Finn found himself laughing along with the conversation, and feeling like he fit right in. Sitting on the couch drinking eggnog, with his arm wrapped lazily around Sophia’s shoulders, he felt perfectly at home. The one uncomfortable point in the conversation was when Zach mentioned how badly he wanted to do an aerial tour while he was up in Alaska.
“The weather hasn’t been good for it since we got here. Too much wind and cloud cover, so Sawyer hasn’t wanted to fly. But it looks like tomorrow things might be clear enough. A Christmas miracle, if you will,” Zach said with a laugh. “Do you and Sophia want to tag along if I book a tour next weekend?”
Zach looked right at Finn when he asked the question, and Finn froze. Ever since his parents had died in an airplane accident, Finn had hated flying. He especially hated small aircraft like Sawyer’s bush plane. Finn not only worried about whether the plane was going to go down, he also couldn’t stop thinking about what it must have been like for his parents in their final moments. What had it felt like to be in a failing plane, knowing you were hurtling toward your death? The thought was too painful for Finn to think about, so he avoided it by avoiding planes.
“Finn?” Sophia asked, touching his arm. “Are you okay?”
Finn took a deep breath and smiled over at her tenderly, then looked back at Zach’s father. “I’m not big on planes,” he said. “My parents died in a plane crash, and, well, I’ve been avoiding them ever since.”
Finn knew by the look on Zach’s face that Zach wasn’t going to let this go that easily. Usually, mentioning his long-dead parents was enough to get people to leave him alone, but Zach wasn’t most people. Finn could see where Sophia got her stubbornness from.
“Are you afraid?” Zach asked, cutting straight to the point.
“Yes,” Finn said flatly. It wasn’t a very manly thing to admit to, but he knew better to lie to his soon-to-be father-in-law. And, surely, Zach could cut him a break here. He had every reason in the world to fear airplanes.
Zach frowned slightly as he looked over at Finn, as if contemplating what to say. Finally, he simply said, “Finn, the best way to overcome your fears is to face them.”
Finn nodded respectfully, not wanting to push the issue. The conversation moved on to other things, but Finn knew he was going to have to find a way to show he could overcome his fear of flying.
Still, that moment didn’t dampen the joy of the night for Finn. The family continued drinking eggnog and hot chocolate long into the night, surrounded by the warmth of the fireplace and the happy glow of lights from the Christmas tree. Finn could not have asked for a more perfect evening.
Chapter Eleven
Sophia smiled as Finn slipped his arms around her. It was after midnight, and she was exhausted, but she couldn’t resist melting into his kiss as he put his lips on hers.
“What a great night,” Finn murmured as he nuzzled her nose. “Thank you for sharing your family with me. It’s been so long since I’ve had a family at Christmas. Tonight was truly special.”
Sophia’s smile deepened. They were back at Finn’s place for the night, but they would only be here briefly to sleep before heading out to Sawyer’s cabin for the grand finale of the Christmas reunion. All of the shifters who had traveled to Frost Peak for the reunion would be celebrating Christmas together tomorrow. It was sure to be a loud, fun, food-filled occasion. Sophia knew that as soon as word got out about her engagement, she would be attacked by well-wishers. She hated being the center of attention, but at least it would be for a good reason this time. There was nothing worse than having all eyes in the room on you as you struggled to answer questions about your lack of a love life.
She didn’t want to think about tomorrow right now, though. She turned her mind back to the present, and back to Finn. He had lit a fire in the fireplace as soon as they got home, so that his cabin would begin to heat up. It was burning brightly now, and Sophia, as tired as she was, couldn’t resist the chance to indulge her little fireplace fantasy.
“Come here,” she said, tugging Finn toward the fireplace and the huge sheepskin rug on the floor in front of it. She pulled him down onto the rug, and he grinned as he realized what she was doing. He reached over to grab a blanket off the couch, and spread it over them. Then he continued kissing her, his warm lips meeting hers softly and tenderly. Sophia felt warmth all through her body. She was enveloped in the heat from the fireplace, the heat from the blanket, and the heat from Finn’s body. The Christmas lights twinkling on his Christmas tree added to the warmth of the room, too. Sophia felt cozy and secure. She had longed for a holiday like this for so long, and she tried to memorize every single moment in her mind as Finn moved his hands over her body.
She could tell he had a deep hunger for her right now. He was already reaching for the buttons on her jeans, his fingers deftly unbuttoning, unzipping, and then pushing the pants off. Sophia wriggled to help him in his task, and then reached to unbutton his jeans as well. For the next few minutes, they moved in what felt like an awkward dance as they continued to kiss, while struggling to remove clothes as they lay beneath the blanket. Sweaters, underwear, and Sophia’s bra were all eventually taken off in a tangle of kisses and arms. Finn threw the clothes aside in a pile, until he and Sophia were both naked under the blanket, their skin only illuminated by the Christmas lights and the orange-yellow glow of the fire.
Sophia had wanted this for so long. The idea of making love by the fire had sounded so romantic to her, but she hadn’t wanted to push it. She had wanted the moment to be right. And now, it was right. She trembled as he ran his hand down her body, tracing lines with his finger around her breasts, down her navel, and gently brushing the most sensitive of areas between her legs.
She could feel the wetness growing, her entrance becoming slick with her desire. Her cheeks flushed as her body warmed even more, anticipating what was coming. She could feel his stiff erection pressing against her bare leg, and she moaned softly. She wanted it inside of her. She wanted nothing more for Christmas than for Finn to make love to her right here and now, on the impossibly soft sheepskin next to the beautiful flames of his large fireplace.
Finn seemed to sense her urgency and desire. He moved under the blanket to position himself over her. She was lying on her back, and he slid above her so that his massive dick was right above her entrance. They were both breathing heavily as he slid into her. The movement was quick and silent, and felt like the most natural thing in the world. Sophia closed her eyes as he filled her, pressing against every part of her with the most delicious kind of pressure. She opened her eyes for just a moment, and took in his gorgeous face as he started rocking back and forth, sliding in and out of her. His eyes were closed, and he had an intense look of passion on his face.
Sophia closed her own eyes again, and let her own passion overtake her. The movement of Finn inside of her quickly stirred up a tingling, electric heat. Sophia breathed in and out rapidly as she felt the tingling build. She bit her lower lip, trying to prolong the pleasure for as long as possible, but unable to stop the tidal wave washing over her.
She let go. Her inner muscles spasmed and clenched around Finn’s member. Over and over, the tremors of ecstasy passed through her being. She was on fire, writhing beneath the intense heat of his touch. He let out a loud roar, then found his release as well. She felt his liquid heat filling her, and the sensation prolonged her own pleasure. For several long moments, she continued to breathe heavily, drinking in the perfection of being together with her bear.
When the intensity finally subsided, she grinned and snuggled her face into Finn’s bare chest. She would have slept on that rug all night, safe in his arms next to the fire. But after a few minutes, he slowly sat up and pulled her with him.
“Come on, Love,” he said. “Let’s go snuggle in the bed.”
And they did. Under the covers, they fell asleep together, wrapped in each other’s arms and in the magic of Christmas.
Chapter Twelve
S
ophia was surprised at how early she woke the next day, given how late she had been up the night before. But the gray-pink light of dawn was barely starting to etch its way across the sky when she opened her eyes and sat up, wide awake. Perhaps she had never truly let go of that “little kid” joy of getting up before the sun on Christmas morning.
She smiled as she looked over at Finn, who was still softly snoring. She knew yesterday had been a big day for him. He’d been so thrilled to be accepted into her family. He told her that he was starting to come to peace with the fact that he would always be afraid of losing his family, but that the joy of having a family was worth the fear. Sophia knew that the last few weeks had been transformational for him, and she couldn’t be happier that she had been part of that transformation.
She’d had her own transformation, too. Her mom and dad had cornered her last night and asked about her plans for the future. Where would she live? Had she thought about what to do for work? When was the wedding going to be? Sophia had told them, with a little bit of trepidation, about her plans to start making wildlife documentaries. They had loved the idea, and offered to help her get equipment to get started. Sophia felt a sheepish grin passing over her face. She had so many people offering to help her get her dream off the ground. She should have known that everyone would want to help her. If she’d been honest about what she really wanted long ago, she probably would have been making documentaries for years. Sophia vowed to herself not to let fear hold her back anymore from something she really wanted to do.
Sophia slipped out of bed and slipped into the shower. She might as well get ready for the day if she was going to be wide awake. The steaming hot water felt good on her skin. Finn might have a hatred for technology, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have quality stuff in his house. The hot water heater he had worked wonders, and the showerhead had several different settings to make sure you got exactly the amount of water pressure you wanted.
After a long shower, Sophia dried her hair into soft waves, then put on just a hint of makeup. She dressed in her favorite pair of blue jeans and a soft sweater that boasted a festive red color. She finished her look by choosing a pair of simple gold hoop earrings. As she turned to walk out of the bathroom, she was momentarily startled to find Finn standing there. He was leaning against the bathroom’s door frame, wearing a pair of flannel plaid pajama pants and nothing else. His dark hair was mussed up and he had a hint of stubble on his chin. His eyes twinkled as he watched her, and Sophia felt the breath go out of her. He was so damn sexy. How had she gotten so lucky?
“Hey you,” he said. “You were up early.”
Sophia shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep. Too excited about Christmas, I guess.”
Finn smiled and nodded. “Well, that’s a good thing, I guess, because I was going to wake you up, anyway. I have a present for you.”
Sophia’s eyes widened. “We agreed we weren’t doing presents,” she said. “I didn’t get you anything.”
Finn waved her away. “I know, I know. Don’t worry about me. This isn’t a normal Christmas present. It’s something special I wanted to do for you. Let me take a shower and get ready myself, and then I’ll explain more.”
Sophia bit her bottom lip in excitement as she nodded. She did love a good surprise.
* * *
Twenty minutes later, Sophia climbed into Finn’s truck next to him. He still wouldn’t tell her where they were going, and she was dying of curiosity. But no matter how much she pressed him for hints, he refused to answer her.
“You’ll see,” was all he would say as he drove through the streets of Frost Peak. It was still early, and lights were just starting to flicker on in a few of the houses that they passed. Sophia smiled as she imagined excited children running to see what presents awaited them underneath the trees.
Several minutes later, she was surprised when Finn pulled into the parking lot of the Frost Peak Airport.
“The airport?” she asked. “Are we going somewhere?”
“Sort of,” Finn said. Sophia saw that his mouth was set in a tight line. He was nervous, but that wasn’t surprising since he’d made no secret of his hatred for flying. But they must be getting on a plane. There’s no other reason they would have come to the airport.
Finn parked his truck and came around to open the door for Sophia. She hopped out and followed him into the hangar, where Sawyer was waiting for them, wearing his full pilot’s uniform that he usually only wore when doing paid tours during the summer tour season. Sophia looked at Finn and raised a questioning eyebrow.
“Get in,” Finn said, gesturing to the plane that was waiting just outside the hangar, but not giving any more information. Sophia sighed and hopped into the tiny four-seater plane. She sat in the rear seat behind the pilot’s seat. Moments later, Finn joined her, sitting across from her in the seat behind the co-pilot’s seat. Sawyer ran a few final checks on the airplane, and then hopped in and fired up the engine. The propeller in the front began to whir, and Sophia looked over at Finn with another questioning look.
He wasn’t looking at her right now, though. His face wore a strained, nervous expression, and he was tightly gripping the side of his seat. Sawyer glanced back at them, gave Finn an encouraging smile, and then started taxiing toward the end of the runway.
Soon after, the small plane was taking off, rising quickly above Frost Peak. The weather was mostly clear today, although they did hit a few pockets of turbulence on their ascent. The plane bounced a few times, but Finn kept a neutral expression on his face even though Sophia knew he must be worried. When they had reached fourteen thousand feet, the plane leveled off and Sawyer glanced back with a grin.
“We’ve reached our cruising altitude,” Sawyer said. “Enjoy the view.”
“Where are we going?” Sophia asked Finn, who was looking noticeably calmer.
“Nowhere in particular,” Finn said, looking over at her with a small smile. “I booked an aerial tour for us as a Christmas present to you.”
“But you hate flying,” Sophia said, feeling confused.
Finn nodded. “I do. After my parents died, I’ve avoided planes as much as humanly possible. But your dad told me last night that the best way to overcome my fears is to face them, and he’s right. So I’m facing my fear today, and taking you on a tour. I never would have found the courage to do this if it hadn’t been for you, Sophia. But you’ve helped me overcome so much of what was holding me back from a meaningful life, and I’m forever grateful.”
Sophia smiled, her heart warming with love as she looked over at him. He still looked a little tense, but he was already doing better than when they had first taken off.
“I wanted you to see the wilderness out here, too. Really see it. I know you’ve flown out here a few times before, but I wanted to give you a chance to look at all of this through new eyes, knowing that this is where you will be filming your wildlife documentaries. Look around, Sophia. Everything you see here is yours to film. You’ll have some truly amazing treasures at your fingertips.”
Sophia looked out the window, and her smile deepened. It was breathtaking. The mixture of snow, mountains, and trees made your heart beat faster at the beauty of nature. She felt so lucky that this was where she would live now, with her gorgeous lifemate who was willing to do anything to make her happy.
“It’s beautiful,” Sophia said softly, looking over at Finn. “Thank you.”
Finn smiled. “I’m glad you like it,” he said. “There’s one more thing I wanted to say, too.”
Sophia looked at him expectantly, and the nervousness on his face seemed to reappear as he began speaking.
“I know we’ve already talked to your parents and made everything official, but I feel badly that you never got an official, romantic proposal. So I wanted to make that up to you today.”
Finn reached into a small duffel bag that Sophia had not noticed earlier. The duffel was between their seats, and when Finn reached in he pulled out a bouquet of a dozen roses and a
small, black velvet box. Sophia gasped and put her hand over her mouth. Finn grinned and handed her the roses.
“Sophia, you have changed my life in unbelievable ways. The wilderness below us is beautiful, but it pales in comparison to you. And just the fact that I’m up here, despite being terrified of flying…it shows how much you’ve changed me and made me a better man. You make me the best version of myself, Sophia, and I can’t imagine life without you. Will you marry me?”
Finn opened the black box to reveal a sparkling ring with a giant oval diamond in its center. Sophia was overwhelmed by the moment, and tears sprang to her eyes. He was so thoughtful. He didn’t have to take the time to do any official proposal. But here he was, taking her up to see the beautiful scenery and conquer his fears, and making an effort to give her a special, romantic proposal story. Sophia truly had been given more than she could ever have asked for.
“Yes!” she finally managed to choke out. “Yes, of course. Nothing would make me happier than to marry you.”
Finn grinned, then slipped the ring onto her finger. Sophia looked down at it, turning it back and forth in the early morning light and admiring the way it sparkled. This was the best Christmas present she had ever received. Not just the ring itself, but all of the thought that had been put into how Finn gave it to her as well.
Sawyer let out a whoop from the front of the plane. “Congrats, you two,” he said with a grin. Sophia smiled. She had been so caught up in the moment that she had almost forgotten they had an audience.
Sawyer gave them an extra long flight, showing off the best scenery that the area had to offer. Sophia and Finn took it all in, sneaking kisses every few minutes in between ooohing and ahhing. When they finally landed, Sawyer shooed them into the hangar while he took care of the plane. That’s when Sophia saw her next surprise. There, in the corner of the hangar, covered in rose petals, was a picnic blanket. On the blanket was a picnic basket, which Finn led her to.
Christmas in a Fur Coat (The Fur Coat Society Book 7) Page 9