Sassy Ever After: Northern Sass (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Sugar Shack Book 1)

by Élianne Adams

  Five

  Jaxon hummed as his truck bounced on the rough gravel road leading to the Hudson cabin. Another dozen or so miles to go, and he’d be spending the next few hours—longer, if she’d let him—with Maple. He slowed for a sharp curve ahead. He and Mick had secured the fridge well, but he wasn’t taking any chances. Having it topple out of the truck bed at this point would delay him getting to the cabin. For one thing, he’d have to find another fridge—hell, he’d bring her his if he had to—but then he’d have to turn around and head back to town before coming back, wasting precious time. Unacceptable.

  Pulling out of the curve, he slowed the truck even more, a smile tugging at his lips. There, on the side of the road, was a bright blue car with more patches of rust than he could count, and standing on top of the hood, of all things, was Maple. Coming up behind her, he stopped and got out. What the hell was she doing?

  With her cell phone in one hand, she held her bright pink skirt down with the other, thwarting the wind’s efforts at giving him a peek of the luscious woman underneath.

  “Need a hand?” he asked as she nibbled on her bottom lip and looked around the car as though trying to figure out how to get down again.

  Her cheeks flushed scarlet, but then she burst out laughing. “Hi. I’m having car trouble. I was hoping to get cell reception up here to call for a tow, but nothing,” she said as she waved her cell at him.

  “I see. Can I help you?” He’d bet the temperature of the hood was too hot on her feet. When he glanced at them, sure enough, she had her toes pointed up away from the car.

  She smiled and came closer. “I’d appreciate it. Getting down again is a little problematic with the dress. If you could give me your hand—”

  He didn’t let her finish her sentence before his hands were on her waist. He tugged gently, pulling her closer still. Her scent, fresh and sweet, curled around him. He stifled a moan as need pounded through him. “Hang on to my shoulders.”

  The moment she did, he lifted her from her perch and lowered her feet to the ground, sliding her body along the length of his as he did. Maple gasped but didn’t pull away. If the amount of material bunched at her waist was any indication, her dress had slid up, and the only thing separating them was her panties and his jeans. She stared at him, her big, chocolate brown eyes open wide, and her lips parted. Yeah, there was no way he could hide his body’s reaction from her. He didn’t want to.

  He leaned in close until only an inch separated their lips. “Stay right there, I’ll get your shoes. Where did you leave them?” he asked, his voice rough with the wolf so close to the surface.

  Her gaze darted to his lips as she waved her hand toward the front of the car. “By the bumper,” she said in an almost whisper that sent heated pleasure jolting through him.

  What he wouldn’t give to take her up on the invitation her eyes were sending his way. He struggled between the need to crush her lips with his and getting her shoes. More than anything, he wanted a taste, but she was standing on hard gravel. The need to care for her won out. “Don’t move.”

  When he returned, he knelt in front of her and put his hand out for her foot. The position put his face level with her belly. Maple rested a hand on the fender of her car as he brushed the sand and dirt from the sole. Resisting temptation after having scented her in his wolf form was impossible. Taking a long, deep breath, he savored the arousal perfuming the air. A soft approving growl he couldn’t contain rumbled free. He slid the shoe in place, then did the same with the other foot.

  “Did you hear that?” she asked him, when he stood before her once more.

  “Hear what?” Until he found out what she knew of the shifter world, he’d have to tread carefully.

  She glanced in the woods around her. “An animal growling. Maybe a wolf? There was one on my property yesterday. It was friendly enough, but still.”

  “They won’t get close,” he said, unwilling to lie to his mate. “Now, what’s going on with your car?” The rust bucket had to be at least fifteen years old.

  “It was making a weird sound when I drove in from the city and again this morning on my way into town. Like a loud hum. Then on my way back, the racket got worse until I had to pull over. I’m afraid I’ll completely wreck the motor if I keep going.”

  He nodded as though he knew what she was talking about. He didn’t. He wasn’t the mechanic in the family. “You should have had your husband look at it before taking it on a trip,” he told her.

  She tilted her head to the side. “I don’t have a husband.”

  “A boyfriend?” he asked, not bothering masking his question for what it was.

  She grinned and shook her head.

  “And you think telling this to a perfect stranger that you’re out in the middle of nowhere alone with is a good idea?” he asked. There was no place on this planet that she’d be safer than there with him, but she had no way of knowing that.

  “We may not have formally met, but I have a feeling you’re a good guy.” She took a step back, making him want to move to get closer again, but he held himself still.

  “What makes you say that?”

  “If I’m not mistaken, you’re my knight in shining armor, otherwise known as Jax. There looks to be a fridge in your truck. And unless you’re delivering that to the pack of wolves that live in my forest, it’s meant for me. I’d be willing to bet there are some plumbing supplies in there somewhere, too,” she said as she waved a hand in the general direction of the truck without taking her eyes off him.

  Jaxon nearly choked on his own spit. If only she knew he was delivering the fridge from the pack to her. He’d taken it from Mick’s garage where the fridge, along with other items, were being stored while the pack house was undergoing renovations. “Jaxon Barnet,” he finally said and held his hand out to her. He wanted a hell of a lot more than a handshake, but any contact at this point was better than nothing.

  She smiled as she took his hand, sending electricity zipping through his entire body. “Maple Hudson.”

  “Were you named after the trees, Maple?” he asked, waving toward the forest on either side of the road.

  She rolled her eyes. “My grandparents used to operate the Sugar Shack at the back of the property. They tapped the trees in the spring and made candy. Schools from all around would come on field trips and learn about all things maple. Anyway, yeah. I’m named after the sugar maples that grow here. Weird, I know.”

  “Not weird. It’s a lovely name.” He opened the door and helped her in. “I’ll grab what you have in the car, and we can get going.”

  Six

  Maple finally released the moan fighting to slip free ever since the Adonis of a man had gotten out of his truck and came to her rescue. Everything about him—from his smooth, graceful movements to the bunching muscles in his arms as he’d picked her up as though she weighed nothing—made her girly parts tingle and twitch. Her fingers itched to trace every hard ridge she’d felt when he’d slid her down his body. Not to mention what she wanted to do with her tongue. The man was ripped.

  His dark brown hair curling at his nape was the perfect length to grab on to and pull him in for a kiss. Just the thought of those full lips on hers had a pulsing throb settling between her thighs. The man had walked straight out of her most lustful fantasy to save the day.

  She straightened her dress as he rounded the truck to get in, happy she had made the effort rather than throwing on an old pair of jeans and a T-shirt. The way he’d eyed her when he’d taken her off the hood of her car had been worth it.

  Maybe if she played her cards right, she’d have something more interesting than the peace and quiet of the cabin to entertain her while she was on vacation.

  As soon as he closed the door, he breathed deeply and closed his eyes, grasping the wheel in a white-knuckled grip. A muscle in his jaw jumped.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked. Maybe she’d read him wrong and she was putting him out. “If you have other plans or need to be
elsewhere, I totally understand.”

  She hadn’t noticed how bright the amber of his eyes had been earlier. How had she missed that? Because I’ve been ogling and drooling over every other part of him, that’s why.

  “Everything is perfect. I’m right where I want to be.” His grip on the wheel eased, and he took another deep breath as he put the truck into drive.

  “So, does your wife approve of you saving damsels in distress on lonely country roads?” she asked. He didn’t wear a ring, but that didn’t mean anything. As much as she’d love to get between the sheets with the man, that was one line she would never cross.

  “No wife.”

  Her nipples pebbled at the deep, rumbling promise in his voice.

  “Girlfriend?” she echoed his earlier question, needing his answer before she’d let anything develop between them. If he had no entanglements, all bets were off. She was a curvy girl, and although a lot of women lacked self confidence, she wasn’t one of them. Men either liked what she had to offer, or they didn’t. His erection had been impressive—and all for her.

  “Nope,” he offered with a panty-melting grin.

  “Good to know. So, tell me, what do you do when you’re not delivering fridges, fixing faucets, or lifting women off the hoods of their cars?”

  The smoldering heat shining in his eyes when he glanced at her had Maple squirming in her seat, trying to ease the throbbing pulse between her legs. The man was sex on two legs, and he knew it.

  He stared ahead at the road and, for a moment, she wondered if he would answer. “I’m an enforcer of sorts. I keep people in line and make sure they don’t get into trouble. Luckily, this is a law-abiding community, so I’m left with plenty of time to do all the superhero stuff.”

  Maple stifled a giggle, she’d bet he’d even look good in a superman leotard. She glanced out the window and into the forest. If she kept staring at him, she’d unbuckle her seat belt and launch herself at him as he drove.

  With the sun streaming through the trees and the lush vegetation on the forest floor, it was as she remembered. Peaceful. Once, when she’d been no more than six or seven, her grandpa had taken her with him to insert the spiles into the trees at the beginning of the season, and she’d wandered away. He’d found her a short while later with tears streaming down her face, and made her promise never to wander away again. Grandma had been furious.

  “What do you do when you’re not playing the part of a gorgeous hood ornament?” he asked, pulling her back to the present.

  “As much as I’d like to be a full-time car accessory, it’s surprisingly not as lucrative of a career choice as you might think. I’ve had to resort to working as an accountant for the better part of the last ten years. Just to pay the bills, you know. Until I get my big break.”

  He glanced at her again, scrunching his nose. “Sounds riveting.”

  She snorted, then wished she hadn’t. The sound wasn’t pretty or feminine. “Hardly.”

  He pulled the truck into the drive and came to a stop. “So why do it if you hate it?”

  “I never said I hated it.”

  “You didn’t deny it, either,” he said before hopping out of the truck to come to her side.

  Working for Harper, Marrick, and Clark wasn’t fun or exciting in the least, but that wasn’t the real problem. Not everyone had exciting jobs, and that was okay. It was her personal life that needed resurrecting. “I don’t particularly love it, but I don’t hate it, either. When I was a kid, I never imagined I’d do anything other than run the Sugar Shack when I grew up. Even when I went to college, it was with the idea of coming back to run the family business.”

  “So, why didn’t you?”

  She gave a little shrug. “Life happened. Priorities changed. You know how it is. Grown up responsibilities start piling up, and those childhood dreams tend to fade away.”

  ***

  Jaxon ignored the tightness squeezing the air from his lungs. It sure as hell didn’t sound like she was planning to stay. “Let’s get your groceries in out of the sun,” he said, unwilling to explore that possibility even in his own mind.

  “I can’t thank you enough for all you’re doing. I would have hated to have to turn around and leave again so soon after I’d gotten here,” she said as she led him inside.

  “It’s no trouble at all. I’m happy to help.”

  She smiled at him and nibbled on her lower lip. “I guess you could leave the groceries on the table for now until we get the fridge in,” she suggested.

  “Sure thing. Can I borrow your phone?” he asked, trying to distract himself from the urge to pin her against her kitchen wall and suck on that lip she’d been torturing.

  “Yeah, sure. It’s right there.” She pointed to a spot on the wall next to the fridge.

  His chuckle slipped out before he could think to hold it back. “Does that thing work? I didn’t know rotary phones even existed anymore.”

  “It works. I was going to replace it, but since I’m only here for a couple of weeks, I thought I’d save my money and take my chances with that one.”

  Shaking his head, he grabbed the receiver and tugged to get the cord untangled enough to hold it to his ear before dialing. He turned to face her, watching as she took dry goods out of the bags he’d brought in and put the stuff away. Damn, she was easy on the eyes. He’d been in a semi-hard state since he’d first seen her yesterday, with no end in sight. Not that he cared. He’d rather have blue balls than live with the constant agony of not knowing where she was like he’d done for the last two decades.

  “Hey Emmet, I have a favor to ask you,” he said when his brother finally picked up on the third ring. “I was driving down to the old Hudson place when I had to stop for a pretty lady with car trouble on the road coming up to the cabin. Would you have time to bring it to the shop and have a look at it for me?” Static came through the phone, and for a second, he thought he’d lost the connection.

  “You there with her now?” Emmet finally asked.

  “Yeah. I’ll be here for a while.” If he had his way, he’d be spending the day. And if he was really lucky, maybe even the night. “There’s plenty of work to be done around here. I thought I’d make myself useful.”

  Maple’s eyebrows rose, but she didn’t say a word as she leaned against the kitchen counter.

  “Fine. What’s the number so I can call when I know what’s wrong with it?”

  “What’s your number?” he asked, glad to get the information for himself.

  She rattled off the number. “Tell him not to do anything until I know if I can afford it,” she hurried to add after he’d repeated the digits for his brother.

  “Call with the estimate once you know.”

  “I assume I’m doing the work regardless?” Emmet asked on the other end.

  “Absolutely. Thanks, bro,” he said then hung up.

  “I’m going to owe everyone in town by the time I leave,” she said in a rush.

  “Don’t worry about it. Emmet’s my brother. He won’t charge you for the labor, and he can probably get most of the parts off the old vehicles in the yard. Now, let’s get this old fridge out of here before your food spoils,” he added before she could protest.

  Seven

  Maple fanned her cheeks against the heat rolling off her that had nothing to do with the sun beating down on them. The man was gorgeous. Hotter than any summer day, that was for sure. By the time Jaxon had removed the old fridge from the cabin and unloaded the new one, his T-shirt was plastered to his chest and back. He grabbed the bottom and wiped the sweat from his brow, revealing hard abs that contracted with his movements and a delicious V that disappeared in the waistband of his low-riding jeans. Yep, she wanted to lick him. All over. Twice. Who was she kidding? More than twice.

  “It’s such a warm day. You know, I won’t be offended if you want to take that shirt off,” she suggested with a smile while holding out the water bottle she’d brought out for him. Maybe she shouldn’t flirt so shamel
essly with a man she’d only just met, but he’d been giving her long looks filled with sexy promises and taking every opportunity to touch her from the moment they’d arrived at the cabin. The scrape of his arm here, a feather-light brush of his fingers there… It was driving her insane.

  “It sure is,” he said as he yanked the shirt off, tossing it onto the hood of his truck. He stalked closer, taking a long swig of the water she offered before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. His gaze drifted to her lips as he leaned closer. Heart pounding, she didn’t move an inch, but when she thought he would kiss her, he bent further and took a long sniff of her neck. “You know, I won’t be offended if you take your dress off, either.”

  Goose bumps raced across every inch of her as his warm breath caressed her skin. When he pulled back, and a soft rumbling sound came from the back of his throat, it was all she could do not to launch herself at him. The sound, almost animalistic, had her nipples pebbled so hard they ached.

  No man had any business being so damned sexy. Maple pulled back, putting a few inches between them before she did something stupid like give in to her crazy lust like her body demanded.

  “Definitely something to keep in mind,” she said with a grin as she took her fill of the glorious naked chest before her.

  With a little extra sway to her hips and her blood pumping hot in her veins, she headed into the cabin, then into her bedroom. After a minute, Maple could hear Jaxon moving around in the kitchen. Just having him there was enough to keep the throb between her legs pulsing like her heart had relocated and taken up residence.

  She hung her dress in the closet, relieved to have the material away from her overheated body if only for a short while. She made quick work of removing her bra and underwear, freeing her aching breasts. She gave each nipple a quick pinch and rolled them between her thumb and forefingers, gasping as pleasure streaked through her.

  She wished she had the nerve to walk out of her bedroom as she was and take what they both obviously wanted, but that was too bold, even for her. They had just met, after all.