Marilu Mann - Changing Focus

“Uncle Micah, what are we going to do today?” She asked no questions about waking with them, so Micah assumed Shelly had let the child sleep with her on occasion or that Jane’s family frequently shared a bed. It wasn’t an uncommon practice in Pack-reared shifters.

“We are going ice fishing, but you have to get up and get dressed quickly. We need to be out on the lake soon. I’ll go down and make us some breakfast sandwiches. You and Liv need to dress warmly. There are some ice skates in the closet downstairs too, if you want to see if you can find some in your size.”

“Yay, yay, yay! Ice fishing and ice skating. Hurry up, Olivia!” Talia jumped up and down on the bed before making a mad dash for the door. “I have to get dressed. Hurry, hurry!”

Micah laughed as he turned back to Olivia. “I think she’s a little excited. Now for a proper ‘good morning’.”

Kneeling back on the bed, he gathered Olivia into his arms, watching as her lips curved into a smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck and welcomed him back against her body. Micah kissed her with all the love he felt for her, stroking across her tongue with his, holding her close against his chest and feeling her fingers tangle in his hair.

He broke the kiss with a soft groan. “If I don’t go downstairs right now, I’m going to make love to you again and that might be awkward with Talia being so excited about the day.”

“I know.” Olivia smiled a very female smile at him. “Micah, we have tonight. I want you in my bed tonight.”

“Liv, don’t say things like that to me.” He put his forehead against hers and sighed heavily. “I want you.”

“I can tell.” She ran a hand between their bodies to cup his cock. Micah took a deep breath and groaned softly as she stroked him. He wanted her hands on his body, her mouth on his cock, his cock in her body-he wanted it all.

“Stop, sweetheart, we have to get up.” Micah rolled over, pulling Olivia with him so that she lay on his body. She rubbed against him with a truly wicked smile.

“Just a taste for later, Micah.” Olivia kissed him this time. Kissed him as though they were the only two people on the planet and they had an entire lifetime to enjoy one another. She raised her head to stare at him. Micah saw confusion in her gaze, but she shook her head as she slid seductively off his body. “Until later.”

He let his head fall back on the pillow with a groan as she waltzed into the bathroom. Getting to his feet with his cock at attention took some effort on his part. Only the thought of Talia interrupting them kept him from joining Olivia in the shower.

Resigned to dealing with a painful erection for a while, Micah limped toward the door and headed for the kitchen. He heard Talia singing from the third floor and laughed as he walked down the stairs. Life is definitely good.

He had reason to rethink that after some time on the ice. Olivia and Talia had laughed as they walked out onto the frozen lake. They’d both wondered if the ice would break under them because of the cracking sound it made as they walked on it.

They’d liked watching him bore holes in the ice with his auger. Olivia hadn’t been able to take her eyes off him and Micah had been very grateful for his coveralls as they hid a multitude of sins, including his body’s immediate reaction to her gaze.

However, sitting on a short stool and watching the girls shiver as they sat around the holes waiting for the elusive fish to bite wasn’t much fun. Apparently today would not be a good day for ice fishing after all.

Gareth had mentioned the possibility of purchasing or building an ice-fishing house and Micah had dismissed that idea until now. Watching Olivia and Talia, seeing how little they were enjoying this particular experience, he wondered if being inside a cozy, warm ice house would have made a difference.

“Okay, that’s enough. I don’t think we’re going to have any luck with the fish today. Did you find skates to fit?” Talia jumped up, dropped her pole and ran for the sled Micah had used to cart their supplies out onto the lake.

“Yay! Skating.” Olivia and Micah followed more slowly. He took her gloved hand in his and even though he couldn’t feel her skin, he smiled.

“Can you ice skate, Olivia?”

“Me? I don’t know. I’ve never tried.” When she smiled up at him, he chuckled.

“This could be very interesting.”

Olivia wobbled as her feet hit the slick surface. If Micah’s arms hadn’t been around her, she knew she would have been on her rear. His rumbling laugh pulsed through her as he coached her on how to best navigate on the blades. Talia dashed across the ice as though born to it.

“The last foster family had a budding competition ice skater so they were at the rink a lot. Looks like Talia has some natural talent as well.”

Watching the child take the ripples in the lake ice in stride, Olivia didn’t even notice when Micah pulled away from her a bit. Suddenly she looked down to see her own feet gliding.

“It’s a little like cross-country skiing, isn’t it?” Turning her head to Micah, Olivia lost her balance and went down hard.

“Yes, but the ice isn’t as forgiving as the snow. Are you okay?”

Narrowing her eyes at his obvious difficulty in hiding a grin, she took his hand. “Fine. I think you need to hold my hand until I can get my ice legs as it were.”

His eyes softened as he squeezed her hand pulling her up. “Liv, I don’t want to ever let go of your hand. You are so important to me.”

Her heart tightening in her chest, Liv changed the subject to Talia. She didn’t want to hurt Micah, but she didn’t know how to deal with this emotion she felt. Seeming to understand, Micah let her lead the conversation away from the idea of forever.

Soon she felt like she had the skating thing down but she didn’t let go of Micah. Talia joined them to grab his hand while the three of them zipped across the edge of the lake. Even the occasional snowdrift or ice wrinkle didn’t take Liv down. She had so much fun that when Micah said it was time to head back to the lodge, Olivia considered joining Talia’s whine.

“Talia, tonight is a Gathering so Liv and I need to nap as much as you do.” He flicked where her nose would be on her face mask. “And you get to go hang out with the other cubs at Margie’s. I hear there will be pizza and movies and no bedtime for you guys.”

The child’s face brightened at the thought of going to see her new friends again. Olivia’s stomach roiled at the idea of meeting all those strangers in four-legged form. Can I do this and not embarrass myself-or worse, Micah?

The snowmobile ride home didn’t help her anxiety. As the trees whipped past, fear after fear piled up until she knew it wasn’t just the motor making her shake. Why am I such a coward? Olivia Marie, get it together right now. Micah will be with you. It will be okay. Nothing bad will happen.

With the lodge in sight, Olivia breathed a sigh of relief. Talia leaned against her so heavily that when she looked at the child’s face she was not surprised to see the six-year-old sound asleep.

“Apparently snowmobile rides are a lot like car rides.” The tenderness in Micah’s voice along with the gentleness he showed as he scooped the sleeping child up made tears well up in Olivia’s eyes. He makes such a good parent.

Once Talia was tucked in bed with Olivia assisting Micah in making sure the covers were snug around her, the two adults turned as one to head downstairs. Olivia led the way with her hand tugging Micah along behind her. She wanted to spoon into him and let the tiredness that the activity brought on-and the fear it enhanced-melt away.

“I’d like to make love to you, Liv, but let’s save our energy for tonight. It’s going to be your second change in as many days so you need to be ready for that.” Luckily Micah echoed her own thoughts about just going to sleep.