Tempting prince charming.., p.21
Tempting Prince Charming: Ever After - Book 2, page 21
Lyra pointed at the glittering coach. “Mommy!”
“The tiles were all hand by laid, nearly 30,000 of them,” Candace said.
“Mommy! Look!” Lyra rushed over to a display in one corner of the antechamber where several objects were on display inside a glass case.
A glass slipper rested on a purple velvet cushion. Below those, a glittering crown and a scepter sat. In the third case, a trio of golden-orange pumpkins sparkled in the light cast from the gilded diamond-encrusted chandeliers.
Candance put a hand on Lyra’s shoulder. “Cinderella left these here. Will you watch over them while you stay with us?”
Lyra nodded solemnly, her eyes fixed on the princess objects in fascination.
Candace then waved them into the next room. “Here’s the main bedroom.”
Thad had seen dozens of the world’s best hotels over the years, but nothing compared to the Cinderella suite. The details on display were so perfectly on theme, late 17th century France if he wasn’t mistaken, that it transported you into a medieval fairytale.
Two large beds filled the space. Their shimmering blue and gold brocade bedding was enhanced by a carved wood crest of the letter “C” for Cinderella, which also secured draperies that swept down both sides of the headboard. The floors glittered with fairy dust, and a large white stone fireplace was already lit.
Candice pointed toward the walls. “If you’ll notice the stained glass windows, they show Cinderella’s story. You can see her father’s cottage, the invitation to the ball, the clock striking midnight, the glass slipper, her mice friends, and finally, the Prince’s castle.”
“We assume mom and dad might want their privacy. Miss Lyra, would you like to see the parlor? We’ve got it all set up as your bedroom.”
“I get my own room?”
“Yes, you do!”
Lyra was bouncing so much Thad half expected her to rocket across the room. Candace winked at Thad and Veronica as they followed her and Lyra into the parlor. It was a cozy room with a large red velvet couch that had been turned into a bed. On top of the red coverlet was a pile of toys ranging from Winnie the Pooh stuffed animals to Princess costumes, as well as a set of Mickey Mouse ears along with dozens of brightly colored bags full of various sweets.
Candace pointed to a beautiful, gilded mirror hanging on the wall opposite Lyra’s bed. “And this mirror is magical.”
Suddenly the glass turned into a TV screen as the movie Frozen started to play. Lyra’s little jaw dropped.
“Why don’t you two look at the bathroom?” Candace nudged Thad and Veronica toward a gold curtained entrance that lead to a massive bathroom.
Twin brown granite sinks were accompanied by a large shower with its own gold brocade curtains on either side. Beyond that was the usual facilities and a massive Jacuzzi tub surrounded by a trio of wall mosaics depicting scenes from Cinderella.
Candace pointed to a series of buttons by the tub. “I suggest you explore this when you two have some private time. You won’t be disappointed.”
“Wow,” Veronica whispered, almost as awestruck as her daughter. “Just wow.”
“I’ll have someone come get Miss Lyra for dinner and escort her to the night parade. She should be back around ten, if that’s not too late?” Candace asked.
“That sounds fine,” Veronica said.
“Just remember to dial nine if you need anything.” Candace left the two of them alone.
Thad took Veronica’s hips in his hands and pulled her to him. “So, do you like it?” He was strangely nervous and needed to hear her say it. Before, he’d always been so confident about impressing woman, but as with everything else, Veronica was different.
“Like is probably the biggest understatement of the century. You literally made this a magical trip.”
“Good. Because I don’t think I can pull this particular magic off again. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.”
Veronica gripped the collar of his shirt and pulled him down to her. He gave a deep and slow kiss, teasing in all the best ways. He couldn’t resist cupping her bottom and giving it a squeeze. Veronica let out a soft gasp against his lips that tortured him in the best way. He deepened the kiss, flicking his tongue against hers, making her want to get closer. He could have kissed her for hours and never grown tired of it. She made every moment feel new and exciting.
“Mommy!” Lyra sprinted to the bathroom. Mickey Mouse ears were perched on her golden curls. Veronica jerked away from Thad, covered her mouth with one hand and blushed as she faced her child.
“Yes, baby?”
“I want to live here forever.” Lyra hugged her mother and then hugged Thad.
“Well, other princesses have to stay here, but you get to be the Princess tonight.”
“Oh, okay.” Lyra sighed and walked back into her private room.
Thad pulled Veronica close again, chuckling as he kissed her temple. “She makes me want to build a castle just for her.”
Veronica giggled. “If you do, we’ll never hear the end of it.”
After Lyra left for an evening of fun and wonder, Veronica was surprised to find a small dining table just big enough for two set up in the antechamber of the Cinderella suite. It was like magic elves had conjured it into existence when her back was turned.
Candles were lit. White china dishes covered with metal domes awaited her inspection. A bucket of ice with chilled champagne also sat on the table. Thad pulled out a chair for her and then seated himself. A waiter exited the concierge’s office, removed the covers from the dishes, popped the champagne, and poured them each a glass. After that, the waiter left them alone.
Veronica stared at the chicken piccata in front of her. It was one of her favorite dishes. Thad had a ribeye steak with sweet potatoes and mango salsa, which she guessed was his favorite. The smell drifting off their plates made her mouth water and her stomach grumble. She’d done her best all afternoon to avoid eating park food. But she wasn’t going to feel guilty about indulging in this dinner.
Soft music came from somewhere outside their suite. A string quartet played “This is the Night.”
“They’re playing—”
Thad smiled. “Our song.”
“That’s our song?” she asked.
“Why not?” he said, taking a sip of champagne. “It suits us, I think.” He paused. “Unless you don’t like it?”
“No, I love it. I really do. It’s not a song that everyone expects. It makes me think of Angelo.”
“Our song makes you think of Angelo?” Thad’s comical outrage as his eyes flared and he tossed his napkin on the table made her laugh.
“You know what I mean.” She covered her heated cheeks with her palms. “I loved that night at the Italian Village. It was wonderful.”
“I’m glad.” Thad cleared his throat. “And I’m glad you’re here with me. You and Lyra.”
They ate dinner and drank quite a bit of the champagne while they discussed how fun it had been to see Lyra play and enjoy the rides at the park.
“Thad, you’ve been…” Veronica had to take a moment to calm her racing heart. “You’ve been like a father to her and that means everything to me. I know you didn’t ask me out that day expecting to deal with Lyra, but you’re amazing with her.”
Thad’s gaze remained focused as he listened to her. She loved that about him, that he truly listened to everything she said.
“Thank you,” he said. “But honestly? You’ve been a gift to me. You and Lyra. I didn’t realize what I was missing in life.” His expression softened. “From the moment I saw the Chi-Bean from my car, I knew I wanted to live there, to exist in that cozy world. It only got better, a thousand times better when I met you.” His voice grew rough. “This is probably too much to say too soon. Please don’t say it back, just let me say this…”
Veronica could barely think. Blood rushed to her head so fast it nearly drowned out his next words.
“I’ve fallen in love with you. Don’t feel like you have to say it back if you aren’t ready, but I hope someday you might. I love you and Lyra.” He looked away a moment, as if trying to control his emotions. “I didn’t know that something was missing until you both came into my life. I thought I had everything I wanted and then… You were sick, and I saw that adorable little girl asking me if I was going to take care of you… Something clicked into place. I told her I would, not out of some sense of obligation, but because I think I was already falling in love with you.”
Veronica’s throat was so tight it hurt. She raised the back of her hand to cover her trembling lips.
I love you too. Those four small but powerful words were on the tip of her tongue. She was too afraid to say them just yet, but she had to show him how she felt. Veronica got up from her chair and closed the distance between them. He started to stand, but she pushed him back down into his chair and slid onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close as she curled her arms around his neck.
“I think we’ve waited long enough,” she whispered against his lips.
His eyes darkened and his lashes fell to half-mast. “Are you trying to seduce me?” he asked.
“Trying?” she asked innocently as she began to unbutton his shirt. She kissed his neck and blew softly on his ear. His body stiffened beneath her as she felt his arousal under her bottom.
“Lyra will only be gone for another two hours,” he reminded her.
“I think we can accomplish quite a lot in two hours…if you’re game,” she countered.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he lifted her up and carried her into the master bedroom. She laughed in delight as he dropped her on the bed, then laid back and gazed up at him as he began to undress. She was really going to enjoy this private show.
Soon, he was down to his jeans and turned the tables, removing her boots and socks next. He knelt and kissed the arches of her feet, tickling her. She fell back on the bed as he reached for her jeans to unfastened them. He pulled away each bit of her clothes slowly until she was naked. Only then did he crawl on the bed with her and lay at her side so they faced each other.
Thad stroked a hand down her shoulder, then over the flare of her hip. His feathery caress both soothed and excited her. She grinned back at his infectious smile and touched his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath her palm. She leaned into his side, and he fell onto his back, letting her climb on top of him.
She kissed softly, exploring this gorgeous, kind, sexy man who’d just confessed he loved her. The knowledge of that made her tremble with wonder. With every kiss, the darkness that formed after Parker’s death began to fade; her shadows were now bathed in a bright, burning light. He gently pulled her underneath him before he kicked off his jeans and briefs. They lay tangled together like two teenagers, kissing and caressing each other. He brushed his fingers over her breasts, making her shiver and gasp.
Thad moved down her body, his lips leaving a trail of kisses until he reached her thighs. She writhed as his tongue licked the wet folds of her sex. She clawed at the bed and moaned as pleasure rocketed through her. He continued to tongue her as she came down from the orgasm, drawing out every glorious second of it. Muscles limp, she caught her breath only to gasp as he moved up her and slid between her thighs. Their gazes met as he braced his arms on either side of her head. God, she loved being caged between this man’s arms…she felt safe and yet excited about what was still to come.
“You want this?” he asked.
She nodded. They had had the discussion the day before about protection. Thad had volunteered to bring condoms, but Veronica told him she had an IUD and didn’t want anything between them. It made this moment so much sweeter. Thad sank into her, his body filling hers, joining them in a way that made her head spin.
“You okay?” he asked, holding still as she gripped his shoulders tight.
She leaned up to kiss his ear and nibble the lobe. “Oh God, don’t stop.”
“Christ,” he hissed and thrust deeper into her.
She threw her head back as he sank into her again, their hips crashing together. He kissed her throat and captured her hands, pinning them onto the bed as he began to move. Each thrust ignited fresh waves of excitement and pleasure. It was the feeling of connecting to him, of removing the last few barriers in her heart that sent her shooting toward another peak.
Thad seemed to sense it and moved faster, rougher, claiming her in a way that left no question that she belonged to him. When the next climax hit her, the ripples of her muscles squeezed around him. The feel of him driving into her…she never wanted it to end, but she feared she might die from such intense pleasure. It was as though liquid fire surged through her veins. Her body was nearly boneless as oblivion threatened to carry her away.
Thad came a second later, his harsh cry in her ear sounding both sweet and love drunk. He collapsed on top of her, his quickened breaths soon slowed as he pressed tender kisses to her face. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him as dozens of emotions rippled through her. It’d been so long since she’d had this sort of intimacy, since she’d trusted herself to let go and let someone in. She knew she’d found love again at last.
“How do you feel?” he whispered against her ear. She kissed his cheek and closed her eyes.
“I feel alive.”
She felt like she’d been trapped in a glass coffin for years, seeing the world go on around her. She’d been frozen somewhere between life and death after losing Parker. She nuzzled Thad’s neck and inhaled his scent, letting it surround her.
“You woke me up with a kiss.”
Thad lifted his head to stare at her, and she saw the man’s fierce love shine in his eyes.
“You were the one who woke me up.”
Thad sat back in the Jacuzzi with Veronica wrapped in his arms. The tub jets rumbled low, and the aroma of forest pine filled the air as the bath salts they’d added to the water soaked into their skin. Above them, the bathroom ceiling glittered with bright blue-green stars, making the mosaics of Cinderella’s Castle glow as though bathed in starlight. The hot water came up to his chest and he settled Veronica on his lap. She feathered kisses on his neck, and he sighed at the heavenly feel of her just being near him.
Thad had always enjoyed sex but being with Veronica afterward was amazing in a completely different way. He felt as though he’d woken from the grayest of dreams. This new reality was everything he’d hoped for, all the colors he was missing, and he never wanted to go back to the dull world he’d lived in before he met Veronica.
“We should get out,” Veronica said. “Lyra will be back soon.”
Thad reluctantly agreed. He kissed her again as she moved on top of him, straddling him. He groaned when she reached between their bodies and guided him into her.
“I thought you said we should get out.”
“We still have time.”
He gasped as she sank down, wrapping him in her wet, hot body. She was so tight; it made him almost come just being inside her. She raised her hips and came back down, a soft sound escaping her lips. He held her gaze as she rode him at her own pace.
He basked in the sweetness of watching pleasure capture her features and hold her in its thrall. When she came, she sagged against him and chuckled.
“I can’t believe we…” she murmured in embarrassment.
“Oh, we’re not finished yet,” he promised.
Veronica slid off him and faced away with an impish grin, arching her back so her bottom was facing him. He moved in behind her in the spacious tub, able to put his knees on either side of hers as he sank into her from behind. They made love slowly, and Thad left her panting and begging for him to be harder and faster.
“You want it harder, honey?”
She couldn’t even vocalize any more, she merely nodded, and he gave in to her demands. They were frantic in their passion now, as though this first night together might also be the last. He buried himself so deep within her that when he finally found his release, his eyes dotted with stars. They both collapsed against the comforting jets of the jacuzzi.
“Oh, God… How do you do that?” she asked with a sleepy grin.
“Do what?”
“Fuck me so hard I forget my own name.” She turned and curled her arms around his neck as he held her waist, enjoying the feel of her body against his again.
“It’s one of my many talents,” he teased. He fisted a hand in her hair and held her captive for a kiss, demanding her mouth to open form him so he could thrust his tongue inside.
It was a while later before he dried her off and carried her to bed. They managed to pull their pajamas on minutes before Lyra returned. The adorable little girl was almost asleep on her feet as Candace led her to the entryway of the suite.
“Did you have fun?” Thad asked as he lifted Lyra into his arms.
“Uh huh.” She rubbed her eyes as her head collapsed on his shoulders. Veronica mouthed a silent “thank you” to Candace as she closed the suite door.
“Wow, she’s already out.”
Veronica giggled as Thad carried the unconscious little girl to the parlor room. Veronica changed her into her pajamas, and they tucked her into bed together. Veronica came to stand beside Thad, hugging his waist as they gazed at the little girl before they turned out the light.
Thad’s heart was so full part of him wondered if he was having a heart attack. This night had been everything he’d hoped it would be. Damn Jared, he’d been right. Dating a woman, falling in love first, made sex all the better. He couldn’t imagine going back to the man he’d been before, the playboy with nothing but one-night stands to look forward to.
