Mistle Tie Me (Shifting Hearts Dating App Book 1) Read online

  The ball was in her court. But if he had his armor back, the odds were considerably in his favor.

  ***

  Demi watched the bartender perform his antics behind the bar and turned back to Nick.

  An armored bear with no armor. Interesting.

  But now he’d gotten it back because someone had fallen in love with him. Did he mean her?

  She blinked, considering the crazy events of the evening. Love? It was a little too soon for that, but she decided she liked being in Nick’s company. And he filled out his leathers like a man who knew what he was about.

  A grin spread across her face. She wanted to stay longer and see Hades ground under Persephone’s boot. It appeared, to her great surprise, that her daughter had things well in hand.

  Oh. Right. Nick had asked her out for coffee.

  “I might be persuaded.” Demi looked out over the leather clad people and shook her head. She paused, scanning the room and searching for her daughter and Rhoda once more.

  She’d never met a man she wanted to see dragged around by his neck more than Hades. The jerk had it coming. Part of her wondered what he’d done to piss off her daughter. Then she decided she didn’t want to know.

  No.

  They had their own lives to lead.

  Maybe it was time for her to do the same.

  She eyed the man in front of her and considered her options. There was something wild about him and she wanted to explore that.

  “Let's go.” Nick held out his hand, eyes twinkling in the strobes and light show. He frowned, noting her hesitation. “Or do you need to wait for your friend?”

  Her gaze met his. She held out her hand. “No. She’s probably found her plaything for the night.”

  He laughed, pulling her away from the wall. “Come on. It only gets rowdier the later it gets.”

  “I'll bet.” Demi brushed a bit of Underworld off her skirt. “Let's go.”

  “What do you want to do first?” He brushed his fingers along her cheek and lowered his lips to hers.

  Demi broke the kiss and stepped away.

  Did she want that?

  Did she want him?

  Gray eyes smoldered back at her and she lost some of her resolve to leave. The pulse of the club infused her soul and for just a moment she let the music sway her just a little bit closer.

  Memories of another night long ago flooded her senses and she released a pent-up sigh. How many centuries had she been wrapped up in chasing Persephone from the Underworld and back again?

  Too many to think about.

  She slid in close and tucked her hand in his. The animal musk of him invaded her senses as one palm skimmed down to her waist. She wanted him.

  The idea was maddening. He was nothing like the men she took to her bed a millennium ago.

  There. She admitted it to herself. She did want to sleep with the arrogant ass.

  He made her feel safe but stirred her pulse at the same time.

  The music pulsed; the electronica jingle bell beat morphing into a slow song. Lights dimmed and Nick pulled her close. His erection pressed against her stomach and she moaned as his lips claimed hers for another panty soaking kiss.

  “Come with me,” he murmured against her lips, tugging her into a hidden alcove. Behind him, a door opened, revealing a small storeroom filled with excess tables and chairs.

  “How did you know this was here?”

  “Perks of the job. Let’s just say Hades values my services.”

  “What kind of services?”

  His eyes gleamed bright and for a moment Demi could see something other than human shimmering in his gaze. “Do really want me to answer that?”

  Desire and fear skittered along her spine. “I wouldn’t have asked you if I didn’t want to know, now would I?”

  Nick smiled, his eyes picking up an animalistic glow. “Let’s just say, I know how to make sure people stay well behaved.”

  “You really were indentured to him, then?”

  “I was, indeed.” His response was bitter.

  “But now you’ve found love so you get your armor back, is that it?”

  Nick blinked, a surprised laugh erupting from his lips. “You really get down to brass tacks, don’t you?”

  “Something like that.” Demi grinned. This was going to be fun. She reached underneath her skirt and hooked the scandalously thin pair of cherry-colored panties with her thumbs and slid them over her hips.

  She wanted him now. The liquid heat between her thighs demanded release.

  “Well, well. Ms. Demi, you are a sugary bit of cake after all.”

  “Do you want a taste to find out?”

  She dropped the panties on the floor and moved into his embrace, his lips sealing hers in a kiss.

  “Oh, yes,” he whispered as he pulled his mouth from hers, his voice hoarse with need. “I want to bury myself in that sweetness until we’re both singing. How does that sound?”

  She fumbled with the unfamiliar fastenings of his leathers for a moment, and then at last his cock sprang free.

  His hand covered hers and her gaze snapped up to meet his.

  “If we do this, it’s not casual. Not for me.” His voice was throaty and she wanted nothing more than to drown in every part of him.

  “I know,” she whispered.

  Demi slid her hands down his cock. The tip was already seeping his desire and she bent down to lick it, eliciting a moan.

  This wasn’t just a one-night stand. Even as she moved against him, she knew it in her bones.

  Demi shifted in his arms. She lifted her mesh skirt, her backside brushing against his erection. Bracing herself against the wall, she thrust her ass in the air and glanced over her shoulder. “Now. Take me now.”

  Eyes glowing shifter fire, Nick moved against her, the tip of him teasing her pussy. He slid in and Demi gasped as his thickness filled her empty places.

  “Goddess,” she hissed as he reached around her and pinched her nipples through the bustier, sending little fissions of fire right to the center of her being.

  “That you are.”

  If only he knew.

  But that was a conversation for another time.

  He gripped her hips and began to pump in and out of her with precision. Every movement stretching her wider than she ever thought possible.

  Demi panted, her nipples tiny pebbles under the club wear. What she wouldn’t give to have this man wrapped in her sheets, pleasuring her with more than a fuck against a wall.

  As he moved against her, his hand moving between them to flick her clit, she clung to him, her body on fire. Some nights were meant to last and this one would. She came, riding his cock and screaming her release.

  Something sharp grazed her neck and she felt his teeth as they pierced her flesh, his fierce thrusting bringing pleasure and pain together in a fusion of sensation that made her eyes almost roll back in her head.

  Her knees gave way and he caught her as the last of his passion rocked them. Nick held her close as her body convulsed around his once more. Then, they both rested propped up against the wall until their breathing slowed.

  “You okay?” He smoothed sweat dampened hair from her temple and brushed a kiss across her forehead. Her Santa hat was long gone, her dark hair a tousled mess around her shoulders.

  Demi didn’t want to move. The moment was perfect. He was still inside her.

  “Yes.” Her reply was shaky. “I really am.”

  He withdrew from her and before she could murmur a response, he was holding out her discarded pair of panties with a quirky smile on his face. His liquid eyes glowed in the dim room.

  Nick chuckled. “Your panties, my lady.”

  “Thanks.” Demi stepped into them and met his amused glance with a kiss. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready for this night to be over.”

  “Neither am I.”

  “Come on. I know this great little coffee shop that serves amazing lattes.” He pressed a kiss to her lips and
wrapped an arm around her shoulders, ushering her back out into the holiday techno beat and the wild lights of the club.

  A smile curved over Demi's lips. “I can hardly wait.”

  They strolled through the door and out into the night air. The line for entrance into the club had grown with more holiday revelers since they were inside.

  Nick offered her his arm. “Did you find whoever it was you were looking for in there?”

  Demi paused. “You know, I think I did.”

  “That girl looks an awful lot like you. You should be proud.” Nick glanced back toward the sea of writhing bodies. “And Hades? He deserved that and more.”

  “You know, I think I like you, Nick. Let’s go try one of those lattes.”

  Nick tugged her against his muscular chest. “Your wish is my command.”

  She watched a lock of white hair fall across his eyes and noticed, not for the first time, the very sexy cleft in his chin and the way he always seemed to pay attention to her every word.

  This was something new.

  Demi allowed herself to bask in his warmth. Nick’s commanding air of self-confidence was, in itself, refreshing. This man would be no pushover and, well, she could get used to that.

  “He really did look good with a collar and leash, didn’t he?” Demi mused.

  “You should see them on weeknights. She makes him into an end table while she watches Extreme Bachelor.”

  Laughter trickled out and soon she reveled in the feeling. Her daughter was more than capable of handling an oaf like Hades.

  As she stepped in the dead grass, flowers bloomed. “Life, love, and cupcakes.” She snorted as a particularly persistent night blooming flower brushed her ankle in thanks. It was time for her, now.

  A pomegranate lay abandoned in the grass and she considered it for the briefest of moments. Her foot swung forward in a kick, sending it careening into the darkness beyond. Take that, Hades, you miserable son of a bitch.

  “Let’s go check out that coffee shop. Then we can go to my place.” Demi planted a kiss on Nick’s arm. “I have an idea what we can do with some triple chocolate frosting, a sprig of mistletoe, and a really long roll of red ribbon.”

  “Oh, woman. I do like the way you think.”

  “You know, I always did have a thing for polar bears.” Demi mused.

  She wasn’t sure where this was going to lead, but maybe a goddess and a tarnished armored bear could find happiness.

  The holidays were a time for miracles and it was time she had one just for her. Her arm tightened around Nick and she laid her head against his shoulder. But there was one thing she wondered about.

  “So, are you going to tell me how you ended up under Charon’s thumb?” She asked, loving the eye roll she got as a response.

  “Oh, Cupcake. Really?”

  “Yup.”

  “Wait till we get to the coffee shop. This might take a while.”

  Demi giggled. Goddess, but she hoped so. She really, really did.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for reading Mistle Tie Me. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review on the retailer website where you made your purchase. Don't forget to check out the Shifting Heart Dating Agency series and watch for the upcoming books in the Shifting Hearts Dating App series.

  If you would like more information about my other titles or would like to sign up for my newsletter and receive a free copy of Map of Bones, please follow the link:

  http://erzabetwrites.wix.com/erzabetbishop

  All the very best to you and yours,

  XOXO

  Erzabet Bishop

  Turn the page for a taste of Your Wolfish Heart, Book Two in the Shifting Hearts Dating App series...

  A Taste of Your Wolfish Heart

  About

  App Tastic...

  They were supposed to have the app live by Valentine’s Day. At least that was what Paige’s brother, Rafe, agreed to. Now here she was hoping and praying that with a little goddess power, and whole lot of technological know-how, he and his team can pull off a V-Day miracle.

  Flower power...

  Valentine’s Day was Liv’s least favorite holiday, even if she was part owner of Bluebonnet’s, one of the busiest flower shops in town. The holiday coinciding with her daughter’s death at the hands of a drunk driver, and then her marriage dissolving, was just another reminder of how empty her life was. But when a very familiar doctor starts coming into the shop, she feels a tug on her heartstrings, not to mention her lady bits, and wonders if maybe there is someone out there for her after all.

  A Wolf in Need…

  Dr. Thomas Merton fills his days tending to the needs of others, but he can’t ever forget the blonde woman who lost her child to a drunk driver. Not one to poach on another man’s woman, he put his wolf’s attraction and his own on the back burner. But when a fortuitous meeting at a local flower shop leads to a second chance at making a connection, can his wolf convince them both that the right kind of love is worth everything?

  Dedication

  To Gina: To the moon and back.

  For my husband and fur babies…love and chicken strips.

  Mariana: You make me laugh and I love hearing about the mischief your kids get into. One of these books is going to be for you.

  For the fans who love shifters just as much as I do: This one’s for you. Cause we all need a hunky man bearing chocolate for Valentine’s Day. And flowers. Let’s not forget the flowers…

  Each time you love, love as deeply as if it were forever.

  —Audrey Lorde

  Love is not just looking at each other, it’s looking in the same direction.

  —Antoine De Saint-Exupéry

  Chapter One

  “What do you mean it’s not completely ready?” Paige tightened her grip on the water bottle until it crunched. Standing in the entrance to her brother’s office always felt like a doorway into something from Weird Science or Tron. Computer equipment lined his work bench and the white board that covered the wall was filled with enough equations that it absolutely gave her a headache.

  All she wanted to do was run the front side of the business and leave the technical stuff to him, where it belonged. But Valentine's Day was fast approaching and she hadn’t even seen as much as a sniff of a demo.

  She wasn’t going to admit to her partner, Sylvia, that she was beginning to panic. Not ever.

  They needed a dating app, and pronto, if they were going to compete in the big leagues. And they needed it yesterday. Her brother would come through. Even if that meant she had to prod him a little.

  Her cat flexed her claws and rubbed along the underside of her skin and Paige gave her a mental hug.

  The launch party would be a success. It had to be. She’d already booked the new event space at Blue Willow House, one of the most popular local sites for weddings. Gracie at Death by Chocolate was bringing her most awesome deserts and Chef Patrick from Kimball’s was catering the rest with bite sized mouth orgasms of his smoked steak and potato awesomeness.

  Heck, even Amanda from the Silver Wolf Winery was providing samples of her amazing 2020 lineup.

  It was a win-win for everyone. There were date night passes and a raffle basket from one of the cruise ships out of Galveston… She was ready. All except for the damned app.

  Paige struggled for calm and suddenly wished her mate had time for lunch today. He always had a way of settling her anxiety and right about now, she could really use the moral support. Sylvia wasn’t in yet. It was just as well. She had to send out more emails and make sure all the details were set and ready. Her friend Caroline, who’d opened a flower shop, had agreed to donate some table arrangements and she needed to finalize how many guests were going to be there.

  It was going to be fine.

  Rafe would do it.

  He would do it or she would set him up with the worst date in the history of ever.

  And she had a few candidates in mind, too, if he decided to be
an ass.

  Whatever. She just needed a moment to talk to him before Sylvia got back and then she could start on the emails.

  Jessica, one of the new part timers, was already at work putting files together on prospective clients, so at least that part of the plan was working well. Now they just needed to get the technology part off the ground.

  She came further into the office and crossed her arms, giving her brother a death stare.

  “Are you going to tell me what’s going on or do I have to pry it out of you?”

  “Look, there are stages to this process, okay?” Rafe ran his fingers through his dark hair and she noticed not for the first time just how tired he looked. His team had been working around the clock. She knew that. But Valentine’s Day was just around the corner and this was cutting it too close for comfort. Her’s or anyone else’s.

  “I realize that,” she responded, trying to keep the edge out of her voice.

  “Rafe. I think I have a solution for the issue we ran into… Oh.” Jessica, one of the new members of the technical team, burst into the office. Seeing Paige, she clamped her lips shut and stared down at the floor.

  “Jess,” Paige said stiffly. She wasn’t sure what to make of the girl. Awkward and fashion challenged, she was more into computers than actual conversation with a live person.

  No wonder Rafe picked her for his team. Paige wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about dating now that she thought about it.

  Her gaze sharpened as she took in the telltale blush lining the other woman’s cheeks.

  Bunny.

  The scent was unmistakable. She hadn’t bothered getting close enough to care before today. Rafe had conducted the interviews for his tech team and she’d had the pleasure of hiring the office part timer. It worked out fine. Each to his or her own.

  She wouldn’t know the first thing to ask in a tech interview anyway, so it was just as well. As long as the new members of their team did what they hired them to do, then they had a chance of keeping this ship on course.