Midnight Temptation Read online

  Midnight Temptation

  Shari Nichols

  MIDNIGHT TEMPTATION

  By

  Shari Nichols

  Copyright © 2020 Shari Nichols

  Edited by Heather McCorkle.

  Cover Design by Mibl Art.

  All stock photos licensed appropriately.

  Published in the United States by City Owl Press.

  www.cityowlpress.com

  For information on subsidiary rights, please contact the publisher at [email protected]

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior consent and permission of the publisher.

  Praise for Shari Nichols

  “Great read and start to a new series. I'm excited to see more of as it comes out!” - Book Junky Girls

  “An emotional, action packed, YUMMINESS ride!”

  - Carrie Book Fairy

  “I can’t wait for what is next in the Ravens Hollow series. I give this book 5 Fangs!” - Maria Suarez, Paranormal Romance and Authors that Rock.

  “Action packed steamy paranormal romance with a host of intriguing characters.” - Crystal's Many Reviewers

  “Her plot was solid, her characters were complex and her writing hooks the reader right from the start and never let’s go! Think of a multiple loop, fast, curving, upside down roller coaster and you have an idea of what you are in for with this book.”

  - Stephenee, Nerd Girl Official

  “The chemistry between the characters is awesome! You won't want this story to end. Looking forward to the next book by Shari Nichols.” - Chris Clemetson, Romance Author

  “Nichols is excellent in setting the stage. The reader is instantly transported into a believable, three-dimensional, magical world.”

  - S. Wilk, Romance Author

  “A gripping, sexy read you won't be able to put down. Nichols manages to infuse her characters with life and love, making them jump off the page.” - M. Kate Quinn, Award-Winning Author of Romantic Fiction

  “I was hooked from page one! A titillating, fast-paced read, this edge-of-your-seat paranormal romance kept me guessing.”

  - Sky Purrington, Bestselling Author of Time Travel Romance

  “Paranormal has never been my cup of tea. However, I am starting to rethink that notion.” - EJ Cohn, Romance Author

  This book is dedicated to my mom— your light still shines bright.

  Contents

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  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Sneak Peek of Tides of Time

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  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  About the Publisher

  Additional Titles

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  Want even more paranormal books? Try TIDES OF TIME by City Owl Author, Luna Joya, and sign up for Shari’s newsletter for more here.

  She had a very good reason for breaking the first rule of magic ... and the second one ...

  Cami Donovan has secrets. Big ones that no one can ever know.

  All she can do now is try to forget the past and focus on the future. But as it turns out, her future—her family’s future—might not be shiny and bright unless she can help her sister resolve the cold case murder that’s been plaguing her psychic visions.

  Falling for the sexy history expert who holds the keys to it all? That was never part of the plan.

  The last thing on Sam Corraza’s mind is romance. Emotional entanglements bring nothing but pain. His past certainly taught him that. But when he’s presented with an old Hollywood mystery to solve, he can’t stay away—from the case, or the enchanting witch who brought it to him.

  As they unravel the evidence—and their feelings for each other—it becomes clear that the past is coming back to haunt them in a big way.

  With danger closing in, can Cami and Sam overcome all that stands between them—or is history destined to repeat itself?

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  Chapter 1

  It only made sense that certain protocols needed to be followed when attending a supernatural speed dating event: like how long you could check someone out for it to be considered socially acceptable. Three seconds, maybe four—tops.

  When Gillian Howe tried to imagine sounding clever to a complete stranger in the span of five minutes, her stomach twisted into knots. Of course, there was the drink rule to consider. How many should you consume? One probably wasn’t enough to take the edge off. Two might loosen you up enough to keep from getting tongue-tied during the stretches of awkward silences. By the time you got to three and were well on your way to getting sloppy drunk, it wouldn’t matter anyway.

  Fortunately, she didn’t have to worry too much about it or go through the paces of said mini-dates. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t do her part from the sidelines.

  Tonight, her job was to match each of Hoboken’s fourteen supernatural and human singles brave enough to attend this event with a card from her tarot deck. And for those lucky enough to find a match, they were eligible for a full couple’s reading.

  Her breath caught as she glanced around the W’s hotel lobby, struck by the cool, modern décor. One wall was comprised entirely of glass and the other of sleek wood paneling. Enormous rectangular fixtures, shimmering with black and silver lights, hung like floating sentries from the ceiling. Black leather chairs and cushioned benches with red pillows were artfully displayed on top of a black marble floor.

  The room started to fill up with human and demon males dressed in fine cut suits. The only trouble with the latter–hot as they were–was that most demons had egos even bigger than their hulking physiques.

  The ladies looked chic decked out in little black dresses, while some wore glittery tops with leather pants and uber-high heels. One by one, they made their way over to the bar, and like the rest of the living room, it was blinged out in silver and black. Sinatra crooned from overhead speakers, setting the perfect mood for the evening.

  Instinctively, Gillian tugged at the hem of her short, black lace dress, starting to feel a little self-conscious. She’d gotten a steal on it, even by H&M’s standards. The de
ep V in the front was currently being held together by a safety pin and a prayer, but it was all she could afford at the moment.

  “What constitutes as clever first date conversation anyway?”

  Gillian recognized the soft, feminine voice. She turned toward her business partner and best friend Saje. They ran a small magick shop with a group of other witches from their coven.

  She took a seat next to her on a red banquette. The familiar aroma of Saje’s perfume filled the air. Even that didn’t relax Gillian.

  With damp hands and her heart racing, Gillian placed several tarot decks on one of the small lacquered tables and began to shuffle the cards. Magick, pure and bright, pulsed beneath her fingertips. Gillian looked up. “I think I’m the wrong person to ask, but I’m guessing, ‘do I have spinach in my teeth’ is probably a major no-no.”

  Saje chuckled, easing some of Gillian’s tension away. Different colored strands of beads adorned Saje’s neck. She wore a flowy print dress that complimented her petite frame and high wedges on her feet. Her outfit screamed Boho-chic, and perfect for cohosting a speed dating event. She opened a small cooler and unloaded a cocktail shaker and mason jars filled with pink colored liquid. A mischievous gleam flashed in her eyes.

  “Trust me, anyone who drinks some of my special brew will be inclined to follow their deepest desires, and see hearts and flowers in their eyes, not spinach.”

  “I always wondered where the adage ‘love is blind’ comes from. Now I know.” Gillian cut the decks and began arranging her cards face down in a diamond pattern.

  “Don’t let your cousin Brooke hear you say that. I’m sure it would be considered sacrilege in some dating ritual handbook.” Saje shot her an evil grin as she pulled a hair tie from her wrist and swept her long, dark hair up in a messy bun.

  “Funny, I didn’t know there was one.” But if anyone had a copy, it would be Brooke. Speed dating for charity was her baby. Coined matchmaker to the millennial crowd, Brooke believed everyone deserved love and that one perfect person was out there, once the stars aligned and timing collided with physical attraction in some cosmic way. Gillian, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure.

  “Brooke’s the eternal optimist in the family. She got the gene I never inherited,” Gillian said with a smirk. “Seriously though, what have you brewed up for us tonight? Nothing too potent I hope.”

  “It’s a special blend of lavender, crushed rose petals, grapefruit juice, and a pinch of vodka.” Saje gave her a reassuring smile. “Trust me, there’s nothing to worry about. I used a spell for general romantic feelings to blossom for those who are already into each other. This will just give them a gentle push so they can see through the clouds of their self-doubt. Think of it as a way to make their potential match’s clear. As long as we’re on the subject of love, have you ever considered…”

  Gillian shook her head, amused. “Hey, I thought Brooke was the official matchmaker for the night. Besides, I want tonight to be all about the charity.” Now that everyone in their friend group seemed to be pairing up, her love life continued to be a hot topic amongst her coven mates. They’d been planning this night for months, selling tickets and posting the event on their websites and social media. The purpose was to raise funds for Gillian’s charity, Hope Club, along with their corporate sponsor, Kurt Lawrence of The Lawrence Cancer Support Network. The cause was near and dear to Gillian’s heart. Gillian knew what it was like to watch a loved one get sick and feel helpless. At least now she could do something proactive. Besides, this event would serve as a great promo for their magick shop, not to mention fodder for her weekly podcast–Eat, Tarot, Love.

  After Gillian lit seven votive candles for luck, she spread some business cards and pens with the charity logos on the table. She glanced at her watch and then at Saje. “We’d better finish setting up. This party’s about to go full gear any minute now. Let me help you.”

  When she bent down to pull a funnel from Saje’s bag, her heel slipped off her foot.

  “I love the outfit, especially the shoes.” Saje pointed to Gillian’s feet. “Although, they do seem a tad big.”

  “Sorry, I should’ve asked first, but they matched the dress.” Gillian adjusted the strap on her borrowed stiletto. Saje was the only one in their coven whose feet were bigger than hers. That’s what you did when you lived with a house full of women; you shared everything, nothing was off-limits, and closets were no exception.

  Saje tilted her head to the side. “Are you okay? I’m picking up on some major stress vibes from you.”

  The question made Gillian’s skin flush with a mist of nervous perspiration. The trouble with having a psychic for a best friend was you couldn’t keep anything to yourself. “Sorry. I guess I’m a little off my game tonight.”

  This was the first time they’d done something like this, and Gillian was still uneasy about the whole thing. She’d stayed up half the night tossing and turning, not able to pinpoint exactly what was off. Now she felt like a total zombie. She’d used half a tube of concealer to cover the matching luggage under her eyes.

  But that wasn’t the only thing keeping her awake. She couldn’t shake the sense of emptiness and longing that twisted inside her. Pushing her uneasiness to the back of her mind, she refused to venture into a dark place tonight.

  “This is supposed to be fun, remember?” Saje unscrewed the tops of the mason jars, and together, they went to work filling wine glasses with her potion.

  “You’re right of course. At the risk of sounding like a walking contradiction, does anyone fall in love the old-fashioned way these days?” This said by a woman who had zero prospects of her own.

  “What about Willow? She fell in love the old fashion way.” Saje pointed out. Their mutual friend and former coven mate was about to tie the knot to her gorgeous special agent boyfriend.

  Alex proposed to Willow a few months back. Now their engagement party was just a week away, and Gillian still didn’t have a date. But Willow wasn’t the only one who’d been brought to her knees by the L word. Saje had fallen ass over elbow in love with one of Alex’s coworkers.

  Gillian wasn’t sure what was flowing through the water of Raven’s Hollow these days. But it seemed like all of her friends were pairing off and blissfully happy. The click-clack of heels made her glance over her shoulder, catching the eye of the event hostess for the evening. “Almost ready to go?”

  “I just need a minute.” Brooke walked up to their table looking like the picture of class in a red sheath dress and matching Louboutin’s. Her wavy blonde hair was pulled up in an elegant chignon. With her fresh face, blue eyes, and fair skin, Brooke was Gillian’s polar opposite. Gillian embraced her olive skin, dark eyes, and wavy, brown hair, grateful she’d inherited something from her mom.

  Her cousin set down her tote bag, then reached inside to pull out score sheets and name tags. “Since you two are speed dating virgins, I want to give you a quick run-through of what to expect,” Brooke said with a bemused expression. “Once the guests have arrived, and the format is explained to them, each person will get a tarot card and a sample love potion—at which point they can embark on their dates.”

  Even if Gillian wasn’t thrilled about the choice of tonight’s venue, she still planned to benefit from the publicity this event would bring for the shop and her charity. Having a corporate sponsor would be a huge boon on both fronts.

  As much as she loved working at the shop, she needed to branch out on her own. She’d become too dependent on her friends. It was time to spread her wings and fly. Her ultimate goal was to combine her communications background with her gift for the tarot and launch a weekly radio show, which was slowly turning into an all-out obsession. She loved helping people realize their potential in love, career, and relationships through her readings. And radio was a great medium to reach a large audience. Hopefully, tonight would help her take a step in that direction.

  “Crap, I forgot the decorations,” Brooke shouted, pulling Gillian out of her fog.r />
  “I’ve got them right here.” Saje set the plastic bag on the table. The sound of voices drifted over from the bar. People lined up and made their way toward the tables. Everyone looked excited, some a little terrified; not that Gillian could blame them.

  “Let me get those for you. Why don’t you greet the guests?” Gillian whispered to Brooke. With one hand full of streamers, Gillian reached inside the bag for the scissors and tape. After she climbed on top of a chair, she twisted the ends and taped them around a wooden pillar.

  Suddenly, all the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Her whole body tensed. The chatter and music became muffled. Her eyes flickered across the lobby in search of who, or what, had caught her attention.

  Then she saw him.

  Six-feet-three inches of tall, dark, and brooding stood at the front desk. Detective Garrett Mulroney? What the hell was he doing here? Seeing him again after all these months sent a jolt of shock rippling through her.