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Oak tenses beside me as the bear walks away from us, but it’s an utterly breathtaking sight to behold. I’ve wanted to see bears in the wild, and there one is, happily going about its own business in the forest.
“Let’s go that way slowly,” I whisper, nodding in the opposite direction to the bear.
Oak leads the way, and we slowly back toward the second path away from the bear, thankful when it disappears. “Shit, that was close,” he says, shoulders slumping in relief.
I tilt my head. “Don’t tell me you were scared,” I say, nudging him.
He raises a brow. “Weren’t you?”
“No, it had no reason to harm us unless we threatened it.”
We walk the rest of the path in silence back to the cottage. I shudder when I see the smoke rising out of the chimney, longing for the warmth of the fire. “It’s so cold,” I say, hastening my steps toward the cottage.
He hastens them too, shoving the key into the door and opening it for me.
I shudder the moment the warm air hits me. “I’ll tell you what I need right now.”
“What’s that?”
“Hot cocoa. Would you like some?” I walk toward the kitchen.
He nods in reply.
I get out the milk and heat it over the stove before adding the cocoa and sugar. Oak stares at me with a strange look.
“Could you find me two mugs?” I ask as I grab the pan off the stove.
Oak stands and grabs two mugs, setting them down on the counter. “Let me,” he says, taking the pan out of my hand and tipping the contents into the two mugs.
He also turns on the oven and grabs the huge turkey off the counter, placing it into the center. “I might have got a too big turkey for two people.” He shrugs. “They didn’t have anything smaller.”
I pass him his mug, which I’ve now added cream on top and chocolate sprinkles.
“Thank you,” he says, sitting down on a stool and yanking me to perch on his lap. He nuzzles the back of my neck with his nose, inhaling deeply. “I think this is already the best Christmas I’ve had in years.”
“Me too,” I say. I feel the ache return deep in the center of my chest as I sip my hot chocolate and enjoy the warmth of his body against mine.
This feeling of being protected, but importantly, the sense of belonging he makes me feel, is what I’ve longed for my entire life. Oak gives me everything. I wish the rest of the world would fade away, leaving us alone in this fantasy forever.
* * *
“I’m stuffed,”I say as I set down my knife and fork, leaning back in the chair.
Oak chuckles. “We’re going to be eating a lot of turkey for the next week.”
I scrunch up my nose. “I’m not sure I can stomach anymore for a year,” I say, looking at the food we’ve just eaten.
He shakes his head and stands, clearing the dishes off the table to put them in the washer.
I help, grabbing the leftovers and taking them to the far counter. “Where do you keep your Tupperware?” I ask.
He signals to a drawer on my right, and I pull it out, fishing out and boxing up the leftovers to put in the fridge. Once we’ve cleared everything away, he looks at me with that all too familiar hungry expression.
“What are you thinking?” I ask.
He walks toward me, closing the gap between us. “I’m thinking that this day has been perfect, but there’s one way to make it better.”
The air escapes my lungs as he yanks me against his hard, muscled chest. “How?” I ask.
