Chapter 22 - Nikki
The house was alive with music and the excited buzz of dozens of people all milling about.
Nikki weaved through the crowd, getting stopped every so often by people congratulating her and wanting to chat.
After a couple of hours of that, and a glass and a half of champagne, she was both exhausted and pleasantly buzzed.
She dipped into the kitchen, where it was less crowded than some of the other areas.
Amber was pouring herself another glass of champagne. The party had been so busy that they’d barely had the chance to talk. Amber’s face lit up the second she saw Nikki, and she pulled her into a hug.
“You look beautiful!” Amber exclaimed when they broke apart, clapping her hands together, eyes sweeping up and down and taking in Nikki’s dress.
“Thanks.” It was her dream dress, the one she had always imagined wearing for her wedding. It was lacy and form-fitting, strapless with a short train. Finally getting to wear it felt right after everything.
“I’m just glad that we’re finally getting the chance to celebrate after everything,” Amber said. Without asking, she plucked the flute from Nikki’s hand and refilled it nearly to the brim before handing it back. “You deserved a real wedding.”
It had been a couple of months since the events at the cabin.
After everything that had happened, Nikki and Jasper decided that they should have a real wedding, one that felt earned and genuine.
The ceremony had been everything Nikki had pictured, and it felt more like a celebration now that the events of the last several months were over.
The final pack members loyal to Lucas had been removed.
The grumblings and unease that had lingered in the wake of the previous alpha’s death had evaporated, and harmony had returned in full.
The party and the wedding felt like a symbol of all of that.
Strangely enough. The only people who didn’t seem to want to congratulate her were some of the women from the self-defense classes that Jasper still taught. She had caught more than one of them shooting her envious glares. She’d ignored them.
“It’s been great,” Nikki said.
Amber raised her glass. “To many more celebrations to come.”
Grinning, Nikki clinked her glass against her best friend’s.
“Are you two colluding in here?”
Nikki turned to see Jasper leaning in the doorway.
He grinned, his eyes locked on her, as if she were the only thing that mattered to him.
Her eyes swept up and down him again. The tuxedo was perfectly cut for him, and she felt a stirring of something just below her stomach.
She bit her lip without thinking. Jasper noticed the gesture, and his eyes flashed with a hunger that made her heart pound.
“We’re just taking a breather from the party,” Amber said, her eyes sparkling. She pushed herself away from the island. “But I think I’m going to head back out. You two have fun.”
She winked at Nikki as she brushed past Jasper, who still hadn’t taken his eyes off Nikki.
Since the incident at the cabin, he had loosened up significantly.
He didn’t hover as much; those controlling tendencies were ebbing.
He was still protective, but he no longer tried to dictate whatever she did.
It was as if he had finally begun to heal, to recognize the tendencies his father had given him and step away from them.
He stepped toward her, not bothering to hide his lust. His hand went to her arm, thumb gently brushing her skin, sending ripples of excitement and anticipation rippling through her. She bit her lip again.
“Want to go upstairs for a bit?” He smirked. “I think I might have left something up in our bedroom, and I could use your help finding it.”
Her own lips tugged upward in a smile. Her hand slid up his stomach, feeling the muscle beneath the suit, her fingers lingering on his shoulder.
“I think I can help you with that,” she murmured.
They dipped out of the kitchen, slipping upstairs unnoticed, neither of them speaking until they were in the bedroom and Jasper had closed the door behind them. He tugged her to him, wrapping his arms around her and pressing his body against hers.
“You look amazing,” he said.
Nikki smiled back at him. “You say that nearly every day.”
“That’s because I mean it every day,” he said. “But today you look even more incredible than normal.”
One hand went to her hip, and she could feel the heat of his hand through the fabric of her dress.
His eyes flicked up and down her body, the heat in that look enough to set anyone on fire.
Her heart went into her throat. Everything suddenly felt more acute, sharper.
His fingers twitched, and he tugged her closer, closing those final few inches between them. Their bodies pressed together.
Without waiting, as if he couldn’t hold himself back any longer, he bent his head and pressed his lips to hers.
The kiss was light at first, then it deepened, and some barrier that had been between them all during the party finally shattering.
She melted against him, relishing the taste of his mouth.
His tongue parted her lips, slipping inside her own mouth.
Every caress communicated barely restrained hunger and need.
Heat erupted inside her. All that mattered was his body, his lips, his roaming touch.
His hand slid up her back, the small caresses of his fingers sending delightful shivers running through her.
He found the zipper and drew it down. The dress pooled around her feet.
He snarled in approval, eyes sweeping across her body.
Before she could even step out of the puddling of fabric, he tugged her to him.
His mouth claimed hers, his fingers tangling in her hair. That smoldering heat inside her deepened, settling between her thighs. The overwhelming need for him threatened to consume her. She held on, grasping his lapels to remove any space between them.
Almost desperately, she tugged at his jacket.
It came off, followed by his shirt. Just as she was about to move toward his pants, he grabbed both of her wrists and pushed her against the wall, pinning her arms over her head.
She writhed, wanting more, needing more, but he kept her hands at bay while his own slid along her bare skin, moving up her hips toward her breasts.
His mouth trailed along her neck. She sighed, back arching, still wanting more. She tried to untangle herself from his grasp, but he pressed her arms tighter against the wall, keeping her in place.
“Let me have my fun, will you?” he growled, mischief sparkling in her eyes.
Those words and that look only sent more ripples of craving through her. She glowered at him, which only earned her a laugh. She opened her mouth to fire back a retort, but his mouth pressed against hers once more, smothering any protest.
He squeezed her breast, making her back arch. His fingers trailed back down, tracing the contours of her waist. She sucked in a breath, electricity rippling through her entire body at his caress. She needed him. She needed him inside her.
His hand slid lower, down her navel until it rested just above her mound.
She bit her lip. His thumb pressed against her mound, and he began flicking back and forth.
She twitched at his touch. Each time his thumb brushed across her clit sent new bursts of need through her to the point where all she could think about was his hand and his touch.
She couldn’t take it anymore. She tugged at his hold on her wrist, and this time he released her. She went to his waistband and unfastened his belt, fumbling slightly in her haste. She was tired of waiting. She needed him now.
His pants and boxers slid down, his cock emerging fully erect.
She bit her lip, that need inside her growing at the sight.
Without a word, she crouched, taking it in her hand.
She stroked it, watching his reaction. When she saw his eyes grow hazy with lust, she bent forward.
Her tongue ran along his shaft before she took him in her mouth.
She smiled around his cock when she heard him groan, his head tilting back.
She relished the taste of him, savoring his reaction with each bob of her head.
She continued pleasuring him, her own hand sliding between her legs to play with herself, sending more ripples of heat running through her.
Then, as if he couldn’t take it anymore, he pulled her to her feet with a hungry, predatory snarl.
He grabbed her waist, lifted her, and slammed her against the wall, his strength and body holding her in place over the floor.
Without waiting any longer, he slammed into her.
She let out a cry of delight, her toes curling and her entire body quivering with excitement and need.
The pictures rattled on the wall next to them.
She could guess that anyone nearby could hear exactly what was happening, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.
Let them know. The only thing that mattered was the way Jasper filled her, that building need, and how she was slipping nearer and nearer that precipice.
At some point—it could have been minutes or hours—he pulled her away from the wall. She hooked her legs around him as he continued pumping in and out of her while he carried them over to the bed. He deposited her gently, then clambered on top of her.
She was trembling, her body quivering with need, her hips thrusting on instinct. She needed him, and she couldn’t take it much longer. He flashed her a playful grin, then slid back into her.
That yearning need began to build and intensify, swelling to an almost unbearable level with every thrust. She groaned, her back arching. His mouth pressed against hers, muting her cries.
She could feel herself on the edge of bliss and oblivion, about to tip over at any minute. That heat continued to build and swell. She didn’t know how much longer she could take it, but she tried to hold onto that delicious sensation for as long as she could, wanting it to last.
One final thrust, and she unraveled with a scream.
Bliss and ecstasy and release washed over her, drowning her.
She rode the orgasm as he continued thrusting in and out of her, her nails digging into his back.
Just as her own wave was beginning to subside, she felt him finish inside her.
Panting, he stayed in her for a long moment before sliding out and lying next to her.
They lay in bed for a long moment, staring up at the ceiling. Nikki curled up against him, nestling her head in the crook of her arm. He kissed her forehead.
“I love you,” he murmured.
Those three words sent a warmth through her more potent than the heat of lust. She craned her neck toward him and pressed her lips to his.
“I love you, too,” she said.
They stayed in bed for a long moment, savoring the peace and quiet, the fact that they were alone together, that they had their entire lives ahead of them, and would get to spend it together.
“We should probably get back to the party,” she finally said, though she didn’t make any effort to move.
“Probably,” Jasper agreed.
She craned her neck just in time to see the wicked glint in his eyes. His hand slid to her side, roaming along her body once more.
“But I think they can miss us for a few more minutes, don’t you?”
She smiled coyly. “I think they can entertain themselves.”
She climbed on top of him, straddling him. His hands went to her hips. His eyes burned with hunger once more, his fingers tightening.
“They probably won’t miss us for the rest of the evening, you know,” he mused.
She laughed, throwing her head back. “Slow down. We’ve got the rest of our lives together, you know.” Then her eyes sparked, her own smirk deepening. “But I think another fifteen minutes is fine.”
“Fifteen minutes?” he said. “I’m insulted.”
Tilting her head, she said, “Really? In that case, prove me wrong.”
And that was precisely what he did.
*****
THE END