The others stared at him.
“He’s lost it,” Hardwick deadpanned. “Honestly. You can’t think of anything else you’d rather be doing?”
Jasper’s mind went straight to his soulmate. His gorgeous, perfect Abigail, still sometimes as prickly as the day he’d met her and all the sweeter for it. All her life, Christmas had been a source of tension and unhappiness, not a time for celebration.
And his little girl. Ruby was old enough now to look forward to Christmas from the minute Halloween was over. And she didn’t have the same bittersweet relationship to it as he used to. She was a summer baby, and one of the best things in his life. Sharing the magic of the holidays with her made them more magical every year.
Which was why this had to be the best year ever. For them.
“Nope,” he said in confident response to Hardwick’s question. “Nothing. And stop squinting at me like that. We’ve got work to do.”
Jackson folded his arms. “We haven’t said yes, yet.”
Jasper waited. And just as he’d hoped, his friends stepped in.
“All right, Christmas dragon. You spend half your year making sure Christmas is incredible for everyone else in this town, we ought to step in and help out. What do you need?”
3
Abigail
Pine Valley at Christmas used to be everything Abigail hated. Christmasanywhereused to be anything she hated. But somehow it was this cute little town that threw itself heart and soul into the holiday season that changed her own heart.
Or rather, one Christmas-obsessed dragon shifter who lived there.
These days, she loved it. The decorations. The market in the town square. The smell of cinnamon and pine. The carols.
Yes, even the carols. Now that she wasn’t trapped behind a cash register with the same crackly off-brand recordings playing all day long, she could appreciate even them.
And so many other people loved it too. Thanks to all the hard work Jasper put into the public celebrations.
Was she really going to put all that at risk?
Don’t be ridiculous,she told herself as she packed a bag for the evening.I’m not going to ruin Christmas! I just…am going to steal it… a little…
She bit back a sigh, remembering a fleeting look of tension in Jasper’s eyes that morning as he stared at their Christmas tree. It was the biggest one they’d ever had in all the Christmases they’d spent together, and she’d joked that if they were going to top it next year, they’d need to add another floor to their house.
He’d grinned like it was a challenge, but the golden bond in her heart hadpinched.
The problem was obvious. He was overworking himself. Even if he wouldn’t admit it. She wasn’t going to ruin Christmas. She was going to help her husband, herfated mate,relax and enjoy himself.
And get some.
Oh, lord, was she going to get some.
Heat flared with unexpected speed across her skin, and she squeezed her legs together. It wasn’t that theyneverhad any time together. It was just that somehow, she was… extra horny?
She blamed Sheena for putting the idea in her head.
“Everyone ready to go?” she hollered as she headed for the front door, and Jasper bounded down the stairs. He and Ruby were in matching Christmas elf outfits. The same as she was, because she was a part of this crazy Christmas-loving family, after all.
Even if she was going to ruin Christmas.
I’m not going to ruin anything!She snapped at herself and jingled the keys. “Race you to the car!”
The town square could have been designed to hold the Christmas market. For all Abigail knew, it really had been.
Every shop front was ablaze with lights and festive decorations. Christmas trees in wine-barrel planters had been rolled into the plaza, creating a mock forest through which tinsel-y paths wove in and out between food trucks and picnic areas. There was a big open space with a stage, where the local choir would be singing, and it smelled like a festive feast in an enchanted, snowy grove.
