Page 104 of Tabitha

I want the happily ever after that I thought was just a fairy tale.

I bite my lip, almost afraid to believe what they’re offering me is real. I peek out the door, as if I can catch who left it for me, but the hallway is empty.

It almost feels like a date.

My very first.

I brush my hand over the dress, then roll my eyes when I notice the guys didn’t provide me with a bra. I loop my fingers under a tiny string of material nestled on top of the dress and lift it into the air. I think it is supposed to be underwear, but it looks more like dental floss, and I wince at the thought of where that would end up buried if I were stupid enough to wear it.

And I’m definitely not stupid.

I snort, having no doubt that River had a hand in picking it out.

I fling it over my shoulder.

I’d rather go naked.

Fighting my giddiness, I snatch up the dress and hug it to my chest. Thousands of tiny silver stones are sewn into the gorgeous purple gown. It twinkles like stars under the light and adds a magical feel to the night. The dress is totally opposite of my normal jeans and T-shirt, and I feel like a fairy princess in it.

The simplicity is deceptive, the silky material clinging to my curves. The front plunges deep, displaying my cleavage, while the hem floats over my feet. I marvel at how the men were able to find something that fits like it was made for me.

I whirl in a circle, watching the skirt flare out, and I can’t stop the grin that crosses my face. With a skip in my step, I head downstairs, eager to see what else the guys have planned.

* * *

GAGE

Ilight the last candle, then stand back and observe my work. The entire kitchen is aglow in candlelight. The table is set, the food cooking on the stove.

Everything is perfect.

So why the fuck am I so nervous?

I peer up the stairs like a fretful suitor, my heart suspended for what feels like a full minute as I wait for Tabitha to appear. When the stairs remain empty, I blow out an impatient sigh and pace the length of the kitchen, tugging at the sleeves of my shirt, doubting my approach for the thousandth time.

Pierce is her protector and trainer, River is her cohort and fellow troublemaker, Bast is her confidant and leader…which leaves me with exactly nothing to offer her.

Except romance.

I know the basics—how to flirt and ask a girl out, how to wine and dine them, how to fuck them, but I never learned how to keep a woman.

After conducting research all afternoon, I think it’s doable.

I can show her that magic in the world is real, give her a safe haven after a hard day. I want to be the one she goes to when she has a problem, the one she laughs with when happy, the one who comforts her when she’s sad.

I want to own a piece of her heart, freely given.

I just have to figure out how to do it.

When my sister was murdered, I gave up living. I wasn’t aware of how much I shut myself away from the world until Tabitha showed me what I was missing. She’s like a breath of fresh air, bringing me back to life, one painful day at a time. She allows me to hope for the future, instead of dwelling on the past.

As if my thoughts conjured her, Tabitha appears at the top of the stairs. My breath stalls in my chest, my heartbeat going wild, as if forgetting how to function. The dress fits better than I expected, hugging her curves in a way that threatens to send me to my knees. I’m absolutely charmed when I see the tips of her toes peeking out from beneath the hem.

It takes me a long moment to stop gawking. I straighten, my shoulders going back, and I tug at my sleeves, then anxiously clear my throat. When her eyes snap to mine, it’s like my soul connects to hers, and all the stress and worry melts away.

Just looking at her feels like coming home, and my nerves settle.

No matter what it takes, I will win her over.

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