Tempting prince charming, p.1
Tempting Prince Charming, page 1
Tempting Prince Charming
Ever After - Book 2
Lauren Smith
Contents
Once upon a time…
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
Legally Charming
Other Titles By Lauren Smith
About the Author
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
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Copyright 2021 by Lauren Smith
Cover Art by Croco Designs
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All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitutes unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at lauren@laurensmithbooks.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
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ISBN: 978-1-952063-10-7 (e-book edition)
ISBN: 978-1-952063-11-4 (print edition)
Once upon a time…
There lived a young woman who was too afraid to believe in love again…
1
Thad Worthington hastily shoved his stack of work papers off his lap and onto the seat beside him. “Stop the car!”
His private driver hit the brakes and the Rolls-Royce Phantom stopped along the curb.
“Sir?” His driver’s eyes flicked to Thad in the rearview mirror.
“Just a moment,” Thad said, his gaze drawn to the sight outside his window.
They were on a quiet neighborhood street in Chicago, off Thad’s usual beaten path—by choice, of course—and yet he hadn’t ever remembered seeing this impressive brownstone residence before. The gloom of a wintry, rain-soaked evening had settled on the city, yet this home glowed with warmth and light.
He tilted his head, studying the home with undeniable curiosity. The first floor had been converted into a coffee shop. The Chi-Bean was painted in pale blue letters on the front door.
Something inside Thad shifted, like the deep rumbling of tectonic plates beneath the earth’s surface. He had to go inside.
“Simon, I feel like a cup of coffee. I’ll text you when I’m ready for you to pick me up.”
“Of course, sir.” Simon pulled to the curb and Thad moved his papers into his briefcase. All thoughts of his various real estate deals were, at this moment, tossed firmly to the side. The glowing illumination of that brownstone and its coffee shop made him a moth to it’s warm, welcoming flame.
He stepped out of the car and a thick, misting rain immediately coated his bespoke suit and coat. He raked a hand through his hair and strode toward the entrance, pausing as he read a sign taped to the inside of the door.
“Open Mic Night—Thursdays 8pm to 10pm. All singers welcome. Guitar provided.”
His heart gave a little jolt. Could he do it? Could he sing in public? It was something he’d only ever done in the privacy of his penthouse. Singing opened something inside him, something that spread its wings and took flight whenever he strummed his guitar and let the words of a song pour from his lips.
It was cathartic, like dropping beneath the surface of the stillest lake. And at the same time, his heart came alive like it had been struck by lightning.
He wasn’t afraid of anything in the boardrooms where he made his multimillion-dollar deals, but singing… that cut him open, left him exposed, vulnerable.
He wanted to feel that tonight, surrender to it, and the quiet euphoria it left behind.
He curled his fingers around the door handle and pulled.
A wave of warm air hit him as he stepped inside. He took in his surroundings carefully, noting the architecture and the quality of the building itself. He’d always believed a building was more than just four walls, that it could resonate as something people could feel to the point where it became part of them. He knew it sounded foolish, but he did believe it.
This place was full of love, from the cozy tables, to the fireplace with an actual fire going, and the stacks of board games nearby. Seats held a mix of college kids, late night dates, and anyone who wanted a place to escape the rain for a bit.
With a charming smile, he strode to the counter where two women were manning the Chi-Bean’s counter. One was a young college girl, a blonde with big green eyes. She stared at him like a kid who’d just walked into the largest candy store she’d ever seen. Thad was used to that response. Plenty of women tripped over themselves when he was around. It wasn’t about his features alone, plenty of men were handsome. And it wasn’t about his tailored suits, which anyone could buy. But if you combined those elements and added in his confidence, poise, and respect, people acted like a movie star had entered the room. He tried not to abuse his power…when possible, but it didn’t stop him from using his charm on the women he met.
The other woman only glanced at him, more interested in her work, but he was instantly struck by the cascade of her black hair that almost looked violet in the room’s lighting. The first girl jabbed her out of the way so she could take Thad’s order.
“What can I get you?”
Thad studied the menu carefully before making a choice. “A large lemon ginger tea, please.”
He glanced toward the fireplace, noticing the empty stool and microphone on a stand. A lone guitar was propped up next to them. It was close to eight. Any minute now, singers would be lining up to pour their hearts out over the mic…and he planned to be one of them.
“Oh my God, Chris Hemsworth just walked in.”
Veronica Hannigan jerked up under the cupboard as she put away creamer bottles in a small fridge, slamming her head against the bottom of the wood counter.
“Ow…” she hissed, then retreated from the cupboard and glanced at her employee Zelda, who was manning the coffee counter.
“What did you say?” she asked.
“Chris Hemsworth just walked into your shop.” Zelda muttered from the corner of her mouth before she changed her voice to greet a customer. “What can I get you?”
Veronica shoved the last bottle of creamer inside the fridge and got to her feet. The Chi-Bean was on the first floor of the five thousand square-foot brownstone she lived in. Her whole world and everything she cared about were underneath this roof. It had been her childhood home; she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else, which was one of the reasons she’d spent her life’s savings to open up the coffee shop.
Finished with her customer, Zelda nudged Veronica with her elbow. “Over there.”
Just inside the door stood a man who was at least six foot four with dark gold hair and hazel green eyes. Veronica’s mouth dropped open. He did look like Chris Hemsworth, one of her favorite actors, but he clearly wasn’t that man.
The man wore a fine suit, though most of it was covered by a wool knee-length grey coat which only added to his mystique. He looked around the shop, taking in the bakery counters, the tables, and the stack of board games near the lit fireplace that kept out the October chill.
The man’s gaze touched upon her and Zelda briefly before moving on. It was like he was trying to read the history of the building itself as he examined the cozy shop’s interior. Veronica had worked hard to make the Chi-Bean warm and inviting. This business was all she had, and she was damn proud of it.
The man finally came toward the counter and Zelda artfully nudged Veronica out of the way. Veronica had to roll her eyes at the younger girl’s antics sometimes. Hot men were Zelda’s territory. That was the rule. Not that Veronica cared to argue. She had plenty to do running the shop, so tending the customers was rare for her. .
“What can I get you?” Zelda asked the man.
Veronica discreetly moved behind one of their espresso machines so she could watch Mr. Tall and Too Gorgeous place his order. The way a person took their coffee told her a lot about them. If she had to guess, this guy was a straight coffee guy: no decaf, black, and probably nothing else.
He studied the menu carefully, unbothered by the customers lining up behind him. It was nearly eight o’clock, one of her busier times because it happened to be open mic night, where singers could play for the small crowd already gathered.
“A large lemon ginger tea, please.” said the Chris Hemsworth look-alike. His voice was deep, a perfect baritone and almost melodic. Was that even a thing for a man’s voice? If it was, he had it in spades.
“No problem!” Zelda swiped his credit card before handing it back. “You should stick around. Our open mic night starts in a few minutes.”
“Anyone can sing, right?” he asked.
“A
“Yes, that’s right. Anyone can play. You just sign up over there by the stool.”
As he turned to leave, the man’s lips curved in a playful smile that made her heart flutter. The sensation was so unexpected she actually forgot to breathe. When she finally remembered, she gasped.
“You okay?” Zelda whispered.
Veronica pressed her palms on the counter. “Yeah…”
But she wasn’t. It had been six years since she felt like this. Six years since she’d last felt that zing of attraction. She wasn’t used to it, even more so because it was for a man she would likely never see again.
“Zelda, get the open mic night started. I’ll handle the counter.”
Zelda practically bounced with energy as she rushed around the counter toward the fireplace where the stool sat empty next to a well-loved guitar.
She grinned at the audience as she picked up the mic. “Welcome to our weekly open mic night.” Her green eyes twinkled as she fully embraced the spotlight. “Who’s ready to become the next internet signing sensation? Just kidding, but seriously, if anyone gets famous after singing here, you better mention the Chi-Bean!” The audience laughed and she laid out the rules for the night.
Veronica was only too happy to hide behind her counter and listen to whatever music came from the patrons tonight. Music had saved her, offering a light in a world that had dimmed so much she feared it would never be bright again. And whenever she filled the space she worked in with those melodies, it reminded her of how much she’d survived and how lucky she was.
Over the next half hour, she listened with a smile and refilled orders from returning customers.
“Hey boss, we need more venti cups,” Zelda called out as she rang up another order.
“I’ll get them.” Veronica opened the door to the storeroom and dug through a large cardboard box until she found a sheath of the right sized cups.
The coffee shop grew quiet as the performers changed, then a deep voice came over the microphone.
“I’m Thad, and I’m going to sing ‘You Are the Reason’ by Calum Scott.” There was a moment of silence before a soothing, yet haunting, guitar melody began to play and the man started to sing.
Veronica froze. Her skin tingled with goosebumps as she listened to his words. He sang of his heart beating and losing sleep over the woman of his dreams. It was a song sung to lull a woman into a sweet hazy spell of heartache and a breathless joy all at once. Pain filled his voice as he sang about being broken and needing to fix it, if only he could turn back the clock.
But it was the line about making sure the light defeated the dark and how he would spend every hour making sure the woman he loved was safe that broke Veronica. The song dug into her soul, dragging her back four years to that night her life changed forever…
The flashing blue and white lights outside her window. Opening the door to a pair of officers and rain-drenched slickers. They exchanged a glance and removed their caps as they stepped onto her porch. She didn’t remember the exact words they said. It all became noise to her.
“Very sorry… There was an accident… The storm…”
She remembered the way her porch light lit up the rain just behind the officers, and she remembered the small fluttering kicks in her womb as her unborn child seemed to understand what the police were telling her.
“We’re so sorry…”More noise.
That was the day the darkness consumed her world. Only Lyra’s birth a month later brought the light back, but the shadows still lingered at the edges of her heart. How could a stranger’s haunting voice and song do this to her?
Veronica struggled to breathe while the words washed over her like the ocean battering a wild, rocky shore. It was somehow less painful to embrace the tidal wave of emotions rather than try to hold them off.
She wasn’t sure at what point she started crying, but she felt the tears roll down her cheeks, dripping off her chin and wetting the baby blue apron she wore. She sniffed and scrambled around the storeroom until she found a box of tissues and wiped her face. The man’s voice died away, and the last bit of the guitar’s notes hummed in the air. There was a heavy silence for a moment before the coffee shop erupted into applause.
“Thank you,” the man murmured. He sounded almost embarrassed.
Veronica stayed where she was in the storeroom until the next song began. After an extra moment, she emerged and handed Zelda the sheath of cups.
“Hey, Ronnie, are you okay?” Zelda asked she got a better look at her face.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” They both knew it was a lie, but Zelda was nice enough not to pry.
Veronica glanced around the room at the customers. “Who sang that Calum Scott song?”
Zelda grinned. “The Chris Hemsworth look-alike. His voice was everything, wasn’t it?” she sighed dreamily.
“Yeah.” Veronica looked for him, but the mysterious stranger was gone. Yet his words and the sound of his voice lingered in her mind long after she and Zelda closed down the shop.
She saw her employee safely out, then climbed the stairs to the residential floors of the brownstone and unlocked her apartment door.
“Mommy!” a little voice trilled. Veronica groaned as she caught the four-year-old bundle of energy as she barreled into her arms. If it wasn’t for Lyra, Veronica wouldn’t have been able to rebuild her life into what it was now.
“You should be in bed, honey.” She frowned at Lyra. Her blonde curls bounced, and her soft blue eyes were full of mischief. In those moments, Lyra looked so much like her father, especially her blond hair.
“Sorry, Mrs. Hannigan,” the babysitter said as she stepped into the hall. Katie was her next-door neighbor’s daughter who helped Veronica watch over Lyra on evenings when Veronica had only Zelda working downstairs. Veronica had two other part-time employees during the week, but on nights like this, Katie was a godsend in the form of a sixteen-year-old girl.
“It’s fine, Katie. I know she’s a handful sometimes.”
Katie laughed as Lyra spun around in her Princess Elsa costume. Lyra was at that fun age when she never wanted to wear anything else except for the Elsa dress if she could help it.
“Here you go.” Veronica handed Katie two twenty dollar bills and Katie gave Lyra a quick hug before she left for the night.
“Alright, kiddo. Bedtime for real. It’s after ten, and mommy has to be up at five.”
Lyra followed her into the bedroom and leaped onto the white wood twin bed while Veronica pulled some PJs out of the dresser.
“Elsa PJs?” Veronica offered, waving the jammies in front of her daughter. “That way mommy can wash your dress so it’s all clean for tomorrow?”
Lyra studied her intently, the way all young children did when they were debating whether or not to trust their parent during such negotiations.
“Okay.” Lyra let Veronica change her into her PJs, then climbed under the sheets.
Veronica kissed her head.
“Get some sleep.” She tickled Lyra’s arms and the girl giggled but quickly started to calm. Her eyelids grew heavy while she watched Veronica pick up the costume from the floor.
“Alexa, play the lullaby mix,” Veronica asked the smart speaker in Lyra’s room. Almost immediately, the device began to play soothing sweet music.
As Veronica stepped outside her daughter’s door, she heard Lyra speak to the device.
“Alexa, can you bring me a daddy?”
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