Shifters in the Snow: Bundle of Joy: Seventeen Paranormal Romances of Winter Wolves, Merry Bears, and Holiday Spirits

by J. K Harper

  “All right everyone, eat up and enjoy,” Madison said. “Oh, wait. I forgot that I have beef stew for you too. I’ll set it on the dining room table, but feel free to eat anywhere you like.”

  “Should we take our experiments outside?” he asked. “The back porch has such a spectacular view.”

  “I think that’ll be a nice end to a lovely day,” she said. “Since you have your hands full, I’ll carry the drinks.”

  He dropped several piping-hot biscuits onto each plate, then carried them to the dining room where he loaded them up with stew.

  The temperature outside had bite, but he enjoyed the cold. The sun hung low on the horizon, casting an orange glow across the snow. It was perfect.

  He chose a seat at the table and motioned for her to sit next to him. She did. She was close enough that he could feel her warmth.

  “This is literally the best biscuit I’ve ever had,” she mumbled between bites.

  Crumbs caught on the corners of her mouth. It took everything in his body to keep from swiping them off with his fingers.

  “I still can’t believe we made it.” She sipped her cocktail. “Are you going to eat or just keep watching me eat?”

  “Oh, right.” He flushed as he shoveled a huge mouthful between his lips.

  They ate in comfortable silence. After he’d scraped the last bite off of the plate, he sat back and patted his belly.

  “I could eat those every day,” he said.

  “Me too, except my ass would be the size of a water buffalo after about a week,” she said.

  “Water buffalo?” He laughed. “You’re not even close to that size.”

  “I have to keep my figure bikini-ready.” She leaned forward and placed her hand on his forearm. “Don’t forget to meet me at the Jacuzzi tonight.”

  A resounding roar echoed in his chest, his bear jumping at the thought of seeing her in a skimpy bikini. Every curve of her supple body would be on display. Every curve of her completely off-limits, totally not for him, body.

  He swallowed loudly. Temptation jammed its wickedly sharp claws into his body, or maybe that was just his bear up to shenanigans.

  Before he had a chance to turn her down, she hopped up.

  “I’ll see you later,” she said.

  As she walked back toward the B&B, her ass bounced, her hips swayed, and his resolve cracked like teeth on a popcorn kernel.

  Chapter 3

  Donna twisted from side to side while inspecting her new Dolce & Gabbana bikini. The lush watercolor-style scene depicted Portifino, an Italian fishing village. The top fit nice and snug, just the way she liked it, but she needed to adjust the bottom. It was too tight, so she untied it to let it out a bit. Satisfied with the fit, she slipped into a pair of cute strappy sandals. She’d bought them from a roadside vendor in Cabo earlier that year. They were her go-to pool shoes.

  After settling a floppy blue hat on her head, she decided against it. She tossed it on the bed. It would be ridiculously out of place in a snow-covered forest.

  She double checked her reflection before heading out to the hot tub. As she trudged through the snow, she realized she should have worn boots. Oh well, she’d be warm soon enough. And maybe hot if Brody decided to show up.

  A few feet inside the tree line, she found the spa. It was perched on a beautifully crafted wooden deck several feet up from the ground. Steam rose up to kiss twinkling stars. The entire scene could serve as the set for a romantic film. But she wasn’t looking for romance tonight. No, she had much naughtier plans for him.

  She climbed the stairs. When she reached the top, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Apparently she wasn’t the only one who had hot tub plans for the evening. Carrie sat soaking in the spa. Her eyes opened, then narrowed.

  “I’m using it right now,” Carrie snapped.

  “I can see that, but it’s big enough for more people.” Donna held her ground, unwilling to let the grouchy woman shoo her off.

  “Fine.” Carrie snapped her eyes closed.

  Donna dropped a towel onto one of the lounge chairs and sighed. This wasn’t the first time she’d gotten the cold shoulder from another woman. Since the day she’d started to develop, other women had been whispering behind her back. She pretended not to notice, but it hurt. Her mom had consoled her, saying that it never paid to be a bitch to another woman. No, you save your bitchiness for your man, or so she’d said. A lot of good that did for her parents’ marriage.

  She dipped a toe in the water. It was hot, but not scalding, so she walked down the steps. She sat against the side opposite Carrie. The bird-faced woman pulled at the straps of her frumpy black bathing suit. She was smaller than Donna, so she could’ve easily gotten away with wearing something cuter.

  Tension rolled through the spa on waves of bubbling water. Donna decided to try to break the ice.

  “I like your swimsuit,” she said. “Macy’s?”

  “I hate this thing.” Carrie pushed a piece of short brown hair behind her ear. If she kept frowning like that, she’d get even deeper wrinkles on her forehead. Donna shook her head. Being a happy person was one of the best ways to stay young.

  “What did you think of our first lesson today?” Donna asked. “I don’t consider myself a foodie or anything, but those biscuits were delicious.”

  “I guess I’m done for the night.” Carrie glared. She pulled herself up onto the deck and walked away without another word.

  “Well, at least I tried,” Donna muttered.

  She slowly submerged the rest of her body until she was up to her chin. The tension in her body relaxed as she gazed up at the night sky. She leaned back against the headrest. Back when she’d been married, she used to look at the stars and wonder if there were other lonely people doing the same. At first, she’d felt so small and insignificant when considering the size of the galaxy, but since the divorce, a whole universe of possibilities had opened up.

  She bit her lip and tried to make out a few constellations. Although she didn’t know all of them, she knew enough to find Orion’s belt. And speaking of belts, there was one in particular she wanted to yank off tonight. Where was he?

  A shooting star burned across the sky. She gasped and quickly closed her eyes to make a wish. Ultimately, she just wanted to be happy, nothing more. Maybe the star was a good omen. She could start life over, and she didn’t need to be tied down to any particular man. Her plan to indulge in the seven sins was perfect. Now she just needed her first guy to show up.

  Footsteps crunched through the snow. She sat up and tried to peer over the edge of the spa, but she couldn’t see who was coming. The new arrival bounded up the steps. When Brody appeared, a sizzle of desire shimmied down her spine. He wore a T-shirt and jeans. Disappointing, but at least he was here.

  “Hey, Cowboy,” she said.

  “Hey…so…how’s the water?” he asked.

  “Perfect. You should ditch the shirt and pants and join me.”

  “That’s the plan,” he said.

  He pulled the hem of his shirt up and over his head, revealing his taut, tanned skin. As he moved, his rock-hard abs rippled with power. His chest muscles flexed once when he tossed the shirt onto one of the lounge chairs, and again as he ran a hand through his tousled hair. Donna drank in the sight.

  As he dropped his pants to reveal a pair of black boxers, she caught a glimpse of his very tempting bulge. The man had to be huge. Maybe if she got lucky, she’d get a better view of him later.

  “Not too bad,” she said with a smile. “You must work out.”

  “I don’t need to.” He shrugged as he slipped into the hot tub. “I work hard on my ranch, but I really only lift hay bales and ride horses. It keeps me in shape.”

  As his eyes traveled across every inch of her exposed skin, she bobbed up to give him a good look at her full chest. She didn’t mind displaying her assets when she might get something in return.

  “You’re really…toned,” he stammered. “Do you work out?”

>   “I do yoga. Some people don’t think it’s a real workout.” She finger quoted. “But let me tell you, it gets my blood flowing. If I skip a day, my energy drops. And it’s great for my flexibility, see?”

  When she grabbed her foot and pulled it back toward her head, his jaw dropped. So much talent wasted on her stupid ex.

  “I’m surprised someone hasn’t snapped you up and married you already,” he said.

  “I’ve only been divorced a few months. But trust me when I say that my marriage was over a long time ago,” she said.

  “I don’t mean to pry, but can I ask what happened?”

  “I got divorced because my ex-husband was banging my personal trainer. She was practically a child. Twenty-one, twenty-two, something like that. She was good at her job or I wouldn’t have hired her in the first place. What a mistake… or a blessing, depending on how you look at it.”

  “I’m sorry you went through that,” he said.

  “Don’t feel sorry for me,” she said. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life. The day he signed the final divorce papers, I became a very rich woman. And now I can indulge in all of my fantasies. Like hanging out in a hot tub with a sexy man. Now I get to check that off my bucket list.”

  The corner of Brody’s eyes crinkled as he laughed. The sexy slant of his lips drew her across the hot tub. He stopped laughing as she planted herself right between his thighs. She leaned in and pressed her lips against his in a soft kiss that she felt all the way to her toes.

  Her arms encircled Brody’s wide neck. She pulled him closer as she deepened the kiss. His lips yielded to her brazen exploration. As rough stubble scratched against her cheek, her heart skipped a beat.

  All at once, he took control. His thighs clamped around her legs to draw her closer. When he laced his fingers into her hair and tugged, she whimpered. A rough and tumble outlaw had replaced the quiet cowboy’s countenance.

  A rustle coming from down the path interrupted the kiss. As the other group’s voices drew closer, Brody pulled back. She groaned at the loss. What terrible timing.

  “I guess we’re not the only ones looking for a little relaxation,” he muttered.

  “Maybe we should move this someplace else?” she suggested. “My room?”

  He brushed his fingers across his swollen lips, then turned and pulled himself out of the spa.

  “Where are you going?” she asked.

  “I think we should leave whatever that was here,” he said. “I got carried away, and… I’ll see you in the next class tomorrow, all right?”

  He quickly wrapped a towel around his dripping-wet hips. But he wasn’t fast enough to hide his huge erection. He could deny it all he wanted, but his body didn’t lie. He wanted her. So why was he trying so hard to resist her?

  * * *

  The next morning, Brody lay in bed. He cracked one eye open. Bright morning sunlight poured in through the window. In the distance, horses neighed and a rooster crowed. It sounded exactly like his ranch in the morning, and for a moment he was homesick. He’d left the ranch from time to time over the years, but not for more than a few days. He couldn’t wait to get back home. But first, he needed to bake the perfect cake.

  Right. Cake. That’s what he needed to focus on this week. He needed to keep his eyes and hands off of Donna’s sexy curves. Last night in the hot tub, her kisses had left him with a huge erection. He’d made quick work of it when he’d returned to his room. The whole time he’d been handling his business, he’d chided himself for being such a chicken. Clearly she wanted to sleep with him, so why resist?

  The woman was sexy as hell. He’d never met anyone who could take him from zero to horny just by walking into the room. Too bad she just wasn’t his type. Not even close. She was high-maintenance, prissy, and totally out of his league. She wasn’t the kind of woman who would make a good mother. He knew the type—self-absorbed, manipulative, flirtatious, and impulsive. Definitely not wife material.

  His bear didn’t care. It wanted her pliant lips pressed against his. It loved the way she’d practically sat right on top of his throbbing cock. His bear had spent half the night clawing at his chest in revenge, and the beast demanded to know why he felt like he had to play it safe all the time. Of course the fur-beast didn’t care about relationships; it only wanted to fuck. It wanted to spread her legs wide and—

  He jumped as the ringer of his phone blared a 1980s hairband tune. His mom was calling. Well, that was one way to halt the barrage of sexual images involving Donna.

  Brody answered. “Hey, Mom.”

  “Hi, honey. I was just calling to check in on you. How’s your cooking class going?”

  He chuckled to himself. If only she knew.

  “It’s going good,” he said. “We’ve already made buttermilk biscuits and some kind of fancy cocktail. I don’t know what’s on the menu today, but it should be good.”

  There was some mumbling in the background. His mother laughed softly. “Someone wants to talk to you…”

  “Hey big bro!” his sister said. A smile spread across his face. He’d only been gone a couple of days and he already missed her. “Are you coming over today? Mama told me you were coming soon.”

  “I’m still at cooking camp, but I’m going to have a big surprise for you when I get back,” he said.

  “Yay!”

  “It’s a birthday surprise,” he said.

  “Twenty-five.”

  “That’s right, you’re going to be a quarter of a century old this year,” he said.

  “That sounds old,” she said.

  He laughed. “Nope. You’re not old until you turn ninety-nine. Then you’re old.”

  “Was Grandma ninety-nine?” she asked.

  “Pretty close,” he said.

  His heart sighed as he remembered his favorite grandmother. Technically he wasn’t supposed to have a favorite, but she’d always been so sweet to him. When she’d passed away a few years earlier, he’d been devastated. But she had lived a good, long life.

  “Be a good girl for Mama,” he said. “I’ll bring your surprise over on your birthday, okay?”

  She shrieked into his ear before saying a quick goodbye.

  The call had been just what he needed. His family were the most important people in his life. He missed them terribly, but he took comfort in the knowledge that he’d see them in a few days.

  He couldn’t let Donna and her sexy body distract him anymore. Today, he’d stay focused on the cooking lessons. He’d take careful notes so he could recreate the recipes at home. He jumped out of bed and rummaged through his bags. Darn, no notebook. Maybe Madison had one she could spare.

  He glanced at the clock and jumped out of bed. Shit! He’d completely lost track of the time. He was supposed to be downstairs in the kitchen by 9 a.m., ten minutes ago.

  After yanking a shirt and pants on, he hurried down the stairs. Everyone was already in the kitchen and Madison had begun the lesson.

  Even though he ducked in as discreetly as he could, Madison gave him a playfully stern look before winking. At least she wasn’t mad.

  “After yesterday’s successful lesson,” Madison said, “I decided to tackle breakfast. Today we’re going to make French toast stuffed with strawberries.”

  “Lucille made that a time or two,” Olson said. “I’d love to learn how.”

  “Great! Let’s get started. Please take a station,” Madison said.

  The only open spot was right next to Donna. She flashed a friendly smile before patting the counter space beside her. Apparently she wasn’t mad about his rejection the night before. He wasn’t sure if he was happy about that or not.

  “Morning, sleepyhead,” she said. “I looked for you earlier, but you were sawing logs in your room.”

  His eyebrows raised.

  “I could hear you through the door,” she added.

  “I must have been really tired then, because that’s the only time I snore.” He wasn’t sure why he was defending his slee
ping patterns, but he didn’t want her to think he snored like a freight train every night. Not that it would ever be an issue with them, because they sure as hell weren’t going to be sleeping in the same bed.

  “We’re going to have to work together today because I don’t have enough griddles for everyone to have their own,” Madison said. “So grab a partner and you can take turns working on the various parts of this recipe.”

  “Want to be my partner”? Donna asked.

  “Sure.” It was either her or Carrie, so it was an easy choice.

  Today Donna wore a black apron with ruffles. Although she wore a tank-top underneath it, the design left little to the imagination. A bright red flower decorated the side of her waist. She had Marilyn Monroe’s figure and a debutant smile. A dangerous combination.

  After listening to Madison’s instructions, Donna mixed eggs, milk, and sugar together in one of the plastic bowls. Once the mixture had reached the correct consistency, she lifted the wooden spoon.

  “Want to taste it?” she asked in a suggestive tone. Everything that came out of her mouth was thinly veiled innuendo. “No? Okay, then I will.”

  She gazed at him with smoldering burnt-mocha eyes. He couldn’t tear his gaze away as she lifted the long wooden spoon to her lips. As she slowly licked the edge of it, his cock went hard.

  Oh boy. Oh, she really shouldn’t be doing that…

  His startled reaction seemed to egg her on. She swirled her tongue around spoon before taking the whole thing in her mouth. Holy shit!

  His bear wanted to take her right then and there. Screw the others. She obviously wanted it, so why not give it to her hard? His bear flailed around in his chest.

  Brody turned away and tried to compose himself. But that tongue… she hadn’t even gagged on it.

  No gag reflex, his bear hollered.

  His cock throbbed as it pressed against his zipper. In an effort to hide his obvious erection, he grabbed an apron off a rack on the wall. He quickly tied it around his waist.