Branch was getting just a wee bit frustrated as he assembled the tree.
“Attach part C to part J,” he muttered as he read the instructions. “There is no damn part J!” he howled – except he didn’t use the word damn.
“Umm, I think J is still in the box,” said Mira.
Branch grumbled under his breath as he angrily rooted through the box.
“Stupid tree,” he raged. “How hard can it be to put up a damn tree?!”
Again, he didn’t use the word damn.
“Maybe I should be in charge of the instructions?” she offered as she tried to stifle a fresh wave of laughter.
That suggestion fell flat. He was a stubborn guy trying to self-assemble something that came in a brown box, and he had been at it for half an hour. He was beyond reason at that point.
His phone started ringing, and Branch growled. “Now what?!”
Mira jumped to her feet. “I’ll get it. You… just carry on with whatever it is you’re doing.”
She wanted to say putting up a tree, but she wasn’t sure that is what he was doing.
She left him to find the phone, allowed herself a loud outburst of laughter – he yelled ‘I heard that’ – and then she answered.
“Hello.”
“Ah, Mira? That you?” asked Harlan.
“It is,” she replied cheerfully.
“It’s Harlan.”
“I can tell.”
“Is his highness there?”
“Branch is putting the tree up,” she said, trying to hide the amusement in her voice.
“Branch is putting a Christmas tree up?” he asked slowly.
“Sure is.”
“Branch – my brother, Branch is actually allowing a Christmas tree into his house?”
The disbelief in his voice was staggering.
“Did you call to talk to him? Do you want me to get him?”
“No, it’s fine I need a little time to think up some good jokes about him putting a tree up.”
“Okay, I wish you well – if it helps I’m taking lots of photos. I thought I’d send them to your mom, and then…”
“She’ll send them to everyone,” he finished. “Good thinking, can’t wait. Hey, you must be relieved, huh?”
“Hmmm?” she replied absently.
There was a loud bang from the living room. She suspected that Branch might be trying to beat the tree to get it up. Probably won’t work but it might calm him down a little.
“About Roger.”
“Oh, ah…”
“Now you don’t need to mate on Christmas Eve – you can go through the ceremony whenever you want. Pressure’s off, right?”
“Right!” she breathed automatically.
“Anyway, take lots of photos for me.”
“Of course.”
He hung up, and Mira stared at the phone. Her heart thudded. What was happening? Was their mating off? No, no, no she didn’t want that. But it wasn’t like it was real – so she had no right to be upset. She was, though.
Mira ran into the living room where Branch appeared to be fighting with the half-assembled tree. It appeared to be winning, too.
“Is it true?” she asked breathlessly.
“That I loathe Christmas – right now it is!” he snarled as tried to push the tree over.
It started to topple backward, but then righted itself, managing to slap Branch in the face as it did. Huh. Maybe it was the Christmas tree of the damned like Branch suggested ten minutes ago.
Apparently oblivious to Mira’s distress, he continued his rant.
“Who in their right mind ever decided to put a tree in their house and decorate it? I mean, who invented this stupid tradition? Who on earth woke up one day and thought, hey, I’m going to go out to the forest, cut down a tree, drag it into my house and throw shiny things on it?!”
“Is it true we don’t have to mate anymore?”
Branch snapped his head to look at her. “What?”
“Is it?”
Her chest was tightening with every second she waited for an answer.
His eyes darkened with anger. “Who told you?”
“Branch, I…” She shook her head in confusion. “Harlan said something about Roger… What is going on?”
He dropped the piece of the tree he was holding – Part M if Mira was any judge.
“I no longer need to mate,” he told her solemnly. “My cousin dropped the challenge. Roger was paying him to do it. It’s complicated, but the upshot is…”
“Our arrangement is at an end,” she murmured.
This was it. They didn’t need to see each other again. She thought she’d have at least a couple of months to prepare herself - to get over her silly crush. She thought living with him might actually cure that. Sharing a bathroom with a guy had killed a lot of romances over the years. But it was already time to say goodbye.
Branch slowly moved towards the door. Was he trying to run away? But no, rather than bolting, he was blocking the door – blocking her exit. Did he think she was going to run away?
“Wait, when did you find out?”
They’d been together for about three hours and as far as she knew he hadn’t received any phone calls – never mind any life-changing phone calls.
“This afternoon,” he replied slowly.
“Before you called me, asking me if I wanted to go shopping?”
The flicker of guilt that passed over his wary face told her yes.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she murmured.
“I…” He grimaced. “I wanted you to stick around.”
Hope blossomed. “Did you think I wouldn’t want to?”
Branch snorted. “Why would you? I’m a… a grumpy Grinch and you’re… perfect.”
Mira snorted, too. “How hard did that woman hit your head?”
During the scuffle for the star, the elderly lady had hit Branch on the head with her umbrella several times. He was too much of a gentleman to retaliate, but the woman was escorted away by security. Not just for hitting Branch, apparently there had been an incident earlier involving a set of matching candlesticks decorated with angels. The less said, the better.
Branch moved towards her, and she held her breath.
“I mean it.”
The fiery look on his face suggested he wasn’t kidding around. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. It was incredible.
“Branch…”
She surged forward, and he caught her arms.
“I… I do care about you, Mira. But… my mate... I still…”
The look of anguish on his face nearly tore her apart.
Mira swallowed and pressed her hands against his chest. He quivered under her touch.
“Branch, I care about you, too, and I want to stick around. You don’t have to promise me anything. Why don’t we just spend time together and see what happens.” She laughed lightly. “Who knows, in a couple of months we might be completely sick of each other and ready to see other people.”
“No!” he snarled pulling her flush against him. “I don’t want you seeing anyone else.”
He buried his head in her hair. Mira inhaled his glorious, spicy scent.
“I don’t want to see anyone else,” she murmured. “I want you.”
Feeling bolder than she ever had in her life, she pressed a kiss to his neck, her lips brushing against his delicious skin.
“Mira.”
Her name shuddered out of his lips as a plea.
“Too fast?”
“I…”
His hardness pressed against her stomach. He wanted her – she could feel the proof. She didn’t want to force him to do anything, but she wanted them to have a chance. She wanted them to move forward. Honestly, she just wanted him.
“Branch.”
She cooed his name. He let out a loud, animalistic sound and crushed her to him. Mira wrapped her arms and legs around him as Branch tore through his house – each room a blur as he sought out his bedroom.
He tossed her on the bed, and before she could even let out an eep, he was above her, his body caging hers. His lips came down on hers, taking and demanding and sending fiery pulses to her nether regions.
Mira grasped at his shirt, pulling him closer, nearer. Yes, this was what she needed, what she wanted. She’d felt something inside her since the moment she first saw him. How on earth she had managed not to leap on him all this time, she had no idea. But it was more than just lust for a handsome man – so much more. She knew somehow that she wouldn’t feel complete without him. She could just imagine Temp’s reaction if she said that thought out loud. The image of her disapproving sister was enough to elicit a laugh against his mouth.
Branch pulled back, nearly growling. It wasn’t quite enough to wipe the smile off her face, but it certainly made her quiver in anticipation.
He reared back, and for a moment, she thought he had changed his mind, but no, he was merely trying to divest her of her clothes. Something she was more than happy to help with. She pulled at his shirt with such vigor she actually tore it.
“Oops!”
Would he be mad? Nope, he was actually smirking. While he had taken care of her clothes, he followed her lead and none-too-gently ripped the rest of his off.
“Oh, my!” she exclaimed.
Had there ever been a more perfect male specimen than the one standing gloriously naked before her? It seemed extremely unlikely. He was the stuff dreams were made of. But perhaps the sexiest thing about him, the thing that Mira loved the most, was the way he was looking at her. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined a man would look at her with such a passionate, tender lust in his eyes. It made her shiver all over.
He moved over her, his body over hers and his lips claiming hers. His tongue pushed into her mouth as his fingers ran up her thighs. His fingers caressed her slit as he devoured her mouth. Mira moaned as he pushed a digit inside her, taking her knuckle-deep. She clenched around the invading finger, her inner muscles seeking to curl themselves around him, to find their pleasure. But it wasn’t enough. He was teasing her for something more, something bigger she thought almost giddily.
Slowly, he started stroking the tender flesh, pushing in and out of her silky wetness. Her thighs opened, welcoming him, inviting him to do more than just tease her.
Branch growled against her lips and thrust another finger inside her. Mira mewled into his mouth as he added a third and she desperately clutched at them. He was no longer slow, he was stroking in and out of her harder, more determinedly.
His lips left hers, and her head dropped back on the bed. He stared down at her with a dark, expectant look on his face. Mira writhed beneath him as her body started tightening. His dark eyes intensified.
“Branch,” she murmured.
“Come for me,” he growled.
She grasped his arms, something solid to hold onto as she jerked against his wonderful onslaught, her nails carelessly sinking into his flesh. He didn’t even notice; he was too focused on her, too focused on urging her to her release. Her muscles tightened almost ferociously as his fingers plunged in and out of her. She was almost there, almost ready to topple over the edge to take what she so desperately wanted and give him what he was waiting for.
His jaw tightened for a flicker of a second before his lips quirked and he pressed his thumb against her needy clit. Mira cried out as that small touch, that tiny caress sent pleasure crashing through her body. As she shuddered with the electrifying effects of her release, she noticed the proud, pleased smile on his face.
He withdrew his fingers and lowered his body to hers. Mira cooed as his hard sex kissed her drenched opening. She wrapped herself around him as he thrust inside her, letting out a satisfied groan. He was deliciously big, but her orgasm had prepared the way for him, allowing him to ease inside her to the hilt.
In spite of her throbbing walls and gripping arms both trying to hold him close, he managed to pull back and push inside her. He rumbled as her body rippled around him, stretching and contracting around him, squeezing him and caressing him in the most heavenly way.
He grasped her wrists, pinning them over her head as he started a steady rhythm within her, taking her with long, hard strokes. Over and over his body gloriously collided with hers, filling her again and again, stroking every nerve ending, pushing her to another release.
His dark eyes caught hers in his stormy gaze, and she could see his beast just below the surface, could see the wildness that resided inside him and she loved it. Being with him was so perfect, so right. She didn’t know what it was, but the moment she met him, she knew there was something special about him, something incredible. She was hardly a cynical person, but the idea of love at first sight had always seemed a little far-fetched – even to her. But there was definitely something there when she met him, if not love, a spark at least.
Slowly he increased his speed, pounding against her body. Her whole body tensed, knowing something wonderful was coming. Her hips moved against his, meeting him thrust for thrust. His hardness rocked in and out of her, taking her higher, faster until she couldn’t bear it any longer.
“Branch!” she wailed as he sent her hurtling into oblivion.
He let out a growl and followed her into release. His whole glorious body tensed, every muscle bunching and then he pulsed deep inside her. She panted as her body trembled. Words failed her as she tried to gather her scattered senses.
Branch, also trembling, collected her in his arms. He pressed kisses to her hair, and he murmured her name, over and over.
It was bliss.