Page 29 of The Bear's Christmas Wish
“If you’re comfortable with that,” he added quickly. “It would be easier.”
She studied his face for a moment, then nodded. “Okay.”
“May I?” he asked, moving closer.
“Yes.”
Michael bent and lifted her carefully, one arm under her knees and the other supporting her back. She was lighter than he expected, or perhaps it was just that his bear’s strength made the weight insignificant. Her arms went around his neck, her face suddenly very close to his.
He carried her through the deepest part of the drift, conscious of every point where their bodies connected. Her breath waswarm against his neck, her trust in him absolute in that moment. His bear hummed with satisfaction.
“Thank you,” she said as he set her down on the other side, her hands lingering on his shoulders.
They stood close, neither stepping away. Michael felt something shift between them.
“Sarah,” he murmured.
“Yes?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Michael leaned down, his heart thundering in his chest. He could feel her breath, warm and sweet, as their faces drew closer. His eyes began to close...
A harsh rumbling sound shattered the silence. The orange beacon of a snowplow flashed through the trees, accompanied by the distinctive diesel growl of James’s truck.
Michael stepped back slightly, not wanting to make Sarah uncomfortable. The moment hadn’t broken completely—he could still feel the tension between them—but the privacy was gone.
James’s snowplow came into view, cutting a clean path through the drifts. The window rolled down, and James leaned out, his grin visible even in the darkness.
“I thought I’d come rescue you!” he called.
As if we needed rescuing,his bear growled.
His bear was right. He didn’t need James to rescue him. Because Sarah had already done just that.
Chapter Twelve – Sarah
Sarah didn’t want to leave North Peak Pines…and Michael. Not yet. Not when the memory of what almost-happened still tingled on her lips.
But leave she must.
“Thanks for the cocoa,” she said as Michael opened her car door, the metal creaking slightly in the cold. “And the chat.”
The word felt impossibly small for what had passed between them in that cabin. The quiet revelations, the shared laughter, the way his eyes had caught the firelight.
She’d told him things she hadn’t voiced to anyone since the divorce, not even her mother. There was something about him that was open and honest. Something that had made her feel safe to be open and honest in return.
“My pleasure,” Michael replied, his voice low enough that only she could hear it.
Sarah stood frozen between the open door and his solid presence, acutely aware of the heat radiating from him even through his heavy coat. If James hadn’t appeared with his snowplow with such horrible timing, what would have happened in that perfect moment when he’d leaned in?
The memory of Michael’s face drawing closer to hers made her stomach flutter. And she licked her lips, wishing she’d tasted his.
Behind them, James revved his engine, the rumble breaking through her thoughts.
“You should get going,” Michael said, glancing over his shoulder. “James has got a lot of ground to cover. He won’t rest until he’s made sure no one is left stranded.”
“Oh. Yeah.” Heat crept up her neck, and she was grateful for the scarf hiding her blush.
“I mean, I don’t want you to go...but James has other people...”
