The Christmas Tree Bear: A Bear Shifter Paranormal Holiday Romance (7 page)

“I know it feels that way, but it's barely bathwater warm.”  He kissed her cheeks as tears sprung up in Charlie’s eyes.  “Come on, in you go. It’ll make it better, I promise.”

Willis slowly lowered her into the warm bath, wet underwear and all. It was too warm, at first.  It felt like needles stabbing into her toes and her legs, then her fingertips once she got herself fully under the water.  She knew she was crying.  Willis made soothing noises as he rinsed her face with a wash cloth.

“There, looking better already,” he told her, after several long minutes of soaking.  “You scared me there.  Your lips were starting to turn blue.”

“I felt like an icicle,” Charlie admitted. “Here, I’m gonna--” She dunked her head under the water.  The shock of warmth on her face helped revive some of her brain cells.  She sat up again and shook out her hair.  “Man.  That feels better.”

Willis only smiled and tried to push her hair out of her face.  He kept touching her: her hair, her face, her knee, her toes.  Never anything inappropriate, considering she was almost naked in a bath with him, but little touches all the same.  She watched him, watched his muscles flex and relax under his skin as he rinsed out the washcloth, then came back to sit at the edge of the tub.  

“How come you’re okay?” she asked eventually.

Willis averted his eyes.  “It’s… well, it’s the--”  He stopped.

“The bear thing?” she supplied.

“Yes.”  He looked at her then.  “Yes, it’s because of the bear thing.”

Charlie nodded to herself.  “I really didn’t imagine it, then?  You turning--”

“Turning into a nine foot tall brown bear?” Willis asked.  He offered her a self-deprecating smile.  “It was real.”

Charlie looked down into the tub.  She stretched her fingers under the warm water.  He had taken care of her when she had gotten stuck out there in the ice, then made sure she didn’t develop hyperthermia just now.  

“Have you always been, ah.”  She struggled for a moment.  “A bear?”

“We’re called shifters,” Willis offered.  “And, yeah, I’ve always been a bear.  My dad was, too.”

Charlie struggled around that idea for a moment.  “Is Jolie…?”

“Nope.”  Willis chuckled.  “My parents used to tell stories that my dad knew my mom was the one after she almost shot him with a shotgun one night when he was running across the fields.”

Charlie chuckled too.  “That’s crazy.”

Willis shrugged.  “Shifters like us… we just know these things.”  He moved on quickly. “My nephew, Elvis, is a bear shifter as well.  It runs in families.  My cousin Marta isn’t, but she married another shifter.  A llama.”

“A llama?” she repeated.

“A llama.  They’re waiting to see what their two kids will be.”  He rubbed at the back of his neck, then tugged at his ear, like he did when he was nervous.  Charlie smiled to realize she already knew this man’s tells.  “I’m still the same guy.  I’m still Willis, sexy farm man, like I was this morning when we were texting.  Like I was before you left the farm.  You, ah.  Happen to know some more things than I planned to tell you just yet.  I was going to wait until at least date number three to throw this out at you,” he added quickly.

Charlie patted the water and watched it ripple.  “You probably saved my life, you know.”

Willis flushed.  “I wasn’t going to leave you out there.”

She reached out of the water and squeezed his hand where it rested on the rim of the tub.  He looked up at her with startled eyes – still the big, brown, honest ones that kept drawing her in.  

“Help me up?” she asked quietly.  

Willis helped her carefully stand up in the tub and started it draining.  He yanked a big towel out of the linen closet and watched her start to dry off.

“I’m…” He watched her rub at her legs in distraction for a moment before he shook himself.  “I’m going to go get a fire started, all right?”  He ran out the bathroom door before he could get an answer.

Charlie smiled to herself.  Her big farm bear was a gentleman, no matter how much he teased her.  

***

Willis squatted by the fireplace and struck another match.  The big space heater was keeping the worst of the cold at bay, but it would help if he could get the fire going.  He hadn’t thought to stir the gas heat system in the old cabin yet this season, and that made him afraid to turn it on yet.  He could check it in the morning after the storm.

He had already pulled out the sofa bed.  He could make a nest for himself on the floor with extra blankets while giving Charlie the bed.  The cabin was just the one big room, making it not too hard to heat.  Besides, it was comfortable on the floor right by the fire.  

After the third match, he finally got the kindling to catch, and the rest of the logs quickly followed.  The snapping of the logs in the fire was almost cheery.  They could forget they were trapped here while the storm raged outside.

He got up and checked his phone again where he had plugged it into the wall before the electricity went out.  He had sent his mother a text to let her know what was going on, but he had yet to hear back.  He glared at the single signal bar at the top of his phone.  If he didn’t hear from her by morning, he’d use the satellite phone.  It was after eleven, so he didn’t want to call and wake her; she’d just worry all night.  She was worried enough already, convinced that this winter wasn’t going to make enough of a profit to keep them in the black come spring.  He kept reminding her that he could sell the extra pine tree field a year earlier if they needed it, but she worried any way.  

Dad had been good at getting her not to worry.  

He shook his head out of the gloomy thoughts.  Other things to worry about right now.  The bear in his chest made a contented noise.  It had its mate here; it had no worries whatsoever.

Of course, then the power went out.  Willis sighed as the space heater stuttered to a stop.  At least he had gotten the fire going so they had a light source.  He could flip over to the generators in the morning once the storm stopped.  Why his father put the generator access only on the outside, he had no idea.  

He lit a candle from the fireplace and slowly made his way toward the bathroom.  “Charlie?” he asked.  He knocked once.  “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she called back.  “I got my pants on before the power flipped.”  She opened the door and looked up at him.  

They smiled slightly at each other in the faint light of the candle.  Willis fought down the urge to tell her how beautiful she was.  

“You want to put the candle in there?” he asked instead.  

“Good plan.”  Charlie took the big glass candle holder and put it by the sink.  

“Here.”  Willis took her hand and led her carefully back to the main living area.  “You take the bed.  I’ve got all the blankets I can find.  And I’ll sleep by the fire.  We’ll be good until morning--”

“Willis.”

“--when I can get all the gas generators started.  I’ll have to check on the reindeer, too. And--”

“Willis.”  Charlie tugged firmly on his hand.  “Stop being all gentlemanly.  Get in bed.”  With that said, she crawled onto the bed and scooted over to the far side.

Willis blinked at her.  “You don’t--”

“I want you to sleep here.” Charlie told him firmly.  She patted the other side of the bed.  Looking down, she whispered, “You saved me.  Get in here, sexy farm bear.”

He shook his head and snatched up his nest of blankets.  Crawling into bed, he tossed all the blankets over the pair of them.  Charlie didn’t waste any time snuggling closer.

“You’re so warm,” she whispered with wonder as she laid her head on his bicep.  “It’s so nice.”

Willis buried his face in her hair.  “And you fit just right,” he muttered back.  He wasn’t sure if she heard him:  Charlie was asleep within moments of curling under the blankets.  He made a contented noise as he settled in around her and quickly joined her in sleep.

Chapter 6

Willis blinked awake in the early morning hours.  The storm had stopped; he couldn’t hear the wind any more.  The fire had died down to embers.  He had managed to wiggle his left foot out from under the blankets, and his toes were freezing.  He dragged his foot back under the blanket and managed to stick it right on Charlie’s leg.

“Nooooo,” Charlie moaned.  She tried to kick Willis away while still burrowing into his chest.

He chuckled.  He gave the top of her head a kiss before slowly disengaging himself from their nest of blankets.  Charlie muttered sleepily and quickly took over his warm spot as he sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed.  He watched her like that for a moment, mostly asleep and her face relaxed in dreams.  He realized she had a faint line of freckles around her nose.  It was adorable.  He hoped he got to wake up to it more often.  Then he hoped this was even still an option after last night’s events, surprising Charlie with being a bear shifter.

When his bare feet hit the cold floor, he swore a blue streak.  Willis made haste to the fireplace and the small rug by the hearth.  He dumped another log on the fire and stroked the embers slowly back to life.  When he turned back to bed once the fire was started again, he found Charlie sitting up and watching him.

“Morning,” he slurred.  Then yawned.  “Sleep at all?”

“Like a log.”  Charlie’s voice was raspy.  From all the yelling they did last night, he thought.  She patted the bed next to her.  “Come back to bed.  Everything is cold without you.”

That made Willis snort, even as he climbed back across the bed the long way.  “Is that all I am to you?  A blanket warmer?” he teased, all hope.

Charlie gave him a sleepy smile.  “Yes,” she agreed, and pulled him down into the blankets.  She wasted no time in wrapping herself around him.  “How are you so warm?”

“Bear thing,” he reminded her, then kissed the side of her neck because it was there.  She was there.  His person, all warm and snuggling, wrapped about him.  Until she shoved her cold feet up his pant legs.  “Fuck!”  

She blinked cutely at him.  “But I’m cold.”

“Cold, huh?”  He tackled her down to the bed, and they both laughed as they play struggled with each other, twisting themselves utterly up in the sheets.

He meant for it to be a quick kiss.  Then, it was another kiss.  Then another.  Play-wrestling turned into settling over Charlie as they kissed deeply.  She wrapped her legs around his hips and arched up into his mouth when he trailed his lips down her neck.

“Willis,” she breathed.

It made his blood burn to hear her whisper his name like that.  He slipped his hands slowly up her sweatshirt, giving her a chance to tell him no.  She breathed out sharply once he stroked his thumb across the underside of her breasts.  He cupped both of them in his palms:  just right.  With a little wiggling, they managed to get her out of her borrowed sweatshirt.  His own followed suit, which he tossed over the edge of the bed.

Her long hair spread out on the pillow; the fire light cast her pale skin the same red and gold color.  Her nipples were a pale pink set in heavy breasts.  His mouth watered, and he leaned in to lick one into his mouth.  Charlie choked out a moan above him, but cradled his head as he suckled her nipple into a hard peak.  He switched breasts, sucking and licking, while he squeezed her other breast.  

“So good,” he whispered.  

Charlie whimpered.

He pulled himself free.  Charlie was just so beautiful, all rosy from the heat of the fire and lust that he had to kiss her again.  He surged forward, and their teeth clacked together before they could right themselves.  She was making these tiny little noises, half whimpers but half moans, and twisting her fingers into his hair.  Her whole body felt so good against his.

He broke off the kiss to lick his way across her breasts again, then down the center of her torso.  He licked at her belly button, making her laugh and moan at the same time, as he toyed with the drawstring of her sweatpants.  Committing, he slowly pulled her pants down.  Charlie helped him by lifting her hips up, and he tugged them off her legs in one yank.

They were both panting now.  Willis paused above her, watching this woman, his mate, writhing naked in his bed.  

“Beautiful,” he breathed.  

Charlie tried to cover her stomach, probably to mutter something about what she didn’t like about herself.  Willis stopped her and moved her hands.  He kissed her knuckles, then placed her hands firmly on the bed.

“Beautiful.”

He kissed her stomach, and made sure to lick at her side again to make her giggle.

“Beautiful.”

He kissed down her hip and over her thighs, then lifted up her legs.  Charlie gasped as he settled between her legs and rested her knees on his shoulders.  

He kissed just above her mound.  Charlie watched him with wide eyes.  “Beautiful,” he breathed again, making sure to blow cool air across her heated clit.  Charlie shuddered in his arms.

Mine
, the bear whispered.

Yes, Willis agreed.  Mine.  

He closed his eyes and sucked gently at her clit.  Charlie arched into his mouth, letting out a keening cry.  Her fingers flew into his hair, trying to both hold him there and  push him away at the same time.  It made Willis smile.

He settled his hands on her hips to keep her in place and licked his way up and down her cunt.  Her honey was incredible.  The taste of her, the smell made him hungry for more.  He buried his face in her mound, licking and sucking to his heart’s content.

Charlie was making those tiny whimpers again.  It made his dick twitch to hear how turned on she was.  Using his thumbs, he parted her folds and licked at the very center of her.  She choked out a cry.  Determined, he set to work.  He stroked her clit with his thumb and licked his way inside her, thrusting his tongue in and out in time with his strokes.  

Charlie was arching into his face and hand, muttering over and over again, “Yes, there, that, yes, oh.”

Switching tactics, he settled his lips on her clit and sucked while stroking in and out of her with two fingers.  That made Charlie keen his name.  With a few quick strokes, she froze.  Her hips stuttered slightly, then her scent became heavier.

Willis smiled to himself.  He gave her one last lick before pulling away to pepper her thighs and stomach with kisses.  When Charlie finally came back down from her high, she rolled her head to look down at him.

“Holy shit,” she whispered.

Willis gave her a smug grin.

“Come ‘ere,” she slurred, and opened her arms.  

He crawled up her body, trying not to batter her with his rock hard dick as he went, and settled next to her.  They kissed slowly, Charlie licking at his mouth, which was wet with the taste of her.

With careful fingers, she slipped a hand into his loose pants.  Her fingers brushed his hard length, and that made him hiss.  

“Baby,” he whispered, “we can’t.  No condoms.”

She kissed him again.  “You can do other things without condoms,” she reminded him.

“You don’t--” he started, then groaned.

Charlie was already rolling with him, kissing his abs as she shoved his pants down lower on his hips.  He grabbed up her long hair so he could watch her kiss through the thick trail of hair leaning to his member.  She looked up at him, wrinkled her cute little nose, then swallowed the thick head down all at once.

“Shit!” he shouted.  

It was so warm and perfect, like everything else about her.  He watched with half-open eyes as she took him down, then bobbed back up again.  Her sweet pink lips sucking him in, and Charlie used both her hands to stroke him up and down along the length that she couldn’t swallow.

He smacked his head once against the couch frame to try to keep himself from release.  It felt so good.  He was not going to last long, not after tasting her for the first time.

“Charlie, baby,” he warned, with a tug on her hair.

Charlie released him, letting his thick cock smack against his stomach.  Her lips were swollen, and he grabbed her by the hair to haul her up his body, desperate to kiss her.  She stroked him up and down, again and again, as their tongues warred with each other before Willis finally came across her stomach with a grunt.

The kiss slowed and softened.  

“You’re incredible,” he whispered in her ear.  

“So are you,” Charlie promised.

They curled into each other, kissing and touching.  Willis couldn't get enough of her.  He had to touch everywhere: her hair, her hips, her ass, her thighs, the ticklish parts on her shoulders.

“I’m crazy about you,” he whispered.

“I think you’re pretty awesome, too, sexy farm bear,” she whispered back.