Just One Wish (The Kingston Family #4.5)

Just One Wish (The Kingston Family #4.5)

Carly Phillips




One Thousand and One Dark Nights


Once upon a time, in the future…

I was a student fascinated with stories and learning.

I studied philosophy, poetry, history, the occult, and

the art and science of love and magic. I had a vast

library at my father’s home and collected thousands

of volumes of fantastic tales.

I learned all about ancient races and bygone

times. About myths and legends and dreams of all

people through the millennium. And the more I read

the stronger my imagination grew until I discovered

that I was able to travel into the stories... to actually

become part of them.

I wish I could say that I listened to my teacher

and respected my gift, as I ought to have. If I had, I

would not be telling you this tale now.

But I was foolhardy and confused, showing off

with bravery.

One afternoon, curious about the myth of the

Arabian Nights, I traveled back to ancient Persia to

see for myself if it was true that every day Shahryar

(Persian: ??????, “king”) married a new virgin, and then

sent yesterday's wife to be beheaded. It was written

and I had read that by the time he met Scheherazade,

the vizier's daughter, he’d killed one thousand

women.

Something went wrong with my efforts. I arrived

in the midst of the story and somehow exchanged

places with Scheherazade – a phenomena that had

never occurred before and that still to this day, I

cannot explain.

Now I am trapped in that ancient past. I have

taken on Scheherazade’s life and the only way I can

protect myself and stay alive is to do what she did to

protect herself and stay alive.

Every night the King calls for me and listens as I spin tales.

And when the evening ends and dawn breaks, I stop at a

point that leaves him breathless and yearning for more.

And so the King spares my life for one more day, so that

he might hear the rest of my dark tale.

As soon as I finish a story... I begin a new

one... like the one that you, dear reader, have before

you now.





Chapter One


Axel Forrester adjusted his sunglasses and leaned back against a lounge chair, grateful for the first warm, summerlike day in June in the Hamptons. Xander Kingston’s dog, Bella, sat by his side.

An extra pair of glasses lay on the table beside him. He picked them up and propped them over the golden retriever’s eyes. “There you go, girl. That’s better, isn’t it?” He patted her on the head, and she stretched out on the ground, leaving the glasses in place.

He tipped his head up to the sky and closed his eyes, enjoying the heat on his face. As a California kid, his first winter in New York had been a huge adjustment. He’d moved here last summer when he’d become the drummer for the Original Kings and had spent the first couple of months bunking at the lead singer Dash Kingston’s house.

Axel learned fast that the band was a tight-knit bunch, all living in Dash’s home. Until a baby scare with a groupie put Dash in need of a fake girlfriend to fix his reputation, and Axel’s sister, Cassidy, had played the role.

Now Cassidy and Dash were married, having wed in front of family and friends this past winter. Axel had rented a house nearby, as had Jagger, the guitar player, and Mac, the bassist. But Axel and the guys spent more time at Dash’s home studio or here at Xander’s than at their own places.

Xander complained about the fact that the band had followed Dash’s lead, making his house their home away from home, but nobody believed Xander really considered them unwanted company. And Sasha, the famous actress Xander had married this past spring, welcomed them, as long as they knocked first.

Given the Kingston family’s dysfunctional background, courtesy of their now deceased father, the fact that four of the five siblings were settled and happy gave a guy like Axel hope that he’d meet the right woman. He was sick of the rock-star lifestyle, the parties after the shows, the groupies, and the drinking. At thirty years old, he wanted a partner for life.

And if he couldn’t find the right woman?

He opened his eyes and glanced down at the dog that didn’t belong to him, giving her a long rub down her spine. “We all know the truth. You’re my girl, Bella, right?”

She lifted her head at the sound of her name.

“Quit trying to steal my dog’s loyalty.” Xander walked out of his house and joined him on the lounge chair beside him. “Why is she wearing my sunglasses?” he asked.

Axel figured the answer was obvious. “Because it’s sunny out and I’m protecting her eyes.”

“Know where she wouldn’t be squinting? Inside. Because when I’m not home, that’s where she belongs.”

Xander gestured toward the house, and Axel shrugged. “Sasha let me in and said I could relax by the pool, and you know Bella loves being with me.”

Xander rolled his eyes. “When you finally buy a house, make sure you have your own pool, okay?”

Axel ignored him much as Xander’s brother, Dash, would have done and picked up his phone. Out of habit, he began scrolling through his social media. He had a fan page on both Instagram and Facebook that he paid someone to run and post fan-engaging photos. But if a comment struck him, occasionally Axel would answer. Otherwise, he left it to the professionals.

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