he trailed kisses down over her stomach, getting down to his knees.
“Cam,” she said. “Cam!”
His inattention got him a yank on his scalp, which sent his desire deflating. Among other things. “What?” he asked in an annoyed tone, looking up at her.
“Look!” She pointed to something behind him.
“Is there someone here?” Turning his head, he focused his sight to detect any movement in the tree.
“No, silly,” she said. “There. That’s it.”
“What’s it?”
“My—our tree,” she squealed, pulling away from him and then dashing toward a lone Colorado blue spruce about six feet behind them.
He groaned as he got to his feet, then trudged toward her. “Are you sure?” It looked like any other tree in the forest, but then again, he couldn’t exactly focus on it, not when she was right beside it, fully naked, her gorgeous nipples on display as her breasts bounced deliciously when she jumped up and down in excitement.
“Yes, I’m sure.” Her eyes lit up. “C’mon, let’s get dressed and grab the axe.”
They went back to where they first shifted, retrieved their clothes and the axe, and retrieved the tree. Though he grumbled the entire time, it was worth it, seeing his mate so happy. And despite his feelings toward this holiday, he knew he could endure it, if it meant seeing her all aglow like this.
They dragged the tree back to the cabin, where they loaded it onto the back of Damon’s truck. The chief had promised to deliver it first thing in the morning since there was no way they could safely bring it down in the Range Rover. When it was secure, they got into his vehicle and made their way back into town.
J.D. must have been exhausted, because she drifted off to sleep halfway through the drive. When they reached her home, he stopped outside her driveway, got out and went to her side to open the door for her. “J.D.?” He gently shook her awake.
Her eyes fluttered open. “What—oh!” She blinked and sat up. “Sorry,” she yawned. “Must have fallen asleep. Are we back?”
“Yes.”
“You should have woken me to keep you company.”
“I didn’t mind.”
“Finally got some silence, huh?” she teased. “That’s okay, I know I can be a bit … loud.”
A bit was an understatement. “I don’t mind you being yourself.” And he meant that. J.D. was like a force of nature, but one he couldn’t turn away from. “Besides, you’re beautiful when you sleep.”
“Oh yeah? Wanna come in and watch me sleep some more?”
“Don’t tempt me,” he warned, though he kept his tone lighthearted. “Back there, I almost lost control.”
“Would it be so bad?”
His bear agreed with her. But he still wasn’t sure. “I thought we agreed—”
“I know. Get to know each other more.” With a sigh, she slipped out of the seat. “And I guess it would be nice to have you on a real bed at some point.”
“Agreed,” he said. “Now, let me walk you to your door.”
“Such a gentleman,” she teased, but put her hand in his as they walked together. “So,” she began. “How about you come over in the morning, and we can decorate our tree?”
“Sounds like a plan.” Leaning down, he gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead. “Thank you for showing me your animal, love.”
“My cat’s crazy about you,” she said. “And that’s a big compliment, believe me. It can be a bitch when it wants to.”
“And my bear adores you both.” A happy rumble emanated from his chest, as if to prove his point. “I’ll come by with breakfast.”
“All right. Good night, Cam,” she said as she unlocked her door. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night.”
He waited until he heard the click of her lock before turning back and heading to his car, slipped in and drove back to his flat.
When he first came here, he had arranged to rent a fully furnished penthouse in the newer development of South Blackstone. He’d only glanced at the photos online and snapped up the first available one, not really caring what it looked like. When he moved in, he only had one suitcase and his backpack with his laptop and research.
The building was modern, which he appreciated, so everything was electronic and automatic, from the garage gates that picked up the RFID sensor on his Range Rover, to the sensors in the elevator and door lock that activated via his key fob. As soon as he got into his flat, he walked over to the plush sofa and sat down on it, heaving