“I’ve thought about this moment so many times. I don’t want to forget a single second of it,” he said, as he brought her up the stairs.
She hated being naked in front of a man, but Nash took his time, undressing her slowly, kissing and caressing each patch of skin as it was revealed to him, peppering her with compliments. Worshipping her body. He really does love my curves, she realized. He doesn’t think I’m fat. When he’d stripped her down to her black silky lingerie, she pulled his sweater off, feasting her eyes on his incredible pecs and abs. She watched as his hands went to the zipper of his jeans, and he slid them off and stepped out of them. His cock strained beneath a pair of stretchy, white boxers. He had strong, thick thighs, and his skin was a delicious honey tone all over.
He tipped her back on the bed, making her collapse onto his fluffy white comforter, and he deftly removed her bra, sliding the cups away from her breasts, until her caramel-colored nipples were exposed to his gaze. And then he began to use his mouth on her. She cried out as his tongue flickered across the sensitive peaks, while he sucked gently, drawing them into his mouth, as if he was feeding from her. The ache between her thighs became a deep throb, and she felt her panties getting soaked. She needed him inside her, like she’d never needed anything in her life before. But he seemed intent on teasing her. In frustration, she reached down, slipped her hand beneath the waistband of his underwear, and took hold of his cock. He let off an animal growl.
In another moment, he’d stripped off her panties, spread her thighs, and buried his face between them. She groaned as his tongue flickered all over her pussy, before sliding inside, briefly satisfying that ache. But as he moved onto her clit, the ache doubled in intensity, and she writhed and tugged at his hair.
“Inside,” she muttered, and obligingly, he slid two of his long, thick fingers into her. She was so sensitized that she could feel every joint and knuckle as he slipped in and out, the pads of his fingers gliding on her pussy walls. Something was happening inside her. It felt like a volcano working itself up to erupt.
“Nash?” she moaned. He lifted his head, hearing the desperation in her voice. His face looked lean and hungry as he shucked off his underwear, and she shuddered at the sight of his cock. It was long and thick, bigger even than she’d anticipated.
“I need you inside me, right now,” she said. “All of you.” In a single movement, he leapt on top of her, and stared down at her. He was thoughtful, considerate, MisunderstoodGuy; Nash, her annoyingly hot co-worker; and the new, sexy man she was just getting to know, all rolled into one incredible package. He spread her thighs wide and she trembled, part anticipation part nerves. She hadn’t enjoyed sex with other men so much – it was always borderline painful. But this time was different – her body was crying out for him, and she knew the ache inside her could only be satisfied by one thing.
“Kenzie,” he breathed, and he held her close and kissed her, deeply, tenderly. And then he entered her. It was a lot to take, but he moved slowly, cautiously, and all of a sudden, her muscles yielded and waves of pleasure rippled right through her. With a final push, he was all the way in, and she gasped as he filled her, the base of his cock bumping up against her clit. Keeping his mouth on hers, he began to move, in small strokes at first. But as the pressure began to build up again, she wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him closer, needing him deeper, and harder and faster. He tore his mouth away from hers.
“You want me to take you harder, Kenzie?” he growled.
“Yes. I want all you’ve got.”
“You want me to claim you? Take you for my own?”
“Yes!” He drew back a little, so their bodies came apart, but he continued to thrust, in little, teasing strokes.
“You know what that means?” She gazed at him, wide eyed. “It means you’ll be mine. forever. Wolves mate for life. And when I claim you, it’ll be permanent.” As he spoke, his strokes were getting harder and harder, and he looked down at her, evidently enjoying the sight of her pleasure. He grasped her thighs in both hands, tipping them back and spreading them wider, watching his cock sliding in and out of her. “Do you want that, Kenzie?” he insisted. It was all so hot. His words were driving her crazy.
“I –” she started to say, but at that moment, she gave a wild cry and began to shake all over. Then suddenly she was falling through space, falling and falling, until her pussy throbbed out of control and the volcano erupted, into a blissful, white-hot explosion of sparks all over her body. It rolled on and on, and she gasped and panted as Nash continued to fuck her, his cock making her spasm again and again, until her orgasm subsided slowly into delicious aftershocks.
“Wow, that was new,” she said breathlessly, some time later.
“You look so beautiful when you come,” Nash said, still deep inside her, stroking her body, giving her time to recover. “Now, turn over.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he made a sound low in his throat.
“A shifter mates from behind. You’ll appreciate that soon.” She made a sound of dissent, not being a fan of the positon. It was so awkward, so exposing, but there was steel in his eyes, and she found herself obeying. As she waited, on her hands and knees, he stroked the globes of her ass, complimenting their roundness and her creamy flesh. And then he stroked her clit and lightly fingered her entrance, until she found herself arching her back and demanding more of him. He entered her again, in one long stroke, that drew an animal cry from her. It felt good. His hands were gripping her hips and he was riding her, pumping hard and deep, and she felt his animal nature as his strokes got rougher and jerkier. He pulled her up, so she was upright, wrapping his arms around her breasts, teasing her clit, then he pushed her back down, his hand on the back of her neck, and she lay flat, her moans muffled by the pillow, as he took her harder and harder, his breath harsh in her ear, before he reached a powerful, roaring orgasm, pushing deep inside her as he came.
“Was that too much?” he asked as he spooned her, nuzzling her hair and planting butterfly kisses on her cheek.
“No. It was great. You made me feel incredible.”
“Same here,” he replied with a chuckle. “You’re an incredibly sexy woman, Kenzie.”
“Nash –” she turned onto her back and put her arms around him. “What’s that on your back?” She ran her fingertips over what felt like a series of long ridges. His face darkened. “Show me. I’m going to see them some time anyway.”
Reluctantly, he turned over. And she clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. He had scars. A lot of scars. Like he’d been cut up by something very vicious and jagged. He turned to face her again.
“It’s nothing. They healed a long time ago.”
“But what happened?” she whispered.
“When I told you my father kicked me out, I meant physically. I didn’t want to go. I was scared to be alone. I already felt like a reject from the pack, and I thought it would be so much worse being out in the world by myself. So I fought him, in our wolf forms. But he was a lot bigger than me, and his beta joined in. It was pretty bad. They cut me all the way to the bone. And because I’m not a full shifter, but a half breed, the scars didn’t completely heal.” Kenzie’s eyes glistened with tears.
“I’m so sorry, Nash. I can’t believe he did that to you.”
“It’s the way of some wolf packs,” he replied with a shrug.
“You said your mom was from a different family?”
“She was a human. Hence me being a half breed. And once I got to my teens and the rest of the pack could see it in my face, in the fact I was older than normal before I started shifting, they didn’t want me to be a part of them. Not all packs are so hard-hearted. But unfortunately, the Hunter’s Gap wolves are well known for it.”
“Hunter’s Gap? That miserable town Jackson and I passed through? That’s where you’re from?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“Okay, I understand why you freaked out when I suggested doing some marketing there.
I’m so sorry about that.” He stroked her arm.
“Don’t be sorry. You didn’t know. And I only acted aggressive because it stirred up some old memories.”
“Which is why you got online and told AdventureGirl about them.” He grinned and kissed her.
“Exactly.”
“I’m sure there’s a lot more to tell me. Whenever you’re ready, I’m listening.”
“Thank you, Kenzie. You’re the best.” He kissed her again, and kissing soon turned to touching, and touching turned to making love. And they didn’t leave the bed for the rest of the evening, apart from when Nash went downstairs to pick up their pizza delivery. This feels too perfect to be real, Kenzie thought, snuggled contentedly in the bed sheets while Nash refilled their glasses.
14
Tearing himself away from Kenzie’s warm, sleeping body the next morning was so difficult. All Nash wanted to do was spend another incredible day in bed with her. Doing all the things he’d dreamed of doing for so long. He still couldn’t believe she was there, his sweet, sarcastic AdventureGirl, lying on her side, her dark hair fanning out over the pillow. And on the back of her neck, just off to the side, where it met her shoulder, was her mate mark. He hadn’t meant to do it exactly; it had just happened in the heat of the moment, right before he came for the first time. She didn’t seem to have noticed at the time, and he hoped she wouldn’t feel it when she awoke. He knew he shouldn’t have done it without her permission, but his wolf had just taken over. And he was glad. Because now he knew that she was his, and she’d always be safe. What she told him yesterday about her cousin had scared him. He’d reassured her to stop her from freaking out, but he’d felt like it was an issue that wasn’t going to go away.
When they’d both showered, they had a cozy breakfast together in the kitchen, before he drove them to work, via Rusty’s Bar, so she could collect her car.
“This seems so wrong,” she said with a laugh as they pulled into the bar’s parking lot.
“You mean, the fact we’re not in bed right now?” he said.
“I mean the fact we’re working on Sunday. Both of us!”
“I know. Sucks that it took MisunderstoodGuy and AdventureGirl so long to reveal their true identities to each other that we’ve gotten together when business at the garden center is booming.”
“It does. You know, you’re pretty funny, Nash,” she said as she was climbing out of the car. “All that shit I used to give you, saying your jokes were dumb – most of the time I was actually laughing on the inside.”
“I never doubted it for a minute, Kenzie.” He blew her a kiss, then drove off to one of their suppliers.
As Kenzie glanced at Rusty’s, she thought about Walt for the first time since she chose Nash over him. He seemed like a nice guy, and she felt bad about how things had happened on Saturday. She decided she’d message him when she had a minute, and try to explain. But for now, she was already ten minutes late for work.
As she drove along the unfamiliar route, she kept noticing a car in her rearview mirror. It was a low-slung, black sedan, and it stayed behind her for quite a while. It was only when she pulled into the garden center that it sped away.
Kenzie spent the whole morning daydreaming, serving customers on autopilot. She was totally blissed out. Her body was still vibrating from the sex they’d had last night. No – the mating, she corrected herself. It had been way hotter than any sex she’d had before – raw and animalistic, but so tender and bonding as well. For the first time in a long time, she was looking forward to the future. To dating Nash, getting to know each other better, and discovering whether they were the perfect match that Shiftr claimed they were. Speaking of Shiftr – she pulled her phone out and opened the app, planning to message Walt. But he’d sent her a message already. It said: “I’m sorry things turned out the way they did yesterday. I was real excited to meet you. Could we at least meet for coffee and clear the air?” She blew out a long breath through her nostrils and reluctantly tapped out a message to him: “I know. I’m truly sorry for the way things happened. And I can assure you it wasn’t deliberate. But I’m dating Nash now, so there’s no point in us meeting. I wish you all the best with finding your perfect match on the site, Kenzie.” And then she deactivated her profile.
She and Nash were so busy all day that they barely saw each other, except for a few snatched kisses here and there, that left her panting for more.
At around six, when they were swapping coffee duty, he pulled her behind the hut and wrapped his arms around her.
“How about we go to your place tonight?” he said.
“Uh – well. My place isn’t really good for entertaining. It’s kind of small and depressing. How about we go back to your place again?”
“Okay. Wine, movie, pasta? I might even cook it myself.” She grinned.
“That sounds wonderful. I need to stop by my place first though.”
“No problem. Come by around eight thirty?”
“Yes!” He took her face gently in his hands, and kissed her, and her tummy fluttered with butterflies.
Kenzie left as early as she could to give herself enough time to get back to her place, get ready and drive to Nash’s. Her apartment felt cold and empty, reminding her how much cozier Nash’s cabin was. She grinned to herself. Who would’ve thought it? She’d always assumed that Nash would live in a dingy man cave. She packed a change of clothes and some makeup and toiletries, and was ready to head out again within fifteen minutes.
She kept yawning during the drive there. It had been a long day, and she hadn’t had much sleep the night before. She couldn’t wait to get to his place and spend the night relaxing with him.
Her excitement mounting, she strode up the pathway that led to his cabin and banged on the door. There was no answer. She knocked again. Same thing. There were some lights on upstairs, but the ground floor level was all dark. That’s weird. She took her phone out. He’d messaged her while she was driving, but her phone had been on silent as usual so she hadn’t seen it. The message read: “I’m sorry, hon, but I’m real tired today. I just want to hang out by myself and go to bed early. Nash X”
“What?” she said aloud. “That makes no sense at all. He could at least speak to me since I’m here.” She lifted her hand to knock on the door again, then stopped. So this is what Nash is like when he knows that I like him as well, she thought. What an arrogant ass! All the excitement and anticipation drained out of her, and she turned around and began the drive back home. All he wanted was sex, and now he’s had it, he doesn’t give a crap about me. It’s my fault. I knew he was an immature jerk and I shouldn’t have trusted him! Tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them away angrily, determined not to acknowledge to herself that he’d hurt her.
“Screw him!” she yelled, as she burst through her front door, slamming it behind her.
Then she saw her laptop. I’ll speak to MisunderstoodGuy for a while. That’ll make me feel better. And then she froze, and her tears did start to spill. She’d not only lost Nash; she’d lost MisunderstoodGuy as well. And it hurt as much as if she’d lost two separate people.
15
Kenzie wasn’t looking forward to seeing Nash the next day. But when it got to midday and she still hadn’t seen him, she asked Jackson where he was.
“He’s not here today. Kind of unusual for him though.”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“I don’t know. He sent a message saying he was sick, but didn’t elaborate. I tried calling, but no answer. Maybe he’s sleeping.”
“I hope he’s okay.”
“Me too, for his sake. But I’ve hired a couple more people, so luckily we’re not too short-staffed.” Jackson’s eyes drifted to the side of Kenzie’s neck. Reflexively, she put her fingers there. There was a sore, red area, as if she’d hit it on something, but she couldn’t think what. Jackson gave her a significant look then wandered off to the vegetable section.
First he cancels on me at short notice
, and then he doesn’t even bother to tell me that he’s not coming in today. How did I ever let myself think that he gave a shit about me? She was so angry and hurt that she grabbed a shovel and stormed off to the back of the center, and began digging out some shrubs, which had been on the bottom of her to-do list for a long time.
After lunch, when she was working in the hut, Jackson came over.
“Have you heard from Nash?” he asked.
“No. Why would I have?” she replied, far too defensively. Jackson’s eyes drifted to that spot on her neck again.
“No reason. I just thought you guys were friends, that’s all.” She snorted.
“Not really. You haven’t heard from him either?”
“No – I tried messaging and calling, but his phone’s going to voicemail.”
“Has he done this before?”
“A couple of times. When he was new here. But that was a real long time ago. Maybe he just needs his space. I guess I’ll leave him be.”
Kenzie tried calling him, and his phone also went to voicemail. He’s such a child, she thought. Not even responsible enough to come up with a proper excuse for not being here.
But when Jackson forced her to go home at five that day, she found herself taking a detour to Nash’s place. Something was nagging at the back of her mind. Maybe the fact that he’d seemed so excited for their date yesterday.
“That’s weird,” she murmured as she retraced her steps from the night before. Again, there were no lights on downstairs, but the upstairs lights were still on, even though it wasn’t really dark yet. She rapped hard on the door. Several times. But it was silent within. She walked around the house, trying to peer in through the windows, but it was dim inside, and she couldn’t see anything unusual. Maybe he’s taken off on a trip, she thought. Maybe he’s dating somebody else, and right now he’s at her place, making love. At the thought, her stomach twisted, and she felt like being sick.
Shiftr: Swipe Left For Love (Nash) BBW Wolf Shifter Romance (Hope Valley BBW Dating App Romance Book 10) Page 10