Stranded with the Kraken: A Monstrous Holiday Tale (Clearwater Monsters Book 1) by Zoe Ashwood

Author:Zoe Ashwood [Ashwood, Zoe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-10-05T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

ARIELLE

Jasper lets me borrow his sweatpants, which are way too long on me, and a soft t-shirt that smells like him. He puts on a pair of well-worn jeans and a band t-shirt, and if I thought he was handsome last night in his slacks and cashmere sweater, I’m powerless against him in casual clothes. He makes me the largest stack of pancakes I’ve ever received and drowns them in syrup, then looks up as if he only just now remembered that maybe not everyone wants that much.

“It’s great,” I tell him. “That’s exactly how I like them. But I wouldn’t have guessed that kraken have such a sweet tooth.”

He cuts into his stack of pancakes and chews thoughtfully on a piece. “I do when I’m human-shaped. When I’m out in the sea, I’ll catch fish for myself.”

I raise my eyebrows at him. “So you do go out to sea?”

“Oh yeah.” He pours us both coffee from the fancy French press and offers me some half-and-half. “I have to. Staying in my human skin for too long makes me itchy. Kraken need the ocean. I usually go on the weekends, but I went earlier this week because of the forecast.”

He motions toward the window. I peer outside to find that the world has turned completely white overnight. The driveway is covered in at least two feet of snow, the decorative bushes only vague lumps under the white blanket. Rising from the kitchen island, I walk to the living room to check out the backyard. The glass pool house where we spent most of last night is dark now, with snow slipping from the steep roof.

“I’m not getting out of here today, am I?” I ask.

I mean it more as a general remark, but when Jasper doesn’t reply, I turn back to him and find him staring at me, still sitting, his expression crestfallen.

“Oh, no,” I hurry to say, “I didn’t mean that I wanted to go.”

I return to his side and take his hands in mine. He’s stiff for a moment, then lets me step between his knees so I can get right close to him.

“Hey.” I raise my hand to his cheek and tip his chin up so he’s forced to meet my gaze. “Talk to me?”

He blows out a long breath and closes his eyes, leaning into my touch. “Sorry. I just… My mind immediately goes to, ‘Of course she wants to leave.’”

I shuffle in closer until I’m flush with his body. He brings his hands to my hips, then slides them down to my ass, and I grin, because this is definitely progress.

“What I wanted to say,” I murmur, letting our foreheads touch, “is that we’re snowed in. Sorry for freaking you out. I don’t want to leave. You gave me several fantastic orgasms, your bed is a hundred times more comfortable than mine, and you fed me pancakes?” I give him a rueful grin. “You’ll have to kick me out after the holidays or you’ll never have this house to yourself again.

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