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CHAPTER 1

“I can’t believe I need another new bartender” I leaned back in my chair and propped ood reason, but that didn’t mean I had to like it And his replacee I’d fired hi and questionable custo on a couple of ulars, I lost it and kicked hiulars, especial y in my bar

But that left a void The Wayfarer was busy, like every other place during the holiday season, and we needed every hand on board We’d started early with an Otherworld Thanksgiving feast froril , and then that weekend I’d put up a fake tree in the corner and handed out bonuses so thatthe end of the first week of December, the main focus of Winter Solstice was stil ahead of us—and Christmas for my clients who celebrated it—

and the parties were getting ht as people crowded in, exhausted fro with holiday chaos

Nerissa gavethem up in the air “What can I say, dol ? I’ behind me, she leaned down and slowly trailed a line of kisses down my cheek to my neck “I’d work for you, if I didn’t have the day job”

“You’d make such an awesome bartender, and then I could yank you back here in my office to make love whenever we felt like it”

“We’d never get anything done,” she countered

I laughed, then shrugged “I know, I know—hiring people is part of owning a bar, but it fucking sucks”

I tipped ht oddess’s lips as she set off a ricochet of desire that shockwaved through my body Al I could think about was how much I wanted her Here Now As I reached for her breast,over the rounded curves of her body, a knock on the door interrupted us

“Bad tilanced up at her rueful y “Rain check?”

“Always” She reluctantly stepped back to sit in the chair next to my desk

A werepuma, Nerissa was a warped Aphrodite, but she was also extre when I needed to present a professional appearance She sat pri her look like a librarian waiting to bust out and go wild Everybody kneere together, but it wouldn’t do for the boss to be sucking face when the help checked in

“Come in” I waited as Chrysandra opened the door and peeked her head in “What’s up?”

She glanced at Nerissa, then at ot soht want to talk to him”

“Supe?” I had instituted a policy of only hiring members of the Supernatural Community The Wayfarer attracted far too many potential problems for me to take a chance on any more ful -