Cinderella Undone

by Nicole Snow

  Now, there's no question.

  I'm whole. Complete. Crazier than I've ever been in all the best ways.

  I walk out of that room holding dad's letters in one hand, and Sunflower slung over my shoulder with the other.

  We head upstairs. I take her three more times that night, exhausting our pent up lust in my bed, the same mattress I can't wait to wear down once she's finally my wife.

  In the morning, I read the rest of his letters. All six. The last was written just a couple weeks before dad's heart attack, when life got real, and I started to fear finding out who he really was.

  There's no more doubt.

  My old man never cheated on ma. He never put a black mark on this family, or on me.

  He tried sparing us a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.

  He thought he had Black Rhino's CFO on his side. But Judy Winds cracked and couldn't carry their plan through after he dropped dead.

  The woman wasn't strong like him. She confessed everything to Victor not long after dad died. He gave her a fat severance and accepted her resignation.

  A little detective work in the corporate records tells me everything. It also says she died a footnote in Albuquerque a few years into retirement, just a couple years ago.

  If I had a regretful bone in my body, I'd wonder why cowardice and bad luck fucked things up for years. I'd dwell on it, wish like hell it'd happened differently, sparing us the misery.

  But I don't. Not anymore. It's time to put the past to bed.

  I march the letters outside and tuck them in the fire pit next to my citrus trees, except for one. The old lighter I still carry gives its flame. It's habit, keeping it in my pocket from when I used to smoke.

  I haven't had a cig in years. It's a thousand times more satisfying watching dead worlds burn.

  The breeze ruffles the last letter in my hand. Kendra saw plenty when I pulled them out in front of her, but this one is for two sets of eyes only.

  It's two pages. There's a brief note from Judy, promising she'll keep the enclosed safe, in the event 'something terrible' happens. Then on the next page, a confession.

  Son,

  What do I even say? You're grown up, finding yourself, and you're a bigger hero than I'll ever be by heading off to boot camp soon.

  I don't have a crystal ball. No magic words to pass down from the Carlisles who came before. No litany of wisdom because I'm not that arrogant.

  I just have the truth, and here it is: some very serious affairs with Black Rhino are coming to a head soon. I don't know what will happen.

  If I wind up in jail, or dead, or even worse, here's what I want you to do in one simple word.

  Live.

  By your terms. By your passion. Find the love of your life and have a few kids. Spend more time with them than the days I got with you and Jamie.

  Forget the money. There's always more somewhere and it's never worth it if it makes you dirty.

  Honor me by having a good life, and making sure your sister has the same.

  Live. With love always.

  I read his words over and over before I slip it back in its envelope, and keep it safe for Jamie.

  The irony should gut me, thinking my father left me with a lot of doubts, when all he's left is his very best.

  No. I take it like a man standing next to the fire.

  I'm still smiling the very second Kendra comes out, Lizzie hanging on her hand, both of them laughing over some lighthearted chatter I missed.

  I don't know what dad's words would've meant if I'd read them a year ago.

  Instead, I've been living his advice without knowing it, renewed in every heartbeat, every breath, every time I lay eyes on my family, and know they're a finer treasure than any I ever asked for.

  This is my life on this rock. And for the first time in ages, I love it.

  Cinderella, Prince Charming, and the Fairy-fucking-Godmother combined never had it this good.

  17

  Under Sun and Stars (Kendra)

  One Month Later

  Tomorrow, it's Paris.

  Tonight, it's Sedona.

  We watch the red October sunset slip low in the sky over the tinted mountains, a beacon reminding me how much time has passed. Twenty-four hours since I officially became the latest Mrs. Carlisle.

  “Pretty far from the casita, aren't we?” I say, rubbing his arm. He flashes a grin as he shifts gears, bringing us higher into the mountains, away from the cozy and luxurious vacation house he owns below.

  “Not high enough yet by half, Sunflower. Don't tell me you're still dog tired from yesterday?”

  My fingers squeeze his bicep. Hard, needy, and mine. “I'm human, Knox. You only kept me up all night and insisted we take off by noon for the helicopter ride up here.”

  We spent hours before we landed touring the awesome canyons and mountain vistas. If Earth wears a diamond ring like the one on my finger, it's here, perched between Phoenix and Flagstaff in a splendor merging fine stones with crystal skies. Raw beauty layered purple, red, and blue in endless combinations.

  “A man's entitled to his wedding night. Best fuck I ever had since our first, darling. And that's hard to pin down with so many good ones in between. Even harder to believe...hell, I'm still hard myself.”

  “Honeymoon isn't over, ass. Are we really going to do it on two continents in just as many days?”

  He nods. Completely serious.

  “Do I joke about life and death, Sunflower?”

  Nope. That's totally not his caveman style. Of course, he shows his tenderness when he thinks I'm not looking, too.

  Like when we went to Jamie's graduation just before the wedding. He practically broke his little sister in a bear hug, lifting her up in his arms, and telling her, you finally did it, sis. I'm fucking proud.

  If she was any other woman, I'd be jealous.

  His heart shined through again when we handed Lizzie off to her grandmas after the reception. Yes, both of them.

  She's spending time with Mrs. Carlisle, mom, and her new grandpa while we're gone for the next week. My parents looked like they couldn't wait to have a little girl running around the house again. They only told about a million stories from my childhood antics in front of everyone.

  Knox laughed, teased me with his eyes, but he couldn't keep them off his baby girl for long. She hasn't been away from him for so long since the trip to Africa he's sworn will be his last with a gun and a mission. Next time, he says, it'll be charity.

  I get him. It's scary to let go, even just for a vacation, but he did it for us. He did it to go beyond the vows, and make sure our families become one, stitched together in our messy, happy love.

  “Last warning, darling,” he says, squeezing my hand as the truck rolls on. “By the time we get up this mountain, you better have those lips ready.”

  Dear God. I don't know whether I'm supposed to be shocked by his bossy business or turned on, but there's a definite rush of heat between my thighs. I snuggle in, holding his arm tighter, each curl of my hand bringing more memories.

  Every time I can't believe I'm a married woman, I re-live the ceremony. I see it all on repeat. I want to cry again.

  Mom, dad, Jamie, and my new mother-in-law, smiling while I walked the aisle, thankful for the paper thin veil obscuring my tears.

  Promising myself I'd be strong. Naturally, I cracked like a baby, sniffling through the first part of the ceremony. I caught myself when it counted, thankfully, and held it together while we swapped vows.

  Lizzie grinning up at us as grandma helped her lift the pillow holding our rings. I had a feeling she'd love the ritual, the excitement, and of course the fairy tale trappings of the wedding, but I didn't know she'd understand it.

  When I looked into her eyes, I knew. And so did she.

  To love. To cherish. To have and to hold.

  I do. And so does he.

  Infinity times over.

  Our vows were one of those surreal, beautiful moments that swell to a cresc
endo before I'm even able to tell where the music is coming from. And once I realize it's always been in our hearts, we're man and wife, and it's time to kiss the bride.

  I'll never forget how my husband's lips tasted the first time they conquered mine. Familiar, but different than they were a mere lover's kiss.

  Sweeter. Sexier. Stronger. Emotional steroids.

  Our kiss lived a storm, a flood, and a blooming desert oasis in sixty seconds flat.

  Frantic and hopeful as our own joined pulse.

  Timeless, maybe, when my tongue folded against his, and our forever yawned to heaven.

  Endless. Really and truly because that's the vow I took. Not just the words I muttered in front of our pastor and everyone I care about, but the promise in every breath, every pulse, every glance completely high on us.

  When I open my eyes and happy reminiscing scatters like butterflies, his truck stops. I feel his lips connect with my forehead, and he takes my hand, giving it a gentle pinch. “We're here. Just in time for champagne and sky.”

  I don't quite follow what he means until I look up, popping the door. It's hard not to trip all over myself, especially when my jaw is almost dragging on the ground.

  “You...you did this for us? Or hired someone?”

  “All me, Sunflower. Set it up with a guy to rent the top of this mountain and make sure it's ours as long as we want. The rest, no. No damn way I'd ever let another man touch something this personal.”

  Heart, meet knees. I don't snap out of my stupor until he takes my hand, leading me forward.

  What looks like a beautiful white pagoda sits safely near the cliff. Next to it, a cooler, full of ice, champagne, caviar, and fancy cheeses. I see them all when he throws a simple cloth over the small wire table, and retrieves a bottle with two crystal glasses.

  Any other woman would be ruined by the stunning romantic view. We're just in time to see the night sky descend over the red sun waving farewell. But for me, it's the flowers.

  They're everywhere. Sunflowers line the walking path and form the inner circle around our little sanctuary.

  Tall. Yellow. Vivid.

  Brighter than the dying sun.

  “Amazing,” I whisper, probably for the fifth time. We share a smile, and I try to communicate the emotions beyond simple words blowing through my soul.

  “Wrong. You'll see something truly amazing in another hour when our stars come, and we're living everything we should've had from the first damn word.” He silences me before I can answer with a kiss.

  My hands slide down his back, tracing his muscles, falling against the soft plush cushion under the bench. I've had two sips of champagne since we clinked glasses, and I'm done. His kisses are so much better, so deliciously addicting.

  “A whole hour? What in the world will we do to pass the time?” I whisper, sticking my tongue out through my teeth.

  Hot breath quickens against my throat. Knox kisses me there while his hand slips to the curve of my hip, leaving no doubt what's on the agenda all night.

  “Magic, Cinderella,” he rumbles. His voice fades, swallowed in my moan, and the sweet pressure of his lips on my skin. “Wish you'd brought those fancy slippers with. One day, I will fuck you while they're on your ankles. Always wondered what they'd feel like digging into my skin.”

  I shudder. The taboo thought gives me plenty reason to smile. It's not just imagining his piston thrusts between my thighs while I scream, sinking the glass heels into his muscular legs. It's the fact that without him, they'd be trapped in a patent lawsuit between me and Gannon, rather than getting ready for their first big European fashion show.

  That's the other reason we've picked Paris for our honeymoon. The city of lights drips romance and history in every street, and when he learned I'd been tapped by a big name brand overseas for their fall show, he insisted.

  Now, though, his lips are demanding something else. Knox growls when he catches my skirt, tossing it high over my waist, and his mouth grazes my legs.

  My hands reach over my head, find the edge of the bench, and brace. I need all the leverage I can get to withstand the tsunami when his tongue flicks higher, crawling up my thighs, a movement away from my pulsing center.

  I'm not the only one in for a wicked surprise. He groans, tongue arching over my slick pussy lips, a satisfied rumble caught in his throat. “Good girl. No panties.”

  “Just like you asked. What kind of woman would I be to deny my husband a simple request?” I smile, looking down as his fingers pinch my thighs, a marvelously feral glint in his sky blue eyes. It's incredible how brilliant the sunset makes them glow.

  “You'd be the girl who doesn't get to come on my face two times before I fuck you at the top of the world.”

  Sweet mercy.

  Ecstasy holds every inch of me hostage as he pins me down, spreads me open, pushing his face between my folds. When I'm tossing my head back, squirming, trying to remember my own name, I'm in awe. It's incredible how his familiar tongue still feels strange and wonderful.

  Knox's mouth was always the beginning and the end.

  He licks me, faster and harder as my pleasure builds. He knows my body's rhythm, how to touch every nerve to make our song. It's the same mouth he used to tease me, torture me, awaken me going back a decade.

  And now it belongs to my husband.

  Now, it's inside me, just like his words are seared in my brain.

  Now, it's a reminder he owns everything, starting with the bead beneath his tongue.

  My clit throbs against his licks. They cut fierce circles around it, a circuit of pure sex, feeding the fireball building in my belly.

  His mouth is too occupied to speak, but I hear his commands every time his fingers sink into my thighs. Give it the fuck up for me, Kendra.

  Come.

  My first orgasm is a scream. My body seizes, hips thrusting, frantically trying to catch his mouth, greedy and ready for more, more, more.

  I can't fathom how long I ride his face. It's darker, the sun's last pale orange stripe retreating over the mountains, and somehow he's pulled off my dress in the commotion. I'm straddling his chest, slick and panting, hands gliding over his tattoos while I open his shirt. He's popped the buttons for me.

  Reaching for his cock, I feel it through his trousers, and moan. I need him in me.

  Knox grabs my hand, a smirk on his lips. The blue flames in his eyes melt mine several times over.

  “Did I say fuck me yet, darling? You owe this tongue another O. Pay your dues.” He helps drag me naked up his chest, until I'm positioned over his face. Then his hands circle to my ass, catching hold, pulling me into the white hot fire blinding me on the first lick.

  This pressure, this angle, this otherworldly tongue takes me prisoner. And I'm a willing captive. So damn ready there's no doubt this is ending in a seething mess.

  I whimper when he pulls my legs shut around his head. His tongue feels bigger somehow underneath, sweeping my entire pussy. He shoves it inside me and fucks my walls hard, equally rough and sensual. Harbinger of the hard-on I know is tenting behind me while I moan, rocking my hips on his face.

  And Knox rocks me, too. Straight to my very core. I'm doused in fire and dipped in his muscular valley again. He holds me down when I try to squirm away, unrelenting when I pause for even a second, overwhelmed by the building tension.

  “Knox...” I whine his name, a split second before my knees shake, and my pussy pinches tight around his tongue. “Knox! Holy hell.”

  He growls his reply. Wordless, predictable, unbearably hot.

  You better fucking come.

  When his mouth finds my clit, there's no question. No choice. It's submission at its finest; a low, sweeping, wild surrender to the lightning he's brought to my depths.

  Another suck.

  Another soft kiss of his teeth, holding on, dragging me deeper.

  Another lick, smothering my hostage clit over and over and over.

  That's exactly what I am.

  Ov
er. Done. Ended.

  I come apart quaking, screaming, hands splayed and trembling on his chest. He holds me up to nirvana. The pressure building inside me isn't just fire.

  It's wet, so wet. I'm squirting all over him, and I have a second of self-conscious shame.

  But it only quickens his tongue. The animal heat of his thirst deepens, and he drinks my lust, my passion, my coming undone.

  I throw my head to the newborn night sky and let out a silent scream. It's too intense. I can't even make a sound.

  It's a full body release on his tongue. I think I black out, deep in the zone, and don't come back until softer kisses touch my inner thigh. His hands are in mine, locked at the fingers.

  “What?” I whisper, smiling, staring down into his blue-eyed mystery.

  “Admiring the view. It'd be a crime not to. You're more beautiful every time you come for me, Sunflower. Fuck, you taste good, even though it just makes me hungrier.”

  His tongue sweeps across his lips. There's still a chill halfway up my spine when his arms wrap around my waist, lifting me like I'm nothing, and we shift positions.

  Knox moves between my legs, pushing his bare cock against my pussy. I'm in heat again the instant he's in, as if I haven't just come twice on his tongue.

  “You ready, wife?” His eyes are deadly serious. He rolls his hips, sliding his cock to my entrance, agonizingly close.

  I can't even move. There no words, so I grip my lip with my bottom teeth, and nod. His fingers climb behind my head, finding their place in my hair. Taking hold, he watches me open my eyes, and stare into the brightest two stars in his face. His eyes stand out among the brilliance blooming in the sky high above his head.

  I loved our wedding night, but this is better. I'm about to have my husband at the edge of eternity.

  “Can't hear you, darling,” he whispers, running his lips down my neck, taking one nipple in his mouth.

  He doesn't let go until my moan becomes a plea. “Please. Knox, fuck, please.”

  One word.

  One thrust.