Page 15 of Snowed in with the Bear Shifter
“I’ll figure it out,” he said with a long-suffering sigh.
“Good man.” She patted his arm. “In the meantime, I’m starving. I’m going to poke around your kitchen, see if I can’t find us something yummy to eat.”
12
ROARKE
As much as he growled at the tangle of wires, he had to admit once he got them working and strung up, they were worth the headache.
Eloise was practically incandescent with joy as she hung the last of the ornaments. “Look how pretty it is, Roar,” she said, doing a little happy dance around the tree, her hips swaying in the most delightful way. She leaned down and plucked a grape from the array of snacks she’d put together, popping it in her mouth.
“Gorgeous,” he said, looking only at her.
While he’d unsnarled the lights and unearthed replacement bulbs, she’d raided his kitchen and assembled an amazing board filled with cured meats, crackers, cheese, and fruits. Not only that, she’d made the most delicious mulled apple cider with hints of cinnamon, ginger, peppercorns, and other spices. She’d poured him a cup, spiking it with bourbon and a saucy wink before handing it to him.
The cider warming on the stove filled the cabin with a sweet-spicy scent that harkened back to Christmases when he was a kid. A green ceramic tree, colorful lights on the end of everybranch, sat next to the framed family photo on the cabinet near the kitchen. The gnomes she’d found in the last box from the loft perched on the mantle, oversized green hats drooping over their faces. On the TV, a cheerful holiday movie played quietly while a fire blazed merrily in the hearth.
It was as if a vintage holiday fairy had exploded in his home.
He was reluctant to say he liked it since it disrupted the usual peace and quiet of his cabin, but yeah, he liked it. Mostly because Eloise pulled it all together, but even he could admit it was pretty damned cozy. Scooting to the edge of the couch, he placed a thick slice of cured salami on a cracker round, topping it with a piece of sharp white cheddar. He popped the whole thing in his mouth, savoring the blend of sharp, salty flavors.
“All we need is this star at the top, and it’ll be absolutely perfect,” she said, holding up the large silver star she’d saved for last. “Do you have a stepladder I can use? I didn’t see one in the kitchen.”
“How ‘bout this instead?” He got to his feet and lifted her up high enough for her to reach the top of the tree. Of course, he didn’t have to do it this way. There was a stepladder in the hall closet that would do the job. But this gave him the opportunity to touch her again. Plus, he got to show off a bit for his mate.
She let out a little squeak but quickly recovered and placed the star in its rightful place on the tree. “All done,” she said, her hands drifting down to cover his.
He let her down slowly, her body sliding against his until her toes touched the floor. Looping an arm around her waist, he nuzzled her hair. “Beautiful,” he said, breathing in her scent.
“Roar,” she whispered, turning in his arms to face him. “I just… I’m not…”
“I know. And we don’t have to talk about it. Not until you’re ready. I just want to hold you a moment, if that’s okay,” he said, running his hands over her back in a soothing motion.She isn’twearing a bra?He was momentarily distracted by the thought of her unbound breasts. He shook his head, returning his full attention to the woman in his arms.
“Of course, it’s okay. I like touching you, if that hasn’t been at all obvious from our interactions,” she said, leaning into him with a heavy sigh. “You know, you’re kind of a dimwit.”
He jerked as if zapped by electricity, his hands stilling. “What?”
“Well, you are.” She rubbed her cheek against his chest. “I’ve been trying to get in your pants nearly the entire time I’ve been here. Yet you keep pushing me away.” Lifting her head, she gave him a look. “I mean, you’ve been distracted by the whole mate thing, which I’m sorry I haven’t given you an answer about yet even though I know it’s a really big deal…”
“Take all the time you need.” He swallowed a grin when she growled at him for the interruption.
“As I was saying,” she continued with a glare, “what kind of numbskull says no to a game of Strip Jack Naked that includes actual stripping with someone you’re attracted to? Don’t you want to see me naked?”
His jaw dropped. How could she possibly ask him that? Of course he wanted to see her naked. “In my defense, you were hurt,” he said. “I was trying to be a gentleman.”
“Pfft. I wasn’t that hurt,” she said, dismissing his attempt at chivalry with a wave of her hand. “So, then what about today? I quite literally flung myself into your arms, and what did you do?”
“I, uh…”
“That’s right,” she said, poking him with a blunted fingernail. “You tried to scare me off by telling me I’m your mate.”
“But I had to tell you.”
“True. And thank you for doing the right thing, but couldn’t you have at least kissed me first? Honestly, I was hoping wemight see if those benches in your workshop were as sturdy as they looked.”
His cock perked up at the thought of bending her over a workbench and having his way with her. Or peeling those leggings off and burying his face between her luscious thighs. “You were?” he asked, wincing as his voice cracked.
“I’m disappointed you weren’t,” she said with a tut, slipping her hands under his shirt, her soft palms stroking the small of his back. “Don’t you want me, Roarke?” The question was unexpectedly weighty, as opposed to her usual brash cheekiness.
