Santa Bear Read online

  The heartache that followed nearly brought her to her knees, and tears pricked her eyes, but she didn’t have time to run. The front door opened, and Trey and Jim nearly crashed into her as they laughed and said goodbye to their friend.

  “Mindy?” Joel said. “Hey, sweetheart. I didn’t expect you for another hour.”

  “I got off early,” she said. “I guess I should have called.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” he said, pulling her into a hug. “You never have to call before coming over.”

  “Hey, Mindy,” Jim said.

  “Hey, Min,” Trey chimed in. “You kids have fun. See you tonight, J.”

  “See you guys later,” Joel said, as he pulled her into his home. “I’m glad you like the earrings, but your ears are frozen.”

  “I’ll thaw,” she said, deadpan.

  As much as she wanted to leave, she figured they might as well end things now.

  “Take off your coat, sweetheart,” he said, holding another present. “I have something important to tell you.”

  “I’m sure this won’t take long,” she sighed, plopping down on the couch. “I’ll keep it on, thanks.”

  “What’s wrong with you?” he asked. “Did you have a bad day at work?”

  “I heard you and the guys talking, and I don’t want to hear whatever important thing it is you have to say. I’m not some game you can play just because you’re bored.”

  “What? What are you talking about?”

  “I know you’re only pretending to like me because of a dare.”

  “I don’t know where you got your information, but I’m not just pretending to like you, sweetheart. You’re my mate, and I love you.”

  Mate? Love?

  He was taking this joke way too far.

  “Well, I don’t love you,” she said, standing. “Go find some other fool to bet on.”

  He put the gift on the table, and took a step toward her.

  “Mindy, I—”

  “Stay away from me,” she said, backing away. “I don’t ever want to see you again.”

  She turned and ran out of his home.

  The tears started to fall before she reached the sidewalk, but she didn’t care. Nearly everyone in the Village was on Main Street, so she took the long way home, and kept her head down.

  After stripping out of her coat and winter accessories, she grabbed the throw he’d given her, curled up on one end of the couch, and let the tears fall.

  ***

  Two hours later, Mindy woke from a restless sleep with bloodshot, salt-rimmed eyes. She studied the polar bears on the blanket, and a wave of nausea washed over her as she thought about her visit with Joel earlier in the day.

  None of it made any sense.

  The gifts he’d given her had been special, and except for the blanket, it was as if each one had been specifically created just for her. Hell, maybe the blanket had been, too.

  She gently fingered one of the earrings she still wore, and swore.

  It had been really important to Joel that she know about, and accept, his past. And no matter what she’d overheard, he wasn’t malicious.

  None of the guys were.

  What the hell?

  Why had she jumped to such an outrageous scenario? Why had she never asked him about Halloween, and why didn’t she let him explain?

  He’d called her mate—and confessed his love—and she acted like a bitch and dismissed him as if he meant nothing.

  Exactly the way he’d expected her to act that night in the forest.

  Oh, no! What have I done?

  She jumped off the couch, not sure of her next move, but sure she had to do something, and then stopped when a letter from Santa suddenly appeared on the coffee table. The rolled-up piece of parchment was tied with a red ribbon, and she quickly slid off the pretty trim to read the contents inside.

  Dear Mindy,

  I’m glad you finally figured things out for yourself, but I’ll make it official. Joel is your destined mate, in fact, I saved both of you for the other, so you can’t let him get away. He’s hurting right now, so he won’t make it easy, but follow your heart and it will be worth it in the end.

  PS: You’ll find him at the lodge—a bear has been shot!

  She dropped the letter, and ran.

  ***

  Joel parked the four-person golf-cart back inside the lodge, walked back to his desk, and sank into his chair. Except for Wade getting shot, it had been a good night for the Enforcers, and of course, Wade would heal.

  The hunters were gone, Santa and the North Pole were safe, and the Christmas festivities could begin in full force. With only an hour before midnight, everyone was in a good mood, and he could hear bears celebrating throughout the lodge.

  Bah humbug!

  He didn’t want any part of it. He was tired, grumpy, and all he wanted to do was go home and sleep until the day after Christmas…and maybe until the day after that.

  Losing a mate will do that to you.

  “Hey, Mindy.”

  Joel’s eyes flew open when he heard Trey’s voice.

  “Hi Trey,” she hesitated. “Is Joel around?”

  “Yeah, he’s in his office,” Trey said. “It’s right over there.”

  “Thank you, Trey.”

  He did not want her coming into his office.

  “No problem.”

  Joel got up, and met her in the middle of the lodge. The place was filled with Enforcers, but no one spared them a second glance.

  “What are you doing here?” he seethed.

  “Santa said someone was shot,” she said carefully. “Are you okay?”

  “It wasn’t me,” he said. “It was Wade.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Is he okay?”

  “He’ll be fine. The shot wasn’t fatal, and he’s healing.”

  “That’s good,” she said. “Can we go somewhere and talk for a minute?”

  “No,” he barked. “I’m tired and I have a lot of work to do.”

  “It will only take a minute,” she pressed.

  “No!” He roared. “I don’t have time for you.”

  Silence filled the room as every Enforcer in earshot stopped to stare at them, and Mindy narrowed her eyes. His words had hurt her, but they’d also pissed her off.

  So, what? She doesn’t want me!

  “Okay,” she snapped. “Merry Christmas.”

  She turned away from him, and walked out of the lodge without looking back. Once the large wooden door to the building swung closed, everyone went back to minding their own business except Trey.

  “Damn, that was harsh,” his friend said.

  “Don’t you think I fucking know that?” he growled, walking back toward his office.

  Trey followed him.

  “So what are you going to do next?”

  “Fuck if I know,” he grumbled. “None of this makes any sense.”

  “I feel for you, man,” Trey said, “but I think you have to talk to her.”

  “Less than six hours ago she said she never wanted to see me again.”

  “Right,” Trey laughed. “Except everyone knows that’s not true. You have to give her credit for coming here. She was obviously worried about you.”

  “Yeah,” he nodded.

  Plus, Santa said she’s your mate.

  If the man in red says it’s true, then it is.

  Period.

  So, then why was she running?

  “You’re right,” he said, walking toward the door. “I have to talk to her.”

  “Duh,” Trey laughed behind him.

  “I can’t wait until you find your mate,” Joel called over his shoulder. “We’ll see who’s laughing then.”

  “Oh, trust me,” Trey said, all humor gone. “I’m sure you’ll get loads of revenge.”

  Joel stopped and turned back to study his friend.

  “Later,” Trey said. “Nothing is happening this Christmas, and your mate is waiting.”

  Guilt flooded him, but the urg
e to find Mindy and settle things between them took precedence over the realization that he’d been a bad friend.

  “We’ll talk later,” Joel said, pointing an accusing finger at the man.

  “Fine,” Trey agreed. “Now go.”

  He left the lodge, and went to the one place he was sure to find his mate.

  Chapter Seven

  Joel wasn’t surprised to find Mindy waiting for him in his home. She stood when he walked in the living room, and the desire to go to her rode him hard.

  Instead, he kept his ground, and she kept hers.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” he said, taking off his coat, “but I’m also confused. I thought you never wanted to see me again.”

  “I…I’m sorry,” she started. “I made a mistake. I know I hurt you, but I didn’t mean any of those awful things I said.”

  “Why?”

  Why did she say them? Why did she hurt him? Just…why?

  He knew she would understand what he meant.

  “We never talked about Halloween, but the reason I said no when you asked me out was because I heard the guys egging you on and daring you to approach me. I’d liked you for so long, and I wanted you to ask me out because you liked me, too, not because of a stupid dare. So, after I heard the guys, I assumed you didn’t really like me, and I declined.”

  “When you asked again, and started sending the gifts, at first I thought maybe we could have some fun until you found your mate, but with each gift, the hope that I was your mate grew. After you took me to where you were found, I let go of Halloween, and truly believed that I was yours…until I arrived at your house today.”

  “I heard Trey and Jim daring you to ask her something, and then I heard you daring Trey to talk to that wolf...” she sighed. “Suddenly, nothing made sense anymore, and I stupidly jumped to conclusions. I was wrong, and I know I hurt you, but I hope you can forgive me.”

  “What made you change your mind?”

  “You,” she said. “After I went home, and thought about everything, I realized how stupid I’d been. I was on my way to find you when Santa sent a letter confirming I’m your mate, and that he’d rescued us both for the other.”

  He nodded and took a step toward her. Both misunderstandings could have easily been avoided if she’d just talked to him, but he’d make her pay for those mistakes later. Right now, he had other things to take care of.

  “So, now you’ll believe me when I say that you’re my mate?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  Another step.

  “And you’ll believe me when I say I love you?”

  “Yes,” she agreed. “I love you, too.”

  Her words chased away the last bit of hurt he’d stubbornly held onto.

  “What you heard on Halloween was two good friends trying to be supportive. They knew I’d been pining over you since your first day in the Village, but when we showed up in the same costume, they decided it was fate. I was really nervous—mostly because I knew you were my mate—so they were helping.”

  “Today, you overheard them begging me to ask Mrs. Claus to sing with us on Main Street tomorrow night. You might not know this, but that woman has an amazing voice. They want me to ask because she also plays the guitar, and gave me a lot of pointers when I was first starting out. Because of that, I can talk to her pretty easily, but the other guys get all tongue-tied.”

  “As far as me daring Trey to ask out that wolf? Yeah, I did, and I’m pretty sure one of us should have done it sooner. He’s liked her for almost as long as I’ve liked you. Does that clear up everything for you, sweetheart?”

  “Yes,” she nodded.

  He took another step, picked up the rectangle box he’d tried to give her earlier, grabbed her hand, and pulled her down on the couch beside him.

  “Good. Let’s try this again,” he handed her the box. “Merry Christmas.”

  She ripped off the paper, opened the plain cardboard box, and gasped.

  “Oh, Joel,” she whispered, “it’s beautiful.”

  He’d wanted to give her something special, and he knew how much she cherished the snow globe from her parents, so he’d asked Santa for a favor.

  Inside the new globe, a curvy woman with curly, jet black hair, stood in the snow next to a large polar bear. The wind blew her hair to the side, as flurries fell around them, but the best part was the love reflected on both of their faces as they gazed upon the other.

  “I’m glad you like it,” he said.

  She set the globe down on the coffee table, and hugged him.

  “I don’t like it,” she said, placing a chaste kiss on his lips. “I love it.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, and I also have a present.”

  She grabbed a small wrapped box that had been sitting next to her on the couch, and handed it to him.

  “Merry Christmas,” she said. “I hope you like it.”

  He ripped off the paper, opened the box, and stared at the contents. Except for Santa, no one had ever given him such a perfect gift, and he was at a loss for words.

  “Is it stupid? If you don’t like it, I can get you something else.”

  “No,” he shook his head. “It’s perfect.”

  He pulled the embroidered guitar strap out of the box, and admired the detail. Blue and white polar bears and snowflakes covered the black strap in a pattern that was a cross between whimsical and hardcore. He would feel comfortable wearing it whether he played with The Flurry, or the more hip and popular Arctic Storm, and he loved it.

  “Thank you,” he said, claiming her mouth in a passionate kiss.

  He was done talking. It was time to claim his mate.

  “Can I mark you, Mindy?” he asked. “Will you be mine forever?”

  “Yes,” she said, breathless.

  A low growl escaped from his chest.

  “Go in the bedroom, strip, and wait for me.”

  ***

  Mindy raced toward Joel’s room, stripped out of her clothes, and waited.

  She had no idea what Joel had in store for her, but from the few bits of information she’d overheard in the club, receiving a mate mark was intense.

  The hardening of her nipples had nothing to do with the cool air, and everything to do with her bear, and the thought of his teeth sinking into her neck. Her pussy fluttered, and she pressed her legs together in an effort to stop liquid heat from dripping down her thighs.

  A minute later, he walked in fully dressed, carrying his old guitar strap, and she shivered, causing goosebumps to break out all over her skin.

  Joel smiled, and she knew she was in trouble.

  “You’ve been a very bad girl, sweetheart,” he said, walking toward her. “You eavesdropped on two conversations, and instead of talking to me, you ran both times.”

  He grabbed both of her wrists, and held them together in one hand.

  “If I didn’t need to fuck you from behind more than I need my next breath, I’d tie you to the headboard and give you a proper punishment.”

  She had a feeling she would like his form of punishment more than she should, and more liquid head escaped down her legs. He bound her wrists together with the strap, leaned forward, and sucked one of her nipples into his mouth.

  “Joel,” she gasped.

  He ignored her and quickly explored the hard pebble with his tongue, and then scraped the sensitive skin with his teeth before letting it go and giving the same attention to the other one. After he let her second breast go, he slowly removed his clothing, and she watched with rapt attention while her body tingled from head to toe.

  It didn’t matter that she’d seen him naked before. Every curve of muscle, and deep sinewy line made her mouth and pussy water. He was a perfect combination of strength and power, and she loved the fact that they would soon belong to each other forever.

  She looked at his thick, hard cock, and unconsciously licked her lips.

  “Do you like what you see, sweetheart?”

 
; He closed his hand around his dick, letting her know he’d caught her staring, and slowly moved it up and down the hard length. Drops of precome formed at the tip, and he swiped his finger across the liquid, and held it up to her mouth.

  “Do you want a taste?”

  She closed her mouth around his finger and sucked it dry.

  “Get on the bed, sweetheart,” he growled. “On your knees and elbows. I want that ass high in the air.”

  She smiled, and took her time crawling and getting into the exact position he wanted. She shook her ass several times during the process, and laughed when he growled at her teasing.

  “I’m ready, Santa Bear,” she said, when she finally got comfortable.

  “Naughty girl.”

  Smack!

  His hand came down on her ass, hard, and she cried out as more liquid heat gushed out of her pussy. He rubbed the sting out of the skin, and then spanked her again.

  Smack!

  Two of his fingers circled her wet hole, and then plunged deep into her pussy.

  “You’re soaking wet, sweetheart,” he growled. “I think you like being naughty.”

  “I like you,” she said, pushing back on his fingers. “Fuck me, Joel.”

  He removed his fingers, kneeled behind her, and thrust his cock balls deep into her cunt. They both moaned at the joining, and her pussy started to convulse around him.

  “Oh fuck,” he said, slowly pulling out of her. “You’re so tight, sweetheart.”

  He thrust into her again, and slowly pulled out once more.

  “So god damned perfect.”

  Another thrust. And then another.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, thrusting again. “I can’t go slow this time.”

  Thank god!

  Slow was the last thing she wanted.

  “I don’t want slow, bear,” she said. “Fuck me hard and fast.”

  He grabbed her hips in a bruising grip, and pounded into her mercilessly. Her orgasm came swift, and hard, but he didn’t stop. Seconds after the first wave ended, another began, and she felt his cock begin to throb violently.

  He released one of her hips, gathered all of her thick, unruly hair in one fist, and yanked it over one shoulder. She arched her head in the direction he pulled, exposing her neck, and he leaned over her back and sank his teeth into the soft skin between her neck and shoulder.