Page 50 of Fated Midlife Christmas
Amanda snuggled into the warm embrace of her mate. She was deliciously warm everywhere that her body touched his, but the room was starting to get chilly. “Do you know what’s great about making love in the living room?” she said into the crook of his neck.
“A lot of things.” His voice rumbled in his chest, a sound that she felt was directly wired into her soul now. “We don’t have to stick with just the couch, either. There’s other furniture in here we could try.”
She laughed as she disentangled herself and rose from the sofa. She was completely naked as she moved across the room, comfortable in her body in a way she hadn’t imagined she could ever be. “Maybe in a bit.”
“Then what?” She could hear him shifting on the couch, and when she looked over her shoulder, he had propped himself up on his elbow. His eyes raked over her body appreciatively. “Is the rug particularly soft? We could try there, too.”
Laughing, Amanda retrieved one of the long matches from the container on the mantle. She then opened the fireplace screen and squatted down in front of it. “I never did get a chance to burn my Yule log. I think right now would be the perfect time.” She lit the small pile of kindling that had already beenplaced under the log and closed the screen before turning back to the couch.
The flickering light of the new fire played across Lars’s incredible body. He was so strong and masculine, but she knew there was an infinite amount of kindness and generosity in him as well. That balance had her thinking that maybe they did need to explore the other parts of the room.
For now, she lay in front of him on the couch, snuggling up against his chest. He pulled a throw blanket down from the back of the sofa and arranged it over them before putting his arms around her and holding her tight.
They lay there together, watching the fire burn as they planned out the rest of their lives together.
EPILOGUE
Incredible.Just incredible.
You keep saying that.There was humor in Lars’s voice.
Amanda spun in a slow circle. Lars had described the views from up there in the mountains, but no words truly communicated what she was seeing. The sky was an infinite dome of blue overhead, with a few streaks of puffy clouds scudding by so close, she felt she could touch them. The rugged snowcapped peaks that surrounded them were even with her feet, and they extended for miles. In the distance, the deep azure of the fjord sparkled in the sun.I don’t know what else to say. Breathtaking?
Lars moved closer, his massive, white-furred shoulder nudging gently into hers as they stood together.You asked if I ever got used to seeing things like this. I didn’t think I had, but maybe I was wrong. It’s a whole new experience with you, seeing it through your eyes.
She leaned into him, still having a hard time comprehending just how much peace and joy she’d been able to find in another person. Amanda was living the experience every day, no matter where they were, and every day, she paused to think about howlucky she was. If their circumstances had been even a little different, they might never have met each other at all.
Her stomach rumbled loudly, completely ruining the moment.
Sounds like it’s time to head back. Alva will be finishing up dinner, anyway.Lars led the way toward the rocky path.
When the two of them had first ventured out of Longyearbyen’s city limits on foot, it hadn’t taken much time at all to find enough solitude to shift. Being on all fours had made the climb into the mountains easy, and it was even easier now that they were heading back downhill. The two bears ran, looping along the trail. The sun was on her shoulders, and the wind zipped through her fur. She caught the scents of the wilderness all around them, and for once, she truly felt more bear than human.
As they approached the town again, they returned to their two-legged forms and worked their way toward the Olsen family home.
Amanda took in the long lines of the modern houses that clustered on the edge of the water. There were no grassy yards or shade trees. The only thing that delineated one person’s property from another was where they parked their scooters or snowmobiles. The homes closer to the water all had private boats that they’d pulled up onto the rocky shore.
“It’s so different here, this modern settlement on the edge of the world,” she noted. Now she could see larger ships that were still out in the fjord. The rest of Svalbard curled around the little town as though keeping it tucked close, protected against one of the last true frontiers. “It must’ve been strange to come to a place like Salem after living here all your life.”
“Strange, yes,” he acknowledged, “but nice. There’s a lot of history there, and so many things to see and do. It has acompletely different energy than Longyearbyen, but that’s one reason I like it. The other reason is because you’re there.”
She slipped her hand into his as they approached the back side of the house. It was set a little apart from the town itself, with large windows that faced out onto the water. “Whoever built this place knew a bit about real estate and how important location is.”
“It’s a good thing they got it right, too,” Lars noted as he opened the back door. They were in a mud room, where they could take off their boots. “There are a lot of regulations here when it comes to selling land and building houses. Not to mention the expense of shipping all the materials up here. We’re very fortunate to have what we do.”
He said it as though he was grateful for a small, humble abode, but Amanda had been there with him for two days and was still marveling at the beautiful home. It was large enough to suit Erik and his mate Alva, even while Amanda and Lars were visiting, and there was even space for a few other cousins when the need arose. Many of those cousins had come flooding in for a large family dinner the previous evening, but that night, it was just the four of them.
“Ah, there you are!” Alva said, looking over her shoulder as they walked into the kitchen. “Did you have a nice time?”
“It was…” Amanda hesitated, feeling like she really needed to increase her vocabulary, “incredible.”
“I hope you worked up a good appetite. Wash up and have a seat. It’s almost ready.” She gestured with her spoon toward the door.
“Can I help with anything?” Amanda offered.
“Not at all! Go on!” Alva shooed them out of the kitchen.
A short time later, the four of them sat at the dining table as Alva dished out hearty bowls of stew. It steamed in the coolair, and Amanda’s stomach rumbled all over again. “This smells delicious.”
