Sassy Ever After: Sassy and a little Bad-Assy (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Jessie Lane

  His entire body trembled as he held his wolf back while refusing to let her go. She struggled a bit in his embrace, trying to push away, but he wouldn’t let her go. Somehow, he had to make her understand that she was what he wanted now more than ever.

  Sliding both of his hands up to her face, he grabbed her cheeks, forcing her to look at him. She seemed startled by whatever look was on his face. Cruz was sure he looked savage. He certainly felt that way.

  Here and now, both the man and wolf were determined to do one thing: show their mate how much he wanted her and her alone.

  “You’re not leaving me.” His voice was gravelly with his wolf so close to the surface.

  Nikki didn’t say anything, so he shook her a little to make sure she was paying attention to him.

  “Promise me you won’t leave me! I can’t lose you.”

  Understanding and something else, perhaps a bit of awe, melted the scared look off her face. Sure, there was some uncertainty still there, but she seemed to be getting what he was trying to convey.

  “You don’t hate me for coming into your life like this, Cruz? I would understand—”

  He shook his head fiercely. “No. You don’t understand at all. I could never hate you. If anything, you probably saved me, Nikki. Don’t you see? I’m getting a second chance with you, pretty girl. Now that I know what losing someone I love is like, I’ll never take a second with you for granted. All you have to do is stay with me and give this a chance.”

  She brought her shaking hands up to cup his face. “I would love nothing more than for you and me to take a chance on us. You’re quickly becoming one of my favorite things about the day, Cruz. Just seeing you, it’s all I look forward to now.”

  Feeling too much and unable to express how much she meant to him already, he did what he had waited two long weeks to do. Cruz kissed her. It was hungry at first, desperate for the taste and feel for her, needing her sweetness on his lips and the feel of her imprinted on him.

  As the haze of primitive need receded, allowing the catcalls and whistles around them to filter into his brain, he slowed the kiss down. He made it soft and sweet like her, lingering on the touch of her tongue, craving to feel like this with her always.

  They were both out of breath when he finally pulled back, but that didn’t stop him from finding just enough air to tell her the one word she needed to know for now and ever more: “Mine.”

  Chapter Eight

  One month later…

  “Read ’em and weep, hot stuff. I’ve got a full house. Now take that shirt off.”

  Nikki had to stop herself from all but bouncing with glee in the armchair she was sitting on in Cruz’s apartment. While she and Cruz were two grown adults who liked good doses of heavy petting and making out in those rare moments she was able to sneak away to his place, they had yet to take that next step of sleeping together. She was hoping to change that tonight, starting with a game of strip poker.

  He gave her a smoldering look as he peeled off his shirt. She couldn’t wait to see that look while he was inside of her. There was a good chance she might spontaneously combust with an orgasm.

  After he threw his shirt to the side, Nikki took in all the gorgeous tanned flesh now revealed. His sculpted chest, six pack abs, and strong shoulders made her squirm in her seat. The sight alone made her want to climb all over him to taste every inch.

  He was sitting on his couch, which was catty-corner from her chair. He looked so scrumptious with his black messy hair, kissable firm lips, and those gorgeous brown eyes of his. She might have loved that he was taking off his shirt, but now Nikki could see that she might have a hard time concentrating on the game. Temptation itself was sitting across from her, just waiting to be licked.

  Picking the cards up from the small table he had put between them, Cruz shuffled then dealt again.

  This time, Nikki wasn’t as lucky. Or perhaps she had just been that damn distracted. Either way, she lost to his royal flush. Was she really losing at all if she was getting naked in the same room as the man she was coming to adore beyond reason?

  “Your turn.” His voice was that low growl that made her panties wet. She wondered what it would feel like if he growled like that against her intimate parts.

  Biting her bottom lip, Nikki slowly unbuttoned one button after another on her plaid, long-sleeved shirt, anticipating what look Cruz would wear when he saw that she was wearing nothing underneath. It didn’t take her long to find out.

  He hissed as if in pain, and she saw him grip the table so hard he almost broke a piece off.

  “You’re playing a dangerous game, pretty girl.”

  “How so?” she whispered back.

  Scooting forward until he sat on the edge of his seat, he leaned over the little table and growled, “I’m like a loaded gun, baby, and you’re about to pull my trigger and make me go off.”

  Nikki was still wearing a cast, so she couldn’t exactly tackle him onto the couch like she wanted to, but she did what she felt was the next best thing. She gave Cruz a dose of his own corny pickup lines.

  “How about you come over here so I can see if you’re cocked and loaded?” She said the words with a straight face but then burst out laughing at the way Cruz purposely crossed his eyes.

  Pushing the table out of the way, he knelt between her legs and finished unbuttoning her shirt so he could take it off her. “I don’t know whether to be turned on that you want to check my load or wallow in self-pity because you’re never going to let me live my pickup lines down.”

  Nikki leaned forward and playfully bit his bottom lip. “My vote is to check your load. I’ve heard rumors about shifters, you know.”

  “Yeah?” he growled before giving her a quick kiss. “What exactly have you heard?”

  Licking her lips in anticipation, Nikki made the first move by putting her hand on the wall of warm muscled skin that she wanted to explore. Then she ran her fingers down his chest to his abs, and she didn’t stop until she grabbed the waistband of his jeans. “I’ve heard shifter men are packing some extra-large equipment.” Nikki let go of his pants to slide her hand down over the growing bulge in his jeans. “How about you show me so I can find out for myself, wolf?”

  Cruz grabbed her face, shocking her with the sudden movement. His eyes glowed that molten color she had seen on a few rare occasions, letting her know his wolf was right there with them.

  “I want to give you everything that I am, pretty girl. Whether you like it or not, you already own all of me.”

  Nikki’s heart stopped at the beautifully broken words. She knew it must have been hard for him to admit that after everything he had lost in his life.

  Bringing her hands up to grip his bare shoulders, she took a deep breath for courage. “Would you think it’s too soon if I told you I love you, Cruz?”

  There was the smallest shake of his head. “No. I might ask you what took you so damn long to admit it, though.”

  Nikki laughed at his eager answer.

  “Are we going to do this, baby? You all in with me here?”

  Nikki gave a little gasp at his question. “What’s all in, Cruz?”

  “You and me forever, pretty girl. Before you give me that answer, though, I need to be honest with you about one thing. It may change your mind about me.”

  Her eyebrows furrowed. What in the world did he think would scare her away?

  Cruz smoothed his hands over her hair and then let them stay on the back of her neck as he dropped his forehead to rest on hers. When he touched her like that, Nikki already felt as if they were one, even if they hadn’t officially mated yet. So why was the man she loved suddenly so scared he was all but shaking? What did he possibly think could make her change her mind about him?

  Finally, he pulled back a few inches, staring into her eyes as he whispered, “I need you to know that I’m not ready to have another child. I don’t know if I ever will be after losing one.” Cruz took a shuddering breath and barged forward, not giving h
er a chance to say a word. “I know that’s important to a lot of people, having kids, so if you want to walk away right now, I’ll do my best to respect your decision. But I won’t lie to you. I don’t know if I can handle having another child. I definitely know I can’t handle the loss of another one. Does that change your mind about us?”

  A tear escaped her eye and dripped down her cheek. This man … He just didn’t get it yet.

  Nikki saw Cruz for who he was, inside and out. Scars, fears, and all. She had figured out weeks ago that he might not want kids again, and that was okay with her. Wasn’t the sign of true love understanding and supporting your soul mate for who they were irrevocably?

  She saw Cruz’s body tense at her silence and knew he was assuming the worst. It was what he did. He just couldn’t quite help himself. But that meant it was time for her to let his wolf know she was all in and to lighten up the mood a bit while she did it.

  Pasting a big smile on her face, she told him the truth. “Have you seen the circus that is my family? I’m not exactly wanting to pop one in the oven at the moment, Cruz.”

  Nikki had hoped that comment would make him laugh, but he didn’t look as if he believed her.

  “What about two years from now, baby? Five years from now? What if I’m never ready to have another child? Will you hate me for that?”

  She could tell his fear was not only real, but all consuming. Her poor wolf. How he must have worried himself to death with thoughts of what she would say.

  It was her turn to put his face in her hands. “You listen to me, Cruz Morales. We can never have children, and I’ll be okay with that. As long as I have you and my family, my life is full of love. Trust me when I say I’m in this to the end. You and me. As long as you can handle my slightly insane family, then I’m the happiest girl in the world.”

  Cruz’s smile was so big it was almost blinding, not that she got to see the glorious sight for long.

  He slammed his mouth down on hers in a kiss that was overwhelming. Their tongues tangled, savoring the taste of each other. Nikki slid her hands down to grab his waist and deepened the kiss. Tonight, she wanted to give herself to this man, knowing he would be the only man she would be with like this for the rest of her days.

  Her wolf-man quickly took control of the situation, pulling his mouth from hers so he could kiss down her neck, licking across her collarbones before he continued to rain kisses down to her belly button. There, he swirled his tongue around her navel as he moved his hands under her full-length black skirt and found her right bare ankle and the cast on her other. Cruz pushed her skirt up her legs as he moved his hands upward until the skirt puddled around her waist. When he growled loudly as he stared down at the juncture of her thighs, she knew he had discovered her other naughty little secret for the night: no panties.

  He reluctantly pulled his eyes from her intimate place to look at her with eyes that glowed so brightly they almost shone in the dark. “I want you bare, baby. I haven’t been with anyone in five years. Are you on birth control?”

  Nikki nodded while whispering a yes.

  “We do this tonight, and I’m going to want to seal the deal for good. I’ll sink my teeth into your flesh, giving you my mate bite, and then you’ll be mine forever. Part of you will change. Even if you don’t make the change into a shifter, you’ll have heightened senses and other adjustments to make. No turning back, pretty girl. Still all in?”

  There wasn’t a doubt in her mind. She didn’t care if she changed into a wolf or didn’t as long as she had Cruz by her side. “I was already yours, wolf, so take me. Bite me, love me, make me irrevocably yours in every way that matters.”

  The man didn’t need another invitation. He dipped his head down and ran his tongue up her folds to taste her. Nikki wasn’t sure who moaned louder in that moment: her or Cruz.

  “You taste so good, baby.” He gave her another long lick then started circling her clit, driving her mad with the sensation.

  Cruz pushed her thighs as far apart as they would go, and in a way, Nikki felt trapped in that chair. It was a decadent sort of torture. Lick by lick, nibble by nibble, she felt as though she were slowly binding herself to this man.

  His tongue was everywhere, sliding in and out then over her until a finger slipped inside. She gasped at the sensation, and he hummed against her folds, driving her insane with need. It was as if she were on the edge of a cliff, standing on the edge with shaking legs, staring over at the drop below.

  Her orgasm built rapidly, making her back arch into the back of the chair and her head rest on the back. It all felt so good—his tongue and fingers working her—that she knew it was only a matter of minutes before she would fall over into the sweet oblivion.

  Her left leg with the cast twitched involuntarily, and she didn’t even feel a twinge of pain. She was completely lost in the rising crescendo of passion that Cruz was building inside of her until she broke, going over that glorious peak, reveling in the overwhelming shatter of release that left her sated and boneless.

  Her wolf-man stopped when she started whimpering at the over-stimulation his tongue was causing. Then he pulled back and licked his lips. Pulling his hands from her thighs, he leaned in and kissed her, and Nikki tasted herself on his lips.

  When he was done, he moved back and whispered two words: “My turn.”

  In a flash, Cruz was on his feet and gently picking Nikki up to cradle her in his arms. Carrying her to the bedroom, he carefully laid her down on the bed, making sure not to hurt her foot. Then he peeled her clothes off with a look as if she had been gift wrapped just for him, and Nikki savored the look. He was fierce, beautiful, and all hers.

  Throwing her skirt onto the floor, Cruz then unbuttoned his jeans, undid the zipper, and then pushed them down his thick thighs along with his boxer briefs. Before she knew it, he was standing next to the bed, utterly naked and looking better than any ancient Greek statue could ever hope to look.

  Nikki took him in, burning the sight into her brain. Then Cruz bared his teeth, and Nikki saw that his canines had lengthened. His eyes were still that glowing molten gold, so she knew the wolf wanted her as much as the man did.

  Holding her hand out to him, she told him, “Make me yours, wolf.”

  “Mine,” he growled back as he carefully climbed over her body and settled between her thighs.

  “Yours,” she whispered against his lips.

  The feel of the head of his cock sliding over her entrance made Nikki shiver. Cruz paused for just a second. Then, bit by bit, he pushed past her folds. It was a slow penetration, as if he was afraid he would hurt her with his size.

  It seemed as though the rumors about shifters were very, very true.

  Cruz stretched her inner walls wide, filling her up like she had never felt before. It was a pleasure that bordered on pain, and it was exquisite.

  Once he seated himself all the way inside her, he stopped. “My mate.”

  The look on his face was primal. Nikki might not have seen him shift yet, but she could tell he was probably on the edge with his wolf. Right now, he was man and beast. The thought made her tighten her muscles around him in arousal.

  “Your mate,” she agreed.

  Using his left arm to hook around her right knee, he brought it up to rest on his hip so he had more freedom to move without hurting her foot. Once he had Nikki positioned where he wanted her, Cruz started rocking in and out with bold, firm strokes that seated him to the hilt. She was not just going to feel this tomorrow; she was going to feel the memory of him being inside her, claiming her, next week.

  It was only a dozen or so strokes until Nikki was on the verge of coming again. She gripped Cruz’s shoulders and begged him for more. The feeling of need was overpowering as his thrusts picked up until he was stroking inside of her with quick, short movements, driving her up into a delirium of ecstasy.

  Just when Nikki didn’t think she could handle another second without possibly dying from the pleasure, Cruz struck, biting
her upper breast. The sensation sent her hurtling over into the most intense release she had experienced in her whole life. As she contracted around him, she felt Cruz’s thrusts become wilder, more urgent, until he bucked one last time, emptying himself inside of her.

  He let his body weight fall to the side to avoid smothering her then leaned over to kiss her lips. “I love you, Nikki.”

  “No more than I love you, wolf.”

  Epilogue

  Six months later…

  Nikki’s life had forever changed over eight months ago when a sexy wolf shifter physically threw her grandfather out of a bar.

  Perhaps it wasn’t the best start to a relationship, but she couldn’t regret Papa Ái barging into that bar, dressed like a Viking. It had brought her to Cruz, who had quickly become the calm center of her rather crazy world. He was the most supportive partner she could have ever hoped for. He never complained about the time she spent away from him to take care of her family, only asked what he could do to help.

  She had connected with Cruz on an elemental level—soul to soul. Nikki could literally feel a connection between the two of them, along with the definitive proof of his love and devotion for her. She could also feel his affection and loyalty to the people she cared for. Seeing that love and caring Cruz carried for her human family was all the proof she needed to know that this man was meant for her.

  Cruz had been the missing piece to the puzzle to her life.

  He had also helped her immensely just by biting her.

  After the passionate night they made love for the first time and mated each other, Nikki had slowly started to change. The first thing that happened was her foot healed twice as fast as the doctors expected, which meant she was able to get her cast off two weeks earlier than planned.

  Then she noticed that everyone or thing around her put off scents. Nikki could literally smell a change in her grandfather when he started to slip from the past to present or vice versa. It was an air of confusion that clung to him, which helped her anticipate how to handle him. She could smell when the twins snuck more candy into the house, allowing her to confiscate it. Nikki could also track down Brynn’s diary whenever Erik and Olaf hid it from her. That little feat alone was probably saving her parents a load of money since they didn’t have to replace doors from the wrath of Brynn and Thor’s hammer anymore.