Beauty and the Beast (Once Upon A Happy Ever After Book 2) Page 4

  But just so you know what you’re in for:

  The books in this series are quick and dirty twisted fairy tales with dark, dominating alpha males, insta-lust scenarios, and steamy explicit sexiness that’ll melt your panties. If you like extra dirty stories with BDSM overtones, then this one is definitely for you. And as always, HEA with NO CHEATING!

  Chapter One

  Alicia

  “Stop staring and geez close your mouth, Alicia, you look like a guppy.”

  I poked my sister in the ribs. “I can’t help it, Abby. And I’m sure you weren’t any better your first time.”

  “True, but I tried to keep it on the inside. Quit gawking at everything. People are starting to stare,” she said under her breath.

  I didn’t care. Not one bit. This was supposed to be the best night of my life and I was going to enjoy every bit of it. I took in everything, the beautiful dresses, the strings playing gently in the background, the decorations in the grand ball room of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, everything. I wanted this night to last forever. I wanted to remember every detail.

  Abby waved to someone across the room. “Hey, I need to make the rounds. Will you be all right alone?”

  I nodded absently, still trying to etch a mental photo into my brain.

  “Geez, Alicia. Just try not to embarrass me, okay? Try not to look like the sheltered debutante whose father wouldn’t let her debut until she turned eighteen, okay?”

  I shrugged. What was I supposed to do? That’s exactly who I was. It was who Abby had been two years ago as well. She was just better at hiding it.

  Abby sighed. “Nevermind,” she said under her breath and floated across the dance floor to whoever had caught her attention. I looked around the room again, wiped my palms in the billowy folds of my dress, and headed to the champagne bar. I couldn’t drink, not technically, but it was late enough and the waitstaff might be tired enough to actually serve me.

  Besides, the only thing that could make a perfect night of romance, dancing, and ball gowns better was a teeny champagne buzz. I snagged a glass of rose colored bubbly off the table, marveling at my luck since the server didn’t seem to care in the least. But just as a brought it to my lips a gloved hand appeared in front of my face and took the glass from me.

  “Hey!” I said as the hand held the champagne just out of my reach. I spun around to see who’d be so rude and stopped dead in my tracks, angry, accusatory words getting caught in my throat. “Hey,” I said again, and stumbled backward, tripping on the trailing layers of my gown as I looked into the most beautiful pair of baby blue eyes I’d ever seen.

  I fell in slow motion, completely entranced by this stranger’s face, his presence, the small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He caught me, a strong hand in the small of my back, before I actually hit the floor and set me upright.

  “Would care to dance?” he asked, smooth voice sending ripples of heat down to my thighs.

  “No, I’d like my drink back,” I said shocking myself and bringing an even bigger smile to the stranger’s lips. Did I actually say that? Was I just quippy?

  He set the drink on the table and crossed his arms. “And what would your father say if he knew you’d been drinking tonight?”

  I crossed my own arms. “How do you know who my father is?”

  He bent down, his spicy masculine scent tugging at things low in my body. “Dance with me, Alicia,” he rumbled in my ear. Then, without waiting for an answer he took my hand and led me to the middle of the ballroom.

  Who was this man? How did he know so much about me? Why did he make me want to do terrible, naughty things right here in the middle of the ball? And why didn’t that bother me?

  Snow White is available for preorder

  NOW

  Grab your copy!