Free Jingle Bear: BBW Paranormal Holiday Shape Shifter Romance (North Pole Book 1) by Ruby Shae Page B

they’re bad or good. He knows everything, man, and he’ll find out your plan sooner rather than later. You’ll be kicked off the team, or worse… He could throw you out of the Pole. Don’t risk it. Plan a trip and get going.”
    “Anyone ever tell you you’re paranoid? Seriously, I’m handling it.”
    “Okay, but when it backfires, I’m going to say I told you so ,” Mark shook his head and proceeded to finish his meal.
    Quinn appreciated his friend, but the guy worried too much.
    He had everything under control.

Chapter Two
     
    Chloe Winters looked around the dimly lit cabin and smiled. She’d finally made it to Christmas Town, the popular tourist attraction in northern Vermont, and it was perfect.
    Six years ago, right before she met her ex-boyfriend, Rick, Chloe picked up a pamphlet for Christmas Town and vowed to visit one day. Christmas had always been her favorite holiday, and a whole town dedicated to the season seemed like a dream come true.
    The center of town had everything you could think of to celebrate the holiday, including an exclusive Christmas themed hotel. For those wanting a greater adventure, several semi-isolated cabins were available for rent, with or without the decorations. The cabins were often reserved months in advance, but when Rick broke up with her six months ago, a call to the reservation desk had been her top priority.
    Rick hated Christmas and refused to celebrate the holiday even though he knew how much she enjoyed it. He’d tried to take away her joy and she berated herself for allowing it. Five years had been five years too long with the man.
    Aside from his disgust of the best holiday of all time, he also seemed disgusted with her appearance more often than not. His comments about her weight, diet and exercise routines were degrading and she hated that she’d put up with his verbal abuse for so long.
    On the rare occasion they did have sex, he made her keep the lights off and refused to go down on her though he wanted his puny dick sucked every damn time. When he entered her pussy, she couldn’t come from his mediocre moves alone, and he’d blame her for his inability to bring her to orgasm. Every coupling left her unsatisfied and humiliated.
    He’d been an ass during their entire relationship. She never should have stayed with him for as long as she had, but she did and she had to accept that about herself. She’d been so afraid of being alone, that she’d been willing to stay with a man who hated Christmas, made her feel ugly and insecure, and slowly depleted her savings account.
    Luckily, she’d caught on to his lies and started a separate savings account a couple of years into their relationship. She still didn’t have the capital to open her own bakery, but she’d been able to replenish a lot of what he’d spent over the years. Opening another account should have been a clue, but she’d overlooked it, grateful for any bit of attention he’d send her way.
    Eventually he’d sucked the happiness out of every aspect of her life and she’d begun to hate him. When she’d finally worked up the nerve to break up with him, she came home to find him fucking two women in their bed. His current girlfriend had been bouncing on his cock while her sister sat on his face. She’d walked in the room, seen the three of them going at it, and walked out.
    Her best friend, Laney, welcomed her with open arms. The next day, she packed up all of her stuff and removed her name from the lease while he was at work. He’d called several times, but she’d never answered, and a couple days later he stopped.
    When her best friend asked what she was going to do next, she replied, “I’m going to Christmas Town.” Five minutes later, she’d booked her cabin for the Christmas holiday. Laney would have accompanied her, but they both knew the trip was something she needed to do alone.
    She’d asked for her cabin without decorations and brought up her own ornaments, tree stand and