A Hippogriff for Christmas - Zoe Chant Page 0,79

been. She hadn’t known what so many of the town’s long-term residents knew about shifters, and it was that secret that had kept her out of feeling truly accepted there.

Her closest friend there, Christina, had been an international student and only passing through, so perhaps she’d never expected to fit right in. She’d never been intending to make it her permanent home.

But Annie had.

But now I know about the town secret, she thought. I wonder if things will feel different when I go back there now?

It was a pondering for another time, she decided. Right now, she was on vacation – Christmas vacation, and she was with her mate.

Right now, anything beyond the immediate future was just a little bit difficult to focus on – especially when they finally reached their log cabin, and Beau yanked the door open, gesturing for her to go inside.

“The fire’s burned down, but it should still be nice and toasty in here,” he said, as Annie hurried through the door, before she leaned down to take off her boots.

It was, especially in contrast to the snowy world outside. The cabin was sparsely furnished, but it was cozy and comfortable, and had its own rustic charm. Not glamorous, but then, Annie had never been one for glamor.

Give me a cozy little space of my own any day, she thought, as Beau kicked the door shut behind him, and then encircled her in his arms, pulling her close and kissing her so hard it left her dizzy.

“Wow,” Annie gasped when he pulled back. “You’ve been… waiting for a while to do that, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, kind of,” Beau said, smiling down at her. “You don’t know how hard it was to watch you all day and knowing I had to keep my hands to myself. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family, but…”

“…But getting some alone time at last isn’t exactly a bad thing,” Annie finished for him, laughing as she spoke.

“You read my mind.”

Annie squealed as Beau suddenly bent at the knees, one hand behind her back and the other behind her own knees, scooping her up in a bridal carry.

“Oh, hey…!”

“Sorry, I just couldn’t resist it,” Beau said, grinning down at her as he carried her the short distance to the bed. “I felt like everything back in Bell’s Hollow happened in kind of a rush. I’d at least like to carry you over a threshold, even if it isn’t quite the threshold.”

Annie laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and snuggling her head into his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, slow and steady, and it reminded her just how close she’d come to hearing it stop altogether.

She blinked, her stomach churning suddenly. But as if he’d sensed her sudden change in mood, Beau pulled her closer against him, holding her tightly.

“Hey, no worrying about anything right now,” he said, voice low and gentle. “We’re home. It’s Christmas. The only thing we need to worry about right now is how much we’re going to eat tomorrow.”

Annie laughed softly. “No, you’re right. But I can think of at least one other thing I’d like to worry about right now.”

“Oh? It’s a worry?” Beau laughed as he put her down on the bed, swinging his leg up after her, so he was straddling her thighs. “Anything I can do?”

“Oh, it’s probably fine,” Annie said, wiggling up and resting her hands on Beau’s thighs, feeling the hardness of the muscle beneath his jeans. “But better just to make sure.”

“You got it.”

Annie couldn’t hold back her smile as Beau leaned down to kiss her. Everything about him made her smile: his kindness and easygoing nature, his strength and sense of justice, his loyalty and his strong commitment to his family. She’d seen all of it in him today, watching him laugh and banter easily with his sisters and cousins, and take care of his nieces and nephews. All of it had shown her a man she couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her life with.

It doesn’t hurt that he’s hot as hell, I guess, she thought, as, unable to stop herself, she ran her fingers up his sides, pulling at his shirt as she did so.

She felt his bare skin beneath her fingertips and groaned, immediately wanting more. Beau seemed perfectly happy to help her out, covering her hands with his for a moment before yanking his shirt up and over his head, tossing it away into a corner.

Annie groaned at the sight of him, all