Fantasy: A Modern Romance Inspired by Cinderella (Seductively Ever After)

by Kim Carmichael

In minutes, she was in her car and driving down the freeway. Her life was upon her, it was real, but before she gave in, surrendered to what she should do, she had to know if she had a fantasy.

  For the first time since her date with Knight, energy surged through her. She drove with conviction, music blaring, hands at ten and two, her head clear, her destination set.

  Finally, she made her way to the property, the open gate, the one that Knight no doubt used to trespass without knowing she was the landlord. Her heart sped as she stepped out. Would he be there or would she be met with disappointment? Either way she would receive her answer and maybe then she could truly let go.

  Once upon a time, a mystery man told her he would be there if she ever needed him. He said she would know where to find him. Well, she needed him and she was here, and he damn well better be there as well.

  She got out of the car and slammed the door with such force she practically fell over. The next few moments would tell her if she should really sell her soul, her life, her love, or if there was really hope.

  He wouldn’t be there. There wasn’t any magic, it was all made up in her mind. As she trudged through the leaves, she knew she would be left disappointed. Still, she had to know, to see for herself, then maybe she could let go, marry Patrick, and live the life she was meant to have.

  Before entering the clearing, the site of their date, their one kiss, the banks of the lake where she first found him, she turned away.

  Nothing but the light sounds of birds chirping and the leaves rustling in the wind met her ears. She was alone, utterly and completely alone. Unsure if she could even gaze out upon the emptiness, she trembled and found it hard to take a full breath, before she finally gained the strength to look.

  The sun sparkled off the water, a few leaves floated down around her, while in the distance a little squirrel scurried about.

  Everything was there as it should be.

  Everything but Knight.

  Her eyes heated, her body went weak, but she had no choice but to complete her journey and walk forward to their rock.

  The table, once set up for their dinner, was gone, the twinkle lights non-existent. Any proof that at one point she met the most amazing man had been wiped away.

  She sat down on the rock and stared out at the water. Tears blurred her vision. Maybe in a strange way, he was still guiding her, this time giving her the path she was meant to take.

  An unexpected calm settled over her, the tears stopped, and she looked around. The little girl who came here with her mother was no longer, in her place was the woman searching for something, and she found her answers.

  It was time to get rid of the property and start her life. If she met Patrick at any other time, maybe she would have felt the tingles, the spark, and she had to give him a chance.

  She stood. Everything with Knight had been nothing except putting off the inevitable. Before leaving, she needed to take something, a little souvenir, anything to let her know this really happened. With a light breeze kicking up, she wrapped her arms around her shoulders and looked down.

  Several pink petals were scattered around the area. She shook her head. Any flowers were several yards away, so there was no way they could float here, especially since there was quite a large clump of them only a few inches from her boot. It was as if someone plucked them off a flower and dropped them here.

  These would be perfect. She bent down to pick a few up when something even more interesting caught her attention.

  A little gold chain.

  “What’s this?” Along with the petals, she picked up the chain, holding it up to catch the last bit of sunlight.

  Her chest tightened. “It’s you right?” She cleaned up the little piece of jewelry and wrapped it around her wrist. “This is for me.” Again, she glanced around. Where was he, was this hers? Did he come here looking for her and left this as a sign? “Please tell me.”

  Her own voice echoed around her. He wasn’t here when she needed him.

  She was still alone, and she could never return, but she had her parting gift. Tomorrow she would call and have someone lock the gate. Tomorrow she would start working on securing the little piece of land that would make this one complete. Tomorrow she would start selling the property and her dream.

  “Goodbye, Knight.”

  She left the clearing.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Nash strummed his fingers down the strings of one of his acoustic guitars, the same guitar he used to create the music for the night of his and Petal’s date and the one he had used for two weeks in a row to lure him to her. He couldn’t stay away, couldn’t forget her, and now he was stuck in a strange, horrible limbo that would only end if she appeared. If not, he would always wonder.

  The whole no names-no games thing was brilliant. If Petals was a one-night stand, it would have been the perfect set up. However, it meant he had absolutely no way to figure out her identity.

  Rather than his vow to forget her, his new promise entailed sitting there every day at the same time hoping somewhere along the way she would make her way back to him.

  In the last several weeks, there was only one place where he felt like a real man and that was with Petals.

  Somehow, he had to find her. With no picture, no name, only an imprint on his heart, he needed to locate her.

  How did one find the impossible?

  At a rustle in the trees, he turned. He swore if it were that damn squirrel again, he would be having squirrel stew for dinner.

  Maybe he couldn’t find the impossible, but the impossible could come to him.

  Disheveled and with a definite scowl on her face, Petals moved the branches aside and entered the clearing.

  For the first time since he allowed her to trundle through the forest at night alone and leave, he took a full breath. He continued his song, a tune he wrote for her and waited.

  They stared at each other and she stood there, chin jutted out with a slight shake of her head.

  At last, he let the music fade. He needed her, needed to touch her, hold her and apologize. In all the times he pictured their reunion, he never envisioned her glaring at him as if he were the enemy. They made it over the most difficult hurdle, they were together, she came here for him, so he had to somehow make things right. “Petals.”

  Rather than answer, she crossed her arms.

  “You’re here.” He put the guitar aside. From his position, if he tried to stand she would see him struggle, stumble. He needed to stay put and make her come to him.

  “I didn’t think I would ever see you again.” Her voice came out terse, tight.

  Her defensiveness put him on edge. Did he destroy his sweet flower with his own insecurities? “If you didn’t think so, then why are you here?”

  “I had to know.” She balled her hands in defiant fists. “I had to know if you would be here. I think I’m going crazy.”

  “Strange,” he said. “Because I know I’m going crazy.”

  “Why?” Her question came too fast.

  “Because I come here every day searching for the one person who I need. Every day I have sat here waiting and then every day I say it’s my last day, yet I end up here again.” He took a breath. “I’m crazy because I sent you away, and though I have no right to hope you could come here, and throw your arms around me and let me make up the biggest mistake I have ever made in my life, I still wanted for it to happen.”

  “No, it’s me that’s crazy, because I wanted you to be here and say those words.” A tear streamed down her cheek and she held up her arm. “Did you leave this for me?”

  His mother’s bracelet. There on her wrist was his gift to her. She had to have been here before looking for him. “You found it.” His heart raced.

  She nodded.

  “I call that magic.” He held his hand out to her.

  At last, she rushed to him, stopping just short of touching him, instead she reached over and grabbed his guitar. “If that song is for me, play some more.�
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  Unable to deny her anything, he took the instrument and once more began to play.

  As his fingers worked the strings, she bent down and watched him.

  With her close, the faint floral scent of her perfume wafting on the light breeze and caressing him, he couldn’t deny himself any longer. He put the guitar aside and captured her hand.

  She tensed, held back. “Is the song over?”

  “I think it’s just begun.” He tried to gently pull her over.

  “What are the words?” Her hand trembled in his, but she continued to resist.

  At the moment, all he could offer her was the truth. “Until you came back I had no words.”

  “They always say that actions speak louder than words,” she whispered and laced their fingers together. “Tell me something about you.”

  “All right.” What did she want? Did she want to know his identity? Were they ready? “I was someone once. Now I’m lost. Though I think now I finally found my place.”

  She nodded.

  “Now you.” He pressed the back of her hand to his lips.

  Her hand trembled and she got down on her knees. “My life is a mess and it doesn’t belong to me unless I’m here…” She held him tighter and her voice broke. “…with you.”

  Apparently, they both had lives that needed help and they found each other. “Petals.” Finally, she allowed him to guide her to his lap and do as he dreamed. He wrapped his arms around her. Without waiting for permission, he took action, leaned in and kissed her neck. In truth, he wanted to ravage her.

  “Um.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “There it is.”

  “What?” Barely able to contain himself, he ran his lips up to her ear, the scent of her shampoo coupled with her light floral perfume swirled around him and gave him a heady, dreamy feeling.

  She pushed him back and faced him. “You.” No sooner did the word leave her mouth than she leaned in and kissed him.

  Their first kiss terrified him, shook him to his core. Their connection transcended the physical pleasure into something deeper. Maybe that was why he pushed her away.

  With her taking the lead and her not holding back, the same sensation overwhelmed him, but rather than fight it, he embraced it and relished in the fact she returned.

  Their mouths opened, their tongues touched, and her body molded to his as they shared their slow kiss.

  She gasped and pulled back. “Why does it have to be you?”

  “There’s a reason.” He pulled her down for another kiss. “There is.”

  This kiss was full of more passion, more need, more everything. She snaked her hands under his jacket, and he cradled her in his arms. Everything he wanted was overshadowed by what he wanted from his Petals.

  Their touches were tentative and exploring. He moaned when she snuck her fingers up the back of his shirt and grazed her nails softly down his back, and she let out a little mew when he cupped her breast in his palm.

  His body had the requisite reaction.

  “You do want me,” she said into his open mouth.

  “Of all the truths in the world, that is one of them.” He went to kiss her once more.

  This time she stopped him by putting her fingers to his lips. “But there are a lot of untruths.”

  “We haven’t been untruthful, we have just held back.” He took her face in his hands. “Tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you. Do you want names, numbers? It’s yours.”

  She glanced around, then her focus returned to him. “Is it crazy if I tell you that right now I need Knight and Petals?”

  He paused. Part of him was ready to let his identity be known, be able to take her out in public, be able to do all the things he should do with her. “Is that what you want?”

  “The only thing I know for sure is I can’t lose this, and I can’t lose you, but…” She shook her head.

  He embraced her, pressed her head to his chest and gazed out over the water. The moment they let their façade down, there would be no more Knight and Petals living a fantasy, there would only be the two of them in the real world. She would see him limp, would see his life, and she would discover his past and know she missed him in his heyday. Could they overcome it? “Maybe you’re right.”

  Suddenly, she looked up, first at the sky, then her watch. “Knight, I have to go. What do we do now?”

  Her shaking vibrated through him and he sat up. “What’s wrong?”

  “I told you, my life is a mess, I have something I have to do,” she huffed. “Are we in this or not. I need to know if I should come back or not.”

  “Petals.” He took her by the shoulders. “I promise I’ll be here at this time every day until you tell me otherwise. I will never send you away again.”

  “What if I can never send you away?” Her eyes filled with tears.

  They purposely put themselves in this bizarre state, and neither of them wanted out. “Right now we’re Knight and Petals.” He kissed her tears away.

  “I have to go. I’ll be here a week from today.” She gave him one last kiss, then stood up. “Goodbye, Knight.”

  “Be safe, my Petals.” He watched her go, wondering if her life was as messed up as his. “One week.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I think I want to hold off selling the Los Padres property.” Ryane paced across her office in front of her father and Patrick. She stopped in the middle of the room, opened her manila file folder and held up her carefully crafted document. “I have run some reports and with the value increasing every day, and the land in the area becoming more scarce, if we wait six months to a year, we will realize a much larger return. However, I do feel we should go forward with purchasing the extra land.”

  With her statement out, she walked forward and handed a copy of her report to each man. “I also have a lead on pink file folders.”

  Both men glanced down at their papers. Her father elbowed Patrick. “Did you do this?”

  “Daddy,” Ryane protested.

  Patrick shook his head. “No, this is the first I’ve seen of it.”

  “I mean did you create this change?” her father asked.

  She clutched her non-pink folder to her chest. No, Patrick didn’t create the change, Knight created it. She had to fight for her property and keep what she had with him. Tomorrow she would be seeing him and the mere thought made her whole body jolt with anticipation. What would the two of them do? How far would they go with Knight?

  “I think Ryane was pretty sharp on her own.” Patrick crossed the room to her. He took her hand and kissed the back. “However, I do hope I am responsible for the blush on her cheeks.”

  Since she walked away from Knight last week, she couldn’t stop the blushes, the flutters, her body aching with want. Rather than answer Patrick, she simply smiled one of those feminine smiles a man could take any way he wanted.

  Patrick raised his eyebrows, no doubt deciphering her expression to suit him, and why shouldn’t he? Also since leaving Knight, she had been with Patrick, four dinners, a business meeting, a brunch and a movie. Without question they were a couple, but her heart was elsewhere. In short, she didn’t lie when she told Knight her life was a mess. A tiny bit of luck on her side, Patrick had to go on a business trip starting tonight, which would give her plenty of time with her other man.

  Yes, she had turned into that woman.

  “I can’t tell you how thrilled I am with how everything is turning out.” Her father joined them, patted Patrick on the back then leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I say we have the acquisitions team go forward and secure the extra piece of that Los Padres property, and I agree with Ryane on postponing the sale. Good job, Princess.”

  “Thank you, Daddy.” She didn’t remember the last time her father was proud of her.

  “I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to our Anniversary Ball.” Her father puffed out his chest a bit. “Ryane always has a surprise there. Perhaps you two can partner up on something.”
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  She made sure not to flinch, but in her dreams all she wanted was for Knight to escort her. In a tuxedo with his long hair and dark bad boy looks, he would be such a contrast to every other male there, but he would also be the most gorgeous one. Her heart ached for what she wished could be.

  “Well, I better get ready to catch that plane.” Patrick kept his focus on her.

  “Let me leave you alone to say your goodbyes.” Her father nodded and left the room.

  Patrick pulled her in for an embrace. “I usually look forward to business meetings.”

  “You are closing a big deal, you should be thrilled.” Unsure what to do, how to feel, she straightened his collar. Honestly, if she could only have the same sensations with Patrick that she had with Knight, her life would be much easier.

  “I know, but I’m leaving you.” He leaned down and gave her a light kiss on the neck. “I still think we could have taken a little trip.”

  “I think I would have been too much of a distraction,” she teased, though it was the truth. He wanted to make love to her, this much she knew. Only last night, he begged her to let him take her to the best hotel. Every day it was getting harder and harder to keep him at bay. She wasn’t not attracted to him, but she wasn’t head over heels, and until she knew what was truly happening with Knight, she couldn’t give in. While of course she had been with men before, she couldn’t and wouldn’t cheat, though technically she was doing just that to two men.

  “You’re a distraction no matter what you do.” He pulled her flush to his body. “Perhaps I would be able to focus on work if I had a release.”

  “Perhaps good things come to those who wait.” At her play on words, she let out a little laugh.

  “That is exactly what I’m trying to do.” He hooked his fingers under her chin, tilted her head up and kissed her.

  Like every time their lips touched, she willed the same sensations to swirl around as they did with Knight. In the last couple of weeks, she got to know Patrick and he was a great man, he simply wasn’t magic.

  She closed her eyes and there was Knight. The man who occupied her dreams, and her thoughts, the man who, when he kissed her there wasn’t one part of her body that didn’t react, didn’t crave him.