He pulled her gently in the direction of her bedroom, and she let him. She wanted this so badly. She had wanted it the first time, too. But this time, there was not even the possibility of blaming it on the alcohol. And this time, she was going into it knowing that he was a tiger. Everything felt even more intimate. More intense.
Max pushed her gently down onto the bed. He was moving so tenderly, and she could feel the love pouring out from his hands. This wasn’t just a friends with benefits thing. It wasn’t just a drunken joyride. Max wanted her, with every fiber of his being. She could tell, and her own body responded to his. The heat within her intensified, and a tingling pressure began building up in her core. She could feel her loins stirring, and moisture started pouring out from between her legs. Her body was craving him, and getting ready for him.
Her tiger.
Max moved his hands to the button of her jeans. He unfastened it, then slid the zipper down. With a few firm tugs, he pulled the waistband down and slid the jeans off. Cassie was wearing a pair of completely boring, completely bland beige panties. She immediately wished that she’d put on something sexy and lacy before he came over, just in case. But he didn’t seem to notice the plainness of her underwear. In fact, he pulled them off and tossed them aside in one quick, swift movement. Cassie lay on the bed in front of him now, quite literally half naked. Max moved his face up so that his mouth was right between her legs, and Cassie moaned, knowing what was coming next.
His long, rough tongue slid into her. He lapped up her juices hungrily, letting out low growls as he massaged her soft inner skin with his tongue. He found her clit and ran his tongue back and forth across it, sending shivers through Cassie’s whole body. Then he plunged deep into her again, lapping up more of her juices. He moved with grace and skill, and Cassie could hardly believe how strong the pressure within her core was growing. He was driving her crazy. She tried for a few moments to hold back, but it was useless. She let her release come, and the heat and tremors rocked her body like nothing she had ever felt before. Somehow, this time was even better than the last. Maybe it was because they were doing this in the light of day, both fully sober. Cassie knew this was the real deal.
In fact, “real deal” didn’t even begin to cover it. She had never experienced anything so intense, or that made her feel so alive. Her body continued to rock with tremors for quite some time, leaving her gasping and panting for breath. She could hardly believe that she, Cassie James, was experiencing this. Were shifters really just that much better in bed?
Max seemed to sense just when her high was starting to fade, and he slid up to her torso to tug at her t-shirt, pulling it up and over her head. She was still breathing heavily as his fingers deftly slid behind her back, unclasping her bra—also a boring beige, which he also didn’t seem to mind—and throwing it to the side. He sat back and pulled off his own t-shirt, exposing his perfect, sculpted chest. Cassie drank in the sight of it, and Max seemed to be drinking in the sight of her, too. He let his eyes roam freely over her body, and a deep smile turned up the corners of his lips.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he said, leaning down to kiss her. Then he hopped off the bed and wasted no time in getting rid of his jeans and boxers. Normally, Cassie would have protested that she wanted to be the one to take his clothes off, but right now she was too lost in the moment to even think straight. All she could do was moan as she let her eyes slip down to look at his stiff erection. His shaft was extending away from his body, massive and thick. He was ready to take her to even higher levels of pleasure.
But still, he took his time. He was the perfect tease, letting the bulbous head of his member graze her leg as he slid back onto the bed. He grazed her soft mound, then used his dick to trace a circle around her bellybutton. This movement left a wet circle, as his own salty fluids were oozing from his body. He smiled up at Cassie, and then slid down so his face was over her bellybutton. He blew his hot breath onto the wet circle, sending a fresh wave of shivers across her body.
Then he was sliding up again, this time bringing his face to a stop right over her breasts. He slipped his tongue out to lick back and forth across the hard, alert nubs of her nipples. Cassie moaned. Each flick of his tongue sent a shockwave of electric heat through her body, and she could already feel the pressure within her core building up again. How was it possible to feel this good?
Max intensified his movements, using his teeth to pull and twist her nipples. His movements were becoming rough and possessive, and Cassie couldn’t get enough of it.
“More!” she shouted, arching her back to push her breasts even further into his mouth. He growled and obliged her, biting and twisting with even greater force. Cassie had never been so aroused. She could feel a wet spot forming beneath her on the bed from the constant flow of desire coming from between her legs. Her body was hot and tingling, and she was on such an intense pleasure high that she couldn’t even see straight. Everything was starting to look blurry.
Max seemed to sense that it was time. He let go of her nipples, then rolled onto his back. As he rolled, he reached over to pull her with him. Her hair fell down in a wavy mess, framing her face and tickling his cheeks. He grinned up at her.
“Ride me, baby,” he said. “Show me what those hips can do.”
Cassie smiled back. Then she scooted back and raised her hips so that her dripping wet entrance was positioned right above his stiff dick. She took a deep breath, and then slammed down hard on him.
He let out a roar, and her eyes widened with shock at how quickly and fully he filled her. Every part of her body responded, growing hotter and tingling with an unbearably delightful intensity. Cassie sat up straight on top of him and threw her head back so that her hair was behind her shoulders. Then, as he had requested, she started showing him what her hips could do. She gyrated first in one direction, then the other. She rocked back and forth, then thrust her hips forward over and over with as much intensity as she could muster.
“Yes, girl!” Max cried out. “Give it to me. Rock those hips.”
He reached up and grabbed her breasts, one in each hand, and held on tight while she rocked. The sensation of his hands on her sensitive breasts, combined with the pressure of his dick inside of her, quickly became too much for her to bear. Her release came fast and hard, and she screamed out as her body gave itself to him, clenching around his dick over and over. She felt like she was on fire as wave after wave of passion rocked her.
He didn’t wait any longer. As soon as she had come, he did as well. She felt him pulsing inside of her as he stiffened and then shot a hot stream into her. His roar was long, loud, and primal, sending shivers down her spine yet again.
Cassie collapsed down onto Max, her bare breasts against his bare chest. He wrapped his arms around her as they both panted, trying to regain a normal breathing pattern yet never wanting this moment to end.
Cassie snuggled her face into Max’s neck, feeling a sense of relief and peace after the chaos and pain of the last week. Things were far from perfect, and she still had a lot of decisions to make about her future, but one thing she knew for certain: whatever her future held, Max would be a part of it.
Chapter Twelve
With Max’s help, Cassie managed to make it through Alex’s funeral without totally losing it. She was shocked by the number of people who came out to say their final goodbyes to him. She had been so busy worrying about his drug habit that she hadn’t realized how much of an impact he’d managed to make on the town around him, despite his internal struggles. She was heartened by the stories so many told of times Alex had helped them out when they had no one to turn to, and she realized that Alex truly was the kind of guy who would have given someone the shirt off his back. As she watched his casket being lowered into the earth, she vowed to do everything she could to make sure his last wish, to have his artwork displayed around town, would be fulfilled.
When she made that vow to herself, she hadn’t actually seen his artwork. She had been a
voiding going to his house, knowing it would be painful to see his home when he wasn’t around anymore. But she didn’t want to wait to start finding a place in town for his art. She knew the best time to convince libraries, schools, and other businesses that they should put up his art would be while the memory of him was still fresh on everyone’s mind. And so, the day after the funeral, Cassie went to Alex’s house.
She asked Max to come with her, and he agreed in a heartbeat. Cassie knew he was concerned about how she was holding up under the stress of the last week, and he wanted to do everything he could to help her out. Her heart warmed now as she looked over at him, standing on Alex’s front porch with her. She took a deep breath and, with shaking hands, started putting the key into the lock. It was strange to think that she owned this house now, since Alex had left her everything in his will. She still felt like an intruder here.
“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Max asked, probably noticing her shaking hand.
“I’m sure,” Cassie said. “I want to do this for Alex. And I have to admit that I’m pretty curious to see what his art looks like. The police officers who saw it said that he had mostly painted scenes from around Persimmon Springs. They also said that it was really freaking good.”
Cassie stepped into the house, and Max followed behind her, holding her hand tight for support. Cassie looked around, and was surprised to find everything neat and orderly. Somehow, she’d thought that since Alex couldn’t manage to stop his drug habit, that his whole life would have been disorganized. But everything was clean and in its proper place. Cassie realized that she shouldn’t have been that surprised. After all, he kept the bar neat and organized. Why would his home have been any different?
The police had told Cassie that they’d confiscated anything in the home related to drugs, but that they’d left everything else. Alex didn’t have a lot of stuff. He had a nice but simple furniture, and one bookshelf with a few books on it. His kitchen was stocked with the bare minimum for utensils, and his bedroom only had a bed and one small dresser in it. But when Cassie opened the door to the spare bedroom, she was met with an entirely different scene. In the corner of the room was an easel, and a cabinet that was filled to overflowing with art supplies. Every spare surface in the room—including the walls and the floor space—was covered with paintings.
Alex had used vibrant colors and wide brushstrokes to paint scenes from all over Persimmon Springs. He had painted the small downtown area, the high school, the football games, the neighborhood houses, the fields, and, most importantly, the faces. He had captured several portraits of people who were well-known and loved in Persimmon Springs. The care that he had taken with his artwork, and the love that he had for his hometown, was obvious.
Cassie felt her eyes welling up with tears yet again, and she sat down in the middle of the room to look around and take it all in.
“He really loved this place, didn’t he?” Max said.
Cassie nodded. “He did.”
Max sat down next to Cassie. “Do you think you’d ever want to leave Persimmon Springs?” he asked.
Cassie glanced over at him with a surprised look. “I already did, for college. You know that.”
“I know,” Max said. “But you only came back because your mom was sick. I thought you’d leave again once she passed away, but then you took the job at the bar. I figured you just got comfortable with that and didn’t want to change things up. But now things have been changed up for you. I guess I was just wondering what your plan was.”
Cassie furrowed her brow. “Why? Are you wanting to leave or something?”
“Honestly, I was thinking about it,” Max said slowly. “When it looked like things weren’t working out with you, I was planning to leave and find somewhere new. Somewhere that I might find a lifemate. But now I know that you’re my lifemate. I’m happy here if you are. I love you, Cassie.”
Cassie felt her heart warm at the intensity in Max’s voice, and the sincerity with which he spoke.
“I love you, too,” she said softly. “I want to be wherever you are. Losing Alex made me realize that the most important thing in life is the ones you care about. I guess death has a way of reminding you of that.”
Max smiled and leaned in to give Cassie a quick kiss on the lips. She smiled and blushed, loving the way he gave her butterflies.
“So you want to stay here?” he said. “I want you to follow your dreams. If that means going somewhere else, then we can go. I just need you to know that.”
Cassie smiled, then turned to gaze sadly on the paintings. The scenes were all so familiar, and so beautiful. The artwork almost felt like it was alive.
“I don’t want to leave,” she said. “I used to think that the key to happiness was to get out into the big wide world. To get away from here and to a “big city” where there were real opportunities. But I’ve realized that happiness is found in growing deep relationships with people you love. And Persimmon Springs is the kind of place where you can do that, you know?”
Max nodded, and squeezed her hand. “I know,” he said. “And I’m grateful for the relationship I have with you. I’m lucky that our friendship was strong enough for you to forgive me and give me another chance.”
Cassie smiled. “We all need second chances. I did, too. And…I’m wondering if I should give Alex’s bar a second chance.”
Max raised an eyebrow in her direction. “What do you mean by that?”
“I’m thinking of rebuilding it,” Cassie said. “The insurance money is more than enough to do so. I wasn’t sure if should. I thought maybe I should move on to do something else. But the truth is, I loved working at the bar. I got to see all of the townspeople at their happiest. They came in to the bar to hang out with their friends, kick back, and have a good time. There was a sense of community in that place, you know?”
Max smiled. “I know. I loved going there with Theo and his brothers.”
“I know there are other bars around, but Alex’s bar always felt special. It was funny that he never even named the place. It was just ‘the bar.’ But everyone knew which bar ‘the bar’ was.”
Max laughed. “That’s true. I never thought much about the fact that his bar didn’t even have a name.”
“I’d like to rebuild it to look similar to what it was before. And then add some of these paintings to the walls. I’ll get the library and other places around town to put up some of this artwork. I’m sure they’ll love to have it. It’s really good stuff, and it’s our town. But I’m keeping the best ones for myself to put in the new bar.”
Max smiled and squeezed her hand again. “I think that sounds like an amazing idea. It’s funny, isn’t it? Humans tend to always be searching for something else. Something bigger and better. I think that’s why I dreamed about running away from Persimmon Springs. It’s easy to imagine that there’s something better just past the horizon. But really, everything I could ever want is right here. I have good friends, a good job, and now, an amazing girl.”
Max leaned in to kiss Cassie, and she smiled as his lips met hers.
“Yeah. Sometimes the key to being happy is just to realize the amazing things that are already right in front of you.”
“So that’s the plan, then?” Max asked. “To rebuild the bar? Is there anything I can do to help?”
Cassie shrugged. “I don’t think so. I’ll have to hire a professional construction company. It will probably take several months, but I’m sure I can find someone willing to work quickly if I pay them enough. What I could use help with is sorting through Alex’s house. I’ll probably sell or donate most of his stuff, and then sell the house. I don’t need another house.”
Max nodded. “Yeah. Probably better to put the money in savings than to just have a house sitting here.”
But Cassie shook her head slowly and smiled. “I’m not putting the money in savings,” she said. “I’m going to donate it to the elementary school here in Persimmon Springs. I want to help set up a robust a
rt program to introduce the young ones to the joy of painting. That way they can carry on Alex’s legacy, and his love for art.”
Max grinned at Cassie from ear to ear, and her heart skipped a beat at the sight. He looked so joyful.
“You really are something special,” he said.
“So are you,” Cassie said, grinning back at him. “So are you.”
Chapter Thirteen
*** Seven Months Later ***
Cassie smiled widely as Maddie took a picture of her in front of the new bar’s front façade. A giant sign above the front entrance had the words “The Hometown Bar” neatly carved in wood. Below the wooden sign, a banner that read “Grand Opening” hung, flanked by several balloons.
“Perfect,” Maddie said. “You look radiant. Absolutely glowing!”
Cassie smiled and put her hand on her growing stomach. “I think sweaty and out of breath might be a more accurate description than ‘glowing.’ This baby is really taking it out of me!”
“Nonsense!” Maddie said. “I’ve never seen you look more beautiful.”
“Do you really think it’s okay to put a picture of a pregnant woman in front of a bar in the newspaper?” Cassie asked.
“It’s fine,” Maddie assured her. “Everyone knows you’re not in there getting boozed up right now. You’re the owner. You deserve to be in the picture of the grand opening.”
Cassie smiled at Maddie. “Alright, you’re the expert.”
Maddie was the owner and founder of The Persimmon Springs Flame, a newspaper she had started after her boss at the town’s other newspaper had proven to be a total jerk. Maddie wanted to run a front page story on the opening of the new bar, so she was here to take pictures before the party kicked off. Cassie was a bit nervous about being in the newspaper, but she was excited about the publicity for the bar. And she knew Maddie would write a glowing review of the place.
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