Broken Fairytales Series Box Set (Broken Fairytales, Buried Castles, Shattered Crowns)

by Monica Alexander

  “Do you have to go?”

  “Yeah, I do. Sean and I have a few projects in the works, and he’s been covering for me, but the stuff only I can handle is piling up.”

  I hated when reality kicked me in the ass. As much as I liked having Cole by my side twenty-four/seven, this wasn’t his life. It was mine, and as big of part of my life as he’d become and vice versa, he still needed to do his own thing. He had a successful business, he had his own friends, he had a house – granted he was selling that house and moving to North Carolina so we could be together, but we weren’t there yet. I still had a month left of touring.

  “I know. I understand,” I said, hearing how sad my voice was.

  Cole looked up at me. “Babe, I don’t want to leave you, you know that, right?”

  I nodded. “I know, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’ll miss you like crazy. Who will I sing to when I’m on stage, who will I watch?”

  For the past week, my gaze had never been far from Cole as he stood in the front row, preferring to watch from there instead of backstage. He said he liked to see my face when I played.

  “Might I suggest the wall,” he said, making me laugh.

  “I’m not going to look at any other guys if that’s what you’re worried about,” I assured him. “Or girls for that matter. But it won’t be the same.”

  “I know. But just think, when you get home, I’ll be there.”

  “You really want to move in? You’re ready for that?”

  I felt his arm tighten around my middle. “Are you having second thoughts?” he asked.

  “No, not at all. I just know this is a big step for you. You’re risking a lot.”

  “I don’t see it that way. I see it as gaining everything I never knew I wanted. You make me happy, Drew. Plain and simple, and I’d give anything to spend the rest of my life feeling as happy as I do today, with you.”

  I kissed him then, because when someone says something like that to you, there really are no good responses outside of kissing them.

  “I love you. So much.”

  “I know you do. By the way, I’ve been looking at some houses, and I think I found one for us.”

  A warm, tingly feeling spread throughout me as he said that. “Really?”

  “Yeah, I’ll show you the pictures when we get back to the bus. They’re on my laptop.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “Yeah?” he said, as he shifted so his body was covering mine. “You know what I’d like?”

  I smiled. “I think I can guess.”

  “Yeah, I don’t know if you can,” he said, as his lips kissed down my chest and stomach and back up. “But let me surprise you.”

  I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, knowing whatever he had in store for me would be good. “Go for it.”

  I smiled as his lips closed around my nipple ring and he tugged on it at the same time his hand moved to stroke me gently, the pulling from both ends getting me riled up in a way that only he could do. I breathed in deeply and let it out, knowing he was just getting started.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Emily

  “Keep your eyes closed,” Zack commanded as my foot caught on something and I stumbled. But he was right there beside me, keeping me upright. “Sorry, we’ll fix that.”

  Fix what?

  I had no idea where we were. It was two in the morning, I was mildly buzzed from the post-show celebration we’d had, and Zack was dragging me around in the middle of nowhere after driving us around for thirty minutes to God knows where.

  “Okay, stop,” he said, the amusement in his voice palpable.

  I stopped walking, expecting him to drop the grip he had on my arm, but he didn’t.

  “Can I open my eyes now?”

  “Yeah, you can open them.”

  It took me a few minutes to adjust to the darkness surrounding everything, but when I could see, I could make out a house – a very large house – looming in front of us. It didn’t look like anyone lived there. In fact, it looked like a construction site with odd beams lying about and nails scattered all over the porch that was, albeit, gorgeous. It wrapped around the whole house in a Victorian fashion. But the house itself was more modern with old fashioned touches.

  “Have you brought me here to kill me, figuring a construction site would be a good place to dump the body?” I joked.

  Zack laughed. “Try again.”

  “Uh, you wanted somewhere new for us to have sex, and you figured no one would find us here?” I looked around then seeing nothing except Zack’s truck as far as I could see. “Where are we anyway?”

  “We’re on ten acres of land, and we’re a mile from the road.”

  I nodded. “So no one will hear me scream?”

  He leaned over and pressed his lips to my temple. “No one will hear you scream, princess, so feel free to be as loud as you want.”

  I looked up at him. “Are you high?”

  “No!” he scoffed, chuckling lightly. “Why would you think that?”

  “Because it’s two in the morning, baby, and we’re not at home in bed ripping each other’s clothes off. We’re in the country, in the dark, and there are nails everywhere. I know you like to spice things up, but I’m not really an outdoorsy kind of girl, if you know what I mean.”

  Zack shook his head. “Come on,” he said, tugging me up the steps to the porch.

  When he tried the door it swung wide open, and I was surprised to see that the downstairs had hardwood floors already laid down. Light from the moon filtered in through the large picture windows all along the front, and Zack’s flashlight app on his iPhone illuminated the rest of what lay before us, including a staircase that led to the second floor.

  “The bedrooms are carpeted,” he assured me.

  Great, carpet sex – in a stranger’s house, no less. I did not understand what was going on.

  Zack moved behind me and looped his arms around my waist. Then he turned me so I could see what I imagined was the dining room.

  “I was thinking we could have everyone over for Christmas dinner. If we get a table for twelve, that should do it.”

  Suddenly everything clicked into place, and I spun to face him. “Are you joking?”

  He shrugged. “No, I think it’ll work. We don’t have that many friends.”

  “Zack, did you buy this house?” I asked, as my heart started pounding in excitement.

  He smirked. “You finally figured it out, huh?”

  My eyes went wide. “Seriously?!”

  “Well, I didn’t technically buy it so much as I bought the land and all the materials and had it built, but either way, it’s ours.”

  “Ours?!”

  He chuckled. “Well, I’m not going to live here by myself. Consider it a wedding present.”

  “Oh, my God!” I shrieked as I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him. “I can’t believe you built us a house!”

  “I can’t believe I kept it a secret,” he said, as I released him and looked around even more, taking in all the small details I could see in the dim light we had. “You can thank Chase for a lot of it.”

  “Chase?” I asked, wondering how my brother had gotten involved.

  Zack smiled. “Yeah, I hired his firm to do the design, and he was pretty involved on the project team.”

  Ho-ly crap.

  “I cannot believe you did this, Zack!” I said, turning to face him. “How long has this been going on?”

  There was no way he’d just started on this project a month earlier when we’d gotten married. This had to have been going on for months.

  “They broke ground in late August.”

  “August! And you didn’t tell me? You’re a better secret-keeper than I thought, mister,” I said, smacking him on the arm.

  “Oww. Hey, I did a nice thing here. There’s no need to get violent.”

  “I want to see the rest!” I said eagerly, bouncing up and down on the balls of my feet.

  �
��And I’d love to show it to you, but the power’s not on yet. There are a lot of little details that I think you’ll appreciate better in the daytime. We can come back tomorrow. I just wanted to show it to you tonight, since tonight we came to the end of what has been the most amazing eight months of my life, starting with getting signed, you agreeing to marrying me, touring all summer, putting out two albums, going on another tour and getting married to the most amazing woman in the world. I don’t think I could have asked for anything more.”

  I waved my hand at my face to stave off the tears that were threatening to fall. I was overcome with emotion after everything he’d said. It was too much.

  I looked up at my husband and smiled. “And that is why I love you, Zack Easton,” I said, shaking my head. “You know this isn’t really the end though, right? I mean, you’re on a break, but you guys have that interview with Rolling Stone next week, and some of the morning shows have been calling, asking if you guys can come on, not to mention New Year’s Eve in Times Square and the tour next year. This is just the start. You guys are going to be unstoppable.”

  Zack looped his arms around my waist and pulled me close. “It’s all because of you, princess. You know that, right?”

  I shook my head. “No way. I’m just promoting a product. You guys, you’re music, that’s what’s bringing the fans in.”

  He smiled. “Yeah, but so much of the music I’ve written in the past year was inspired by you. I wouldn’t be where I am today, the band wouldn’t be where we are, without you. I owe you so much. Thank you for believing in me and giving me a chance after everything we went through. I’ll never forget how empty my life was when we were apart and how miserable it was to try to live day to day without you next to me.”

  It was then that I really started to cry, the tears welling in my eyes and spilling over. “Baby, there is no one else I would’ve ended up with. You know that. You were it for me, and I knew it the moment I met you. It just took us a while to hit our stride, but I think we’re better because of it. We’re stronger.”

  He leaned down and kissed my cheeks, his lips erasing my tears.

  “You mean everything to me, Emily, and I love you.”

  I kissed him then, not sure if I’d ever feel as complete as I did in that moment with Zack standing in front of me. In the sixteen months that I’d known him, he’d made my life perfect in every imaginable way. I knew we’d have our ups and downs since what relationship didn’t, but at the end of it all, I also knew that no matter what, with him by my side, I was not only getting my fairytale ending, but I was also getting more than I ever knew I wanted.

  “I love you too. Thank you for being you, for being the perfect guy.”

  He laughed. “I doubt that’s true, especially considering the fact that we don’t have an argument-free relationship.”

  I shrugged. “A little angst keeps things interesting. Besides, you wouldn’t be the songwriter you are if you weren’t a little emotional.”

  He took my hand in his then and smiled. “I guess you’re right,” he said sheepishly. “And that probably won’t change.”

  “I think I’m okay with that.”

  “So, you mentioned something a few minutes ago about ripping each other’s clothes off that intrigued me. You still up for that?” he asked, getting that look in his eyes that told me exactly what he wanted.

  I slid my arms around his waist and pressed my body against his as I looked up through my lashes into his perfect face. His dark hair fell over his forehead in that messy, sexy, rock star way, his eyebrow ring gleamed in the moonlight coming in through the window behind us, and his full lips begged me to kiss them. He was mine. This sexy, beautiful, talented man was mine, and I wouldn’t trade him for anyone else in the world.

  “I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do right now. Let’s go home.”

  “We are home, princess,” he said, lifting me so I could wrap my legs around his waist. Then he carried me up the stairs as he started to kiss me, and I was afraid he was going to trip, but he was steady as a rock.

  When we got to what I assumed was the master bedroom, he laid me down in the middle of the bare room on top of the plushest carpet I’d ever felt. The moonlight from outside spilled into the room, illuminating him as he brought his lips to mine, kissing me with all that passion I loved so much. And as he made love to me on the floor of the house he’d build for us, I found myself not hating carpet sex so much. In fact, it was pretty freaking awesome.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Andrew

  Cole and I were having a lazy morning staying in bed as long as we could. I’d been home for no more than twelve hours, and I was exhausted, but I refused to miss out on any time with him. We’d wrapped up the tour the night before, having played one last show at Leo’s bar and had been in Charlotte the night before that. Cole had flown up from Tampa and met our bus at the venue, and it had been exactly what I’d been building up in my mind for so long.

  We’d held each other for several minutes, as I inhaled his familiar scent and let one hand splay across his back while the other tangled in his hair at the base of his neck. Then he’d kissed me like he was starving, pushing me back up against the bus, his body flush against mine.

  We hadn’t stayed on the bus that night, opting instead for a hotel so we could have the proper reunion that we both needed so badly. We’d been apart for a month, but even though we’d talked at least twice a day, it physically hurt to be away from him. We both agreed that it was harder than we’d ever expected, not to be able to touch and be close to the person you loved.

  But now we were back together, and everything was perfect. We had a week before he was set to go to Jacksonville for Thanksgiving to see his family, and I was heading to Virginia to see my parents, but we’d only be apart for a few days. After that I was heading down to Tampa for the month of December. I was excited to meet Cole’s friends and his family and spend some time in his world since he’d spent so much time in mine already.

  After the first of the year, we planned to come back to Chapel Hill where we’d officially move in together in the house we’d bought a few weeks earlier. Cole had scouted it out and taken me on a virtual tour with his iPad, and he was so excited about the house that I couldn’t say no, even though I really didn’t want to. We’d made on offer on the spot and were set to close in a few days. Of course, my architect boyfriend wanted to make some changes, so we couldn’t move in right away. He promised it would be worth it, though, and I had a feeling it would.

  So much had changed in my life in a few short months, but I’d never been happier. Although going home alone for Thanksgiving didn’t feel great. I knew I’d spend the whole holiday lying to my parents, and that seemed wrong on so many levels, but I didn’t see another way around it.

  My mom knew Jen and I had broken up since she was friends with Jen and Derrick’s mother, and she knew I was seeing someone new, but she didn’t know it was Cole or even that my significant other was a he. I wanted to tell her so badly, because we were close, and I wanted her to know how happy he made me, but I just couldn’t work up the courage.

  Cole’s hand started to idly stroke my chest, his fingertips grazing the tattoo I’d gotten a few weeks earlier. Emily’s brother, Chase, had designed them for the band, and we’d gone to his tattoo artist in New York when we’d stopped in the city for a show. The tattoos all said Liar’s Edge, but they were different, unique to who we were as individuals. I’d gotten mine over my right pec, and while I was there, I’d also had the guy ink a copyright symbol on the inside of my bicep.

  It was the most subtle way of doing something to make permanent what Cole and I had without actually getting his name tattooed on my arm. As long as we both knew what the C with the circle around it meant, then it didn’t matter what the outside world thought. I’d shown it to him via Skype the day I’d gotten it and watched his face spread into a sexy smile when he realized what it was. Then the next day he’d texted me a p
icture of the @ symbol he’d gotten tattooed on his hip. It was his first tattoo, and he’d gotten it for me.

  “Do you want coffee?” he asked then, and I nodded.

  “Yeah, that would be great, but I’ll make it.”

  I started to slide out of bed, but he stopped me. “No, babe, stay here. I’ll take care of it.”

  He kissed me once before he got out of bed and walked out of the room. I had no shame as I watched him walk the whole way.

  He came back a few minutes later with two cups in his hands and my phone tucked into the waistband of his boxers.

  “You getting kinky with my iPhone?” I teased.

  He smiled. “It was practically vibrating off the counter, so I figured you might want to see who’s been blowing you up.”

  As if on cue, it vibrated again, and I saw Zack’s name light up the part of the screen that was sticking out.

  “On second thought,” Cole said, cocking his head to the side as the phone vibrated against his skin. He set the cups down on the nightstand.

  “Are you sure you want Zack getting you off?” I joked, and he frowned.

  “That’s a visual I could have dealt without. Not that he’s not hot, but he’s not you.”

  I smiled. “Good answer.”

  “You might want call him back. It’s not the first time he’s called.”

  Damn Zack and his persistence. What the hell could he possibly want?

  I took the phone from Cole as he climbed back into bed next to me and pulled me against him. It was my favorite place in the world to be.

  “I just saw you last night. What the hell is so urgent?” I asked when Zack picked up.

  “We got invited to play at the concert where they announce the Grammy nominees!” he said, the words running together as he said them breathlessly.

  I shot straight up in bed. “Are you shitting me?!”

  “No, I’m totally not. It’s for real,” he said, and I could tell he was smiling. “It’s so fucking cool! I just told Leo, and we wanted to call you.”