Sassy Ever After: Sassy and a little Bad-Assy (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Jessie Lane Page B
Authors: Jessie Lane
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told you, but I’m going to be straight with you here. This scares the shit out of me … for very good reasons that are all my own. That doesn’t mean I’m willing to just walk away from the one person who was made for me.”
She started to waver a bit on her feet, and Cruz grabbed her shoulders in a firm hold to help keep her straight.
“I’m not asking for your hand in marriage, Nikki. I’m asking for a fresh start between us and the chance to get to know you.”
Eventually, her brain kicked back on. “Me?” she squeaked. It wasn’t exactly the seriously confident tone she would normally like to display, but hell, she had just been metaphorically knocked on her ass. This was like one of those surreal scenes in one of the paranormal romance books she sometimes liked to read. “I’m your mate?”
Cruz started to travel a consoling path up and down her upper arms with his hand. “Yes, you. So what do you say? Will you let me get to know you?”
Nikki went silent as her mind raced. She must have stayed quiet a little too long, because Cruz stopped trying to comfort her and eventually squeezed a little more tightly. The move brought her out of her fog, and she looked back at his eyes and saw there was some sort of fear there. Why would he be afraid?
His facial features turned blank, and then he said in a low, sad voice, “If you want me to leave and never come back, well, I’ll leave, but I can’t promise you I won’t come back, Nikki.”
Her heart fluttered a little in her chest at the raw uncertainty pouring through his eyes. Cruz might think he had a hell of a poker face, but his eyes said it all. What they were saying right now was that he was scared she was going to turn him away.
No matter how they had started, she couldn’t let him go like that. Perhaps Nikki didn’t know what to think about this whole true mate thing yet, but she certainly didn’t want to tell him to leave and not come back. If anything, there was something deep down in her that she didn’t understand that yearned for this man. The only way she was ever going to figure out why was if she did get to know him a little.
Swiping her tongue over her dry bottom lip, she watched as his eyes followed the movement, turning molten again. Nikki had a feeling she could stare at those gorgeous eyes all day.
“Tomorrow,” she heard herself whisper. Clearing her throat again, making her voice surer, she tried again, “Why don’t you come back tomorrow so we can talk and get to know each other?”
Cruz’s lips stretched into a smile that warmed her heart. “I would give you a good-bye kiss, pretty girl, but your grandfather and that little boy are watching us through the window.”
Well, that was like having a cold bucket of water dumped over her head.
“What?” She tried to turn her head to the side to see which window Papa Ái and Ivar were spying out of, but Cruz held her still.
He locked his gaze on hers one more time then whispered as he traced his thumb over her bottom lip, “See you tomorrow.” With that promise, Cruz turned and walked down her driveway, onto the sidewalk, and down the street.
Nikki stood there until he was out of sight. She wasn’t sure what was in more shock: her heart or her libido. Either way, all she could do was hope that neither ended up getting let down.
Chapter Six
“He’s heerrrrrreeee.”
Nikki’s back went ramrod straight at the creepy sounding statement from Olaf.
Looking over, she found the twins peeking out one of the living room windows. A chill went up her spine, but it wasn’t because she knew that the declaration meant Cruz was back to talk to her again.
“How many times do I have to ask you boys to stop trying to imitate the eerie kids in horror movies?”
Even though they weren’t supposed to watch anything above the PG rating, the obnoxious little brats had been sneaking scary movies into their room. Every day, she went into the twins’ room after they left for
She started to waver a bit on her feet, and Cruz grabbed her shoulders in a firm hold to help keep her straight.
“I’m not asking for your hand in marriage, Nikki. I’m asking for a fresh start between us and the chance to get to know you.”
Eventually, her brain kicked back on. “Me?” she squeaked. It wasn’t exactly the seriously confident tone she would normally like to display, but hell, she had just been metaphorically knocked on her ass. This was like one of those surreal scenes in one of the paranormal romance books she sometimes liked to read. “I’m your mate?”
Cruz started to travel a consoling path up and down her upper arms with his hand. “Yes, you. So what do you say? Will you let me get to know you?”
Nikki went silent as her mind raced. She must have stayed quiet a little too long, because Cruz stopped trying to comfort her and eventually squeezed a little more tightly. The move brought her out of her fog, and she looked back at his eyes and saw there was some sort of fear there. Why would he be afraid?
His facial features turned blank, and then he said in a low, sad voice, “If you want me to leave and never come back, well, I’ll leave, but I can’t promise you I won’t come back, Nikki.”
Her heart fluttered a little in her chest at the raw uncertainty pouring through his eyes. Cruz might think he had a hell of a poker face, but his eyes said it all. What they were saying right now was that he was scared she was going to turn him away.
No matter how they had started, she couldn’t let him go like that. Perhaps Nikki didn’t know what to think about this whole true mate thing yet, but she certainly didn’t want to tell him to leave and not come back. If anything, there was something deep down in her that she didn’t understand that yearned for this man. The only way she was ever going to figure out why was if she did get to know him a little.
Swiping her tongue over her dry bottom lip, she watched as his eyes followed the movement, turning molten again. Nikki had a feeling she could stare at those gorgeous eyes all day.
“Tomorrow,” she heard herself whisper. Clearing her throat again, making her voice surer, she tried again, “Why don’t you come back tomorrow so we can talk and get to know each other?”
Cruz’s lips stretched into a smile that warmed her heart. “I would give you a good-bye kiss, pretty girl, but your grandfather and that little boy are watching us through the window.”
Well, that was like having a cold bucket of water dumped over her head.
“What?” She tried to turn her head to the side to see which window Papa Ái and Ivar were spying out of, but Cruz held her still.
He locked his gaze on hers one more time then whispered as he traced his thumb over her bottom lip, “See you tomorrow.” With that promise, Cruz turned and walked down her driveway, onto the sidewalk, and down the street.
Nikki stood there until he was out of sight. She wasn’t sure what was in more shock: her heart or her libido. Either way, all she could do was hope that neither ended up getting let down.
Chapter Six
“He’s heerrrrrreeee.”
Nikki’s back went ramrod straight at the creepy sounding statement from Olaf.
Looking over, she found the twins peeking out one of the living room windows. A chill went up her spine, but it wasn’t because she knew that the declaration meant Cruz was back to talk to her again.
“How many times do I have to ask you boys to stop trying to imitate the eerie kids in horror movies?”
Even though they weren’t supposed to watch anything above the PG rating, the obnoxious little brats had been sneaking scary movies into their room. Every day, she went into the twins’ room after they left for
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