CHAPTER 1
Paris, 2005
Night had just fallen when Garrick Loriot strode into his opulent Parisian apartment with a scowl on his lean, starkly handsome face. After months of delicate negotiations, he’d at last reached a tentative deal to purchase an apartment building in Montmartre to use as a safe house for Pantera Diplomats, only to have the negotiations fall apart when it was declared a historical landmark.
Seriously. Was there anything in this city that wasn’t a f**king historical landmark?
His pissy mood, however, swiftly disappeared when he flipped on the light and caught sight of the envelope that had been slipped beneath his door.
It was from her. He could just catch the scent of vanilla mixed with earthy cypress. His heart did that familiar leap as he bent to grab it off the priceless Parisian carpet.
He always looked forward to hearing from Molly. Especially this time of year. With his father deceased, these letters were his one and only connection to the Wildlands and the mother who had never fully recovered from a near-fatal accident.
Like both his parents, Garrick was a born Diplomat which meant he never knew where he would be from one week to another. He depended on those letters to keep him connected to his home.
Unlike those of the previous Nurturers who’d cared for his mother, Molly’s letters weren’t dry reports of medical facts. Hers felt like family, and were filled with wit and humor, and captured his mother’s spirit, making him feel as if he were there.
And after his shitty day, he could use a pick-me-up.
Tearing open the envelope, he dropped into a chair near the window, his six-foot-plus frame dressed in one of the Armani suits Molly always called his “stick up his ass armor.” And by the white glow of the Noël lights strewn on buildings, lampposts and even the Eiffel Tower in the distance, he read:
Dear Mr. Loriot:
I am writing to inform you of my resignation as caretaker to your mother, Virginia Loriot, effective December 24.
This was not an easy decision for me to make. These past five years have been very rewarding, but it’s time for me to move on. I have accepted a position at Medical, and will be starting straight away.
Thank you for the opportunity to work with your mother. I wish her nothing but the best. You’ll be pleased to know I’ve found a suitable replacement. Virginia has met and approved her.
Best regards,
Molly Cochell
What. The. Fuck.
It was as if all the air had been pulled from the room. And the lights, which had only a moment ago twinkled merrily behind him, dimmed. Garrick crushed the letter in his fist, wondering if it was some kind of sick joke.
No. It couldn’t be. Molly didn’t play cruel jokes. It wasn’t in her nature. She was kind and sweet. Too damned sweet.
So what the hell was going on? She’d seemed happy and content the last time he was there. When was that now…? Nine, ten months ago? Had something happened while he was gone? Had someone made her unhappy? What was this new position she’d found? At Medical…
His jaw tightened.
At Medical, with all the other Nurturers. Females, yes. But many single males, as well. Christ, maybe she was looking for a mate…
The thought had him out of his chair and heading toward the phone to order a car before he even realized he’d made the decision to leave.
Screw the negotiations.
It could wait. Everything could wait.
He was going home for Noël.
CHAPTER 2
Molly glanced around the room that had been her home for…
What was it now? Five years.
God almighty.
How had time passed without her ever noticing?
It seemed only yesterday that she’d arrived at the elegant, rigidly formal house near the center of the Wildlands. As a newly trained Healer she’d been eager to prove her worth by tending to the infamous, always acerbic Virginia Loriot. The female was considered one of the finest Pantera Diplomats ever born.
Of course, Virginia was the reason she’d come to this home. But Garrick was the reason she’d stayed.
With a low hiss she slammed the door on her traitorous thoughts.
She was done thinking about the male who’d stolen her heart. After five years, only an idiot would continue to hope that her feelings would be returned.
And while Molly was many things, she wasn’t an idiot.
Time to pack it up and call it a day.
Closing the lid on the last suitcase, Molly shoved her fingers through her unruly mop of golden curls that contrasted with the dark, velvet beauty of her eyes. She’d often regretted her resemblance to a china doll.
Who wanted to be cute and cuddly? Even if she was a Nurturer. She wanted to be a tall, super-slinky brunette who screamed SEX APPEAL. Ha. She’d bet her favorite pair of Jimmy Choos that Garrick wouldn’t have ignored her then. Hell, she would’ve had to lock the door to keep him out of her bed.
Dammit.
She was doing it again.
On the point of grabbing her bags, she hesitated as she heard the unmistakable sound of Virginia’s cane hitting her door and shoving it open.
The older female might be frail, but she still commanded the entire house with the precision of a military general.
She even had the look of a general.
Entering the room, Virginia stood with a rigid posture, her body tall and thin and her face angular. As always, her dark hair was pulled into a tight bun at the nape of her neck.
“You sure you have to leave?” the older female demanded.
Molly swallowed a wistful sigh.
She didn’t know when or how it’d happened, but at some point she’d started to think of this place as her home.
Perhaps not so surprising.
She’d lost her parents in an accident years ago, and while she’d been taken in by other Nurturers, she’d never truly had a place to call her own. It was understandable she would ache to build a sense of home and family.
A pity that the male she loved didn’t feel the same way.
The painful reminder was all she needed to stiffen her spine.
“It’s time.”
Virginia arched a dark brow, a mysterious smile tugging at her lips. “You know Garrick won’t be pleased about this.”
“I can’t worry about him anymore.” Molly shrugged, though just the mention of his name sent curls of awareness through her. “I have to get on with my life.” Before it’s too late, she silently added.
“You know you always have a home here with me,” the female affirmed.
Molly did know.
Virginia could be cool, even aloof, but over the years, Molly had slowly discovered the caring female beneath the proper façade.
“I appreciate that,” she said, her gaze skimming over the room that looked starkly bare now that she’d packed away the small touches that had, only a few days ago, made it seem like home. “But I don’t truly belong.”
The older female looked as if she might argue, before she gave a small shake of her head. “Maybe this is for the best,” she said beneath her breath. “Garrick needs a little wake-up call.”
Molly frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Ms. Loriot,” Sylvia called, poking her head in the doorway. The Nurturer who had been sent to take Molly’s place was a young, fresh-faced, innocent, with dark hair and kind blue eyes. Molly didn’t doubt for a second that she would be a more than adequate replacement for her. “Time for your medicine.”
“You go with Sylvia,” Molly urged. “I’m going to take my suitcases downstairs.”
The female cast her a warning look. “Don’t forget to say goodbye before you leave.”
“Course not,” Molly assured her.
She felt a pang of loss as Virginia left the room. She would miss the older female. Despite her sharp-edged tongue, Virginia had become a true friend. And the closest thing Molly had to family.
With one last look around the room, she grabbed her bags and easily carried them downstairs.
Virginia had offered the assistance of her household staff to haul Molly’s belongings back to the dormitory used by unmated Nurturers, but she’d declined.
She needed to leave as she’d arrived.
Bags in hand…her heart filled with hope for the future.
Call it closure.
The thought had barely flared through her mind when the door flew open, hitting the wall with enough force to make the priceless paintings rattle on the wall.
Molly shivered, but it wasn’t because of the blast of chilled, early evening air. No, that honor belonged to the tall, dark-haired male with rich caramel skin and eyes the color of melted honey.
Garrick.
Molly felt as if she’d been kicked in the gut.
God. Even after five years the sight of him still managed to steal her breath.
He was so freaking gorgeous.
The chiseled perfection of his features. The ebony gloss of his hair that had been neatly trimmed. The whipcord body that was encased in one of his outrageously expensive suits, this one a pearl gray with a dark burgundy tie.
He looked like he should be stepping off the cover of GQ. Until you glanced into those honey eyes.
Then it was easy to see the razor-sharp intelligence and lethal danger of his cat that lurked just below the civilized surface.
And tonight, his cat was more obvious than usual.
“What the hell are you thinking?” he snarled, his powerful presence cloaking her.
Molly had always found it ironic that this male was so distantly elegant, and yet carried the scent of the wild elements.
Tonight he smelled like an impending thunderstorm.
“Garrick,” she breathed, the suitcases dropping from her suddenly numb fingers. “You’re supposed to be in Paris.”
He prowled forward, his expression clamped down tight. “Your letter brought my ass home.” He halted mere inches from her, his anger whipping through the cavernous formal living room. “You aren’t going anywhere, Molly. So you can bring those bags right upstairs. Better yet,” he reached down and picked up one of her bags. “I’ll do it for you.”
Finding her backbone, and ignoring the flutters of excitement that raced through the pit of her stomach, Molly snatched it back.