Nobody's Prince Charming (Road to Blissville, #3)

by Aimee Nicole Walker

  “The car in the garage?” Dare asked, temporarily sidetracking me.

  “Yes,” I confirmed. “It was the only thing she had left that belonged to her father and she was no longer on speaking terms with her mother after she refused to have an abortion or give me up for adoption.”

  “The maiden was fierce,” Dare said.

  “Fearless,” I added. “Anyway, I was arrested for drag racing and the maiden wasn’t at all happy. She didn’t have any money to bail her beloved son out of juvenile jail, so she called the only person who did.”

  “She had better luck with the evil manager?” Dare asked.

  I smiled at the description because it was pretty accurate. “She never said how she accomplished it, but I suspect she threatened to go public with my existence. I mean, even I know that I look a lot like the guy. Just my picture would be enough to stir a lot of trouble, then add the fact that the evil manager neglected to inform the king that he already knew about me. All I knew was that one minute I was in juvenile detention, and the next I was looking into eyes the exact same color of mine. Not only that, the king called me a name that I never expected to hear from anyone else: son.”

  “What happened next? Unfortunately, I suspect there was no happily ever after.”

  “The king suspended his tour to spend time with the mother of his son, and he attempted to comfort the beloved son after the maiden lost her battle with cancer.”

  “Wren, I’m so sorry.” I heard the tears in his voice and my breath caught in my throat. Had anyone ever been moved to tears on my behalf? Other than my mom? I didn’t think so.

  “If it’s okay with you, I’m going to lose the fairy-tale talk now.” Dare nodded against my chest. “Looking back now, I can see that I was really angry. I mean angry at the fucking world. For more reasons than just that the universe stole the only person who loved me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Alaric made my mom so happy during those final months, and I saw what our family could’ve been like if he hadn’t chosen booze, women, rock and roll, and world tours over us. If he’d fulfilled the promise he’d made her when he first formed the band…” I shook my head because it was old fucking news. I’d just rehashed it with Alaric again, and I still didn’t feel any better. Why bring Dare down too? “Anyway, I was too young to know what I felt at the time, but it was sadness and bitterness that he could make her happy in ways that I couldn’t. I don’t mean anything gross or inappropriate by that,” I was quick to explain.

  “I know that, Wren.”

  “I tried so hard to make her smile and bring joy to her life those final weeks, but it was Alaric who lit up her world. A better person would’ve been grateful to him for putting his life on hold and trying to make my mom’s life better, but I couldn’t. When she passed away, he actually wanted me to live with him. I fought him. I told him I’d rather go into the foster care system or run away than move anywhere with him.”

  “Tough crowd,” Dare teased lightly. “I’m sure that didn’t go over well.”

  “The court ordered a blood test, and they confirmed that I was indeed Alaric’s son. By this time, I had been placed in a group home for boys. It wasn’t easy, or even that nice, but I met two boys there that would become my best friends.”

  “Jimmy and Danny.”

  “The very same. I also had a boyfriend at the time, and I didn’t want to leave him.”

  “I’m starting to get jealous.”

  “Don’t, Sparkles. No one can hold a candle to you.” It was the sappiest thing I’d ever said to him or any other human being. I blamed it on the emotionally draining day. “The boy’s parents freaked out when they caught us kissing and that was the end of our romance. Trust me, it wasn’t anything like the kisses we share.”

  “Good to know. Back to the story with your, um. Alaric.” Dare patted my chest and nuzzled his nose in my chest hair.

  “He was prepared to fight me, and I encouraged him to do so. I told him that I’d blab everything I knew to a sleazy tabloid. Maybe he felt I wasn’t worth the battle or maybe he thought I’d change my mind. Either way, I finished out my senior year while living at the group home, and I never saw Alaric again until he stepped foot in the salon today.”

  “What a fucking loser,” Dare said, propping himself up on his elbow and forearm so he could look down at me. Of course, it was black as pitch in his room, so he couldn’t have seen much. “He never tried to contact you again? Wait, he mentioned you ignoring his calls.”

  “I said that I never saw him again; I never said he didn’t try to contact me. He called me at least once a month over the last eleven years, and every day during the last week.” I shrugged like it was no big deal. “He used to send money and gifts, but I returned them.”

  “That’s a little better,” Dare said.

  “I will always be grateful to him for one thing, though,” I said softly. “He made sure my mom got a proper burial with a beautiful casket and headstone. He let me pick them out and didn’t question the cost. I just wanted her to have the very best.”

  “That was very thoughtful.”

  “I think he truly loved her at one time. I don’t think I was ready to see that until tonight, but he gave me some photos he had of them together. I know that she never got over him, and so tonight…” My voice cracked. “I at least thanked him for making her so happy before she died. I guess he’s not a total asshole.”

  I didn’t want to let go of the anger, because it was so much easier to handle than the heartbreak. Lying in Dare’s bed with him pressed against me, I realized that I never properly mourned after losing my mother. I went straight from devastated to angry and just stayed there. I never advanced beyond that stage of grief.

  It washed over me then. So much pain, regret, and heartbreak welled up inside me that I thought I would burst. My body shook as I tried to repress it and shove it all into a box that I could examine later. Dare must’ve sensed that the dam was about to rupture because he rolled on top of me, getting as close to me as he could and offering me comfort. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him as tight as I could without hurting him. The bubble of grief finally burst, and a soft sob tore from my mouth as tears spilled from my eyes.

  “I’ve got you, Wren. Let it all out.” He spoke soothing words while I cried against his shoulder. Dare ran his hands through my hair and placed tender kisses all over my face as the tears started to recede. I’d never felt exhaustion so swift and so strong.

  “So tired,” I murmured.

  Dare rolled off me, but I didn’t let him get far. I turned over too so that we were facing one another and sharing the same pillow. I needed to feel his heart beating against my chest to ward against the sadness that could follow me into my dreams.

  “Sleep well,” Dare whispered right before I lost consciousness.

  I did dream of my mom, but instead of sadness and sorrow, she smiled and waved at me like she did from the beach when I’d swim in the lake. “I’ve missed you, Wren,” she shouted to me. “Don’t stay away so long next time.”

  I woke with a start, and it took me a few seconds to realize that I was in Dare’s bed instead of my own. At some point, Dare had turned his back to me, and I had wrapped myself around him. As sleep faded from my mind, I became aware of my body—namely my hard-on pressing against Dare’s pert ass. I nudged forward a little bit and Dare pushed back against me. I gripped his hip and pressed my hard-on tighter against his ass.

  “I don’t have any supplies beyond lube,” Dare moaned. In the shaft of moonlight coming through the window, I could see him arching his back. “I should’ve been more prepared.”

  “Lube will work.” Dare rolled forward to open the drawer then handed the tube to me.

  Then we both shoved our underwear down our legs and kicked them off. “I’m not going to penetrate you, Sparkles. I wouldn’t betray your trust like that.”

  “Just do something, Wren. I’m going to die.” He started to roll onto his b
ack, but I stopped him.

  “Stay right there and squeeze your thighs tight.”

  Dare moaned, anticipating what I was going to do. I slicked my cock then slid it between his upper thighs, rubbing along his taint and the underside of his balls. I pulled back and drove forward again and again, using his tight thighs to rub one out. My hips started rocking faster as I chased my climax. I reached over his hip to grip his cock with my lube-slicked hand and jerked it in time with my thrusts.

  “Come with me, Dare. I need you.”

  We came together in the moonlight. Dare’s cries were muffled like he was biting his pillow, and I grunted softly against the back of his neck. I grabbed his T-shirt off the floor and cleaned us both off. I wanted to fall right back to sleep with him, but it didn’t feel right. Instead, I rolled Dare onto his back and kissed him long and slow to express how much I cared for him, how much I appreciated that he was there for me when I needed him. There was so much I wanted to say to Dare but didn’t know how.

  I went with something easy. “I can’t wait to see you in a few hours, Sparkles.”

  “Me too,” he said softly, sleep already re-claiming him.

  I tiptoed downstairs, trying not to make any noise on the old wooden steps. My worry was justified too because Ralph opened his bedroom door just as I started to creep by.

  “This is…um…”

  “Exactly what it looks like,” Ralph said wryly. “I used to be a young man too, Wren. I understand.”

  “I don’t mean any disrespect, sir.”

  “Of course not. You’re a good man,” Ralph said. “But if you ever hurt my Dare…”

  He let his words trail off, but I heard him perfectly. “I won’t, sir,” I promised.

  “See that you don’t.” Ralph shuffled his way toward the bathroom mumbling something about an old man’s bladder.

  Dawn was only a few hours away when I let myself out the door and headed to my apartment. My promise to Ralph stunned me, but it was true. I’d rather cut off my right hand than hurt Dare. I just needed to find a way not to fuck things up with him like I was prone to do.

  I hated waking up to find Wren gone. Spending the night in his arms was something that I had fantasized about plenty of times, but I never expected it to become a reality. It was fucking heaven for the few hours that it lasted, surpassing my most vivid imagination, especially when Wren rutted between my thighs and jerked me off until we came together. There was a tenderness in his kiss before he left that I’d never experienced before, even after I consoled him at the salon after Falcon left.

  Something had shifted between us after Wren confided his past to me and allowed himself to grieve over his mother’s death. I’d never forget his broken sobs as long as I lived, but I was glad that I could comfort him and so grateful that he trusted me. I recognized it as the honor it truly was and vowed to never let Wren down. In one way or another, it seemed like someone always disappointed him. I would prove to him that I was different than everyone else, but I suspected he already knew. I was his Sparkles after all.

  I grinned in the mirror as I brushed my teeth. That nickname would’ve been an insult from anyone else’s lips but his. It wasn’t the name itself but the tone of voice he used that let the affection shine through. I mattered to him.

  Grandpa was already out of bed and sitting at the table reading the newspaper with his magnifying glass. “The Blissville Daily News has turned into a gossip rag. They need to mind their own damn business and allow a man some privacy,” he mumbled when I entered the room. My heart swelled with pride when I realized he was defending Wren. What else would the BDN be gossiping about if not for a famous rocker landing in town? “I thought the National Enquirer was dropped on my front porch in error.”

  “I don’t think the National Enquirer has home delivery options,” I replied, but my lips curved up into a ridiculous smile.

  “Don’t get smart with me, Dare.” Grandpa looked up from the paper and smiled ruefully. “Someone had a visitor last night.” My happy little bubble threatened to burst until he laughed and shook his head. “That boy is much too big to be tiptoeing around here in the wee hours of the morning. He should’ve just stayed over and had breakfast with us.”

  “Uh…”

  “Look, in my day people didn’t have sleepovers before marriage, but times have changed. Back in my day, two men or two women couldn’t openly show their affection with one another either. Everyone had to hide who they were and that’s no way to live, Dare. Now, I want to say that I am more enlightened than the rest of my generation, but the simple truth is I put myself in your shoes when you came out. I cannot imagine what my life would’ve been like if I had to hide my love for your grandmother like a dirty secret. I wouldn’t want that for you either. It took some time to reprogram the noggin,” he tapped his head with a bony finger, “to remember to ask about boyfriends instead of girlfriends, but I did it. Anyone can. People who don’t adjust their thinking, just choose not to. Plain and simple. Life isn’t nearly as complicated as people make it out to be.”

  Grandpa went back to looking at his newspaper while I began making breakfast. “Oatmeal okay?”

  “Can I have blueberries and bananas in it?”

  “Sure.”

  “Will you split an English muffin with me?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Grandpa didn’t say anything else until after I set his breakfast in front of him. “You and Wren didn’t wake me up if that’s why you’re so quiet this morning. My old bladder did. I went to bed earlier than usual, and it messed me all up.” He looked at me pointedly. “That was my decision, not yours.”

  I appreciated that he wanted to ease the awkwardness and decided to take him at his word. “Eat your breakfast while it’s still hot.”

  I finished getting ready for work after breakfast and hugged my grandpa goodbye after Maren showed up. I wanted to get to the salon early and place my special order before chaos resumed. Whoever hadn’t heard about Falcon’s appearance yesterday would’ve read about it in the paper. That meant we could anticipate more craziness for the rest of the week until the newness wore off. Instead of feeling discouraged, I was excited about the extra money I could make from people’s poor taste. It would mean that I could start my remodeling project even faster.

  As soon as I thought it, I saw Andy Mason’s truck parked in front of Books and Brew. That didn’t surprise me because the hunky carpenter stopped in there every morning, and it wasn’t just for the amazing coffee and pastries. Andy had his eye on one of the owners and needed a daily dose of Milo Miracle as much as, or more than, a cup of java. On a whim, I pulled my car over and parked behind Andy’s truck.

  It was late enough in the morning that most people had already stopped in for coffee on their way to work, not that Andy was hard to spot. His size and looks made him stand out in most crowds. Andy sat at a small round table and had his eyes locked on the counter where Milo greeted customers with his twin sister, Maegan. I didn’t know the story between Milo and Andy because I was from the neighboring town of Goodville and had only met the two men when I started working at Curl Up and Dye. Unlike most, I had no desire to poke and prod into people’s lives, but I had to admit it was kind of fun observing the two men.

  Andy would watch Milo’s every move but look away in time so that Milo never caught him in the act. Milo ignored Andy except when he wanted to assure himself that he was still there. I wondered what would happen if the two guys locked eyes on one of those instances. Would they share a moment? Would they realize the longing they had inside was mirrored in the person they desired most? Would they… What the fuck was I doing? I really needed to stop weaving fairy tales out of everything.

  Andy was too busy watching Milo talk to an older, sexy-as-fuck man to notice I was approaching his table. The carpenter’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, and I decided to talk to him at a better time. Andy’s gaze shifted to me just as I started to turn around.

  “Dare!” he said excite
dly. Too excitedly. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.” Andy jumped my dead battery and followed me to the auto parts store. We didn’t share a moment or anything, but the casual observer wouldn’t know that by his greeting. Andy rose and pulled out the extra seat at the table for me like we were on a date. His eyes flickered to the counter quickly, and I knew what he was up to.

  I glanced at the counter too and saw that it was Milo’s turn to raptly watch my exchange with Andy. Oh man, this wasn’t a good idea.

  “Sit down and let’s chat. Would you like me to get you a coffee?”

  I shook my head, but not just because of the coffee. “Maybe this isn’t a good time,” I said hesitantly.

  “Nonsense.” Andy patted the back of the chair to emphasize he wanted me to sit. Of course, I noticed that he would be able to gauge Milo’s reaction while I would only feel his hot glare on my back. I didn’t need to make an enemy of anyone in the town I now called home. “What’s up?” Andy asked, returning to his seat.

  “Well, I have this renovation project in mind, and I need to hire someone to help me.”

  Andy shifted his focus back to me, and I had his full attention. “What kind of renovation project?”

  I gave a brief overview of what I hoped to accomplish since I was pressed for time. Andy nodded as I explained, like he was picturing the job in his head. “I have a sketch and a 3D rendering of the space at home. Is there a time we can meet to go over the project in more detail?” I asked.

  “I’m actually free this evening. Will that work?”

  “Let me check with Wren to make sure he doesn’t have a problem with that. Do you have a card with your number on it? I’ll let you know in just a bit.” I wasn’t going to wake Wren up. It was his morning to sleep in, and I figured he’d need it after the day he had.

  “Wren? The guy from the salon?” Andy asked.

  “He’s renting the apartment space from me,” I told Andy.