Page 8 of Goldie and Her Bears (Dirty Paranormal Fairytale Haremlan 3)

She focused on my teeth and her cheeks reddened again. “But just for the night.”

I nodded. “Deal. Now, finish your food.”

“I’m already done,” she said, smiling and tilting her bowl so that I could see she ate everything. “Compliments to the chef.”

I chuckled and took the bowl. “I’ll be sure to let him know you approve.”

I took the bowl into the kitchen and returned to the living room.

“What did he say?” Cassie asked.

“He wasn’t there. Probably went to bed already,” I said and held out my hand. “Come on, I’ll get you tucked in.”

She giggled and my heart did a strange flip.

Once in my room, I headed for my dresser and pulled out some sweatpants and a t-shirt. I tossed them to the bed. “You can borrow these. They’re much more comfortable than those things you got on. I’ll be close by if you need anything.”

“I’m fine for the night. Thank you. For everything,” she said as she ran her fingers through her blond tangles.

I nodded. “Goodnight, Cas.”

She smiled. “Goodnight, Jasper.”

I shut the door and headed down the hall and straight out the front door. She won’t need me for the time being and I needed to run and let my bear free before I risked losing control again. There was something about her that made my animal react. Something about her that makes me want to pull her close and never let her go.

Maybe the fresh air would clear my head so I can think straight without putting us both on Kai’s bad side.

3

CASSIE

I stared at the ceiling for the longest time after getting dressed. There was something about the way Jasper’s clothes smelled. They reminded me of home. They were also very comfy. I briefly entertained the idea of what his arms would feel like wrapped around me. Or what his lips would taste like on mine. But then Kai’s angry eyes would interrupt my fantasy and ruin everything.

I frowned. So much for making a great first impression. Chase didn’t seem to mind that I let myself in. He seemed to believe I had made the right decision considering the circumstances.

My mind drifted to his food, and if he took so much care to make such delicious food, he had to know a thing or two about a thing or two when it comes to the opposite sex. That thought caused me to bite my lip.

Yet, without fail, for the umpteenth time, Kai popped into my mind and ruined everything again.

For hours, it seemed, I entertained myself this way. Sleep continued to elude me. Frustrated, I gave up on my little fantasies and forced my eyes closed. I steadied my breathing. If sleep wasn’t an option, the least I could do is get some relaxation in. Maybe, if I laid here long enough, sleep would come.

I closed my eyes, evened my breathing, and melted into the mattress. Images began to unfold, moving like pages flipping, blurring, and blending until I saw nothing but Kai.

He chased me through a dark tunnel. There was light at the end, but no matter how far I ran, he was right behind me, getting closer by the second. I fell. Pain rippled through my knees. I turned around in time to watch Kai turn into a crazed beast. A demon. Something that I could only half-guess at.

I didn’t move away fast enough. He gripped me tightly in his giant hand and opened his mouth wide. Sharp teeth with points as fine as needles angled toward me. Saliva dripped down them, narrowly missing my face.

He chomped down on my head.

I was startled awake, gasping for air as I sat straight up in Jasper’s bed. As I worked to catch my breath, I raked my gaze over every shadow in the room, searching for Kai. Because my nightmare seemed too real—felt too real—to convince me he still wasn’t hellbent on killing me.

My heart raced, each beat thumping harder than I had ever felt in my entire life as the image of my nightmare replayed over and over again. Even in my sleep, Kai was there to ruin things.

Thankfully, unless my eyes were deceiving me, Kai wasn’t in the room. And as my heart settled, I realized the house was exceptionally quiet. This whole area was a far cry from Seattle. No sounds of traffic or dogs barking in the distance. No loud music or horns blaring. Just overwhelming silence. I wasn’t sure what unnerved me more. How quiet the house was, or how horrifically real my nightmare seemed.

Kai hated me. I encroached on his territory. I was uninvited. My one and only shot for an understanding conversation was blown the second I let myself into his home.

This whole trip was just one enormous mistake. One that I could rectify on my own. Though I recalled Jasper offering to take me to my family’s cabin, I’m throwing in the towel and going home.

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