Reindeer Games (Small Town Shifters Book 0) Page 4

  She nodded. "Thank you for telling me."

  He leaned back and put his arm around her shoulders.

  His mate. She was his mate. It was a lot for her to take in, but she'd get used to the sound of it. She was his mate, and now they were going to be together.

  Chapter Eight

  "Would you like me to sleep out here on the couch?" Crosby asked her.

  Holly was bone-tired. Their session on the couch had worn her out after an already long day. They had watched two more Christmas movies, and she was really starting to feel the day. If they didn't get up soon, he was going to have to carry her to bed. Not that he would mind that one bit.

  "No, you can sleep in the bed with me." She yawned. "If you want to. I'm not forcing you or anything."

  "Of course I want to sleep in the bed with you." He kissed her on the cheek. "As long as you don't mind if I sleep naked."

  She didn't mind that at all.

  She was glad she had changed the sheets just this morning. The house was a little messy for her taste, but at least it was basically ready for a guest. That was one of the nice things about having a minimalist decorating style. Not much to get dirty.

  "How do you think you're going to get home?" she asked as she got a new set of pillowcases from her closet.

  "Hopefully, by morning, my reindeer will feel more up to flying. Like I said, he mostly stopped here for you. I think now that we've mated, he'll feel better about the whole situation."

  She nodded, but there was a sinking feeling in her belly. Mate. There was that pesky word again.

  She wasn't quite sure how to take all of that. He hadn't said he loved her, but he might as well have. He had brought up the M word on their very first daytime meeting. Then again, she had slept with him right away. That was a clear signal of her interest.

  That was so unlike her. She'd never felt this kind of attraction before. She'd never, ever wanted to do anything like that. When he was inside her, it was like the rest of the world stopped existing. That was how this entire time with him had felt.

  After she'd broken up with Damario, it was like she'd started a whole new life, like she'd stepped outside of herself and had started over fresh and new. It was like there were all these possibilities available to her now. She could be anyone she wanted to be. All she had to do was pick what she wanted, and it would all be hers. She felt hopeful, even in her confusion.

  There were all these opportunities that she hadn't even known existed or were open to her. To be the mate of a shifter like Crosby—it was so far from her perception of reality that she didn't know what to do with it. If she was his mate, that meant he loved her. Plus, he hadn't even mentioned her birthmark. It was so bizarre. He treated her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. And when she was in his arms, she believed it.

  "There are extra toothbrushes in the medicine cabinet," she told him. "Would you like to use the bathroom first?"

  He nodded. "Thanks. I'm sure it'll take me much less time than you. I know how women are, getting ready for bed."

  She put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. "I don't need to take long either. All I need to do is to put my hair up and brush my teeth."

  She waited in the bedroom while he brushed his teeth. After they switched places, she was quick too, though she did take time to admire the handprint on her hip. She could only smile stupidly at herself in the mirror as she looked at it. He'd made that mark on her. He'd done that because he wanted her so badly. That was proof of the passion between them. She couldn't deny that their connection was electric.

  She pulled her hair into a ponytail before she crawled into bed with him.

  "Do you like living in Lewisburg?" he asked. "From how you talk about it, it doesn't sound like you're happy here."

  "I like this house, but it doesn't really feel like home. Just like the town. I live here, but I don't feel comfortable. You know what I mean? Even though my parents are here, the town hasn't been that welcoming. Like I told you before, some people say I'm a curse. Not to my face, like Damario, but I know they whisper behind my back."

  "I understand. That's how they talked about us in Overland, too."

  "And you see how that turned out for you guys. They chased you out of town. Sometimes I feel like that's how it's going to end up for me too, eventually."

  "No one chases humans out of town."

  "Isn't that what they do in Celebration?"

  He shook his head. "Humans have to be sponsored to live in town, but we don't chase them out. Obviously, it wouldn't be much of a tourist town if we did. It's a space where shifters can feel safe being themselves, but humans have nothing to fear. Celebration is for everyone."

  "What does that mean for me?"

  She was dancing around the subject. He hadn't asked her to move in or anything, but if she was his mate, that was the natural progression of things, wasn't it?

  "Like I said, I can sponsor you." He rolled over and put an arm around her. "Shifters' mates are exempt from this whole thing. Since you're my mate, you're basically like a shifter too."

  "So, if we got married," she said, testing the word out, "I could come and live with you without any hassle?"

  "Exactly. If we got married, it would be easy as pie."

  Her eyes were wide open in the darkness. If they got married. The word sat there between them like a rock.

  Married. Did she want that?

  She had dated Damario for months, and they had never discussed marriage. In the abstract, maybe, but not in the sense that they would need to move in together and be together forever. They certainly hadn't ever talked about moving in together in any kind of sense. Yet here she was, talking about marriage with a man she hardly knew. She didn't even know what his job was, for goodness' sake. What if he still lived with roommates, or he had a whole house full of those god-awful rooster decorations she hated so much?

  "I have a home of my own," he told her as if he could read her mind. "It's nothing fancy, but it's got three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It's two floors and a basement. I can't be sure you'd like it, but I think you would. We have similar decorating styles. You could come and see if you want. It sounded like you like Celebration. You could think of it as a low-cost weekend getaway if you want. Come see my house and have fun around town."

  "I like holidays, so Celebration is right up my alley. And you guys have all those wonderful little antique shops."

  He groaned. "Can I be honest? I hate antique stores. I like simple decorations, like your home is now. This isn't how I pictured your house, since you work in an antique shop."

  She laughed. "I'm not the biggest fan of cluttered decorations either, but I love working around the antiques. I'd love to come see your home sometime."

  She couldn't promise anything more, but she did want to see his house. And Celebration was such a positive town. She didn't know how friendly they would be to humans who lived there, but they were nice to visitors.

  She wondered what her parents would say. They would probably be pleased that she had broken up with Damario. Her mother had never seemed to like him much, but would they be happy that she was running off with a shifter she hardly knew? Could she even do that?

  She had broken up with Damario like it was nothing, and he'd been in her life forever. What if she changed her mind about Crosby like that?

  Maybe she was scared. Maybe she'd ended things with Damario because she was frightened. It was a possibility.

  Now, everything was getting muddled. Could she let great sex make her question her entire life? It was just sex, after all.

  She sat up in bed. It felt like that rock that had been sitting between them was sitting on her chest now. She could barely catch her breath.

  "Are you okay?" Crosby rubbed her lower back. "Did you have a nightmare?"

  "I don't know. No, I wasn't asleep. I just have a lot on my mind."

  He sat up but kept rubbing her back. "I know this whole mate thing is a lot to take in. I'm sorry I tol
d you so soon, but I couldn't keep it to myself. It felt like lying, not letting you in on it."

  "I just broke up with another man. How can I start a relationship with someone new?"

  He didn't say anything. He kept rubbing her back, and they sat quietly until her breathing was slower.

  When he finally spoke, his voice was soft. "You can do it easily if that new man is your mate."

  But there was no such thing as mates for humans. She didn't know what she was doing. "I think I just need to sleep on it. My mind will be clearer in the morning."

  He kissed her softly on the mouth. "Good night, Holly."

  "Good night, Crosby."

  She rolled over and nestled against him. There was so much that was unspoken between them that she hoped her mind would clear by the morning. She didn't know what she was going to do, but she knew she didn't want to hurt him.

  Chapter Nine

  Crosby opened the shades to look at the world outside. He wanted nothing more than to spend a cozy day inside with his mate again, but that wouldn't be happening. Even though it was the weekend, they would both need to get back to their real lives at some point.

  He was on vacation from his job at the quarry for the next three weeks. They hadn't talked about his job yet, but he was sure they would eventually. There was so much they had to talk about. It would be nice to spend the day talking with her, but he didn't know if that was an option anymore. She'd been so freaked out the night before that he thought it might be better to give her some space.

  When he had the blinds open, he was greeted by a world of blinding white. It was still snowing. If anything, it was coming down harder than it had last night.

  Holly was still sleeping, so he went to the living room to check the news. The forecast had changed. Originally, it was only supposed to snow for one day and then the storm would move on, but now they were forecasting four days of snow. All in all, by the time it was finished, they were predicting more than twenty inches of snow. It was a snowpocalypse.

  Three more days of snow as heavy as this wasn't good news for his reindeer, nor was it a good thing for his human. Holly was starting to grow anxious already. He didn't know if he should stay with her for four days right away. He didn't want to freak her out too much.

  "Is it still snowing?"

  She was wearing a pair of short-shorts and a see-through tank top. He loved her sleeping attire, even though she wasn't naked. This was almost like she was a present for him to unwrap, leaving a little bit of mystery.

  When he was able to tear his eyes away from her beautiful form, he answered. "We're getting three more days of this. More than twenty inches."

  That got her attention. She rubbed her eyes and sat on the couch. "This is unreal. We were only supposed to get six inches. This is going to cripple the town."

  "On the bright side, it looks like you're not going to be working until after Christmas."

  "Most likely the new year," she corrected him. "The shop closes down between Christmas and New Year's Day. We barely get any business, though we usually do get a few last-minute stragglers on the days before Christmas. This is going to ruin that."

  "You guys don't do deliveries, do you?"

  She shook her head. "We don't. Not that it would matter, since nothing is getting through this. The town doesn't have the manpower to handle this right now."

  "The plow drivers are sure going to love this one. Days before Christmas, and they're going to have to work overtime. Do they even plow on your street?"

  "They do, but it's going to be a real pain to keep up with the snow. At least there's going to be a few breaks, but I don't know how we're going to get you home."

  "I can try flying again. After I have some breakfast, of course."

  Not that he really wanted to try, but she had mentioned it first, so he needed to prepare himself. From the way his animal was dancing about inside him, he didn't think this was going to be good.

  "I have some cereal and milk," she said. "I'm not really feeling up to cooking right now, but you can make yourself some eggs if you'd like to."

  "Cereal's fine."

  He found everything easily and poured himself a bowl. Then he came back to the couch to eat, and she didn't seem to mind. She had switched the TV to the local news, and they sat watching story after story about car accidents and people who'd had heart attacks trying to shovel the snow.

  "Are you sure you're going to be able to keep up with all the snow on your own?" he asked her. "I don't mind sticking around for a day or two to be sure you have a clear path and can get out of your house."

  "That won't be necessary," she said quietly. "I've handled snow on my own before. I'm not helpless."

  He nodded, feeling a lump thick in his throat. He couldn't speak for fear his emotions would be obvious. She wanted him to go. He wanted to ask her why, but he needed a moment to collect himself first.

  Maybe he'd come on too strong last night. He shouldn't have slept with her so soon. Maybe he'd given her the wrong impression.

  "So, about that Celebration visit," he began. Then he had to stop for a second to get his emotions under control again so he could try to keep his tone light. "If you have the week after Christmas off, you can come down then if you'd like."

  "Maybe." She didn't look at him when she said that.

  He finished his bowl of cereal without another word. His animal wasn't going to fly now. Dammit.

  She didn't want him here, and his animal didn't want to go. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't force his reindeer to fly, and he didn't have any clothes or money, which was going to make it hard for him to get around in human form. He was going to have to ask Holly for some cash and then try to find a bus or a taxi or some other service to pick him up.

  He couldn't ask his brother or his parents to come down here during the snowstorm; he wouldn't risk their lives like that. On the other hand, if he stayed here any longer, he was risking annoying his mate and pushing her over the edge. It would also pain him too much to stay when she didn't want him to.

  "Do you want to try with your animal now?" she asked him after his cereal was finished.

  "I can try." But he knew it wasn't going to work. He didn't want to worry her, but there was no way his animal was going to agree to leave. He didn't even know if he was going to be able to control the animal once he gave it the driver's seat.

  "I've had a nice time with you," he told her. "I hope to see you again."

  "I don't know if that's a good idea," she said. "I think we're moving way too fast."

  Crosby made a fist so tight that his nails cut into his palm. "Too fast for a human, maybe. But you're my mate. Maybe that freaks you out, but it's true. This isn't too fast for me at all, but if it's too much for you, I'll back off."

  "I'm just coming out of a relationship, and I don't know if I did the right thing last night. I don't think I'm in a good place to start anything."

  "You told me you didn't even like that guy. How could you think you're making a mistake?"

  "I'm not saying I'm making a mistake, but maybe I got scared. Maybe I got confused because you're so attractive. It just seems too much to throw away everything over some good sex."

  "Sex? That's all I am to you? Just one fun night?"

  "I didn't say that. I think you're more than sex. You're a great guy. But I don't know if I should throw my entire life away over just one night. I've lived in Lewisburg my entire life."

  "And you haven't felt welcome here. How do I make you feel?"

  She looked away. "You make me feel good, but I don't know if that's enough. I need more time to think."

  "I'm not asking you to marry me right now. I'm not even asking you to have a serious relationship with me. I'm asking you to give me a chance. Is that really too much for you?"

  "I don't know." She slumped back against the couch.

  This was getting him nowhere. How could she not know? He'd told her she was his mate. She didn't feel welcome in this town, and he was
letting her know there was a place in the world where she'd be very much welcome and wanted.

  By his side.

  Was she just too scared of it all? But what was there to be afraid of? He was being honest with her, telling her exactly how he felt. What more could she want?

  It was like she couldn't recognize love when it was standing right in front of her. How was he going to be able to convince her?

  He needed to get out of here today. He'd come back once the holidays were over and convince her to go back home with him. When she'd seen what life could be like in Celebration, she would know he was serious. She'd know how beautiful their lives could be.

  All he had to do was get his animal to cooperate and get him the hell out of here.

  Chapter Ten

  Of all the possibilities open to her, this was the one she was choosing.

  She needed Crosby to leave. This whole mate thing was too much for her. He had been so kind, and he made her feel so great about herself that this had to be a rebound. Life couldn't be this easy. She felt so strongly about him, and he seemed so perfect. There was no way he could be everything that he seemed to be.

  She felt terrible for how she was treating him, but it was kinder to let him down gently now than it would be to string him along. Maybe she would go visit him in Celebration at some point. She couldn't be sure now, but it was still possible.

  "So, how do we do this?" she asked him.

  "I'm going to take off my clothes, go outside, and then I'll shift. That's it."

  She nodded. "Okay, well, would you like to clean up first or something? Or maybe wait until after lunch?"

  "Would you like me to wait longer?"

  She shouldn't ask that of him, but for some reason, she did. "Maybe you could help me shovel the front walkway again?"

  She was being selfish. She was asking him to do work for her when she knew full well it was just leading him on. He was going to think she wanted him to stay. What was wrong with her?