Sassy Ever After: Cover Your Sass (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Liv Brywood

  The rapturous expression on her face shifted to one of pure lust. He growled low in his throat as he moved to take her. But he didn’t dive right in. He wanted to savor the feel of her, so inch by excruciating inch, he slipped deeper into her tight pussy.

  Her lips parted. As she arched her back, she closed her eyes.

  “Look at me,” he whispered.

  When her gorgeous blue eyes opened, he groaned and sank all the way inside. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him even deeper. For a second, he couldn’t move. Even the slightest motion would send him over the edge. He’d never been so hard in his life. Ready to burst, he pulled almost all the way out before slowly delving back in.

  In easy, rhythmic waves, he rolled his hips and claimed her over and over. Each thrust forced tiny, passionate cries from her lips. Each time he went deep, she shivered around him. It was better than he could have imagined. Nothing had ever felt this good before, probably because she’d been off-limits to him for so long. But now that he had her, he intended to indulge in every wicked fantasy.

  After several shallow strokes, he pushed deep. She moaned and locked gazes with him. His wolf roared with approval. Jax could barely contain the beast. Every few seconds, fur would sprout on his hands, but he managed to control his wolf and didn’t shift. An alpha always maintained control, even when they were buried deep inside the most erotic woman in the world.

  He let himself drown in the ecstasy of her heat, pushing harder and faster until he was slamming into her. She raked her nails down his back and cried out. He snarled. She’d awakened a dark need that he couldn’t squelch.

  “Roll over,” he demanded as he pulled out.

  She flipped onto her stomach without question, which only served to inflame his hunger. He hooked his hands under her hips and yanked her back until she knelt on all fours. The view almost make him come on her ass. Her tight, pink slit winked at him from between her legs. He knelt behind her and grabbed her hips with one hand, while he guided his cock into her with the other.

  Her whimpers became long, keening pleas. He knew exactly what she wanted, what she needed, because he needed it too. The tension between them had been building for years. Their relationship was a pressure cooker just waiting to explode. Regardless of what happened tomorrow, he’d never for a second regret tonight.

  As he pounded her from behind, the animal inside snapped and snarled, demanding that he claim her. Against his better judgment, he leaned over her and raked his teeth across her shoulder. She groaned and ground her ass back against him, drawing him in, pulling him down into a well of white-hot passion.

  His balls ached for release, but he held back. He wanted her to come all over his cock again, so he reached around to strum her clit with the tips of his fingers. She bucked and wriggled as he stroked the tiny nub of nerves. The rougher he played with her body, the more she moaned. He pressed hard against her clit, rubbing it in short, jerky strokes until she tossed her head back and screamed.

  Her body convulsed beneath him as her pussy spasmed around his cock. The added intensity sent him careening over the edge. He growled and sunk his teeth into her shoulder, just deep enough to mark her, but not enough to mate. His wolf howled with satisfaction

  Hot jets of his seed blasted with such force that he fell forward and smashed her against the bed. Still screaming, she twitched wildly while the final spurts of cum filled her. When he finished, he lay on top of her still-vibrating body. Her pussy fluttered for another minute before she finally stilled.

  He never wanted to leave the warmth of her pussy. But he couldn’t keep her smashed against the bed forever, so he gently pulled out and rolled onto his back. He reached for her and drew her against his side. Still facedown, she rested her cheek on his chest. He absentmindedly stroked her tousled hair.

  One minute drifted into the next. But with each passing second, the weight of what he’d just done tightened his chest. Shit. He’d just had wild, animalistic sex with his best friend. How in the hell had he let that happen? She was going to be pissed.

  But as he looked down at her face, he only found quiet contentment. Her eyes closed and she sighed. Within seconds, the soft rise and fall of her chest told him she’d fallen asleep. Funny, considering he was normally the one to pass out after sex.

  He watched the play of light from the strip across the wall for hours. He couldn’t sleep. Now that he was thinking with his head instead of his dick, he realized just how much he’d fucked up. He’d taken the only good thing he had in his life and had ruined it.

  Relationships never lasted. He’d seen that reality in action with his parents. They didn’t even speak to each other anymore. Their palpable mutual hatred colored every family gathering. He never wanted something like that to happen between him and Riley. Never.

  Was one night of hot sex really worth destroying his relationship with his best friend? This question plagued him well into the night, and as the sun rose over the valley, the answer terrified him.

  Chapter 3

  Riley yawned and rolled onto her back. Blackout curtains covered the windows, so she couldn’t tell if the sun had risen. She could hardly make out anything in the shadowy room. As she felt along the other side of the bed, her heart sank. He was gone.

  She shouldn’t have expected anything different. He was a hit-it-and-quit-it kind of guy. She’d caught him doing the walk of shame more than once. Not that he’d considered it shameful. The things guys could get away with. It just wasn’t fair.

  As she reached to turn on the light, her shoulder burned. Pain radiated down her arm. What in the hell?

  She flicked on the lamp and tried to look at her shoulder. Unable to see it well enough, she slipped out of bed and padded into the bathroom. Along the way she looked for any sign of Jax, but he wasn’t anywhere else in the suite.

  When she stepped into the bathroom and turned on the light, her eyes went wide. A red semicircle bite mark marred her right shoulder. Things had gotten completely out of control last night, but she didn’t remember him chomping down on her like a hunk of steak.

  She ran trembling fingers over the wound. It would require ointment and a Band-Aid for sure. She’d have to go down to the gift shop to get both items. Which would mean that she needed to leave the room. Which would mean that she needed to face Jax.

  She wasn’t ready to do any of that, so she turned on the shower. As she waited for the water to get warm, she surveyed the rest of the damage. Light bruises colored the insides of her thighs. Her lips were still swollen from his ravenous kisses. Her hair was a complete disaster and he’d left a huge hickey on her neck. But she was having trouble regretting it completely. It had been the best sex of her life. No wonder he had a line of groupies ready to cater to his every whim.

  As she opened the shower door, steam poured out. She hesitated for a second. His scent covered her and she almost didn’t want to wash it away. Almost. But she had to. She couldn’t pretend that last night was anything more than drunken sex. That had to be it. They’d downed half a bottle of whiskey between the two of them, so of course that’s why they’d ended up in bed together.

  She stepped into near-scorching water, which rained down from a large showerhead on the ceiling. The space was big enough for at least two people. Two. Like her and Jax. Shit. She had to stop thinking about him.

  But as she lathered up her body, she couldn’t stop reliving the previous night. God, that tongue, and the things he could do with it. It wasn’t human. Which made sense since he wasn’t human. But still. She’d had no idea he’d be that incredible in bed. She was probably ruined for life now. No one would be able to take her to the heights of ecstasy she’d achieved with him.

  No wonder she’d let him bite her. In the midst of their rough, hedonistic sex, she’d been willing to do anything to maintain the pleasure. Even now, even knowing that she’d probably ruined their relationship, she could still feel the slide of his thick cock into her pussy. But he’d claimed her with more than
just his amazing cock. He’d marked her with his lips and tongue and teeth—literally.

  She shivered as molten heat pooled in her sex. How on earth was she going to face him after this? They’d never be able to go back to how things were before they’d thrown caution to the wind. She just hoped that he’d still speak to her. She’d seen the way he’d discarded other women. Would she be discarded too?

  After drying off and dressing in a conservative while blouse and black slacks, she glanced at the clock. The 2 p.m. tourney would be starting in thirty minutes. She had just enough time to scarf down some food and race to the checkin desk. But that would mean leaving the safety of the room. That would mean facing him.

  Time to rip off the Band-Aid.

  As she walked past a mirror on the way out, she spotted the huge hickey on her neck. There was no way in hell she’d walk around like that all day. After slathering on foundation, she grabbed a cute black scarf and wound it around her neck. She checked the mirror again. Perfect.

  Downstairs, she stopped at the food court and scarfed a slice of pepperoni pizza. The grease churned in her stomach. Her heart kicked harder as she weaved through a sea of slot machines. Hopefully he’d at least speak to her. Privately. God, would everyone else know too?

  He didn’t brag about his conquests, but he didn’t have to. His conquests would show up in the tourney area the next morning, begging to talk to him. He’d casually tell them he’d call them later, but he never did.

  As she reached the tournament desk, she glanced around the room. No sign of him yet. Maybe she should have stopped at his room first. They could have talked it out like adults before coming to play. Why hadn’t she considered that earlier? Probably because she still had sex-brain. Flashes of their lovemaking flickered through her mind like an eight-millimeter porno from the 1970s. Filthy. Provocative. Raw.

  After getting her seat card, she found the correct table and sat across from an old timer. Tony had been on the circuit for decades and was revered as one of the most challenging opponents on the felt. Bad table draw. But she’d figure out a way to beat him.

  “Where’s Jackson?” Tony asked.

  “I don’t know. I’m not his keeper,” she snapped.

  “Well I know that, but you two are always together, so I thought you might know.” Tony sat straighter and looked over her shoulder. “Speak of the devil. I heard you tried to knock Billy on his ass yesterday. That man’s an ornery son of a bitch, so I don’t blame you one damn bit.”

  Riley whipped around to find Jax standing directly behind her. She sucked in a breath as his gaze dropped to her.

  “Billy had it coming,” he said.

  “Someone needed to rattle his chain,” Tony said.

  “Yep,” Jax said, his eyes still on her. “I like the scarf.”

  “Thanks.” She fidgeted with the fabric to make sure it was still covering her neck.

  “It looks like I’m playing with you again,” he said as he took the seat to her right.

  She cocked her head to one side. Was he making fun of her? Or was he being playful? Or did his statement have absolutely nothing to do with last night?

  When his knee brushed her thigh, she jumped. Tony frowned as if trying to read the situation. She didn’t want anyone to know about what had happened, so she launched into a story about a hand she’d played in Paris. As she told the story, she tried not to meet Jax’s gaze. He hadn’t stopped watching her since he’d arrived at the table. Was he worried that she was going to freak out?

  She wasn’t freaking out. Nope. Not at all. The air-conditioning was causing the goosebumps on her arms, not him. And the flutter in her belly was just pre-game nerves. It had nothing to do with the fact that she could smell his crisp scent. Or that she could see where the ends of his hair were still damp from a shower.

  When the game finally got underway, she let the steel mask of her poker face block her emotions. At the table, nothing mattered but her opponents. She needed to keep her wits about her and read the hell out of them if she had any shot at winning. With their superior shifter senses, she was at a disadvantage unless she maintained complete focus.

  As the tournament progressed, she stole glances at Jax. His cocky, sarcastic wit decimated his competitor’s confidence. He tore apart their strategy with check raises and strange bet sizes. He knew exactly how to throw someone off their game, which was exactly what was happening to her. No matter how much she tried to ignore him, the sound on his voice caressed her body, taking her back to the moment he’d taken her from behind.

  She squirmed in her chair. After crossing and uncrossing her legs multiple times, she inched away from him. They weren’t even touching, but his very presence was enough to make her slick with desire.

  Halfway through the tourney, someone raised Jax all-in. He lost. When he stood to leave, she considered asking him if they could talk later, but everyone would overhear the conversation. So she simply shrugged and returned her attention to the cards.

  Jax stood next to the table for a second longer than necessary before leaving. As he strolled through the tables toward the rail, five women dressed to the nines threw themselves into his path. When he smiled and spoke to them, her heart plunged through her stomach. She’d been a fool to think that she’d been anything other than a one-night stand. The sooner she accepted it, the better. Her throat swelled with the effort it took to hold back tears.

  ***

  Jax turned the beer bottle around and around on the bar in the center of the casino. He considered walking back to the tournament area to wait for Riley, but after her cool reception at the table, she’d made her point without saying a word.

  He’d fucked up big time. He could only hope that in time, she’d forgive him for being a feral asshole. If he hadn’t followed her into her room, none of this would have happened. They’d probably be laughing and joking at the table right now. Instead, he was perched on a barstool while drowning his sorrows in shitty beer.

  “Hey Jax.” A platinum blonde slid onto the seat beside him. “What are you up to?”

  “Drinking,” he said with barely a sideways glance.

  Fake tits. Fake hair. Fake nails. Fake everything. She was nothing like Riley.

  “I have a bunch of beer in my room,” the blonde said. “Want to come up and join me?”

  “I’m not interested.”

  “It’s free,” she whispered in his ear.

  He turned to face her. After narrowing his eyes and taking in the rest of her outfit, he definitely wasn’t interested. Dressed in a bright red spandex dress, everything was on display. It was classless and raunchy. In the past he might have been interested, but not today.

  “I was just leaving.” He tossed a twenty on the counter and turned to leave. When the blonde followed suit, he added, “Alone.”

  She pouted her Botox-injected, candy apple-red lips.

  “If you’re having a bad day, I can make you feel much better,” she purred.

  “Not interested,” he growled.

  She jerked back as he turned to leave.

  “You’re such an asshole,” she yelled.

  He stopped in the middle of the aisle and clenched his fists. This wasn’t the first time he’d been called an asshole by a woman. Normally, it didn’t faze him. He never promised his bed partners more than a night of pleasure. But maybe Riley had expected more from him? As much as he wanted to avoid having a conversation with her about what had happened, he didn’t want them to go on as if last night didn’t matter. It mattered to him, but what about her?

  After searching the tournament area for her, he hurried upstairs to her room. He knocked on the door and waited. A few seconds later, the door opened. A cleaning lady eyed him curiously.

  “Can I help you?” she asked.

  “I’m looking for my friend. She’s staying in this room.”

  “Are you sure? The guest who was here checked out an hour ago.”

  Jax pushed past the woman and jogged through the suite
, looking for Riley. Everything was gone. Her clothes. Her makeup. Her shoes. Everything.

  “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the cleaning woman said in a stern tone.

  “Did you see which way she went?” he asked.

  “Downstairs, I’d imagine.”

  He raced past her and jabbed the down arrow on the elevator. As he waited for it to arrive, he tapped his foot. He whipped out his phone and checked for missed calls. None. Voicemail. None.

  “Dammit!”

  He shouldn’t have left her bed without talking to her first. But his head had been such a mess. Convinced he’d completely ruined their relationship, he’d fled the scene of the crime without a backward glance. It was his MO. He never stayed for the morning after. Relationships were a complicated mess, and he’d been avoiding them his whole life. If he could just explain that to Riley, at least she’d understand where he was coming from. He had to find her.

  When he reached the lobby, he dashed toward the front doors. Through the glass, he spotted a woman getting into a cab. Convinced that it was Riley, he ran outside and jumped in front of the cab.

  “Wait!”

  “What the hell?” the cab driver yelled through the window.

  “I just need to talk to her,” Jax said.

  The woman rolled down the back window and poked her head out. “Get out of the way. You’re going to make me late for my flight.”

  It wasn’t Riley.

  He stepped back not a second before the cab driver nearly ran him over. As he scanned the shocked expressions of the tourists standing on the sidewalk, his heart clenched. She was gone. He’d lost her.

  For a moment, he considered calling her, but what could he say now? She never left without telling him goodbye. So she was either pissed, or didn’t care about the night they’d spent in each other’s arms. Either way, his wolf was furious. The beast’s mournful howls radiated through his chest.

  She’s our mate! his wolf snarled.

  Impossible. He’d known her for years, but never considered her to be anything more than just a friend. Wouldn’t he have recognized her sooner? His wolf had to be wrong. Maybe this was the creature’s way at exacting revenge for not letting him out in over twenty-four hours. The beast was ready to run with a pack, but the closest one around who would welcome him was up on Mt. Charleston. It was too far away.