handing it back to him. “This is going to be fun. Let’s get started.”

  He couldn’t tell if the enthusiasm in her voice was real or not, but decided he didn’t really care. With her, it’d be easier to simply take her at face value. Much less complicated when one didn’t go around looking for hidden meanings behind everything. Long ago, he’d tried to rid himself of this bad habit, since it got in the way of living. Most times, he thought he’d succeeded.

  As they walked to the elevator, her arm in his, he realized she might be right. Though he disliked shopping, this actually had the potential of becoming enjoyable.

  “Let’s start with the most challenging name on your list. Your mother.” They stepped into the elevator and he pushed the button that would take them to the casino floor. As with all hotels on the Vegas Strip, guests had to walk through the bustling casino to get to the rooms, shops or restaurants. Lots of revenue was generated that way.

  “I have no idea what to get her,” Gabe confessed. Among their kind, his mother was known as a wisewoman and healer. She had a huge indoor herb garden and enjoyed concocting homeopathic remedies for friends and family. He relayed this information on to Meghan. “Unfortunately, she already has tons of gardening books and every tool known to mankind.” Which wasn’t far from the truth.

  “What about seeds?” Meghan asked. “I know it’s not something you can buy here in the hotel, but I’m betting you could go online and find some amazing packages.”

  “While that’s a great idea, not only would I have no idea what kind of seeds to get her, with only a week left until Christmas, there’s no way I could get them here on time.”

  “Maybe not.” She conceded the point with a shrug and a smile. “What about clothes or jewelry? What does she like to wear?”

  He sighed. “She has quite an extensive scarf collection. For years, that’s all Rafe and I got her. She finally told us she had enough and to stop.”

  The elevator doors opened. The boisterous casino sounds, along with the ever-present odor of smoke, announced they’d arrived. As always, the noise made him smile.

  “Do you gamble?” he asked, steering her through the crowded casino, dodging the occasional meandering tourists who never appeared to notice when someone was behind them.

  “I have a few times.” She stayed close to him, nearly melded to his side. “Quarter slot machines only. But I’m not a big fan. I work really hard to earn my money. I don’t like to watch it disappear just like that.”

  He stayed silent while they navigated around groups of people, some already with drinks in their hands. Once they made it to the perimeter, there’d be one long hallway, and then the entrance to the opulent shopping mall would be right ahead of them.

  “Come on.” Impulsively he took her hand, dragging her along through the crowds. She didn’t protest. In fact, a glance back at her revealed a mischievous grin. Surprised, he grinned back, his mood surprisingly light.

  Once in the crowded mall, he stopped outside a huge Christmas tree made up entirely of poinsettia plants. Deep red flowers were interspersed with white and the occasional pink. Gold glitter had been sprinkled over the entire thing, and twinkling white lights gave it a true holiday feel.

  “That’s amazing,” Meghan said, stopping to stare. “It must be at least thirty feet tall. I can’t imagine how much work went into making that.”

  “I watched them build it. Underneath are levels of wooden platforms, which is what they place the flower pots on. To keep it looking fresh, the gardeners come by every couple of days and water and change out the plants.” He figured he should release her hand, but realized he liked holding on to it too much to let go just yet.

  “Very cool.” Turning to look at him, she held out her free hand. “Back to your mom. Does she like to read?”

  He thought about her question. “Not really.” There were books scattered all over the house, but if he ever spied his mother reading anything, it was a gardening magazine or seed catalog.

  “Okay. Let’s try something else. Over the years, has your mom mentioned anything—like a hobby or a skill or something she used to do when she was younger—that she wished she could take up again?”

  He really had to think about this one. “I remember years ago her wanting to take a photography class. I don’t remember why she didn’t take it, but she once wanted to take professional-quality pictures.”

  Meghan nodded, fairly bouncing up and down with excitement. “Now we’re getting somewhere. Does she have a good camera? Because if she does, you can get her a gift certificate with photography lessons.”

  “She has one of those small cameras. You know the one that’s tinier than a cell phone?”

  She waved away his words. “Well, that takes care of her gift. We need to get her a good camera.”

  “There’s a store on the third level,” he said, suddenly excited as well as relieved. He could imagine his mother’s surprise when she opened her gift on Christmas morning. A camera. “Thanks so much, Meghan. I would never have thought of that.”

  Her shy smile had his blood heating again. “We’re not done yet.”

  At the electronics store, he told the salesperson what he needed and was directed to a display case in the middle of the store. “These are perf
ect for a beginner,” the older man said.

  Gabe checked them out. He recognized the manufacturers: Nikon and Canon, as well as Pentax. Some of the others he knew made electronic products, but he decided to stick with the Nikon, since that was the best known. He bought her a model midway between a professional DSLR and a Point and Shoot. According to the salesman, it was called a digital bridge camera and came with an amazing 70x zoom lens. Along with that, Gabe purchased a camera case and spare battery. All in all, he’d finished with his mom for under five hundred dollars.

  When they left the store, bag in tow, he watched Meghan cross his mom off the list. “One down. Now let’s talk about your father.”

  Several hours later, he’d gotten something for everyone on the list. Something really good, too, not just random junk. In fact, he figured his entire family would love their gifts. All thanks to Meghan, a woman he barely knew. He felt a glow of warmth, the cynical side of him slightly surprised she hadn’t asked for anything for herself. Of course, why would she? She could simply purchase whatever she needed.

  Being with her had somehow made shopping, usually something he could barely tolerate, bearable. Even...fun. Because he liked her. Honestly liked her. In addition to being beautiful and talented, she was a pretty awesome human being, too.

  “I couldn’t have done this without your help,” he told her. “Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

  Her pleased smile told him how much she appreciated the compliment.

  “Let’s get these bags up to my place and then we’ll grab a bite to eat.”

  “I’ll help you, but count me out on dinner.” Once again, she’d surprised him. “I’ve got some phone calls I need to make.”

  He hid his disappointment. “What about later?” he asked. “You mentioned you wanted to try your luck at some slot machines. We could grab a drink and check those out.”

  Covering her yawn with her hand, she smiled politely. “Thanks, but not tonight. I’m really tired. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to grab a rain check on that.”

  She’d just spent part of the morning and most of the afternoon in a crowded mall helping a near-stranger Christmas shop. Of course she was tired.

  “A rain check it is,” he promised. “I definitely owe you dinner and a drink. Just let me know when.”

  “I will.” The relief flashing in her green eyes told him she’d expected him to try to persuade her to change her mind. Glad he hadn’t, though that thought had occurred to him, he walked her to the elevator. Once inside, he set his shopping bags down and relieved her of hers.

  “You don’t have to do that,” she protested. “I was going to help you carry them to your suite.”

  He couldn’t help himself; he kissed her cheek. “I can manage.” The elevator stopped at her floor, the one right below his and Rafe’s. “You go and get some rest. Remember, if you get hungry and don’t feel like going out, our room service is top-notch.”

  With an uncertain smile, she nodded and walked away.

  * * *

  He’d kissed her on the cheek. Just one, not both sides with the air-kiss the way everyone did in LA. All the way down the hall to her suite, Meghan pondered what to make of this development. Maybe she’d been wrong. Was it possible Gabe Stavros wasn’t attracted to her at all? Men only kissed women’s cheeks if they thought of them like a sister or friend. Perhaps...he was gay. This last thought made her laugh out loud. If he was, then the joke was on her. Her friends had told her this had happened before to them—meet a man too gorgeous for words and find out he played for the other team.

  Except she just knew Gabe wasn’t gay. He wasn’t disinterested, either. The way he looked at her, like he could eat her up with his gaze, told her the attraction was mutual. Then what? Considering, she felt a stab of pain. Maybe it was her reputation, that fake and glittering persona her PR people felt was necessary for a pop star.

  But really, would a man as confident and virile as Gabe let a little thing like a wild reputation scare him? For the first time in her life, she actually wanted to live up to her utterly false characterization, especially since all of this—her show as well as her stay in Vegas—was only temporary.

  How ironic. She wanted to be wild, but he wasn’t interested. Or was he? She’d have to be blind not to notice the way he looked at her. But then why the kiss on the cheek?

  The only other alternative was that he didn’t think someone like her—aka free, untamed and a little bit crazy—could possibly be interested in someone steady and stable like him. As an alternative possibility, he might not believe in a boss fraternizing with his employees.

  Letting herself into her suite, she shook her head. Overthinking things was one of her specialties. She needed to let it go. Though a wonderful distraction, no doubt getting involved with the man who technically employed her would be a horrible idea. Since she couldn’t have a distraction, she’d simply have to do what she always did and find a way to deal with her loneliness and sadness.

  Buying Christmas presents for his family and then watching as the store clerks wrapped them in brightly colored paper and bows had made her once again yearn for something she could never have. No matter how much she wished it, her family would never be the type from a Norman Rockwell painting, gathered around the gaily decorated Christmas tree. There would be no Christmas feast, no mushy cards or hugs or holiday joy. No togetherness, no love.

  They only cared about the hunt. Her destiny, they’d said, unable to understand how she could want to let such a horrible thing go. They’d never get that she’d had to. How could someone full of bloodlust and hate sing songs of beauty about love and peace? She couldn’t be that person, the fierce and focused Hunter, constantly stalking a type of being that, if they even existed, had done nothing to deserve murderous rage.

  Of course, there were the stories. Every now and then, a Hunter got close. One had even died here in Vegas recently, supposedly because he’d gotten too close on his hunt for a Helios.

  Her family lived for the hunt. She’d wanted something different. And so they’d rewarded her by leaving her utterly and completely alone.

  Wandering into the opulent bathroom with its floor-to-ceiling marble and huge Jacuzzi tub, she decided to take a bath. Usually a hot shower type of girl, she thought a luxurious soak just might be the perfect way to drain some of the tension from her. If all else failed, she had her choreographed dance routines for the upcoming show to practice. A perfectionist, she’d keep at that over and over again, until her body wilted from exhaustion.

  But practicing alone wasn’t the same as rehearsing with her dancers. And she’d given her people two weeks off for the holiday. She couldn’t very well rescind that and demand they show up in Vegas and begin rehearsal. After all, they’d gotten everything down perfect before she’d left LA. Once the special set she’d had built had been transported here, all it would take would be a few routine practices before they’d be ready to go live. She’d made sure of that. She’d never liked to leave anything so big to chance.

  * * *

  After getting all the brightly wrapped parcels to his suite, Gabe arranged them on the dining room table. For the first time ever, he found himself wishing he’d taken the time to put up a Christmas tree. Of course, he could call and have one of his employees take care of it, but it felt like the sort of thing he should do himself. He might even ask Meghan to help him decorate it.

  The instant the thought occurred to him, he put on the breaks. What the hell was wrong with him? They weren’t dating; they weren’t even friends. He barely knew the woman, yet when he was with her he felt as if he’d known her forever. One thing for sure: he wanted to get to know her better, especially in a physical way. Someone like her could probably care less about a Christmas tree. She’d even told him her family wasn’t big on the holiday.

  If Meghan couldn’t help him de
corate, then he might as well have someone else do it. What fun would setting up a Christmas tree all by himself be? He picked up the phone, called the people who took care of the hotel decorations, and placed an order for a fully decorated tree to be brought to his suite. After being assured it would be done by the next day, he hung up and headed back downstairs to find his brother and see if Rafe wanted to grab a bite to eat.

  But when he reached the office area, he saw his brother and Evangeline leaving together, arm in arm. She’d snuggled into Rafe’s side and he gazed down at her, his expression tender. No way Gabe could interrupt that. It’d been a long time since he’d had a serious relationship. Lots of dates, but none had really clicked, and he’d grown tired of one-night stands. Feeling lonelier than he had in years, he headed for the buffet and a solitary evening meal.

  Later, as he made his usual rounds checking out the blackjack tables, poker games and the satisfyingly crowded slot area, he found himself looking for Meghan. Just on the off chance that she’d decided to come and gamble, after all. He didn’t spot her, but then again, he had no idea what disguise she might have chosen to wear. He had to admit, the intrigue of her various costumes intrigued him. He truly had no idea who the real Meghan Frost might be.

  A shout near the blackjack area had him turn. “He’s got a gun,” someone yelled. A woman screamed. Then there was a loud pop—a gunshot. Instantly, Gabe began to scan the crowd, trying to determine the location of the shooter.

  He had two concerns. Neutralize the shooter and get all of his guests immediately to safety. More shots, more screams. As panic spread like wildfire through the crowd, people abandoned their slot machines, stampeding for one of the three exits.

  Luckily, Gabe and Rafe had trained their staff well. Hopefully, that training would hold up now.

  Chapter 5

  “Don’t panic,” one of the blackjack dealers ordered. “Everyone, please proceed in a calm and orderly fashion toward the exit.”