Page 30 of Caught By Her Guardian
“Nice try,” she said with a chuckle.“You’re too sweet to not get me something.It’s our first Christmas together.”
“It’s part of the surprise I have for you.”
“I can’t wait.”
The security team cleared them and wished them happy holidays.
“We’ll be back on New Year’s,” Orin said.“Take care, guys.”
The portal closed behind them, and she inhaled the sweet scent of pine and snow that surrounded her.
“See you later tonight,” Orin said.“My family’s waiting, and my little sister already texted me three times about taking so long to show up because she wants to open gifts.”
“Bye,” Hunter said.They said goodbye to Winter and stood in the woods for a few moments.“Ready?”
“Lead the way,” Pixie said.
She assumed they were going to his parents’ home because that’s where he stayed when he was in town, but they walked past their house and continued through the woods to a small home with dark green shutters and a pine tree in the center of the front yard, decorated with string lights and bright red poinsettias.
“Whose house is this?”she asked.
Hunter opened the front door and smiled.“It’s ours.”
“What?”
“I stayed with my parents because I was only home a couple times a year and never needed a place of my own.The clan’s construction company started building homes using materials from a big job that got canceled and used land my parents gave to the project.This house was finished a couple months ago, and Storm told me he thought it was waiting for me to find my truemate.He turned out to be right.When we met, I called my folks and asked if they could stock the fridge and get it ready for us so we could just come in, and they were so happy to do it.”
She walked inside and stomped the snow from her boots before taking them off and setting them on a tray next to the door.He shut the door and followed suit, then took her hand and led her into the house.
As she stood in the family room with a sectional sofa and flat-screen TV, the fireplace crackling with a fire and the scent of cinnamon and sugar in the air, she was overwhelmed.
“Oh, sweetheart, are you okay?”he asked.
“Is this your surprise?”she asked.“Because it’s really great.”
“Part of it,” he said, brushing at the tears on her cheeks.
“You’re so sweet.I’m just… so very crazy about you.”
“I’m crazy about you too.But that’s not quite how I want to phrase it.”
There was a tense pause, and then they both blurted, “I love you” at the same time.
He drew her close, his bear rumbling in his chest.
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Pixie.I love you.”
“You catching me when I fell out of that window was the best night of my life, but every night after that has been amazing too.I love you.”
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”He scooped her up into his arms and strode out of the family room.
“Another surprise?”she asked.
“A sexy detour.I’ve got a few more surprises up my sleeve, but we just said how we feel about each other and we need to celebrate.”
“Merry Christmas, sexy bear.”
He kissed her and then continued down a hall to the master bedroom, where they took turns driving each other wild.
