Chapter 28
HAISLEY
Haisley spread out the newspapers and Tristan went to work painting while she got the next batch of cookies out of the oven and sprinkled the chocolate shreds on while they were still warm.
It was fun to watch him work. He got so studious, and didn’t seem to realize that he was sticking his tongue out in concentration.
The paint definitely fixed the unfortunate ‘poop’ problem.
Tristan did two thick coats, brushed the hats in red, and wrapped them with pipe cleaner scarves.
A craft pom pom was glued on the hats, an orange wire nut for the nose, and black dots were drawn on for eyes and smiles.
The fishing wire was an invisible hanger.
“They are adorable,” Haisley crowed, settling each one in the basket of cookies as they were finished. “Oh, I smudged the hat, sorry. I didn’t realize it was still that wet.”
Tristan touched it up. “I could never have done this without you,” he said gratefully. “You saved Christmas.”
They were standing very close, and Haisley was hyper-aware of how nice his arms were, and how good he smelled. It was hard not to picture him naked again.
“You never explained that part about being a mate to me,” she reminded him.
“And I should mention that if it’s some kind of breeding kink, I’m not really interested.
I don’t mind other people’s kids, but I have no desire to be responsible for my own.
” She wondered if she should be talking about kids before they’d even had sex or talked about dating.
“That’s fine!” Tristan said, sounding strangled. “I mean, it’s not. It kind of is. I’m doing a terrible job at this.” He took a deep breath and turned to look Haisley in the face. “Let me try this again, from the top.”
“Do that,” Haisley encouraged.
“I’m a shifter,” Tristan said seriously, gazing down at her. His eyes were very dark, but they had interesting flecks of color in them. “I have a panda bear in my head and can change my shape to his.”
“You showed me,” Haisley said, nodding. “And it’s pretty hard not to believe it after seeing it. Also, it’s apparently not a full moon thing like with werewolves. Does the moon have anything to do with it? Like it is stronger then?”
“No. Nothing moon related. But we do know certain things, and one of those things is when we meet our soulmate.”
Soulmate had a better ring to it than just mate, Haisley thought. “Tell me more,” she said, wondering if she sounded too hopeful.
“I knew the moment I saw you that you were the one for me. The only one, forever.”
The one? Forever? “Where does free will fit in with the idea of mates?” Haisley wondered out loud.
“I guess that depends on you,” Tristan said, and to Haisley’s thrill, he reached out and touched her cheek.
It felt like electricity, like every nerve in her face came alive at once. Haisley suspected that she was blushing, but it felt better than blushing. Was it magic? Or just that she wanted him so much?
“I’m not going to do anything you don’t want,” Tristan said quietly, but his hand didn’t leave her cheek. “You don’t have to hit me with a cookie sheet. You just have to tell me to go, and I will.”
“I don’t want to tell you to go,” Haisley said swiftly, and she reached up to catch his hand under hers. “I want…I want…”
There was no time to wonder who leaned in first, Haisley only knew that his lips were on hers, and her hands were slipping up around his shoulders.
“This isn’t…a promise,” she said, when she had breath for it. The fanciful description of swollen lips seemed apt after his kiss; her lips really did feel hotter and larger. “I’m not saying no, but I’m not saying forever. Not yet.”
“I’m here for three more days,” Tristan said hoarsely. “Give me those days to convince you.”
“Yes,” Haisley agreed. “Yes, to that.”
Then she was pulling his shirt off over his head the way she’d been dying to since he took it off to show her his panda, and he was even better underneath than she’d remembered. It was delicious running her hands over all the knotty muscles and velvety skin.
She wasn’t sure how he got her shirt off, but she wasn’t sorry, and they kissed and caressed until Haisley was actually wondering how hygienic it would be if he took her right there on the kitchen floor, because she wasn’t sure she would make it anywhere else.
A soulmate.
Haisley could believe it, the way that Tristan made her body sing with his fingers, like he knew exactly where she most wanted to be touched.
More than that, she liked him. She could imagine a future with him.
He was handy and helpful, quiet and nice—all the things she would have listed in the perfect life partner.
And on top of that, he was magic, and he made Haisley feel like maybe she was part of that magic.
“My room?” he suggested.
The reminder dampened Haisley’s ardor. “I’m not supposed to be here.” She shyly suggested, “My room?”
It was closer anyway, and once the invitation was made, she couldn’t take it back—and didn’t want to, anyway.