Page 13 of Beared at Christmas
I sighed, gripping the steering wheel. So what if I enjoyed his kisses? Would it be so bad to feel some kind of intimacy with someone else? Raine had been gone for over a year and I’d spent last Christmas grieving and feeling like my life had ended. But I was still alive. And so unbelievably lonely when I was at home by myself. Probably why I immersed myself in my work as much as possible.
I couldn’t deny my attraction to Brody. I guessed him to be a few years younger than me, which I didn’t think to be a big deal. Though I never expected to form any kind of a bond with a human. Most of my hesitation remained stuck on that difference between us. My bear, on the other hand, didn’t have any misgivings toward him.
After a deep breath, I headed inside. I would let things play out however they were meant to. At the end of the week, we could figure out what happened next for us, if anything at all.
In the entranceway, I removed my winter clothing then started a fire. There was still dry wood on the hearth from the day before, since we hadn’t spent the night in the cabin.I considered whether to change into fresh clothes or shower beforehand.
As I glanced at the bed, I wondered if Brody and I would share it that night. We had spent the previous night together with no issues. I found I’d slept much better with him at my side. I didn’t know when we’d started to cuddle, but waking up with him so close filled my heart with a warmth I’d never expected to feel again. If only he weren’t human. I shrugged, unsure it made any difference. If he had been a shifter like me, I doubted I would have wanted to be intimate with him the moment I first saw him.
I turned to the sound of the bathroom door opening as Brody came out, cheeks flushed and hair wet, wearing a T-shirt and flannel pants. Yes, he definitely stirred something long dormant inside me.
There was a knock at the front door, taking me away from thoughts of him. I answered it, secretly dreading that the resort had finally found one of us a separate cabin. I no longer wanted that and was ready to tell the person so.
Instead, one of the staff members held a wide, covered silver platter. “I have a special delivery for both of you. Here’s your meal, and I have a gift basket also.”
He handed me the platter before rushing over to the cart behind his snowmobile to grab a basket filled with various items I couldn’t determine under the cellophane wrap.
I put the platter on the kitchen table before taking the basket from him. “Thank you! Is this courtesy of the resort?”
He shook his head. “No, this was a special request phoned in. There was no name given to me, so I don’t know who sent it.”
“Okay, well, thank you.” I reached into my pocket to find some change to give him a tip.
With a wave, he left, and the mystery remained of who sent the food and basket. I turned to Brody. “Did you arrange this?”
He shook his head as he took the basket from me. “No, but I’m curious what’s inside.”
I lifted the lid of the platter to find two servings of bacon-wrapped venison tenderloin with a creamy mushroom sauce, served with zucchini fritters and coleslaw. I took the plates off the platter and put them on the table, along with two dishes of apple crumble for dessert. I could smell all the delicious flavors and knew immediately who’d sent it. My sister. It was one of Clara’s favorite dishes to make. Was this her way of trying to get me mated up again like my parents, or was the food and basket some kind of test for Brody?
I gulped as I turned to see him on the couch, already having opened the gift basket and his eyes lighting up as he removed the items.
“The food looks delicious.” I stepped closer to him. “What’s in there?”
“There’s a bottle of Bordeaux, lots of candles and chocolates…” He held up the items so I could see them. “Bubble bath, condoms, lube, and after-care lotion, whatever that is.”
My heart raced, and I didn’t know whether to be upset with my sister or thankful to her. Though I didn’t understand why she would include lube. I may have let it slip that I was spending time with someone else. I know I never mentioned who or that he was human. Perhaps she’d told the front desk what she wanted, and they had put it together for her. Either way, it only led to pressure I didn’t want. I’d come on this vacation to escape it.
I stepped around the couch to put the items back in the basket. “We can look at all of this later.” Holding out my hand, I hoped to redirect Brody’s attention to something a little less suggestive. “Let’s eat now, before the food gets cold.”
Brody took my hand as he stood then rubbed my back, surprising me with his touch. “A bubble bath sounds nice. I did want to try out that big tub before we left.”
A flutter of panic danced across my chest as I waited for him to say something suggestive. When he never did, disappointment followed. Maybe I had wanted him to propose the idea of us having a bath together.
As we ate, all I could think about was me and Brody naked in a tub together. I still wanted to wash up whether by myself or with a sexy human next to me.
Brody left the table when I was lost in my thoughts, and he returned with the bottle of Bordeaux. “Might as well drink this, since we have it. It’s not as if we have plans for the night.”
“Sure.” I opened the bottle while he found the only available glasses. Juice glasses. It didn’t really matter what container I used. A drink or two would help to calm my nerves.
Dinner was quiet, not the usual conversational meal we’d had when in the lodge or elsewhere. I couldn’t stop myself from staring at Brody as he chewed his food and licked his lips after each bite. When I’d finished everything on my plate, I stood up to clear the table. The instant I turned my back, Brody disappeared. I assumed that meant he was finished, so I cleared his spot, too, and put the desserts in the fridge. A good thing since I didn’t know if I could stand to hear him moaning with the taste of the last course. I had a hard time keeping my thoughts of him clean. My cock was hard enough and I needed a cold shower or to jump in the snow.
“Are you coming?”
I spun around to find Brody in only his swim trunks, leaning against the wall in front of the bathroom door.
“You really need to try out this tub with me. It’s like the hot tub in the bathhouse. Maybe a bit smaller.”
Which meant more intimate. I took a deep breath and headed toward the bathroom. I hadn’t made up my mind, but I would see what he had done.
