“Stay calm,” Pam said. “You look amazing! Remember that. Don’t go getting all insecure, okay? And no crying, no matter how happy you are. It’ll ruin all my hard work.”
I blinked away the tears, then nodded, took and a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. “Come in.”
Hunter walked in, and I suddenly felt even more alive. While the butterflies danced, I couldn’t stop staring at his messy tangle of dark hair; I loved that sexy, messy look. From his piercing blue eyes to his strong, chiseled jaw, to his handsome face, he looked hot in every way. I took a deep breath to calm myself down, but it felt like time stopped right then and there. My heart was beating a million miles a minute, and I felt like I was on a roller coaster. Whatever we had, it was intense. The guy was my world. He was dressed in a royal-blue tunic with an emblem of a crowned lion in the center and black satin knickers with knee-high boots. Chainmail sleeves gave his look an authentic feel, as if he’d been zapped right out of medieval Europe.
His gaze met mine, and his eyes sparkled. “You look stunning.” His dreamy smile blew my mind.
“Thank you. You too.”
He looped his hands in mine, then smiled. “Are you ready, Cinderella?”
“Yes, Prince Charming.” I felt like I was walking on clouds. Everything was magical and serene, and I smiled as he led me out the door.
“Hey!” Pam called down the hall. “Try not to lose your glass slippers walking down the grand staircase of the palace, okay?”
“Sure thing,” I said, smiling. “Just have my pumpkin carriage ready at midnight, would ya?”
Chapter 24
As we walked up to the doors, I could distinctly hear bag pipes, flutes, and drums. Mount Park Manor had hired a band that played the most beautiful Celtic music I’d ever heard.
“The music is nice,” I said.
“It’s beautiful.” Hunter held my hands as we walked in.
The ballroom was breathtaking, with its towering cathedral ceiling and dark mahogany cross beams. Iron-wrought chandeliers and dark stone walls gave the room an eerie, gothic feeling, the one I’d grown to love. Ancient as it was, the room was equipped with electricity, and there was dim lighting so caterers wouldn’t trip while passing out the fancy appetizers. I popped a stuffed mushroom into my mouth as a woman walked by with a full platter of them. Glancing around, I was stunned to see the huge room so full; there had to be at least 600 costumed guests, drinking wine and dancing. We’d been given strict orders to stay away from the alcohol, and that was fine with me.
We intently stared at each other as the music drifted all around us. It was my Cinderella moment. I was nervous, but comfortable and safe, scared, but happy. I’d never felt such emotions before, and I couldn’t stop smiling or laughing. Falling for Hunter was such an amazing experience. I knew I’d cherish that moment forever, and what I felt was indescribable. At one time, I’d thought my life was crashing down all around me, and then Hunter came along and made everything perfect. There was a thrilling, rushing, euphoric rhythm between us. For that one timeless moment, everything in my life was perfect.
“How about one dance before we go and look for the others?” Hunter asked.
I grinned and curtsied. “I’d love one dance with you, my handsome knight.”
He shot me his leading-man smile and wrapped his arms around my waist as I placed my arms on his shoulder. I wondered if he could see straight into my soul.
We swayed back and forth to the music, slow and close, and I rested my head in the nook of his neck. Everything seemed so perfect. I never would have imagined myself dancing with someone like him, someone so beautiful and wonderful. Hunter made me feel special, like I was the only important person in the whole wide world. I felt l was walking on air. I’d always laughed at that cliché before, but now I knew what it all meant. I didn’t ever want to let Hunter go, even if I didn’t mean to fall so hard for him in the first place. A happiness like none I’d felt in several years flooded through me. I wanted to be a strong, confident girl, but he’d turned me into an emotional puddle. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I tried to blink them away so Hunter wouldn’t see, but it was too late.
He wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb, then kissed my forehead. “Zoey, what’s wrong?” he softly asked.
I smiled through the tears. “These aren’t sad tears. I’m just happy, Hunter. I’ve never been so happy. Dancing with you like this, all dressed up, in this fancy ballroom…it’s all a little overwhelming.” He grinned, and I continued. “I know we were joking about it when we left my room, but I really do feel like Cinderella at the ball, dancing with Prince Charming.”
He stared at me intently and smiled. “This is our fairytale,” he said. “You have no idea how happy I am that I’m dancing with a beautiful princess, with eyes so mesmerizing that I can’t stop staring into them. I’ve been searching for you for so long, and now you’re in my arms. I’m never going to let you go, Zoey.”
Again, his words melted my heart, and more tears sprung to the surface. For once in my life, I truly felt beautiful. Love never happened to me. Things had never clicked for me before, and I’d always ended up getting hurt. I knew Hunter really liked me. I could see it in his eyes, in his beaming face, and in his twinkling blue eyes.
“I love happily-ever-after.” I pushed some of his messy locks of hair out of his handsome face. “It’d be perfect, if only we could kick the ghosts out,” I whispered.
“As long as I have you, I don’t care where I am. I could be freezing with you in the arctic, dying of thirst in the desert, or in a beautiful, haunted castle in Scotland. It doesn’t matter, Zoey, as long as I’m with you.” He gazed deeply into my eyes and cupped my face. “I’d do it all over again just to meet you. I don’t regret a moment of my past because somehow, someway, it led me to my princess.”
“Oh, Hunter,” I said, hugging him tightly as thoughts rushed through my mind. I didn’t know if we’d make it, if I’d ever tell him I loved him, but I intended to hold on to Hunter as long as I could. At that moment, as I held him, I knew one thing: I wasn’t ready for that chapter of our haunted fairytale to end—not just yet.
To be continued…
See pic below for book 3 in ‘The Enchanted Castle Series’.
My Haunted Fairytale - Book 2 (The Enchanted Castle Series) Page 18