The Beast's Bride (11 page)

He gave a low, feral growl in his throat and began to kiss her more aggressively. His tongue rubbed against her own, and Pippa whimpered. How did this man feel so good against her? Taste so good?

6He was forbidden.

She pulled away from him slowly, reluctantly. Her eyes slid open, and she was not surprised to see his monstrous face close to her own, or those odd yellow eyes watching her with desire in them.

"For a first time kisser, you did that pretty well," Pippa said huskily.

His finger trailed down her cheek in a tender motion. "You are easy to kiss, my Pippa." His thumb grazed over her lower lip, as if fascinated by her. "May I kiss you again?"

"I…" Hesitation swamped her, but that finger rubbing on her lower lip kept sending signals straight to her sex. "Oh, what the hell." She was fucked anyhow, right? Might as well enjoy herself.

So she grabbed the beast by his mane and kissed the hell out of him. Her mouth slanted over his, and this time she was the aggressor, her lips caressing his, her tongue the one to plunge into his mouth and tease at his. Heat spiraled through her body, and she felt his big hand move to her waist, dragging her body against his. He was warm and delicious. The mouth on hers was human, the mane tangled in her hands was not. It was an odd dichotomy, and one she couldn't study too closely, not when her mind was drugged with his kiss. Over and over again, they kissed. She would lead this one, and then they would break apart, only to have Duncan's mouth move over hers, as if not ready to let her go just yet. So they would begin to kiss all over again, in a coaxing tangle of tongues that made her pulse throb in her body, and she could feel herself growing wetter and wetter with every moment that passed.

She wanted him. So, so much.

Which was what made this so wrong.

Pippa broke the kiss off again and slid out of his grasp. "I'm sorry."

And she turned and ran back to her rooms.

She was a coward. She knew it, even as she pressed her back against the heavy wooden door of their room and tasted her puffy, kiss-bruised lips. Because common sense dictated that she should go and tell Duncan that she wouldn't be kissing him again. Common sense told her that she needed to confess her kisses to Belle.

But cowardliness? Cowardliness allowed her to do neither. Instead, she kept it as a secret close to her breast. For some reason, she wanted to keep something of him for herself.

6~~***~~

Days passed.

Now that Belle had decided to participate in her own fairy tale, she was everywhere, a fact that irritated and amused Pippa all at once. When she went to visit Duncan for their daily chess matches, Belle was there, discussing the menu for the party or the decorations. The chess games had to be set aside, since neither of them could concentrate with Belle's excited prattling in their ears.

It was just as well. The chess games felt intimate, like foreplay. And Pippa wanted to keep things cool between them after that passionate—and forbidden—make out session on the couch.

So she smiled and chatted, but she made sure never to be alone with Duncan. And if he cast longing glances in her direction or murmured something husky meant only for her ears? She pretended not to hear or see either, even though it killed her inside.

Belle was in a dither over the party, though, and she was plenty of distraction for everyone.

For starters, she had insisted that the silent staff clean the castle from top to bottom. The invitations she had sent out were for an entire week of festivities, which had made Duncan clench his fists in frustration, but he said not a word of protest. And since there would be an entire weekend of festivities, Belle continued, they needed to clean guest bedrooms. And set up the ball room. And rope off the gardens so the guests would not get eaten by the giant rats. And ensure there was enough food for a weekend of festivities. And could the staff hide, since some of them—okay, all of them—were creepy?

Since it was her ball, and it would be given at an enchanted castle, Belle explained that she would, of course, need to borrow some of the beast's jewelry. She wanted to look her best, of course. He'd given her free reign of his trunk, and she'd spent hours pulling out golden belts and necklaces dripping with stones, carefully scrutinizing each one and then considering it against her now-finished yellow silk gown.

And while she was at it, she needed more material for 'Pippy,' since she needed to dress for the ball as well. After all, if Belle was going to be suitably radiant, her sister would need to be at her side. Appropriately dressed, of course. She wasn't surprised when Belle picked out a muted scarlet fabric for her and proclaimed it perfect. Pippa didn’t care what it looked like. It was 6funny, because she suspected that Duncan wouldn't care how she looked, in the end. He liked her for her brain.

Which meant that it didn't really matter how she dressed. And it especially didn't matter since he wasn't going to be hers anyhow. That was an equally depressing thought.

As the days passed in preparation for the party, Pippa's dreams began to take on an erotic edge. She dreamed of going to Duncan's quarters and approaching him in his bed. She would peel the blankets back and stare down at his fur-covered body, completely naked. In her dreams, she'd grab for his cock, but she'd always wake up just before she could find out what he truly felt like.

Not only was she dreaming dirty things, but they were frustrating dirty things.

Soon enough, though, the first day of the party arrived. Belle took extra care with her appearance that day, humming to herself and fixing her hair into a myriad of curls swept up by a long, beribboned braid that kept her brow bare. Pippa didn't bother, pulling her hair into a simple braid at her back.

"Who did you invite?" She asked her sister.

"Everyone in the village, of course," Belle sang out gaily, fluffing her hair for the jillionth time that day.

"And how do you know they'll show up?"

Belle gave her a look as if she'd asked the world's stupidest question. "They are farmers and villagers and they've just been invited to an enchanted castle for a ball. Do you really think anyone's going to turn it down?"

She had a point.

"Plus, everyone wants to come and gawk at me with the beast," Belle said, and there was a note of bitterness in her voice. Apparently Belle was still not over the fact that she had to marry him.

For some reason, that irked Pippa. "He's very nice and thoughtful," she said with a hint of snap in her voice. "You should try actually having a conversation with him instead of just shoving things under his nose and claiming that you want them."

"Why?" Belle gave her a blank look. "Isn't that what he did with me?"

6Pippa's mouth opened, and then clamped it shut again. Belle had a point. Of course, the truth was that the beast needed a bride to break his curse, but she couldn't exactly tell Belle that. It was forbidden by Muffin’s rules. So she said nothing.

Belle clapped her hands and stared out the window. "I see horses! Someone's here! Come on, Pippy! Let's go greet them."

"You go ahead," she told Belle. "I'm going to check on Duncan and see if he needs anything."

Belle trotted off, skirts flying, before Pippa could say more. Amused, she headed through the labyrinthine halls of the enchanted castle toward Duncan's rooms. She knew the way by heart, now, which was a good thing. At Belle's command, the staff had gone into hiding and there was no one to guide her. It seemed a little cruel to force them to hide out because they were ugly, but this was Belle's party and no one—not even Pippa—wanted to contradict her.

She knocked quietly at Duncan's door. When there was no response, she added, "It's me. Can I come in?"

A moment later, the door opened. The beast stared down at her, his jaw set in a grim manner.

And he wasn't dressed in his best clothing. His favorite tattered cloak hung from his shoulders.

"Are you not going to the party tonight?" Belle asked. "You're not dressed for it."

He raked a hand through his mane, as if agitated, and began to pace. "Your sister suggested I stay in my quarters as much as possible. And while initially I thought I would disregard her wishes, I…have changed my mind." Duncan's steps were agitated. "I've no wish to frighten them, and the evening will be long if they stare at me and tremble in fear the entire evening."

Pippa's mouth curved in a smile. "We can stay in here, if you like. We never did finish our last chess game."

"We?" Duncan looked astounded. "You would stay with me?"

"Of course. I prefer your company to anyone else's," she admitted, and found it was the truth.

She would rather be at Duncan's side than enjoying the most lively party ever. She moved to the chessboard and gestured at it. "Shall we play?"

"If you insist," he said, but there was a smile on his leonine mouth and a warmth in his voice that made her feel fuzzy with happiness.

7It seemed she wasn't the only one that didn't mind staying in to play a little chess, and that made her heart ache. Why did she have to be the stinking stepsister in this fairy tale? Why couldn't she have been Belle?

7

They hid out from the partygoers for a full day and night.

Well, it wasn't truly hiding, the way Pippa figured it. They were in Duncan's chambers, as usual. Playing chess, as usual. The staff knew where they were. Heck, even Belle knew where they were. It was just that no one bothered to check in on them.

And that suited Pippa just fine.

Duncan, for his part, seemed a bit more relaxed once he realized he wouldn't have to constantly be a spectacle for the guests. He played chess with Pippa, told her stories, and they argued over things—like whether or not the world was flat. He was fun to talk to and seemed impressed by her 'ideas.' As if she were smarter than he'd ever expected anyone to be.

And she loved it. With Duncan, she felt intelligent, and pretty, and valued. Important. She normally didn't, since her old job was a menial one that involved listening to headphones while she updated spreadsheets. Her family was long gone. In short, she hadn't realized how lonely she was until she'd met Duncan, who was just as lonely. And suddenly she didn't feel so lonely anymore.

It was weird to think of herself as lonely, considering that she slept next to Belle every night.

But Belle was sweet and funny most times—and rottenly stubborn at others. And she didn't seem to truly understand Pippa, who wasn't into gowns or hair braiding and didn't want to go back to the village. They were 'sisters,' but they had zero in common.

Like right now? Belle was having the time of her life. For someone who had been terrified of the enchanted castle, she had been everywhere for the last two days, chatting with guests and seeing to room arrangements and organizing dinners. Pippa had wondered how Belle had managed to handle the meals…until she saw a maid pass by with her head covered in a pretty, decorative hood made of silk material, her face entirely concealed. Smart. She should have given Belle more credit.

At least the party was almost over. There would be a ball that evening, and then the next day, the guests would leave and return to the village, and she and Belle could get back to trying to make the fairy tale happen. Somehow.

7Unfortunately, Pippa wouldn't be able to get out of the ball. Nor the beast. They'd been able to hide out thus far, but everyone was expected to attend the ball, and Belle had told her that morning when they dressed that the beast would be the 'guest of honor.' As in, she wanted everyone to gawk at him so her party would be completely and utterly memorable.

Pippa wasn't enthused. She knew Duncan didn't want strangers staring at him. And stare at him they would. Every time Pippa ventured into the halls, she met a villager or two that she had to pretend to know (the old Pippa must have been friendly with everyone in town) and they constantly asked her about one thing: the 'dreadful' beast of legend. No one listened when Pippa told them that the beast was actually very nice, and that his name was Duncan, and that he was a great fan of chess and intellectual pursuits.

They wanted to know about his horrible claws and terrifying fangs.

Eventually, Pippa just gave up and had gone for sheer avoidance, slipping out only at night.

But tonight? There would be no avoiding.

She left the beast's side reluctantly that afternoon, heading back to the chamber she shared with Belle to change into her ball gown.

Belle turned as she entered, a vision of golden silk brocade and swirling, ruffled skirts.

"Pippy! Hurry and dress! We don't want to miss a moment of the party!"

"You look lovely," Pippa said sincerely. "Your dress turned out beautiful."

Her sister beamed and twirled in her gown to show it off. While Pippa had been playing chess, Belle had been working hard on her dress. It had a low, square neckline that showed off the swells of Belle's breasts to their best advantage, and a tight stomacher thanks to doubled-up fabric and intricate laces on each side. The skirts had been gathered and puffed around the waistline before falling in ripples to the floor. She'd taken extra care with the back of the dress, creating a waterfall effect with multiple layers of skirts in different lengths. All of it was that smooth, pretty gold that matched her blonde hair and made her eyes look so bright and blue.

Belle's curls had been pulled over one shoulder and tied into a loose tail, a matching yellow ribbon almost invisible amidst the sunny strands.

In short, Belle looked very much like a fairy tale princess.

"I'm having so much fun, Pippy," Belle said in a chirpy voice. "This party is magical."

7"Well, it is in an enchanted castle," Pippa said, trying to keep the sarcasm from her voice.

She would be happy when the guests were gone, but saying so would ruin Belle's deliriously happy mood, and she wasn't that cruel.

"I finished your dress," Belle told her, and picked up a neatly folded pile of burgundy fabric.

"Try it on so I can lace it at the right spots."