Page 42 of Bear Creek Thanksgiving (Holiday Mates #3)
Dustin awoke in his favorite position—Gruff spooning him from behind with a muscular arm tucked around his midsection, holding him in place.
This was where he belonged; warm, safe, and loved by his mate.
If there was a better way to start Thanksgiving, he didn’t know what it could be.
How had his life changed so drastically in less than five months?
Things like this happened to other people, and yet, here he was.
Gruff’s soft purr hadn’t stopped since they’d mated, revealing his mate’s happiness.
Even without it, the man's actions, words, and the love in his eyes left Dustin with absolutely no doubt of where he stood. He didn’t deserve such unwavering devotion, but he hoped Gruff understood how loved he was in return.
That he had a lifetime to prove it to him was yet another thing to be thankful for today.
Gruff rumbled with a growl of contentment, probably awakened by a change in Dustin’s scent.
The hand tucked around his stomach began to wander even as soft kisses peppered his neck and shoulder.
Dustin’s body reacted with a shiver of delight, skin now covered with goosebumps while his cock and nipples stood up to play.
Gruff responded by rearranging their positions so they were face to face.
Tender kisses followed until Gruff noticed his mate was sporting three days’ worth of whiskers. While Dustin’s beard was still coming in, it was heaviest on his upper lip and chin, creating a sensuous rough-on-rough while they kissed. Gruff liked it and said so.
“Look at you. All that sexy scruff just for me. My gorgeous mate.”
Dustin blushed under the scrutiny and compliments, rutting against Gruff’s smooth stomach as they continued making out.
It wasn’t long before they both fired off creamy loads amid moans and growls, though Gruff would soon want more.
After wiping each other down, Dustin climbed back on top, resting his furry chin on Gruff’s chest so he could look his mate in the eye.
“It’s Thanksgiving, and I’m so grateful to be yours. I love you, Gruff.”
Deep feelings nearly overcame the shifter; tears welling up in his stormy blue eyes.
“Dusty. Mate . You’re mine now, and nothing else matters. Love you, always.”
The tender exchange soon gave way to arousal as Gruff’s bear pushed for more action and fewer words.
With Dustin on all fours, Gruff took him from behind while using both hands to caress and stroke the front half.
This orgasm was more explosive than the last, with growls, shouts and grunts echoing off the bedroom walls as they came.
Once they’d cooled off, Gruff led Dustin to the bathroom for a shower—gently washing and re-bandaging his precious mate.
############
That afternoon
They’d spent the busy morning catching up on chores, including a messy kitchen, laundry, and a full litter box.
A quick walk was also necessary to check the mail and buildings, and they’d discovered a light dusting of snow had fallen overnight.
Though winter wasn’t his favorite season, Dustin looked forward to a slower pace and teaching Gruff how to ice skate.
Seated at his corner desk, Dustin sorted through snail mail and emails to find whatever needed immediate attention.
Much of it was easily disposed of junk, but there were customer issues to handle, bills to pay, and inquiries to answer.
Never far from his side, Gruff had shifted into bear form and lay down on a thick, oval rug nearby.
Baxter made immediate use of the warm, soft ursine to curl up for a nap, and Dustin snapped several photos of the charming pair.
After a few final clicks, he shut down his computer, closed up the desk, and went to cuddle with his bear.
Gruff lifted his head to watch as Baxter was relocated to the rug so Dustin could sprawl over Gruff’s side and flank.
The indignant feline made his displeasure known to one and all before stretching out along the bear’s ample stomach—matching Gruff’s purr with one of his own.
Dustin found the vibration relaxing, and he lazily stroked Gruff’s soft, thick fur—something they both enjoyed.
The tranquil respite came to an abrupt end when Dustin’s phone began to ring. He fished it out of his pocket, happy to see it was the expected call from home. Gruff listened, waiting to see who had disturbed their peaceful afternoon.
“Hi dad! Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Hello, son, and the same to you. Everybody’s here and I’ve got you on speaker. How has your holiday been so far?”
Gruff had no trouble hearing the exchange, and wondered what his mate would say.
“It’s been great! Gruff and I are enjoying the time off and being together. He’d say hello, but he’s in bear form right now.”
Gruff growled at the phone and everyone at the other end started laughing. Joan asked the next question.
“So, what’s your plan for the day? Weren’t you going to have a meal with the Tillmans?”
“We’re enjoying some quiet time together, though DeeDee promised to bring us supper later on.”
Joan assumed the worst; worry evident in her voice.
“What happened, honey? Are you not feeling well?”
“We’re both fine, but Gruff claimed me the other day, and shifters stick close to their mates right after bonding.”
Everyone started talking and shouting at once, excited for them but uncertain what it all meant. Leaving out the prodigious amount of sex, Dustin explained that they were now officially mated and permanently linked together.
“It takes about two weeks for the bond to settle, so we’ll have to do our best to work around it. Tomorrow is the first day of the holiday season here, and it’s going to be super busy through Christmas Eve.”
Dustin answered a number of shouted questions, though Tara’s were ignored due to the risqué subject matter. They were excited to formally welcome Gruff to the family, and the subject of marriage and honeymoons came up.
“We haven’t talked about that yet, but I’ll let you know. Gruff sends his love, and we wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving.”
The moment Dustin hung up, Gruff sat up to lick his mate’s face and neck with abandon.
Baxter took off like a shot, yowling in protest at having his nap interrupted for a second time.
Needing human contact, Gruff shifted and stripped Dustin right there in the living room.
He resumed the licking, though had switched to more intimate places.
To keep things equitable, Dustin insisted on a sixty-nine, and they finished each other off with knowing grins.
Gruff scooped up his sweet mate to continue their afternoon delight, but only made it as far as the hallway before an insistent knock on the door stopped them in their tracks.
Gruff had been so caught up in his mate that he missed the sounds of a vehicle arriving.
His nose told him it was Sunny, and he rushed to the bedroom to put on some clothes.
Dustin did the same, but paused long enough to wipe a glob of cum off Gruff’s cheek with a tissue.
They were both laughing as Gruff hurried to open the front door.
Sunny stood there holding a full grocery bag, with two more at his feet. He gave Gruff an amused once-over, handed him the bag, and delivered his message.
“I’m supposed to ask if you need anything else before I go.”
Gruff growled, more embarrassed than angry.
“Nope. We’re good. We appreciate the food though. Tell everyone hello for us.”
Sunny merely raised an eyebrow, smiled, and took a step back.
“Congratulations, son. Dustin’s a fine man and a good mate for you. We’re mighty proud.”
Without waiting for an answer, Sunny got in his pickup and drove away. Gruff turned to bring the bags in and found Dustin waiting to help.
“There’s so much. It was sweet of DeeDee to go to all this trouble. Don’t let me forget to write her a thank you note.”
While Gruff sorted everything out, Dustin got out the nicer tableware for their meal.
Back in the kitchen, they worked together to reheat everything, put the dessert in the fridge, and find something to drink.
It took a few trips to bring it all to the dining room, but the festive table and aromatic scents made it all worthwhile.
Dustin enjoyed tasting new dishes that weren’t a part of his family’s traditions.
Once Gruff emptied his first plate, he began telling Thanksgiving stories from his childhood and more recent tales about Tillman gatherings.
Food, laughter, and family were common themes, though Gruff had come a long way since his youth.
When it was time for dessert, they found a hastily scribbled note from DeeDee on top of a covered pie plate.
“No apple. Thought you might want something else.”
In the dish were pieces of pumpkin pie, lemon cheesecake, and cherry pie.
Separate containers held bear brownies and an assortment of Delicious chocolates.
Though stuffed to the gills, the pair had work to do this evening, and hurried to clean up.
When they’d finished, Gruff grabbed a backpack of supplies from the bedroom and held Dustin’s gloved hand on the way to the Red Barn.
Upstairs, they donned aprons and hairnets to prepare for a baking marathon.
Asha wouldn’t have enough time in the morning to fill the display cases, so Dustin had promised to do some of it tonight, giving her a head start.
That was before he knew Gruff would claim him, making this project slightly more difficult.
His mate understood, to a point, but he didn’t have complete control of his ursine instincts at the present time.
Hence, this evening entailed both baking and sex—though not at the same time.
While Gruff was a good cook and understood the basic health department rules, he was not an experienced baker.
In addition, he wasn’t familiar with the commercial kitchen equipment or setup.
As Dustin did his thing, he assigned Gruff a number of simpler tasks like chopping nuts, greasing loaf pans, and pulling ingredients from the shelves.
The work didn’t prevent them from stealing occasional kisses, but eventually Gruff needed more.
Dustin glanced at the oven timer and made an executive decision.
“What can we do in twenty minutes, love?”
As it turned out, quite a few things. After removing their aprons, the pair retreated to the party room and Gruff pulled a clean bed sheet from the pack he’d brought.
He spread it over the carpeted floor as their ‘bed’, lay Dustin on it, and hovered over him with both their cocks in his large hand.
With an added dollop of lube, he pumped furiously until they both came.
Rushed, but enjoyable—and Dustin now carried his scent, satisfying his bear.
With a few minutes to spare, they put themselves back together, washed up, and removed trays of maple scones from the oven without a hitch.
During subsequent breaks, they managed some intercrural action and another sixty-nine. The flirting and kisses in between made for a satisfying, naughty, and productive evening. By ten o’clock they’d finished and gone home, victorious but exhausted.