The Fairy Tales Collection Read online

  * * *

  “Good gravy, Ella,” Rowan muttered, “that guy is so hot for you I can practically see the lust rising off of him.”

  Ella blushed before grinning at her. “You know, Rowan, I’m starting to think your idea of coming here was brilliant.”

  She smiled at the large bearded man who gave her a small nod and a slow look of approval as Rowan laughed.

  “Of course it was. I know exactly how to turn those frowns upside down. Now, let’s show those handsome boys some of our moves.”

  She took both Belle’s and Ella’s hands and led them out to the dance floor. Belle moved her body to the music. She was a terrible dancer but she loved it and she shook her hips with abandonment as Ella bumped her hips against Rowan’s. Rowan laughed and raised her arms before rocking her hips and Belle grinned at her.

  “I really need to take dance lessons,” she shouted above the music.

  Rowan shook her head. “Nah, you got the moves, honey. Trust me.”

  Belle winked at her as the music ended and a slow song started. She turned and squeaked in surprise when she bumped into the broad chest of one of the men who had been sitting at the table beside them.

  “May I have this dance, beautiful?” He held out his hand and she hesitated before nodding.

  “Sure.”

  He grinned and she twitched when he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her up against his large body.

  Not as large as Bennett’s, her mind whispered. Or as hard and warm. And those blue eyes of his are doing nothing for me.

  Her smile faltered and the man squeezed her hip. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” she said.

  She stared over his shoulder and her mouth dropped open in surprise. Duncan Gillis, his face grim, was stalking across the dance floor.

  * * *

  “Care to dance?”

  Ella smiled tentatively at the man standing in front of her. “I – I’m not a very good dancer.”

  He grinned, showing even white teeth before holding out his hand. “Neither am I so perhaps you’ll forgive me when I step on your foot?”

  She laughed and reached for his hand. Before she could take it there was a low, almost growling noise behind her. She gasped sharply when her arm was taken in a firm grip and she was spun around.

  “Duncan? What are you doing here?” She gaped in surprise at the blond man.

  Ignoring her, he glared at the man standing in front of her. “The woman is mine.”

  “Oh for the love of God, Duncan Gillis. This is ridiculous!” Ella said as he wrapped his arm around her waist, yanked her up against his body and steered her away from the man.

  “You’re holding me too tightly,” she hissed at him.

  He responded by pulling her even closer, his thick arm like a band around her waist and his free hand wrapping around the back of her neck to hold her firmly.

  “What are you even doing here?” She asked as he swayed lightly to the music.

  “What are you doing here?” He replied.

  “Trying to have fun with my friends,” she said. “And I was succeeding until you showed up.”

  A look of hurt crossed his face and she felt a moment of guilt that she ignored.

  “That man who you were about to dance with is dangerous, Ella.”

  “Do you know him?” She tried to turn her head to stare at the man who had returned to his table but Duncan’s grip prevented her from moving.

  “Not exactly.”

  “Then you can’t possibly know he’s dangerous,” she said. “Duncan, I don’t want to dance with you.”

  Another one of those oddly hurt looks and her guilt increased. “Duncan, I – “

  “Just one dance, Ella,” he suddenly said. “Please.”

  She bit at her bottom lip before nodding. “I – okay. One dance.”

  He dropped his hand from her neck and put both arms around her waist. Trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach, she draped her arms around his shoulders and made a low startled noise when he pulled her body against his until every part of them was touching. She stared over his shoulder as his warm breath stirred her hair.

  * * *

  “So, what’s your name, beautiful?” The man rested his hand on the top of her ass and Belle reached behind her to move it up to her lower back.

  “My name is – “

  “Excuse me,” the low almost polite voice spoke behind her and she froze in surprise as the man she was dancing with scowled.

  “Can I help you, buddy?”

  “You can take your hand off my woman’s ass.”

  “And if I don’t?” The man said coolly.

  “I’ll break it,” Bennett replied calmly.

  The man gave him a long, assessing look, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air, before releasing Belle and taking a step back. He held his hands up and shrugged carelessly. “She’s all yours.”

  “That’s right. She is,” Bennett replied.

  He pulled Belle into his embrace as the man turned and walked off the dance floor.

  Belle stared up at Bennett as he took her left hand in his right and slung his arm around her waist. He let his hand linger low on her hip as he continued to glare at the man’s retreating back.

  “What the hell, Bennett Saxby?” She said.

  “What?” He was still staring over her head and she smacked him lightly on the chest.

  “Suddenly I’m your woman?” She said. “Sleeping with you once doesn’t make me your woman.”

  He didn’t reply but his hold on her hip tightened and he swung her in a tight circle until she was clinging to him.

  “What are you and Duncan even doing here?” She peered around Bennett’s wide body. Ella, every inch of her curvy body pressed up against Duncan’s, had her eyes closed as Duncan moved her slowly across the dance floor. There was a look of contentment on her face and she didn’t object when Duncan nuzzled his face into her soft, blonde hair.

  “Well?” Belle demanded. “Are you following me?”

  “No,” Bennett said. “Duncan wanted to go here instead of Gaston’s and dragged me with him. And thank God he did. Do you have any idea what kind of guy that is you were dancing with?”

  “No. I don’t even know him,” Belle said.

  “You were dancing with him, letting him touch your ass,” Bennett said accusingly.

  “I wasn’t letting him touch my ass,” Belle said. “And even if I was – it’s none of your damn business, Bennett Saxby. Let me go. I don’t feel like dancing anymore.”

  He gave her a look of frustration but refused to release her. “Mirabelle, I’m sorry about earlier today. Truly I am.”

  “Yes, I know,” she said. “You’ve already made it perfectly clear that I was a mistake.”

  “No!” Bennett nearly shouted. He took a deep breath and made his voice low. “I mean I’m sorry for what I said, not what happened between us. I was a complete idiot.”

  “Yes, you were,” Belle said.

  “I was just – well, surprised that you hadn’t had sex before,” he said.

  She blushed lightly and stared at his broad chest. “It’s not that big of a deal, Bennett.”

  “Yes, it is,” he insisted. “A woman’s first time shouldn’t be on the floor of a goddamn library.”

  “The library is my favourite place,” she said.

  The earnestness in her voice made him grin and she blushed again. “Well, it is.”

  “Why haven’t you slept with anyone, Mirabelle?” He asked as they swayed to the music. “A woman who looks like you must have men doing everything they can to get her into bed.”

  She didn’t reply and he gave her a hesitant look. “Were you – were you saving yourself for me?”

  She stared up at him and it was his turn to blush. “Sorry, that was a stupid thing to ask.”

  Belle closed her eyes for a moment before taking a deep breath. “Everyone in this town thinks I’m crazy, Bennett. Guys don’t want to date me and if they do it’s because they want bragging rights for bedding the crazy girl who believes a boy can turn into a bear.”

  He winced and she gave him a solemn look. “At least that’s what I told myself for years. Only, I think there was a part of me that was waiting for you. Waiting for you to come back and tell me that you had thought about me as much as I thought about you for the last eighteen years. Waiting to give you a gift that you didn’t even want.”

  She sighed and dropped her gaze to his chest again. “What an idiot I was.”

  “Don’t say that,” he said. “You’re not an idiot, Mirabelle.”

  “I am,” she said. “I was an idiot to think that you would be happy that I had a crush on you. Happy that I had waited for you. Instead, you were upset that you were my first.”

  “No,” he said before stopping at the edge of the dance floor and cupping her face. “I wasn’t upset about that.”

  “Yes you were,” she argued. “I saw it in your face.”

  “What you saw was regret for taking you the way I did,” he said. “Your first time should be special and I feel horrible that it wasn’t.”

  “It was,” she said. “Despite how it ended up, it was special, Bennett. I – I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

  He studied her closely for a moment before taking her hand again and moving her slowly around the dance floor.

  “A relationship between us wouldn’t work,” he said softly.

  “Why not?”

  “It just wouldn’t. We’re from two different worlds.”

  “I suppose we are,” she said with a note of sadness that made his chest tighten. “I know you’re rich, Bennett. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out and I don’t blame you for not wanting a relationship with an unemployed library assistant who lives in a single wide trailer with her alcoholic father.”

  “That isn’t what I meant, Mirabelle. I don’t care if you’re – “

  “It doesn’t matter,” she interrupted. “You’re right.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “Me too,” she said bleakly.

  He held her a little closer and she rested her head on his broad chest for a moment before staring up at him.

  “But just out of, uh, curiosity, what would you have done differently if you’d known I was a virgin?” She asked.

  His heart pounding, he lowered his mouth to her ear. “I would have given you multiple orgasms first so that your sweet pussy was soaking wet and completely ready for me.”

  She inhaled sharply and he bit back his groan when her pelvis pressed against him. “I – I had an orgasm before we had sex.”

  “You should have had more than one,” he murmured. “I should have taken you to my bed, undressed you slowly, and touched every inch of your warm body before I buried my face between your legs and licked your pussy until you were begging me to fuck you.”

  “Oh,” she whispered and then gasped when he ground his erection against her stomach.

  “Have you had your pussy eaten before, little Belle?” He asked before licking the curve of her ear.

  “N-no,” she gasped.

  “I want you in my bed so much, sweet Belle,” he groaned. “I want to touch every part of your body, I want to taste your pussy and hear you scream my name. You have no idea how hard it is to not take you away from this goddamn place and drive you straight to my house.”

  “Yes,” she said.

  He gave her a startled look. “What?”

  “Yes,” she repeated. “Let’s go back to your place. Right now, Bennett.”

  “Mirabelle, we can’t,” he said. “We just said that we can’t have a relationship.”

  “I’m not asking for a relationship,” she said. “I’m asking you to take me home so we can have a do-over.”

  “A do-over?”

  She smiled sweetly at him. “You feel bad about how you took my virginity, right? So take me home and spend tonight showing me what you wish you had done.”

  “Mirabelle, I can’t – “

  “Just for tonight, Ben,” she whispered persuasively. “I won’t ask you for anything more after tonight. I promise.”

  “This is a very bad idea,” he groaned.

  “No it isn’t,” she said before standing on her tiptoes and pressing a kiss against his mouth. “It’s a very good idea. Will you take me home, Ben? Will you take me to your bed?”

  He stared at her sweet face before nodding. “Hell, yes.”

  “Good.” She took his hand and tugged him toward Duncan and Ella.

  * * *

  Rowan eased out the back door of the pub and took a deep breath of the warm summer air. She glanced around guiltily before pulling the pack of cigarettes from her pocket and lighting one. She took a deep drag, holding the smoke in her lungs before blowing it out.

  She smiled happily and checked her cell before sticking it in her back pocket. Technically she had quit smoking six months ago, at least that’s what she had told Belle and Ella, and she wasn’t exactly lying. She really didn’t smoke that much anymore but there was something about being at the pub and having a beer that made her crave a cigarette. She took another drag of the stale cigarette and blew a couple of smoke rings before staring at the sky. Stars, glimmering faintly, dotted the darkness and she smiled to herself. Belle and Ella were being pursued by Bennett and Duncan, they could deny it all they wanted but it didn’t make it less true, and she was ridiculously happy about it. They deserved love, both of them.

  So do you.

  Yeah, she did. But the men in this town weren’t exactly stellar quality.

  Didn’t stop you from fucking half of them.

  Her smile broadened. Her inner voice had a point but hell, she loved sex. Just because she didn’t want to marry or date any of the town boys didn’t mean she had to deny herself a little fun.

  Maybe it’s because it’s not a boy you want but a man.

  An image of Rafe Taggert’s face flickered in her head and she took another puff of her cigarette before pushing Rafe’s image from her head. Thinking she had a chance with him was idiotic. The guy was fifteen years older than her. That didn’t bother her in the least but despite what Belle had said earlier about him checking her out, she was certain that Rafe Taggert had zero interest in her. Why would he? She was just the short little redhead who served him beer at Gaston’s. It was best to just ignore the fact that she’d been crushing on him since she hit puberty and ignore the butterflies she felt on those rare occasions that she saw him and just –

  The door to the pub opened, bringing a wave of fried-onion-scented air and a blast of music and she dropped her cigarette to the ground, crushing it with her heel before swinging around guiltily. Her relief that it was neither Belle nor Ella was short-lived when the dark-haired man grinned at her.

  “Hey there, pretty lady.”

  “Hello,” she said steadily.

  “I saw you dancing in there. You got some good moves.”

  “Thank you,” she replied. She started forward and then stopped abruptly when two more men came out of the bar.

  “You’re very pretty,” the man said. “Did you know that?”

  “Yes, I do know,” she said shortly. “Excuse me, please. My friends are waiting for me.”

  “Now hold on. We were thinking that maybe you would like to get to know us a little better,” the man said softly.

  Rowan studied him silently. He was good looking in a frat-boy kind of way and his khaki pants and crisp white shirt stuck out like a beacon among the more casual dress of the other pub patrons.

  “No thanks,” she said.

  The man blinked at her before glancing at his friends. “You’re turning me down?”

  “I am.”

  He scowled at her. “My friends and I are new to town but we know who you are.”

  “Who am I?” Rowan asked.

  “You’re the slutty little waitress who’ll open her legs for any man who looks twice at her,” the man said. “You’re nothing but a little whore.”

  Rowan rolled her eyes. “I get that you think calling me a slut and a whore is an insult but it really isn’t. I like fucking and I’m not ashamed of it.”

  “You like fucking so much but you won’t even give me a chance?” The man said sullenly.

  “Because I prefer real men between my legs, not pretty boys like you. Boys like you are a dime a dozen. I know you think your dick is God’s gift to women but I’ve got standards, sweetheart.”

  She dropped her gaze to his crotch. “Anything less than eight inches and I’m just not interested so I’m afraid the four and a half inches you’re so proud of just isn’t going to do it for me.”

  The man’s mouth dropped open and he glared at her. “You got a real smart mouth for a slut.”

  “Sluts can be smart too,” Rowan said cheerfully. “Now you and your little friends go back inside before you do something you’ll regret.”

  “You smart-mouthed little bitch,” the man snarled as he darted forward and reached for her. “I’m about to teach you a lesson you’ll never – “

  He stopped, his face paling and his breath rushing out of his mouth in a loud groan as Rowan punched him on the right side, her fist driving under his ribs. He started to bend over and Rowan, grinning widely, delivered two quick, hard blows to his face. His nose broke with a sickening crack and he howled loudly before staggering back and falling to the ground. Blood gushed down his face and he cupped his wounded nose before staring wide-eyed at her.

  “What the fuck did you just do?” One of his friends said in a quiet little voice.

  “Well, first I punched him in the liver and then I broke his nose,” Rowan said. She smiled at the two men and spread her feet slightly before raising her fists to chest level. “Which one of you would like to be next to have his ass kicked?”