Nalini Singh - The Magical Christmas Cat

The house was always filled on Christmas Eve. Her parents, broth­ers, and their families would arrive a day or two before, and laughter and joy always filled the air as they dragged mattresses from the attic and made room for ten extra people in the small house.

A smile tipped her lips at the thought of Noble's reaction to that. If he was even here.

She straightened one of the bags and frowned at that thought. Breeds weren't known for their Christmas spirit; she wondered if Noble would at least be patient with the friends and family who piled into her house that holiday week.

"What are you thinking of so hard?" His arms came around her as he pulled her against his bare chest. He'd donned jeans, but he was barefoot and sexy and tough and hard.

"Christmas." Her fingers curled around his wrists. "I bought you a present, you know?"

She looked back at him in time to see his surprise.

"Why would you do that?" he asked her, as though he truly didn't know the reason why.

"Because it brings me joy and always reminds me what Christ­mas is all about."

"It's all about giving presents?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

"No, it's not about giving presents. Giving presents reminds me of what the season is all about."

"And what's it all about for you?" he asked her, still staring at the tree, his eyes narrowed, his expression thoughtful.

"It's about life. About celebrating my beliefs and my family. About the connections we don't always consider through the rest of the year. And it's about love. Our love for those who fill our lives."

"So you buy presents?"

"Or make them." She grinned. "Or bake them or cook them. Or simply stopping by to wish them a happy holiday and showing you care. For me, it's the joy in the giving, Noble. In remembering all the joys that have been given to me throughout the year."

He was strangely quiet then. He stared at the tree, then back at her. His gaze flickered. "What did you get me?"

She almost laughed. For the slightest moment, just the briefest breath of time, she might have glimpsed an almost boyish eager­ness in his face.

"It's a surprise," she whispered teasingly.

He glanced down at her. "It's about tormenting those who re­ceive, isn't it, Haley?" He growled. "Do you have any idea how curious a cat can get?"

"If you peek, then all you'll get is coal in your stocking."

Noble's head swung around, a completely involuntary act to stare at the mantel. And there was another stocking. One that hadn't been there the day before.

Something in his chest constricted as he turned back to her.

"Why did you do that?" he asked her then. "I've not bought you anything."

"You gave me yourself." She stared back as though there were a question in her statement.

Noble nodded slowly. "Every part of me." And every part of him reached out to her.

"Then I don't need anything else."

"But you gave me yourself as well," he stated confidently. He knew she belonged to him. The mating had been strong, already she carried the scent of him mixed with her own, just as he car­ried her scent within him. They were bonding, perhaps now, only physically, but she would bond with him emotionally he knew, if she hadn't already.

He saw things in her. In her eyes, in her expressions, in her touch. Perhaps his little librarian just hadn't wanted to admit to what she felt for him. But he knew she did indeed feel for him.

"And I love giving presents." Her smile was soft and filled with happiness. "That's part of the fun, Noble. Knowing there's a pres­ent and wondering what it is."

He stared back down at her, faintly confused by that.

"Breeds never celebrate Christmas."

"I celebrate Christmas every year," she whispered. "And on Christmas Eve, my entire family descends. My brothers and their families, my parents, and on holiday nights friends and neighbors are always dropping in. Every Christmas Eve we go caroling in the park, and we laugh and drink hot chocolate and freeze our butts off walking back."

"And you do this why?" He fought the feeling of confusion that swept through him.

She was quiet then. The Christmas lights flickered over her face, multihued and giving her expression an almost otherworldly hue.

"Because I love doing it," she finally said, sighing. "Because i feel close to my family, my friends, and to my beliefs."

He nodded slowly. "You feel closer to your God," he said.

And she smiled.

"Dinner should be ready." She pulled from him slowly, catching his hand and drawing him to the kitchen. "And we have all these cookies. After we eat, i have about ten million paper Christmas bags to start filling with chocolate chip cookies."

"And those are for?" But he followed her, because her smile was teasing, warm and filled with joy.

"For the breeds at Sanctuary. Cassie Sinclair told me once that they go nuts for chocolate chip cookies. So Callan Lyons was kind enough to give me a number for the bags I needed, and I've been filling them for weeks."

He paused, ignoring the tug on his hand. "That's over three hundred breeds at the moment, Haley."

"And just think, over three hundred smiles when they taste my delicious cookies. I make very good cookies."

She did indeed. She made cookies that melted in the mouth and made a breed think of chocolate ecstasy. But Noble wasn't certain if he wanted to share those cookies, and her smiles, with other breeds. But one thing was certain, he wasn't about to dim the pleasure the thought of it brought to her eyes.

As they shared the late dinner, she managed to convince him, and how she did it he wasn't certain, to make sure those on duty were fed as well.

One by one they came in, ate a plate of heaping roast, pota­toes, and carrots, with fresh-baked bread. They were sent off with a handful of cookies.

Even that damned mongrel coyote that trotted at Mordecai's heels was given a bowl of fragrant roast. And he stared at Haley with adoration as he stuck his snout in the bowl and lapped it up.

It was nearly four in the morning before she loaded the dish­washer, and Noble noticed her hands were shaking. He'd smelled the heat building in her, surprised it had taken so long. Normally, the second phase struck must faster, and burned hotter.

"Enough." He closed the dishwasher and took the dish towel she held from her hand.

A fine film of perspiration dotted her upper lip, and the light sprinkling of freckles glared out from across the bridge of her nose, her face was so pale.

"I think I might need you." She was almost panting, her nipples so hard they were pointed into the material of her robe and the sweet scent of her desire filling the air.

The need had lain dormant inside her for nearly four hours, only to strike in a matter of minutes. Which was unusual.

"Have you taken the pills I gave you?" He pushed her hair back from her face.

Haley shook her head. "The first one made me feel funny. I didn't like it."

"Funny how?"

She shook her head. "It gave me a headache. I don't like head­aches."

"It shouldn't have given you a headache." He frowned.

"Can we discuss this later." Her arm curled around his bare shoulders, her lips pressed into his flesh. "I'm tired of waiting."

"Why did you wait?" He glared down at her. "You fed every breed in the city rather than taking care of yourself."

She stared up at him somberly. "I wanted to know what you felt for the past year. You held back, even after you moved in here. I needed to see how it hurt you."

Noble stared back at her in shock. "Haley, it isn't the same for the males, sweetheart," he groaned, clasping her face with his hands. "The physical symptoms aren't as severe. Baby, why didn't you say something?"

The endearments slipped out naturally. He barely realized he had spoken them, concern filled him, driving past his lust as he stared into her nearly blue eyes. The gray had almost disappeared, to be replaced by a grayish blue that fascinated him.