by Zoe Chant
He handed her a steaming thermos mug. “Then eat up.”
The mulled wine was sweet and spicy and, yes, still hot. Abigail licked her lips, savoring the flavor. She opened her eyes to see Jasper’s gaze locked on her mouth. His pupils were so huge they almost swallowed up the red-brown of his irises.
Abigail swallowed. Something special. Part of her was already clenched in fear, waiting for everything to go wrong. This was so clearly a bad idea. But part of her…
She licked her lips again, and a muscle in Jasper’s jaw twitched. Excitement shot through her like lightning. Part of her really, really wanted to see where this went, before everything inevitably fell to pieces.
“Hey,” she said, kicking him gently. “None of that. This is the kids’ circuit, remember. Behave.”
Jasper smiled wickedly. “It’s also close to midnight, and the sky is full of stars. And it’s very, very cold.” He shuffled closer to her on the log until they were pressed together, his arm around her shoulder, his hip nudging up against hers. Abigail let her head fall onto his shoulder. “That’s better.”
“Mmm.” Abigail closed her eyes. Jasper was reassuringly solid, warm and strong and… her heart trembled. Special. She knew she should explain to him why she had been acting like such an ass, but even the thought of it made her whole body suddenly heavy. Like she’d just run a marathon, not scribbled on a postcard.
The rich smell of casserole rose up around her and she opened them again to see a spoon hovering in front of her face. “Hey!”
Jasper tutted. “You’ve been on your feet all day. From what you said about your boss, I bet you haven’t had the chance to grab more than a few bites to eat since the start of your shift. I don’t want you collapsing on me.” He paused and Abigail got ready to groan, anticipating his next words. “…Not yet, anyway.”
Abigail groaned. “I have work at nine again tomorrow.”
“Then I intend to make the most of the time we have.” He waved the spoon enticingly. “And you’ll need your strength—”
Abigail rolled her eyes and grabbed the spoon. “You’re such a romantic.”
He snuck one hand up under her coat. “I try.”
The meal was delicious— but it wasn’t the hearty stew and bread that filled Abigail with a warm glow. It was long, slow looks Jasper sent her way, his eyes lingering on her lips. Every “accidental” brush of his hand against hers as they ate.
She could explain later. There wasn’t any rush. And right now, with Jasper warm at her side, and desire pooling hot inside her as they ate together… she didn’t want to ruin this.
Later, she promised herself.
* * *
Despite the food and Jasper’s tempting small caresses, Abigail was almost dozing by the time they finished the meal. She leaned heavily on him as they walked back up to the sled, and once they were there it was all she could do not to curl up on the seat and fall asleep.
“Abigail?”
“Hmm?” She rubbed her eyes and blinked hard. Jasper settled his arm over her shoulder. She thought he was moving a bit more slowly than earlier. Tentative.
Or maybe he’s just as full and sleepy as I am.
“What is it?” she asked, wriggling into his side. She loved the sound of his voice: so smooth and rich. Like chocolate. Warm, melting chocolate…
“I wanted to ask you about…” Jasper’s voice trailed off. His chest rose and fell. “Have you enjoyed tonight?”
“God, yes. It’s been… perfect.” Abigail snuggled closer into him. “I wish it didn’t have to end.”
“Do you think—” Jasper tapped his teeth together, breaking off again. He sighed. “I can’t believe you’ve been here all along. All those years, if I’d just come home, I could have found you here.”
“Falling off a roof,” Abigail murmured, and chuckled. Jasper nudged her.
“Well I didn’t know you made a habit of that. Who’s been catching you, previous years?”
This time, Abigail didn’t catch the yawn before it escaped. She fleetingly wondered whether to tell Jasper about the other pain-in-the-ass things Mr. Bell had made her do during the holiday season, but decided against it. No need to ruin the moment by being a killjoy.
“This is the first year we did the whole rooftop display thing,” she said instead. “I’ve only fallen off step-ladders before. I levelled up this year.”
“Lucky me.”
She giggled. “Lucky me, that you were there.” She yawned again. Eyes open, she told herself. Come on. Look around you. How can you miss all of this, just for a bit of sleep? A bit of… She shook her head. “Wait, what was it you wanted to ask me? Did I miss the question?”
Jasper’s warm chocolate tones washed over her. If she turned her head, she thought, maybe she could press her face up against his neck, and feel his voice reverberating against her skin…
The unmistakable tune of Jingle Bell Rock woke her up. For a moment, she had no idea where she was. Then she realized how warm her bum was.
“When did we get back in the car?” she mumbled sleepily. “And when— we’re back in town?” She blinked, peering out the windows. They were less than a block from her apartment. Her chest went tight. How could I fall asleep? God, he probably thinks I’m such a—
“Sorry about that.” Jasper’s hand reached into her field of vision and he turned off the radio. “Sleep well?”
“I—” Abigail stifled a yawn. “Did you carry me off of the sled?”
“I was sure you’d wake up, but you were out like a light.” Jasper engaged the handbrake and leaned over to kiss her. “Sleeping beauty.”
Abigail snorted. “Now I know you’re lying.”
“Peaceful. Elegant. Only very minimal amounts of drool.”
“Oh, God.” Abigail covered her face with her hands— and swiped surreptitiously at her mouth. Her glove came away dry. No drool. Thank goodness. “I can’t believe I fell asleep in the middle of our date. You put so much effort into organizing everything— the food, the dogsledding— and I just straight-up passed out. I’m a lousy date.”
“Don’t be sorry. If you needed to sleep, you needed to sleep.” He grinned and touched her cheek. The gold and red sparks were gone from his eyes, but— Abigail blinked. She must have been completely wrong when she thought his eyes were brown. They were the color of a low fire, just beginning to flicker out. No gold and red sparks, just a soft, inviting glow that warmed her from the inside out.
She frowned, remembering. “Did you have something you wanted to ask me?”
Jasper’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth— and then shut it again. “It can wait,” he murmured. “The important thing is, I got you back home before you turned into a pumpkin.”
Abigail looked out the window. There was her apartment: plain white walls, dark unlit windows. She still had to put her uniform in the laundry, and…
A vision of a small mountain cottage formed in her mind. Jasper’s bachelor pad— the one he must have hardly spent any time at since he arrived in Pine Valley. She made up details, matching them to the man sitting beside her in the car.
Solid wooden walls, and thick, luxurious rugs on the floor. A roaring fire, for sure. Deeply cushioned chairs, and a kitchen stocked with everything you would need for a holiday cut off from the world by snow.
And Christmas decorations. She bet that even if he hadn’t had time for anything else, he had a tree. She closed her eyes, imagining. Would there be stockings over the fireplace? No, he was here visiting family, wasn’t he? The stockings would be in their house.
Well, that was the sensible option, at least. Was it the option that a man who’d bought her expensive gifts on a few days’ acquaintance would take? Or would he fill every inch of his life with Christmas cheer and generosity, regardless of double-ups?
Her heart ached. It wasn’t worth even wishing he’d taken her there, instead of here to her cold, empty apartment. She wouldn’t fit in anywhere like that.
She opened
her eyes. Jasper’s ember-like gaze burned into her. Maybe she didn’t fit into his world— but he could fit into hers. At least until he figured out how badly they were matched.
“Do you want to come up?” she asked, her voice rough.
Jasper smiled. “Always.”
CHAPTER 10
Jasper
*
DECEMBER 23
TWO DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS
Jasper couldn’t stop looking at his phone. He’d wheedled Abigail’s phone number out of her that morning, after buttering her up with a pile of freshly made breakfast biscuits and creamy hot coffee. Not that she had required much wheedling. The moment he pulled his phone out, her cheeks had gone pink, and by the time she finished putting her number in, even the tip of her adorable upturned nose was blushing.
But that wasn’t the best thing. No, the best thing was the message she had sent him mid-afternoon.
Can I organize the date tonight? I have an idea I think you’ll like.
Excitement fizzed over his skin. Nothing he put together could be as wonderful as this. His mate was letting down her prickly façade. Reaching out to him.
He couldn’t wait to see what she had planned.
“Uncle Ja-a-a-asper!” The warning came just in time. Jasper leapt back, shoving his phone safely into a pocket as a thick slurry of snow slid off the roof of the lodge.
Well, partly snow. Mostly, it was Cole. The little dragon tumbled tail-over-snout, covered in wet slush.
“Cole! Watch out!”
Jasper braced himself. His dragon rose up inside him, so close to the surface that scales shimmered on his skin. He forced it back down. His mate had given him her phone number. That was a gift, and that gift was on his phone. And his phone would be safe in his pocket, unless he shifted, in which case his clothing would be ripped to shreds and his phone would be left to the mercy of the elements. The elements and a juvenile dragon shifter.
Besides, his human form was sturdy enough to deal with one four-year-old dragon—
“Oof!”
Jasper flew backwards as Cole slammed into him. He hit the ground, a hundred pounds of dragon on his chest. Luckily, the snow was deep enough up here by the lodge to cushion his fall.
Jasper pushed himself up, fighting against the combined weight of his nephew and the drifts of snow. Cole’s claws punctured his jacket as he tried to keep his balance. Jasper carefully put one hand over the pocket where he had stowed his phone.
“What’s the matter, buddy? You forget how to use your wings?”
Cole shook snow off his snout. His dragon was as black as his namesake, gleaming with green and red undertones. His wings flexed, sending more wet snow into the air.
*I was hiding!* he announced triumphantly, his eyes glittering blue-black. *And I gotted you, uncle Jasper!*
“Hiding so well you got your wings snow-logged and couldn’t get them out in time, huh?” Jasper winced. When he’d decided to stay human, he had kind of relied on his nephew flying into him, not falling with all of his considerable draconic weight. Ouch.
Cole leapt off Jasper and pranced through the snow. *I gotted you! I gotted you!*
“Oh, you did, huh?” Jasper rolled onto his feet. His chest ached a bit— but it was only a bruise. He scooped up an armful of snow. “Let’s see how you like a taste of your own medicine— hah!”
He launched the giant snowball directly at Cole’s face. The snowball exploded on impact, covering the small dragon from snout to hindquarters. The only part of him left visible were his wings, flapping in surprise either side of the heap of snow. *Uncle Ja-a-a-asper! That’s not fair! I wasn’t ready!*
Cole wriggled butt-first out of the snow, his tail whipping back and forth. He shook himself, but a crust of snow stuck above his eye-ridges, making him look like he had giant woolly eyebrows. *Okay, now I’m going to go back on the roof and you walk around again and I’ll jump on you!*
Without waiting for an answer, Cole bounded off. Jasper laughed and dusted himself off.
“Hey, Jasper!”
“Hank!” Jasper waved to his brother-in-law, who was pushing a wheelbarrow full of firewood up to the lodge.
Hank set the wheelbarrow down a few feet away. His eyes flicked from Jasper, who was still mostly covered in snow, up to the lodge roof. “You and Cole having fun?”
Hank was a dragon shifter. He had been part of the family for six years, ever since Opal dragged him back to the lodge after one spring break with the news that she had found her mate, and they were getting married right now, so everyone hurry up and put on some nice clothes, and also she was taking him up to her hoard straight after so no one had better interrupt them. Jasper had never seen his sister happier, or more gleefully officious.
His brother-in-law was a massive man, broad-shouldered and with a red-brown beard that made him look more like a lumberjack than a dragon. His dragon had pine-green scales and eyes the color of new spring growth. The classic model of dragon, Opal called him.
“Fun’s one word for it,” Jasper said ruefully, brushing snow off his shoulders. “He’s enjoying himself.”
Hank nodded at the wheelbarrow. “Thought you might want some fuel for the cottage. Though from what Opal says, you haven’t been using it much.” He grinned. “Busy in town, huh? You planning on dragging her over to meet the family soon?”
“Soon.” Jasper’s stomach clenched. “I just have to…”
He sagged, remembering the night before. He had meant to tell her then. Tell her everything. The Puppy Express was far enough out of town that he wouldn’t have risked anyone seeing him shift— except the manager, and he was an old family friend.
But then Abigail had written him a Christmas card. He hadn’t even received it yet, but Jasper already knew it would be the most precious thing he had ever owned. A Christmas card, from his mate who hated Christmas.
She was just starting to let down her walls. Maybe even trust him. And after she had fallen asleep in his arms, in the dogsled… he hadn’t wanted to ruin that moment by telling her about the curse.
Hank caught his eye and nodded. “I figured as much.” He let out a huff of breath and hooked his thumbs into his pockets. “You want to talk about it?”
Jasper sighed. “Not where we might get dive-bombed by a mad dragon any moment.”
“Fair enough.” Hank clapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s go work on the bonfire.”
Ten minutes later, they were out of range of Cole’s snow-monster attacks, but Jasper was no closer to putting words to the conflict raging inside him. Hank dumped an armful of branches in front of the half-built bonfire and crouched down to sort through them.
“I’m going to tell her,” Jasper said at last. He aimed a kick at a snowdrift. “Tonight.” He hesitated again. “Some of it, at least.”
He glanced back at Hank. His brother-in-law looked completely engrossed in his task.
“No, I have to tell her all of it. And if I tell her tonight, that still leaves all of Christmas Eve for us to… plan things,” he went on, shoving his hands in his pockets and stamping down the snow around the bonfire. “That’s still in time. Just. No, it’ll be fine. I’ll tell her—”
He found himself aiming a kick at the carefully arranged pile of wood, and quickly changed direction.
“I’ll tell her I’m a shifter, at least. I can’t hide that.”
Hank grunted. “And?”
“And…” Jasper swore. “And what? Isn’t that likely to blow her mind enough?”
Hank rested his elbows on his knees and looked up at him. “Jas, you’ve had three days with her. From memory, those first few days are the craziest of your life. Your dragon’s going mad, your human isn’t much better— and you’ve got the deadline on top of that. So tell me how you’ve managed not to tell her any of it yet.”
Jasper blinked. He wasn’t sure he’d ever heard Hank string so many words together at once.
And he didn’t know what to say back.
“I—
” He stopped and swallowed hard. “You and Opal had it easy. She didn’t have to turn your world upside down. You already knew about shifters, you already knew about mates… you saw each other, and bam, the curse was broken.”
“Your sister never told me about the curse.”
“What?” Jasper stared, too shocked to close his mouth. “You’re kidding. Opal?”
Hank looked up at him, his green eyes sober. “She was scared, Jas. The mate bond was one thing, but she thought if I knew about the curse…” He sighed. “Honestly? I don’t know. She still won’t explain what she was thinking. But I’d bet half my hoard that she was scared I’d run off, if I knew that I was all that stood between her and a life as half a person.”
“Hell.”
“Yep.”
Jasper crouched down next to his brother-in-law. “So when did you find out?”
“That’s not the point of the story, Jas. We’re talking about you.” Hank sighed. “Opal nearly had a heart attack when she saw you’d come home alone. I could feel her all the way from the lodge. She thought she was going to lose you. Calmed down a bit when you found your girl, but you’re running out of time.”
Jasper’s heart twisted. He hadn’t even noticed that Opal was still upset; he thought she’d put aside her fears when he found Abigail.
Hank snorted. “And don’t go saying you didn’t even notice she was stressed over it. You know she keeps things close to the chest.”
“I’ll tell her. Christmas Eve. It’s all going to be fine,” he said quickly, standing up and pushing his hands into his pockets.
“Why not tonight? Bring her over for brunch tomorrow. It’ll make your sister feel better.” Hank stood up and started weaving branches into the bonfire. “Don’t leave it to the last minute, Jas. Trust me on this.”
* * *
Jasper sat on one of the low benches under the massive plastic Christmas tree, staring across at Abigail’s shop. He could see her inside, bustling around helping the last customers of the day. The smile on her face looked strange, and it had taken him a while to recognize why. It wasn’t the same smile that lit up her face when she saw him. It wasn’t real. The edges of her mouth might be pulled up, but her eyes were tired. Her Christmas smile? Jasper thought sadly, remembering everything she had said about the holiday being fake.