by Jenika Snow
“I have a job in town,” I said but wanted to say fuck it. It’s not like I couldn’t survive without it. It’s not like I was even that happy having it. I didn’t own a house, and it was easy enough to break my lease. But could I actually do this? Could I actually stay?
“Stay with me, Ruby. Just because you’re with me does not mean you have to give up your life out there.” He moved his hand over my hair and I leaned into his touch.
“But I can’t let you go, I won’t. How can I let my world walk away?” It seemed so crazy that he could say these words. But I felt them and knew that he meant them.
“This is insane,” I whispered, being honest. “The thought of not having this anymore scares me.” That last part was said so low that I didn’t even know if he heard me, or if I’d actually said it out loud. He leaned down and kissed me.
“Who says insanity isn’t actually sane? Who is to say that what everybody else is doing is actually right? Maybe this right here, you and I, is what is right, how it’s always supposed to be?”
It made perfect sense. Or maybe I was reaching. Maybe I just wanted this so badly, the feeling of how good and right it felt making all rationalization leave me?
Or maybe I should just say screw everything else and do what made me happy?
I thought about that the place I rented, how it wasn’t a home. I slept there, ate there alone. I caught up on work in the corner at a little desk, the floor lamp casting a muted yellow glow. No, that wasn’t what made a home.
But the feeling I had right now in Wolf’s arms, the things he said that resonated within me, told me all I needed to know.
I knew that being with Wolf was exactly where I needed to be.
“Okay,” I whispered. “I’m yours.” Not that I had a chance against him. Like he said, from the moment we met my fate was sealed. And God did that feel incredible.
Epilogue One
Ruby
One month later
I could have told myself a thousand times how utterly insane this was—and maybe I had, just a little—but the truth remained that this felt right. This moment, what I was doing, about to do, felt like I should have always done this.
Being with Wolf, letting all my inhibitions go, just being free, felt like the most natural thing on the planet.
“You’re ready?” he asked in his gruff, Wolf signature voice that always had me weak in the knees and ready to be bent over the hood of a car. God, I was a fiend where he was concerned.
He hadn’t been lying when he said I was his, that there was no going back, no trying to run from him. It was insane that in just a month’s time I was head over heels in love with this man, ready to live my life off the grid … be his irrevocably.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I said and rose on my toes, wrapping my arms around his neck and bringing my lips to his. The softness of his beard tickled my flesh, but it was his pure masculinity that had my pussy instantly wet.
“And you’re sure about this?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Like you’d give me a choice even if I said I wasn’t?”
He grinned, a flash of straight white teeth. That smile looked more predatory than anything else.
“No, I wouldn’t.” He pulled me in for an embrace. “There’s no place on this fucking planet you could go where I wouldn’t find you.”
I sighed. “And that’s just the way I like it.”
Pulling back, I grabbed the last of my bags and tossed it in the back of my car, slamming the door shut. The small moving van was parked in front of my vehicle, the only valuable things I’d wanted with me tucked safely inside. Wolf’s truck was parked on the side of the street.
I watched as Bear lean against the hood of the vehicle. I hadn’t even known he existed until this afternoon when he came by Wolf’s cabin to help us. Apparently there was more than one wild man living off the grid. He looked just as uncomfortable as Wolf did, what with people walking by and cars driving past. These men, with their heavily muscled bodies and the mountain vibes they threw off like grenades, were pretty damn intense.
I was moving to the mountains, letting my inhibitions go, and just saying fuck it to follow my heart. I’d worked out a sweet deal with my company, one where I’d be able to work from home—essentially. It would be tricky with the little to no service I got, but I would be able to make bi-weekly trips into town to deliver all my columns and paperwork. I’d get to do the shopping for the cabin at that time, so essentially it all worked out.
Although Wolf, with his possessive and overbearing demeanor, wasn’t too keen on me being gone for nearly a whole day every other week, realized that I had to do shit for myself still. I couldn’t be a prisoner, even if being with him was exactly where I wanted to be.
I could still be Wolf’s but keep my independence. I could be my own person but be the woman I wanted to be … with the man I loved.
“You sure this is what you want to do?” he asked me for the hundredth time since I’d told him.
“This is what I want.” I smiled and reached out to take his hand in mine. I could tell how uncomfortable he was in town, knew that he wasn’t a “people person.” He lived his life alone, but wanted it to be that way. That is, until I came along. I knew I was the only person he wanted to spend his life with … and the feeling was mutual. He was like me, just more extreme, and God, I loved him even more because of it.
So I’d gotten rid of my place, packed up the shit I wanted to keep, sold the rest, and here I was about to move in with my wild man.
And dammit, it felt pretty damn good.
Epilogue Two
Wolf
One year later
I sat at the kitchen table, my shotgun in pieces as I cleaned it. Having a functioning weapon to hunt with out here in the wilderness was essential, even if Ruby hated watching me clean them. She knew they were key to surviving, that hunting for deer and other wildlife was what we had to do to stay stocked up for winter. Living off the grid didn’t afford us the luxury of having a freezer run off of electricity where we could buy prepackaged meats to store for months at a time.
But she understood and accepted this life, and I was even trying to get her to go hunting with me on occasion, teaching her how to use the rifle to not only learn how to use it, but also to know how to protect herself if the time ever came.
She’d come home from her monthly trip into town thirty minutes ago, gave a brisk nod as she headed into the bathroom, and had been in there ever since. I looked over at the closed door, hoping she was okay. I would have checked on her, but the banging around of the cupboards, the toilet flushing, then the sink running, told me she was fine.
I started back working on cleaning the rifle, the rag beside me oil-stained. I heard the door open and looked up just as Ruby came out of the bathroom, her eyes wide as she bit her bottom lip. I could tell instantly something was wrong. She was picking at the edge of her shirt, her nervousness as tangible as if she’d reached out and ran her nails across my body.
I was out of the seat and in front of her in seconds flat, holding on to her shoulders and curling my fingers gently around her small body. “What’s wrong?” I asked a little bit too harshly, but couldn’t help it as every bad scenario was playing through my head. “Did something happen in town? Somebody bother you? I should have gone with you.” My heart was racing as I thought about what could have happened. “Who do I have to kill?” I was serious.
She visibly relaxed as she smiled gently. Then Ruby closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, shaking her head. “Town went fine,” she said, but I heard the way her voice went up in pitch at that last word.
“Something’s wrong. I can feel it.” I had my hands cupping either side of her neck, feeling her pulse race beneath my thumb. “Talk to me. Tell me how to fix whatever’s wrong.” She shook her head and smiled again and I could see that it was genuine.
“Nothing’s wrong, not really.” And then she lifted her hand and held up the white stick. I might have
been a loner my entire life, living away from civilization, but I knew a pregnancy test when I saw one.
I took the stick out of her hand and stared down at the two pink lines. I didn’t need to ask her what it meant, didn’t need to read the pamphlet that came inside the box. It said right on the stick that two lines meant she was pregnant. I felt my heart drop to my belly, my pulse racing. Looking down at the woman I loved, all I could think about was how perfection was in front of me.
She looked nervous and worried, maybe thinking this wasn’t what I wanted, or it was too soon. Despite the fact I told her that I wanted her to be the mother of my children, she was still afraid of my reaction. That was obvious.
“A baby,” I said without phrasing it like a question. I saw her lick her lips, watched as her throat moved as she swallowed. She nodded slowly, her eyes still wide and her pupils dilated.
“It’s too soon, isn’t it? I didn’t know if telling you now or waiting would be the best—”
I had my lips on hers before she could even finish speaking, kissing her with all the love I had for her. When I pulled back she was breathing hard. I took my hand and cupped her cheek, smoothing my thumb along her bottom lip.
“It’s not too soon. In fact I wish it would’ve happened sooner.” I grinned when I saw her relax, her lips curling up as she smiled.
“Really? You’re happy?”
“God, so damn happy, baby.” I kissed her again and again until I couldn’t breathe. Then I got down on my knees and pushed her shirt up, exposing her belly. I rested my forehead on her smooth skin, closing my eyes and reveling in the fact I was going to be a father. I kissed her navel, possessiveness and my territorial nature rising in me high, even stronger than ever before.
She was my woman and carried my child. And if I had thought my need for her had been strong before, the alpha in me reared its head in this very moment.
My woman.
My wife.
And now the mother of my child.
The End
Coming Next: The Bear’s Capture
Bear’s book will be coming out in August!
TBR: https://bit.ly/2ttEgC2
SOMETHING FIERCE (Underground, 1)
By Jenika Snow
www.JenikaSnow.com
[email protected]
Copyright © June 2018 by Jenika Snow
First E-book Publication: March 2013
Photographer: Wander Aguiar :: Photography
Cover Model: Jonny James
Model image provided by: Wander Book Club
Editor: Lea Ann Schafer
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction, transmission, or distribution of any part of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. This literary work is fiction. Any name, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental. Please respect the author and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials that would violate the author’s rights.
His profession is brutal, savage. Violent.
And it turns her on.
When Tristan got a new roommate in the form of a six-foot-three tattooed and pierced beast of a man, she wasn’t prepared for the instant lust that claimed her. She should have made sure this stayed strictly platonic in nature, but it seemed Kash might have other plans in mind.
The attraction was magnetic and powerful. It was undeniable, no matter how hard they fought it.
When she stumbled upon an underground cage fight, the last person she expected to see was Kash, bloody and bruised and destroying his opponent. She should have run the other way, but instead she found herself aroused and wanting him even more.
Kash was a fighter and a damn good one at that. He’s stayed away from relationships and focused on his craft.
And it’s worked out well for him … until now.
He didn’t mean to get involved with his new roommate, but the curvy little brunette had every possessive instinct in him rising. From the moment he saw her, he was obsessed.
But those well-thought-out intentions are a thing of the past.
Now that he has Tristan, he’s not letting her go.
Warning: If you’re used to Jenika’s insta-love dirty books, you’re still getting it with this one. It has a HEA and features a totally obsessed hero who only wants one woman. Previously published under the same title, this story has been extensively reworked, new content has been added, and it has been re-edited.
1
“What the fuck?” Tristan said, her brows lowering as confusion took root. It was only when she realized what was happening that she tightened her hands on the steering wheel and narrowed her eyes. “You little asshole.”
The small moving van took up most of the driveway, which forced her to park on the side of the street. Her front door and screen were held open with a box, and it took her a solid minute before she felt she was in control enough to actually get out of her car.
Zac, her current roommate, came out of the house with a large box in his arms and a shit-eating grin on his face as he spoke to someone Tristan couldn’t see.
What the fuck?
Although it was clear he was moving out, the prick was clearly not giving her any notice. And to make matters worse, it looked like he was taking her damn microwave.
That fucking bastard!
The little twerp thought he would just skip out on her, leave her high and dry with rent, and not even bother telling her? She’d gotten off work early, so if that hadn’t been the case, she probably would have come home to a semi-empty place and bills piled high.
Once out of the car she made her way past the moving van, stopping and looking in the back and seeing his bed already taken apart, the mattress propped up on it side. Several boxes were lined up, but she had no doubt more would fill the truck.
Motherfucker.
“Hey, baby, make sure to pack up the gray towels in the bathroom. Those are three-hundred-thread-count Egyptian cotton,” Zac called over his shoulder to whoever was in her house.
When he turned his attention forward and his gaze landed on her, he froze. Tristan could see the color of his face drain slightly before he regained his composure. Anger seethed within her.
“Hey, Tristan.” She could hear the panic in his voice. “I didn’t think you got off for another few hours.”
She gritted her teeth as rage consumed her. “That much is clear.” Coming out of her house in nothing more than a pair of daisy dukes and a cropped tank was a girl who didn’t even look like she was of drinking age. When the woman saw Tristan, she stopped, looked at Zac, and then dragged her gaze back to Tristan.
“Just put that in the truck, Missy,” Zac said, not taking his focus from Tristan.
“What in the hell is going on?” It was obvious what he was doing, but confusion still swirled within her. “You are skipping out on me? Without so much as a fucking phone call?” She opened and closed her mouth, probably looking like some kind of fish out of water. “You’re just leaving me with all the fucking bills?” What kind of asshole did this to a person?
Zac heaved a large sigh and then started moving toward the truck again. “Listen, this is why I didn’t want to tell you I was leaving. You get so pissy about shit like this.”
“Excuse me?” she said, feeling her eyes widen in shock. She moved aside as he walked past her and shoved the box in the back of the truck. “Yeah, I think getting pissy that my roommate is leaving without so much as a warning warrants me getting a little upset.” She looked at her house again and watched Missy head back inside. When her focus was back on Zac, she narrowed her eyes as her shock left and pure hatred took its place.
“I just think it’s time for me to move on.”
Tristan found herself blinking rapidly as she took in what he’d said. She clos
ed her eyes and shook her head. “Zac, I don’t give a shit if you move across the fucking world to move on.” She opened her eyes and stared at him. “But you can’t just up and leave without giving me any kind of notice. We’re roommates, and half the bills are your responsibility. You didn’t give me any time to find someone to take your place.” She lifted her arms in frustration. “How in the hell am I supposed to find someone with no notice? I can’t pay a house bill, the utilities, and the other handful of fucking bills that go with living in a house this size.”
The asshole just stared at her instead of answering her questions.
“Rent is due next week. What the hell am I supposed to do about that?”
He shrugged as if her panic didn’t even warrant an explanation.
“That’s not my problem anymore, Tristan.”
“We have a lease, Zac. You can’t just do this.”
“No, you have the lease in your name. It’s your issue, not mine.”
She curled her hands into fists at her sides so tight she couldn’t have been surprised if her nails broke skin.
Her teeth were sure to break if she clenched them any harder. A year he’d been living with her. They weren’t anything more than roommates, and although he was a pompous asshole, he’d paid his share of the bills on time and left her the hell alone.
Zac was a self-absorbed prick, and she should have known better than to strike any kind of deal with him. When she saw Missy head back into the house, she marched forward, shoved the girl out of the way, and made her way inside. The sneaky bastard was just going to run out on her knowing she couldn’t afford this place on her own.
