A Polar Bear Christmas

by Emilia Hartley

  Claus didn’t look convinced. If anything, he glared at the tree as if he could make it move a few feet away from him. She didn’t remind him that it was an inanimate object, choosing to watch him lose a staring contest to a tree instead.

  The waitress arrived and laid out their menus, assuring them that it would be added to the Carter tab like always. It was the one thing Holly loved doing when she visited. The tab would easily reach five hundred dollars while she was forced to deal with her cousins. She liked to think of it as her revenge, though she knew her parents probably didn’t bat an eye at that kind of money.

  Claus didn’t even open the menu. “Give me your biggest plate of bacon and eggs. Skip the toast and don’t you dare bring me anything that started life in the ground.”

  The waitress fumbled for a moment, nearly dropping the menu he handed back to her. When she turned to Holly, eyes wide, it was clear that Holly had to make a snap decision.

  “French toast. Extra whipped cream and a bowl of strawberries on the side,” she blurted out.

  Who was she kidding? Holly ordered the same thing every time, without fail. It made her wonder how she managed to spend five hundred dollars on French toast. Maybe that explained why her pants were harder and harder to fit into.

  Across from her, Claus returned to glaring at the décor. Garlands of fresh pine boughs were strung over the ceiling, twisted into an elegant winter wonderland chandelier. He seemed personally offended by the mistletoe that hung from the ceiling in places, raising a middle finger to it.

  “Back at my apartment, I collect flamingos,” Holly confessed. “I never thought about why I did it, but I’m starting to understand.” Claus made her aware of all the things she’d become blind to. She’d stopped seeing the carolers, the garland, and the mistletoe.

  “Next year, you should holiday somewhere warm. Maybe go to a metal concert. Absolutely rebel against this.”

  Holly laughed. She saw herself on a beach beside the massive man. She could see herself thrashing to music while he kept mosh-pit assholes away from her. She shook her head to dispel the thoughts. It was time to lay ground rules, she realized.

  “This is how it’s going to work,” Holly began while setting her napkin on her lap. She couldn’t look him in the eye, but she knew he’d gone still. “You are going to introduce yourself to my parents as my boyfriend. We’ve been together six months, but we’re so happy and in love that we can see ourselves being together forever. You’re going to sleep in my basement apartment with me because it would be weird if my boyfriend left every night.”

  Claus cleared his throat. Gone was the casual yet gruff demeanor she’d pulled out of him. Across from her sat a businessman. He leaned forward, his eyes becoming dark. She found herself missing the man she’d had moments ago, the guy affronted by the presence of a Christmas tree. Here was a version of him she should have expected, the man on a hunt.

  “Alright then. If I have to sleep in your apartment with you, then we’re sharing the bed. Can’t have the in-laws walking in on us sleeping separately.”

  “It’s an apartment. No one is going to walk in on us,” Holly argued. Her face flamed from his suggestion.

  “You don’t think someone will try to break into the room just to make sure we are who we say we are?”

  “No. I don’t…” Holly hesitated. She wouldn’t put it past Elise or Robbie to harass her. They wouldn’t believe for a second that Holly could attract a shifter. He had a point, but she wasn’t going to give in. If this was going to remain an arrangement and nothing more, he needed to find another place to sleep.

  She didn’t trust her own hands that close to him.

  Quickly, she diverted the conversation. “I don’t even know what kind of beast you are.”

  He grinned, a devilish smirk deepening the dimple on his cheek. “The biggest.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

  The waitress appeared with their food, a man behind her carrying a platter filled with nothing but bacon. The woman’s face flushed upon hearing Claus’s comment, reading into it. Jealousy hit Holly in the chest. It grabbed her lungs and twisted them, squeezing the air from her until she didn’t think she could breathe.

  Claus plucked the slices of toast from his plate and added them to the edge of Holly’s, still grinning.

  “I have no doubt that you need affirmations to forget that you’re lacking in the manhood department, but we both know that wasn’t what I was asking.” Holly set down her paper coffee cup and reached for a fork, glancing up at Claus to see how her barb had landed.

  He looked taken back. Not angry, but pleasantly surprised. “The human girl has claws. I have to say I like a girl who can unleash them in bed, not on my pride.”

  She shook her head. “Then you’re looking in the wrong place. Now answer my question. This is something I should know when I introduce you to my parents.”

  “Polar bear,” Claus finally said around a mouthful of bacon. “I bet your hooved family are going to like that a whole lot.”

  Holly was stunned. She hadn’t even known that there were polar bear shifters. Yet, when she looked at Claus, she began to see the signs. It was in the shock of white hair atop his head and the broadness of his body. She imagined his beast was beautiful, too. It was probably as large as three of her reindeer cousins. The thought made her smile as she imagined him tormenting them.

  “So, displays of affection. What am I allowed to touch?”

  The vision was dashed, her smile fading. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  He waved his hand as if she should have understood. “You know. When we kiss, can I use tongue? Am I allowed to grab a bit of ass? These are things a man should know before going headfirst into a fake engagement.”

  “Relationship,” Holly corrected. “I don’t think they’d buy that I’m engaged, much less to a shifter.”

  Claus stilled. “Should I be offended or is this something to do with your family?” His voice became gruff, holding the promise of retribution in it.

  Holly licked her lips and shook her head. She shoved the feeling of being lesser deep down, back where it belonged. Claus watched her. She wished she could sit beside him and tuck herself beneath his arm. His heat, she imagined, would be enough to ease the tension slowly trying to grip her.

  “I’m being serious. Do they tell you that you aren’t good enough? Because I barely know you and I can already tell you I’ve imagined us in bed six different ways.”

  She guffawed. “I’m not sure I should take that as a compliment. Besides, anyone could want to sleep with me, but a shifter wouldn’t want to fall in love with a weakling like me.”

  He shoved aside his plate of bacon and slammed his elbows onto the table, leaning toward her as if he had some hushed secret he wished to impart. Holly mirrored him. His fingers snaked through her hair, and he tugged her forward until his mouth met hers. His kiss was passionate and hungry, not bothering to ask for permission, but rather waiting to ask for forgiveness later.

  Her head spun when he released her. People behind the bar were pointing and whispering amongst themselves.

  “What was that for?” she snapped, her voice hushed.

  Claus licked his lips as if tasting the last of her left on them. His eyes were the burning heat of skin left too long in the cold. Despite her quip, she wanted to reach for him, to feel the scruff on his chin.

  “I thought I’d see for myself if there’s any difference between you and any other woman. I have to say, I kind of prefer you.”

  Her cheeks warmed. Holly couldn’t tell if this arrangement was becoming messy, or if this was how it should have been. She’d never done anything like this before. At least the diner employees would be able to tell her parents they’d seen her kissing someone. It had been quite the kiss, drawing attention from every corner of the room.

  Holly wanted to do it again. She wanted to lose herself in the power of his attention, forget that she was just a human for a little while. Warmth spread over
her skin. It made her coat unbearable. Unable to deal with it any longer, she stripped it and tossed it onto the bench seat.

  Claus growled. It made Holly’s head snap up. When she looked at him, she found his eyes on her chest. Not on her breasts, but on the exposed bruise Elise had left the night before. She quickly slapped her hand over it, biting down on the pain that echoed through it from her touch.

  “Did you have that when we spoke last night?”

  Holly swallowed and shook her head.

  “I figured they were mean, but I didn’t think they would abuse you. I would have left with you last night if I knew they would hurt you.”

  Holly adjusted her shirt to hide the bruise, lifting the neckline by three inches. “Do you really think I would have hidden in a dive bar with bikers if all that waited for me at home was some verbal abuse? You said you had something you needed to do.”

  Claus groaned. She didn’t want to hear it. Suddenly, her food no longer looked appetizing. She pushed her plate away. The past hour had only confused her. She wasn’t sure if she could take Claus home with her. There was no ignoring the way she felt around him. When it all came to an end and he went back to being nothing more than a stranger, what would she do?

  Would she be able to let him go? Or, would it hurt worse than anything her family put her through?

  She got up, intending to leave. Claus grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. His head ducked close to her ear as he spoke.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  She put a hand on his chest to push him away. “We don’t have to do this. You should find another way to bother my family.”

  He growled. His hand slipped low on her back. “There’s no way I’m letting you walk in there alone.”

  Holly’s face fell flat. “My knight in shining armor.”

  Her lips ached with the same confusion she felt in her heart. It tugged her closer to Claus, even though her brain attempted to be logical. Claus was helping her, so he could get closer to his own goal. This wasn’t about her. He was only taking advantage of the situation. Yet, her heart didn’t want to listen. It only wanted to step into the cozy warmth of his arms and turn away from the world.

  Holly managed to extract herself even though the spot on her lower back felt strangely bare without his hand. They walked in silence back toward the Sleigh Bell. Claus dug his keys from his pocket, and Holly bit her lip.

  Claus looked around. “Where did you park? Do you need a lift to your car?”

  “Actually,” Holly mumbled. She knew she shouldn’t ask, but it was getting colder and colder. The walk there had been easy, the chill washing away her frustrations from the night before. Without them, she felt ice growing in her belly.

  “Don’t tell me you walked all the way here. It’s twenty degrees outside!” Claus growled, shaking his head as he jerked open his door. “Get inside. You can give me directions to the infamous Carter Manor.”

  For a moment, she was rooted to the spot. The sleek, vintage muscle car in front of her screamed sex. Not only sex, but the naughty kind. Sex in public, in dangerous positions. She knew it was all in her head, that getting into a car wasn’t sending someone the wrong signals, but she couldn’t help but feel like it was the first step over a line she shouldn’t cross.

  Hell, the kiss at the diner had been that first step. Realizing she was well and truly in unfamiliar and risky territory, she threw caution to the freezing wind. The only thing that disappointed her was the obvious lack of heated seats. She should have known a car from the sixties wouldn’t have them.

  Claus reached and twisted the heat control, letting hot air blast into the cabin.

  Chapter Four

  The manor was bigger than Claus expected. He knew it was called a manor for a reason, but this place had wings.

  Wings.

  The massive house stood tall behind the cover of the woods. In each window, a candle glowed. From the stationary flame, Claus decided they were probably fake. The drive was lined with Christmas topiaries, each decked out in their own ornaments. More ornaments dangled from the front porch like stars caught mid-flight.

  To Claus, it was obnoxious. He’d never been one for the holidays. They were an excuse to spend a bunch of money with the idea that someone would spend even more on you. He’d never bought the materialistic rampage, choosing instead to offer favors others could cash in on. He’d fixed flat tires for human friends, intimidated creepy ex-boyfriends, and even stolen a car back for one friend.

  Those were the things that Claus wanted to give those who meant something to him. He counted this arrangement as one. Beside him, Holly’s hands fisted in her lap. He caught the way her jaw tightened. She wasn’t ready to go inside, so Claus let her sit in the warmth of the car for a while longer.

  When it became clear she wasn’t going to reach for the door handle anytime soon, he twisted to grab a bottle from the back seat and handed it to her. She looked down at the amber colored liquid. Maybe she wasn’t a whiskey drinker. Claus didn’t know if he had any clear liquor in the back seat.

  Then, she snatched it from his hands and tossed back two gulps before Claus pried it from her grip.

  “For a human woman, you act like you’re a lot more durable than you are.”

  Holly wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand and offered a small smile. It made his heart stutter. He hid the effect she had on him by turning to put the bottle back where he’d found it.

  “You’d be surprised at how durable I can be,” she said.

  He knew she was talking about her family. It was clear they put her through the wringer from the black and blue bruise on her chest. Claus hadn’t thought the reindeer family would be aggressive, but when people were handed what they wanted their entire lives, he’d seen them go to great lengths to keep it.

  He had a feeling that Holly stood in the way of something. It wasn’t just that she was human, but that if she ever stopped being human, she would be better than all of them.

  Hell, Claus thought, she’s already better than any of them.

  “Are you ready now?” Claus asked.

  Her eyes widened. “Wait. We don’t know how we met? They’re going to want to hear the story of how we met!”

  Claus grunted. “We met in a dive bar. You took one look at me and thought, I bet that man has a fat dick.”

  He watched Holly try to fight back her laughter, holding a straight face for all of five seconds. She collapsed onto the dashboard, laughing so hard Claus thought he saw tears beading at the corners of her eyes. He smiled, proud that he could make her laugh when she was clearly so miserable.

  Holly sat up and swiped away the tears. “While that is hilarious, I think the Carters are going to want something a little bit…classier.”

  Claus drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “How about this? Reverse damsel in distress? My Challenger broke down and you rescued me in the middle of a snow storm before I could freeze to death.”

  “Claus. You’re a polar bear shifter. None of that makes any sense.”

  Yet, he was tempted to keep going just to see her smile like that. In the safety of his car, she had relaxed. Perhaps it was the liquor, making its way through her system. Maybe, it was him. He liked to think he could have that effect on someone. Most of his friends were nothing more than acquaintances made through work. His mechanic. An accountant that worked for his boss.

  The little time he’d spent with Holly felt different. It made Claus realize he hadn’t really had any friends.

  “Let’s tell them we met while volunteering. I took part in a rescue dog adoption event. You were managing the bulldogs while I took the truly dangerous job, the chihuahuas.”

  Claus shook his head. He wasn’t the kind of man to volunteer his time for anything, not even dogs, but if she wanted her family to think he was a different kind of man, he would go along with it. He would do his best to be that person for Holly.

  “Alright. But we should go inside soon, becaus
e I’ve seen five different faces appear in the same window in the past five minutes. If we don’t hurry, they’ll be onto us.”

  Once more, he waited for Holly to steel herself. He took her hand as they approached the front door to remind her that he would be there for her. No asshole reindeer was going to get through him.

  “How nice of you to join us,” an older man said once she pushed the door open.

  “Good morning, Dad.” Her voice was small.

  Claus met the man’s eyes with an open challenge. The fury that clawed its way through his chest was unlike anything he’d felt before. Claus had to subdue his bear before it ripped its way out of him and trashed the room and everyone in it. To center himself, he scanned the faces in the room.

  A woman stood beside Holly’s father. He could see the resemblance between them and Holly. The woman had given Holly her pale eyes while the man had given his dimpled chin. While he was sure there was a stick up both their asses, he couldn’t argue that they’d made a beautiful daughter.

  He only wished they’d valued her as they should have. Feeling territorial, he pulled Holly into his body and put his arm over her shoulder. She relaxed into him, looking up at him for a brief moment, gratitude in the way she smiled at him.

  “Mom, Dad, this is Claus. My boyfriend.”

  Holly’s father lifted a single brow. It was clear he wasn’t convinced, though he didn’t say anything. Her mother nodded her head, perhaps her version of a welcoming hug even if it was cold.

  “You didn’t mention a boyfriend,” a woman snapped. She put her hands on her hips. The hair on her head was the same color as Holly’s, but it had been teased and sprayed within an inch of its life to make it sit in a confusing updo.

  “I didn’t think he was going to make it…because of, ah, work.” Holly stumbled over her story, making Claus worry until she turned it on the woman. “Where is your fiancé, Elise? Wasn’t he supposed to come this Christmas?”

  Elise’s face turned red. “He’s in China, signing a deal with a manufacturer.”