Page 16 of A Beary Merry Christmas

Picking the shirt up off of the bed, I checked the size: men’s 2XL. It would probably hug my hips but would work. Yanking it on over my head and giving it a tug, I left it sitting above my ass in the back so it draped forward in the front, offering a more comfortable fit. “You should. Even if you’re the same, your form is different, so he’s still separate from you, kind of his own person.” I shrugged, trying to ensure he knew it wasn’t a scold or a command.

“He scared the shit out of you, yet you’re standing up for him?” He smirked, a glitter of something I’d never seen in his depths. “I see why he likes you.”

“So he is separate from you?” I felt my features twist as I tried to understand an obviously complex situation.

“Yes.” Nodding his head towards the door, he expelled a small breath. “Let’s go out to the living room. I don’t trust myself in here with you, especially with you wearing one of my shirts. It looks too damned good on you.”

A laugh bubbled in my chest. “You slept beside me for hours in this room.”

Placing a hand on my lower back, he ushered me out. “That was before you kissed me. You set the beast free, beautiful, and I’m not referring to my bear.”

I bit back a smile, giddiness I hadn’t felt since my elementary school days present. “Got it.”

He hung back for a moment, causing me to pause mid-step and look back at him. A wolfish grin split his face. “Yes, you do got it, babe.”

My smile broke through, heat brushing my cheeks. “You’re incorrigible.”

Closing the distance, he planted a kiss on my cheek. “Only with you.”

“What are you with everyone else?”

A gleam of mischief appeared in his depths. “An ornery bear.”

“Somehow, I don’t buy that.” I pursed my lips, taking in his disheveled beauty. His five o’clock shadow had become more pronounced, adding to his sex appeal.

His expression grew solemn. “One of these days, you’ll see that you’re different, in a good way.” He veered off towards the kitchen. “Are you hungry, beautiful? What do you want to do today?”

I watched as he pulled a lint roller out and proceeded to painstakingly clean every hair off of my hoodie. “You wouldn’t stay in bed all day if I left, would you?” I already knew the answer to that. It was cute and irritating at the same time.

Glancing up at me, he stopped working on my top for a moment. “I don’t make promises I can’t keep.”

Narrowing my gape, I considered him. “You, sir, are trouble.”

“With a capital ‘T’.” He winked at me, resuming his hair removal.

“I need to call Sharon and let her know I’m okay, but then, I guess I can spend another day lounging around with you. Someone has to keep you down.” I didn’t want to lie around all day, but, at the same time, I wasn’t ready to leave him. And that was how I knew I needed to. Not wanting to be away from him meant I’d formed an attachment. It meant my feelings were growing, had grown in less than twenty-four hours.

In less than a day, I didn’t want to say good-bye. In less than a day, I didn’t want to imagine life without him. In less than a day, his home was beginning to feel like my own. In less than a day, his arms had become the home I wanted to seek at the end of each day.

Less than a day.

I could only fathom how I would feel a hundred days from now.

He was so much more than I expected. He was a bear for crying out loud. Nonetheless, he was a bear I could easily see myself falling in love with.

And that was the scariest, most harrowing yet breathtaking piece of it all: knowing I could come to care for him more than I have anyone else on this Earth.

Halting, he stared across the space at me. “I understand if you want to go, babe.” He set down the lint roller. “I can take you to your car.” He didn’t bother disguising the hurt in his voice.

Once again, we felt the same way about leaving each other.

“There’s no place I’d rather be right now. But I will have to go home later. I work tomorrow.” Walking around the sofa, I sat down, Indian style.

Picking up my cell phone, I opened the settings. “Do you have Wi-Fi?”

He laughed. “I only live in the woods, beautiful. Of course I have Wi-Fi.”

“Good. Then I can iMessage Sharon.” I typed in the password as he gave it and waited for my phone to connect. The moment it linked, notifications began to pop up on my screen, including a solid ten from my best friend. I quickly sent her a text giving her just enough information to hold her off until tonight. I already knew she would be on my doorstep later with a bottle of wine, wanting all of the details.

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