“I can’t believe I get to stay here.”
“You’ll be tired of it soon enough. Drafty hallways, a long walk to work . . . It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”
“I do believe there was the promise of fires and cocoa?”
“If that’s all it takes to make you happy, you’ll be delirious. At least, for a little while. I’ve allocated a whole wing for weddings, guests, and activities. However, you’re going to be on the other side of the castle. That way it feels like you at least get a break from work. You don’t want the guests to have easy access to you in your off time.”
That was so thoughtful, not that Zuri would’ve complained either way.
He led her inside the castle, and it was all she could do not to ooh and aah out loud. She pulled out her phone to snap a few pictures to send to Zeva and saw she had a text. Zuri dismissed the notification; she’d look at it later.
They got on an old elevator that was very Gatsby in its old-world charm and style, and he pulled the lever over to four. It took the ancient thing quite some time to haul them up to the appropriate floor, but Zuri found it retro and charming.
When they emerged, she followed him down an impossibly long hallway to a gilded white door. He opened it for her, and when she stepped inside, she realized her accommodations were bigger than her apartment in Chicago.
“This was recently renovated. It was formerly the Queen’s Suite.”
She looked around and couldn’t for the life of her keep her mouth closed. Her jaw dropped farther at each and every new thing that was revealed. From the huge stone balcony, with the wall of windows, to the very modern kitchen, the river-stone fireplace with a roaring fire, and the marble stairs that led up to a loft that was all bed, covered in emerald satin with heavy velvet curtains, and a small hallway that led to what could only be described as a wet room. A Roman stone bath that looked like it could hold twenty people, to the one-hundred-showerhead glass enclosure . . . everything about the place screamed over-the-top luxury.
The front room bore rich Persian carpets and satin and velvet pillows on plush, brightly colored furniture.
“This is for me?” It couldn’t possibly be. It was too much.
“The godmothers wanted you to have a kind of retreat. There’s also a guest room, if you’d like to have your sister visit.”
“Ever After is still like every other small town. Everyone knows everything about you.”
A knock sounded on the door.
“Ah, that will be our hot chocolate.” He opened the door, and a man in a uniform brought in a tray with a silver teapot and two mugs, as well as an array of toppings. “That will be all, thank you.”
The man left as silently as he’d come, and while her head was still swimming, Phillip pointed to a screen on the front of the refrigerator.
“Anything you’d like stocked in your kitchen you can type in on this screen, and someone will take care of it. You can even specify a time, but we prefer to get it all done on Wednesdays. It gives staff time to rest after our wedding guests leave on Mondays. You can also use this screen to order food from the kitchen if you’d rather not bother with cooking. You can also make special requests, but you must give them time to acquire the ingredients if it’s something different from what we normally have on hand.”
“This. Is. Ridiculous.”
“Not at all. We want you to be comfortable and able to focus on your job. You can’t do that if you’re eating microwave dinners,” he said.
“I’m never leaving. I need you to know that. Even if FGI fires me. You will never get me out of this room . . . no, house. Whatever. It’s mine forever.”
He barked out a laugh. “Stay forever, said the cursed prince to the princess.”
She snorted. “You’re so weird.”
But she found she liked that he was weird, because it was honest. That was what she liked best about him, how genuine he was. How real. Even though he was obviously stupid rich.
They drank their hot chocolate, and he was true to his word. He gave her as many marshmallows as her soup bowl of a cup would allow.
The first sip of the chocolate on her tongue caused her to moan. “This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”
“It’s Mayan drinking chocolate.”
“And you let me put marshmallows in it. For shame.”
“I like marshmallows in mine.” He grinned, and he had bits of chocolate at the edges of his mouth.
Oh, but Phillip Charming was dangerous.
He was handsome, and silly, and . . .
And if she hadn’t just had her heart broken, she’d have taken him to bed. Right then, right there.
She still wanted to.
It wasn’t just the sexual gratification she wanted. Zuri wanted to feel the other things he seemed to offer, too. An honest connection, whether it was love or not, she wanted to be touched by someone who saw her for who she was. Who let her see him for the same.
There was just something about him. Maybe it was his warmth, his openness, she didn’t know. Zuri found herself spilling her whole sordid tale about Alec/Xander, the wedding from hell, and the way her life had imploded. He didn’t judge her, and even better, she could tell that he didn’t pity her either.
“His loss is Ever After’s gain. And yours too, I think. You know you’re well rid of that douchebag, right?”
Her lips bloomed into a grin. “Yeah, I am. The bride and I both are.”
Silence stretched out between them, but it wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable, even though it was weighted with expectation. Something changed in that moment. She looked up from her chocolate, and their eyes met. He held her gaze, and the unique green of his eyes darkened. Her heart beat faster, and she inhaled a shaky breath.
If he made a pass at her now, she knew she wouldn’t say no.
She was torn between wanting him to grab her, kiss her hard, and bang her like a screen door in a hurricane, and hoping against hope that he’d take pity on her and let her be. That he’d remember she was vulnerable and be worthy of her trust.
Not that he wasn’t worthy of her trust if he acted on this thing they both obviously wanted, but . . . she just wanted him to be better. She wanted him to be more than Alec Marsh. She needed to feel like she meant more, too.
Why did her feelings have to be so complicated? It wasn’t practical. Not in the least.
Phillip put his cup down on the counter and took her hand. “It’s been a pleasure, Zuri Davis. I’m happy you’re in Ever After.”
Then he did something devastating.
He brought her hand to his lips and pressed the most chaste of kisses on her knuckles and left.
She flopped down in front of the roaring fire and held her hand close to her heart.
Oh, she was in so much trouble.
Her sister had been right.
Speaking of Zeva, she grabbed the phone to text her and remembered the earlier text she’d received.
Zuri opened it, expecting a text from her sister, but instead, it was from Xan—Alec.
Can we talk?
Her first instinct was to say hell no they couldn’t talk. Or ask him what he thought they had to talk about.
Then Zuri remembered her wish. She’d asked for her heart’s desire.
Double-checking the time stamp on the text, she realized he’d texted her right after she’d made her wish.
Was hearing from Alec her heart’s desire?
Had her wish come true?
Chapter 5
Zuri Davis was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
She was smart, and obviously had a huge, loving heart all wrapped up in an hourglass shape that he couldn’t stop thinking about getting his hands on.
Could he be so lucky that she’d be the one to break his curse?
He’d wanted to kiss her earlier. That moment when their eyes had met and their gazes locked, it had seemed like that moment had stretched into eternity, but was still somehow over way too soon.
> He kept remembering how she’d said she didn’t want a relationship, but the fact that she’d tossed the coin just as he’d regained human form wasn’t lost on him.
At one time, Phillip wouldn’t have doubted he was the answer to someone’s wish. He’d been arrogant and really had thought he was a gift.
Now, he wasn’t so sure.
Phillip had promised her the truth, and he’d give it to her. After she learned about magic. He was sure that if she decided to stay in Ever After, the godmothers would tell her.
Which meant he’d also have to tell her what he’d done to make Petty angry enough to turn him into a frog.
He should probably also introduce her to Hunter. At some point. If she met him before he could warn her about his . . . condition . . . well, it could be traumatic for both of them. After all, she was bound to find her way down into his abode one way or another.
Speaking of the man, the myth, the Beast . . . he could hear Hunter’s claws on the marble steps.
Just in time, too.
Phillip noticed his friend’s cloak was a brighter red than he’d ever seen it, and his facial fur was neatly groomed.
He’d taken extra grooming steps to go visit the Evil Queen.
“Not. One. Word.” Hunter eyed him.
“I just noticed you put in some effort.” Phillip didn’t know if he’d have taken it that far, but he wasn’t going to give Hunter too much grief over it. A little, to be sure. But no more than necessary to keep the bonds of their friendship solid.
Hunter needed a little teasing now and then.
“It’s not easy to groom facial fur with these claws, brother.”
“I imagine not.”
While, at first, Phillip had been excited about the possibility of Ravenna being able to help him with this curse, that excitement had faded. He didn’t want to get his hopes up for no reason. So really, this visit to the dark castle was more for Hunter than himself.
He knew his friend had a major thing for the dark queen.
Not that he blamed him. Ravenna was beautiful, and slightly terrifying.
“Did you get her a gift?” Hunter asked. “We have to take her a tribute.”
What did one take to a woman such as Ravenna? He had zero idea.
“Chocolate? The hearts of her enemies? Ah, the hearts of her enemies dipped in chocolate?” Hunter asked hopefully.
“Those are all great suggestions, and a good thing, too. Because I forgot we needed to take her a tribute.”
“Damn it, man!” Hunter swore. Then he perked. “Cheese. We could take her cheese.”
“How did we get from the hearts of her enemies to cheese?”
“I . . . it’s just what we’re doing. Cheese. Who doesn’t love cheese?” Hunter declared.
“What if she’s lactose intolerant?” Phillip couldn’t resist needling his friend.
Hunter perked, his ears folding forward on his head. “Do you think she is?”
“No.” Phillip laughed. “Listen, it’s going to be fine. We’ll take her a bottle of champagne. A night-blooming carnivorous flower and some absinthe truffles.”
“That’s good. Yeah. Good.” Hunter nodded. “I . . . I shouldn’t be doing this, should I? This is dumb.”
“It’s not any dumber than asking her to break a curse. Which, incidentally, she knows I’ve been cursed for the last three hundred years and hasn’t done anything about it.”
“Well, you haven’t asked, have you?” Hunter prompted.
“You’re right. I keep forgetting she’s not like everyone else. She doesn’t help unless she’s asked.”
“We were both her. Once upon a time, my friend.”
Phillip realized he was right. Even now, sometimes, he warred with himself over doing the right thing. For a long time, he’d been angry that people just expected him to do things without a please, and sometimes without a thank you. But that wasn’t why people did good things. Or at least, it wasn’t supposed to be.
The point of being good was doing good when no one was looking.
He certainly understood wanting a cookie once in a while. Or all the time, actually.
“So, are you going to get that Medusa plant from the greenhouse to take to your girlfriend, or what?”
Although, Hunter didn’t actually have to go anywhere. The castle was enchanted to respond to their needs, and the Medusa plant, truffles, and a bottle of champagne appeared secured for their travel through the woods in a basket.
“You’ve got the red cloak and the basket,” Phillip pointed out.
“Shut. Up,” Hunter grumbled, but picked up the basket carefully.
They set out on the newly designed path into the deep, dark part of the Enchanted Woods.
“Lots of stories start this way. This could be good,” Hunter said.
When the forest got darker, older, more overgrown, and the animals they spotted in the foliage got darker, too, they looked at each other and shook their heads.
“I did not just see a rabbit with vampire teeth. I didn’t,” Phillip said, and shook his head, while he tried to not get too clear a picture of the rest of the wildlife that followed them up the trail.
“I’m comforted by the fact my teeth are bigger, but it makes me imagine what else is out in these woods. It wasn’t like this before her castle came back.”
“It’s fine, though.”
They nodded together.
“Honestly, she’s probably watching us through some security system crystal ball and laughing at us for being little bitches.”
Hunter’s brows furrowed, and he straightened, squaring his shoulders. “It’s not creepy at all.” But his head swiveled to the left when something moved in the underbrush, and he bared his teeth ready to fight.
“Coming to the castle?” A voice surprised them.
Phillip looked around and saw a giant flying fox hanging upside down from a nearby tree.
“Yes, we’d like to visit with Ravenna. We come bearing gifts,” Phillip said, and Hunter held up the basket.
“Oh, presents!” The flying fox did a flip and landed on her feet. “Anything in there for me? Maybe a tasty strawberry or two?”
“We didn’t know to expect you. Next time, we’ll bring you some strawberries. If that’s okay?” Phillip asked.
“I like that you think there will be a next time.” She laughed and jumped up onto a higher branch. “I’ll let her know you’re coming.”
The giant flying fox spread her wings wide and drifted across the canopy of trees.
“Security bats. I like it,” Hunter agreed.
“Of course Ravenna has security bats. At least they weren’t flying monkeys.”
“I wouldn’t want to know what that looks like. Can you imagine how much crap there would be everywhere with flying monkeys?”
“I don’t want to.” Yet, Phillip couldn’t stop himself from imagining it. He shuddered. Awful. Just awful.
Suddenly, small mushrooms lining the new path flickered to life, and Phillip could see the path winding all the way up to the dark castle.
“That’s nice. See, people have misjudged Ravenna. Just like everyone misjudged us,” Hunter said.
Phillip didn’t trust it, but he wasn’t going to say so to his friend. He knew Hunter was at that part of infatuation where Ravenna could probably step on his tail or use it as a back scrubby and he’d be grateful.
He, personally, hated that part.
They followed the path the rest of the way up to the castle, and when they emerged from the dark forest, the black castle was alight with brightly burning torches and a fountain of fire. Phillip wondered if they hadn’t accidentally wandered into hell.
A homey hell, with happy flying foxes and giant vampire bunny rabbits, but hell nonetheless.
The giant arched doors opened, and the mistress of the castle herself stood there waiting to greet them. She was regal in her bearing, dripping with onyx jewelry and black pearls on a shimmery, yet still black, baroque-style dress. He had
to admit, Ravenna knew how to make an entrance.
“Esmerelda informed me we’re having guests,” she said, arching a perfect black brow. “Do come in.”
Phillip hadn’t thought that his friend could square his shoulders wider, or stand up taller, but he did. He was like a full-grown grizzly standing on its back legs.
A full-grown grizzly with an addiction to beard oil.
Phillip bit his cheek to keep from snickering and followed his friend toward the stairs.
When Hunter approached Ravenna, he bent at the waist and offered his massive paw for her hand.
Ravenna studied him for a long moment before giving him her hand.
Instead of brushing his snout over the back of her hand, which would’ve been awful all around, he pressed it to his forehead.
“It’s a pleasure to see you, Ravenna.”
“Is it?” She curled her lips in a smirk and looked to Phillip, obviously waiting for his greeting.
“Majesty,” was all he could offer. He noticed that the place smelled like incense and cinnamon. Unexpected.
“Hmm. So proper. So polite. You must want something, and you must want it badly to have made the trek in the dark to my humble home.”
“I would’ve come just to visit if I knew I’d be received,” Hunter interjected.
“Really? Would you like to come for tea, then? Come sit in my parlor with my spiders and eggplant sandwiches and blood orange tea,” Ravenna teased.
“I would like that. I’ll bring my mother’s spell book and share a reading or two, if you’d like.”
Ravenna laughed. “Oh dear. How could I say no to that?”
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
Hunter’s blunt honesty was endearing, even to Ravenna, Phillip could see. He didn’t want his friend to get his feelings dumped in the shredder, and Phillip was pleased to see that it didn’t seem like Ravenna had any dark intentions toward his friend.
“I think you might’ve lost your mind, Hunter. But come for tea and we shall see. Now, tell me what you really came for.”
“Perhaps in the parlor?” Esmerelda suggested.
“Oh, I suppose.”
Esmerelda led them inside the castle, and Phillip realized it was the perfect mirror of his own home.
Men Are Frogs Page 6