At the Stroke of Midnight (Naughty Princess Club 1)

With an angry growl, I pull my face away from PJ’s hand and look back over my shoulder at him.

“I really don’t give a shit, Brian. Go find another babysitter to screw, or someone to help you pull that giant stick out of your ass.”

I turn my face back to PJ’s to find him staring angrily over at Brian.

“Hey, it’s fine. He’s not worth it,” I tell him softly.

“Look, I know you’re more than capable of fighting your own battles, and watching you go off on him was so fucking hot. But I need to do something, and I’m gonna need you to forgive me as soon as I do it.”

With that, PJ marches over to Brian, pulls his fist back and punches him in the nose.

Brian’s head flies back with the force of the hit, and he drops down to the ground, screaming the whole way, clutching his nose as the blood pours out of it.

“He broke my nose!” Brian cries, curling up in the fetal position on the ground as the crowd around us just stairs at the pathetic, sobbing baby on the floor. “I was held captive by animals for months, and I bravely escaped and made my way back to my family, and this Neanderthal breaks my nose!”

Brian puts on a pathetic show, making sure his voice can be heard all the way across the room, in case his parents might hear him.

PJ leans over him as he continues to whimper and moan in pain and complain about the horrors he went through in another country, finally shutting up when PJ gets within inches of his face.

“That’s for giving her thirteen years of misery, making her be something she wasn’t just to please you, screwing her over and leaving her with nothing, and walking away from the most amazing, bright, sarcastic teenage girl I’ve ever met. And for the love of God, man, learn where the clitoris is.”

PJ shakes out his hand and walks back over to me, bending over and scooping something up in his hands, but I’m too busy staring at his face in awe to see what it is.

When he’s back in front of me, he immediately gets down on one knee and smiles up at me. My mouth drops open in shock, and my eyes get so wide, I’m surprised they don’t pop out of my head.

“What the hell are you doing?!” I whisper loudly.

We may have just professed our love for each other, but there is no way in hell we’re ready for this. I don’t even know what the hell PJ stands for!

With a twinkle in his eye, PJ reaches out and grabs my shoeless foot, pulling it onto his knee.

“Slow your roll there, princess. Just making sure this fits.”

He slides my sparkly blue shoe I lost during my meltdown onto my foot, quickly standing up and wrapping his arms around my waist, tugging me against him.

“You’re my knight in shining armor,” I tell him with a smile, as he leans down and kisses me.

Pulling my head back, I look up at him with a raised eyebrow.

“I think I’ve earned the right to know what PJ stands for now, so give it up, buddy.”

With a huge sigh, he tilts his head to the side, squeezing me tightly to him.

“Princeton James Charming,” he mumbles.

All I can do is stand here in amazement, blinking rapidly as Ariel and Belle move to stand next to us.

“Oh my. He’s your Prince Charming,” Belle says with a dreamy sigh.

“Hey, Cindy. What’s your middle name?” Ariel asks.

“Ella. Cynthia Ella,” I whisper, staring up at PJ with wide eyes.

“Cindy Ella and Prince Charming! It’s like a fairy tale!” Belle exclaims.

“But does it have a happy ending?” PJ asks as I wrap my arms around his shoulders.

“It sure as hell does,” I tell him, clasping my hands together behind his head and bringing his mouth down to mine.