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“Gerald, we, um, what was that?” She just had to know. “I mean, I’ve had sex before, but not like that.”
He lost his grin. “I don’t know. I feel the same. It’s never been like that for me before.” He studied her, looking for what, she didn’t know.
Then a thought occurred. “Oh my gosh. Today is Christmas.”
He shot he a wicked grin. “I already had my present. But I have a feeling it’s the gift that keeps on giving.” He leaned closer to kiss her, and that easily, had her wet and wanting in seconds. “Mm. You taste good.”
“It’s the cocoa.” She was addicted to sweets. And unfortunately, it looked like that included Gerald.
He leaned back, looking satisfied, and continued to rub her feet, hitting all the right spots until she was big pile of mush. She yawned, having been up half the night during their sexual marathon.
“Go ahead. Take a nap. I’ve got it.”
“It?”
“I’ll keep watch. Trust me. No one is getting in here to you.”
“You mean to you.” She gave him a sleepy smile. “I’m the deputy. I’m the one supposed to be protecting you.”
“Fine. If they try to bust in, I’ll hide behind you and let your bear decimate our featherbrained enemy.”
She blinked at him, tired but needing to know. “You really aren’t put off by my bear, are you?”
He shrugged. “Why would I be? You’re the perfect predator, and you’re a hell of a deputy sheriff. I really can’t tolerate people who half-ass their jobs.”
She believed him. And his answer was exactly what she’d needed to hear. Or what her bear needed to hear, because the growly sow went to sleep inside Laura with the idea that they’d just found their mate and intended on keeping him.
When Laura next woke, it was to the crackle of the fire, the scent of something cooking that made her mouth water, and the sound of…Christmas music?
She sat up, pushing off the blanket he’d placed over her, and looked around to see a tiny makeshift Christmas tree. Gerald must have found a few branches of evergreen and tied them together. He’d decorated it with bits of paper and foil. But where was the music coming from?
Another glance around showed an old radio on the kitchen table belting out Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.” The effect was shockingly festive, and as the snow continued to fall outside, the cozy cheer he’d created made her warm and happy inside.
“Merry Christmas, Laura.” He smiled at her from the kitchen, where he ladled two bowls of soup. “I’ve got some amazing canned soup for us. The Christmas meal of champions.” He grinned.
Wearing plain sweats and with his hair clearly finger-brushed, he should have looked unkempt and undesirable. But Gerald could make a sack look good.
Yet it was that smile, and the effort he’d put into making everything so lovely, that sent her over the edge, headfirst into love. That crush she’d harbored for the handsome fox had blossomed into something bigger and brighter. She agreed wholeheartedly with her bear.
We’re keeping him.
Chapter Seventeen
Laura smiled up at Gerald, went to him, and gave him the biggest kiss.
He pulled back, dazed, wearing a goofy grin. “Hot damn. What do I get if I tell you I made desert?”
“Well, Ger-Bear, you get me.”
He took her in his arms and scowled. “Now let’s get something straight. Yes, I will take all of you I can get. But the Ger-Bear…that’s got to go.”
She smirked, pleased with his pained expression that morphed into amusement. After a kiss, she let him seat her, like the gentleman he was, and shared soup and laughter as they talked about the trouble they invariably came into during the course of their work.
Not surprisingly, they shared a lot of the same attitudes about those they often dealt with. But she was curious about the dynamics of his family.
“Tell me about your parents. I know what I see from the outside of the fox clan. But what’s it like living with them all? Is it really that dramatic all the time?”
“Thankfully, no, or I wouldn’t be able to function.” He set a marshmallow rice square on her plate, having used a spare bag of marshmallows and rice crisp cereal with butter—bears always had stashes of butter—to create their marvelous dessert. “But yes, most of the families in our clan are overly dramatic about everything. They’re pretentious, sneaky, and surprisingly funny.”
