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Married And Bright: A Firecats Holiday Story
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Married And Bright: A Firecats Holiday Story


  Married and Bright

  A FIRECATS HOLIDAY STORY

  By P. Jameson

  Website | Facebook | Newsletter

  Married and Bright

  Copyright © 2022 by P. Jameson

  First electronic publication: December 2022

  United States of America

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in any database, without prior written permission from the author, with the exception of brief quotations contained in critical reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this work may be scanned, uploaded, or otherwise distributed via the internet or any other means, including electronic or print without the author’s written permission.

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  P. Jameson

  www.pjamesonbooks.com

  Other books by P. Jameson

  Firecats (Alley Cats)

  All is Bright (Prequel)

  Series

  Apex Mountain Shifters

  Series

  Ouachita Mountain Shifters

  Series

  Dirt Track Dogs

  Series

  Dirt Track Dogs: The Second Lap

  Series

  Ozark Mountain Shifters

  Series

  Sci-fi Fantasy Romance

  Starwalker (Amazon)

  Writing as Penn Rivers

  Amazon

  ***

  Stay up to date with all P. Jameson news!

  To join the New Release Newsletter click HERE (or copy/paste this link to your browser: http://eepurl.com/3s00L ). And be sure to follow the Amazon page HERE.

  Prologue

  It was Christmastime once again. Malcom Frazier’s favorite. But not because he was a jolly fucker. Though… maybe he was now. He did string up lights last week and didn’t even hate it.

  At all.

  No, Christmas was the most wonderful time of the year because it was the anniversary of when he met her. Francesca. His mate and forever love.

  Three winters ago, he’d walked into her flower shop unsure what he would say, how he would convince her to love him. But he shouldn’t have worried. Fate had given him the brightest, softest heart to care for.

  Francesca was easy to make happy, and he loved doing it.

  What he had planned for tonight, he wasn’t so sure about. Would she want what he wanted? They hadn’t talked it over. This would be a complete surprise. But if she said yes…

  Man, it would feel like he won the fucking lottery. Better.

  Tonight had to be perfect. He’d waited until the first snow because that always made her happiest. Well, maybe not the happiest. Malcom smirked to himself. Snow could make her smile, but only he could make her moan.

  “Mal,” Francesca called from their living room. Her voice still gave him the best kind of chills, even after almost four years. “What’s taking so long?”

  Well, see. I’m about to ask you a life-changing question, and it has to be just right, he thought. But out loud he only said, “I’m making it extra special, Bright Spot.”

  “Ooooh! Does that mean you’re adding a candy cane to the hot cocoa?”

  “Wait and see.”

  Malcom drew in a deep breath. Gotta pull your shit together, man. She’s waiting.

  Okay, okay.

  He observed the small plate he’d put together. At first glance, it looked like a standard mug of hot cocoa.

  Francesca’s favorite mug, in fact.

  The day they met she’d offered him coffee but had no throw-away cups. So she’d used this very mug instead. Red, with scrolling letters that spelled out I’m Gonna Marry Santa. It had stirred the first embers of his fire beast, lighting him up with jealousy before she was even his.

  Santa wouldn’t get the fucking chance to wed his sweet Francesca.

  Now, Malcom took a permanent marker to the old mug, to fix the message. I’m Gonna Marry Santa Mal. Next to the mug sat a perfect candy cane. He’d shuffled through two whole boxes just to find the best one. Francesca loved candy canes. Currently, she wore candy cane pajamas and was even curled under a candy cane printed blanket on the couch. But there was more to it than that.

  Candy canes brought Malcom and her together when he stepped into her flower shop to buy one. It hadn’t been the best excuse to talk to her, but it worked.

  He thought about how far they’d come.

  After losing his werecat abilities and leaving his wicked clan behind, he’d settled for a life on the streets. That’s how he found her. The bench outside of Brightwoods Floral and Gifts had served as his bed on nights that he didn’t get one at the local shelter. The smiling woman beyond the huge glass window caught his attention almost immediately. Malcom couldn’t get over the way she treated the people who patroned her store. So kind and accepting. She was a bright spot among all the darkness that lived in his head. Something to be cherished. Loved. Something he badly needed.

  Malcom grabbed her, holding on for dear life. And somehow, she’d needed him too.

  An unbelievable providence.

  Over the years, they’d only grown closer. Their mating bond was unbreakable, a solid band around his heart and hers. They laughed together. Loved together. Even… ahem… cried together, but he’d never admit that to another living soul.

  Now he was ready for more. He hoped like hell she was too.

  He wanted to start a family with her. And since they both had family baggage in their past, he desperately wanted to do this right.

  Malcom reached into his pocket to retrieve the blue velvet ring box he’d been keeping close for weeks now. His hands shook as he opened it.

  Fuck.

  He was nervous as shit.

  Breathe. It’s going to be fine. She loves you.

  Before he could change his mind, he pried the diamond ring free and shoved the empty box back in his pocket. Carefully, he slid the ring onto the candy cane and placed it back on the plate next to the new-and-improved mug.

  There. He was ready.

  He stared at the plate, tapping his thumb nervously on the counter. Was it enough? Maybe he should have thought bigger. The mug and candy cane seemed so… quaint. Quiet. Intimate. What if Francesca had always dreamed of a proposal that included marching bands and fireworks and bullshit?

  What if he fucked this up and never got another chance?

  “Shit,” he muttered.

  He could pull the ring off and shove it back in the box. He could hide the mug under the counter until later. He could still back out.

  “Boo!” Francesca’s voice popped from right behind him.

  “Shit.” Malcom spun around, finding her sweet freckled face grinning from ear to ear. Goddamn, she was beautiful. For a moment, he forgot he should be horrified. She was about to spoil his entire plan.

  But before he could think of a way to get her back in the living room, she went up on her toes to kiss him. With her hot mouth and her body melded to his, he could only think of one thing.

  Mine. Take mine.

  He wanted to lay her out right here on the floor and pleasure her until she screamed his name for the stars to hear.

  She pulled back before he could make his move, but she didn’t go far. His arms around her waist wouldn’t let her.

  A new grin lifted her face. “Did I scare you?”

  “No,” Malcom said too fast.

  She giggled, slapping at his chest playfully. “What’s with you? I know you heard me coming.”

  Nope. He’d been a tad preoccupied with growing the balls to propose.

  She tried to look around him. “Need help? The movie’s going to start soon, and when it does you gotta be next to me.”

  Malcom smirked. “Under you, you mean.” She liked to sit in his lap when they watched TV. And he liked to let her.

  Francesca shrugged. “Unless I’m getting too heavy for you.” She frowned, patting her stomach with one hand. “I’ve gained weight you know.”

  He knew. He noticed everything about her body. A few extra pounds didn’t matter to him.

  “You’ll never be too heavy for me.” He brushed his thumb over her cheek. “You know that.”

  She pressed her cheek to his chest, sighing. “If you say so.”

  Malcom didn’t like what he felt in their mating bond. The uncertainty. Why would she question his devotion after all this time?

  “Mate, I love you. There’s nothing about you I’d change.”

  “I know.” The side of her mouth quirked up and then sank again. “But you’ve been so secretive lately. You’re hiding something. I can feel it through our bond.”

  Well, shit.

  Of course she could sense his trepidation and sneakery. Their bond was ironclad.

  “It’s not what you think,” Malcom said. “I… I’ve been…” How was he supposed to put her at ease without telling her the truth?

  Francesca blinked up at him expectantly.

  He opened his mouth to try again, but nothing came out.

  Francesca sighed, her shoulders bowing with disappointment. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. Let’s just go watch the movie. Is the hot cocoa ready?” She looked around him and then froze. Turned straight to an icicle right in his arms.
“Malcom, what is this?” She pulled away to investigate.

  “The uh…” He ran a hand over the back of his neck. “Yeah, the hot cocoa is ready. Ready as it will ever be.”

  Francesca laughed as she peered down at the plate. “What did you do to my mug, Mal?”

  He cleared his throat. “Nothing. Just fixed it.”

  He knew the moment she noticed the candy cane and ring. He knew because something incredible lit up their bond, but also because she went perfectly still, her eyes bugging wide.

  “Wh… what is…?” She blinked, turning to stare at him. “Mal, what…?”

  Well, his secret was out. Yeah, they were doing this.

  Shit.

  “This wasn’t how I pictured it happening,” he murmured, closing the distance between them. “You were supposed to be cozy on the couch under that damned candy cane blanket. I was supposed to hand you the cup and you were probably going to drink some before you noticed the new phrase. Then you’d probably notice the candy cane…”

  He took the mug of cocoa and put it in her hands. Carefully, she sipped the hot drink and sighed.

  “I love this mug,” she said. “It’s my favorite because it reminds me of the day we met.”

  “That’s what I was counting on. I very much want to remind you of that day right now.” Anything to make her want to say yes.

  She blinked quickly, as if trying to stop impending tears. “That candy cane has a ring on it, Mal.”

  He nodded, taking the mug from her to place it back on the plate before picking up the candy cane. He dropped to one knee. Get this right, man.

  “Francesca Brightwood, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.”

  “Okay,” she breathed. He couldn’t read her expression, but she was entirely too still.

  “We’ve mated, and you already promised to be mine forever,” he reminded.

  “Of course.” Her eyes softened. “Always.”

  “But I want to make it official. I want everyone in town to hear us pledge our love. I want you to have my name. I want to make a family with you. A family of our own to cherish, because both of ours were broken. I want to have to remember anniversaries and venture out at midnight for pregnancy cravings. I want it all.”

  Tears broke free of Francesca’s eyelids and trailed down her cheeks, kissing freckles along the way. Happy tears. They had to be. If they were anything else, he’d skewer himself for causing them.

  “Malcom, what are you asking me?”

  Clumsily, he twisted the ring off of the candy cane and held it between them, presenting it along with his heart. “Will you be my wife, Francesca? Will you marry me?”

  “Yes!” she whispered, her lips sliding into the sweetest grin he’d ever seen. “Yes, I can’t believe you could even wonder about my answer.” She put her hands on his cheeks, leaning down to kiss him. “Of course I’ll marry you, you’re mine.”

  Yes. She said yes.

  He’d asked the question that twisted his stomach into knots, and she said yes.

  Malcom surged to his feet, dragging her close until her plush body molded to his. Looking into her gaze, he spoke the truth. “I’m so fucking happy, mate.”

  Her smile positively beamed from her face, a beacon of brightness that he knew her to be. He brought her hand up between them and slipped the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit.

  Her eyes sparkled as she stared at it. “It’s beautiful. I love it, Mal.”

  “Yeah?”

  She planted another kiss to his cheek. God, he loved her lips on him. “Yeah. I really do. But I love you more. Was this really what you’ve been hiding?”

  He nodded. “I was waiting for the snow because I know how much you like it.”

  “That’s sweet,” she whispered. “I can’t believe fate gave me you.” His mate gave him that look. The one from lazy eyelids, that meant she wanted to be taken to bed.

  It was his favorite look.

  “Francesca,” he warned. “We won’t make it through the movie if you keeping looking at me like that.”

  “Like what?” She was all innocence and lust, in the same bite. “Like your fiancé?”

  Malcom growled as she slowly backed away.

  “Like your future wifey?”

  Mmm, teasing mate was very enticing.

  Malcom stalked her as she backstepped toward the living room.

  She raised a sexy eyebrow. “Like your mate, who’s decided she doesn’t want to watch a movie after all, and instead wants you ravish her?”

  His fingers were already undoing his belt buckle, his mind already coming up with very naughty ways to use that candy cane.

  “What mate wants, mate gets,” he purred. “Shall we make use of the bed or the sofa. Or the wall, or floor. Tell me where you want it, baby.”

  Her hand slipped down, disappearing under the waist of her candy cane pajamas to rub her pussy.

  “I want it here,” she said, her eyes glowing with pure lust. “But first, you’ll have to catch me.”

  Before he could stop her, she turned and ran for the stairs.

  And Malcom gave chase, knowing when he caught her, they were going to make this a night to remember.

  Chapter One

  The next year…

  Thanksgiving was one of the most important days of the year for the local homeless shelter, and not only for the needy. People who didn’t have anyone else to celebrate the holiday with often came to help serve meals and give those less fortunate a sense of comradery. For Malcom and his mate, it was an opportunity to give back to the place he’d called a home before finding his place with her. Over the years, they’d made friends with the volunteers and patrons, and the shelter had become as much a part of their lives as the flower shop.

  Now that the festivities were almost over, Malcom and the other volunteers were cleaning up and preparing to leave for the night. There would be more to do in the coming weeks, with Christmas nearing. But he was ready to get Francesca home so they could unwind.

  She’d been tense for weeks. Longer even. This year had taken its toll on her, challenges dulling her brightness, tingeing her with sadness. Malcom was determined to change that before their Christmas Eve wedding. Which meant he had only a few weeks to turn shit around. Shit that wasn’t his fault but was his responsibility anyway. Because Francesca was his, and her problems were his to fix. A responsibility he carried with pride.

  It was all going to be okay. He had a plan. Sort of.

  Francesca’s family died many years ago when a drunk driver blew an intersection and barreled into their car. Only her older brother was still alive, since he’d been away at college at the time. In the years since the accident, Kyle had never come home for a visit. He called every couple months to check in, but any time Francesca wanted to see him, they were never able to make it happen.

  Not seeing her brother weighed heavy on her, even before the engagement. But this past year, things had gotten even worse.

  It started when she asked Kyle to walk her down the aisle. Malcom remembered the conversation like it was yesterday. The disappointment. The sadness that overwhelmed her. She didn’t even know he was listening, but her words were branded on his soul nonetheless…

  “Please, Kyle. I don’t have anybody else. It’s just you and Mal. How can I have my dream wedding without my brother?”

  Since then, he’d been completely out of contact. It was as if he’d disappeared. She couldn’t even reach him at the hospital where he worked. Every week, she left messages. One on his cell and one at the office. None of them were returned.

  And it wasn’t just Kyle bringing her down.

  Julie, Francesca’s oldest friend, had moved away long ago in order to start new after a hard life. Francesca talked to her less often than Kyle, but after the engagement she started hoping her friend would want to be part of the celebration. Julie hadn’t answered yet. Francesca went on about how hard it was for Julie to come back home, and that she understood if she didn’t. She gave Malcom every excuse in the book as she plastered on fake smiles, but her sadness was real.

  No family to share the joy with. No friends either.

 
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