Beauty's Cursed Beast Read online

  It didn’t even dawn on her that equal amounts of shock were radiating from him as his eyes combed over her form, which was clad only in silk. He clutched a folder in his hand, but seemed to forget its purpose. “You… I wanted to talk to you,” he finally worked out, swallowing thickly.

  “Sure. Make yourself at home.” Then she grinned and mimed laughing at her own levity. “Get it? Because you already are at home.”

  “Indeed. I… There was something, but I can’t seem to remember anything at all right now.”

  A demure smile lit Belle’s face at the blatant compliment. “You’re doing that tux all kinds of favors.”

  Adam’s hand brushed down his abdomen, as if only just then realizing what he was wearing. “Is that so? I would say you should just wear that, but there’s something alluring about me being the only man to see you in your robe.”

  Belle stepped back, ushering him into the room. “What is it you wanted to talk about?”

  Adam’s eyes narrowed at Thomas, who bowed and skittered out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Simone did her amazing disappearing act, shutting her doors to give the two the illusion of privacy.

  “Did Thomas see you naked?” Adam asked with a frown.

  Belle grimaced. “No. I don’t think so. I put on my slip in the bathroom.”

  “So he’s seen you in your slip?” Adam shook his head and tried to focus on the folder in his fist. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve been thinking about the woman with the red cloak. You were right. I didn’t see it at first, but it was there. They were communicating. The white wolf acted separate from the pack and stayed with her. I want that. When I transition, I want to be able to stay here with the staff, and with you.”

  Belle sat on the edge of her bed while Adam took the chair and rested his folder on the desk. “I think that’s great. Transitioning to the Lupine doesn’t mean your life is over. It’s just a new chapter. We can figure it out and make it work for you.”

  Adam nodded once. “I’m glad to hear you say that. Unfortunately, there are legal matters to address before I turn. I don’t have any heirs, so the castle would be sold off, since the Lupine don’t have rights and can’t own property.”

  Belle hung her head, chiding herself for not thinking about that crucial detail. “Maybe you and the staff could move in with me and Papa in the West Village.” She glanced around her long room and grimaced. “It’ll be a bit tighter than what you’re used to, but if you’re okay sharing my bedroom, we can make it work.”

  Adam froze at the desk, watching her slight fidgets as she exposed her plan to help him. “You couldn’t possibly mean that.”

  Her neck shrank, chagrinned. “I know it’s small, but it’s something. A step up from being out in the cold, for sure. You don’t have to, but think it over before you say no.” She shook her head, a look of angst pinching the bridge of her nose. “The thought of you living out in the woods all alone just kills me.”

  “You really think about that kind of thing? Of ways to save me?”

  “Not well, obviously. I didn’t think through the fact that you won’t have legal rights. But if you need someone to make sure you have a roof over your head and a bed to sleep on at night, I can do that for you. I can keep you safe, Adam. Whatever you need.”

  Adam blinked at her, never more certain that he was making the right decision. “I may have a better plan, if you’re up for it. I’ve been on the phone with my lawyer, and he drew up a few documents for me.” He flipped open the folder and handed her several pieces of paper. “This first one is making you my Power of Attorney, so you can sign for things on my behalf when I’m considered not of sound body and mind when I turn.” He paused for Belle’s gasp, but then continued. “This one is willing you the deed to the castle and all of my personal assets. When people transition, it’s considered a death, and their things are passed down or forfeited if there’s no will. You’ll be my sole beneficiary, with the understanding that you’ll take care of the castle and everyone in it.”

  Belle clamped her hand over her mouth, dumbfounded. “Adam, you can’t be serious!”

  He lifted a third document, paying her shock no mind. “This is giving you my seat on the board of Fontaine Mortgage, and controlling shares of the company. Then this here gives you control of my smaller companies - the security business I acquired, a restaurant and a few others.”

  “I’m a nurse! I don’t know anything about running a loans company, or one that… Adam, you’re not thinking clearly!”

  “I’m in the process of writing out step-by-step instructions, in case it takes us a few beats to figure out how to communicate after I turn. I can teach you all you need to know. And I assure you, the board is quite capable.”

  Belle stood and shook her head, her hand over her heart to stem the rapid syncopation that quickened her breath. “They’re all going to think I swindled you into this! Can’t you see that I’m underqualified? The stockholders will revolt.”

  Adam smirked at her. “They’ll be stupid if they give up their shares, and we’ll scoop them right up if they run. Fontaine Mortgage is the most profitable home loans company in the state. If you do things as I’m instructing you, then there won’t be more than a few small bumps in the road.”

  He took in her skittish fear and reached his hand out to her, beckoning her toward him. They both exhaled when their palms touched – his fur against the silk of her skin.

  “Adam, this is…”

  “I can’t let my family’s legacy be stripped for parts. If anyone else gains control, they won’t know what to do with it. They’ll change the fundamentals that make the company great. Of all the things I cannot stand, that would be one of the worst. Please, Belle. I can’t let my father down in this.”

  Belle ran her free hand over her face, her eyes wide and her head still spinning with confusion. “What about Henry? You trust him.”

  “I trust Henry to be my friend, but he can’t hear the staff speak. He still thinks I’m mentally ill. He won’t understand how to look after all of them with the same care you have.”

  Belle let Adam pull her down to sit on his thick thigh. She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. “Okay, then yes to being your Power of Attorney, and yes to the house. I can keep things running and make sure you all have a safe place to stay.”

  Adam put the papers down and curved his arm around her hips, his other hand wrapping around her to trace his claws slowly up and down her arm. It was of great satisfaction to him that he could make goosebumps erupt on her skin. He loved how pliable she was in his arms. She trusted him, and what’s more, what he discovered that morning as he started to put all the documents in motion with his attorney, is that he trusted her. “And what about the businesses? Can I put those in your hands, as well? It would pay you more than you’ll need to provide a comfortable life for you and your father.” He dangled the carrot, hoping she would take the offer.

  Belle chewed on her lower lip, contemplating all she was signing up for. “You need this? You’re sure I’m the one for the job? Adam, my degree is in nursing, not finance.”

  “I’ll teach you all you need to know. I’ll be with you every step of the way. You’d run it in name, but we’ll be making decisions together.”

  She wrapped her arms around his thick neck. “Tell me that I won’t be the person that breaks everything that’s important to you. Tell me I won’t wreck your great-grandfather’s legacy.”

  Adam smiled, his cheek pressing to hers. “Does that mean you’ll help me?”

  Belle paused, steeling herself, but then finally nodded. “Yes. If this is what you need, then I’ll help however I can.”

  Adam’s gentle embrace bloomed into a full-blown hug of relief. “Thank you,” he whispered. “I feel so much lighter, knowing the staff and myself will be taken care of after I turn. Thank you. I won’t have to live in the woods without you.”

  “You love them.”

  “I do. They’re only in this p
osition because of me.”

  When the doorbell sounded through the house, Belle stiffened. “I’m not dressed yet!”

  Adam gave her another squeeze before letting her go. “Take your time. It’s only my attorney and a notary. They’re going to make everything official. Henry and Rory are on their way, but it’s a long drive for them both.”

  Belle stood and cinched her robed tighter, making sure she remained covered. “You want me to sign everything right now?”

  “As soon as you’re decent.” He stood and, without thinking, pressed a kiss to the crook of her neck. They both reveled in Belle’s shiver of longing, taking in the new advance that welcomed them to another level of their complicated relationship. “Thomas saw you in your slip?”

  Belle closed her eyes, her cheek brushing his. “Only a little.”

  “Mm. I’ll be waiting in the receiving room, wondering how undressed I’m allowed to see you.”

  Belle’s intake of breath caused a seductive smirk to play on Adam’s features. It had been so long since he’d been able to make a woman’s body shiver for him. He stood and touched her hand before he left, leaving them both wanting more.

  25

  Keys to the Castle

  Belle made her way down the steps in a simple red dress that showed off her slender waist and belled at her hips, brushing her toes as she walked. Simone promised there were only a few more finishing touches that needed to be made to the ballgown, and that such extravagant things weren’t for boring affairs like signing paperwork.

  Adam stood when she entered the room. The lawyer and notary followed suit, glancing between Adam and Belle and taking note of the vast improvement in Adam’s temperament in her presence. Introductions were made, papers were signed, and Belle wondered if things like this were always so quick, or if it was because Adam was who he was that guests wanted to make their visits brief.

  They sat on the couch in the receiving room, his arm draped on the back while she blinked next to him, still floored at all that took place. “I can’t believe all of that just happened. I mean, just like that, I’m permanently in your life.”

  “Just like that,” Adam smiled, looking more relaxed than he’d been in ages. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a cell phone and a set of keys. “For you.”

  “What’s for me?”

  “Keys to the castle. You’ll need them, since the deed will soon be in your name. There’s a key to the silver Jag in the garage, too. I don’t use it anymore, so it’s yours.”

  “What?” Belle shook her head, as if that would force his words to make sense. “Adam, you can’t just give me your car!”

  “Why not?” he asked, unaffected. “Yours isn’t salvageable, and you need a car.” A frown tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Oh, you’re right to protest. You shouldn’t accept a hand-me-down gift. I’ll buy you a new one that’s just yours. One that no one else has ever sat in. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

  Belle’s mouth hung open in shock. “Adam, of course I don’t need anything new. I’m saying you can’t give me your car because it’s too expensive, and it’s… You can’t give me a car!”

  When Adam understood the source of her consternation, his worry wrinkles ironed out with an easy smile. “Oh, is that all? You’re funny when you get all worked up over something so small.”

  “It’s not small. It’s a car.”

  He shrugged. “To me, it’s small. Your happiness and safety are big.”

  “Thank you, but I was saving up so I could buy one myself.”

  “Why bother? I haven’t driven the silver Jag in ages. If you hadn’t noticed, I have four cars and I rarely leave the castle. It’s yours. Think of it was the company car, if you want. You’re my caretaker, so eventually you’ll need to drive me to the doctor’s and whatnot.”

  Belle’s eyebrow raised. “You’ll let me take you to the doctor?”

  “No,” Adam admitted with a small smirk. “This is yours, too. Your phone was lost in the snow, so I got you a new one with all the numbers of the board, my attorney, and anyone else you’ll need to contact when you take over the company. It’s got the newest security features, too. My security company doesn’t mess around when it comes to digital protection.”

  Belle jumped up and backed away from the keys and phone as if they were scorpions. “No! I don’t want those things right now.”

  “You don’t want keys to the house? I should’ve given you a set weeks ago.”

  “This feels wrong, like you’re giving up that the curse might not come true. It’s possible, isn’t it? There’s still hope.” She started wringing her hands, anxiety coursing through her at the grand gestures. “Rory woke up from her curse. She beat Malaura!”

  Adam pursed his lips, tilting his head to the side as he glanced up at her. “It’s going to happen, Belle. I don’t like it either, but make no mistake, Malaura always gets her way. Remus wasn’t there the counter my curse, so it stuck. It’s going to happen. I want you to be prepared.”

  Emotion was thick in Belle’s voice, but she willed herself not to break down. “If I take those keys, somehow it all feels like there’s no going back. You may have given up hope, but I haven’t. There’s… Maybe it won’t work, but everyone knows what Remus Johnstone did for his niece. The only reason Rory had a chance at breaking Malaura’s curse is because her uncle gave up a portion of his life to alter it.”

  Adam stilled, taking with caution the daring that flashed in her eyes. “Belle, you don’t know what you’re saying. Remus was reckless. Yes, it worked for them, but it cost Remus five years off his life!”

  “Do you think it’s every day I meet a man who reads to me by the fire?” she shouted, her eyes watering.

  Adam was out of his chair, and in the next breath, he was gripping her biceps with an earnest plea she couldn’t turn away from. “I won’t come into your life only to shorten it. Besides, Remus performed the counter-curse within the hour that Malaura cursed Rory. The magic was still fresh, so it was more easily manipulated.” He swallowed hard, picturing the memory as if it happened yesterday. “Besides, Audra and Lucien tried. Practically the entire staff offered themselves up and did their best to save me with a counter-curse the minute I was marked, but it didn’t take.” He motioned to his furry body. “Obviously. I’ve been living with this sword over my head for years. Trust me, Belle. There’s nothing you can do.”

  “Or maybe it’s something only I can do. I need to take a sample of your blood. Please, Adam!”

  Adam crushed her to him, willing himself to hold onto his temper. “You’re wrong. Everything about this is wrong. I won’t let you give up five years of your life for the chance at saving a miserable man like me. It won’t work, anyway.”

  “Then what’s the harm?”

  “You know the risks exactly as I do! If Remus had performed the counter-curse wrong, he could’ve died. He could’ve forfeited more than just the half a decade it’s going to cost him off the back end to save his niece, and that’s no small price to pay. And Remus is one of the most skilled people I’ve ever known. Thank goodness Audra and Lucien weren’t all that powerful. They could have truly hurt themselves in their attempt. You’re smart, and you’re capable of many things, but Remus is smarter than both of us. He barely survived, and he still ended up giving away a portion of his life to save Rory!” He held her tight, not caring if he was laying too many cards out on the table. “Don’t you dare try something so reckless, Belle. I won’t hear of it. I was selfish and stupid, and Malaura cursed me for it. I won’t be selfish with you.” His claws dug into her back without cutting. “So help me, I won’t let you do this.”

  “But Adam, I…”

  “I know, and the fact that you entertained such desperate means to save me will stay with me and keep me by your side after I turn. That you would offer to cut yourself down that it might save me? Belle, I don’t know what twist of fate landed me with you, but that’s all the mercy I’ll allow myself.”


  “I won’t do nothing while you give up!”

  “You don’t think there’s anything I wouldn’t give to be able to stay with you another year? Another month?”

  Belle let out a bleat of agony. “How much time do you have left? Weeks?”

  Adam lowered his chin and shook his head.

  “A week?”

  His jaw tightened, and again he turned his head from side to side.

  “Days?” she choked out as heartbreak shot through her. “No! Tell me you’re lying! Tell me we have more time!”

  “You are my torment, Belle. To know that if I hadn’t been so foolish as a younger man, I might’ve been able to stay with you? It kills me. It’s exactly the punishment I deserve, and you won’t rob me of it.” His tight grip loosened slightly, and his hand began to rub soothing circles into her back. “All I want is for you to stay with me – to remember the man I was to you when all that’s left is the beast.”

  Belle remained in his arms, holding onto him while the world rocked the small boat they’d taken solace in. “If that’s what you want, I can do that.”

  She couldn’t imagine forfeiting the feel of his massive chest, or the snuggly fur that poked out from his tuxedo shirt. There would be too much she would miss about him, and she wasn’t ready to give it all up. For the moment, though, she let Adam believe that she had, and swayed in his arms as he rocked them from side to side while the chaos of the moment settled between them.

  They didn’t let go until the doorbell chimed.

  26

  First Impressions

  Belle was nervous, not knowing what to make of Adam’s friends. Prince Henry was boisterous and laughed loudly at the slightest provocation. “Tell me again about the cobwebs you found through this place. The spiders had to have been large as kittens.”