Her Holiday Bear (A BBW Paranormal Christmas Romance) Read Online Free

make the stubborn bear shifter realize they were destined to be together? Sighing, she stopped, staring at the tree in front of her but not really seeing it.
    “Is this the one you want?”
    A deep timbered voice sounded behind her, making her jump. She turned around, hand on chest. “Don’t do that,” she started to scold until she got her first look at the man who had spoken. In the last six months, she thought she had seen every resident in the small town. Apparently, this one had been hiding because she knew she’d never have forgotten him. She licked her dry lips. If she wasn’t so infatuated with the stubborn sheriff…
    “Is this the tree you want?”
    “Umm, what?” Befuddled was how she felt.
    “The tree.” He pointed behind her.
    “Yes, yes. This is the one I want.” She had to smile at his terse sentences since his behavior reminded her of Jagger. He brushed past her, picked up the eight-foot tree as if he were gathering firewood, and walked away. She followed behind, humming along with the Christmas carols Henry had blaring in the air.
    He leaned the tree against the sturdy fence that surrounded the small RV Henry used as an office. “If you need it delivered, let him know.” With those parting words, the handsome helper disappeared. Before she could ask who the man was, Henry was talking.
    “Ally, did you find one you liked?” He had finished up with his other customer and stood by the fire that burned in a used oil drum. It knocked the chill off the air and added to the overall ambience of the tree buying experience.
    “Yes, I did. The trees are beautiful.” She pulled out the wallet she’d shoved in her jacket pocket before she left the car, not wanting to be bothered with a purse as she searched for her tree. “How much?”
    Henry rubbed at his chin. “Well, now that’s an eight footer there. Took about ten years to grow so—”
    “Here.”
    Another deep timbered voice sounded behind her, but this time Ally didn’t jump. She’d know that voice anywhere. Jagger. He handed Henry two hundred dollar bills before she could protest.
    “Thank you, Sheriff.” The man smiled and she knew it would be useless to argue with either of them about the price or the fact that Jagger had paid for her tree. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t say something.
    “I can buy my own Christmas tree, Jagger.” She braced herself and turned around. It was always like that. His magnetism hit her just as hard as it ever did. She had to lock her knees to keep from falling into him. She was a woman who’d always prided herself on her ability to stand on her own two feet, yet she wanted nothing more than to throw herself into his arms. “What are you doing here?”
    “Patrolling.”
    “Oh.” For one brief moment, her heart fluttered, thinking he had seen her and followed her. Even though she was disappointed, she couldn’t help but smile at him and he gave her a small smile in return. It wasn’t much, but it was enough, was always enough to keep hope burning inside her.
    “Do you really think a tree this big will fit in your house?” The tree was taller than Jagger and almost as big around as his bear. In other words, it was a damn big tree. He focused his attention on the tree leaning next to Henry rather than the sight of Ally’s rose red lips. Damn, but he wanted a taste. Needed a taste. He hurt deep inside.
    She licked her lips, making him want to bend down and do the job for her. “I think it will. I have high ceilings.”
    “What about getting it home, or into a stand?”
    “I thought I’d ask Henry if he could deliver it later.”
    While they’d been talking, Henry had moved off to help another customer. Jagger stepped closer, his bear needing to be as close to her as possible. He breathed in, the scent of the evergreen trees mingled with Ally’s sweet heavenly goodness. The scent of children usually lingered on her after a day in the classroom. As he breathed, he realized her scent held