Rome,
he reminded himself. They’d have to visit her family, and he’d
behave, play nicely with her over-protective brothers, and be
polite to her father and stepmother. Although the barriers were
slowly dropping, they were all still wary of him, and he hoped he
didn’t have to spend too much time with them.
What the hell
was wrong with him? He never used to be like this. Mopey and
introspective. He had a Mate now, the woman he loved more than life
itself, and he would do anything to make her happy. Even be
friendly to her brothers.
He heard a car
engine outside, and then doors banging, and he hurried to the
window. Megan was home. His mood soared. He trotted down the steps,
met her on the street, and swept her off her feet with his
embrace.
“ Cariad . ” He nuzzled her throat, and just like that,
his wolf settled. With his Mate in his arms, her caramel-spice
scent swirling around him, he couldn’t fail to be happy.
“Hey, babe.”
She squeezed him back. “Give me a hand with the shopping?”
“Always.” He
dropped a tender kiss on her lips, and then turned his attention to
her bags. There weren’t many, only two garish plastic bags of
groceries and one from the city’s premier department store. “Is
this everything?” She’d told him she was picking up the groceries
on her way home, and for a normal week, there’d be six or seven
bags. For a holiday period, when they’d both be at home—and hoped
to entertain friends—this didn’t look right.
Megan grabbed
the glossy paper bag, and he dutifully picked up the food, after a
quick peek at the contents. Milk, eggs and bacon. A loaf of bread.
Some apples. A bottle of maple syrup. He was carrying the makings
of a good brunch, but not much else.
His heart sank.
This could mean only one thing. They weren’t spending much of
Christmas at home.
With the
groceries dumped on the kitchen table, and his hands now free,
Sasha took the opportunity to hold his Mate. Her thick, dark hair
was soft beneath his fingers, and her luscious curves were enough
to make his mouth water. “Why don’t we start celebrating early?” he
murmured in her ear. “You can get out of your work clothes, and
into something more comfortable. Or stay naked—that works for me.”
His wolf yipped in agreement, and Megan giggled.
“Tempting, but
we don’t have time right now.” She wrapped her arms around his
neck, her breasts pressing against his chest, and it took every
ounce of his self-restraint to hold back from peeling her right out
of her work suit.
He had to make
do with sliding his hands up the back of her skirt, and palming her
delectable ass. If he were a poet, he’d write sonnets about her
ass. He hadn’t stroked her skin since this morning, and he could
think of little else. Wait. What did she say? “We don’t have time,
because…?” he asked.
Megan sighed.
“We’re due at my dad’s. Don’t tell me you forgot the plan.”
Sasha racked
his brains to remember what the plan had been, and came up empty.
He’d told Megan that he was happy to go along with whatever she
liked. He’d hoped it meant spending most of the holiday in each
other’s arms. Maybe not. “Wanna tell me what we’re doing?” He tried
to sound enthusiastic.
“Well”—she blew
out a breath, and his heart plummeted even further—“there’s a
barbecue this evening, and Dad wants me there early. There’s some
crisis or other.”
Okay. He could
manage that. Megan’s father was a high-ranking politician, and
always on the move, fixing a multitude of problems, while shaking
hands and smiling for the media. It meant Megan and her brothers
came under the spotlight more than Sasha was comfortable with, but
he was learning to deal with it.
“Sure. You got
time to shower first? I think you might need some help scrubbing
your back.”
“Sasha.” Her
voice was firm, but her curving lips showed her amusement. “Do you
only think about sex?”
“Hey, who
mentioned sex? I was just
he reminded himself. They’d have to visit her family, and he’d
behave, play nicely with her over-protective brothers, and be
polite to her father and stepmother. Although the barriers were
slowly dropping, they were all still wary of him, and he hoped he
didn’t have to spend too much time with them.
What the hell
was wrong with him? He never used to be like this. Mopey and
introspective. He had a Mate now, the woman he loved more than life
itself, and he would do anything to make her happy. Even be
friendly to her brothers.
He heard a car
engine outside, and then doors banging, and he hurried to the
window. Megan was home. His mood soared. He trotted down the steps,
met her on the street, and swept her off her feet with his
embrace.
“ Cariad . ” He nuzzled her throat, and just like that,
his wolf settled. With his Mate in his arms, her caramel-spice
scent swirling around him, he couldn’t fail to be happy.
“Hey, babe.”
She squeezed him back. “Give me a hand with the shopping?”
“Always.” He
dropped a tender kiss on her lips, and then turned his attention to
her bags. There weren’t many, only two garish plastic bags of
groceries and one from the city’s premier department store. “Is
this everything?” She’d told him she was picking up the groceries
on her way home, and for a normal week, there’d be six or seven
bags. For a holiday period, when they’d both be at home—and hoped
to entertain friends—this didn’t look right.
Megan grabbed
the glossy paper bag, and he dutifully picked up the food, after a
quick peek at the contents. Milk, eggs and bacon. A loaf of bread.
Some apples. A bottle of maple syrup. He was carrying the makings
of a good brunch, but not much else.
His heart sank.
This could mean only one thing. They weren’t spending much of
Christmas at home.
With the
groceries dumped on the kitchen table, and his hands now free,
Sasha took the opportunity to hold his Mate. Her thick, dark hair
was soft beneath his fingers, and her luscious curves were enough
to make his mouth water. “Why don’t we start celebrating early?” he
murmured in her ear. “You can get out of your work clothes, and
into something more comfortable. Or stay naked—that works for me.”
His wolf yipped in agreement, and Megan giggled.
“Tempting, but
we don’t have time right now.” She wrapped her arms around his
neck, her breasts pressing against his chest, and it took every
ounce of his self-restraint to hold back from peeling her right out
of her work suit.
He had to make
do with sliding his hands up the back of her skirt, and palming her
delectable ass. If he were a poet, he’d write sonnets about her
ass. He hadn’t stroked her skin since this morning, and he could
think of little else. Wait. What did she say? “We don’t have time,
because…?” he asked.
Megan sighed.
“We’re due at my dad’s. Don’t tell me you forgot the plan.”
Sasha racked
his brains to remember what the plan had been, and came up empty.
He’d told Megan that he was happy to go along with whatever she
liked. He’d hoped it meant spending most of the holiday in each
other’s arms. Maybe not. “Wanna tell me what we’re doing?” He tried
to sound enthusiastic.
“Well”—she blew
out a breath, and his heart plummeted even further—“there’s a
barbecue this evening, and Dad wants me there early. There’s some
crisis or other.”
Okay. He could
manage that. Megan’s father was a high-ranking politician, and
always on the move, fixing a multitude of problems, while shaking
hands and smiling for the media. It meant Megan and her brothers
came under the spotlight more than Sasha was comfortable with, but
he was learning to deal with it.
“Sure. You got
time to shower first? I think you might need some help scrubbing
your back.”
“Sasha.” Her
voice was firm, but her curving lips showed her amusement. “Do you
only think about sex?”
“Hey, who
mentioned sex? I was just
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