Sassy Ever After: Dragon Sass (Kindle Worlds Novella) (8 page)

“Maybe some sick kids who think it’s cool to play with death.” Kai drank his second shot with a grimace, putting the glass on the table between them. Then he stood, walking over to one of his walls of books.

“What are you doing?” Jules asked, glowering at the liquid in her glass.

“I swear I’ve seen those symbols before.” Kai ran his finger along the spines, turning his head to the side to read them. “Damnit, I think I loaned it out…”

“Stuart’s Aunt Ginny said she’d take care of the house.” Jules tipped the glass up and drank, letting the alcohol burn her throat and chest. It made her eyes water. “So I guess… that’s it.”

“Are you okay with that?” Kai turned to look at her.

“I’m not okay with anything right now.” She sighed, putting her glass down. Then she smiled at him. “Except you.”

“Just okay, huh?”

“More than okay.” Jules got up and slipped out of her heels—she didn’t wear them often and, after standing for just half an hour, her feet were killing her—going over to put her arms around his neck.

“I just want to make you happy.” He slipped his arms around her waist.

“You do.” She traced the line of his goatee. “You make me happier than anyone I’ve ever known.”

He pressed his lips to hers, breathing her in, his hands moving to her lower back. Just his touch made her come alive. And it felt so good, to be alive. It seemed wrong somehow, to want him now, after coming back from the funeral of her best friend. But even if the rest of the world might think it was wrong, she didn’t care. They weren’t here. In that moment, it was only Kai, and there was no judgment.

“I want to see your bedroom,” she whispered when they parted.

“Are you asking me to take you to bed?”

“Yes. Please.” She pressed her softness against him. “I want you. I need you.”

Kai picked her up, making her gasp. She wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling and kissing it as he carried her down the hallway. She’d been on this level of the house—the sitting room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, and several other rooms she wasn’t even sure of at the other end. But she’d never been downstairs.

“You really do have a cave,” she remarked as Kai carried her into an elevator that took them swiftly down to the lower level.

“I told you.”

The elevator opened and Kai turned left. She strained to see in the dimness but they had entered a hallway. It was cooler down here and she shivered, clinging to him as he nudged open a door and carried her inside.

“Lights.” Kai’s voice activated the lights and Jules gasped out loud. “Dim.”

The lights dimmed, but that didn’t do anything to diminish the beauty of the room. It was utterly masculine, all dark wood, the linens forest green and black with a hint of red. The bed was the most magnificent thing, a giant canopy, hand carved. There were designs in the wood but she couldn’t make them out, and she was distracted by Kai as he put her down on the mattress.

It was like sinking into a cloud.

His gaze swept over her as she leaned back on her elbows.

“You look stunning.”

“You like my little black dress?”

“More than I should.” He sighed, loosening his tie and unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. “Made me think things no one should be thinking at a funeral.”

“Well I might be funeral on the outside, but I’m all Victoria’s Secret underneath.”

His eyes lit up as he shrugged off his suit coat, tossing it over the back of a black, overstuffed chair.

“Show me.”

“Unzip me.” Jules stood, turning around and holding her hair up out of the way.

Kai did, slowly dragging the zipper down tick by tick. She shivered at the cool air on her bare skin, at the way his fingers brushed her lower back. He took a step back as she shrugged the dress down her shoulders, one at a time, looking back at him. Then she let it slip over her hips until it pooled on the floor at her feet. He let out a low whistle and she was glad the dim light hid her blush. Her underwear was sheer black, trimmed with lace that matched her thigh-highs.

“Turn around.” His voice was hoarse.

She did, slowly, and she saw his gaze lingering over the black push-up bra that gave her quite a bit of cleavage before skipping down to her panties and stockings.

“You like it?”

He yanked his tie off and strode toward her, grabbing her to him in a long, hungry kiss. She was breathless when they parted, and Kai’s hands were cupping her ass, pulling her tight against him.

“I take it that’s a yes?”

“Fuck yes.” He lifted her and practically leapt on the bed, landing on top of her. Somehow he kept most of his weight off her, but it still knocked the wind out of her.

Kai’s hands roamed over her body as she worked the buttons on his shirt. Undressing this man—and looking at him undressed—was one of her most favorite things to do. Kai shrugged off his shirt, kneeling up so she could work the buckle on his belt. Apparently, she was too slow, because Kai pushed her hands away, sliding his trousers and boxers off before falling onto her again in a frenzy of mouth and hands.

Jules arched under him, skating her palms over his broad shoulders and down his back as he kissed the top of her breasts. He was completely naked, his cock hard against her hip, and as far as she was concerned, she was wearing too many clothes, but Kai didn’t seem in a hurry to undress her. He rubbed his cheek against the soft material of her bra, teasing her nipples through it. She moaned, raking her fingers over his scalp, pushing him further down her belly.

He kissed his way down her ribcage, licking the indent at her waist, his hands spanning her hips as he settled between her thighs. Jules shivered when he nuzzled her mound and then started to lap at her through her panties. It created a sweet, delicious friction and she moaned, bucking her hips, aching for more. Finally, he slipped his tongue under the elastic band to find her clit, and then she was flying.

“Kai!” she cried, hot waves of pleasure rolling through her as he fastened his mouth on her mound, not letting her go. Her climax shook the whole bed and when Kai came up to kiss her, she could taste herself in his mouth.

Then he undressed her. Her bra came off with one flick of his wrist, her panties were gone in a whisper, and she was left with her thigh highs on as he mounted her. She wrapped her legs around him as he slid into her moist heat. He bottomed out, kissing her, muffling her cry, his tongue stroking the roof of her mouth.

They began to move, a hot, pounding rhythm right from the first. Kai drove her hard against the mattress, and Jules begged him for more, more, digging her nails into his back. She squeezed him between her thighs, with her muscles, feeling him swell inside of her. Kai whispered her name, rutting deep, making her moan and thrust back.

“Fuck me,” he growled, rolling over onto his back, taking her with him. “Ride me, Jules.”

She put her hands on his chest, rolling her hips, and he groaned. Looking up at her with half-closed eyes, he slid his hands over her breasts, tweaking her nipples, then they settled at her hips.

“That’s it,” he urged, his fingers digging into her ass. “Come on, baby. You can do better than that.”

“Oh yeah?” She tensed her thighs and rose up on him, sinking all the way down, like she was posting on a horse. Kai gasped, his eyes flying open. “How’s that?”

“Fuck,” he growled, looking down to see himself sliding into her. “Oh fuck. Jules!”

“Yes,” she gasped, panting, working her pussy up and down on him faster, faster. “Come inside me. Fill me.”

He gave a sudden roar, his whole body tensing. His hips lifted her all the way off the bed and she felt every glorious throb of his cock, every hot, fiery blast of him in her womb as he emptied himself inside of her. Jules collapsed on him and he pulled her into his arms, crushing her, not that she really cared. When she shivered, he pulled the comforter over them, kissing her damp temple, and before she knew it, they’d both fallen asleep.

She didn’t know what time it was when she woke up, but her stomach was growling.

“I’m hungry,” she murmured.

He chuckled. “Guess we should have gone to the Wolf’s Den afterward with everyone else.”

“I wasn’t up to it.” She hadn’t wanted to socialize after the funeral. Besides, she much preferred spending this time alone with Kai. “Too bad you gave Sebastian the day off. We could just have him bring food.”

“Lazy girl.” He laughed, grabbing a handful of her behind. “Fridge is full. Want to go raid it?”

Her head popped up. “Can we go naked?”

“I’d prefer it.” He grinned.

They raced up the back stairs to the kitchen, eschewing the elevator this time. Jules ate salami and cheese out of the deli drawer with the fridge open while Kai made himself a proper sandwich. He put Sriracha on everything. The first time they’d eaten dinner together, he’d made sure the meal was purposely bland, for her sake. But Kai’s taste buds craved heat. In everything, in every way.

She watched him out of the corner of her eye, tracing his dragon winged tattoo with her gaze. She wanted to trace it with her tongue.

“Where are you going?” he called after her as she went down the hallway, still nibbling cheese.

“To put on some music,” she called back.

The sitting room was just as they’d left it and she walked over to the record player, smiling to see the Roberta Flack forty-five still on it. She opened the cabinet beside the stereo and found what she was looking for. A whole collection of vinyl. Flipping through, she settled on an old Doors album, sliding the record out of its case and putting it on.

Jim Morrison sang
Light My Fire
and Kai called, “You’ve got good taste.”

“I know.” She laughed. “I picked you, didn’t I?”

The view from this room was stunning. She still couldn’t quite get over it. And Kai was right—there was no one around to see her standing in front of the wall of glass, completely exposed. All she could see was the tops of trees stretching out into a seemingly endless forest, the sun just setting over them. They’d slept for hours.

The road in to Kai’s house was a mile long, through trees that overhung it. The house itself was in a clearing, and the grounds around it had been cleared. There was a gorgeous garden down below she wanted to explore, with two fountains and a paved walkway. She would ask Kai to take her down there once they were fed and dressed. Although she kind of liked walking around his house completely naked, knowing he was the only one who could see her.

“Hey Kai,” she called, finishing her cube of cheese.

“Yeah?” His voice was still far away, back in the kitchen.

“Are those fountains of dragons?” She squinted, trying to see them in the dusky light. “You’ve got a thing for dragons, huh?”

He didn’t answer. Maybe he hadn’t heard her. She was about to turn and go back to the kitchen when she caught movement at the edge of the woods out of the corner of her eye. Her heart leapt to her throat, but she told herself she was being silly. Of course there were things in the woods that moved. All sorts of animals.

But animals didn’t walk on two legs.

Her mind went instantly to the first time she’d been here, when she thought she’d seen…

Not possible. You didn’t see your dead parents walking around in Kai’s woods. It was a shadow. A trick of the light. Your imagination.

But that day, she could have sworn it was them. Both of them, hand in hand, standing at the edge of the woods, just before the clearing. Kai had convinced her she’d seen a reflection and—well, she’d convinced herself. Because the alternative was…

Crazy. You’re going crazy.

She saw it again and pressed her nose to the glass, shading her eyes, trying to make out the shape. Probably a deer. Or even a bear. Or…

Stuart.

Jules gasped and stepped away from the glass, hands over her mouth to keep from screaming.

You’re crazy. You’re literally out of your mind right now.

But it was him. And he was wearing the suit they’d just buried him in that day. It was the only suit he owned. He stood at the edge of the woods, looking right up at her, as if he could see her with his dead eyes. And they were dead—she was sure of it. Those bright blue eyes were filmy and dead, but they were seeing her.

You’re dreaming. You’re still in bed with Kai and you’re having a nightmare. Wake up!

Stuart lifted an arm and pointed. Right at her. As if he was showing someone where she was, who she was. But there was no one else there but him. And he couldn’t really be there at all. Could he?

“Kai!” she choked out, trying not to sound hysterical.

If
he
saw Stuart, then maybe, just maybe…

Maybe what? Maybe you’re both delusional? Because dead people don’t walk around, Jules! He didn’t see your parents last time, and he’s not going to see Stuart this time. You’re fucking losing it, that’s what’s happening. You’re losing your goddamned mind!

“Kai!”

“What is it?” His voice was close, in the doorway, and she turned to see him standing there.

“I saw…” She opened her mouth to tell him and then glanced back, but Stuart was gone. If he’d ever been there in the first place, that is.