The Reindeer's Halloween Claim

by E A Price

  “You’ve probably dated lots of guys like him,” she mimicked. “Ugh!”

  Yeah, she had, but so what? Okay, so she’d just met Jax, but she hadn’t really thought he was the type to judge. She thought he was better than that. But he had been quiet after Derrick left them. Yeah, he was generally pretty quiet, but this quiet had a moody edge to it, and his sulking had made her seethe.

  She nearly bit the waitress’ head off as they left. Though, that may have had something to do with the fact that the girl had been trying to slip a completely oblivious Jax her phone number. Maybe that was the type of girl he liked she thought almost morosely. Perhaps she shouldn’t have dropped the phone number into the trash – she should have given him the chance to go out with her.

  So she’d had a lot of boyfriends – it was no big deal. Men acted like that all the time, and it was no big deal. Ugh, she had been so depressed that she didn’t even get a pie to take home with her. Now, she was regretting it.

  Heather kicked off her shoes, letting them stay wherever they landed, and trailed through her apartment, shedding clothes until she came to her bedroom and after a search through her closet – which involved tossing lots of garments over her shoulder – she found her comfiest nightshirt and dragged it over her head.

  Five minutes at home and it already looked like a bomb exploded. It was why she paid her cleaner so well and why she always gave him a massive hamper of treats for his family every Christmas. Heather wasn’t tidy, and she wasn’t interested in being tidy. It was one of the many reasons why her one serious relationship didn’t work out. He wanted her to be neat and wanted her to follow his strict regimen of how to fold clothes. Seriously, he had a system for it and even drew her a diagram. But Heather just couldn’t do it. Giving in and doing that felt like admitting defeat – life was just too damned short. It was something they had argued about over and over. Clark expected her to become neat for him, but to her, that just seemed unfair – she didn’t expect him to become messy for her!

  She slopped into the kitchen in search of ice cream.

  “Come on spumoni,” she muttered. “Uh, pay dirt.”

  She pulled out the tub and grabbed a big spoon before tripping into the living room, settling into the plush armchair and slapping Sabrina on TV.

  That was another thing that caused arguments with her ex – the TV shows they watched. They rarely ever wanted to watch the same thing, so Heather often did the sensible thing of going to another room to watch one of their other TVs, yet he got mad when she did that. They had a TV in their bedroom and the spare bedroom – they had three TVs for two people! But he wanted her to sit with him and miss her show and watch the one he wanted to – but why on earth would she?

  Her mom was convinced Heather was too selfish for a real relationship. It just seemed to her that she was happy to accept her ex as he was – she didn’t expect him to change at all for her. She was more than happy with who he was – at the start of the relationship at least, not in the end when he started trying to go to the bathroom with her. But, he expected her to change who she was. She wasn’t naïve enough to think there wouldn’t be some give and take in a relationship, but why would a guy who claimed to love her want her to change the things that made her ‘her’? Yes, she had a lot of flaws, but who didn’t?

  It really bummed her out to think that Jax didn’t like something about her, and it wasn’t even something she could try and change – not that she would change for a guy… Though, a strange part of her, a yearning, girly part inside of her, did think that maybe he was worth a little sacrifice. Or at least until he went all cold fish on her, she might have thought that.

  Now, though, Jax would just be relegated to the category of judgy dicks – which is where her mom, sister, elderly neighbor Mrs. Brown, quite a lot of ex-boyfriends and the girl at the coffee place with the lazy eye resided – the girl was a coffee dictator.

  But, a part of her still hoped that maybe Jax didn’t belong in that category, that perhaps she was wrong about him. She dearly wanted to be wrong about him.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The deep rumble shook the window frame. It was answered by an even deeper growl, followed by a slight whistle. Dozer was fighting off a cold – hence the whistling nose. Shifters had faster healing abilities, but it didn’t entirely stop them from getting sick. It also made for a very sleepless night.

  Jax let out a sigh as he stared at the ceiling. His brothers’ snores rattled through his mind. Usually, he could ignore them; they didn’t bother him one iota. Usually, nothing was going through his mind! He’d shared a room with Dozer and Dex for years, and unless either of them mated soon, probably would do for a few years to come. The obnoxious sounds they made were just background noise. But then, usually, he wasn’t obsessing over a black-haired temptress who wouldn’t stop taunting him whenever he closed his eyes. Didn’t help that he could hear what his other brothers were doing. Damn rutting season.

  Heather had been pissed at him earlier, and he didn’t really blame her. But he felt so foolish. Because for a second there he dared to hope that there could be more to their relationship. But why would a woman like her be interested in a chump like him? She was beautiful and charming, and he was a total buffoon.

  Jax kicked back the covers and lumbered out of bed. Perhaps a run as his beast may help. He just had to try and stop his beast from running to the one place he wanted to go.

  *

  Heather giggled as he cupped her breasts, thumbing her nipples. She was hardly under-endowed, but she looked tiny in his big, capable hands.

  The blush spread over his body – his whole body as he delighted in kneading her orbs.

  “Ooh, Jax,” she hissed in pleasured delight.

  “Jax?” grumbled a very unwelcome voice.

  Heather looked up to find Carson glaring at her.

  “Carson?” she murmured in surprise.

  “Two men, Heather?”

  She whipped her head round to see her mother clucking her tongue in disappointment. It was at this point that she knew it was a dream. Or more like a nightmare.

  Heather stirred, stretching her body from its uncomfortable pose in the chair. She grimaced as Carson came into focus, lounging on her couch and daring to eat from her half-full bowl of popcorn.

  Jeez, she’d almost forgotten about him. Almost forgotten about his crazy marriage claim. She probably shouldn’t forget about the looming madman.

  She grabbed the remote and shut off the TV, rallying from her sexy dream and trying to pretend she wasn’t all hot and bothered in the nether regions.

  Heather rose to her not entirely impressive height and glowered at Carson, balling her fists and planting them on her lips.

  “What the hell are you doing here? How did you get in here?” she demanded, furious at being caught having a sexy dream. While at the same time, angry at being interrupted having a sexy dream.

  Carson shrugged and smiled like being a pervy lunatic and breaking into people’s apartments while they’re sleeping was the most normal thing in the world.

  “I have a key.”

  “I never gave you a key.”

  He turned the smile up to ten on the creepy scale. “I took a copy back when we were dating.”

  Her jaw almost dropped. She was almost surprised. But then, him doing something insane like that didn’t seem quite so crazy to her now.

  “You took a copy of my key without my permission?” she hissed disdainfully.

  “Yes.”

  “You’re a psycho.”

  Carson pursed his lips in a moue of playful chastisement. “Hardly the way to speak to your future mate.”

  “Humph.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “We are not mating.”

  “Yes, we are.” Said so simply; said so smugly.

  “The herd won’t allow it,” she huffed.

  Carson leaned back on her couch, making himself comfortable. “They can’t stop it.”

  “Ugh, you’re craz
y!”

  She stamped her foot in anger, wishing she could go back in time to a year ago and tell her younger self that good sex really wasn’t worth the hassle. An image of Jax, unbidden, rose before her and a little of her anger slipped away. She wondered what it would be like to be with him… he was shy and at times clumsy, and yet, there was something about him that made her think he would be magnificent. Her dream flashed before her eyes, and she could feel her panties dampening with arousal. How unusual for her to dream, but she had been inordinately turned on by the young man.

  Carson sniffed, and his eyes widened before he grinned. Crap. The douche probably thought her desire was for him.

  “Come now, darling,” he purred, patting her couch invitingly – the nerve of him, inviting her to sit on her own couch! “Since we are going to be mated, we might as well spend a little time reacquainting ourselves with… ourselves.”

  Cue enormous eye roll. She was actually kind of embarrassed that she had ever fallen for this. A year ago she would have said he was smooth.

  “Get out.” Heather pointed at the door. “I don’t plan on mating or marrying anyone, least of all some schmuck I don’t love. So just get out.”

  Carson sighed, but he didn’t lose his good humor. “We are going to mate, and while we don’t love each other, I know I can make you happy. Plus, I’m sure you and Glinda will get along.”

  “Glinda?” she questioned impatiently and only half caring about the answer.

  “My other mate.”

  “You already have a mate?!” she spluttered in disbelief.

  “Yes, we’ve been together for two years – my first cub was born six months ago,” he said like it was the most normal thing in the world to say.

  Heather gaped at him, almost thinking it was a joke, but no, he was deadly serious. “I just decided I hate you. Get out.”

  “I don’t think so, darling.”

  “Get out!” she yelled.

  Before the dick could come back with a less than witty but ultimately irritating retort, the door to her apartment flew off its hinges. Really, it didn’t fly off – it wasn’t Superdoor after all. Nope, it had some help, in that the gigantic reindeer of her dream knocked it down and strode into her apartment.

  In spite of his shy nature, he locked Carson with a steely gaze and with a ripple of those droolsome muscles, he growled, “She said get out.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Heather stared at him, and he didn’t exactly blame her. Jax hadn’t exactly meant to tear her door off, but well, he could hear her yelling, and he could scent cougar, and he had acted without thinking. What he was doing there, however…

  “Jax?”

  “You ah, forgot your gum in the car earlier,” he mumbled before rooting around in his pocket and pulling out a half-eaten pack of blue raspberry bubble gum.

  “That’s not mine,” she said, her pretty face still a portrait of surprise.

  “Oh, ah, my bad.” He shoved the bubble gum into his pocket. It was, in fact, his bubble gum, but how could he explain to her that he wasn’t even sure why he was there? He came because his beast drove him there. Because he could no sooner stop himself from making his way to her than he could stop the march of time - or his brother Dex being a total hound with women.

  “Who is this boy?” drawled a languorous voice from her couch.

  Jax hooted and moved toward him, wanting to hurt the male who dared even look at Heather – never mind all the other unforgivable things he had done to her.

  Heather intercepted him, standing in front of him to halt his progress.

  “Well, darling?” asked the male with a note of amusement.

  Irritation flickered over her delicate features before she bit her lip and whirled to face the male.

  “My boyfriend,” she blurted.

  It was Jax’s turn to gape.

  *

  Heather really shouldn’t have said that. She wasn’t sure why she did. She never lied to get rid of clingy men – she was always a straight shooter when it came to break-ups. But well, Carson really was pissing her off, and maybe there was a part of her that kind of liked the idea of being Jax’s girlfriend – if only temporarily and as a way to get rid of Carson. It was a strange urge to call herself Jax’s girlfriend, and if she hadn’t been a little overwrought from trying to handle Carson, she probably wouldn’t have given in, but she had, and she did.

  “Boyfriend?” sneered Carson.

  She caught sight of his annoyed disbelief for a moment before an even greater, madder urge took hold of her, and she didn’t even try to stop herself from giving into this one. Heather spun and grasped Jax’s shirt, pulling him down for a kiss.

  His eyes widened in surprise a moment before his lips touched hers, but he didn’t fight her, didn’t stop her. He allowed her to draw him in for a kiss, and she was so glad he did. What she had thought to be a quick, chaste kiss to stick it to her creepy ex quickly deepened. His soft lips caressed hers while her tongue delved into his mouth, exploring and teasing his own. Her body exploded in warmth as pure passion danced through her. Who would have thought such heat and pleasure existed within this quiet, shy man? Heather did. In truth, she had wanted to kiss him since the moment she saw him; she just wasn’t sure she would get the chance. He wasn’t rough or bumbling in his caress. No, as his huge hands landed on her waist, he was nothing but gentle, and she pressed herself against him.

  Slowly, carefully, Jax pulled his lips away from hers. Dazedly, she tried to follow, tried to push herself even higher than her tiptoes would allow. Alas, he was too tall for her – where was a stool when she needed one? He murmured something, and she blinked trying to come back to reality.

  “Hmmm?”

  “I just said ah,” he admitted in his shyly sweet way. A small smile played on his sensual lips, and she was about to try and dive in for another kiss when the loud voice of Carson ruined the moment.

  “Heather, darling, just drop the boy and let’s discuss our mating like rational adults.”

  Jax’s expression tightened, though she didn’t think it was because Carson called him a boy.

  “You’re making a fool of yourself,” groused Carson. “You’re behaving ridiculously.”

  “Pot calling the kettle fat,” she murmured.

  “Black,” whispered Jax.

  “Really?” She smiled, still standing on her tiptoes, still happily pressed against him. “I always thought it was fat.”

  “I’m pretty sure it’s black.”

  “What are you whispering about?” snapped Carson.

  “What my boyfriend and I have to say to each other is none of your business,” she said primly.

  Jax’s face lit up in a blush, but he didn’t deny her claim that he was her boyfriend. Nor did he remove his hands from her waist. No, they were very comfortable there.

  “Yeah, sure he is,” snorted Carson.

  “He is,” she insisted. All those years of lying to her mother about what she got up to as a teenager had really paid off – she was an excellent liar. No, Mom, that wasn’t me you spotted making out in the neighbor boy’s car. No, Mom, that wasn’t me smoking behind the seven-eleven. Both things she regretted afterward, but well, teens will be teens.

  She heard Carson rise to his feet, but she didn’t take her eyes off the delicious male holding her.

  “You didn’t have a boyfriend last night when you were flirting with me,” taunted Carson.

  Jax let out a loud hoot, and she patted his chest, almost gulping at how hard he felt under her hand. Was that a bone somehow? Should muscles feel as hard as bones?!

  “I wasn’t flirting,” she lied, and convincingly, too. True, she had been flirting, but in her defense, she didn’t know that he was a lunatic yet and nor had she met Jax at that time.

  Heather flicked a look over her shoulder and was pleased to note Carson looked pissed. Again, she wasn’t usually the type to enjoy in making men jealous – she didn’t play games like that, but she did relish
Carson’s reaction. Though, she’d probably enjoy the moment just as much even if he weren’t there watching. Actually, she’d probably enjoy it more.

  “I can’t mate you, Carson, I have a boyfriend.”

  She blew a kiss up at Jax. His blush became a little more pronounced but other than that there was no reaction. Actually, no, there was a definite reaction tapping against her stomach. It was hard and big, and it definitely wasn’t a giant flashlight that he was hiding in his pants for some reason.

  “You can pretend all you want, but I know the truth,” snapped Carson. “I suggest you start stocking up on sunblock, darling because soon you’ll be living in California.”

  “Not in this lifetime, kitten,” she retorted sweetly.

  Carson stomped away with a sneer at Jax. They could hear his booming footsteps clomping down the corridor. Even heard the squeak of the door as he left. Huh, he decided to take the stairs. Moron was probably going to stomp all the way down.

  “Ah, your door,” murmured Jax.

  To her delight, he still hadn’t removed his hands. They did feel mighty comfortable there. Her waist wasn’t exactly tiny, probably about average, but it felt like his vast hands could circle the whole thing with fingers to spare.

  “Yeah,” she agreed to whatever he was saying.

  He winced. “Sorry.”

  “No, thank you for being here. Dick would probably still be sprawled over my couch telling me I’ll need a sunhat for California if it weren’t for you.”

  Jax curled his upper lip.

  “I mean I have some mace somewhere, but I put it somewhere safe after one of my boyfriends mistook it for deodorant.”

  She was rambling slightly, but that was no different from usual. Heather had been a tad shaky at finding Carson in her apartment – and heaven knows how long he had been there watching her sleep, the freaky dick! But at the appearance of Jax, she found herself back to her usual, bouncy self.

  “You should pack a bag,” he growled.

  “Yes, I… what?”

  Her dreamy compliance came back to earth with a thud. Gently, and reluctantly, she pushed away from him, and he released her waist. Heather thought she detected a sliver of disappointment in him, though that may have been wishful thinking. Yes, she made the male blush, and he hadn’t leaped away from her kisses and shouted ‘ugh,’ but that didn’t mean he wanted her the same way she wanted him.