Page 8 of Claiming the Shifter's Heart

Sigh.

Despite all of this insanity, Della had been working for over a week at the farm by now. So, none of this was new. And none of it should bother her.

“Okay Tommy, big smile!” Della said, giving her attention to the merry trio taking their picture with Santa.

This was all on Samantha! Della frowned. Her nosy next door neighbor had jinxed her by giving her the sexy little negligee she wore beneath her costume tonight.

Every time she moved, she felt the soft lace and silk confection rub across her skin, sending sparks of desire zipping through her. Or maybe that was just him. Either way, she felt overheated and very aware of Kris every time she brought a new child over for him to greet.

“Is there something different about your costume tonight, Peaches?” he asked during a temporary lull.

“What?”

“Your costume. You lookdifferent,” he said, pausing slightly before the last word.

“Um, no, of course not,” she replied, clearing her throat.

She stepped away from the big man, nervous that she’d somehow given away the fact she wore something outrageous beneath her clothes.

“You don’t have to run, Peaches. You look perfect to me,” he rumbled, closer now than before.

How did he do that?

Oh yeah. Wolf. Duh, Della.

“Yeah, right,” she replied with a snort, waving at people shopping for their holiday decorations and Christmas trees.

“There’s no line now. How about a picture?” Della called out to passersby.

“What are you doing later?” he asked, clearly not taking the hint that she didn’t want to talk to him.

“None of your business,” she said tartly.

“Damn, I love your accent,” he said roughly.

“My accent? I grew up in Georgia, and this is how most folks talk. You should worry more about your accent. Really, I don’t know how folks up here can understand each other.”

“What do you mean by that?” he asked, one eyebrow quirked.

“What do y’all have against the letter r? I mean every other word you seem to just forget it.”

“Like what?”

“Okay, say car, or park, or better yet, say four.”

“You making fun of me, Peaches?” he said, frowning.

“Who me?Nah,” Della replied, clearly teasing the big man.

“Fine. Cahr. Pahk. And faw,” he replied, grinning and exaggerating that delicious Jersey accent she couldn’t get enough of.

“I rest my case,” she said, turning her head.

Della gasped, not realizing just how close Kristoff really was to her. Her Crow would have gone batshit crazy at any other man who tried to get near her. But the animal trusted him.

Maybe I should too?

Chapter 5

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