Baby It's Cold Out Bear Holiday Bundle

by T. S. Joyce

  His words made no sense, but maybe that’s what happened when a man spent too much time out in the woods. Perhaps he imagined himself a predator. She wouldn’t be rude and point out there were a whole heap of predators more adept to defending territory than some blunt-nailed human.

  But when she turned around and noticed those unnatural eyes on her, the way the ash and water and sweat had streaked his face and made it fearsome looking, the way his thick muscles pressed against the damp fabric of his sweater, a shiver rattled up her spine.

  If it were a competition between him and one of the soft men down the mountain in Buffalo, he’d win top predator with little effort.

  Chapter Three

  Hadley burrowed into the oversized navy-colored sweater Colin had tossed her before he disappeared into the bathroom to shower. It smelled like him, crisp and masculine, with undertones of metal and ash. He’d probably worked in this shirt before, and the thought brought a pool of warmth to her middle. Oh, she’d witnessed sexy men before, but the sight of Colin working in his shop was a thing of beauty. The graceful arc of his hammer, his triceps flexing as he held the hot metal in place, his profile, eyes focused and jaw clenched as he dunked the glowing metal in water.

  She sank onto his couch and sighed heavily. She was in trouble, and it was all sexy, muscly-armed Bearman Colin’s fault.

  The tap sounded through the closed door of the bathroom, and she tried not to fantasize over what his body looked like under that showerhead with the jets of hot water bouncing droplets off his perfect skin. As water ran rivers down the curves of his chest, over each mound of his abdominals, and down, down…

  With a growl, she clicked the power button on the remote that sat on the cushion beside her and turned up the volume on a riveting episode of Beginner’s Curling. She crossed her arms over her chest, ignoring the squishy sound her bra made, and glared at the television as she tried to reclaim her mind, which she’d obviously lost.

  Eventually Boomerang-the-girl-cat perched on the arm of the couch and stared at her with eerie gold eyes. The critter didn’t even blink. Thoroughly creeped out, she moved farther down the couch.

  The bathroom door opened, and Colin made his way across the hall with a fuzzy white towel around his waist.

  Her imaginings of his shower time didn’t touch reality. One, because he was even more cut that she’d imagined, and two, because his skin was crisscrossed with shiny, silver scars.

  Shocked, she jumped up and followed him. “What happened to your back? What did this to you?”

  Colin turned, his eyes wide as he backed into his room. Hadley followed. This had to be part of the secret of why he’d chosen to live away from civilization. The scars looked gruesome, and she couldn’t imagine the pain he’d gone through to get them, but his uneven skin wasn’t the most shocking thing about him now.

  He’d trimmed his beard until only short, designer stubble remained. He was so handsome her knees buckled against any forward motion.

  “Animal attack,” he said in a gruff voice.

  She was staring. Not at his tensed muscles or at the enticing trail of light hair that traveled from his naval into his towel. She was staring at the perfect claw mark that stretched from his neck to his cheek.

  “This,” he said low, “this is why I keep the beard.”

  She approached slowly, afraid he’d try to escape her. She stretched her fingertips until they touched the short whiskers across his jaw. And carefully, she traced one of the long, curving scars on his face. “You said I wouldn’t like the way you look without the beard hiding your face.” She swallowed hard. “You were wrong.”

  His nostrils flared, and his eyes flashed brighter than she’d ever seen them. He looked as if a storm, churning and dangerous, was brewing inside of him, but when he approached and lowered his lips to hers, they were gentle and soft. He pressed his mouth on hers and sparks lit up her insides, making her feel unbalanced enough to grab his arms. Holy roman candles, a kiss had never felt like this before—like she was falling.

  He shifted his weight, and drew her waist closer with a firm grip on her hips. She could feel his long, hard erection through the material of her clothes and his towel, and a soft, helpless noise wrenched from her throat. The thought of him between her legs filled her with desperation to be closer to him.

  At the brush of his tongue against her lips, she leaned into him more until she was soaking up his warmth. She parted her lips and stifled the urge to moan as his tongue touched hers. He tasted divine, like mint toothpaste. His whiskers tickled her chin, but she didn’t care much about that right now.

  Looping her arms around his neck, she pulled him close and closed her eyes tighter. This man had given her a gift. Did he even see it as that? He’d shaved his beard for her, left scars that obviously bothered him exposed because she’d mentioned it. Maybe it was a test to see if she could really stomach the marred side of his face, she didn’t know. All she knew was it made her want to be even nearer to him. Made her want to know everything about him.

  Made her fall for him even harder.

  The cotton of her shirt bunched in Colin’s steely grip, and he tugged it over her head. Then he pulled at the band that held her hair in a ponytail and freed it with a slow smile. Easing back, he trailed his gaze the length of her collarbone, then down to her breasts, still trapped in her bra, which suddenly felt tight and uncomfortable. She’d blame it on the wet, chafing feel, but really, it was her scandalous hormones telling her to ditch the bra and free the boobs.

  And right now, Colin and her hormones could have whatever they wanted.

  As if he saw the yearning in her eyes, he reached behind her and unfastened her bra with one hand. Snick. It fell away from her arms, and he cupped the fullness of her in his calloused hands. Arching back, she sighed as he kneaded her. God, she should’ve known a man who forged blades would be good with his hands.

  “You’re a noisy little thing, aren’t you?” he murmured in a soft stroke against her ear. “I like when you let me know what feels good.”

  “This,” she said honestly. “This feels good.”

  “Yeah?” He moved his hand to the front of her leggings, then pushed his way inside and cupped her sex. “What about this?”

  “Yep. Yes, keep doing that, too.”

  He chuckled and nibbled her ear. Okay, the man was going to make her detonate if this kept up, and she was forming plans. Punting her boots into a corner, she shimmied out of her pants with minimum grace and kicked off the clinging leggings. Completely vulnerable, she grinned wickedly at him and tugged at the edge of his towel.

  “Hadley,” he gritted out. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Are you asking because we are virtually strangers? Because I’d argue that we’ve been carrying on a relationship for a month. Also, no more talking unless you are telling me yes.”

  An amused grin ghosted his lips as she pushed him back onto the bed while holding his towel in her other hand. The plush material slipped away from his hips as he sat, and he leaned back on locked elbows, allowing her a fantastic view of his shaft, standing rigid between his legs. It was red and swollen…ready for her. Stomach churning with need, she dropped to her knees and kissed the inside of his leg.

  “What are you doing?” Colin asked, canting his head.

  “Kissing you,” she said innocently.

  The head of his cock glistened with a single dewy bead, and she tasted it, then kissed it in turn. His legs spasmed, and he reached for her head, like he couldn’t help himself, but stopped before he touched her.

  With a patient smile, she pulled his hand around the back of her head. “Now, you tell me what you like.” She gripped his base, then took as much as she was able into her mouth. Retreating slowly, she sucked gently.

  “Holy fuck, woman,” he whispered in a shaky voice.

  His legs were flexed hard as stones, and his cock swelled in her mouth as she took him again, slowly.

  She was teasing him, encour
aging him to guide her, but he didn’t seem to want to push her too hard. On she tortured him until his eyes rolled back in his head and a guttural sound came from his throat. She liked it. He sounded like a wild animal, and she sucked harder. His fingers wound in her hair, but he didn’t apply any pressure, like he was still trying so hard to be gentle with her. That’s how she could tell he was a good-to-the-core type of man. No matter how she made him feel, he was determined not to be rough with her. Her heart tethered to him more thoroughly as she tasted another salty drop of moisture from his tip.

  His hips bucked against her mouth, like he couldn’t help himself, and she slid her lips over him faster and harder this time, stroking him in rhythm with her hands. His stomach muscles clenched, as if he was losing himself, and he huffed out a helpless noise.

  “Not yet, big boy,” she murmured, standing then straddling his lap.

  His hands were stony as he gripped her hips, and lifted her high enough so he could slide into her. Her breath shook as he filled and stretched her. He was big, and she was tight, but she’d been ready for that and gripped his hair until the base of his cock bumped her clit. A moan escaped her lips as she rocked her hips and felt him against her sensitive spot again. He dipped down, drew the tightened bud of her nipple into his mouth, and lapped it to the rhythm of her rolling hips.

  “Hadley,” he pleaded in a broken whisper.

  She loved this, owned this. She felt powerful in his arms. Beautiful. Pressure filled her, pressing against her insides as the friction of their joining became more intense. “Oh!” she called out, arching against him as he brought his lips against her throat.

  Colin bucked against her faster now, like his control was slipping. The bed creaked under him, and she clung tighter to his neck. And as the first wave of pleasure crashed through her, she brushed her teeth against his shoulder, tasting his skin.

  “Hadley!” he gritted out as his hips froze.

  Warmth shot into her, and he thrust erratically into her as her body pulsed around him. Breath ragged, he rubbed her back like he couldn’t get enough of the feel of her. His heartbeat against her chest slowed as his hips stilled, and at last, he pulled her back onto the bed, still burrowed inside of her, and cradled her against him.

  And that was the moment for her.

  All of the witty banter and late night chats with him online were nothing compared to this connection she felt with him now. He was everything, consuming, mysterious, and gentle enough to hold her after what they’d done instead of push her away. He was different. Down to her core, she knew he was different from any man she’d ever met—from any man who she’d ever meet again. Everyone would be compared to Colin from here on, and none would match up.

  “Hadley?” he murmured against her ear.

  “Hmm?”

  “I know you don’t much like the holiday, but tomorrow I want to take you out. Will you be my Valentine?”

  Her chest felt too small for her heart. She wanted to cry at his sweetness. She wanted to hug him up tight and never let him go.

  With a gentle kiss to one of the curved scars across his shoulder, she whispered, “I will on one condition.”

  “Mmm,” he said in a sleepy, satisfied voice, his voice rattling against her cheek as she rested it on his chest. “And what’s that?”

  She inhaled deeply and hoped she wasn’t pushing too hard or too fast. “I’ll be yours if you let me in.”

  Chapter Four

  Hadley studied the picture on the wall nearest the kitchen. There were probably fifty men, women, and children in different states of chaos. One woman reached for a child who was streaking out of the picture, one man lay in front of the group on his side with a comical grin. A blond-haired woman sat atop the shoulders of a short, stocky man. And on the end, a man who looked suspiciously like Colin leaned on a stoic looking bruiser, holding bunny ears behind his head.

  “Is this you?” she asked, pointing.

  Colin turned from the fragrant, steaming pot of chili he was cooking over the stove. His look darkened, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Yeah.”

  “Is this some sort of camp picture?” The row of cabins in the background made it look like a wilderness retreat. Perhaps these were his coworkers, all out for a weekend event.

  “Those,” Colin said with his back to her, “were my people.”

  “Your people,” she repeated, staring at the glossy eight by ten. “What does that mean? Was it a family reunion or something?”

  “I used to live with them before I moved up here.” His tone had gone cold and emotionless, and it conjured chill bumps across her arms.

  “What happened to them?”

  He turned empty eyes on her, eyes that had darkened noticeably to a stormy blue. “They’re dead.”

  “All of them?” she whispered, pain slashing through her chest as she dragged her eyes across the photo of the children’s smiling faces.

  “Almost all of them.” Colin’s dark brows lowered, and he suddenly looked exhausted. “It hurts to talk about them.”

  He turned back to stirring the chili, and she swallowed her questions down. She didn’t want to hurt him by dredging up an obviously painful past. She wanted to make him happy, like he made her.

  Padding across the wood floors, she bit her lip against the tears that stung her eyes. He’d gone through so much more than she could’ve ever imagined. The scars on his skin weren’t the only clues to his secrets. He’d lost people he loved. She wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her head between his shoulder blades. “I won’t mention them again. When you’re ready, I’ll be here to listen.”

  The muscles in his back relaxed, and he rested his hand over hers, as if to keep her in place, holding him.

  “So a blacksmith, huh? Because I have to tell you, I honestly thought that only existed in the Old West.”

  A soft chuckle reverberated against her palm, and she relaxed as the tension seemed to drain from him. “It’s hard to find nowadays, but it leaves room for knife makers like me to make a decent wage. You can buy a knife at any sporting goods store, and know you’ll get a sharp, durable tool, but it won’t be custom. It’ll be just like ten thousand other knives made in its likeness in some factory. When people want custom weapons or tools, they track down someone like me. I ship the orders out a few times a week in town.”

  “At the post office. That’s why you always carry all those small boxes inside. They’re knives.”

  “Yeah,” he said in a bewildered voice. “Have you been watching me?”

  Hadley kissed his back and leaned around to taste the steaming spoon of chili he fed her. “It’s perfect,” she said as the rich flavor of tomato, beef, and spices burst against her tongue. “And yes. You did something nice, chivalrous really, by paying for my lunch last month, but then you wouldn’t even acknowledge me when I saw you in town. I was curious about you.”

  “Mmm, curious about the town recluse?”

  “No, just you. Why didn’t you talk to me when I passed you at the post office or when you walked past the front door of my store?”

  He sighed and took the pan off the stove, then pulled two bowls from a cupboard and began to spoon chili into them. “I thought if I just talked to you online, it could be enough. But all that did was make me want to be nearer to you in real life.”

  “Why would that need to be enough? We’re both single and open to dating.”

  “Because I meant it when I told you earlier you deserve better. My life is…complicated.”

  “Accepted. I accept your complicated life, Bearman.”

  “You wouldn’t if you really knew me.”

  “Enlighten me, then. Let me get to know you, and I’ll make my own decision on whether this is all too much for me.”

  “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.” He looked down at the bowls in his hands with a frown, then set them on the table while she made two glasses of ice water.

  “We made a deal. You want me to be
your Valentine, you’ve got to spill some beans.”

  She sat down and placed his glass of water in front of him. The table was small, so she stretched and rested her ankles in his lap. Absently, he stared out the window and massaged tiny circles against her calves, which were bare, thanks to her leggings being in the dryer. Currently, she was wearing his navy sweater that hung to the middle of her thighs, panties, and nothing else. She spooned some of the thick broth and blew on it. He was quiet for so long that she thought he had shut down completely, but still, he massaged her legs.

  “I heard you in the Dash Inn when Vona was telling you she’d set up the profile on the online dating site.”

  Hadley’s spoon clinked against the bowl as she set it down carefully. “I saw you there that day. You were sitting in the booth across the restaurant.”

  “My hearing is really good,” he said, giving her a significant look she didn’t understand.

  “Is that how you knew when to pay for my food?”

  “I heard you say you wanted to take your food to go so you could get back to work. And then you talked to me outside and I felt…well, I felt, and it had been a long time since anyone had looked at me like you did out in the snow that day. I went home and for two days convinced myself I wouldn’t track you down, because it was wrong, violating your privacy like that. But I ended up on my computer by the third day, searching every online dating site for Flowerlady26. You know, there are a lot of dating sites out there.”

  “Was everything you told me true? This last month, in all of our conversations, I feel like I’ve gotten to know you. Was that all a lie to get closer to me?”

  “No. For the first time in a long time, I felt like myself again talking to you.”

  “Did you like me before the day at the Dash Inn?” The answer was important. It would change how she saw their relationship. No, it would cement how hard she was falling for him if he answered her the way she thought he would.

  “I’ve liked you for three years. I just couldn’t muster the nerve to go out on a limb and invite you into my life.”