He grabbed his jacket and started outside, surprised by an object lodged in the threshold. He saw his clothes and wallet sitting in a neat pile, and chuckled. Either Sheila’s kid had knocked and he was too zonked out to hear it, or the boy had no manners.
After settling it all inside, he left and prowled the shore to see which bars were open tonight. Since the storm, not all businesses were running at their usual hours yet for various reasons, but Jonah could usually find a beer or a late-night snack somewhere. Seeing nothing that tantalized him on the main drag, he turned into town and noticed all the cars parked at the VFW hall.
Were they still setting up for that Christmas party? He noticed light streaming from an open door and figured he knew somebody lingering in the building. At least he wouldn’t be alone.
Inside, those in attendance had done a decent job of transforming the place where he and Grant sat through Boy Scout meetings into a winter wonderland. Fake trees glittering with tinsel and twinkle lights took up each corner of the main area, and a large butcher paper backdrop along one wall depicted various holiday scenes. The Elves of Bliss decided to keep it secular, he noticed, despite the iconic Star of Bethlehem painted near the top of the mural. The stage area was filled with wrapped boxes, which no doubt would be distributed on Christmas morning.
Sure enough, he recognized Caleb and Calla at a set of long tables laden with homemade brownies and cookies, casseroles, and chip bags. Each dish had a large spoon or ladle cut into gelled macaroni or thick sauces, and balled-up plastic wrap and aluminum foil lined the table’s edge. Caleb beckoned him closer and handed him a paper plate. “Plenty left, help yourself,” he invited.
Caleb held up a hand. “Thanks, but I’d feel weird about it. I mean, I didn’t help set up…”
Calla pushed forward with a proffered beer. “Trust us, nobody wants to take anything home. You’d be doing everybody a favor.” She laughed. “Wrap some of it up for Grant, too. You boys eating all right?”
“Yes, Mom,” he joked, rolling his eyes. “But thanks. It all looks great.” He set the beer down long enough to collect a few sweets he would probably have for breakfast, assuming Grant didn’t come home in time to cook. Flour, sugar, butter...it all went into pancakes, so what was the harm of a brownie first thing in the morning? Maybe he’d top it with preserves or yogurt to add nutritional value.
He inverted a second plate on top to keep everything stored, and had taken a long pull from his beer when Caleb’s expression changed. The other panther excused himself and Jonah followed with his gaze to where Caleb stopped by the entrance. He recognized the young girl talking with him, but not the taller man holding her by the shoulders.
“Oh, dear, Trisha doesn’t look too happy,” Calla murmured. “I hope Sheila didn’t find out she and Malcolm were in town.”
“What’s wrong with that? She’s her daughter, right?” Jonah asked. “I figured she’d be home for Christmas.”
Calla shrugged. “Yeah, but we were planning a surprise for Sheila before the Elves of Bliss party. The mayor wanted to present her with an award for community service, and Caleb thought up the surprise. Trisha’s brother has spent the last several weeks rehearsing with a band he and his friends formed. We were going to have it all done in Sheila’s honor.” She then excused herself. “I should go over there, sorry.”
“I see,” Jonah said, but she had already stepped away. Well, that would explain the boy’s prolonged absences from home, and consequently Sheila’s growing frustration. He’d sensed that from her throughout the work he did on her home, and as they had fucked. He sympathized with her, and her feelings of abandonment. One child gone from the nest, another testing his wings...and he upset with Grant for straying from panther traditions. He still had Mom, but she led an active life without worry for him despite her health issues.
He and Sheila had so much in common—panther heritage, community ties, insatiable sexual appetites. His heart swelled when he thought of her, to say nothing of his cock. If indeed she’d found out people had kept secrets from her, chances were she’d jumped to wrong conclusions. Yet, Sheila Houlihan seemed the type to take charge and get to the bottom of any shenanigans. He’d expected her to appear and demand answers.
He waited. Caleb and Calla talked more with their young cousin, who left with Malcolm Weaver after a minute. Caleb shook his head, looking down at the floor while others milled about with plates full of food. He wanted to ask if Sheila figured into their discussion, but knew it wasn’t his place to pry.
“Are you leaving already?” Calla asked him after he’d grabbed the plate and trashed his empty beer bottle. “Don’t feel like you have to. I think some of the guys were going start up a Cards Against Humanity game. I know Grant’s into that sort of thing.” She turned back toward the door. “Walt brought some extra decks.”
“Sounds like Walt.” Jonah chuckled at the thought of the pack’s resident game geek. Walt owned the only comic book shop in Bliss which, situated on the inland edge of town, miraculously sustained little damage. “Maybe next time, okay? It was a long day, and I should get some sleep.”
Calla nodded her farewell; Caleb looked too preoccupied to acknowledge him. Whatever Trisha had told him really caused concern. Jonah didn’t waste another second socializing in the hall. He set the plate on the passenger seat and steered toward shore, nowhere close to his home. If Grant had left his key and decided to return after all, his hard luck.
Chapter Six
Somewhere between the pealing phone and the distant knocking downstairs, Sheila drifted away. When the light rapping increased to frantic pounding she bolted awake and sat up in bed, covering her bare torso with the thin sheet. “Damn it,” she muttered and squinted in the dim room to see her phone. Only nine o’clock. She felt like an old woman, having gone to bed so early and falling asleep to boot.
After a moment she lay back. Caleb and her children knew where to find the hide-a-key if they were locked out. That left Jehovah’s Witnesses or somebody lost, and she doubted either. Who else but—
“Sheila!”
She heard the voice, faint but distinct. Her stomach roiled and her pussy clenched. Who else? Cursing, she ripped away the sheet and scrambled for her robe.
“Hold your horses. I’ll be right down!” She belted the flowing satin and tied a huge bow as she descended the stairs. “What do you want? I sent the last payment online, you should have received it.”
No answer. Sheila opened the door with a jerk to find a grinning Jonah holding a paper plate at chin level.
“I brought brownies. Got milk?”
She frowned. “Are they loaded? I could use a buzz.” Instinct nudged her to say goodnight and push the door until he disappeared, but two kinds of hunger moved her to one side while Jonah entered the foyer. She followed him into the kitchen, where he set the treats on the counter.
“Why are you here, Jonah? Shouldn’t you use the chocolate to woo an eligible she-panther with a working womb?” She kept her head in the refrigerator as she talked, and wavered between almond milk and dessert wine. Perhaps the latter and a scoop of ice cream? She checked the freezer to discover none left.
Jonah, meanwhile, had foraged her pantry and lined up three jars of toppings. He opened the caramel and spooned a dollop on his brownie. “Every Friday when we were kids my dad took us to McDonald’s. Grant got the hot fudge sundae and I got caramel. They pumped it out hot and it melted the soft serve on contact every damn time. Funny thing, though, the cold of the ice cream made it chewier. I could barely talk afterward. Drove me insane.” He smiled. Damn, but he looked cute.
“Why not get another flavor then?” She pinched a corner of her brownie and tasted it. It required no embellishments—the cake simply melted in her mouth. “Didn’t they used to do strawberry sundaes, too?”
Jonah shrugged and ran his finger over the curve of the spoon, collecting the caramel. “Yeah, but it looked gross to me. Anyway, going there was a special thing my dad did for us.
We were too young to appreciate the ‘real’ ice cream shops on the shore. Something about those golden arches. I wasn’t about to complain.”
“I remember your father. He was a good man.” Lord, she must have sounded like any of the old ladies who attended the man’s funeral—hardly the type anybody wished to seduce. She broke off another bite of her brownie. “Well, I can understand how certain things trigger memories. All this time sorting through stuff that survived storm damage, I practically relived my youth.”
Jonah sighed. “I have to confess, Sheila, I saw some pictures of you...really sexy ones, like you took for a budoir shoot,” he said, his voice light with laughter as he talked. “You haven’t changed a bit. You’re still damn sexy.”
“God. I would never have done that, if I weren’t trying to help a friend out.” She moaned and touched her head to the counter. “You know you’re probably the only person besides me and the photographer who’s seen them? I couldn’t even show them to my husband!”
“What? I don’t believe that.” Jonah frowned. “If my mate got all sexed up in lingerie I’d want to see the result.”
“How did we get from the subject of your childhood dessert cravings to my underwear?”
“Somewhat related. I crave different things now.” Jonah winked at her, sticking a caramel-coated finger in his mouth and sucking it clean. “I’m glad you’re not upset I, uh, peeked.”
Sheila snorted. “Seeing as how you’ve seen more since then, how can I be upset?” She took the jar of caramel from him and returned lids to all the open jars. “Why are you here, Jonah? I thought you were interested in a mate who could give you what you wanted.”
“After talking with Grant, and Caleb, I think my priorities might have changed.” Sheila whirled around at the mention of her nephew, and he added, “I found out that your daughter’s in town. I didn’t want to spoil anything, but there was a surprise party planned for you.”
“What?” Her heart expanded and beat like it would burst. She hadn’t suspected anything of the sort—clearly everybody close to her had managed to guard their thoughts. “A party for me, at Christmas?”
“It’s the season for giving, and even I know how generous you’ve been to Bliss since Sandy hit,” Jonah said. “Hell, you could have fired Grant and me a long time ago.” He chuckled.
“Times are tough, people need work,” she mumbled, her mind still on Trisha. A wave of guilt washed over her, taking with it the ill feelings she’d harbored for her firstborn.
“People need love and security, and hope, and you helped with all that. Your family and friends wanted to show their appreciation, but I guess it could have been handled better.” Jonah finished his brownie, then motioned for Sheila to take the empty plate. She set to cleaning up their mess, her movements automatic while she continued to process Jonah’s news.
When she didn’t respond, he folded his arms on the counter and said, “I know I ruined the surprise, but I figured you might be upset and thought your family was neglecting you. Christmas puts emphasis on family and happiness, and until tonight I believed the key to getting it involved tradition. My brother found his joy with a human and just may end up in a non-traditional relationship. I guess in a way, so did Caleb.”
“But Calla’s a shifter, just a latent one,” Sheila pointed out.
“He would have pursued her if that weren’t the case, don’t you think? I thought maybe not, but after I saw them tonight I questioned myself.”
Sheila couldn’t argue with that.
Idly, she wiped the counter, unnerved by the way Jonah watched her. With dessert done, what other reason did he have for staying? “Since you’re here I will assure you that I will recommend your services to others. The painting, that is,” she said. One look at his intense gaze threatened to turn her into a puddle, and she crossed her legs. It relieved her to have the kitchen island between them. A woman with weaker restraint would have long ago vaulted over to jump him.
“Whatever. I didn’t come to talk business.” He took a deep breath and continued, “I like you, Sheila, and loved being with you. I’d love to again, and maybe stay a while longer and make you come more than once in a night.”
“God,” she muttered, and instinctively looked toward the front door in case her son chose to make an inopportune entrance.
“Not the reaction I expected, but at least you didn’t tell me to fuck off.” Jonah twitched his lip.
“Jonah, we had some fun. I won’t deny it. If I seemed standoffish afterward, I guess it’s because I never expected anybody to hit on me, much less a younger guy,” Sheila said. “I’m not looking for another husband right now, so it wouldn’t be fair of me to tell you that I’d be your mate. You’re young yet, and you deserve the chances any alpha panther gets.”
“I am younger than you, yes, and there’s time for mating and having kids.” Jonah rounded the counter and stood next to Sheila. “I’ve given it some thought, though, and I’d prefer to spend my time with you.” He nuzzled her ear. “We could be rather productive together. If I don’t have kids, I don’t have kids. There’s still my brother, and a few Hinkley cousins have taken care of it, too.”
His warm breath tickled the back of her neck, and Sheila’s pussy gave a squeeze. She wouldn’t turn away two willing hands, or a hard cock like the one nudging her thigh. He touched her robe just under the swell of her breasts, and though he moved no further her nipples hardened in anticipation.
Nonetheless, she refused to lead Jonah on if he still harbored the faintest idea of family. “I’m good with a happy for now situation,” she told him. “I won’t discuss the future if you won’t. We’ll enjoy each other’s company, yes?”
“You see me frowning?” His lips traced the outer shell of her ear and he drew her closer. Hard against soft, heat speeding up heartbeats. “Are we going to hang in your kitchen forever or do you want to head upstairs and be happy for now all night?”
Laughing, Sheila tugged at his hand and as he backed away the robe slid to the floor.
“Why waste the time?” she asked, and braced herself against the island counter, moving her feet wider apart. Jonah took the cue and reached down to smooth his palm over her ass before delving two fingers into her slick pussy.
“So ready for me,” he said on a sigh. “I haven’t even kissed you.”
“You should rectify that.”
She craned her neck closer and parted her lips to receive his kiss. The taste of caramel mingled with chocolate spiked her desire, more so as he quickened the pace of his fingers deep inside her. His other hand explored her torso, brushing up her abdomen before settling on one of her breasts. Much as she would have enjoyed foreplay, her body starved for intimacy, and she broke off long enough to beg for his cock.
Jonah said nothing, but undid his jeans and tugged down his briefs. She pushed up her bottom, watching him guide his cock between the globes of her ass before pushing to take her from behind. She hissed in a breath as he filled her, then focused on the counter and her whitening knuckles. Damn, when had she turned so wanton? Did a dry spell in sex transform all women like this?
“Ooh!”
Jonah’s cry caught her attention. “Something wrong?”
“My ass keeps hitting your fridge. It’s damn cold.”
Sheila didn’t need the visual. The one blossoming in her mind served her fine, and she laughed out loud. Her amusement spurred Jonah to fuck her harder, and her breasts rocked over the cool surface of the counter. Her nipples grazed the marble and she twitched.
Well, I guess we’re even now.
“Should we move?” she asked. The slap of skin against skin answered her. Jonah grunted and pressed deep into her. She clamped around his girth, which seemed to stretch her more.
“We have to stop first, you sure you want to do that?” he growled in her ear.
“Just don’t make a dent in the door,” she said, and arched her back.
Epilogue
The morning of Christmas, ma
ny creatures stirred—human and shifter. Anxious children, many still in their flannel pajamas, lined the interior of the VFW Hall to await their turn to receive presents. Jonah, dressed for the sudden drop in temperature in a black turtleneck and jeans, adjusted the green elf hat so that the drooping point didn’t fall into his line of vision. Every turn of his head caused the tiny bells sewn at the end to jingle, setting his teeth on edge.
He leaned close to Caleb, dressed similarly only he wore a non-bell adorned Santa hat. “Do I have to wear this thing? I think everybody here gets the gist.”
“It’s two hours of your life, c’mon. The kids love it. Don you now your gay apparel, right?” Caleb winked.
Jonah grunted. He’d certainly feel merrier if the hall had better acoustics. The joy of Christmas echoed through the building, and the additional chatter from grownups raised the cacophony up a notch. He’d agreed, after an incredible night of lovemaking, to help Sheila with the Elves of Bliss event, but hadn’t expected to dress the part.
Still, it was worth it to get up early and see Sheila decked out in a short but billowing green skirt and matching blouse, white stockings, and pointed shoes. A long string of seed pearls draped from her neck—a gift from her daughter, who manned the candy station with her husband as they filled goodie bags for the kids. To Sheila’s credit, she had played the role of surprised mother like a pro when they arrived at the hall to a chorus of cheers and greetings. Everybody focused on Sheila, from Trish’s enthusiastic hug to her impromptu speech on receiving a plaque from the mayor.
That suited Jonah fine. In all the excitement, nobody asked why the two of them showed up together.
The party lasted a few hours, with the volunteers staying until all the kids left with some Christmas cheer. Jonah set out with Caleb to collect discarded wrapping paper and bows, while Sheila offered bags of canned goods and pantry staples to some of the families. By the time the hall emptied of beneficiaries, Jonah realized he barely had time to get to his mother’s house for holiday dinner.
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