Falling for the Beast (A Modern Fairy Tale Duet 2)

Blake’s stomach churned. Had he become his father after all? The worst parts of him, the part that would use a woman for sex. That would intimidate her. “What happened to her?”

“Your mother found out. She didn’t confront me, though. She waited until I was out of town and then confronted the girl. It was…a bad situation. I blame myself.”

“No shit,” Blake said, his voice hard.

“By the time I got back and realized what happened…” His father sighed, looking more tired than he’d ever been. “It was too late. Your mother had spread the rumor that she slept with me, and there went any chance of her having a career in Washington. The worst part is that I couldn’t refute it. No, that’s a lie. I could have tried. I didn’t stand up for her.”

Blake agreed but he was too sick over the whole thing to say so. In the end he understood the irony of him accusing his father of wrongdoing. Blake had fought his attraction to his young maid, knowing it was too improper, that she was too young and beautiful and good for him. And in the end he had given in to his desire—just like his father.

There were differences too. Blake wasn’t married. He hadn’t broken any vows to be with Erin. And when it came to defending her against anyone, he would fight a fucking army.

His father sighed. “Our marriage had its issues. I can’t even say it was the first time I strayed, but it was the only time that meant anything. Your mother somehow knew that. It changed her. She became more bitter. More angry. God, keeping the assault charge under wraps became a full-time job for a while.”

“The assault charge?”

My father looked grim. “Yes. That’s why she waited for me to leave. She didn’t just confront the girl. She slapped her. Pulled her hair so hard she bled.”

“Holy fuck.”

“I told her.” His eyes darkened with pain. “When I got back, I told her it was my fault. Mine. She couldn’t stop blaming the girl. And blaming every young woman who slept with an older man, as if it wasn’t my goddamn fault for touching her.”

Was that why his mother was so cold to Erin?

Was it why she walked in on them having sex this morning?

He had left Erin in the living room undefended. If his mother was determined to hurt Erin, this was the perfect opportunity. He needed to find her. Now.

Chapter Fifteen

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Erin

Erin’s first date came in her junior year. Already she was a late bloomer. Her other friends had already been asked—but they also had time to hang out at the mall for hours and attend the football games. Erin worked between ten and fifteen hours a week with her mother. So when one of the cutest boys in school had not only noticed her, but asked her to a movie Saturday night, she’d spent fifteen dollars on a cute new top and wore her favorite jeans.

The night went perfectly. They laughed together, they held hands. She fell as quickly as it was possible to fall, then they drove out to the make-out point. She was still on board. She wanted him to kiss her, to touch her. She didn’t want to have sex.

“Come on, Erin,” he’d said, frustrated. “I paid for the movie and popcorn. And now you’re acting shy? All I want is to touch you. Are you a fucking tease?”

She’d been torn between shame and anger and a desperate wish for acceptance. So she’d let him pull off her new top and grope her breasts. She’d let him pull her face to his lap. He’d humped her mouth until he came, spurting across her tongue and her lips.

Ever since then she’d tried to live honestly, to say no when she really meant it, to only say yes when she wanted to. And definitely never to trade sex for safety, for influence, for money, letting herself be bought. She’d always wanted to have sex with Blake.

And she believed he’d always wanted her.

It was hard to remember that in the face of the Ice Queen calling her trash.

“You come from nothing. You are nothing. Scars or not, he could find a woman with a goddamn pedigree. So why would he want a young, pretty girl who knows no one?”

Her cheeks burned. Is that what had happened? Had she let him pay for a movie and popcorn—and then let him push her face to his lap? No, she didn’t believe that. “I don’t know why you’re trying to come between us, but it won’t work.”

“I’m not trying to come between you, I just want to be honest with you. Women like you, you get ideas about men like Blake. That they’ll marry you, that they’ll leave their families for you.” Bel stood up, looming over her. “But they won’t.”

Erin tried to stand, but Bel was blocking her with her body—and was surprisingly strong for her thin frame. The older woman clamped a hand on her wrist.

Erin was too shocked to fight her off. “Let go of me,” she whispered.

Bel twisted her fist, sending pain down Erin’s arm. “When push comes to shove, they don’t want you. They want me. Women like you are just good for a fuck.”