by Moxie North
“Ohh burritos, I’d forgotten. But now I’m afraid to meet you. I don’t like when people see my scars,” she said softly. She didn’t know why she admitted that to him. It was leaving her wide open to a stranger knowing her emotions.
Cash took a moment to look at her. He could see the scar. It was an angry, painful looking line down her face. His bear was angry that she’d been hurt. No one should have to see the reminder of a painful, horrible experience.
“Can I tell you what I see before you open your eyes?” Cash suggested.
Cassie was startled at the idea. But then thought it would give her a few more minutes to get her shit together.
“Sure, but I reserve the right to punch you if you piss me off,” she warned.
She heard him chuckle. Cash pulled his hand away from her chest and picked up her hand that was fisted by her hip. Cassie let him, her hand unfolding in his.
“All right, well your hair is white blonde, and the pink ends are very cute,” he started.
“Kenzi did it today,” she supplied.
“Good to hear you saw her. I’m glad,” he said. “I see you have an amazingly steady hand with eyeliner,” he continued.
Cass laughed. “What do you know about eyeliner?”
“I have a sister. I know what it takes to get those little wings right.” He continued his perusal.
“I see you’re small. You really should be eating more,” he said.
“I ate twice today, real food too, not junk,” she said with a proud voice. “What else do you see?”
“I see a pretty girl, that’s about as small as a fairy. In fact your name shouldn’t be Spirit, it should be Sprite. Can I call you that?” he asked.
“I’ve been called worse,” she snorted.
“I’d love to see your eyes,” he said earnestly.
“What about my scar?” she whispered.
Cash honestly didn’t think it was that bad. This small woman was so much more than that mark. “I see it; it’s just not the first thing I see when I look at you,” he told her.
Cassie took that in. Really? He didn’t look at it first? She looked at it whenever she passed a mirror. Even when she examined it to see if the creams and salves were working it looked like it took up her whole face. Maybe it didn’t; maybe it was more about what the scar represented that was the big mark.
“Liar,” she whispered.
“I don’t lie,” he answered immediately.
“Then why was there a bear on my chest when I woke up?” she asked. Answer that one mister-I-don’t-lie.
“That was Maizy, Wyatt and Jinger’s daughter’s bear. She’s a shifter,” he said. He waited as her brow furrowed.
“Bear shifters?”
“Yup, bear shifters,” he replied.
“Who else?” she asked, her throat getting dry.
“All the Rochons, but not Jinger or Sophie,” he offered.
Chapter 15
Cassie thought about it. She’d come to terms pretty well with the whole cougar shifter thing. She should have known there would be more animals. On some level, she did know.
“So you…” she started.
“Yes, I’m a bear too,” he was proud to say.
Cassie let her eyes slide open and adjust to the lack of light in the room. Her gaze travelled up the broad chest in front of her. The man was wearing a brown worn leather jacket with a dark shirt underneath. Her eyes continued up to a strong thick neck to a bearded chin that was just long enough to grab onto. It surrounded a set of strong lips and a straight nose. She finally got to his eyes and saw them staring back her in shock.
Cassie looked into that startling pair of hazel eyes that were flicking over her face. There was a faint yellow glow around the edges that she recognized instinctually from being around Dax.
She first thought his reaction was horror at her scar, but then she noticed he wasn’t looking there. He was darting between her eyes and her mouth. Searching for something.
“Cash?” she whispered. Cassie watched his eyes widen at the sound of his name and saw tears well up in them. Shit, she’d made him cry! What the fuck did she do with a giant mountain of a man that looked like he was going to cry?
The big man on the bed slid off the edge until he was kneeling on the floor beside it. He grasped her hand that he was holding tighter in his. He pulled them up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles then brought her hand up to his forehead. Cupping their hands against his head, he took in several deep breaths.
Cash’s bear was so loud he felt like his ears should be bleeding. His bear had found their mate. That meant so had he. Fragile, bruised Cassidy Spirit Hackett was his mate. He should have known. Her smell, the need to talk to her after hearing her voice. His concern about her welfare. All signs of the fates pointing him directly at her. He just needed to be hit upside the head by them.
“You’re kinda starting to freak me out, big guy,” she said cautiously.
Shit, he needed to pull himself together. His mate needed him; she’d just had a scare. Just learned about bear shifters and was recovering from a major car accident. Now he needed to throw another wrench in her already banged up life.
Lifting his gaze to hers, he couldn’t keep his bear back from his eyes. He could tell they were glowing just by her gasp.
“Cassie,” he said roughly.
“Cash…” she replied.
“You’re mine.”
Cassie tried to jerk her hand away from his hold but was unsuccessful. “What do you mean I’m yours?”
“I mean, you are my mate. My one true partner, given to me by the fates. We were meant for each other,” he said, his eyes scanning her face. He didn’t know what response he expected. Acceptance, denial, but not what she did next.
“Get the fuck outta town!” she said and started laughing.
Cash’s bear chuffed at her words. He told him to be patient; this was a lot to take in. “Cassie, no shifter would ever utter those words unless they were a thousand percent sure that they were saying it to their mate. You’re mine, and I’m yours.”
Cassie was still laughing. “I must be high. Did I take too many pills before my nap? I just found out about bear shifters, for which I’m going to kick Effie’s ass as soon as she’s not knocked up anymore, but now you say I’m supposed to what, date you? Because the universe is telling me to?”
Cash let go of her hand to run his through his hair. “Cassie, I’m not joking. I’m sorry it had to be this way. If Maizy hadn’t broken in here, I would have realized who you were when I brought you your dinner. I…would have found a way to tell you slowly. Or at least get you to like me before you found out.”
“Oh, burritos. If I’ve gone insane, I at least want something yummy to eat before they come to lock me up. Still got em’?” she asked.
“What, the burritos?” he asked shocked.
“Yeah, and churros remember? Why don’t you go get those, and a soda for me, then you can come back and tell me all about the vampires that live next door. Hey, when they do come to lock me up, I want a padded room with a view please,” she said, settling back on her pillows.
This was not fucking happening. Her best friend could be mated to a cougar. Crazy Cassie couldn’t be mated to a bear that was as big as a house. The world didn’t work that way. Her life didn’t work that way.
She saw Cash hadn’t moved and felt a funny pain near her heart at his lost frustrated expression. But she wasn’t up for playing whatever game he was up to.
“Food if you want to keep talking to me,” she said, crossing her arms like a five-year-old. Cash’s hand was pulled from hers. His bear immediately protested, and he reached under her elbow to grasp her fingers.
Cash would never deny his mate anything, and if she needed a few minutes, he’d give her that. It wasn’t like she could jump out the window.
Standing up, he reluctantly let go of her hand and stepped to the door. He looked at her again on the bed looking so small and mili
tant. “Be right back.”
“I’m sure you will,” she grumbled.
As soon as he closed the door behind him, Cassie pulled a decorative pillow over her face and screamed. Attempting to get some of her frustration out. The door slammed open, and Cash was looking frantically around the room for the masked intruder that must have caused her to yell.
“Food,” Cassie growled at him.
Assuring himself there was no danger, he pulled the door closed and leaned against it. He saw that Wyatt had joined Jinger. She must have called him. Wyatt started approaching the door, and Cash let out a deep rumbling growl that practically shook the windows.
“Fucking hell,” Wyatt said, stopping in his tracks. “You okay man?”
Cash turned glowing yellow eyes on him. “Mine,” he growled.
“Oh shit, here we go again,” Wyatt said, turning on his heel to walk back into the great room. He was shaking his head at his mom and mate when he took his seat on the couch and picked a bear cub up off the floor. “Maizy, this is all your fault,” he whispered to the cub while tickling her belly.
“What’s her fault? Cash, is everything okay?” Connie called out when Cash stalked to the front door and to the long credenza table that sat along the wall. He picked up the bag he’d discarded and turned back to Connie.
He let out a low rumble in his chest. He didn’t trust his words yet.
“Oh dear,” Connie said, immediately understanding.
Cash stalked to the fridge pulled it open and grabbed a soda. Shutting the fridge, he stopped to say something to Connie for being rude. Then he looked at her and saw that she got it. He shook his head and went back to the bedroom door.
“I think I need to make a few phone calls,” Connie said quietly.
“Start with Cage. He can call Dax,” Wyatt suggested.
“Good idea,” Connie said. Having a son that was the Alpha was often useful. She spied Cash still standing at the door. He appeared to be taking in deep calming breaths. She hoped it worked.
Chapter 16
Cash tapped on the door. “Don’t come in unless you have a cheese like products wrapped in weird tortillas that never mold,” came the response from inside the room.
Pushing open the door, Cash poked his head in. Cassie was sitting in much the same position as when he left her, arms crossed over her chest. She’d gotten herself under control after the screaming episode. She did use the pillow to beat her head with it a few times.
Cash closed the door behind him. He sat on the edge of the bed again and handed her the bag of food along with the soda.
“You gonna eat both of those? Or you gonna share?” Cash asked her, as she dug around in the bag.
“Not sure yet,” she said honestly. Cassie unwrapped a burrito and took a bite, bright orange cheese squirting out the side onto her lip.
Cash leaned over and swiped it off with his thumb. Cassie watched as he brought the digit to his mouth. Well damn, she thought. That was unexpected.
“Sprite, we need to talk,” Cash started.
Cassie raised an eyebrow. “Sprite? Really?”
“Yeah, you were right, Cash and Cassie is tough. Sprite works for you,” he explained.
Cass figured she had other things to worry about than nicknames. Like the big man in front of her that thought he had some claim on her.
“Okay, let’s talk. Can you eat a whole chicken in one bite?”
“Excuse me?” Cash looked at her perturbed.
“You wanted to talk. I’m asking a question,” Cassie said chewing her burrito.
“No, I do not eat whole chickens,” he answered. Though, that wasn’t exactly true. He could totally eat a whole chicken, but he figured she meant in one bite.
“What size are your shoes?” she continued.
Cash sighed. “Thirteen.”
“Nice, sexy,” Cassie said, slurping some soda.
“We need to talk about us,” Cash said, reaching for her hand. Cassie slipped it away to hold onto her food. She had a hard time thinking straight when he touched her. It was like all her brain cells traveled to her pussy. And her vagina had never been a real big thinker. Therefore, bad choices happened often.
“There is no us. There’s you, and there is me. You are a Rochon, which means you live in the woods and only talk about trees. I’m a part time receptionist at a tattoo salon and general slacker. Do you see where I’m going with this?” Cassie said, tossing her half-eaten burrito back in the bag.
“No, I don’t see. There is me, Cash Rochon, COO of Green Break Lumber Mill, which is owned by my father. I’m also on the board of PNW Trucking that is run jointly by two of my uncles. I have a home not too far from here. I have an enormous family and have been waiting the better part of my last forty-nine years waiting for my mate. That’s you,” he said leaning closer to her.
“You are Cassidy Hackett, former receptionist, best friend to one of my friends. Funny, sarcastic, definitely colorful, and picked for me by the fates. I haven’t even gotten to know you, but I am totally devoted to you and you alone. For the rest of our lives, there will be only you.”
Cassie watched him say the words. He looked sincere; he looked sure. Cassie envied him that.
“I’m broken,” she said to him. This big, strikingly handsome man was so outside of her league. She usually went for the artsy type or the biker type. Generally, if the guy didn’t have a consistent job and treated her like crap, she was all in.
“You aren’t broken, baby. Just a little bruised. I bet I can tell you just why too,” Cash said, softly to her. He leaned over and brushed a strand of hair over her ear.
“Please, enlighten me,” Cassie said, trying to slow her breathing with this man so close to her. She could feel her nipples tightening under her t-shirt. His breath was warm and smelled like sugar.
“You were left alone on Christmas because your friend didn’t have the right to tell you about us bears. It was our secret, not hers. Our cubs shift randomly, so there was no way to hide it if you’d been here. So instead you drowned your sorrows on Christmas Eve because you missed your friend and felt left out,” he started explaining.
“Well, that’s not…” Cassie was going to interrupt, but that finger that had tucked her hair now landed on her mouth. “Shh…” he said.
Cassie decided hushing was a good idea.
“Then, in an intoxicated state, you trusted someone to take you home. That man failed in his duty to you.”
Cassie was going to protest again, but he shook his head.
“Any man that knows you as friend or coworker shouldn’t have taken the responsibility of getting you home safely if he was incapable of doing so. Then you got in a violent accident that left you asleep for two weeks. You woke up in pain and confused. The only faces you saw were your best friend and her mate. No other family showed up to visit you. Am I right?”
Cassie just nodded, his finger moving with her head.
“Then you spent months trying to recover. Your best friend and her mate doing everything that your family should have been doing. You started feeling guilty. Like you were a burden to them. That’s why you agreed to come out here. Tell me if I’m getting close,” he asked, watching her closely.
Cassie just gave a shrug. She threw in an eye roll for good measure.
“You were lost before the accident. You could have spent the rest of your years living with Dax and Effie. Enjoying their family, living on the outskirts, but never having your own. Did you ever want to be anything, do anything with your life? Or were you too afraid to even dream of something?”
Cassie felt the air in the room get thicker. It felt like he’d been watching her. Like he installed pin cameras over her whole life. Seeing her hits and misses, her failures and her routine of settling for okay instead of looking for something better.
“You don’t know me, Cash,” she said, her anger rising.
“Oh yes I do, Sprite. I know you better than anyone. And I plan on knowing everything about
you.” Cash leaned forward getting incredibly close. “Cassidy, don’t make this hard on yourself. I’m going to win. I’m going to have you, keep you safe, protect you, and love you. You just have to yield.” Then he touched his mouth to hers. Cassie froze, his lips were hot and strong. She could still smell the sugar coming off of him. It was mixed with the scent of sawdust. A weird combination that worked on this man.
When her lips stayed closed under his, he pulled back and brought his hand under her chin. He looked into her eyes. “Yield, Sprite,” he ordered.
Cassie realized this man wasn’t going to back off her without a kiss. What could it hurt? She saw his mouth descending again and closed her eyes as their lips met. She opened her mouth and felt Cash’s tongue delve into her mouth. Her tongue swept back against his, the velvety texture making her womb clench.
Cash kissed her tasting the candy coated flavor of his mate. He’d never kissed anyone like he kissed her. He wanted to devour her. His dick was rock hard from the moment his eyes met hers. His bear wanted to mate and bond with her. Seal her to him for eternity. Cassie knew how it worked; her friend had mated to a shifter. At least he wouldn’t have to explain that part. But the rest…would be a challenge.
Not wanting to push his luck, he released her mouth and took in her flushed face, swollen lips and lazy eyes. “Now that’s pretty,” he murmured.
“Huh?” Cassie managed.
“You look pretty after I kiss you,” he explained. “And since I plan on kissing you often, you’re gonna spend your days fucking gorgeous.”
“That doesn’t even make sense.” Cassie frowned at him.
“Does to me. So we need to keep talking. You or me?” he asked.
“Well, I’ll talk. You have no idea who I am. I’m the poster child for white trash. Do you know what that means? It means I’m not the kind of girl you bring home to your parents. I never have been. I don’t know what I want to do with my life. I’ve never wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer. Even Effie had skills she could turn into a career. Unless there is something I could do that paid me to be sarcastic, I’m stuck in minimum wage hell for the rest of my life.”