by Erika Wilde
“Either way, I’ll end up with nothing,” Helena hissed bitterly.
“As it should be,” Elle replied unemotionally. “None of what you currently have belongs to you. It never did. It’s mine, Helena, and I want it back. So, what will it be?”
“Fine,” Helena relented grudgingly. “I’ll do what you want.”
“Good to know.” Elle gave a satisfied nod. “I’ll have my lawyer contact yours this week to get started on the paperwork to transfer the house, business, and equity over to me. In the meantime, I suggest the two of you start packing and get your things out of here, because by the end of next week, you will be locked out of the house. Permanently.”
“When did you become such a heartless bitch?” Gwen finally spoke up, tears of despair pooling in her eyes as the realization of the situation sank in.
Elle laughed. “Just today, actually, when I realized that being nice has gotten me nowhere. That being nice nearly got me killed. This will be the Elle that the two of you deal with from now on, so get used to it.”
If Hunter could have cheered out loud, he would have, but he remained quiet, secretly impressed with Elle’s tenacity and how she’d handled things . . . even if he didn’t understand the reasons she’d allow Gwen and Helena the ability to walk away from what they’d done.
Elle turned around and strode out of the kitchen with her head held high, which Hunter took as his cue that she was done here and ready to leave. He followed, but not before he sent one last smirk Gwen and Helena’s way that conveyed a quiet but clear message to the duo . . . Your karma has just been served.
Chapter 17
Elle walked back into Hunter’s apartment, feeling beyond exhilarated and liberated after confronting Helena and Gwen. And the fact that Hunter had told her on the drive back that he was proud of her for being such a badass . . . well, she was practically glowing. A huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders today, and even though her stepmother and stepsister still had to follow through on the agreement they’d made, Elle couldn’t help but think that her future finally looked promising.
“Can I ask you something?” Hunter said, following Elle into his living room, his hands stuffed into the front pockets of his jeans.
She heard the curiosity in his voice and met his gaze. “Of course.”
When he reached where she was standing, he tipped his head to the side. “Why did you give Gwen and Helena an option, when you could have pressed charges and still gained everything you wanted?”
“I’m not a vengeful, vindictive person,” she stated honestly.
“It wouldn’t have been revenge,” he countered. “It would have been justice.”
Elle understood his reasoning, but she had her own. “For me, justice is seeing Helena being stripped of everything that matters the most to her and suffering. Trust me, being completely destitute will be the worst kind of hell for her.” Then Elle recalled what Hunter had told her of the situation between Maddux and Arabella. “Your brother went the vindictive route with Theodore Cole by taking his daughter, and that revenge could have cost him the woman who now means everything to him. Being vengeful isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be.”
“Well, when you put it that way . . .” Hunter laughed lightly and shook his head. “What are you going to do with Claire?”
Elle had actually given her good stepsister’s fate some thought on the drive back to Hunter’s. “I’m thinking about talking to her and seeing if maybe she’d want to come to work for me at the office. I could really use an assistant.”
Hunter’s brows rose in surprise. “You would do that for her?”
“Would I give her a chance and a job if she wants one? Yes,” Elle said unequivocally. “She’s earned it, I think. I wouldn’t be standing here right now if it wasn’t for her. I also don’t think that Helena is going to easily forgive Claire for betraying her about the arsenic poisoning, and I’m not going to turn her away.”
Hunter lifted a hand and skimmed his fingers along her cheek, his eyes warm and affectionate. “You are so good, and too kind.”
She shivered from his touch and suddenly ached for a more intimate contact, but just as quickly, he dropped his hand back to his side. “It was what my mom taught me growing up. To always be kind, to give others a chance.”
He smiled at her. “And the house? What will you do with it once they’re out?”
“Sell it.” She’d already made that decision. “I won’t make anything since I’ll have the equity from Helena, but the place is too big for just me, and it’s tainted with more bad memories than good. I’ll probably find a smaller place of my own closer to the office.”
“Sounds like a solid plan.”
An awkward silence fell between them, when that had never happened before. Combine that with the fact that there was a sudden air of uncertainty about Hunter when he was one of the most self-assured men she knew, and it set her on edge, because at this moment, she wasn’t sure where they stood.
At the hospital, after telling her about Natalie’s tragic death, this man had given her a glimpse of his feelings for her . . . I swore I’d never put my heart out there for anyone ever again because I was terrified of experiencing that loss again . . and then I met you.
That night, she hadn’t had the chance to answer him, to tell him that her own heart was far more involved than she ever would have anticipated. And since, there hadn’t been an ideal time to have that conversation . . . Now, a part of her worried that maybe she’d waited too long.
Her biggest fear had been that Hunter would find her life too complicated, too filled with drama, and that she came with too much baggage for him to deal with—all because that’s what Benjamin had put into her head. But this incredible man standing in front of her was the equivalent of her Prince Charming. The fact that he’d stayed with her when she’d initially gotten sick, that he’d taken care of her while she’d heaved over a commode and then had spent two days with her in the hospital told her more than words ever could.
He’d seen Elle at her absolute worst. He knew exactly what she was dealing with when it came to Helena, and he’d been her silent cheerleader while she’d confronted her stepmother. There had been so many times and so many reasons for him to bail on her complete mess of a life, yet his support never wavered.
She’d been the one running scared, trying to protect her emotions and trying not to get attached because she knew what it felt like to be abandoned when she needed someone the most. Hunter was not that guy. He was still right there, though judging by the guarded look in his eyes, he was unsure where the two of them would go from here.
Knowing it was up to her to create that path after he’d already stated his feelings for her, she exhaled a deep breath and opened herself up to all the possibilities this man silently offered. “Do you remember in the hospital when you told me that I meant more to you than a casual fling?”
He nodded. “Of course I do.”
“And you also told me that you didn’t expect me to say anything in return right then . . . and I didn’t?” She carried that regret with her still.
The tiniest muscle in his jaw twitched. “Yes.”
She couldn’t read his expression, and her heart raced wildly in her chest as she hoped and prayed she wasn’t too late. “I should have said something, Hunter.”
His brows furrowed ever so slightly. “And what would you have said?”
“The same thing I’m going to say now . . . that you are the single best thing that has ever happened to me. I would have said that I want you in my life. That I’m falling in love with you.” The last sentence ended on a soft, aching whisper of sound.
“Back in the hospital, I was falling in love with you, too,” he said gruffly.
“And now?” Her fingers twisted anxiously in front of her as hope and fears clashed inside of her.
“I fucking fell all the way. So hard I’m sure I’ve got bruises.”
A slow, sexy smile eased across his face, pouri
ng relief and emotion through every part of her, and she threw herself into his arms. He caught her, holding on tight and making her feel so safe and secure.
“I never thought I’d feel this way again, but you mean everything to me, Just Elle,” he said, burying his face into her hair and speaking into her ear. “I want to love you and protect you and be there for you through everything you still have to endure with Helena . . . Will you let me be that person?”
Tears and smiles hit her at once as she nodded joyfully, her cheek rubbing against his. “Yes.”
He pulled back and looked into her eyes. “I know there is so much going on right now, and we can take things between us as slowly as you need to. I just need to know that you’re mine. Every day and every night.”
“I am yours,” she said breathlessly as she framed his gorgeous face between her hands. “I have been since the moment you escorted me into the fairy-tale ball.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “My Cinderella with her crystal slipper,” he teased.
“My Prince Charming who swept me off my feet,” she said just as playfully.
His grin widened. “Like this?”
She squealed as Hunter suddenly and unexpectedly swung her up into his arms. “What are you doing?”
“I just swept you off your feet. Again,” he told her, looking as happy as she felt deep inside. “And now I’m going to take you to the bedroom and do all those wicked, dirty things to you that make you beg and moan.”
She sighed, her body already melting in anticipation. “Oh, yes, please.”
And he did exactly that.
Four weeks later . . .
* * *
Hunter glanced impatiently at the time on his cell phone, counting down the minutes until Elle would be home. Yes, home. Once his residence, now their home. Together. Instead of her getting an apartment of her own, he’d persuaded her to move in with him, which hadn’t been all that difficult. Promises of chocolate, back rubs, and regular orgasms had sealed the deal. So far, he’d kept up his end of the bargain, thus keeping Elle in a state of euphoric bliss.
Today, however, he wasn’t sure that any of those bribes would be enough to lift her bittersweet mood. After weeks of lawyer discussions and back-and-forth paperwork between Elle’s attorney and Helena’s, everything had finally been signed off and transferred over to Elle. The house. The business. The money. Her relationship with Helena and Gwen was completely severed, and while most people would be gleefully happy to be rid of their evil stepmother, his soft-hearted Elle couldn’t bring herself to celebrate what should have been a fist-pumping victory.
As for Hunter, he’d been waiting impatiently for this day to be over, because it marked a new beginning for him and Elle. One that wasn’t overshadowed by Helena still being a part of their lives. Now, officially, there was no reason for Elle to ever have to see her again . . . and from this day forward, Hunter intended to give Elle every reason to smile, laugh, and embrace the happiness she deserved.
He heard the elevator out in the other room ping with Elle’s arrival, then her high-heeled shoes clicking on the floor as they headed toward his office. A few seconds later, she appeared in the doorway, looking tired but so beautiful that his heart did a crazy little flip-flop in his chest at the realization that this gorgeous woman was his.
“Hi,” she said, smiling at him, as if he was all she needed to make her day brighter. It made him feel like a fucking king.
He leaned back in his chair as he watched her walk around his desk to him. “Rough day, sweetheart?”
She nodded. “A little.”
Reaching him, she sighed and draped herself across his thighs, right where she belonged, and he wrapped his arms around her. It was a regular ritual for them . . . her sliding onto his lap after a long workday and both of them discussing the day’s events. It was one of his favorite parts of the evenings, when it was just the two of them, connecting and sharing on an intimate level.
Elle absently played with the collar of his shirt, her soft fingers occasionally brushing against his neck. “Guess where Helena is moving to?” she asked him.
“Mars?” he replied drolly.
She laughed, the sound light and melodic as she relaxed more fully against his chest, the day’s tension draining away now that they were together. “No. Florida. Gwen is going with her. Word spread about what Helena had done, and all her rich friends turned their backs on her, so I’m guessing they both want to get away from all the stares and gossip.”
“Good riddance,” he muttered, although being ostracized was no less than they deserved. “And Claire?”
True to Elle’s word, now that she had a steady cash flow, she’d offered her stepsister a job at the realty company, which Claire had been grateful for. Having her take on half of Elle’s workload helped to free up a lot of her time for other things. Like getting back in the field to show properties, which she loved, and meeting him for an occasional lunch, and leaving work early and surprising him.
“Claire hasn’t talked to either one of them since moving out of the house,” Elle said, casually unfastening a few of the buttons down his shirt so she could touch more of his chest. “She doesn’t want to have anything to do with them, either.”
“Any apology or remorse when you saw Helena for the last time today?” he asked, caressing one hand along the curve of her waist while letting the other drift beneath the hem of her skirt to tease the soft skin of her inner thigh.
“No.” Another couple buttons released and she slid her hand inside the opening, her fingers grazing his nipple and making it stiffen—along with his dick. “But honestly, I didn’t expect either. I’m just glad it’s over.”
He buried his face against her neck and gently nipped her skin, causing a soft moan to echo between them. “Me, too, because there are better things for you to look forward to.”
“Yeah?” she asked, sounding happy again, and that made him smile. “Like what?”
“Like us,” he growled against her ear, making her shiver.
“We’re already an us,” she said breathlessly.
He lifted his head so he could look into her eyes, which were already hazy with desire. Yeah, a lot of their evening conversations ended up with him buried deep inside her pussy. There were times when they fucked like wild animals and other times when they made slow, sweet love—he found both kinds of sex with her richly, immensely satisfying.
“I was hoping to take us to the next level.”
Amusement shone in her eyes. “What, bondage isn’t enough for you?” she asked, deliberately misconstruing what he meant. “I can’t imagine you getting any more depraved than you already are.”
He arched a brow. “Is that a challenge? Because I’m sure I have a few more depraved tricks under my sleeve.”
“Maybe,” she said, a daring glint in her pretty blue eyes. “But first, tell me what this next-level stuff is. I thought we were in a good place.”
“We are in a great place,” he assured her. “An amazing place. A place that is like paradise and heaven combined.”
She laughed. “Okay . . .”
“And there is only one thing that could make it any better now that everything with Helena is done and resolved and in our past.”
He lifted her up and sat her down on the desk in front of his chair. He took a moment to really look at Elle, knowing he would never get enough of her. Her sweet smiles. Her bright laughter in his home—their home. The scent of her on his sheets. The feel of her soft, warm body wrapped around his throughout the night.
He’d never get enough of loving her. She made all those jagged pieces that had once been inside of him now click into place. She filled the emptiness that once made his soul feel so hollow. She’d given him the courage to want all the things he’d lost when Natalie died.
He wanted forever and happily ever after with her.
Tempest, Maddux, and Arabella loved Elle . . . and so did he. They were her family now, and there was only one thing l
eft for him to do.
He opened a side drawer, and as soon as he took out the small black velvet box he’d put there earlier and lifted the lid to reveal the custom-made engagement ring inside, Elle’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened in shock.
“This is next level,” he said, surprised to hear the emotional rasp in his own voice. “I want everything with you, Just Elle. I want to marry you. I want to have a family with you. I want us to grow old together and never stop loving one another. I think that’s how fairy tales are supposed to be, right?”
“Hunter,” she breathed, and lifted her gaze from the ring to look into his eyes.
Her own shimmered with tears of pure happiness, and he decided right then and there that was the only kind of tears he ever wanted to see in her eyes. And he was prepared to spend a lifetime making it happen.
“I love you, Elaina Darian,” he said, though she already knew as much since they’d both declared their feelings for each other weeks ago. “Will you marry me and be my Cinderella forever?”
Her smile was absolutely radiant. “Yes . . . yes, I’ll marry you.”
After sliding the ring onto her finger, he captured her face between his palms and lowered his head to kiss her, tasting her excitement and joy. Her passion and love.
Once that sweet, sweet kiss ended, Hunter didn’t hesitate to show her just how next-level depraved he could actually get.
Don’t miss NO INHIBITIONS, the next book in the Dirty Sexy Fairy Tale Series, featuring Tempest Wilder!
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