Finders Keepers (Fairy Tales After Dark Book 2)

by Jessica Collins

  The Lieutenant shook her head, standing from her position on Alistair’s living room love seat. “No, thank you. We have all we need. Besides,” she patted the small notebook in her pocket, smiling warmly, “if I forgot something, I’ll call.”

  Jayla nodded, standing. Lieutenant Mitchelle had been one of the first officers on the scene after Gene and Peter had called the police. The woman took one look around the room and ran right to Jayla, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. She rode in the ambulance with Alistair and her, holding her other hand. Jayla felt indebted to the woman who immediately saw the truth.

  The Lieutenant walked to Jayla, opening her arms for a hug. As she neared her ear, she stated, “Off the record, Jayla. Good job.”

  Backing out of the embrace, Lieutenant Mitchelle smiled at her before shaking Alistair’s hand and walking with him out the door.

  A small smile graced Jayla’s face, nodding as the words truly began to sink in. She sat down on the couch, sinking into the soft cushions. Head leaning back, Rajah jumped onto her lap and began purring. She pet the soft fur, finally able to expel a breath of contentment. She was alive. She was in love.

  She was home.

  Footsteps sounded behind her, and before she could turn to face Alistair, a voice echoed through the room.

  “Jasmine?”

  Opening her eyes, she jumped up from the couch. Turning around, her heart thumped against her chest as she struggled to believe what was in front of her. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes.

  “Daddy!” She smiled, running into the embrace of her father’s arms.

  For the first time in years, she was truly happy.

  Epilogue

  “Princess, come on. We’re already late,” Alistair called up the stairs, his gaze focused on the cuff link he just could not get clasped.

  His attention turned upwards as her heels clicked against the wood floor.

  Fuck. Me.

  She stole his breath. Navy blue fabric flowed around her legs, a floor length skirt, slit up the side, showing off the filigree tattoo on her leg. A gold chain peeked through the slit, caressing her skin. Spaghetti straps held up the top, curving along her breasts. A two-inch band of her olive skin visible at her waist, revealing hints of her other body art. And around her neck a golden collar. His collar.

  Smiling, she turned, slowly, showing off the lace halter back.

  Her hair in a high, lose ponytail, tendrils framing her face — she looked the physical embodiment of a sex-goddess.

  Taking the stairs slowly, she descended, stopping at his eye level.

  “What do you think?” she asked, speaking of her appearance.

  He swallowed, unable to speak.

  He thought a lot of things. Of course, she was stunning, yet words couldn’t describe how beautiful she was to him. The past months raced through his mind.

  After the … showdown with Jeffrey, she took time to heal. She’d been in shock, not fully aware of what she’d done for about a week.

  She’d saved him. More importantly, she’d saved herself.

  When Peter had been able to find her father’s phone number, keeping it a surprise was the hardest thing Alistair had ever done. They arranged for him to come to Manhattan, to stay for a couple of weeks with the two of them. If Alistair had any doubts about keeping it a secret from her, the expression when she turned around and hugged her father for the first time was all the assurance he needed that he did the right thing.

  They both cried and talked for hours, into the early morning, neither wanting to go to bed. “A couple of weeks” turned into one month, but Alistair didn’t mind. Jayla was able to show him the city, to see Madame Lily’s, and to decide a move was in order to be closer to his daughter. He should be arriving permanently in another few months.

  As if just being there wasn’t enough, her father also brought the one thing that had finally given her closure. The official documentation releasing her from her marriage and naming her a widow.

  Jayla had returned to therapy, here, in New York. According to the therapist, Jayla had done some fantastic trauma work and had one real issue left to address. Her name.

  He recalled their last conversation about the topic.

  “I’ve been Jayla Salonga for five years, Ali. I don’t know if I should give it up and be Jasmine Badour again, or stay the woman I am,” she said, sitting at their breakfast bar, eating a pancake with strawberries.

  He grasped her hand, bringing her knuckles to his lips to kiss. “I don’t care which name you choose, Princess. As long as eventually your last name will be the same as mine.”

  Jayla’s face beamed at the comment, a genuine smile that hit Alistair so hard in the gut, he lost his breath for a moment. He pulled her in, kissing her reverently.

  “Besides,” he teased, “‘Jasmine’ can always be our play word.”

  Jayla took another step down the stair, the slit in the dress revealing more of her tanned leg. Barely visible was the scarring from the word carved into her leg that night. Luckily, the cuts hadn’t been as deep as they first looked. She’d debated another tattoo to cover the scars, but in the end told him she’d decided against it. The irony of the word, Master, carved into her leg was not lost on her.

  “I’m my own Master. I just had to take my power back,” she told him one night, in bed, her fingertips trailing along the ridges. Moving down her leg, he’d licked the lines of the word, kissing them gently, reminding her whatever her decision — to cover it, or leave it visible — she was the most beautiful creature in the world to him.

  And she truly was. He swallowed again, the gorgeous woman standing on the stairs in front of him breaking him from his reverie. “I think we should go back upstairs, work on getting you out of that dress,” he responded, smiling.

  She laughed, lightly hitting his shoulder. “No, we have to go. Besides, Belle has been such a great friend — from the moment we met. I wouldn’t miss their engagement party for the world.”

  “And why do they need an engagement party?” he asked, confused.

  Laughing, she answered, “They don’t need one. It’s just an excuse for a party. But, it’s free food, free alcohol. Who knows … maybe I’ll have a few too many glasses of wine. Maybe then you’ll finally get what you’ve been asking for.”

  He cocked a brow, lifting his arm for help with the cuff. “And what, exactly, is that?”

  Her slender fingers took his wrist, their warmness heating him. Turning his wrist, she moved the cuff link through the buttonhole, clasping it. When finished, she smiled — a devilish smirk. Leaning forward, her breasts touched his chest as she whispered in his ear.

  “Maybe tonight, I’ll let you have my ass,” she cooed.

  He shot hard as stone. Groaning, his hands found her hips, pulling her close, to feel him against her. With her position on the stair, his cock rubbed directly against her pussy, causing her to moan.

  He cupped her ass tightly, his fingers digging into her flesh, pulling her harder against him as he ground into her. He growled into her ear, “Maybe it’s time I just take what I want, instead of waiting for you to let me.”

  Her arms wrapped around his neck, her breath against his ear. “Maybe it is, Sir,” she teased, pulling back.

  He narrowed his eyes, in mock anger. “Seems I’ve been too gentle on my Princess for far too long. I need to remind her who’s in control.”

  Rolling her eyes, her lips met his in a chaste kiss before pulling back, patting his shoulder. Stepping off the stairs, she turned her head, smiling. “We both know who that is, Alistair.”

  Biting his lip couldn’t even hold the smile at bay. She was right. They both knew who was in control.

  Jayla. It had always been, Jayla.

  About Jessica Collins

  Hello, loves!

  So, now you want to know more about me, huh? Well, I’m a dirty-minded, dirty-talking, pitbull-loving, book-obsessed, Jersey girl — who’s also got a thing for super cheesy horror mov
ies, bubble baths, and wine.

  Oh, and sexy-as-f*ck fairy tales.

  Not only do I love reading them, I love writing them, which is why I present to you the Fairy Tales After Dark Series. Each novel in the series is a stand-alone with a happily-ever-after, but are all connected through the different characters. Desire, danger, a whole lotta heat … these aren’t your childhood fairy tales. Be sure to pick up the other novels in the series for the full experience. Oh, and when finished, please be sure to leave a review — those are like gold for us authors!

  I hope you loved this story so much, you just need more of me in your life! Check out my webpage www.jessicacollinsauthor.com

  For an even better time, including fun and games, updates, and free/discounted books join my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cqDCP5

  Want even MORE of me? Oh, loves. Your wish, is my command…

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  Also by Jessica Collins

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  (Winner of the NJRW Golden Leaf Award - Best Erotic Romance 2017)

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  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for reading Finders Keepers! Many books thrive or perish based on reviews or a lack thereof. Please consider posting an honest review on the site you purchased this book from and/or on Goodreads. If you’re new to writing reviews or wouldn’t know how to write one, you could start by sharing what you found most enjoyable about this book.

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