Claimed: The Complete Short Romance Series

by Nichole Rose

  My body falls limp at the same time he collapses. He lands against me, holding his weight off me on his forearms. His head comes to rest between my breasts. He's a sweaty mess, gasping for breath, his big body trembling.

  I float beneath him, too blissed out to move.

  Eventually, he presses his lips to my heart and finds the energy to lift his head. His gray eyes shine, adding another line to his story. This one whispers of home and peace…and love.

  "I love you," he says.

  They're my three favorite words.

  I give them back to him, meaning them with every fiber of my being. "I love you too, Asher."

  Chapter Eight

  Asher

  "Asher!" James shouts across the shop. "Phone."

  "Shit," I curse, glancing at my client. I'm in the middle of finishing his back piece. Just a few more lines and it'll be done.

  "Go," Clayton says. "I need a break anyway."

  I set my gun down on my sterile tray and strip off my gloves. "Don't get up," I warn him even though he knows better. We've been working on this piece for the last six months. It's personal for him, something he isn't going to risk fucking up. The instruction is instinctive though.

  "Won't," he says. He's an interesting man. Doesn't say much when he's in my chair. If I didn't see his face staring back at me from every damn magazine Kennedy likes to browse while we're in line at the grocery store, I wouldn't have ever known he's a wildly popular musician.

  I toss my gloves in the trash and then head toward the phone hanging on the wall just outside my workstation.

  "Asher," I say into the receiver.

  "Hey!" Caroline says. "Um, you should probably get over here."

  "Why?"

  "Kennedy has a certified letter from the Braxton Literary Foundation."

  "Shit," I curse, glancing at the clock. She's in class for another hour. That should give me time to finish up here and get to the apartment before she does. "Don't let her see it until I get there," I tell Caroline anyway…just in case I'm wrong.

  "I won't," she promises and then she pauses. "It's a thick envelope, Asher."

  Jesus. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I hope like hell it's good news. Kennedy has been driving herself crazy for the last week and a half, waiting for word. If she doesn't place, she's going to be devastated.

  We're headed to New York for the next three years either way. We found out a couple weeks ago that she was accepted at Columbia as a transfer student for her sophomore year. I think Jared pulled a few strings to get her answer early because we expected not to know anything for another two months.

  I'm so proud of her. Even if she doesn't place, I have no doubts that she'll smash every goal she's set for herself. With a gift like hers, anything else is an impossibility.

  She and Jared have worked hard the last couple of months. Despite their rocky start, they get along well. She values his opinion. I think it's cute how badly she wants to impress him. If Kennedy has a hero, it might just be her new brother-in-law. That doesn't bother me at all. I know she belongs to me as completely as I belong to her.

  The last three months of my life have been the best damn three months of my life by miles. I never realized how much I could love even the little intimacies in a relationship…arguing over what to watch, or what to have for dinner, seeing her shit all mixed up with mine in the laundry basket, or finding her notebooks scattered around the apartment.

  Caroline moved in with Jared a few days after Sophie and Trick's wedding. Kennedy and I split our time between my place and their apartment. Since their apartment is closer to campus, we spend most of the week there. I don't mind.

  Coming home to my girl every day, or seeing her snuggled up in the corner here, writing in her journal while I work, is perfection. She is perfection.

  She married me two months ago, right before Christmas. I was willing to wait, give her a big ass wedding, but she didn't want that. She said she just wanted to be mine. So we got married at the courthouse with Caroline and Jared as our witnesses and her family on Facetime.

  Seeing my ring on her finger still makes me hard as a rock.

  I scrub my hands in the sink I share with Lyndon and Travis before ducking back into my booth to finish Clayton's piece. He's right where I left him. Doesn't look like he's moved at all.

  "You ready to finish this?" I ask him.

  "Yep," he says, making me chuckle.

  I slide on a new pair of gloves and then pick up where I left off, shading in the last couple lines. The piece is a woman with her head tilted back, a breath away from kissing a ghost. It's intricate and detailed as hell, but it looks amazing. I don't know who the chick is, but she obviously means a lot to him.

  It takes about half an hour to finish the piece and get him cleaned up and ready to go.

  "When are you leaving?" he asks as he pulls his shirt back on over his head.

  "July."

  He jerks his chin in a nod. "I'll be back before then. Got another piece I want you to do for me before this next tour kicks off."

  "Cool. Have James book you and we'll go over it and get it sketched out for you."

  "Cool." He gives me a fist bump and then heads out.

  I clean up my station, tossing the disposable shit in the biohazard bin, and then dropping everything else off next to the autoclave to be cleaned. James will sanitize and wipe everything down for me once he takes care of Clayton. I'll do it again before my next client. We keep shit clean here.

  Once I'm finished, I snag my keys and head out.

  The drive to the apartment takes half an hour. Traffic is moving slow. By the time I pull up, Kennedy's car is already in her spot. I pull in beside her and hop out.

  "Hey," she says, looking up from the tv when I make it upstairs.

  "Hi," Caroline says from beside her. Meeko is sprawled out with his head in her lap and his legs in the air. He stays with her most of the time. When he's here with us, he's usually passed out on her bed. Kennedy moves so much in her sleep he refuses to sleep on the bed with her. I have to sleep halfway on top of her to keep her still.

  "Hey." I drop my keys on the entryway table and then cross to Kennedy.

  She wraps her arms around my neck and tilts her head back for me to kiss her. I do, long and deep. I miss her when she's in class. I never thought I'd want to spend all my time with someone the way I do with her. When she's not with me, I'm thinking about her, missing her, obsessing over every little thing about her.

  It's fucking great.

  "Gross," Caroline teases, laughing.

  I break the kiss, pulling back.

  Kennedy smiles up at me, her expression dazed.

  "What are you doing home so early?" she asks when I pick her up and then take her seat, putting her in my lap. She and Caroline are watching something on Netflix about a girl in Paris.

  "Got finished early," I murmur.

  Caroline and Kennedy spend a lot of time together here or at Jared's. I know Kennedy is going to miss her sister like crazy next year, so I give them all the time they want. Jared does too. They're planning to move to California once Caroline graduates, so the girls will be on opposite coasts for the first time in their lives.

  I have a feeling we'll end up in California too once Kennedy graduates. I want her to be close to her family. They're important to her. I haven't met her brothers yet, but we've talked on the phone several times. They don't seem to hate me, which is great.

  Her parents came for Christmas.

  Her mom loves me, which is even better. I see where Kennedy and Caroline get their sweetness from. Anne is affectionate. The love she has for her daughters is obvious.

  Their dad, on the other hand, doesn't care much for me. He doesn't care much for Jared, either. Truthfully, I don't think he'd like anyone with his daughters. Can't blame him for that, especially when I know myself that I'm not anywhere remotely close to being good enough for Kennedy.

  Her dad is not as bad as I expecte
d, though. He obviously cares for them. He wants them to be happy. Since Jared and I make them happy, he keeps his opinions of us to himself. I think he's relieved I'm going with Kennedy to New York. I know her brothers are. It's the only reason they didn't raise holy hell about it.

  "I can't take it!" Caroline cries, pausing their show.

  Meeko jerks away, lifting his head to shoot her a disgruntled look. He slowly rolls over and then slides to the floor. He gives her one more disapproving look before heading toward her old room. Swear to God, he's the most spoiled guard dog I've ever met.

  But if he doesn't like you, you don't stand a chance in hell of getting close to the girls.

  Caroline digs underneath the couch cushion before pulling out a thick envelope. "This came today," she says, passing it to Kennedy. "You have to open it before it drives me crazy!"

  I think she's as excited for her sister as I am. And as nervous as Kennedy is.

  My girl looks at the envelope and then sucks in a deep breath.

  "It came," she whispers.

  "Yeah, it did." I rub her back, reminding her that I'm right here with her. "Open it, angel baby. You've been waiting on this all week." Hell, she's been waiting for this her whole life. If she didn't place, I may have to hunt down and strangle every judge on the board.

  She runs her finger over the return address, taking her time.

  "Open it!" Caroline demands, laughing.

  "I'm scared."

  "Don't be," I murmur, kissing her temple. "You've worked for this every day of your life, angel baby. But one award doesn't define you. Losing won't close a single door that you can't reopen when you're ready."

  "You're the most talented person I know, Kenz," Caroline chimes in, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "If you didn't place, there will be a thousand other opportunities."

  "You're right," she whispers and then takes a deep breath. She flips the envelope over and carefully tears it open. Her hands shake as she pulls out the sheaf of papers inside.

  My breath stalls when I see the letter.

  "Asher," she says, her voice shaking.

  "You did it, angel baby," I whisper, my throat tight with emotion.

  "Oh my god!" Caroline cries, jumping to her feet.

  Kennedy sobs, burying her face in my throat. I hold her close, proud as hell of her. Proud for her. She's worked so fucking hard for this. Now the whole world will know what I do: she's a tiny queen, capable of anything.

  Epilogue

  Kennedy

  Five Years Later

  "I'm scared," I whisper, reaching for Asher's hand. He slips his into mine, squeezing gently.

  "Don't be," he says, pressing his lips to my temple. "I'm right here."

  I lay my head on his chest and close my eyes, breathing him in. He wraps his free arm around me, holding me tight. Being in his arms always calms me. No matter what's going on or how nervous I get, as soon as his strong arms close around me, I feel like I'm capable of anything.

  There's something magical in his embrace, or perhaps in the way he loves me. For the last five years, he's made my life complete. Every dream I've had, he's helped make come true. Every fear, he's helped me conquer. I'm not small and easily overlooked in his arms. I'm a queen, unafraid and so damn powerful.

  I love him more every day. All my life, I dreamed about a career as a writer, of sharing my words with the world and touching those who read them. And I've done that. But it would have meant less without Asher in my life. He completes me, makes me whole in ways I never expected or imagined were possible.

  We're two halves of the same whole. We work effortlessly together. I know what love is because of him, and he knows what home is because of me. No one will ever love me more or drive me as crazy as this man.

  He's followed me all over the country without complaint, uprooting his life so I could chase my dreams. And I have chased them. I released my first book when I was a junior in college. I released my second not even a year later. My third will be out in a few months.

  It's still surreal to see my name in print and to have readers who want to meet me.

  After I graduated, we moved to California to be closer to my family. His shop here is just as incredible as the one in Nashville. He didn't open a shop in New York while we were there. Instead, he did guest stints at some of the other shops in the city and flew back to Nashville every other month for a week.

  I don't think I realized just how big of a deal he is in the Body Mod world. I knew he was talented, but I didn't know that he was basically a freaking superstar. People pay him a fortune, just to be able to say he did their ink.

  He's still a little bit heaven and a little bit hell, both gentle as can be and bossy as all get out. He can reduce me to a puddle in a matter of seconds…and fire me up just as quickly. I love every minute of it.

  Beep. Beep. Beep.

  "It's time, angel baby," he says, reaching for my phone to silence the alarm we set.

  I take a deep breath and exhale it slowly.

  "You ready?"

  I nod and then squeeze my eyes closed tight.

  "You're not looking, are you?"

  "No. You tell me what it says," I say, which makes him chuckle.

  I know as soon as I hear the sharp intake of breath what the answer is. I feel it as his arms tighten around me and his entire body relaxes all at once.

  "You're pregnant again, angel baby," he whispers.

  I sob his name as my heart goes crazy, overflowing with happiness. He's given me two of the most amazing little girls on the planet already. Catherine and Coraline are the most beautiful little souls I've ever met. Like their daddy, they're a little bit heaven and a little bit hell.

  Catherine, our two-year-old, is a lot like me. She's tiny and quiet, more content observing from the sidelines than participating. Her three-year-old sister is the exact opposite. She wants to be involved in everything at all times. She's bossy like her daddy and has no problem expressing herself.

  I thought being in college while pregnant would be hard, but it wasn't. Asher made it so easy for me. When I was sick, he would hold me. When I was too big to see my own feet, he would kiss the tops and tell me how perfect they still were.

  He's so incredible. I never doubt how much he loves me and our babies. He shows us every single day.

  Our girls idolize him. We had to take the markers away from Coraline. She wants to be just like her daddy. Naturally, that means she would draw pictures all over herself. Washing marker off her skin every day was a lot of work! It's hard to explain to a toddler that drawing on herself is bad when her daddy is covered in ink.

  "Are you happy, angel?" he asks, tipping my head back to wipe my tears.

  "So happy," I whisper. We've been trying to get pregnant again for a few months now. It took a little longer this time, which was making me anxious. Now though? I feel nothing but joy. I'm having another baby, one who will be a little bit me and a little bit him like our girls.

  He kisses me, long and deep and sweet.

  I get lost in him like always, clinging to him as my body explodes to life, aching to take him inside again. No matter how many times he makes love to me, it's never enough to satisfy me. I want him endlessly, ache for him when he's not inside me. I love the dirty things he does to me and the filthy things he says when he's inside me.

  He wasn't lying all those years ago when he told me he couldn't wait to show me all the ways he could make me scream his name. He also wasn't lying when he told me he was rough and dirty. He fucks me so hard sometimes, I can't catch a breath.

  I wear his love bites every day, just like he wears my claw marks. He's tied me down and tied me up, spanked me, gagged me, and tormented me with more pleasure than I thought I could stand.

  I love it.

  "Asher," I breathe when he slides my robe off my shoulders. His mouth follows, his lips skimming over my shoulder and then down my collarbone. He nips at me as we work together to get his boxers and pajama pants off him. They po
ol in the floor at our feet before he's lifting me into his arms and thrusting into me.

  I cry out, my head thumping against the bathroom wall as my legs twine around his waist. He kisses me everywhere he can reach before focusing on my breasts. Those, he teases until I'm sobbing his name and digging my heels into his back, using his body as leverage to lift myself up and then slam myself back down on him.

  "Fuck yes," he growls, helping to ride me up and down his cock. "You're still so fucking tight, Kennedy. Jesus. Take what you want, angel baby. Use me to get yourself off."

  I do, with my nails in his shoulders and my back against the wall. I lift and drop again and again, moaning his name as pleasure spirals through me in ever-widening ripples.

  He spreads my cheeks, working his finger inside me.

  I lose track of everything then.

  "I love this little hole too," he growls against my throat, working his finger in and out of me, driving me higher and higher. "I'm taking it again now that you're pregnant, Kennedy."

  I cry out his name, my inner muscles clamping down on him.

  "I think you want it as much as I do."

  "I do!" I cry, unable to lie to him. The things he does to me…I love every single one of them. Nothing we do together shames me. No matter how dirty he gets or how hard he takes me, there's always just as much love and tenderness involved.

  He pries me away from the wall and carries me into our bedroom.

  I whimper when he pulls out of me.

  "On your hands and knees," he orders me, tapping me on the thigh.

  I quickly scramble into position, lifting my ass into the air for him.

  "Fuck," he growls, running one hand over my ass. "I'd keep you like this if I could do it, angel baby. I love seeing both of these little holes waiting for me."

  "They're yours," I moan.

  He moves away from me for a minute. The dresser drawer opens.