Falling for the Beast: A modern fairytale romance

by Angela Blake

  The back yard was the most extravagant portion of the estate. It housed a separate building for Adam’s cars, a separate two-floor house for the maids and butlers to stay in, a swimming pool, a stage for bands and other events, a tennis court and a basketball court.

  “Wow,” I told Lumiere. “Has he never thought about quitting his job and just retire early? I mean, he surely has enough money to last a lifetime and more even with this kind of expensive lifestyle.”

  Lumiere shrugged, “We suggested that years ago but to no avail. The master has become enslaved to his work, to his career. He wants nothing else but to rise on top. The pain of how the world treated him after his mistake with Madame Durand lingers to this very day.”

  I shook my head at that, “No. There must be a way for that to change. Come on, he had the softness in his heart to let my father go. He surely must have more room in there to consider stopping his endless rage for money and power.”

  “How will you achieve that?” Lumiere asked me as he took me by the arm and led me back inside. “We have had many prospective uh, partners, come and go and yet the maestro has not shown much interest.”

  So, that meant Adam had slept with numerous girls in the past. I wasn’t the only one he brought here. I wonder how many times Lumiere had to go around and tour a young woman through the estate. I wanted to ask but figured it might be rude to do so.

  “I honestly don’t know,” I answered. “To be completely honest with you shouldn’t really care. We had a one-night stand, I just work for him out of pure obligation to save my father and that’s it… but, I do care and I’ll just have to wing it.”

  Lumiere smiled and held my hand, “Mon’amie, that is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said about the maestro. I am genuinely cheering for you. Now come, let us go back inside and start working with Cogsworth to move all your belongings in.”

  “Sure thing,” I told him and we walked back inside.

  There we were greeted by a sweet middle-aged lady, a little chubby but jolly, and her young son. Lumiere introduced the lady as Mrs. Potts and the young boy was her son, Charles but everyone referred to him simply as chip. She was the house chef.

  Mrs. Potts then took me back to my room where a woman named Plumette was waiting. Plumette was African-American and very beautiful. She was probably a year or two older than me and had one of the sexiest figures I had ever seen. She could have been an actress or model but according to her she preferred serving Mr. Rousseau. Plumette had taken care of finding me appropriate clothes to wear so I wouldn’t have to go around the estate wearing a nightgown. Of that I was very grateful.

  Once I had dressed into a comfortable pair of pink shorts and a white sleeveless top, Cogsworth arrived and we began working on getting my things moved. It was a lot more complicated than I thought it would be but in the end Cogsworth got it all settled out. Everything I ever owned managed to fit in one large cargo truck.

  Back in my apartment, I had always thought I owned too many things. When they were all brought here in such a bigger home my belongings seemed so few in comparison. Mrs. Potts, Lumiere and Plumette then helped me organize everything in my new room and we even managed to finish before it was time for dinner. My new room was fully furnished, decorated to my liking and I now had all my important belongings such as my TV, laptop and more properly arranged and organized.

  By six o’clock in the evening, the maids were all done with their work and the food was ready. Lumiere was the only one left and in just fifteen minutes more Adam Rousseau arrived.

  The Manor of the Beast

  Adam looked at me and then he looked at Lumiere. He then looked down the hall, towards the bedroom. It was a good minute or two before he spoke up and asked, “You moved her in?”

  I immediately looked down at the floor in guilt and shame but Lumiere had the guts to step forward and reply, “Yes, maestro, we did. We got to acquaint ourselves with the mademoiselle earlier this morning and seeing as she works for and with you at all times – and the fact that she is Monsieur Verdandi’s daughter – we figured it was only appropriate for her to relocate here.”

  Adam raised an eyebrow and stared at Lumiere. He then came forward and lifted my face with a finger, “Did you agree to this?”

  For a second I thought about lying but then it would put Lumiere, Cogsworth and the others in trouble. I squinted and stared back at him with full confidence, “Yes, I did. Lumiere was right; this would benefit us both.”

  He then nodded and relented to this move, “I do not appreciate you all making a decision without my knowing but I have to commend you for taking the initiative and doing something that works. Lumiere!”

  “Y-yes, maestro?” Lumiere quivered.

  Adam then looked at us both and then turned to me, “Take an endowment from the vault and treat yourselves – all of you in the servant’s estate – to a fine feast for dinner.” He then turned to me, “My lady, please join me for the meantime.”

  Lumiere bid farewell and made his way out. At least he had a big smile on his face and I couldn’t help but smile as well. I then turned back to Adam and asked, “Where to?”

  He seemed please with my willingness to join him and he took me by the arm. We walked through the back doors of the manor until we reached the gardens and the gazebo. There we took a seat and Adam gave me a soft and quick kiss on the cheek. At first I felt sheepish about it, almost the same a child feels when kissed, but very quickly I felt the lingering hunger for another.

  Instinctively I got up on his lap and crushed him with an embrace. He looked up to me and I felt a strange sense of admiration from my captor. I leaned in closer and give him a kiss on the lips. There was no love emanating between us, I was sure of that, but I did feel the carnal sensation to satisfy my lust with him.

  Adam pulled me in closer and returned my kiss with one of his own, this one harder and deeper. I felt his teeth bite down on my lips and I gasped and moaned in both shock and pleasure. He gripped me from behind and pushed me down on his lap, making me feel the thickness of his erection.

  But then he pulled me back and took a moment to look into my eyes.

  “I, uh, have a proposal I would like to ask of you,” he then explained. “To be completely honest with you I spoke with Lumiere the night before and he suggested something a little unorthodox for you and I to get to know each other a bit more.”

  My eyes darted back and forth as I pondered what he may be planning. I then shrugged and decided to play along, “S-sure, what is it?”

  “Would you care to join me for a dance tonight?”

  That caught me by surprise. I then asked further, “A d-dance? Like at a club or something?”

  Adam shook his head and elaborated, “No, I mean something a bit more traditional. This manor has a large ballroom hall but the most I’ve ever used it for was to launch a few my client’s new products. I’ve never had the chance to use it for something I want to do.”

  I felt my heart sink and I felt so crushed at how lonely he must have felt. This big, menacing beast of a man was lonely, lonelier than anyone could phantom, and he had no way to vent it out. I nodded then and said, “I’d love to have a dance with you.”

  “Thank you,” he answered and I felt a touch of sincerity with his tone. He then asked me, “Last night you confirmed you are still a virgin. How did a woman as beautiful as you not have sex throughout high school and college?”

  I bit down on my lip and nodded, “I-I did have boyfriends back when I was younger but it never got anywhere.”

  That got Adam to laugh and he hugged me tighter, “I was just curious. If I met you in college I would have done everything to get in your pants.”

  Adam was so cute when he was letting his cruel defenses down. He could be so cute and amusing when he was joking around like this.

  “Wouldn’t you do the same for any hot girl?”

  He shook his head and gave me a kiss on the forehead, “No. When I ha
ve my eyes set on someone or something I don’t ever stop until I get what I want.”

  That was when I saw the glimmer of his cruel side shimmer once again in the corner of his eyes. Even though I had only spent little time with him I knew he was telling me the truth. He seemed like the kind of man who would pursue even the most ruthless path to get what he desired.

  “Well, if you want to dance with me I think I should get ready,” I told him and I got off from his lap. I stood in front of him and smiled, hoping I could charm him to give me some space for a while.

  He observed me for a second and I could sense his desire to flirt around with me some more. I felt the same attraction but I wanted to spend some time to properly think about where all this sensual back-and-forth was leading us to.

  Finally, he nodded and said, “Sure. I’ll give you some time to prepare. Would you like Madame Florinda to drop by or would you prefer I drive you to her office?”

  I shook my head, “If you can have her come here, I’d prefer it. That way I can have some privacy and surprise you with whatever dress design we come up with. Well, I don’t know if she can make something is elaborate in just one day. The last one she made for me was a simple one-piece dress and it still took her and her team nearly a whole day to get it done.”

  “I’m sure she won’t make something from scratch,” he told me. “Something this elaborate I’m sure she has something already prepared. You’ll just have to work with her to discuss some alterations.”

  Well, that made sense. I relented and he confirmed he’d call her in within the day. For now, however, he wanted to take me around first. I had nothing to do since he hadn’t given me a full rundown of my actual work yet.

  As we strolled around the manor estate, he held my hand and said, “What did Lumiere and Cogsworth tell you?”

  I chuckled and looked around. Fortunately, neither Sebastian nor Jacques were present but I did see several maids here and there cleaning the house and doing laundry. Once I knew the coast was clear I told him, “Well, they did tell me that your father was indeed connected to the Mafia. They then told me you weren’t. However, after that they told me about your little encounter with Marjolaine Durand’s mother.”

  Adam was taken aback by that and he stopped in his tracks. He then looked at me and I could see the anger and frustration boiling in his eyes. He then asked, “What do you think of me now? That mistake has plagued my life for nearly two decades now.”

  I shrugged it off, “You were young. Everyone makes mistakes when they’re young. Everyone makes mistakes even when they’re old. You acknowledge your mistake and you’ve been trying to escape the shadow of its repercussions. I think this makes you a flawed but honest and hard-working man, not one to belittle the way society has.”

  For the first time since I met him I saw Adam’s shoulders relax and for that brief moment I felt like he let go of all his defenses and pretense. He then said, “Thank you. I was worried you would misjudge me as the others have.”

  “Does this include all of the other women you’ve brought into this home?” Perhaps I was edging too closely here but I wanted to know the truth.

  Adam nodded, “The last girl I tried to connect with thought I was undeniably a leader in the Casa Nostra – the Mafia – and she told me she’d rather fuck a dying horse than to spend another moment with me. This was, of course, after she took some of my cash and ran off with some of my prized belongings. I think she took one of my gold watches or was it a bracelet?”

  My jaw dropped and I was completely shocked at what I heard. I had nothing to say to that. It was just so outrageously cruel for that woman to have treated him that way!

  He knew how he felt and then asked me, “Tell me: what are your hobbies?”

  “Promise me you won’t laugh when I do,” I told him. “You probably already know I’m a big nerd and geek – after all, I spend all my time making mobile apps – but my favorite hobbies are even geekier than you’d expect.”

  He grabbed my hand, gave it a squeeze and said, “I promise not to make fun of you. Trust me, when you learn of my hobbies you’ll be just as baffled.”

  “I love to play tabletop RPGs,” I told him. “You know, stuff like Pathfinder or Dungeons and Dragons. I like the storytelling aspect and the sound of the dice clattering against the table. It’s just amusing how the geekiest game on the planet requires you to have friends in order to play.”

  Surprisingly, he wasn’t that shocked about it and he said, “Really? I tried it back when I was younger but I never got too deeply involved. My friends and I were more into video games than anything else.”

  “Well, it’s your turn,” I then told him. It was really exciting to be able to tell someone about my hobby without them misjudging me. I think I finally understood how he had to go about since people were always misjudging him. “Tell me what you’re into.”

  “Probably the most boring hobby in the world: I like to make miniature ships,” he revealed. “You know, scale models of old galleons with three masts and the like.”

  I giggled and told him, “That’s actually kind of adorable. Do you have any that are done?”

  I saw his eyes grow wide with excitement and he nodded back and said, “I do have some. Come, let me take you to my room to show you my collection.”

  He was taking me to his room. Did I just invite myself for something more… sexual in nature? There was no time to debate it now though and I just let him take me up to the second floor of the main building and to his room, the master’s bedroom.

  When he opened the door and showed me inside I quickly discovered just how much bigger it was than the room that became mine. This could only mean the room I had now, which was his parents’ room, was once the master’s bedroom but he later had his room modified and enlarged to the way it is now.

  His bed was a monstrous beauty, bigger than even a king-size design, and covered in layers of soft comforters. The bed frame had posts and there were several silk curtains hanging from the sides. It looked like a bed fit for a Persian prince – or at least what I imagined a Persian prince to have.

  There were two bedside tables, one on each side of the bed, and they each had gorgeous lamps that featured ebony stands and yellow-white shades made of the same paper-like material used in Japanese umbrellas. By one wall was a large vanity desk built with a large, oval mirror. There were several grooming items there including hair wax, a bundle of combs and brushes, a hairdryer and even a shoe-shine pack.

  When I took a closer look around, I found that the bedroom was elegantly kept in order. Everything was out of sight. He had a walk-in closet for his clothes, several big cabinets and drawers for his personal items and one desk with a computer on it for work. The only other thing that stood out was the big television hanging on the wall and the speakers aptly placed around the room.

  Although the carpet was a dark crimson color the walls were of light cream and gold. The curtains were triple-layered – one set of dark, velvet drapes and two layers of thin, white and gold curtains underneath.

  While his manor was truly splendid and glorious in all its stature it was this room that I felt I was inside the house of a billionaire.

  “Wow,” was all I could say as I stepped inside. With a playful mirth in my voice I then chipped in, “Wait, I don’t see any model ships here? Did you just bring me in here to sleep with me?”

  Adam looked at me with a surprised expression on his face but it quickly relaxed when he realized I was joking around. He seemed so tense to bring me in here. Fortunately, I managed to calm him down more when I took his arm and wrapped it around my waist.

  He then took me to his walk-in closet. For the most part it looked as cold and formal as I expected but at the very back was a second door. When he opened it I half-expected to find some kind of weird BDSM dungeon with a girl or two hanging and gagged but to my utter surprise I found it to be his man-cave.

  There were several television sets
with video game consoles attached, a pool table was at one corner and there was a table tennis area as well. On the walls were several books, medals and trophies of his achievements and several model ships. They weren’t as small as I thought either. The biggest one was a good three feet high and around four five long and the smaller ones were about as big as a big book.

  My eyes were immediately drawn to a medium-sized ship with two big masts and a deck lined with cannons.

  “Ah, I see you’ve been drawn to the Queen Anne’s Revenge,” Adam told me as he took my hand and we approached the said ship. “This one is a very infamous vessel.”

  “It is?” I had no idea about naval history or anything of the like. Despite that, I was genuinely intrigued by what Adam had to say. It was so nice to see him enthusiastic about something that didn’t involve vengeance or shoving his cock my way. That being said, I didn’t mind having his cock in my way.

  He nodded and explained, “The Queen Anne’s Revenge was captained by many people over its lifetime but it became popular when it was captained by the pirate Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard himself. He was one of the most ruthless pirates who ever lived.”

  “Woah,” I said in sincere amazement. I then looked over at the others and said, “Anne sounds like such a pretty name, by the way. It’s very befitting of a queen.”

  “It should be,” he then said. “My mother’s name was Anne.”

  For a moment I felt a heavy knot fill my insides. This ship meant a lot to him and for me to notice it first… that must have been a pleasant surprise. To change the mood around us I then turned to him and said, “You have a real talent for making these. Aren’t these models all small pieces when you get them in a box?”

  Adam nodded and said, “It takes me a good month or two to assemble these. I do everything, from labeling all the pieces and then gluing them together to painting the assembled model and then adding some additional furnishing and matte. Working on these brings me to a really calm place.”