Sassy Ever After: In My Mate's Sight (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read online

  Koira relaxed back in the bed and lazily swirled the fur on his back as she nodded off. Caeden listened intently till her breathing evened out. Gently he reached out and touched the side of her thigh with the tip of his tongue, his eyes darting up to her face to see if she woke up. She didn’t stir so he got braver and licked from her knee to her hip. He heard her chuckle quietly in her sleep. Encouraged, he moved up and licked her ribs. With a growl he rolled away, if he didn’t stop things would get really inappropriate.

  He waited silently as the story continued on, he had never read a romance let alone heard one. He was intrigued that his seemingly innocent mate was listening to a dirty story where the guy had just bent the woman over the back of the couch and was slamming into her.

  Between his naked mate next to him and the couple having sex in the book, Caeden couldn’t take any more. He jumped off the bed and walked quietly to the living room. He shifted back to himself and tiptoed over to close her door.

  He was too amped up to sleep, there was no T.V. and the erection jutting from his body was throbbing with need. If he had any chance of staying focused on protecting her, he would need to let off some steam. He found a small towel in the linen closet and laid on the couch. His eyes drifted closed as visions of Koira floated through his mind. After a few strokes of his cock, he was really wishing he had packed lube in his hidden bag.

  He pictured her groping her breasts, her fingers trailing to her nipples, he gasped in pleasure as she tugged on them. Image after image of her in various positions gave him all the fuel he needed to push himself over the edge. As the cum shot out of him, he grabbed the throw pillow Barbara was so nice to provide and shoved it over his face to help mask the sound.

  As the last waves of pleasure rolled through him, he took the pillow off, panting for air. If he was going to keep doing this he definitely had to sneak some lotion in tomorrow. There was no way he could sleep with his naked mate every night and not be expected to open the relief valve once in a while.

  He cleaned up and hid the towel till he could sneak it into her hamper. He cracked open her door, shifted back to Thumper and gladly went and curled up to his woman.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Last night was one of the best nights of his life even if it was slightly torturous, but he still got to sleep curled up next to her and wake up with her arm lying over him. If only he hadn’t still been in dog form he could have rolled on top of her and kissed her awake.

  He laid still, watching her sleep, studying the paleness of her skin, the freckle next to her left nipple and the soft curls nestled between her thighs.

  After a while he heard a soft moan pass her lips just before her eyes fluttered open. She reached out and felt for him, he immediately crawled closer so he was plastered to her side. “Good morning, I hope you slept well in this strange place. My aunt is great company but I slept much better with you than her. At least you don’t snore.” She scratched just above his tail, how did she find the spot already? Without any way to control it, his leg started shaking, that damn spot got him every time. It reminded him he wanted to ask one of the wolf shifters if they had that same problem. “Oh, you like that, don’t you?” The soft tinkling of her laughter made the embarrassment worth it. “Okay, enough of this, let’s get the day started. I should probably be dressed before someone comes to pick you up.”

  Caeden yipped in agreement, he definitely didn’t want anyone else looking at his mate.

  He stayed in bed and watched as she felt through her dresser drawer and rubbed her fingers against each one. Curiosity was getting the better of him, as soon as he heard the shower turn on he quietly shifted and looked in her drawer. Each article of clothing had a label ironed on with braille on them. He assumed each label said the color of the item. Impressed, he gently laid the clothes back down and shifted back.

  Even if he had taken care of himself last night, he was still feeling needy. He knew it wasn’t right but he walked into the bathroom and sat in front of the shower. The curtain was frosted, blurring her image just enough to make him feel less guilty but clear enough he was able to watch her outline as she lathered bubbles all over her body.

  He watched as she pulled the shower head off the base and rinsed. He envied each bubble that got to slide down her luscious curves. The wand worked its way down till it stopped between her legs. Caeden’s head turned, ears perked, trying to comprehend what she was doing. When she released her first moan, he figured out what was happening.

  For five agonizing minutes, he listened to her gasps of pleasure and watched her outline as her hand squeezed a nipple. His animal was begging for him to shift and replace the shower head with his mouth. His mouth watered at the idea of marking her and making her his mate.

  As she climaxed, his own breathing came out in short pants. Her last shout was his name and thank god she said Caeden, not Thumper. Excitement coursed through him realizing she was just as needy for him as he was for her.

  As soon as the shower shut off, he ran back to the bed and laid quietly, staring toward the bathroom. As if his desire couldn’t build any more, she walked in front of the sink and bent over with her hair flipped in front of her. She brushed her hair as the blow dryer sent it swirling. The urge to mount her was overwhelming, she was already in position and the man wanted it as bad as the animal.

  Frustrated with himself, he jumped from the bed and went to the living room; he had to get some space from her. When he was back as Caeden, he was going to speed up his seduction of her, he wasn’t going to survive if he had to wait much longer.

  As she stepped into the living room fully clothed, a knock on the door got both their attentions. Being the dutiful guard dog, he let out a few barks and went to the door to smell who was there. He heard Brogan announce himself. At least Koira hadn’t opened the door before that, she really wasn’t as worried about her own safety as she should be.

  “Good morning, Deputy Taggert, please come in.” Koira stepped back and opened the door wider. Brogan gave him a shit-eating grin, he had a feeling his friend suspected just how sexually frustrated his night had been. Being a shifter, he could probably smell the sex still on her from her orgasm a few minutes ago.

  “Good morning, ma’am. We may be meeting like this a lot for a while so please call me Brogan. Caeden said you are special so I have a feeling we are going to be seeing a lot more of each other, too.” Brogan wiggled his eyebrows at Caeden, “I can’t stay, I’m just here to get Thumper and take him to work. Caeden texted that he’s on his way so he’ll be here soon.”

  Koira didn’t even try to hide her smile at hearing Caeden’s name. He smiled at Brogan with satisfaction. She turned and kneeled down, “Come here, Thumper.”

  He walked closer and nudged her arm with his head. Her arms circled his neck, “I’ll miss you, buddy, be safe.” She stood up and listened as the dog walked by her and out the door. “You be safe, too, Brogan.”

  “Of course, ma’am, have a good day.” Brogan and Caeden waited quietly till she closed and locked the door.

  “Come on, let’s get you changed.” Brogan held open his truck door and let Caeden jump in. He shifted immediately and grabbed the clothes off the back seat. Brogan climbed in the driver's seat. “I picked up some muffins if you want to take them in with you. And can I just say how unfair it is that you are getting paid to hang out with your mate twenty-four hours a day.”

  “Hey, don’t be mad at me, I didn’t choose this assignment.” Caeden bent over and tied his shoes.

  Brogan’s cell phone vibrated in the cup holder. “Morning, Sheriff.”

  Caeden waited and watched anxiously as Brogan’s face shifted from a smile to a frown. “He’s here with me, he’s just about to go inside with her.” Brogan gave Caeden a grim look. “I’ll fill him in then get to the station.”

  “Well?” Caeden pounced before the call had fully disconnected.

  “He got a call from the captain where Koira’s from. They discovered the body of one t
he detectives assigned to her case. They confirmed it was murder.”

  Emotions flooded his mind, the cop in him knew to stay calm but the animal was furious.

  “Apparently it was leaked that there was a witness in hiding. Sheriff said based off the scene, we should assume she was killed to get information on Koira. He must be trying to tie up loose ends. He’s going to assign someone to sit out front here and they’ll tail you guys if you go anywhere.” Brogan grabbed his shoulder and squeezed. “I’ll take as many shifts as I can but I have to keep working with Cadence to find Jericho.”

  Caeden could see the guilt in his friend's eyes. “I appreciate it but don’t worry about us, you need to find your mate.” He grabbed the box of muffins off the back seat and climbed out. “My phone is still inside; can you ask the sheriff to text if any more information comes in? Oh, and can you let Constance know I’m not going to say anything to Koira unless she wants me to?”

  “Sure thing, man, have fun and let us worry about the case.” Brogan reached out and shook hands with Caeden.

  He was so grateful that he had been accepted so quickly into the town and could count Brogan as a friend. He blew out a heavy breath and rolled his shoulders to get out some of the tension that had quickly built up.

  He had to be more vigilant than ever but he still planned to seduce his woman. An image of her bent over the bathroom sink was all he needed to focus on his plan again. Time to enact Operation Make Her Pant.

  Chapter Fifteen

  As Caeden lifted his hand to knock, the door swung open revealing a smiling Koira. “Good morning, Caeden.”

  “How can you be sure it was me before you opened the door?” With the development in her case, he was feeling more on edge than usual.

  She tapped her nose, “It doesn’t lie, I would recognize you anywhere.” She smiled shyly and stepped back.

  “Can I give you a good morning kiss?” If she could see he would have gave her his best sexy eyes and leaned in till she got the hint, but he was scared if he went at her without announcing it he may scare her.

  “I would like that very much.” Her eyes fluttered closed as he leaned in. Their lips locked briefly before he straightened back up.

  “Can I show you something?” She closed the door and waited for his response.

  “Sure.”

  Her hands reached toward his chest and pushed him backward till he was against the wall. His breath caught in his throat as her fingers traced lightly up his chest and wrapped around his neck. She kissed his neck, his cheek, and finally moved to his mouth. Her lips brushed his teasingly, he moaned in need. She smiled just before finding his mouth again and brushing her tongue against his. Long minutes passed while they stood quietly in the hall exploring each other’s mouths. He grabbed her hips and pulled her tight against him, he wanted her to know he was hard and it was all her fault. She broke the kiss on a chuckle and stood back. “That is a good morning kiss.” She turned and walked into the kitchen.

  He stared after her shocked, who was seducing who here?

  He cleared his throat and tried to get control of the need that was coursing through his body. The smell of coffee led him to the kitchen, she had two mugs in hand and turned to the patio. “I smell something yummy, bring it out with you.”

  He was seriously impressed with how well she knew what is going on considering she couldn’t see.

  “If you keep bringing food over, I’m going to have to make dinner for you to thank you. My grandparents are from Finland, we have so many recipes you would love. My favorite is Juustoleipä.” She sat forward excitedly, “It is so good when I can get my hands on some reindeer milk. Do you have any reindeer herds in the area or maybe you know a shifter that would give us some?”

  “Even if I knew a reindeer shifter, there is no way I would ask them if I could milk them.” Caeden was horrified at the thought. She really didn’t have much experience with shifters, did she? “Do you have a lot of reindeer in your area?”

  “There are quite a few on the Canadian border, I think they are all just animals, though. Would they admit if they were a shifter if they were trying to sell their milk? I never really thought about it before.” She looked questioningly off in the distance, thinking about back home.

  “I would love to have a home-cooked meal by you but I’ll have to ask around about reindeer milk. Honestly, I didn’t even know they did that.”

  “You’d be surprised the animals that can be milked.” She smiled innocently toward him and winked. “If you don’t have any plans today, I was wondering if you could take me for a drive?” Koira leaned forward and felt across the table till she found the box. He watched as she leaned over it and took a deep breath. “Cinnamon streusel or chocolate chip, choices, choices.” She grabbed the chocolate chip and sat back.

  “I’ll take you anywhere you want to go. Did you have somewhere specific in mind?” He bit into the cinnamon muffin and watched her mouth as she nibbled at the top of hers.

  “I’ll give you the address when we get in the car.” She took a healthy sized bite, closed her eyes and enjoyed the sun on her face. The heat helped with the chill in the air.

  They sat in silence, enjoying the morning while they finished their breakfast. She was blissfully unaware of the new dangers facing her as he stayed on full alert, watching for any new threat. It helped that he knew almost every resident so strangers were easier to spot.

  “Okay, I’m done if you are.” She drained the last of her coffee cup and stood.

  He gathered everything else up and followed her inside. He was curious to see where she was taking him.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Caeden held the door to his truck open while Koira climbed in. He had been reading up on blindness and one of the articles was by a blind person saying they really didn’t like help because it made them dependent. It’s his nature to be protective, especially with his mate, hopefully she would have patience with him while he tried to tamp down his need to be helpful.

  He climbed in the driver’s seat and waited till she was buckled before starting the car. “Okay, Princess, where are we going?”

  “Princess? Are you my knight in shining armor?”

  “I can be whatever you want me to be, but I called you princess because you sang like Snow White with that bird the other day.”

  Koira covered her face with her hands, “Oh my god, I never thought about how that would look. I feel so stupid.”

  “No, it was cute, don’t be embarrassed.” He grabbed her hand and pulled it away from her face, squeezing it. “Seriously, that was really impressive.”

  “Can we pretend that didn’t happen?”

  “You’re adorable when your face turns purple but yes, let’s get our day started. Where am I taking you?”

  Koira reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to him, “I had my aunt write it down for you.”

  He scanned the address, “This is a couple of towns over, it’ll take us about an hour to get there.”

  “That’s fine with me, it’s my turn to ask you questions and since you are trapped in this truck with me, I can ask pretty much whatever I want and you can’t escape.”

  Caeden had nothing to hide but that still sounded ominous to him. “I’ll do my best to appease your every curiosity. Now, what is at this address?”

  “Something to entertain us this afternoon.” She looked forward with a smile, “My first question, Constance told me you are new to town so where did you call home originally?”

  “My family is about two hours north of here, these are all small towns so police jobs are few and far between. Blue Creek had an opening so I applied and Sheriff West hired me on the spot.” Caeden wasn’t ready to admit he purposely came here because of the large shifter population. At some point, he would have to tell her what he really was but she was so inexperienced with shifters, he wanted to take it slow.

  “Tell me about young Caeden, did you always want to be a cop?”
/>   “I was the typical teenage boy and wanted to be a pro football player, but then everything changed when I met my step-sister. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time and took a stray bullet to her spine. They never caught the people who were in the actual fight that started it. My mom is a nurse and that’s how she met my step-dad. Selena was in the hospital for months before she could go home so they got really close during that time. I watched as she got better physically but not as much mentally. They were so frustrated with the police and I got really angry on her behalf and decided I should focus all those emotions and help other victims get their justice.”

  “What does your family think about you being a cop?” She turned toward him with a genuine look of admiration.

  “They worry for my safety but they were never upset by it. I think they are comforted knowing I’m out there trying to help people. Oh, and I think we’re even on questions now so I say we take turns.”

  “Maybe we should save the questions for later and let’s make it more interesting. For every question one of us asks, we have to take off an article of clothing.” She gave him a saucy look that instantly sent blood to his fast-growing erection. This girl was going to be the death of him if he didn’t get inside her soon.

  “So, the more questions I ask, the more clothing I lose?”

  “Yep, choose your questions wisely.”

  This was a difficult game to decide on. Did he want to ask a lot of questions so he would be naked and give her easy access to him? Or did he want to outlast her so she was naked for him to explore?

  “I look forward to the challenge, although I’m not really sure it’s a win-lose situation or win-win.”

  “Ah, catching on to my brilliance, aren’t you?”

  Chapter Seventeen