Evernight Publishing ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2015 Wren Michaels
ISBN: 978-1-77233-296-4
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Melissa Hosack
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
First and foremost, I dedicate this to my husband for his never ending support. To my BB girls, always and forever you are my rock and my sanity. To Sonia, who knows when to crack a whip and when to offer me a beer. She is an amazing CP. To my buddy Margaret, for sharing laughs, obsessions, and rants. I love that we're yin and yang. A giant thank you to Deena, a true friend who always has my back. Hellion or not, she is amazing, and I'm so lucky to call her friend. To Helle, who steps up to help me at the drop of a hat. I heart you so much! To my fellow Evernight authors who have given me such encouragement, support, and time. I couldn't ask for a better group of folks to have in my corner. To my editor Melissa for loving my story as much as I do and made this an Editor's Pick, you don't know how much that means to me! Thank you!! To Jay Aheer, my cover artist who never fails to amaze me with her mad skills, you rocked it again! And to Evernight Publishing, thank you for helping me make my dreams come true.
BAD APPLE
SnowRose, 2
Wren Michaels
Copyright © 2015
Chapter One
Frost bites the velvet rose petals lining my path into the castle. Overcast skies blur the horizon into the mountains of snow. My sister insisted on an outdoor ceremony, even though the heart of winter settles upon us. Rose's thought process often defies any form of logic. At least she came to her senses and agreed to have the reception inside.
The kingdom, once torn apart under the siege of dark magick, now rejoices at the return of its crown prince. Rose stands at his side, the one who freed him from his bear form; the nightmare that ripped years from his life and tore him from his family. Rose Red and Marcus found their happily ever-after.
I follow the long satin train trimmed in crimson dragging behind her, contrasting the freshly fallen snow. Ginger curls drape her back beneath a lace veil. Marcus sweeps her off her feet and carries her across the threshold of the castle.
A blush heats my cheeks, and I avert my eyes as they share a newlywed kiss, expressing in actions what words can never say. I scurry to catch the frozen bouquet of calla lilies and roses that falls from her fingertips as she forgets the world around her, consumed by Marcus' kiss.
My heart longs for a love like that some day. One of fury and passion, strength and seduction. But I'm far from the woman Rose is. Where she is fire, I am water. She is bold and brazen. I am meek and humble. I will make a dutiful housewife. She will be Marcus' lover and mate.
As I leave the bitters of the winter winds behind me, a heated breath dances along my neck. “You look stunning this eve, Snow,” a rich, husky voice whispers along my ear.
A shiver dances its way up my spine. His handsome scent of leather and sandalwood hits my nose before I turn around. Marcus' brother, Darien.
Words choke at the back of my throat, and I force them over my lips. “Thank you, Prince Darien.”
He slides around me with the grace of a dancer, grabbing hold of the hand not clinging to my sister's forgotten flowers. With a flourish, he brings the back of it flush to his mouth, brushing warm lips against my chilled skin. The heat blossoming in my belly races to my cheeks, warming away the remnants of the cold.
“Might I have the pleasure of escorting you to the dining hall?” Slipping his arm along mine, he doesn't wait for my response.
“It would be my pleasure and honor, your highness.” I drop to a curtsy, but mid-bend Darien pulls me back to a stance.
“Please, Snow, just call me Darien. We've known each other for months. And now we're officially in-laws. I think we can skip the formalities from here on out.” A dash of intrigue sparkles through his bright-blue eyes.
“Well, Darien, thankfully you've come to my rescue. I still find myself getting lost in your castle.” He grips tight to my arm.
Fire torches line the halls, throwing a smattering of light along our path. While the stone walls block the cold night winds, the crisp winter air still falls through the cracks. A shudder rips through my limbs.
“You're shivering.” He rushes to warm my arms, running his large hands along the thin sleeves of my dress. “Let's get you near the fire and warmed up. Some food and drink will do the trick.”
His touch not only heats my arms, but my heart, and it hammers like a hummingbird against my ribs. I've often thought of Darien since the day Rose brought him to our manor when he sought his long lost brother Marcus. But he is a prince, and I'm nothing but a commoner. The fact that he speaks to me is a formality on the part of Rose marrying his brother.
He guides me to the marbled archway of the great hall. Warmth from the roaring fireplace along with the scent of roast and ale greet us. Tapestries and portraits of royalty-past line the walls, watching us as we feast.
I try to hide my wandering stare, but it falls upon the loving gazes Rose and Marcus share between each other. Love and lust swirl in their eyes as if they cannot wait for the feast to be done, and their clothing shed. I dart my gaze back to my plate, as if I'm intruding on something sacred.
I sneak a glance at Darien, and his eyes lock on mine. A tender smile pulls at his lips and he tosses me a wink. Flutters ransack my belly, and my fingers fumble around my chalice as I drown my unease with wine. By the time dinner is cleared I'm unable to tell if it's Darien making my head spin or the spirits.
Music fills the space in the hall in between the snap and crackles from the fire, and the chatter of new guests flooding into the room. With slow steps, I keep to the outer wall, eyeing Rose and Marcus as they dance—a perfect facade to hide their roaming hands. I stifle a laugh, intrigued by their eagerness and amused by their lack of shame.
A warm hand slides along my waist and spins me around. Dizziness attacks my head, and I fight the whirl of nausea in my belly.
“May I have this dance?” Darien asks. Before I can answer, he sweeps me into his arms and whisks me across the floor.
A hiccup escapes my lips carried on the wings of a giggle.
“Why, Snow, has the wine gotten to you already?” he asks with a laugh of his own.
“I fear I don't partake of the drink often, and it's already gone to my head. Perhaps it's time for me to retire for the evening, before I can no longer blame the spirits for my actions.” I pull out of his arms, dropping to a curtsy. “Thank you for the dance, Pri—Darien.”
“You don't need to leave already. The party's barely begun.” Defeat fills his eyes.
I scan the room for any sign of my sister to bid her goodnight. “It seems Rose and Marcus have already left.” I've not said but a few words to my sister all day, and it sends an ache through my heart.
“Yes, they dashed out a few moments ago. Which is probably a good thing, from the way they were dancing and looking at each other, I guess the lure of the wedding night became too much.” A sly grin brims on his lips.
The rush of a blush floods my cheeks and I avert my gaze to the floor, tucking a lock of hair behind my ears.
“Such a stunning blush on your porcelain skin, dear Snow. But why are you embarrassed?” Slipping a finger under my chin, he raises my
face to meet his.
“We shouldn't talk about such private affairs. That is their business, not ours.”
Tossing his head back, he lets out a hearty chuckle. “It's their wedding night. Everyone knows what's happening right now.”
Frustration bubbles under my skin. His disregard for the private matters of the bedroom disgust me. Men such as he is why I remain unmarried. Is nothing sacred anymore?
“Ah, yes. Well if you'll excuse me then, Prince Darien. I bid thee a good eve.” I give a slight nod, and head up the stairs to my room.
His fingers hook the crook of my arm. “Snow, at least let me escort you to your room.”
I force a smile. “I don't want you to miss the rest of the party. I'm sure I can find my way.”
“Then you'll want to take the other stairs. Down the other hallway.” He forces back a smile, fanning his arm in the opposite direction.
Biting my bottom lip, I give him a terse nod and march back down the stairs.
He shakes his head as confusion colors his blue-eyes a dull gray. “Have I angered you? I'm sorry if something I said displeased you.”
A ping of regret pricks my heart. “No. Exhaustion is taking its toll and clouding my judgment. I hope to be more myself tomorrow at breakfast.”
“Sleep well then, Snow White. I pray your dreams are peaceful ones.” Whisking his hand under mine, soft lips press against my skin sending a jolt of excitement through me.
I whirl from his grasp and make my way down the dim hall. Tossing a glance over my shoulder, shadows claim Darien's figure, merging him into the darkness that swallows my path. A torch fights to stay lit, casting dancing images on the walls. Goose bumps cling to my flesh, and fearful thoughts mix with the wine in my head.
Perhaps I should have allowed Darien to escort me to my room. I've already lost which direction my chamber is in. Around the corner, another flickering torch beckons me. Hiking my skirts, I head in its direction. As I reach it, a gust of air hushes the last of its flames, shrouding me in darkness. I spin around, looking for another light to guide me through. But instead I find a staircase.
And I fall.
The stone stairs scrape my skin as I bounce my way down. Thankfully, my pride is more hurt than my body. Landing on the bottom, I grab hold of my wrist, trying to relieve the pain throbbing beneath the now bruised skin. In the distance, a hint of orange glows. Pushing myself up from the cold ground, I make my way towards it.
It's not enough light to be a torch, yet I focus on it to guide my path. A moan echoes through the cool hallway. My heart flutters at the sound and I spin around, pressing my hands to the wall, searching for iron bars of a cell, thinking I must be near the dungeon. But I find only more stone.
Another moan rings out in the hallway. Cocking my head, I concentrate on the direction in which it comes from. It brings me to the muted light that caught my eye earlier. As I close in on it, a louder moan surrounds me. The light seeps through a crack in the stone wall.
Inching my way closer, I lean against the cold stone and find the source. My heart stops as I peek in.
The glow is from a fire.
The moan....Rose's.
It's a crack in their bed chamber wall.
My heart restarts, launching into a thunderous roar as I witness their wedding night union. Marcus' muscular body pins Rose to the bed. His hands roam her body as if he knows not where to start and needs all of her at once. The passion in his movements even more exemplified by the ferocity of his mouth as it captures one of her breasts.
I jerk back, a gasp escaping my lips, and I fling my hand over my mouth to hush myself. Glancing around, I make sure I'm still alone. Only the intermittent breeze that seeps through the parapet is my company.
Pressing against the wall, I stare back into the crack. Rose writhes on the bed, her face a cross between ecstasy and pain, mouth open and eyes shut. Marcus pulls her by the hair and crushes his mouth to hers. Their bodies mesh together as their lips twist. He turns and lifts her leg, exposing her bottom. A heat wells in my belly that pools between my own legs. Marcus strokes between her lower lips with his fingers, and a loud moan breaks their kiss.
I lurch forward as an urge wells up inside me. As I lean in farther for a better viewpoint, my breast scrapes the wall. Adrenaline rushes my veins as the cold stone rubs against my nipple, turning it just as hard.
What is happening to me?
I clutch my breast, kneading the tender and aroused nipple. My eyes snap shut as a wave of pleasure courses through me. Another loud moan wakes me from the moment, only it doesn't belong to Rose. It's Marcus. It sets a fire off between my legs, and it's all I can do not to gasp. I lunge back to the crack and find Rose stroking his manhood with her hand before she swallows him with her mouth. He nearly arches himself off the bed, such joy and pleasure on his face I've never witnessed on a man before.
Swallowing hard, I let my hands caress my breasts harder as I stop watching and lean against the wall, listening to their moans and growls. As if waking from a dream, I jump forward and stop.
What am I doing? This isn't right! What kind of person does this? Watching their sister on her wedding night? I can't stand here and witness their love making. Yet something about this has my own loins heated to the point I think I may explode without a release of my own. I ache for that kind of passion. My hands rush through my hair, as I stand warring with myself. I've never been with a man. I wouldn't even know what to do.
Even though we are not of blood relation, she is like my sister in every way. We grew up together. We experienced nearly everything together. Except this. This is too much. This is too far.
A lump lodges in the back of my throat, and I fight the panting breaths roaring through my chest. No. I need to find my way back to my room. But I have no knowledge of where I am in the castle.
A creak from the bed catches my attention, as well as a deep growl from Marcus. Twisting my head, I glance back through the stones. Marcus kneels above Rose, stroking himself. I cannot turn away as I'm entranced by his actions. Rose slides a hand between her legs, rubbing her own fingers inside her lips.
He leans in and plunges his hard cock inside her, and her body flexes as she takes him in. A gasp whooshes from my lips as if it were my body he slammed into. The chill in the air echoes it through the hall. Hiking my skirts, I slide a hand into my bloomers and find myself soaked in arousal.
I press one hand against the cold stones, holding me up. The other rubs through the slickness between my lower lips as I watch Marcus thrust in and out of her. Each time he withdraws, his cock glistens in Rose's juices as the flames roar in the fireplace echoing their heated union. My own arousal overwhelms me, and I rub myself faster, unable to tear my gaze away from Marcus and Rose. His stunning form is rigid as he tenses, nearing his release. Rose cries out, grabbing to him for dear life. Just as my own release builds, a warm hand caresses the back of my neck.
“Snow?”
Chapter Two
Blackness surrounds her, but the glimmer of orange flickering against her pale cheek highlights her stunning profile. She has fair skin like an angel, perfect and unblemished, that even a master artist would have a hard time capturing. Long locks of raven hair tumble across her shoulders and down her back. The reddest, fullest lips I have ever laid eyes upon beckon me to kiss them. Snow is radiant. Pure. And I have never met such a creature and been so bewildered in how to approach her in my life.
Yet as fate would have it, she stands before me vulnerable.
I followed her through the halls after fearing she suffered indulgence at the wedding feast. Our castle weaves and turns, full of secret passages and dark corridors. But I have roamed these halls since childhood and know them as I know my own hand. For her independence, I remained out of sight; but for her safety not out of arms reach should she get lost. Her tumble down the stairs nearly did my heart in. And I, too, almost made the same fall as I tried to catch her.
But then, something happened. Something
so unexpected, I could not move.
I watched as she watched.
From the shadows, I witnessed her blossom. A part of me held back a laugh as she warred with herself. The other part of me held myself back from running to her. But she needed to free herself. Alone. Clinging to her innocence for so long, I doubt she's ever lain with a man. To watch her arousal unfold made me ache for her even more.
I know Marcus' bed chamber lay on the other side of the wall. And I know Snow's now caught in awkwardness. But, perhaps I can convince her to continue her exploration. And I'll help her along the way.
“Snow?” I whisper again, my lips inches from her neck. The sweet scent of her perfume hits me, arousing me even more.
My cock stiffens, pressing hard against my garments. Simply watching her excited me. But when her hand slipped under her skirts, it took everything in me not to release.
She stills next to me, frozen and shaking. From the chill in the air, or out of fear from getting caught, I know not. I slide a hand along her arm. She jerks, but has nowhere to go between me and the wall.
“I watched you,” I whisper against her ear.
A shiver claims her body, and she shudders against me.
“I like watching you. As you like watching them.” I brush locks of her hair to the side, exposing her neck. “Look at them.”
She shakes her head and tries removing her hand from her undergarments. I pin her arm in place and press my lips against her ear. “Don't stop. Look at how Marcus pleasures Rose. Their moans of ecstasy and growls of passion enthrall you. It fills you with urges. You're simply satisfying a need.”
Her breath quickens, and the rise and fall of her chest speeds my heart.
“But you don't have to do it alone, Snow. If you'll let me, I can fill you with that same pleasure.” My lips move from her ear to her neck as I suck along her soft flesh. Her body cringes as a tiny whisper of a gasp seeps through her tight lips.
Bad Apple Page 1