A Hunted Christmas: A Companion Story to Big Game: Hunted Love #1 (2 page)

She wrapped her legs around his hips and
squealed. "What are you doing?"

"Taking my woman to bed where I can fuck her
properly." He nuzzled at her neck again. "Any
objections?"

"Oh, no, none at all. Other than wishing you'd
hurry the hell up."

***

Kate roused up, needing the bathroom and
slipped out of the bed, careful not to wake Jakob. The frigid air
drove her back under the covers in reflex. The power must have gone
out sometime in the night, so she had a limited amount of time to
get up and get the woodstove going before the water pipes
froze.

The room was still dim, as if it were very
early morning, but she felt like she'd slept a full night and then
some. Looking out the window without uncovering took some serious
neck-craning, but she managed a decent glimpse. The snow still fell
hard, restricting her vision to just a few feet beyond the window.
The filtered light in her room made it seem earlier than it was,
then.

She lay back and pressed close to Jakob,
storing up body heat for the ordeal to come. When the demands of
her bladder refused to be ignored any longer, she steeled herself
and slipped from the bed again. Her bathrobe hung on the door and
she grabbed it as she ran past.

If anything, the bathroom was even colder than
the bedroom. She hurried up, then headed downstairs. Thankfully,
she'd expected the power to go out, and laid the fire the afternoon
before. All she had to do was strike a match and wait for the
flames to take hold. As soon as it did, she adjusted the draught
and closed the stove.

The fire caught quickly and the big cast iron
stove heated up and began to radiate warmth. Kate stood next to it,
absorbing the heat, grateful she'd kept that connection to the past
when she updated the house. The contractor had strongly urged her
to have the antique stove taken out, calling it a fire and health
hazard. Instead, she'd had the chimney and flue updated, and kept
the heirloom functional.

The room started heating up nicely, so she
headed for the kitchen and coffee. By the time she felt almost
human with the caffeine infusion, the homemade cinnamon rolls she'd
made the day before were warmed and ready. She left the door to the
gas oven partially open to cool and help warm the kitchen. Time to
wake Jakob.

Their tiny Christmas tree caught her eye as
she started up the stairs and panic tried to start in her belly. It
was Christmas Eve, and she still hadn't figured out what to give
Jakob. The rest of her shopping had been easy and she finished it
weeks ago. But what the hell could she get for the man she wanted
to give the world? And now with the storm, further shopping was out
of the question anyway. She consoled herself with the knowledge
that he hadn't been able to shop either.

The upstairs still made her teeth chatter, but
the heat from below had started to rise and, combined with the
warmth spreading outward from the chimney, began to take the chill
away a little. She paused in the door, captivated by the sight of
Jakob in her bed. For so many years, she thought no one would ever
share that bed with her. Having him there filled a giant empty spot
in her life and her heart.

With a soft smile, she dropped the robe on the
foot of the bed and slipped back between the covers and snugged up
to his back, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Good morning,
sleepyhead." She scattered small kisses across his shoulders and
paused to nibble at the nape of his neck.

"Mmm. What did I do to deserve this kind of
wake-up call?" He turned onto his back and slipped his arm around
her to pillow her head on his shoulder.

"Oh, you let me get up first and start the
fire and make your breakfast." She traced lazy patterns on his
chest, reveling in being able to do so. Never, in a million years,
had she thought to have a man like him in her bed, one that set her
blood boiling with just a touch. Hell, any man, for that
matter.

He raised his head to look around a little.
"Power went out, huh?"

"Yeah. Good thing I kept the stove and all the
coal oil lamps when I remodeled. We might need them." Visions of a
Christmas from her childhood came to mind. The power had gone out
that year, too, and she'd been all excited at the prospect of a
real old-fashioned Christmas. Maybe they would have something like
that.

"It is a good thing, but I'd rather think
about another good thing at the moment." He turned a little and,
with his free hand, slipped his hard-on between her
legs.

"Oh really? What would that be?" She caught
her breath as he moved. The friction he created against her outer
folds sent heat coursing through her.

He thrust, probing, seeking, and her fluids
coated him, easing his way. "Fucking my beautiful woman." With a
quick move, he rolled her to her back and separated her thighs with
his knees. "Which I'm about to do right now." He pressed at her
entrance for a second then eased inside, just the head,
teasing.

She gasped and arched, trying to take him
deeper, but he persisted. Her muscles quivered, pulling him. She
could never get enough of him filling her, completing her. The part
of her that insisted on realism always reminded her each time could
be the last. As always, she fought to silence that Kate and focus
on being there with Jakob completely. She couldn't bear to lose a
single second of their precious time together, no matter how long
it might last.

He gave a little more with a hiss. "So fucking
tight, Kate." And he drew back, leaving her needing him
deep.

She wrapped her legs around his hips, her
heels just below his ass. "Jakob, please. I need you."

"Aw, fuck, Kate." He groaned and buried
himself. "I can't resist when you say please like that." He moved
in her, hitting all the right spots.

Kate moaned, her body arching to meet him as
he quickened the pace, pushing them both toward the finish. The
storm of her orgasm raged through her body, leaving her trembling
and breathing hard as he collapsed half atop her. God, how she
loved this man!

When he caught his breath, Jakob rolled to the
side. "How is it I have planned out a nice long morning making love
to you, and you say please, and I'm lost?"

She giggled a little, glad to hear he couldn't
resist her any more than she could him. "I don't know. But I bet
you're starving now. And there's warm cinnamon rolls and fresh
coffee downstairs."

He chuckled. "You sure know how to get me
moving." He slid out of the bed and pulled his old sweats
on.

Kate would have been content to just lie there
and watch him, but he pulled on a t-shirt, too. She sighed. Might
as well get up, then. She dressed quickly in yoga pants and an
oversized sweater, and pulled on heavy socks.

Jakob made it down to the kitchen first, and
had a cup of fresh coffee waiting for her. "When are you going to
tell me what you want for Christmas? Sorta running out of time on
it."

The mug served as the perfect way to hide her
smile. "I don't need anything. I have the ranch, the boys, the
horses, and you. What more could I need?"

He laughed. "Don't even get me started. There
has to be something special you'd like to have."

Of course there was, but she could hardly ask
for an engagement ring, could she? She shook her head. "I don't
know, maybe a million dollars?"

Jakob rolled his eyes. "You're a lot of help,
you know that? Guess you'll just have to settle for what I got
you."

How had he managed to find a gift for her when
she hadn't been able to get away from him long enough to look for
him one? Maybe she could find something he'd like amid her father's
and grandfather's old things.

They ate quickly and dressed in insulated
coveralls before heading to the barn to check on the horses.
Without an indoor arena, Kate had to give her horses a break from
training for bad weather, and she really didn't mind. She usually
kept the schedule light for winter anyway. The animals needed
downtime as much as, or more than, she did.

Jakob's truck had to be shoveled free before
they could go anywhere. Luckily, he'd mounted the plow blade to the
front before the storm hit, so they didn't need to do much. He
cleared the lane from house to barn, taking his time as though
Kate's impatience to get there and see to the horses amused him. He
was right, of course. Clearing it before tires packed the snow made
more sense and easier work, but she still felt like urging him to
just drive.

The stock pastured near the barn usually raced
up to the fence when they heard the truck, eager for treats and
scratches. Disappointment brought her mood down a little when they
didn't bother. Until she climbed out of the truck and heard the
whinnies. The horses might choose to stay in their nice warm sheds
rather than wade through the blizzard, but they still greeted
her.

The barn buzzed with activity as the hands
finished feeding the stock and loaded hay to take to the horses in
the paddocks. Plenty of hay had gone out for the remote stock the
day before so they were okay for a few days.

Ray, her long-time foreman, approached with a
grin. "Morning Miss Kate, Jakob. Dixie looks like she's going to
drop that foal this morning."

A thrill shot through Kate. Her mare, Dixie
Rush, carried the last foal Chaser sired. Her last chance at a
second Chaser son. Either way, as long as the baby came out
healthy, it didn't matter.

"Everything look okay so far?" Jakob squeezed
her hand. He knew how much the prospect of this birth excited
her.

"So far, so good. Moved her to the foaling
stall about an hour ago, got her tail wrapped and cleaned her.
She's ready to go."

Kate turned to Jakob with a smile. "I'm going
to check on her." She practically bounced down the aisle of the
barn in her eagerness. At the door of the extra-large stall they
used for the mares to give birth, she stopped to calm herself, then
slipped inside.

The mare paused in pawing at the bedding and
turned to give her a sour look, not happy with the interruption.
Dixie was a veteran momma, and she liked to do things
herself.

"Hey, Dixie, how's it going?" She talked,
letting her voice calm the mare. Her hand ran down the silky neck,
slightly dampened with sweat. Dixie lowered her head and grunted as
a long contraction hardened her belly. Kate got a quick glimpse of
tiny hooves before they disappeared back inside the mare when the
contraction eased.

She wanted to shout with joy. It looked like
everything was going along perfectly. With a last pat of Dixie's
neck, she let herself out of the stall and left the mare to her
work. She gave Ray a quick update, and started making her rounds to
all the other stalls.

The blood bay who had been the bane of her
existence for months put his head over the door and watched,
waiting for his treat. She could finally move on to more advanced
training with him, now that she had his trust.

The rest of the morning passed quickly in a
flurry of chores, and regular checks on Dixie's progress. Just
before noon, she found the mare calmly licking a tiny foal lying on
the ground in the stall.

Kate waited, heart pounding, as the little
creature made several attempts before managing to stand on unsteady
legs. Jakob joined her, squeezing her hand again in silent
agreement with her excitement. Within a few minutes, the filly took
her first steps and found her mother's teat.

Satisfied that the little girl nursed
greedily, Kate turned away from the stall. "I should get back to
the house and get the paperwork done on this one, I guess." She'd
much rather just stand and watch the new baby, but her presence
would just upset the momma. No need to make her feel
threatened.

Jakob wrapped her into his arms. "I'm a little
jealous of Dixie."

Kate raised a brow at him. "You're jealous of
a horse that just gave birth? Have you seen how big that foal
is?"

His laughter rang out. "She gave you a perfect
Christmas gift. Nothing I can get you will compare."

Her arms went around his neck to pull him
down. "No, what you gave me this morning was the perfect gift." She
nibbled along his neck. It was true. Dixie's baby was special, of
course, but without him to share the joy, it would be a bittersweet
gift.

***

Jakob:

Jakob waited for Kate to disappear into the
office off the kitchen like she did most afternoons to handle the
paperwork related to the running of the ranch. As soon as the door
closed behind her, he tugged his coat back on and slipped out the
door to his truck.

The lockbox under the seat held a treasure and
he needed to get it in the house without her being aware. Normally,
he kept only a loaded .40cal handgun in there, just in case of
emergency, but two days ago, on a rare trip to town, he picked up
Kate's Christmas gift. He couldn't run the risk of her seeing the
bag, so he tucked it into the lockbox. And now he needed to get it
inside, and wrapped, before she came out of the office.

He should have about an hour before she
finished up. He paused just inside the kitchen door to listen and
make sure she was still in the office. The lack of electricity
meant no computer, so that limited the amount of work she could do
for the day. Hopefully she would be in there long
enough.