Wicked Wonderland

  Dedication

  For Richard: Some heroines have two fated mates. I have one.

  Chapter One

  The woman’s breasts looked like two bowling balls on a stick. Totally fake.

  Nick Frost winced as the stripper bent forward and her plastic tits almost fell out of her top and into his face. When he shifted away, the “exotic dancer” gave him a wink and turned around to flip up her red skirt and show him her bony ass.

  Tony, his friend and the groom-to-be, only laughed at Nick’s discomfort. “Don’t worry, dude. I’ll take care of this.” He shoved a wad of cash into the stripper’s thong, and—mercifully—she danced away, back up the stairs and onto the stage.

  Nick breathed a sigh of relief. Strip clubs would never be his scene. The women were all pretty much the same: too skinny, too tall, huge fake breasts, bleached-blonde hair, deep orange tans. Just not his type.

  The stripper’s name was Kandy Kane, and her red Santa hat with its faux fur pissed him off. It looked nothing like his dad’s hat.

  Nick was dressed in a similar way, and he felt ridiculous. His old college friend, Tony, had insisted all his stag-night buddies dress like St. Nicholas since his stag party was being held on the twenty-second of December and his wedding on Christmas Eve, so Nick had picked up the typical cheap costume mortals wore when pretending to be Santa.

  As if Dad would wear polyester.

  The hooting and hollering of the drunks in the room hurt his ears. The place smelled of stale beer, cologne and sweat. Cheap colored lights of red, green and gold washed over the red-and-white plastic tablecloth on the table that had Ho, ho, ho written all over it. He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

  The decorations were dismal. The staff of this joint had attempted a “Winter Wonderland” theme, but it was tacky and lacked that magical something Christmas should always have. He itched to mutter a spell, hum a magic tune, wave his hand and fill the artificial trees with elegant, frosted ornaments, garlands of white and silver ribbon, strings of pearls and delicate fairy lights to make the place beautiful.

  Nick shook his head. No…no magic tonight; just a night of pretending to be fully mortal to please an old school friend.

  “Give it up again for Kandy Kane, gentlemen!” A huge round of applause followed the emcee’s request.

  “And now, for someone a little different. It’s her first week, and she’s a little shy, but she’ll put you in a daze when you see her curvy hips shake from side to side. Gentlemen, put your hands together for Lacey Starr!”

  Drunken hoots and catcalls filled the room. Nick glanced over at his lover and best friend, Kris Noelle, and was rewarded with a roll of the eyes. Kris was sober too. Many of the half-fae sylphs were immune to the effects of alcohol. Especially the males. Nick supposed it was something in their blood that kept them from getting drunk. Mortal men’s drunken antics were kind of a puzzle to Nick.

  The lights dimmed. Hesitantly, the new stripper emerged from the wings. Pulsing, seductive music began, and a white spotlight fell on her curvaceous body.

  After all the leggy, bleached blondes, Lacey came as a momentary shock to the crowd. She wasn’t quite as tall as most of the strippers, but her legs were shapely in sexy strappy platform heels. The light shining on her hair showed highlights of strawberry blonde, russet, auburn and gold.

  Silence followed the removal of her fluffy white cloak. Underneath, she was dressed in a flirty angel costume. The thin white chiffon barely covered her astonishingly large, round and very real-looking breasts. She was a miniature Marilyn Monroe with a body so full, ripe and delicious Nick wanted to take a bite out of her. Beside him, Kris stirred. Nick noticed the change in Kris’s breathing—shallow, labored and heavy.

  The silence ended, and the room erupted with cheering, whistles and more applause.

  As Lacey danced, the filmy white costume she wore shifted and shimmered, revealing the luscious curves beneath.

  For the first time that night, a jolt of lust shot through Nick like a bullet. Lacey looked ethereal and gorgeous, stroking her fingers sensuously over her hips. A quiet, dreamy look passed over her face, and Nick imagined she was somewhere else inside her head. Somewhere far away from any indignity she might suffer here. As exotic and out of place as an orchid growing in a desert, “Lacey” fascinated him.

  He could see why the establishment had chosen a Christmas angel costume for her. There was something about her, an odd combination of innocent and sexy, reminding him of the first woman he’d ever loved.

  The way Lacey moved her hips in slow, tantalizing circles had the crowd mesmerized. He wondered if exposing herself like this and being a plaything for all these men turned her on. Or did she secretly hate it? He couldn’t tell. Strippers were supposed to be good actors, right? So who knew?

  The redhead’s fingers skimmed over her nipples. She gave a shudder and closed her eyes. Her full lips parted, releasing a soft moan. If she was faking enjoyment, she was very good. Nick’s cock strained against his stupid red Santa pants with their fake white fur trim.

  Slowly, Lacey removed her golden halo and tossed it into the crowd. Raucous cheers rewarded the action. She ripped off a thin layer of chiffon from around her chest, revealing her pearly white bra in all its glory. Nick shifted uncomfortably, his dick twitching.

  The noise of the crowd began to drown out the music. He’d never seen so many debauched men crowded into one room before, and a strange, irrational possessiveness clenched his gut.

  This woman shouldn’t be among these grotesque assholes! She should be cherished and worshipped, not leered at by a bunch of stinking drunks.

  As the crowd continued to jeer and catcall, anger rose within him until his vision was red-tinged.

  Kris leaned over and whispered in his ear, “Does she look familiar to you?”

  It hit Nick that Lacey’s resemblance to Lilly Rudolph was the true cause of his disgust and irritation with the other men in the room. Glad to be distracted from his rage, he managed to give Kris a smile. “You’re right. She does look a lot like Lilly from college, but she can’t be. Her nose is different, and her hair was never quite that color.”

  Besides, Lilly wouldn’t strip for a crowd of leering drunks.

  Nick turned back to the stage. Lacey was peeling off her bra. Her huge, firm breasts bounced to the music.

  Every guy in this room must be wishing those tits were bouncing in his face while she rode his cock.

  Lacey slid the gauzy material up one shapely leg. She looked back at the crowd and gave them all a shy smile. Shaking her golden-red hair, she bent to remove her skirt. Underneath, she wore a white lace garter belt and sheer white stockings. Only a triangle of pearly white satin was left to cover her tight little mound.

  He heard Kris groan, and his lover adjusted his own Santa costume.

  The sheer beauty of the curvy stripper brought Nick’s attention back to the stage.

  God, she really does look like Lilly!

  He remembered the last time he’d seen his Lilly. Tears had shimmered in those striking blue-green eyes. The pain of his breakup with her still clung around his heart. It was foolish to think about it, to hurt over it after so many years.

  She told me to go to hell and said she never wanted to see me again, and she meant it.

  He looked around for something to take his mind off the old, obsessive thoughts of Lilly. His gaze rested on his best friend.

  Kris’s fair hair curled enticingly at the neck. Because of the warmth of the many bodies in the room, the younger man had removed his red satin Santa coat. The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up, revealing his muscular forearms, and his eyes glittered with a jewel-like quality, revealing both his fae heritage and his lust as he watched Lacey’s eve
ry move onstage.

  Nick was so damn lucky to have Kris. Kris was easygoing, solid and kind, with what could only be described as a sort of goodness shimmering softly from arctic-blue eyes. And yet his laid-back nature, his goodness or kindness, for want of better words, never made Kris boring, because Nick knew well passion simmered underneath.

  At the moment, Kris was totally absorbed in the stripper onstage. Nick smiled to himself.

  He felt under the table and found the opening of Kris’s Santa pants. A little fumbling in Kris’s boxers and he had his lover’s gorgeous cock, thick and velvety smooth, in his hand. Kris’s breath hitched, and Nick tightened his grip on the younger man’s dick. He tugged on it gently, giving it a few long, lazy strokes. The stripper had certainly turned Kris on. His shaft was not only hard but damp at the head.

  Nick glanced around to see if anyone noticed him, but all eyes were on the stage.

  Carefully, quietly, Nick slid under the table until he knelt between Kris’s strong thighs. The he bent his head and took the luscious erection deep into his mouth. Kris let out a moan of surprise and surrender, which luckily faded amid the other noises of the boisterous crowd.

  Dammit, Nick, we’re in public!

  Kris’s heart drummed against his ribs as fear of public exposure warred with raw excitement and lust. His cheeks filled with heat, but he didn’t push his lover away. The stripper onstage had turned him on more than he’d wanted to admit. Her tits were spectacular, the kind that inspired a man to reckless behavior, and Nick’s tongue was sinfully delicious in its skill.

  Fuck.

  Sweat beaded on Kris’s forehead, and he gritted his teeth. He wanted to peek beneath the tablecloth but didn’t dare. All he could do was pray none of their mortal friends guessed what was going on.

  The fear of being caught only increased his excitement. The sparks between him and Nick in this unique situation frayed the last threads of his control. The woman onstage had to be the sexiest fucking thing he’d seen in a long time, or at least the sexiest female.

  Below the tablecloth, Nick shifted and started paying special attention to the sensitive head of Kris’s cock. Kris gave in to temptation and moved his hands down to grip Nick’s hair, enjoying the silken feel of the dark strands he couldn’t see.

  Nick licked, sucked and hummed on his cock, obviously enjoying every minute of it. Kris was in the mouth of a master. Nick’s tongue swirled over and around the tip of his dick, then slid its way down to the very base.

  Kris bit back a whimper as Nick’s broad hand toyed with the tight balls inside his sac. Kris rocked his pelvis forward, his hips jutting up automatically, muscles clenched from the intense pleasure. He could just barely hear Nick’s humming under the noise of the crowd. Nick opened his mouth wider and tipped back his head so Kris could push himself farther into his throat. God damn! Nick knew how much exhibitionism both thrilled and frightened him. Someone might be watching, but he couldn’t even open his eyes anymore to check out the room. His brain was too fogged with bliss.

  Nick’s soft lips devoured the length of his shaft, then resurfaced to tease the extremely sensitive head. His dark-haired lover’s vibrating groans pulsed around his dick, making him groan.

  Nick relaxed his throat muscles and took him deeper still. Kris gritted his teeth, swearing under his breath as he neared the edge. Grabbing a fistful of Nick’s hair to keep him steady, Kris began to thrust without reserve. His blood boiled as he came with blinding force in Nick’s warm, willing mouth. Nick’s lips remained sealed around the head of Kris’s dick, his hand pumping him dry.

  Kris gripped the table tight. Nick gently placed him back in his boxers and pants. Then Nick slipped out from under the table and back into his chair.

  Kris knew he was still breathing too loud. He tried to steady it, tried to recover his equilibrium. He glanced over at Nick, and his wicked lover winked and gave him an all-too-innocent grin. Kris rolled his eyes and held on to the table, taking several seconds to recover.

  He glanced at the other men who made up their stag party, but none of them seemed to have noticed a thing. Kris sucked in a deep breath, feeling relief mixed with a hint of disappointment.

  His gaze returned to Lilly on the stage. Wait, not Lilly…Lacey. Hold everything! That was definitely Lilly. Kris’s heart, which had slowed down after his climax, began to race again.

  What the hell was Lillian Rudolph doing stripping onstage in this godforsaken dump?

  Nick carefully wiped his mouth with the napkin that had come with his wine. Kris was still panting, which made him smile. It had been worth it, even if he’d missed some of the show.

  Onstage, Lacey had hit her high point and wore only a white satin thong. She teased the audience by waving her big bra around and blowing kisses.

  Suddenly, a rough, drunken voice shattered the good cheer in the room. “Aw, get off the stage, you beached whale.”

  Lacey froze like a caribou caught in the headlights. The horror and humiliation on her face made Nick’s stomach clench. Rage rose in him thick and fast. He closed his eyes, and for several seconds, it was all he could do not to lash out randomly and punch the next drunken asshole he saw. When he opened them again, he saw the red-haired stripper stooping to snatch up the few clothes left onstage and cover her body. Frantically, she pulled her costume back on while the crowd went wild hooting, laughing and booing.

  Nick leapt to his feet, ready to find the culprit and beat the bastard to a pulp. But when he turned, a burly bouncer was already manhandling the drunken fool toward the door and out of the strip club.

  Jesus! What kind of moron would complain about a few extra pounds on a body like that?

  His heart went out to the stripper as he remembered the announcer saying she’d only been at Venus Girls a week.

  Even with tousled hair and tears streaming down her face, she was beautiful. She turned and ran off the stage into the wings.

  Something fell off her arm and clunked onto the stage. Her bracelet? Nick sprinted up the steps to the stage two at a time. The heavy silver glinted in the spotlight. The crowd booed him. He ignored them and stooped to pick it up.

  It was a handcrafted turquoise-and-silver cuff bracelet. And he’d know it anywhere. The same heavy silver with its pebbled design, the same stunning robin’s egg blue turquoise stone. And now he held the bracelet again, he knew who this stripper was for sure. Or at least who she’d been—an angry eighteen-year-old girlfriend who’d once thrown this bracelet at his head, that was who. The hurt he’d seen in those eyes… He shook his head to remove the image from his mind.

  Lacey must be Lilly’s stage name. Why hadn’t he realized it sooner? She’d had a nose job, he guessed. And he’d also have to guess she’d gone back to her natural red hair color too, whereas in college she’d dyed it different colors, trying to hide from some man who’d been stalking her. The police had never been able to catch the bastard. But Nick still couldn’t believe he hadn’t recognized her.

  Has it really been ten years since I broke up with Lilly?

  He traced the smooth stone of the bracelet with his finger, remembering the first time he’d seen it.

  He’d taken Lilly on a date to the fair, where they’d seen the bracelet in a stall of Native American jewelry. Lilly had exclaimed over it, and he’d tried to buy it for her. She’d been insulted at first and refused the gift as if she thought it was some act of charity.

  Lilly had a chip on her shoulder about being found in a Dumpster as a newborn, and she was a typical touchy orphan, proud and angered by anything she perceived as pity. But he’d explained to her she had to accept his gift, because the stone was almost the same color as her eyes.

  Lilly’s eyes were actually so unusual a color you could have sworn she was wearing colored contacts, but he knew she didn’t.

  He’d held the bracelet tightly and closed his eyes, telling her he was pouring magic into the stone to protect her from harm. She’d laughed and called him crazy, but she’d acc
epted it at last.

  In the Fae Realm, turquoise was rumored to have magical properties if given as a gift between true lovers. Sylphs called it the Blue Spirit Stone.

  Fat lot of good it did my relationship with Lilly.

  Nick shook his head.

  “Hey, you! Get off the stage, moron, before I drag you off.”

  Nick jumped, startled by the shout, but the insult from the dickhead didn’t faze him.

  Holding the bracelet in his left hand, he began to run. Almost colliding with the next stripper, he managed to dodge aside and head for the back stairs of the club. Checking over his shoulder, he saw the bouncer wasn’t following him. The guy had been waylaid by a couple of angry, shouting drunks.

  One burly, red-faced man shouted, “We want the angel with the big tits. Bring her the hell back!”

  Nick laughed. He looked over his shoulder and caught Kris’s eye. Tony and one of the other men were trying to talk to him, but Kris held up a hand. Nick motioned to him, and Kris pushed his way through the busy crowd and ran over to catch up with him.

  Kris gestured at the many men around them. “Damn strip clubs are full of assholes at Christmastime! This dump is packed.” Kris noticed what Nick was holding. “Holy crap, is that Lilly’s bracelet?”

  “Yup, the one I gave her.” Nick held the bracelet out for Kris to have a better look. “You know I left it on the doorknob of her room the day she threw it at me? She’s kept it all this time.” Nick looked down at the bracelet, stroking the turquoise stone, then lifted his eyes back up to Kris. “That has to mean something, right?”

  Kris nodded. “She still wears it. She remembers you and thinks about you. Sure, it means something.”

  Nick gestured toward the door. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” He pushed open the heavy back door of the club and headed out into the winter night.

  The wind howled as it whipped the snow around his legs.

  “Fuck, it’s cold!”

  Kris looked at him, startled. “Damn, you forgot your coat. In all the confusion, I forgot to grab it for you too. You left it hanging over the back of your chair.”