Addicted Ch. 01

Let me know what you all think!

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Jasmine Ward sighed softly as she looked at yet another red dress. Of course, she was happy to be helping her best friend in the world look for bridesmaid dresses for her upcoming wedding, but she couldn't stop the longing she felt.

Not so long ago, they had both been lamenting the fact that they were utterly alone, but willing to make the best of it. They had hung out, partied, and looked out for each other at the clubs that they attended in the hopes of tracking down fine, eligible bachelors who were looking for more than just a night of hot sex. Now, her best friend, the future Mrs. Candace Brockton-Channing, was shopping for a wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses in the colors of the season, white, black and red.

The wedding was set for Valentine's Day, which only gave them about four weeks to have everything in order. Candace was already fighting the urge to become bridezilla whenever her fiancé's three obnoxious cousins tried to butt into their planning, and her being pregnant wasn't helping anything.

If it were up to Jasmine, she would have already handled them, and by handled, she mean beat their asses, but Candace was determined to get along with the bitches. And that meant the Jasmine had to get along with them, but one step out of line and she would cut their damn heads off and not think twice about it.

"Jazzy, what about this one? You'd look fantastic in it and you'd put the three bitches to shame," Candace called out from around the corner.

The three bitches was their new name for the trio, Kylie, Kristina, and Kameron, Peter Channing's annoying cousins. They had shown up on the scene as soon as they had heard the news that Peter was getting married. At first, they tried to intimidate Candace into leaving Peter, but with a few choice words and the promise of beatdowns from Candace, complete with a foot up each of their asses and their pretty faces ground into the pavement with the heel of her boots, they were soon dissuaded of that notion.

Now they were attempting to help, though their form of helping seemed to be showing up when Jasmine was trying on dresses and making comments about the dress, her body, or both. Only Candace's plea not to get into it with them kept her mouth shut.

Jasmine walked over to where Candace was holding up a red dress that screamed 'Take me.' A tilt of her head as she appraised the dress was the only immediate reaction that Jasmine had. The dress was to die for. It was a pretty silky satin number, with swirled patterns stitched into the fabric around the shoulder and the hem, which would fall a bit lower than mid-thigh. The form-fitting feel to the bodice would highlight Jasmine's full breasts and the way her waist curved out into rounded hips and an ample behind. The skirt looked a bit looser, but it would still cling to her curves. In fact, now that she thought about it, her ass would lift that skirt up another inch or so. It would be positively indecent...and hella hot.

"So, what do you think, Jazzy?"

"Well, it would be great if I were going on a date and I wanted to make the man beg...but for a wedding? You don't think it's a bit much? Or should I say not enough?"

Candace laughed. "Well, when you see who you're going to be walking with, you might be inclined to make him beg."

Jasmine joined in the mirth. "Ahh, yes, the elusive Kody. When will I finally get to set eyes on this mystery man and these hot brothers that Peter supposedly has?"

"Whenever I can convince Peter to threaten them with their lives. I can't get those guys to do anything in a timely manner. I'll be lucky if they even show up in their tuxes to the wedding. Pretty soon, I'm going to start threatening them. Or maybe I should tell Peter that one of them made a pass at me."

"If you don't want that one to live, then maybe," Jasmine joked. Well, it was only sort of a joke. Peter was incredibly possessive of his woman and whatever man thought to get in between him and his 'little one' was asking to be maimed just short of death.

Candace smiled dreamily as she thought of Peter, and Jasmine felt the painful stab of jealousy flash through her. One day, she was going to look like that, content, happy, and totally in love with the man of her dreams.

"Should I try on the dress? Do they have it in my size?" Jasmine asked, snapping Candace out of whatever daydream she was lost in.

A smile that had Jasmine feeling positively wary spread across Candace's features. She was up to something.

"Size 10? Yes, they do. Try it on and those other two as well. Do the other ones first. I want a wow factor."

Jasmine frowned. "Wow factor?"

"Girl, you know what I'm talking about. When you try on clothes, try the ones that you're not so sure about first, so when you come out in the last thing, it'll bowl the person you're with over. I want that wow factor and I know you'll be drop dead gorgeous in that dress. So go, get to it."

Candace shooed Jasmine off as she pulled a chair over to the changing rooms. Now, all she had to do was wait.

*******

Jasmine stepped out of the changing room, talking as she went, tugging down the hem of the dress. It seemed that her butt was doing a little more lifting than she had thought it would.

"Candy, this dress is positively sinful. I can't walk down the aisle at your wedding like this, someone will think I walked in off the corner or straight from the club."

Her eyes had been cast downward, fussing with the dress, but as soon as she realized that she had more of an audience than just her BFF, her head snapped up. She quickly scanned the faces that surrounded her friend. One was Peter, so the other three were obviously his cousin and his brothers, all redheads and all ridiculously fine. Of course she had to walk out in the 'wow' dress when they were there....

"Son of a bitch, you planned this, you smelly cunt," Jasmine accused, pointing a finger at her friend.

Candace laughed. "So sue me. I think it looks amazing on you. What do you think, boys?"

It seemed as if they were all speechless, mouths hanging open, their eyes trained on her body, which was on display under the tightness of the dress. Only Peter wasn't staring at her, he was too caught up in exploring his future wife's body with those piercing green eyes of his, as if he hadn't seen her earlier that day or woken up next to her that morning.

"That good, huh, guys," Candace said as she smiled at her friend.

Jasmine gave a half-hearted chuckle and retreated to the safety of the dressing room. Maybe if she waited long enough, they would leave.

"And they aren't leaving anytime soon, so get your little ass back out here, post-haste," Candace called out.

Jasmine seethed. That dirty whore, she knew they were coming, which was why she had insisted on her trying on that overly sexy dress last. Of all the times to meet Peter's relatives, it had to happen when she was barely dressed. She looked good, but still, she wanted them to see her as a mature, responsible woman, not a sex toy. And it didn't help that Peter had met her when she was drunk off her ass and dressed as a dominatrix. It was Halloween, but Peter insisted on calling her Mistress Jasmine and asking about her prices for spankings until she threatened to take his manhood and hang it above her mantle. She could only imagine what he was going to come up with for this debacle.

******

"She's stunning, Candy. What's her name?" Justin inquired.

Her answer was cut off by the low growl issued by the redhead whose eyes were trained on Justin, the challenge apparent in the sparkling blue orbs.

Candace cast a quick glance up at Peter, noting his grin. He was obviously amused by the predicament they were in at the moment. She had known that Jasmine was destined to be with one of the three, she had seen it in a dream, but she couldn't quite tell who it was because the faces had been blurry and they all had red hair. But, now it seemed that Kody was eager to stake his claim on her friend.

"Her name is Jasmine and she is my BFF. To get to her, you have to go through me. And that goes for you too, Kody. I don't care how much you growl, you're going to have to behave like a gentleman and win her over if you want any kind of chance with her."

Kody looked down at the small black woman sitting in the plush chair, a hand protectively draped across her belly, her hazel eyes burning into him as she issued her own challenge.

She was starting to show much more and her pregnancy was progressing well. He should know, seeing as he was her doctor. He wouldn't be delivering the baby, Peter would never allow another man to be so close to his mate's sexual organs, but he was in charge of monitoring the baby and keeping Candace in good health.

He pushed a hand through his longish auburn locks, his hair falling just to his shoulders, and sucked in a calming breath. He couldn't flip out in the store, he would tear it to bits trying to dismember Justin and if that happened, Candy wouldn't be able to get the gorgeous gown she had ordered. And then he would really face her wrath, which, after he saw it trained on his flighty sisters, he never wanted to have directed at him. So, he breathed deep again and tried to quell the urge to punch Justin in the face.

"Fine, but if either of you even breathe in the direction of my woman with -those- kinds of intentions, I'll try my best to kill you. And I won't let your mother guilt me into patching you back up," Kody said, his eyes once again focused on the dressing room.

"Possessive much?" Paul huffed.

"Possessive very," Kody answered.

And why wouldn't he be? The moment that Jasmine stepped into view, that red dress clinging to her like a second skin, he was smitten. He felt as if he was in some sort of time warp, for it seemed as if she moved in slow motion. Her caramel-colored legs were long, muscled perfection, thick and made to be wrapped around his waist. The top of the dress clung to tits that were made to fit in his large palms. He could only imagine the pleasure that he could bring her as he feasted on her body, and the bliss that her body pressed intimately against his own would cause.

She had some padding and he liked that. He was tired of the thin, waif-like women that usually flocked to him. What good was supernatural sight when all he had to look at were bones? He would find himself counting their ribs instead of delighting in their bodies and now he knew why. He was waiting on a curvy, sensual goddess to come and answer the prayers he hadn't known he'd been sending up until that very moment.

And good lord, the way that dress cupped her ass when she walked away. It was an ass that was meant to be feasted on, worshiped, spanked. Oh yes, he would be doing all of those things and more, soon if he had his way.

"Jasmine, you have five minutes to come out or I'm sending someone in," Candace called out.

Jasmine huffed. Who would she send back? Peter? What was he going to do other than tease her mercilessly? She sat back on the bench in the changing room, her back propped comfortably against the wall. Candace was stubborn, but so was she. Jasmine was determined to win this battle of wits.

About two minutes into her mental checklist of things she had to do before the wedding, a knock sounded at the door of her stall.

"Jasmine? Are you ever going to come out of there?" a voice murmured softly.

The words were uttered no louder than a whisper, but it seemed loud enough to echo through her head. It definitely wasn't Peter who stood outside her door. Whoever it was had a voice that made her panties cry out from the wetness that they were being bathed in. She heard a quiet sniff, as if the person outside the door could smell her juices, and a blush spread across her face.

"I'm probably not coming out while you guys are out there. Why don't you all just leave?"

"Because we're supposed to be going to dinner to try out the restaurant that Candy and Peter have chosen for the rehearsal dinner and Peter's treating. There's no way that we're missing out on that deal. We haven't been able to trick him into paying for anything since we were all kids."

Jasmine chuckled. "Well, go without me."

"No."

"What do you mean, 'No'?"

"I mean, I'm not going anywhere without you."

"What?"

"If I go back out there, Candy will make me suffer. Take pity on me and come on out of there." That wasn't the only reason why he wasn't going anywhere, but it would do.

"Well, tell her to pardon you on my behalf. I'm too embarrassed to even think about going to dinner with you guys."

"There's nothing for you to be embarrassed about."

She shook her head; the guy she was talking to was delusional. "What do you mean? Y'all got to see almost all the goods and not one of you even met me before then. What kind of first impression do you think I made?"

"Well, if what was going on in my pants was any indication, a hell of a good one."

"Did you just say what I think I you said?" Jasmine fought to close her mouth, the shock making it hard to control her expression.

"No."

"No?"

"I'm denying that ever left my mouth. I really was raised better, I promise."

Jasmine graced him with a full-bodied laugh, one that sung to his soul and confirmed that she was the one that he would be spending the rest of his long life with. Now if he could only convince her of that. Kody grimaced from the other side of the stall door, struggling with his need. He wanted to bust into the small enclosure and fuck her into submission.

"Raised better? You haven't even introduced yourself and you've already brought up what's below your belt," Jasmine said as she leaned forward, resting her head on her hands.

"I was saving my introductions for when you came out of the stall. Come out or I'll come in there, throw you over my shoulder and carry you out. Option number two will actually be embarrassing and Peter probably won't let you live it down."

Jasmine sighed in defeat. It didn't look like she was going to be able to avoid them for much longer. She admitted that was being kind of ridiculous, sitting in a dressing room, pouting like she was a five year old. "Alright, I'll come out, but only because I want to. Not because you threatened me."

Jasmine stood, took a deep breath, opened the stall door, and promptly crashed into the hard body of the man that stood waiting for her. His arms wrapped around her quickly, saving her from the embarrassment of bouncing off his rock hard abs like a quarter and falling on her butt.

"Thanks," she whispered, mostly because that was all she could manage at that point, a whisper.

Abs of steel were paired with wide shoulders, an impressive chest covered by a blue polo, and thick jean-encased legs. Her brown eyes drifted upward and were captured by the pure blue gaze of the man holding her so intimately. He pulled her closer, looking as if he were just as mesmerized by her as she was by him. And just when she thought she was going to get to taste those cupid's bow lips, they quirked into a lopsided smile and he set her away from him.

Jasmine tried not to pout, but it was hard. They way he looked at her, the laughter in his eyes apparent, irritated her. How dare he soak her panties and not do anything to relieve the ache that had taken residence down there.

"My name is Kiran. I thought that you might like to know that before I lay claim to those lovely lips of yours."

"Kiran?"

Kody could see the confusion on her face. It often confused people. "I'm Peter's cousin. My full name is Kiran Odysseus Channing. But, when I was younger, I hated my name. I came up with a nickname by sort of combining the two, Kody. My mother hates it, but Kody just kind of stuck with me."

"Ahh, I see, you're cousin Kody. Kiran Odysseus. I get it. So why introduce yourself as Kiran to me if you don't like it?"

"I have a feeling that I'm going to love hearing my name slip from you lips. In fact, it's already growing on me. I want you to call me Kiran, if you don't mind."

"I think I can manage that. And I'm Jasmine Ward, but you already knew that."

Kody barely nodded before his arms were wrapped around her again, his lips pressing down on her upturned mouth. He pressed her back against the stall she had emerged from, wanting to get closer to her. His body crowded hers, his thick member making itself known against the softness of her belly.

This was where he wanted to be, well, not in the dress store, but with his woman, her body molded to his, soft sounds of pleasure spilling from those luscious lips of hers, her every action begging him for more. His mind reeled as he swallowed her sweet moans. His mate, his woman, the one that was meant for him, she was so delicious.

Jasmine felt the hard panels of the stall pressing against her back, the latch poking into her slightly. She couldn't bring herself to care about her comfort though. And there was no room to think about her earlier embarrassment. She was too immersed in the sensations that were assaulting her. How could a man she just met make her feel so good? She could barely manage to suck in the occasional breath, her head was swimming...maybe she was drowning. Her need for air caused her to push against the broad shoulders of her newfound infatuation. Hell yes, she was going to dream about this man, Kiran, and the kiss they shared was going to be the gateway for a number of naughty fantasies.

Kody, released her lips and straightened, resting his head on the stall behind her. She was a wee thing, in her sneakers, her head rested against his chest, but he still had a number of inches on her, standing at 6'4". He didn't mind bending down to get closer to those juicy lips of hers, though, and he doubted that he ever would.

"Something wrong, little one?"

Jasmine frowned. "Little one? That's what Peter calls Candace and I'm surely nowhere as little as she is."

Kody laughed. "True, but you are little compared to me."

She shot him a glare. "Whatever. You're going to have to be more creative if you want to give me a cute nickname. That one is taken. Besides, cutesy nicknames should be reserved for girlfriends and I am not your girlfriend."

Kiran chuckled. "Would you like to be?"

'Hell yeah,' she thought, though the words that she spoke were different. "I barely know you. We would have to go out on a couple of dates before I'd even consider being your girlfriend."

Kiran sighed as he listened to her speak. Jasmine's voice had a musical quality to it and it lulled the beast lurking beneath the surface. He could wait to claim her, as long as she was his in the end...and no one else looked at her in a sexual manner. Ever. His earlier words ran softly through his head. Possessive very.

"Shall we go so I can face the music?" Jasmine asked, wondering how long she would be able to keep her hands off Kiran and gave in to the demands of her body.

Kody nodded and offered her his arm, having regained some of his control. "Come, Jasmine. Let's go and put Candace out of her misery. She's been waiting to eat for some time now. I think she might start hacking off Paul's body parts and chowing down on them if she doesn't get some food in that belly soon."

The laughs that shook Jasmine caused her to break into tears as Candace called out that she heard Kody's last comment. The look on his face, horror mixed embarrassment, was too much for Jasmine to take. They exited the dressing room, but Jasmine was still lost in a fit of laughter.

"I know he's ugly, but I didn't think you'd find his face that funny, Mistress Jasmine."

Jasmine's laughter subsided as she glared at Peter. The man lived to cause her grief. "Oh, it's not that. He was telling me about what you claim to be packing in your pants and what you've actually got down there, peewee."