Sassy Ever After: Dragon Sass (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read Online Free Page A

and went to throw away the Band-Aid wrappers. “Because unless you’re my fairy godmother—err—godfather? Bad analogy. Anyway, unless you can create something from nothing, I don’t think you can help.”
    “I have some ideas.” Kai watched as she stopped to scoop up a black and white kitten who was using its claws to pull dishtowels off the racks. “Why shoot me down before you’ve even heard me out?”
    “Because this isn’t about the ranch.” Jules sighed, sitting back in the kitchen chair, the kitten cuddled in her arms.
    “What do you mean?”
    “You’re not here to help me with the ranch.” She looked pointedly at him. Could he be that dense? Didn’t he see what Barb was up to? If he’d known her longer than a week—and clearly he had—then he had to know her penchant for matchmaking. Didn’t he know a set-up when he saw one?
    “You think I have an ulterior motive?” Kai’s mouth twitched in amusement.
    “I have no idea.” Jules nuzzled the kitten with her cheek. She really didn’t need barn cats. Barb had obviously used them as an excuse, and Kai as a delivery boy, to put the two of them in the same room together again. The woman was unstoppable. “But I know that Barb does.”
    “Oh.” He did smile then, the first time she’d seen him smile, and it was rather charming.
    “I’m just not interested in being paired up.”
    “With me? Or with anyone?”
    “Oh, it’s nothing against you.” She let the kitten climb down out of her arms to join its siblings on the tile floor. “You seem like a nice enough guy.”
    “Well, thanks.” He smirked. “I think.”
    “It’s just that she’s been trying to set me up for years. I’m over it.”
    “Hm.”
    “Hm?” she repeated, seeing the way he was looking at her. She couldn’t help remember the night before, with him so close. Their knees were almost touching under the table. “What does hm mean?”
    “I’m just wondering if maybe you’re not over… something else.” He didn’t look away when she glared at him, anticipating where this was going. “Or some one else.”
    “You don’t know me.” She got up, turning her back on him to wash her hands at the sink. “You don’t know anything about me.”
    “I know you got a booty call last night from your ‘friend’, Stuart. I know he left you this note.” Kai pointed at the piece of paper still sitting on the kitchen table as Jules dried her hands on a dish towel. She felt her cheeks redden. In all the early morning chaos, she’d completely forgotten about the note. “I know he’s using you, even if you consider him a friend. And I have a feeling you’re hung up on him. Am I wrong?”
    “Okay, I think it’s time for you to go,” Jules said brusquely, tossing the dish towel on the counter. “Thanks for playing delivery boy.”
    Both Kai’s eyebrows went up, but he stood, a head taller than her. She barely met most men eye to eye—her mother used to call her model-tall, at five-foot-ten—even when she wasn’t wearing heels or cowboy boots.
    Jules began gathering up kittens by the scruff of the neck, putting them back into the cardboard box. She’d take them out to the barn when she escorted Mr. Know-It-All to his car. She’d have to pick up kitten food later, but milk would have to do for now.
    A knock on the door made them both look up, but Kai reached it before she did. Her arms were full with a cardboard box of kittens. Inwardly, Jules groaned. She had a feeling it was Stuart, come to ask for his favor, which would involve a checkbook on her part and a lot of promises to pay her back on his. After Kai’s remark, it was the last thing she needed, to have Stuart show up now.
    Jules was surprised to see one of her clients and his mother standing in the doorway. She didn’t have any appointments today.
    “Carolyn?” Jules put the cardboard box of kittens on the kitchen table and took a step toward the door. She glanced down at the little boy at his mother’s