Unexpectedly Mated (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance): An Alpha male. A curvy but sassy BBW. A trip to Sin City neither will ever forget. (Sassy Mates) (5 page)

“So you’re the sister she adores more than Karla’s chocolate martinis,” Jordan exclaimed with a wide grin
and gave Letty a hug. She pulled away and stared at Letty with awe. “You guys look so much alike!”

“I’m having a hard time believing you don’t have the same set of parents
.” Barbara’s interested gaze swept back and forth between Nic and Letty.

Nic
pulled Letty closer. It was so nice to see her again. She had been missing her like crazy. Sadness tugged at her heart. If she made more of an effort they wouldn’t go this long without seeing each other. She wouldn’t do it again. She’d take more time to see Letty and be a better sibling. “Different papas, same mom.”

Letty laughed. “Are you guys ready to check out your suites? I’ve spoken to Marc Thorne and placed you all on our top two levels.”

“Oooh.” Emma chuckled. “I’m feeling mighty special. Does my room have a Jacuzzi?”

Barbara cleared her throat and lifted a brow. “Honey, they all do. And those things are big enough for two with room to spare.”

Ellie scrunched her nose, shook her head, and made a face to show her distaste. “Mom, I don’t want to know how you know that.”

Barbara rolled her eyes
and shrugged. “Your father and I do travel, you know.”

Ellie ran a restless hand through her short blonde hair. She’d gotten it cut even shorter than the previous bob. Now it was a sexy
, spiky do that made her look absolutely gorgeous. The cut made her eyes appear bigger than before with soft chunks of hair framed around her face. “I love you, mom. Really, I do. But you’re heading in the way too much information section.”

Barbara sighed. They all followed behind Letty toward the elevator bank. “My kids think there was some sort of miracle conception where they’re concerned.” She shrugged her shoulders and smiled at Kel. “If only they’d realize it took a lot of growling and spanking to actually get each of them.”

“Oh my God, mom!” Ellie burst out, eyes wide with embarrassment. The entire group broke into laughter to which she eventually joined in.

When they arrived at the top two floors, Nic noticed there were individual suites. Massive and sumptuous they made the best hotels Nic had been at
— and she’d been to quite a few in her modeling days —seem old and outdated.

Her suite featured a giant King size bed. But she’d swear it looked bigger than her king a
t home. A fireplace sat in the living area and there was a bathroom that she was pretty sure rivaled her house in size.

“Whoa!” She gasped.
Now that was luxury.

“I saved the best one for you
.” Letty squeezed her arm. She moved around Nic and placed the keycard on the dining table. Then she headed for the entrance. “I have to go back down, this week is super busy with so many east and west conferences between packs taking place here.  What’s the plan for tonight?”

“We’re going down to the bar to have some drinks and then taking Jordan to the strip joint next to the hotel.”

Letty’s eyes went wide with excitement. “How fun! Count me in. I get off at seven so I’ll meet you guys there.”

“I’m going to take the world’s longest bath. Then a nap. And probably have a ton of drinks
and no food before you show up at the bar,” Nic confessed.

“That’s okay, sis. You’re on vacation. Live a little.” Letty winked and shut the door behind her.

N
ic pulled out
her new sexy gold dress. Cinched at the waist with a flared skirt, the dress made her already curvy body appear even more hourglass. She turned to and fro in front of the mirror and winked at the sexy pinup image of herself. She’d done herself up in a fifties style tonight. Big fluffy curls hung over her shoulders. Her bangs had been recently cut to fall perfectly above her brows. She’d done deep, dark makeup with a bold red lipstick. The dress, with its strapless bodice showed off the arm tattoo she normally kept hidden for her teaching job.  Big blue and yellow flowers covered her arm up to her shoulder, along with swirls and stars. She glanced at her ass in the mirror.

Yeah, her ass looked amazing in that dress. She picked up her drink from the dresser and sucked down another martini. This was number three or four. Not that she was counting or cared. Jake the bastard mutt was back in his club having fun. She could have fun too, right? Hell, she
would
have fun. Even if it killed her!

She took a step and wobbled in her brand new heels. Crap. She should probably slow it down with the drinks. Nah, no she shouldn’t. Every time she thought of Jake her temperature rose and she wanted to hit something
, so she went for another drink instead.

By the time she got in the elevator, she had lost count
of the number of drinks she’d had in her room. She only knew she felt good. So good she might just slap some guy’s ass at the strip joint and not think of Jake.

The elevator stopped and a man walked in to the cab with her. He was tall. Almost as tall as Jake. With short blonde hair and green piercing eyes. Really pretty eyes. He wore black jeans like nobody’s business and an AC/DC T-shirt.

Nic blinked and smiled. Yikes. He was hot with a capital H. If only her stupid body and heart hadn’t decided they wanted Jake she’d definitely be up to talking to him.

He inhaled. A small predatory smile curved his lips. “Wolfe?”

“I’m sorry?” Boy those drinks had sure made it hard to keep track of a simple conversation.

“Do you,” he said, his voice rough and a faint glow taking over his eyes, “belong to the Wolfes?”

She shook her head. This guy had to be confused. Who the hell would own her? “I don’t belong to them, no. I’m here with them. We’re celebrating the upcoming wedding of one of my friends with Aric Wolfe.”

The elevator dinged at the lobby.
About damn time. She needed another drink.

She strolled out and glanced around, hoping to see one of the others in her party. She was late as it was. They’d agreed to meet by the bar. If only she knew where the bar was.

“Can I help you find your way?” Pretty eyes said.

She turned
at the sound of his voice. “Do you know where the bar is? I’m meeting my friends there and I’m already late.”

He gave a sharp nod. “I’d be happy to guide you to The Core Bar, Ms.?”

“Nicole, Nicole Acosta. Thank you…”

“Grady Harris.” He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips in a soft lingering kiss.

Wow. Talk about a gentleman. There went that fantasy. That kiss didn’t even bring a shiver into her body. Sad. So damn sad that all Jake had to do was message her and her hormones were all over the place. Yet here was this hot man kissing her hand with a look that could only be described as wanting to tear her panties off and it did nothing for her.

She pulled her hand out of his grasp and smiled brightly. “Nice to meet you, Grady. I really appreciate you showing me to the bar.”

Another ping from the elevator and Kel and Shaari popped out. Shaari glared daggers at Kel and smiled the moment she noticed Nicole.

“Hi, Nic.”

“Oh, hey you guys. I was just going to the bar.” She turned to Grady. “I guess I don’t need an escort after all. Thanks for the offer anyway.”

“Nic?” Something in Kel’s voice made her turn to him. Kel’s brows shot down and a frown replaced the smirk he’d had leaving the elevator. “I’ll take you to the bar. I was there earlier.”

“See you around, Grady.” Nic grinned.

Grady spoke softly as she stepped away. “Count on it, Nicole.”

Nic moved toward her friends and waved over her shoulder at Grady. His face was set in hard lines but the brightness in his eyes hadn’t diminished. Another wave of disappointment washed over her. That would normally make her giddy if said by Jake. She was so screwed. Not admitting she might have feelings for Jake didn’t stop them from existing. She could very well be in love with the mutt and dammit all to hell there was nothing she could do about it.

“Watch it with him
,” Kel advised.

Shaari’s eyes took an instant glow. “Are you a shifter expert now?”

Kel’s lip curled in a smirk he directed at Shaari. “No, but I am a man and I know when a man wants a woman. It’s you women who refuse to acknowledge what’s in your faces.”

Well too bad for Grady, he was shit outta luck when it came to Nic.

“Kel, man, you’re messing with my high,” Nic groaned. She needed another drink or her buzz was going to go down the drain. All because of Jake. Heat crowded her belly. Jake Wolfe had the ability to turn her on without even being around. She really was screwed. And not in the fun way. They entered a club filled with bodies swaying and music pumping.

“I thought we were going to a club next door?” Nic yelled. She glanced around the low-lit space in search for her friends.

“Jordan changed her mind when Ellie got a migraine.” Shaari pointed to the group of people sitting in a table off one corner. “Jordan said we can’t go to watch men shake their groove thing without Ellie. Those were her exact words.”

True. Ellie would have a cow. Come all the way to Vegas to try to relax over having Caleb rejecting her help only to miss out on the fun? Not if they had anything to do with it.

Barbara had dressed to the nines. A pretty blue top with what appeared to be a dark set of jeans made up her ensemble. Jordan had a cute tank top with the words hot mama glittering on her chest. And Emma wore what could only be described as a very sexy and daring tiny white top. If her girls could talk they would be saying ‘check us out world’.

The club
pumped with music. Kel and Shaari stood off to the right arguing in low voices. Nic couldn’t tell what the problem was but it was obvious that something pissed someone off. The first round of drinks arrived at the table. Nic’s already good mood was getting better by the second. Fuck Jake. Fuck his sexy body or that tongue that drove her wild. Or the way he made her pussy super wet with just one look. Asshole.

The alcohol shot down her throat in a blazing trail. Before waiting for it to settle she took another shot.
What the hell gave him the right to make her heart flip flop? To make her hormones crazy? Another shot. Why did he have to make her wish for things she’d never given thought to before? Why him? And a new shot.

“Take it easy with those
.” Barbara pulled Nic to her side. She cupped Nic’s face in her hand and stared worriedly into her eyes. “Feel like talking about it?”

“Not even a little.” She
picked up a new shot and winced. Wait a damn minute. Why the hell was she getting drunk over Jake? He wasn’t all that. He was just some guy she’d fallen into lust the first time she met. A guy who she’d sniped with on every possible occasion and a guy who always said things that made her think of the dreaded L word.

A word she’d never been familiar with
. She’d never taken him seriously. Those times he gave her the hot growly smiles or whispered dirty things when they weren’t surrounded by the others, those times were the ones that made her giddy. Her once school girl crush had grown. She hated to admit it, especially under the influence of liquor.

“Nic, honey, trust your heart,” Barbara said softly.

Nic’s chest felt compressed with fear. Her fear of love was genuine. She had seen nothing good come out of it and in her household the only person to truly care about her was Letty. Her mother was too emotionally distant to show her any kind of care or concern unless it was to ensure she did the job of good daughter. She inhaled hard and then smiled sadly. “I don’t think I can. I’m scared of being hurt. I don’t want to be another notch on his bedpost. And I don’t want to hurt him by not being the woman he needs.”

Barbara growled.

Nic blinked. She reeled back. Barbara had
never
done that. Ever. Through the haze of liquor, a different kind of fear formed in her throat. Was she in danger from Jake’s mom?

Barbara’s features had gone from classic beauty to animalistic. “Stop this nonsense. You love Jake. Jake loves you. Get on with the making me grandbabies already!”
Then Barbara smiled and handed Nic another shot. “Here. If this is all that makes you feel courage over my son, then have it. But understand something. There won’t be any of it in your system in the morning and you’ll have to face your decisions sooner or later.”

Later sounded good to her.

Jake arrived at
the club ready to kill. He fisted his hands at his sides and didn’t bother to stop the growls that emanated from his animal.

“Bro, you’re scaring some of the humans,” Mason whispered. “Tone it down.”

No. He wouldn’t fucking tone shit down. He came for her and he wasn’t leaving Vegas or the damn hotel until Nic was officially his with a mate mark on her shoulder and her acknowledgement that she would stop the nonsense about them having nothing. ‘Don’t pressure them’ his mother had said. ‘Make sure you get them to come to you without feeling like you are forcing things.’ He’d listened. He’d joked with Nic. He’d flirted and hell, he’d done what his mother and Ellie had suggested at the scenting ceremony. He’d ignored his instinct to mate her and once again took things casual so he didn’t scare her. Fuck casual.

“No. She’s mine. I’m making her mine
. Now. Tonight.”

Mason laughed next to him and slapped him behind the shoulder. “This should go over really well.”

Nic’s getting hitched message had fueled his anger already. She’d said there was nothing for them to talk about. He was a man-whore and she didn’t want to compete with his harem of loyal clients at the club. She wanted a man for herself, not someone to share with a bunch of horny women. When Kel called and told him about Nicole meeting some guy at the lobby, Jake had visualized killing the shifter, whoever he was, in every way possible. All of them bloody.

How could she ever question the connection between them? It wasn’t all sex either. Nic had stolen his heart from the first time she entered his room, gasped and tried to apologize while staring at his cock. She’d often given him one of her smiles and his heart had jumped for joy. But when she laughed at something he said or did, that’s when he felt truly happy. He’d wanted to mate her the first day, but his mother and sister told him she wouldn’t appreciate his overbearing ways and to give her time to adjust to the shifter world. He’d given her years.

He clenched his jaw to try to stifle the growl. The club’s flickering lights and loud pumping music guided their way. Bodies swayed in a giant wave on the dance floor. His gaze scanned the room until he found her. She was in the middle of the dance floor, her body sexily swayed to the music. He watched her wiggle her hips, lift her hands up under her hair and dance. She was bold, moving with a sensuality he hadn’t seen in her, ever.

Whenever they’d had parties at his parent’s house, Nic had been the prettiest girl there. She had those gorgeous fuck me lips and sleepy eyes that turned him hard at the drop of a dime. Combining those with that lush curvy body and he was ready to beg her to be his.
He’d followed the advice from women who knew more than him. He’d decided to take shit easy and let their attraction grow.

He’d gotten to know Nic beyond what she thought he knew
. She’d been Ellie’s college friend and then co-worker. She had a deep adoration for her job with the school and the children in her classroom. Always the loyal friend, she’d given up days and nights to sit by both Ellie and Jordan when they’d been in the hospital after the brutal beating they’d taken months back.

There were so many layers to Nic and he loved them all. But the one that always made him wary was her fear of emotions. He saw it in her. The few times she’d gone with her instinct and he’d kissed her or said things to her, the truth of what he wanted to do to that gorgeous body had turned her on, but then fear would flare in her eyes. He’d worried he was too pushy. Too aggressive for a woman who was so pretty and feminine.