Page 2 of Beauty and the Beast (Once Upon a Happy Ever After 2)

Chapter One

Belle

Who was that? I wondered when a familiar looking redhead in a blue gown entered the ballroom. She was late, really late, and her ball gown wasn’t quite to dress code. I made my way over to introduce myself but first, I had to vet her.

“Pretty risky wearing a dress like that,” I said, smoothing the beaded bodice of my own golden floor length gown. The Viennese Opera Ball was the highlight of the social season for the Upper East Side elite. With that came a strict dress code, floor length ball gowns for the women, and white tie and tails for the men.

“How do you mean?” she asked sweetly. Okay, even if her dress was too short in the front she was clearly a fellow debutante. No way would a person without etiquette training respond with such composure.

I smiled my most charming smile. “Well, it’s not to dress code, obviously.” I didn’t like trading not-so-veiled insults with a smile and acerbic tone, but it was the game of vetting. I had to know she could play before I let her in.

“Sara-Belle?” she asked. “Sara-Belle French?”

My jaw dropped and my hand went to my necklace. Could it be? “Ella? Is that you? Heavens it’s been forever!” I rushed my former best friend, wrapping her in a hug. We’d been so close as children. Then her father remarried that awful Tremaine woman and I didn’t see her anymore. “I’m so sorry about your father. He was such a good man.”

Ella nodded gracefully. “Thank you.”

“Well, we must get together and catch up. I need to know where you’ve been all these years.”

“I’m not sure how long I’ll be staying in New York,” she said.

“Oh, what do you mean?” I asked but my attention was drawn to another late-comer. This was no debutante. He was enormous. At least six and a half feet tall with muscles so big I was sure he’d had his white suit custom made. All of his clothes must have been custom.

He was exactly my type and headed straight for me. My heart raced as he made his way through the crowd that seemed to part for him. Finally! It had been too long since I’d had a good…

“Here.” I handed Ella a business card I’d fished from my clutch. I hadn’t heard a word she said but I did want to catch up. “Call me when you’re free. I’ll drop everything. I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to these last few years. It hasn’t been the same without you.” I kissed Ella’s cheek. “Oh, and it’s just Belle, now. I dropped the Sara part when I started my own business. It sounded a little too provincial for my liking. Have fun,” I said and walked directly toward the gorgeous specimen I couldn’t take my eyes off of.

“Hi,” I said stepping in his path. To my absolute astonishment, he grunted and pushed by me. I stood in complete shock watching the beast of a man make a beeline for the bar. Classy, I thought and followed. He wasn’t getting away that easy.

He was just what I needed. I could smell a good Dominant from a mile away, and this guy he set off my radar the moment he stepped into the room. He’d give me what I craved. He’d be the best Dom I’d ever had.

I just knew it.

Now if I could only get him to notice me.

Chapter Two

Aiden

I couldn’t take my eyes off her. But I couldn’t have her. Not now. Not ever.

; Not with this curse hanging over my head.

Not a real curse, this isn’t a fairytale. But I am cursed with a very specific need. One that scares everyone I’ve ever told. One that makes people look at me with such horror and disgust I’ve stopped telling people. I’ve stopped thinking I’ll find someone who can handle what I need. Because no one can.

But I couldn’t seem to keep my eyes off the stunning girl in a golden dress.

I hadn’t planned on coming to this ludicrous ball tonight. Balls, formal attire, waltzing, none were my thing. But this was the charity event to be seen at if you were part of the upper echelon New York elite. And I needed some very top tier eyes on me.

I didn’t expect to catch the eye of a brown eyed beauty though.

It would take everything I had to keep my cool around her. Everything within me not to throw her over my shoulder and show her how much of a monster I truly was.

The crowd parted for me as I made my way to the bar. Alcohol always dulled the need. But she intercepted me, stood right in my way and said hi to me. I grunted, pushed by her and sidled up to the bar. Two drinks down with another on the way and I finally felt more in control. The bartender slid my third bourbon down the bar and I took a long sip, turning to face the crowd.

“Hi, I’m Belle, and you’d better not drink too much or you won’t be up for what I have in mind for you.” She was right in front of me, smirking and standing so close she had to crane her neck to make eye contact.