Chapter Fourteen – Zara
He thought she was sexy. She sat smiling to herself as the miles disappeared, taking her closer to her brother. Yes, she was supposed to try to sleep, but who could do that when she was sat next to a hunk of pure male perfection? Instead, she studied him, the length of his hair, brown, with russet tones that curled at his shoulder. She imagined lying in bed, running her fingers through it while he slept next to her.
Occasionally he caught her staring and turned his dark amber eyes to her, and in those moments she could see the bear lurking underneath his skin. All primal, all hers, and all beast.
“There it is,” he said, and she jumped out of her daydream. It had been about her primal beast taking her. Making love to her up in the mountains and then running wild and free across the mountainside in spring.
Sitting up, she cleared her throat, trying to rid herself of the arousal that lingered all over her body. She didn’t want her brother to see it in her face; she liked to keep intimate things to herself, and this was particularly intimate.
“You should phone him,” Damon said, smiling a little. She knew he would be able to read her thoughts, and when he winked at her, she was sure he had been having the same daydream as her. “Once we’re home, we can pick up where I would have liked to have continued in the hotel room.”
She had her phone to her ear and almost ignored her brother when he answered, too caught up in the image Damon had just created for her.
“Zara?” Logan asked. “Is that you?”
“Oh, yes. We’re at the airport. Where do you want us to meet you?” she asked, getting her head back into the present, when all it wanted to do was dream about the future.
“You made it!” he said excitedly. “I can come to the parking lot.”
“OK. We can circle round. There’s a drop-off point; we can meet you there.” It sounded good to hear his voice at last.
“Right. Give me five minutes to get out there. Or maybe ten, there are so many people here; I have to try to fight my way through them.” In the background, Zara could hear the sound of him making his way through the crowds. She heard him saying: excuse me, can I come through and thank you. Her brother would be with them soon, and now she felt nervous. The three of them were going to have to sit in the truck for hours as they drove back to Cougar Ridge. What if Logan and Damon didn’t get on?
“It’ll be fine,” Damon said, seeing her worried expression. “We have plenty of time to get back. All we have to do is drive in shifts. We can do this and make Robbie’s Christmas extra-special.
“I know,” she said nodding, not wanting to tell him that wasn’t what she was concerned about. “Oh, there he is.”
They had pulled around to wait for Logan, and she could see him coming out of the airport terminal, struggling under the weight of his luggage. Without a second thought, she opened the truck door and threw herself out.
“What have you got in there?” she asked, hugging Logan briefly and then taking hold of a backpack.
“Gifts. I wanted to bring something special home. I think I went a bit crazy.”
“A bit!” she said, laughing with delight at being here with him. Surely, luck was on their side and they would make it home for Christmas.
“I think it might be a good job my flight was delayed and you came to fetch me, otherwise it would cost me a fortune. I’m over my baggage allowance.”
“Just a bit,” she said, helping him put his luggage in the back of the truck.
“So who is the knight in shining armour?” Logan asked, a twinkle in his eye.
“You’ve been talking to Cindy?” Zara accused.
“Yes. I wanted her to know you were coming for me. She isn’t telling Robbie, just in case we don’t make it back. But she did mention you had found your mate.”
“Logan, I can’t tell you how happy I am,” she said, tears welling up in her eyes. “It was his idea to come get you. I hope you like him, because you are my two favourite people in this world.”
“Hey, if he makes you happy, I already like him.” Logan hugged her briefly, then pulled away from her and took her hand. “Come on. Let’s get back home. I can’t tell you how much I have missed the old place. And my cougar wants to stretch his legs. It’s been difficult living without him running free. I think he’s sulking.”
“Well, once we get back to Cougar Ridge, he can run all he wants.”
They went round to the passenger side. Zara slid in first and Logan followed, shutting the door behind him. It was a little snug, and she had to press up close to Damon, something he didn’t seem to mind.
“Hi. I’m Damon,” Damon grinned at Logan, while he pulled back out to begin the long drive home.
“Logan. And I just want to say thanks. Zara told me this was your idea.”
“My crew’s idea. I’m a firefighter. When I went back to the station yesterday, they pointed out that if you couldn’t fly home, I should drive to get you. Just to make Zara happy.” Damon looked at Zara with open adoration, which she struggled to believe she deserved.
“Is that how you two met?” Logan asked.
Zara didn’t know what to say. She glanced at Damon, who gave a small shrug. Logan instantly picked up on their hesitation.
“Don’t tell me there was another accident, or a fire? Cougar Ridge is still in one piece, isn’t it?” he asked, his voice telling how concerned he was.
“Everything is fine. And I guess Robbie will tell you anyway when he sees you, since he is the reason we met and the reason we are here, and you will be getting home.”
“What did he do? Is he in trouble?” Logan implored her to tell him the truth.
“Well, it’s kind of your fault,” she said, smiling to reassure him. “You see, Robbie listens to you and your stories, and so when you weren’t going to be home for Christmas he decided to wish upon a star.” Zara paused and then went on. “So he climbed the tree in the town square to wish upon the star on top of it.”
“The tall tree. In the square?” Logan asked, his face pale. “All the way up to the top?”
“Oh yeah. All the way. He was so happy when he got to the top and made his wish. He was convinced it was going to come true because you told him how special it is.”
“Damn it, the little tearaway.” Logan shook his head. “If anything had happened to him.”
“He’s fine,” Damon interjected. “And Zara was there to help him. She was halfway up the tree when we got there.”
“It wouldn’t take my weight, so I couldn’t get to him in case the tree snapped. One of the fire crew, Kirsty, climbed up the ladder and rescued him.”
“The boy’s had quite an adventure,” Logan said. “And that’s why you are here? To make his wish come true?”
“More or less. I know Dad is cross with him,” Zara said, thinking of her father’s angry face. “But I think we all owe him a big thank-you. If he hadn’t climbed the tree, we would never have met.” She looked over to Damon.
“And I would be stranded in that airport.” Logan laughed. “You know he’s going to be up that tree every year from now on making these wishes.”
“Then I think you need to make sure you are there every Christmas from now on, to make sure he is safe,” Zara said. “You have no idea how much they have missed you, Logan.”
“Yes. I do. I have missed them so much I thought my heart would break. Mates aren’t meant to be apart,” he said quietly, and then looked at Zara. “You have found the perfect person for you, Zara, never forget that. And Damon. I am trusting you with my sister. Please look after her.”
“I intend to,” Damon said. “Every day of my life.”
Zara settled back into her seat as silence settled over them, leaving them all lost in their own thoughts as the miles flew by. The snow was melting, the sun drying the road out, and they made good time.
As tiredness took her, she closed her eyes. She couldn’t wait to get back home and see Robbie happy when he saw his dad tomorrow morning
.
Tomorrow. Christmas day. But she had already received the most perfect gift she could ever have wished for.
Chapter Fifteen – Damon
“Home at last,” Zara said, stretching her legs. They were heading up towards Cougar Ridge with about five miles to go. Damon was glad to see the road sign pointing to their destination, because he was so tired, he was in danger of dropping off to sleep if he had to drive much further.
“Can you pull over?” Logan asked. “If you don’t mind, I want to run from here. My cougar is so sick of being caged, and now we are close to home it’s becoming unbearable.”
“Sure,” Damon said, pulling over to the side of the road. “I think we can both understand how difficult it is to keep the beast inside.” He knew he his bear wanted to be released and run with his cougar up over the mountain again, but that would have to wait for another day. He needed to sleep.
Yes. Sleep, he said forcefully to his bear. He had no intention of mating with Zara gain tonight, not because he didn’t want to. But because she looked as tired as he felt.
A cold blast of air hit him as Logan jumped out. With a quick wave, he then turned away and his cougar took over in one fluid movement. Then they ghosted into the trees and were gone from sight. As the truck warmed up again, Damon drove off, the road winding round as they began the steep climb up the road to Cougar Ridge.
“I would love to see the look on Cindy’s face when she opens the door to him. And Robbie’s when he wakes up in the morning,” Zara said, sleepily. “I would go over, but I think they need their privacy, and I need my sleep.”
“I think this bear would like to hibernate for a few days,” Damon said. He could think of nothing better than to curl up in a nice, dry cave with his mate. She could sleep in the safety of his big bear embrace while the snow fell and the world passed them by.
“Hey, stay awake. You look as if you were about to doze off.” She gave him a nudge.
“I was just thinking of you,” he said. “Don’t worry, I’ve seen what happens when people fall asleep at the wheel. I’m OK.”
“You should have slept while I drove,” she chastised.
“I couldn’t.”
“Don’t you trust my driving?” she asked.
“I trust everything about you, but somehow I convinced myself that if I slept, I would wake up and this … you would all have been a dream and I would wake up on Christmas morning as lonely as I was before.”
“Tomorrow I will remind you just how real I am,” she said as they reached the top of the hill and he made his way to her small house.
“I look forward to that,” he said, pulling up outside and switching off the ignition. “You know, it doesn’t seem that long ago we were getting in to truck to leave. All of a sudden, here we are.”
“Home,” she said and leaned over and kissed his mouth, “Thank you. It might not seem long, time-wise, but what you’ve done for me, for Logan, Cindy, and Robbie is amazing. I will never forget it.”
“You don’t have to thank me. We’re a team now.” He unbuckled his seatbelt. “And this team needs to sleep.”
“Come on. Let’s go to bed.” She got out of the truck, and went to her front door, putting the key in and opening the door. They spilled into the house, her legs almost refusing to work after sitting so long in the truck.
“Here,” he said and swung her into his arms, carrying her up the stairs in the same way he hoped to soon carry her over the threshold as his wife. “This way?”
“Yes. This is my bedroom.” She paused. “Our bedroom.”
“I like the sound of that,” he said and put her down on the bed. Bending down he removed her boots from her feet, and then helped her undress and put on her pyjamas. “There, is there anything I can get you?”
“Only you,” she said, lifting the blankets and inviting him to lie next to her.
“I think I can manage that,” he said, stripping his clothes off and climbing into bed next to his mate. “Marry Christmas,” he said sleepily.
“Don’t you mean Merry Christmas?”
“Maybe. But I do want you to marry me.”
“How can I say no?” she replied, her speech slurred as she fell asleep in his arms.
Chapter Sixteen – Zara
“Hey, sleepy head, someone wants to speak to you,” Logan said, as Zara held the phone to her ear.
“What time is it?” she asked sleepily.
“A little after eight. Robbie’s been awake for hours. He wants to thank you for sending me to Santa,” Logan emphasised the words.
“Oh, right.” She sat up in bed, and tried to put her mind in gear. She couldn’t afford to mess this up. “Hi, Robbie.”
“Hi, Auntie Zara. Daddy said you went and found him at the airport and then sent him to Santa so he could bring him home for Christmas.”
“Yes. I did. One of the firefighters, Damon, he was there yesterday when you were up the tree, he came up with the idea.”
“That was the best idea. I knew Santa wouldn’t let me down. He is magic, after all.”
“I know. I think the fact that your dad is with you on Christmas morning proves that.”
“He brought me some other presents too.”
“Can I come over later and see them?” Zara asked, wanting to see for herself her brother’s family all together on this special day.
“Yes. Mommy wants to know if you can come for Christmas Lunch. She said there is plenty to eat.”
“Tell her thank you, but we can’t make it until later,” Zara said.
“Zara, please come to lunch,” Cindy’s voice said over the phone. “That’s it, Robbie, you go and play, I’ll talk to Auntie Zara.”
“No. You need this time alone. I don’t want you going crazy trying to feed more people. Relax with Logan.”
“We wanted to say thank you.”
“Just hearing Robbie so happy is enough,” Zara said and then dropped her voice to a whisper. “You know, it’s partly selfish too. I want to spend some time with Damon, you know what it’s like, the holidays will be over before we know it and we’ll both go back to work … I want to spend a little time getting to know him.”
Cindy giggled. “Then I will just say Happy Holidays to you both and leave you to get on with getting acquainted with your mate.”
“You make it sound so dirty,” Zara accused.
“Oh, I hope it’s very dirty. And incredibly satisfying.”
“Cindy!”
“What? You know exactly what I mean. Logan said he had never seen you so happy. Now enjoy today in whatever way you want. Why not come over mid-afternoon if you can drag yourselves out of bed?”
“OK. I’ll see you then.” She placed her phone down on the nightstand, and slipped back down into the warmth of the blankets, hoping not to wake Damon.
“Did I hear the word dirty?” he said, his arm going around her waist and pulling her close.
“You might have. But how do you know we weren’t talking dishes,” she teased.
He laughed, low and sexy. “Avoid answering all you want. But I want to give you a Christmas you will never forget.”
“I think you’ve already done that,” she said, kissing his neck.
“Oh, I think I can make it even more memorable.” He slipped down under the covers, his mouth leaving a trail of kisses down over her breasts, then over her stomach and then lower.
“Oh. Oh, that is memorable,” she said as he eased her thighs open and kissed her clit. “Incredibly memorable.”
Then she was lost for words as he licked her clit, his teeth grazing the sensitive bundle of nerves, while his fingers worked inside her sex, stroking her inner walls. Zara lifted her hips off the bed, offering herself to him, wanting more. His fingers probed deeper, touching her in such a way that she felt her orgasm crashing into her with such intensity that she cried out, her fingers fisting his hair, holding him in place while he sucked her clit, and wave after wave of pleasure washed over her.
�
�Oh, you taste good,” he said, kissing her thighs, his hands stroking her skin while she came back down to earth.
“You know how to use your mouth,” she said. “And your hands.”
“Want to see how I use other parts of my body?” he asked, sliding up the bed to lie by her side.
“Which part of your body would that be?” she asked, her hand slipping between their bodies and stroking his rock-hard cock. “This, by any chance?”
“Oh, yeah.” He gasped as she rolled her palm over the head of his cock, feeling the first of his precome on her skin.
Damon stroked her breasts, his hands igniting a new fire within her body. Dipping his head, he sucked her nipple into his mouth, his tongue warm as it circled the taut bud. Zara opened her thighs and Damon slid between them, their bodies perfectly in time as he entered her, his cock sliding into her sex, slowly, deliberately. He filled her inch by inch, his cock sliding along the length of her inner walls, the friction igniting her arousal until her breathing came quick and fast.
Whimpering, she rose to meet him stroke for stroke, bringing her orgasm closer and closer until she rushed over the edge, taking him with her. Damon jerked hard and fast into her, his seed filling her, while he fisted the sheets, his orgasm making him cry out in ultimate pleasure.
When he collapsed, completely spent, she lay in his arms, dozing as the sun rose high in the sky.
***
“I’m sorry it’s not much of a festive meal,” she said, dishing up macaroni cheese onto his plate. “But I wasn’t expecting to be home for Christmas.”
“This is perfect,” he said, as he ate another forkful of food.
“You don’t have to flatter me. Unfortunately, cooking is not one of my strong points,” she said, sitting down to eat with him. “Oh, that is good.”
“It is. Maybe it helps that we haven’t eaten for hours,” he said, and helped himself to some bread. “I don’t think anything could taste better. Although Christmas at the station is usually very tasty.”
Complete Christmas Bear Brothers Box Set: BBW Holiday Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance Page 12
