The Cinderella Cook-Off (The Feminine Mesquite Book 1)

by Sable Sylvan

  Sage was the only thing that had the potential of ruining her time at Bonimolean. He was a cocky bastard, a bad boy who didn’t play by anyone’s rules but his own, and bookworm Addy liked things, well, by the book! She couldn’t imagine that Sage had the smarts or the skills to have earned a place at Bonimolean without his family’s name. He seemed to care more about dressing and partying like a rock star than studying. She couldn’t imagine Sage being like Herb or Clove, serious about hunting down a fated mate. Yes, she could imagine Sage’s polar bear shift running across the frozen Nordic beaches and hunting for fish, but Sage, hunting for a mate? No frikkin’ way. And the last thing that Addy needed was a distraction, especially one in the form of a guaranteed broken heart. Guys like Sage were sexy, but they were nothing but trouble. She just knew it.

  She walked down the stairs quickly.

  “Careful,” said Sabine. “Take them slowly. You’re still learning to walk in those.”

  Addy slowed down like Sabine said.

  Sage looked at Addy. He had never seen her like this before. She was walking like a young deer taking its first steps, wearing a pair of shoes that barely qualified as heels. They were leather shoes with a bow on the tip, a bow made of flat grosgrain ribbon. Her dress hugged her curves but was also modest enough so as not to reveal anything she didn’t want revealed. Her ample bosom was on display, but her butt seemed to be hidden…at least, until Addy turned and revealed that her butt made her skirt stick out a bit in the back, like a bustle skirt. It was quite the silhouette.

  Sage’s bear roared. Addy had always looked amazing to him. Seeing her in these clothes didn’t change that. All it drove home was the reality of the fact that he’d have to spend a semester resisting her and those curves. At least they wouldn’t be rooming too closely together. There was no way that a dreamy bookworm like Addy hadn’t opted for the more romantically designed all-female dorm. He was glad to see that given all the changes Sabine made, Addy still had on those cute glasses.

  The bear roared louder. The polar bear didn’t give a frikkin’ darn about clothing or glasses! It wanted Sage to make a move. Sage dressed like a bad boy and now, it was time to act like one and just sweep Addy up in his arms and give her a kiss. After all, she was walking right toward him.

  “Stare much?” asked Addy, a hand on her hips, before turning and walking toward Sabine. She couldn’t believe she’d caught Sage gawking at her.

  “You wish,” said Sage. The bear roared. What the heck was Sage doing?

  Sabine passed Addy a teal cardigan. Her shoes were black, and her dress was navy blue. Sabine didn’t approve of the color and tried a gray with silver threads. That earned her approval.

  Sage watched as Sabine played dress up with Addy. Never in a million years did he think he’d see Addy here. He’d intended to come pick up his clothes and leave, but all he wanted to do now was stay and watch Addy.

  Sage took a seat on the couch.

  “You can go, you know,” said Sabine, not turning to Sage. “All the things you ordered are in the package.”

  “I don’t have anything else to do today,” said Sage. “I might as well watch the show.”

  “Uh-uh, no way,” said Sabine. “If you’re going to be here, you’re going to be trying on clothes, or you’re going to be put to work…and given I know you can’t sew, given how you tried to sew your old blazer back together and absolutely mangled it, go try on something. Martha! Did you swap out Sage’s suit?”

  “Not yet,” said Martha, the assistant.

  “Bring it back out,” ordered Sabine. “Sage, you know the deal. Martha, grab a pair of shoes in his size. Black. Any old pair will do for this. Thanks.”

  Sabine folded the cardigan and put it down.

  “Okay, so we’ve got you a few outfits for class,” said Sabine.

  “A few? I only tried this on,” said Addy.

  “Trust me, I know what I’m doing,” said Sabine. “You wanted a mix and match wardrobe. We’ll just order you a bunch of the same dress and cardigans in different colors that go together. You made my job easy. However, formal dress wear is a-whole-nother game. Martha’s put another outfit upstairs for you already. Go put that on, and the shoes. Those are real heels, so be careful.”

  “I thought these were heels,” said Addy, stepping out of the shoes she was wearing.

  “Those are kitten heels, kitten,” said Sabine. “Now go be a good girl and get changed!”

  “Sheesh, you don’t have to tell me twice,” said Addy. She headed upstairs and went to the dressing room.

  Fifteen minutes later, Addy heard a ringing bell. She looked out the curtain.

  “Hello? What’s going on up there?” asked Sabine.

  “It doesn’t fit,” said Addy.

  “It doesn’t fit? Like heck it doesn’t fit,” said Sabine. “What’s wrong? Is it too tight?”

  “I can’t reach the zipper,” said Addy.

  “Is that all?” said Sabine. “That’s normal. Come on out. Let’s see it.”

  “Okay, one second,” said Addy.

  Addy adjusted herself in the mirror and put on the heels carefully. They were not easy to walk in at all.

  She walked out to the balcony, holding the dress together in the back.

  “How’s it look?” asked Addy.

  “I can’t tell until it’s zipped up properly,” said Sabine before she clapped her hands. “Sage! Zip her up!”

  Addy turned. Sage had been in the other dressing room, and he had managed to get dressed on his own. He was wearing a suit, black, with a charcoal black shirt and an ash gray square and tie, with black leather shoes…and he was looking at her like he had never seen a woman before. Addy frowned. Why did he have to make this more difficult than it had to be?

  “Do you mind,” said Addy, because it wasn’t a question, as she turned away from Sage.

  “Not at all,” whispered Sage as he zipped the zipper up Addy’s back slowly, in one go. The only thing Addy could hear was the purr of Sage’s deep, sexy voice and the metallic sound of the zipper. She felt the hot breath of Sage’s voice on the back of her neck as the cold metal of the zipper touched her back.

  “You two done making out up there?” asked Sabine.

  Addy turned, but Sage didn’t move. She was facing him, or rather, his chest. She looked up. Sage was looking down at her, his brilliant blue eyes meeting hers. He had a five-o-clock shadow and looked like he had no business dressing in a suit that nice.

  “Down the stairs,” said Sabine. “You know the drill.”

  “Ladies first,” said Sage, motioning toward the stairs.

  Addy walked toward the stairs carefully. As she tried to go down a step, she had to grab the banister for support.

  “Ugh, really?” asked Sabine. “Okay. Sage, help her down the stairs.”

  Before Addy knew what was happening, Sage had a hand on the small of her back, where his hand had been just moments before when he was helping her with the zipper. His grip on her was firm, and he had his other arm free.

  “Take it one step at a time,” said Sage. “I’ve got you.” Sage moved his hand to Addy’s waist, making it even harder for her to concentrate on what she was supposed to be doing.

  Addy made her way down the stairs carefully, but as she neared the end, she started to slip.

  Before Addy could hit the stairs, Sage had pulled her up and into his arms, her back against his left arm, her legs under his right arm. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his firm left upper arm. Sage carried Addy down the stairs and gently put her down on the ground.

  “Okay, so the heels are a no,” said Sabine. “Mirror.”

  Martha rolled over a mirror and Addy looked at herself. She was wearing a dress that made the first dress she’d tried on look like garbage. This dress was black, the lining red, and the lace overlay of the dress a charred ashy color with magma-colored rhinestones peeking out. That made her look red hot.

  “Okay, so that’s a good look for you,” sa
id Sabine.

  Addy looked at the other person in the mirror. Sage wasn’t looking at himself. He was also looking at her. Was the mirror playing tricks on her eyes, or was she holding Sage’s hand? She looked down and to the left. Her hand was firmly nestled in Sage’s. She pulled, and it came loose.

  “Sage, you and Addy both look good in that black and gray combo, very chic,” said Sabine. “Thanks. You two make a handsome couple.”

  “Oh, we’re not a…” started Addy, but she interrupted herself with a vision of herself and Sage wearing those same clothes somewhere else, perhaps a ball, another engagement party, perhaps their own? She shook her head. No way. No frikkin’ way. That wasn’t going to happen.

  “Oh, well, you can see why I naturally assumed,” said Sabine. “My apologies.”

  Addy pulled away from Sage but it was too late. She could wriggle out of his grip, but she could never wiggle out of the grip that he had on her imagination and Addy wasn’t sure if she wanted to. Sabine had judged all the things that Addy had tried on that day harshly but fairly, so maybe Sabine was right when she said Addy and Sage looked good together. The only question was, could they feel right together…and would Addy give herself a chance to find out?

  About the Author

  I’m Sable Sylvan, and the only thing I love more than reading hot paranormal romances is writing down my fantasies and sharing them with readers like you. My heroes are strong alpha male shifters who can be grizzly and gruff at times…but when it comes to their mates, they turn into absolute teddy bears. The curvy heroines in my stories are strong, sassy women, and that’s why the bear shifter men who love them will do anything for their fated mates.

  You can check out my site at www.sablesylvan.com and buy merchandise via www.shopsablesylvan.com . Shirts are available in up to a unisex 5XL, and you can find them on Amazon and RageOn.com .

  My books are available exclusively on Amazon, so check out my author page at www.amazon.com/author/SableSylvan to check out my full catalog anywhere, anytime. All my books are available for FREE under the Kindle Unlimited borrowing program (it’s like Netflix, but for books). If you enjoyed this book, please leave a review on its page!

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  Bear-y Spicy Fairy Tales:

  A Small Town Menage Series

  Goldilocks And The Three Bear Shifters

  Little Red Riding Bears

  Three Grizzlies Gruff

  The Shifter Princes:

  A Fairy Tale Billionaire Series

  Shifterella And The Billionaire Bear

  Beauty And The Billionaire Bear

  Sleeping BBW And The Billionaire Bear

  Rapunzel And The Billionaire Bear

  Seattle’s Billionaire Bears:

  A Fairy Tale Billionaire Series

  Rumpled Bear Skin

  Blue Bear

  The Bear Prince

  The Little Bear Maid

  The Twelve Dancing Bears:

  A Male Entertainer Menage Series

  Grizzly Bear Buns

  Polar Bear Buns

  Black Bear Buns

  Cinnamon Bear Buns

  Panda Bear Buns

  Koala Bear Buns

  The Feminine Mesquite:

  A Fairy Tale Billionaire Series…

  featuring BBWs + BBQ + BDSM

  The Cinderella Cook-Off

  Beauty And The BBQ

  Spicy Beauty

  The Matchstick Grill

  Little Red Hot Sauce

  Bear Buns: Denver:

  A Strip Club Menage Series (coming soon)

  Mountain Bear Buns

  Glacier Bear Buns

  Sun Bear Buns

  Moon Bear Buns

  Spirit Bear Buns

  Yeti Bear Buns

  You can find me online:

  @SableSylvan

  SableSylvanRomance

  www.sablesylvan.com

  sablesylvan@gmail.com