Page 76 of Titan’s Mate

By the time Mari got back in there, the video was ending and Brandon had gone back to mixing pancake batter, still laughing.

Kitty winked at Mari, gesturing toward a paper bag on the counter next to her, and Mari gave her a thumbs-up. Then she dodged around Jaeda and Damien, who were feeding Pop-Tarts into the two toasters, and accepted a steaming mug of café mocha from Titan.

“Thanks, o Bear of Greatness.” He kissed the top of her head, and her heart turned over.

The oven timer rang and Brandon said, “You’re just in time to turn the Tots.” Mari pulled the two big pans of Tater Tots out of the wall oven, grabbed a spatula and started flipping them so they’d get crispy on all sides.

Titan came over and helped, and put them back in the oven while Mari hiked herself up next to Kitty on the end of the island. Titan shut the oven and reset it, then pulled up a barstool next to her, his hand resting on her thigh. She leaned back against his shoulder, sipping her mocha.

Mari loved Sundays. And Titan. And her new crew. This promised to be the best Sunday so far, because they were going to cut Christmas trees.

Brandon finished the first pancake and plated it. It was in the shape of a panda head, with chocolate batter for the eyes and ears, and a licorice jelly-bean nose.

“First pancake goes to Mari, for managing to totally prank Remy,” he said. “What else? Tots? Bacon?” She reached for the pancake plate. “Both, but separate plate please. You know Tots and bacon cannot be touched by syrup. I keep telling you all, it’s an abomination.”

“That is so weird,” said Colt, who, like his brother, always put all his breakfast food on the same plate, drowning in maple syrup.

“It’s not weird, it’s gospel,” Damien said.

“Damn straight,” Jaeda added. They did a triple fist bump.

Mari put a forkful of panda pancake in her mouth, still excited about the Christmas trees. At that moment, her mate the mind-reader said casually, “So, everybody, what’s going on today? Football on TV, right?”

She turned to him, eyes wide, but then saw he was messing with her. She gave him her “I know what you’re doing and you can just stop” look, and he looked innocently back.

“Nooo, I think hockey,” said Brandon. “All afternoon.”

“I vote football,” Colt said. Remy nodded agreement.

“Today is Christmas tree cutting day, as you all know perfectly well,” Kitty said.

“And decorating,” said Jaeda.

“And eggnog,” Callie added.

Brandon looked around the room at the other men. “You guys aren’t interested in cutting trees, are you?”

They all started shaking their heads. “Nah.” “Nope.” “Forget it.”

Of course they were bullshitting. They were looking forward to it as much as anyone.

“Careful,” Kitty said. “If you won’t cooperate in the festivities, Mari and I will make you all take the crew Christmas picture wearing… these.”

Kitty held out her bag, and Mari pulled out a guy-thong with a polar-bear-head junk pouch at the front, wearing a tiny Santa hat. She dangled it in front of her mate as everyone busted out laughing. Titan got that little flush across his cheeks. Score!

The twins were immediately onboard. “Where are ours?” “Hand them over!” “They’ll be perfect with our inflatable Christmas dick.” Kitty and Mari started handing them out to all the guys, each one matching the guy’s animal.

Lila grabbed Damien’s lion thong, an unholy grin on her face. “No,” her mate said. “Absolutely not. Don’t even try. Seriously. I have hit men on speed dial.”

Brandon was shaking his head. “I’m thinking Christmas in Bali would be nice. Alone.”

Kitty leaned forward and grabbed his shirttail, pulling him toward her kiss. They started making out, tongues and all, until Kitty murmured against his lips, “You sure about that Bali thing?”

“You could come.”

“Or you could cut me a Christmas tree.” Her hands slid around to his ass. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

Mari looked around the kitchen, with everyone laughing and goofing around. Colt had his thong on over his jeans and was waggling his snow leopard head. Remy said, “Mine’s cooler.” He held out his thong owl. “It has a beak. And claws.”

Jaeda stood on tiptoe to kiss him, then said, “Do not even think about getting that beak near my veejay.”

Titan put his arms around Mari and murmured in her ear, “I know you wanted to see another Christmas, but are you sure this is what you had in mind?”

“Depends,” she said. “Will you read me A Christmas Carol wearing nothing but your bear thong?”

There was that little smile. “Will you make it worth my while?”

“Always,” she said, holding him close. “Always and forever.”