Mistletoe’s Kiss

13. Chapter 13

13

Chapter 13

“Gentlemen are frequently not as level-headed as they seem.” The Body in The Library b y Agatha Christie

T he grand staircase curved upwards in front of them. Maddy found herself distracted by Detective Moore’s long strides. His legs easily took two steps for every one of hers. Her eyes traced the movement of his body, snagging on his ass in those crisp suit trousers, muscles flexing as he climbed the stairs. Shaking herself from the distraction, she focused on the carpet beneath her feet, hoping not to stumble.

She called up to him as they reached the landing, “You wanted to know about the study? The body I mean?”

Moore paused at the top, then reached back to pull her up the final step. “Yes, how did you come across the body, and was there anything unusual about the room? Tell me about tonight.”

His grip was firm, sending a shiver through Maddy at the unexpected contact. Trying to steady herself she focused on his questions. “I’ll start at the beginning,” she said, clearing her throat as his fingers slipped away.

Moore opened a nearby doorway and peeked inside; finding it empty, he moved on to the next room. “That’s fine, I need a full picture anyway,” he replied over his shoulder.

“Right, well…“ Maddy began, trailing behind him. “As Sara mentioned earlier, I’m a mystery romance author. Tonight was supposed to be the launch party for my new book. My publicist thought it would be a great idea to host a murder mystery dinner to celebrate. The guests were given character cards beforehand, and we were supposed to role-play as we searched the house for clues.

What I hadn’t expected was the mystery and setting to be based so closely on my book. It’s very clever but a little unnerving too,” she said with a small smile.

“Sounds like quite the production,” Moore remarked as he scanned the darkened hallway. “Do you know the guests well?”

“Not really,” Maddy admitted. “Most of them work in the publishing industry, Sara is my publicist and Dan…well, he worked in marketing for Cupid Press.” She hesitated before adding, “There were also some book buyers, Moira and Priesh, an influencer named Helen, and Jude Walters, who owns a bookshop in London. I don’t know them very well apart from Sara.”

There was supposed to be another guest, a movie producer who was interested in an adaptation of my books but he didn’t show, I can’t remember his name. And of course, there was Michaels and some members of staff. I think that’s everyone.”

As Moore continued to open doors, revealing empty bedrooms along the dimly lit corridor, he asked, “How did everyone seem when you arrived, happy? Enjoying themselves?”

“I arrived with Sara and most of the guests were already here.” Maddy bit her lip, replaying the night in her mind. “I was a little nervous so Sara dragged me over to get a cocktail to help me relax.”

“Why did you have to be dragged to get a cocktail?” Moore said, interest sharp in his hazel eyes.

Maddy stiffened at the question, she supposed that most people at a party would look forward to relaxing with a drink so it was indeed valid, just a little too perceptive. This was going to be embarrassing. “Okay, I’m just going to come right out and say it. Dan was making the cocktails and I didn’t want to interact with him.”

“Any why was that?” Moore persisted.

Maddy pasted on a smile, a knot forming in her stomach. “Dan… he had a habit of being inappropriate. He’d make suggestive comments, and even touch me in ways that made me uncomfortable. Sara would usually step in if she noticed but I still tried to avoid him if possible. And then later tonight, things got worse.”

Moore’s jaw tightened. “Worse how?”

“He was already drunk by dinner time and after that, he cornered me and said I owed him for supposedly defending me in a meeting. He wanted…something in return.” Her voice faltered, but she quickly added, “I refused and he walked away. That was the last time I saw him.”

A dangerous edge crept into Moore’s expression. “Did he touch you?”

“He tried,” Maddy admitted, the memory stirring a mix of anger and discomfort. “But I pushed him away.”

Moore, still looking furious took a deep breath and ground out, “What were the other guests doing? Did they seem their usual selves to you?”

“I guess… there was some tension. Moira and Priesh were arguing which isn’t really unusual, they have a bit of a rivalry going. Moira thinks my book is too dark, and not commercial enough while Priesh seemed to appreciate the new direction I’ve taken.

Moore glanced back at her. “What’s different about the new book?”

Maddy felt a blush rising. “Well, I just decided to come out of my comfort zone and write something a bit edgier, more explicit.” She looked away, a little embarrassed at having to describe her books to this sexy-as-sin man. An image appeared in her mind. Moore reading her book in his bed, his muscled forearm flexing as one of his large hands stroked a very pretty cock. He had to have a pretty cock, right? No one who looked as good as he did was hiding something mediocre in his trousers. She turned away, trying to hide her red cheeks and possibly some drool, only to have him reach out and gently pinch her chin, turning her face back towards him.

“No need to be shy, Maddy,” he said, lightly running his thumb along her jaw. “I happen to like a good romance novel, everyone needs to escape from the real world now and then and I’m not keen on all that swords and sorcery shit” he winked.

Maddy swayed slightly as the blood rushed from her head to other places, lower down, that deep voice and the fucking wink…she leant in towards him before remembering they were in the ‘murder house’ and pulled herself back to a respectable distance. “So inappropriate Maddy” she muttered under her breath.

Moore chuckled, “…tell me about Helen and Jude. What were they doing?”

Maddy took a moment to collect herself before continuing her account of the evening. “Helen was doing what she always does—streaming live for her followers. She’s one of the leading book influencers right now, and I’m pretty sure she does it full- time. She showed up early to film the house and seemed fine at first, but things changed at dinner. Dan made a comment during his speech, calling my book a ‘nice little romance,’ and Helen didn’t take it well at all. She’s very passionate about the romance genre, especially dark romance, which is why it was so important to have her review the book.”

“And Jude?”

Maddy paused, thinking back on Jude’s behaviour. “Jude was acting a bit out of character, to be honest. She’s a lovely person and someone I respect, but she’s very reserved and prefers to stay in the background. It was unfortunate that she ended up as the Tarot Reader for the night. I mentioned this type of entertainment in my book, where high society sometimes indulged in fortune-telling, and I guess Sara thought it would be a fun addition. Earlier in the evening, I saw Jude trying to get Dan’s attention in the parlour, and they had a heated exchange before he stormed off. She seemed particularly tense around him during the tarot readings, even suggesting that the cards showed he was a liar and a schemer with no conscience. The whole tarot session was unsettling—the readings were mostly negative, and then Dan drew the ‘Death’ card. I originally thought it was all staged to add to the atmosphere for the mystery part of the night, but in hindsight, it turned out to be eerily accurate foreshadowing,” she said with a grimace.