by Brenda Drake
“Daisy works.”
He kissed behind her earlobe, and she shuddered. “You know what I mean.”
“You want to define our relationship?”
“I’d like to.”
She twisted in his arms to face him.
“I don’t know. There are so many terms. Partner, bae, boo…” She laughed. He didn’t. “What? I thought that was funny.”
“You definitely need to work on your delivery.” He kissed her forehead. “Wait here, okay?”
What?
He left her alone on the terrace, and suddenly the magic wasn’t as magical. She stared at the garden, already impatient for him to return.
“O Daisy, Daisy! Wherefore art thou Daisy?” Andrei yelled from the garden below. He stood on the pathway below, a tall, masculine figure in a bloom of light.
“That’s Juliet’s part,” she called down to him.
“Maybe, but I’m sure Romeo was thinking of saying it.”
“You do, huh?” She chuckled.
“But, soft!” he yelled. “What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Daisy is the sun!”
“Will you stop, already?” She didn’t want him to stop. He looked so damn hot down there reciting Shakespeare. “How do you even know this stuff?”
“Hush. You’re ruining the moment. We had to memorize it for class.” Andrei climbed the tree nearby until he was just below eye level of the terrace. “Daisy, will you be my girlfriend?”
“Get down, before you hurt yourself.”
“I won’t until you answer my question.”
She smirked, trying to keep from laughing. “Of course, I will. You’re such a cheeseball.”
“Yes, but I’m your cheeseball.”
“That you are,” she said. “Now, get down.”
When he focused on climbing down, she turned and ran out the terrace doors and pounded down the steps of the wide staircase, stopping for a second to catch her breath. With her weak heart, sometimes it felt as if she were running underwater. She continued out the side door leading to the garden. Andrei hopped down from the last branch of the tree.
Her breath burned in her lungs as she darted for him. He turned just then, spotting her running toward him, and caught her in his arms when she reached him.
“Now, who’s being dramatic,” he said, his lips pressing hers with such wanton force it knocked her off-balance. He wrapped his arms tighter around her, holding her up.
His strong hands ran up her back and his fingers buried in her hair. Parting her lips with his tongue, he deepened the kiss. She went weak against him, every nerve ending heightened with awareness. His hard body pressing against hers sent fireworks through her veins. He kissed the part of her neck just above her collarbone, and she moaned. His lips went to her ear.
“We should go,” he said, his voice hoarse with passion. “It’s your sister’s night. We wouldn’t want to miss anything. But I promise, later, I will figure out how this dress comes off.”
“I hope you’re the type that keeps his promises.” She did her best pouty lips and spun around, swinging her hips as she headed for the door.
“Oh, you can count on that.” His dress shoes click-clacked on the brick pathway behind her.
Daisy wanted to savor the night—wanted to stay in the fairy tale longer—but at the same time, she wanted it to hurry up and end. The thought of what Andrei may do later that night to her lifted her steps.
Andrei caught up and took her hand in his. She glanced at him and smiled, excited to explore this relationship with him. That even though their trip around Europe had ended, the rest of their journey had just begun.
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Acknowledgments
Finishing a series is always bittersweet. I am both happy to have completed a series, but sad to leave a world and characters I’ve grown to love behind. Getting a book to readers takes many hands. I’ve been fated with several special people helping and guiding me through the production of this book.
First, I want to thank my agent, Peter Knapp. Fate brought me to you when I was at my lowest, and your kindness has helped me through many difficult times.
A ginormous thank you to my publisher and fate maker, Liz Pelletier, for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to share my stories with the world.
Thank you to Candace Havens for your mad editing skills and for helping me get this book to a place where I love it. It’s been fun working with you on this one. I appreciate you being tough on me.
A special thank you to Laura LaTulipe for the excellent copy edits, and to Syd Gill for the beautiful cover.
To the entire Entangled Teen team that worked on this book from start to finish. To my production editor, Crystal Havens. And to Riki Cleveland and Holly Bryant-Simpson in marketing. Thank you for taking care of my book!
Thank you to Pintip Dunn for always being there when I need something. Walking alongside this journey with you has been a gift. And to Heather Cashman, thanks for always listening and giving me suggestions when I need them.
A big thank you to the writing community surrounding Pitch Wars for always supporting me and making me feel less alone in this book business.
To my family and my husband, Richard Drake, thank you for always supporting my dreams and understanding all the struggles that come with it.
And finally, to you, dear reader, thank you for reading Daisy and Andrei’s story. And if you read the other two books in the series, I hope you enjoyed the Layne sisters’ stories as much as I enjoyed writing them.
About the Author
Brenda Drake grew up the youngest of three children, an Air Force brat, and the continual new kid at school. Her fondest memories growing up is of her eccentric, Irish grandmother’s animated tales, which gave her a strong love for storytelling. So it was only fitting that she would choose to write stories with a bend toward the fantastical. When she’s not writing or hanging out with her family, she haunts libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops, or reads someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment).
Discover the Fated series…
Touching Fate
Cursing Fate
Also by Brenda Drake
Thief of Lies
Guardian of Secrets
Assassin of Truths
Thunderstruck
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