Bought for Christmas (9 page)

Emilia
narrowed her eyes, and he suppressed another grin as she looked him up and
down. Had she been anyone else she would be experiencing a severe punishment
right now. Hunter had never liked bratty subs, but he loved her sass, and the
way she kept him off balance. Fuck, who was he kidding? He loved her period,
and the longer he spent with her, the harder he fell, age difference, contract,
and the whole mating thing be damned.

If
she chose not to continue their relationship after this weekend, it would nigh
on kill him. Some of his conflicting emotions must have shown on his face,
because she reached up to touch the scarred side of his face and smiled.

It
still astonished him, every time she did that, without flinching. It was almost
as though she didn’t see his scars, or rather she saw them as part of him, and
didn’t feel the need to treat him any differently because of it.

“It
was an accident,” he said, and she frowned at him.

“What
was?” she asked, and then it seemed to dawn on her what he was talking about,
as her gaze dropped to his scarred shoulder. “That must have been some
accident. What happened?”

Hunter
shut his eyes and pulled her sweet scent deep into his lungs. It calmed his
bear and made the telling of this story easier. Emilia scooted closer and
placed both of her hands on his chest in a gesture of silent support that meant
the world to him right now.

“I
was young and stupid. My brother and I decided to have a race. We both just got
our licenses, and I guess we felt invincible.” He opened his eyes at her soft
gasp, and smiled grimly.

“As
you can gather we weren’t. His car veered off the road and wrapped itself
around a tree. I pulled him out of there, seconds before it exploded, but he
was already gone.”

“Oh,
Hunter, I’m so sorry.” Emilia wrapped her arms around him in a hug, and after a
moment’s hesitation he hugged her back.

“He
broke his neck in the impact, and I took the full blast of the explosion. When
I woke up in the hospital weeks later, I found out he’d already been buried. I
discharged myself that day.”

Emilia
gasped and pulled away from him.

“Why
would you do that? Surely, they could have helped you more?”

Hunter
shook his head and cupped her face. Emilia leaned into the touch and turned her
head to kiss his palm.

“This
was a small country hospital. My folks didn’t have the money to get me
transferred to one of the shifter hospitals in London, and the doctors were
already asking questions as to how I could have survived that impact. There was
a reporter snooping around, too, and the last thing my family needed was to be
front page news. Disappearing was the right thing to do.”

A
tear fell on his hand, and Hunter’s gut tightened seeing her cry over him.

“It’s
okay, baby, all this happened a long time ago.”

Emilia
shook her head, and slapped his chest.

“No,
it’s not okay. You should have got the help you needed. No wonder these are
so…” She bit her lip and ran her fingers over his scars.

“It’s
okay,
I know they aren’t the prettiest part of me.”
She seemed set to argue, and he put his index finger over her lips to stop me.
“No, listen to me, kitten. I healed as best I could, and not a day has gone by
that those scars have not reminded me of what is important in my life. You see
I was a right idiot before the accident. It made me grow up. Losing Jasper
meant I had to take a long, hard, look at myself, and the way I treated the
people around me.
Us
shifters can have a bit of a
superiority complex, compared to—”

“Us
mere humans?” she asked, and Hunter frowned until he saw the twinkle of
mischief in her expressive eyes.

“Well,
not the way I would express it, but in a way, yes. The point is it made me work
damn hard. I couldn’t bring my brother back, but I could make my parents proud
of me and ensure that they were well looked after in their old age.”

Emilia’s
eyes filled with tears again, and the warm fuzzy feelings engulfing him made
him grin at her like some sort of lovesick fool. He waited for her to get her
emotions back under control before he continued.

“I
made sure they lived their old age out in comfort, so I achieved that at
least.”

“They’ve
passed on?” Emilia asked, and he nodded.

“Eight years ago now.”

Emilia
frowned.

“I
don’t understand. They can’t have been that old. You’re what forty-
ish
?” She bit her lip, and he smiled.

“I’m
forty-three, kitten. Only seven years younger than your father, and far too old
for you, I’m sure.”

Emilia’s
blue eyes flashed in indignation, and she positively glared at him

“Poppycock.
Age is just a number,
and besides, I never did like boys. They’re just full of themselves and never
deliver, and err, well…” She dropped her gaze and flushed bright scarlet.

“They
don’t huh? Whatever can you mean?”

Emilia
shot him a glance from under her lashes, and he grinned.

“You
know full well what I mean, but we’re not talking about that. We were talking
about your parents.”

Hunter
sobered and nodded.

“They
had Jasper and me late in life, even in shifter years, so they were old. Trust
me on that, kitten.”

She
didn’t look convinced.

“What
do you mean, shifter years? Is that like dog years or something?”

Emilia
looked so serious that he couldn’t help but tease her a little.

“Are
you comparing me to a dog, Emilia?”

“No, of course not.
It’s just … I’m
trying to understand this, that’s all. So you live longer than humans, age
slower, what? Is this where you’re telling me you’re really ninety? You’re not,
are you?”

She
worried her bottom lip with her teeth, and he had to yank her chain just a
little more.

“Would
it make a difference if I
was,
kitten?”

The
speed with which she shook her head did wonders to ease any niggling worries he
had about their age difference, and an invisible weight lifted off his
shoulders.

“No, of course not.
Besides you
don’t look much older than thirty. I always wondered why you looked so much
younger than Papa. I guess that explains it all.”

Hunter
tapped her nose and helped her off the counter.

“There’s
more to it, but you need your bath, and to get ready. We have a hill to sledge
down.”

Her
eyes lit up in excitement, and he admired the sway of her ass cheeks in the
tight denim. Emilia turned in the doorway, and hands on hips gave him an impish
smile.

“And
cut down a Christmas tree. It’s not Christmas without a tree.”

Chapter Seven

Emilia
wrapped her hands around the travel mug of hot chocolate, inhaled the delicious
flavor, and sighed in contentment. Hunter smiled at her and threw another lump
of coal onto their impromptu barbecue-cum-fire, and then handed her a roasted
marshmallow.

“Careful
it’s hot, kitten.”

Emilia
transferred her mug into one hand and took the confectionary-laden stick off
him with a squeal of delight.

“You’ve
thought of everything.” She grinned up at him, and Hunter shrugged his
shoulders, and put his arm round her back. Sitting next to him like this, with
the fire warming her toes, a blanket wrapped round her legs and Hunter’s warm
bulk between her and the cold breeze whipping up around them, Emilia couldn’t
think of any place she’d rather be.
Or a more romantic
setting for that matter.

When
she’d emerged from the bath, she’d been surprised to find a ski suit and warm
winter boots left on the bed for her, together with thermal underwear. All had
been the perfect size for her, just like the garments she’d found in her
wardrobe earlier, and her heart had lurched inside her chest at his
forethought.

There
she’d thought to have signed up for a weekend of debauchery, and instead, he
did this. Not that the sex hadn’t been stupendous so far, and she was sure
there was more to come. Hunter in full Dom mode was an irresistible and at
times scary sight, and when he gave her that
look
all she wanted to do
was sink to her knees and do whatever he asked of her. What she treasured far
more, however, was the connection they’d established outside of that dynamic.
The last couple of hours of sledging had been the most fun she’d had in ages,
and Hunter had shown his playful side. From snowball fights, and making snow
angels, to him claiming kisses off her when she lost or won the race down the
hill, to stuffing snow down her front, and letting her pelt him back in return,
the air had been filled with laughter, and Emilia’s sides hurt from laughing so
much. To top it all, once she’d grown tired and hungry, he’d started a fire,
and supplied her with hot toddy, and a seeming endless supply of food. At least
she now knew why he’d had the most enormous waterproof sack strapped to his
sledge when they’d set off. She hadn’t wanted to ask what was in there, for
fear of his answer.

Hunter
was nothing if not inventive, and she wouldn’t put it past him to tie her to
the sledge they both sat on and fuck her.

Moisture
flooded her panties, and her cheeks heated at the thought. Really, what was
wrong with her?

“I
would love to know what thoughts are swirling round your head,
kitten, that
you blush so prettily. And you’re soaking wet
for me, aren’t you?”

Oh
God, could he smell that even through all of her layers of clothing?

Hunter
took her mug out of her hand and grasping her chin, lifted her head up. Emilia
swallowed nervously when she looked into the golden eyes of his bear, and she
licked her lips. Hunter’s gaze dropped to her mouth, and his bear’s growl
trembled through her and seemed to settle straight in her clit.

A
wicked grin lit up his rugged features, and her insides clenched in need when
his nostrils flared and he inhaled next to her ear. His stubble roughened jaw
nudged along her sensitive skin, and she shivered.

“As
much as I’d like to take you up on the invitation your body sends me, kitten,
it’s getting colder, and we should get home before it starts to snow again.” He
bit down slightly on her ear and then pulled back slowly.

Emilia
knew she was pouting, and Hunter laughed and shook his head, seemingly fully
back in control of his bear. More was the pity. Not that she really wanted him
to lose control of his bear, did she?

Hunter
got up and threw snow over the fire to douse it, and Emilia squinted into the
sun in disbelief.

“It
doesn’t look as though it will snow any time soon.”

Seeing
Hunter lift his nose in the air and sniff the breeze was the oddest thing ever,
especially when he turned to her and grinned.

“It
will, trust me. I can smell it in the air. We should get home if we get a move
on. Not that I mind the snow, but there’s a veritable storm brewing, and as
you’re so fond of reminding me, you are human, and I don’t want you to freeze.”

Emilia
stuck her tongue out at him, and Hunter’s smile in return made her whole body
go limp.

“I
will have to find a better use for that tongue once we get back, minx. Now
behave.”

“Yes, Sir.”
Emilia hastened
to help him gather up their supplies and when everything was loaded back on his
sleigh to Hunter’s satisfaction they started the trek back to the cabin. Sweat
ran down Emilia’s back at the effort it took, and Hunter slowed his pace when
he noticed her falling behind.

“Sorry,
I just need to catch my breath a minute.” Emilia gasped and rubbed her side
where she’d developed a stitch.

Hunter
stomped back to her and helped her over a fallen tree trunk.

“This
wasn’t that difficult before. I think you wore me out.”

“No,
we took the easier path before. This one is more difficult, but it’s quicker. I
want to get you in the warmth.”

He
smiled at her, but his gaze swept the horizon and he frowned.

Emilia
looked back and gasped. Storm clouds were coming over fast, and she whistled
through her teeth.

“Jeez,
you really can tell the weather. “

Hunter
laughed, and they set off at a more rapid pace.

“Only the storms, my sweet.
Ah, there is
the cabin now. Let’s get you inside.”

Hunter
bundled her up the porch, and flung the big sack of supplies inside just as the
first flakes started to fall, and then turned back ‘round again.

“Aren’t
you coming in, too?” Emilia asked, and he shook his head.

“Not
just yet. There’s something I need to do first. You go on in and put some more
logs on the fire for me. I stocked up the crate earlier so we should have
plenty.”