Beautiful Boxset: Beautiful Series, books 1-4

by Anderson, Lilliana

  “Shit. I’m so sorry.”

  “I don’t remember anything after that,” I say, pulling a hand free to wipe it across my face. “The police report says there was evidence he continued hitting into me after that. David kicked through the door and reported finding him tearing at my clothes with the intention of…well, you know.” I press my lips together. “I owe him my life, Elliot. He risked his to save me, and the least I can do is make sure that any man I let into my life understands that there’ll be no choosing. David is my best friend. Nothing more. Nothing less. You accept him, or you walk away from me.”

  “Oh, Katrina,” he says on an exhale. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Just say you understand. That you’ll never come between me and David.”

  He places a hand on the side of my face, running a thumb down the jagged scar before he wipes my tear damp cheeks. “I promise,” he whispers.

  “And you understand,” I whisper.

  Letting his hand drop to my shoulder, he traces the curved scar near my collarbone, letting his fingers feel their way down my arm, inspecting my scars, touching each one tentatively with his fingertips. “I understand,” he says, lifting my hand and pressing a kiss to the inside of my wrist, my heart skittering in response across my chest. “I would be protective of you too.” He presses another kiss against my shoulder, his lips lingering against my skin.

  “Don’t feel sorry for me, Elliot,” I whisper, my eyes losing focus as I fight the emotions coursing through me.

  “I don’t. I think you’re incredibly strong,” he whispers, lifting both hands to cup my face. “Beautiful and powerful. A fighter.”

  Closing my eyes, an intoxicating wave of desire floods through me as I lean into his hands, not caring where we are, ignoring the fact we shouldn’t be touching like this in the open.

  I let him kiss me. At first I don’t fully respond, but as he gently sucks my lip with his, I part my mouth and let out a soft gasp, allowing him in. My body is on fire as his arms circle around me, and I move to sit on his lap, not breaking the kiss.

  Our tongues dance together as they explore the crevices of each other’s mouths, replacing the pain I feel from telling that story with something new and full of promise.

  My head tips back as he rains kisses down my neck and across my chest, leaving a tiny trail of fire in their wake. Our breathing heavy, I feel his arousal pressing against my own, causing me to grind instinctively against him. He moans and captures my mouth in his again, hugging me tighter as his hands caress the exposed skin on my back. My god, I’ve missed this.

  A sudden beeping brings us crashing back to reality. Panting, I sit back, and he slowly releases me so I can switch off my alarm.

  “I guess we better get back,” I breathe, laughing a little.

  His eyes are dark as he cups the back of my head and pulls me towards him, kissing me deeply again. “Now we can go,” he says when he releases me.

  I run my hand down the side of his face. “You’re going to ruin me, Elliot Roberts. I can already tell.”

  His eyes sparkle as he laughs. “Then consider me destroyed.”

  Standing, he holds out his hand to help me up. I do a quick scan of the park, hoping no one has seen us here and chance one last brief kiss. “I’ll go ahead like I normally do, OK?”

  He nods. “I might sit back down here a while and ah… calm down.” I look down and notice he has a decisive tent in his running shorts.

  “I think that might be a good idea,” I say, laughing as I move off.

  “Katrina?” I stop and turn to face him. “You know I’d never hurt you, right?”

  “I do. I wouldn’t be here if I thought you would.”

  “See me this weekend?”

  I grin, walking backwards along the path. “Maybe.”

  “Is that a yes or a no?”

  “It’s a, maybe.”

  “So, a no?”

  I laugh and turn away. “A maybe.”

  Twelve

  “I’m taking you out tonight,” David says with a grin. I’m surprised to find him sitting in the foyer waiting for me after work on Friday when we normally meet outside the station. He looks relaxed with the top button of his dress shirt open and his tie loose.

  “Mum will be devastated,” I say with a smile, reaching out to tug his grey tie when he stands to greet me. “She’s making lamb for dinner.”

  He slings his arm around my shoulders and guides me towards the exit. “I already called her and told her we won’t be there.”

  “You’re a good son,” I tease. Sometimes I think mum likes him more than me to be honest.

  “I do what I can,” he says. “You up for a bit of a walk?”

  “Well, I do have my sensible shoes on.” I lift a leg, showing him my trusty Mary Janes.

  “Excellent.”

  “Where are you taking me?”

  He grins. “You’ll see in about ten minutes.”

  Ten minutes passes with happy banter as we walk through the city streets until we arrive at King Street Wharf. “Are we getting fish and chips to share with the sea gulls?” I ask, watching the angular looking birds squawk in the sky above us.

  “Better. We’re going on that.” He points at a small cruiser, covered in fairy lights with a banner up advertising a nineties cover band.

  I grin. “Are you serious? I love nineties music.”

  With a chuckle, he pulls out his phone to show me the tickets. “Precisely why I booked this. I thought it would be fun. Dinner. Dancing. You and me. No outside distractions to mess things up.”

  “I love it,” I say, bouncing on my toes as I hug him tight. “You’re the best friend a girl could ask for.”

  He nods his head towards the boat. “Let’s get onboard.”

  “So, what’s the occasion?” I ask when we’re seated at our table. There’s an open cabin area that looks much like your regular function room, but being on a boat, it has a three-sixty view of the harbour. There’s a stage up front where the band has set up. However, they’re pumping tunes through a stereo system while they welcome everyone on board.

  “Does there need to be one?” He thanks the server who stops at our table and offers us sparkling wine from the heavily laden tray she carries. She’s super cute, and while she’s trying to be professional, she does the usual posturing girls do while checking David out.

  It’s OK. I’m used to being invisible beside him. But for once in his life, he doesn’t flirt with the girl. He simply takes the glasses then turns back to me. Wow.

  “A toast?” he suggests, handing me my drink.

  My mouth hangs open a little as I look from him to the server who’s moved on to the next table. “Did you even see her?”

  He grins. “No distractions tonight, remember? It’s just you and me hanging out alone. I never fully apologised for the way I treated you that day at the Lakes. When I saw this advertised, I thought it was the perfect gesture to show you how important you are.”

  “Well then,”—I hold my glass up—“to lifelong friendship.”

  His gaze drops a touch before he lifts his glass to mine. “To lifelong friendship,” he says, before we both drink.

  As we cruise around the harbour eating a pre-set menu of chicken parcels and potato au gratin, the band plays slower hits like Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On, and Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn. The setting is sublime and the company perfect. We never run out of conversation, chatting about my upcoming club race, and his industrial relations professor who mumbles when he talks. David does this great impression that has me almost falling off my chair laughing.

  “Thank god for transcripts, huh?” he says.

  “They were my saving grace when I was recovering.” My cheeks hurt from smiling.

  “I remember.” He studies my face then lowers his eyes while placing his knife and fork together on his finished plate. “How’s the drama at work?”

  His eyes return to mine and I press my lips together before answ
ering. He won’t like hearing how close Elliot and I are becoming. But I don’t want to lie to him. I’ve had enough of lies and pretending.

  “Well, I’m still taking morning tea in the library. But I told you Kayley, Anne and the rest are taking it there with me, didn’t I?”

  “You did. They sound like good friends.”

  “I think they’re becoming that way. They certainly make work a little more fun.”

  “And the rest of the office?”

  “Bianca still hates me, and Beth doesn’t really talk to me anymore. But that’s OK, I just make sure I only drop things at Elliot’s desk when she’s marked away from her computer.”

  “Doesn’t that seem suspicious?”

  “I don’t think so. I don’t stay and talk to him. I just hand him some journals and leave.”

  He frowns. “But you train together. Why can’t you have a conversation in the office?”

  I shrug. “It’s easier not to.”

  “I thought you’d both agreed to be friends. I don’t understand the need for secrecy.”

  OK. Here we go. “Well…” It’s my turn to adjust the cutlery on my plate. “It’s because we’re on the radar after getting hauled into Priya’s office. And… we’re a little more than just friends now,” I say, meeting David’s eyes to take in his reaction.

  Keeping his expression even, he sits back in his seat and runs a hand down the front of his shirt, smoothing out his tie. “How much more?”

  I bounce a shoulder. “I don’t know yet. A little? I mean, we have vague plans to maybe see each other this weekend. And I already read him the riot act.”

  His brow lifts. “The riot act?”

  “Yeah. It’s new. It’s the one where I insist he treats you the same way he’d treat a female best friend. I told him I wouldn’t be forced to choose again.”

  Folding his arms across his middle, his eyes stray towards the band as the intro to Step by Step plays. “That sounds serious.”

  “I felt the need to set some ground rules early.”

  He looks to the band again. “Wanna dance?” A grin curves his mouth as he nods to the dance floor, suddenly filling with people.

  “New Kids on the Block is playing. Of course I want to dance.”

  Standing up, he holds out his hand. “Come on, then.”

  We slide seamlessly into the growing crowd, David bouncing his shoulders to the music before performing a suave little spin that has me giggling and dancing along, singing lyrics I’ve learned by heart. We dance to covers of Jennifer Lopez, Destiny’s Child and Backstreet Boys. David has all the moves, knows all the words, and stays true to his word, keeping his focus only on me. No distractions.

  “Sway with me,” he says with a lazy smile as the intro to Aerosmith’s I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing plays. With a quick glance around the dance floor, I see everyone coupling up or holding hands with friends.

  “This feels like one of those scenes in the movies,” I say as I step into his waiting arms.

  He quirks a brow, his arms settling around my waist. “And what scenes are those?”

  I thread my fingers together behind his neck, looking into his happy eyes, a smile becoming a permanent fixture on my face. “Oh, you know. The ones when high school friends suddenly realise they like each other as more than friends. A total cliché, but we all love a slow dance first kiss.” I giggle a little then rest my head on his shoulder, enjoying the sensation of being in his arms, feeling safe and protected.

  “As I recall, your first kiss had nothing to do with dancing,” he says, his nose in my hair.

  “No.” I lift my head and meet his eyes. “Someone stole my first kiss through an open window.”

  With his trademarked cheeky grin, he brushes the back of his fingers along my jaw and tucks my hair behind my ear. “At least you don’t deny it now.

  “How could I? We had our first fight over it.”

  “And I guess I just kept fucking things up from there.”

  I release a charged breath, hating that David feels in any way responsible for the hurt I’ve been through. “No, David. You valued our friendship, and you’ve always been there for me. Always. Even back then, when I asked you to give me more, I understood why you couldn’t. And you know what? I'm glad.”

  “You are?”

  “Yeah. Because we’ve had eleven years together as best friends. Imagine you’d given in and been my first everything? It would have changed us. In the beginning things would have been great. But as time went on and our lives changed, we’d feel stuck together because we didn’t want to lose our best friend as well as our partner.” I shift my hand to the side of his face, running my thumb lightly against his stubble. “What is it you used to say to me? Better to be a friend forever than a lover for a moment.” He nods once to confirm it. “You were right. I’ll take forever as your friend any day of the week. I love you. I love what you are to me. Just as you are.”

  “Trina.” With a deep sigh, he pulls me against him, hugging me tight as we continue to sway lightly to the music, breathing each other in. When I'm with David and all his attention is on me I feel like the centre of the universe. He’s so damn charismatic, and I can understand why women flock to him, why men are jealous of him. And I realise that I'm jealous of him too. I wish to my very core I had his confidence, his zest for life. It’s never mattered what negative shit was going on, he always had a smile and the desire for a good time. He makes the world fun, and he needs to know that I don’t resent him any of that. He is who he is and I accept him.

  “I’m sorry if I’ve ever made you feel like you weren’t enough,” I say over his shoulder. He twitches like he wants to move so he can see my face, but I hold him tight, preferring to say this part without eye contact. “That day out at the lakes when you asked me what I wanted from you; it hurt me. Not just because of the crass way you did it, but because you touched on a nerve. If I’m honest, somewhere inside me, I’ve always thought you slept with those girls because you didn’t want me; that maybe I wasn’t pretty enough or desirable enough. You kept telling me you didn’t want a relationship with anyone, but I wasn’t listening. I just kept hearing you didn’t want a relationship with me.” With that part said, I pull back and meet his eyes, a swirl of confused emotion as they lock with mine. “I was wrong to think that. I was wrong to put that negativity on you, to tease you or try to make you feel guilty for your choices. You were honest. Always. And I’m sorry for pushing you like that. It was cruel and judgemental and I really am sorry.”

  His eyes move between mine, his lips slightly parted like he’s searching for something to say but can’t find the words. I place my hands on either side of his face and smile up at him tenderly. “You, David Taylor, are the best person I know. And I never want you to change.”

  “What if I want to change?”

  “Then you’ll still be my best friend,” I say, wrapping my arms around him in a tight hug.

  “Your best friend,” he repeats.

  I squeeze him tighter. “Always. Thank you so much for tonight.” It’s just what we needed to clear the air and strengthen our bond before anything more serious happens between Elliot and me. David needs to know that our friendship is safe and secure.

  With his chin tucked against my neck, he breathes in deep. “I love you, baby girl.”

  “I love you too. Best friends forever?” I pull back and look him in the eye.

  “Yeah. Best friends forever,” he echoes, bringing me close until the slow song is over, signalling a break in the entertainment while dessert is served. I take the opportunity to visit the ladies, and when I return, David is talking animatedly with the server from before, doing that suave spin of his to show off before she laughs and leans into him. I hang back for a moment, observing the ease at which he interacts with the opposite sex. It’s like second nature to him. He could have any girl he set his sights on. Anyone at all. He just has that special something about him that draws people in.

  Instead of
taking it personally, I smile this time, still feeling that familiar tightness in my chest, but without letting it turn into a negative emotion I have to brush aside. I accept him for who he is. And I love him just the same. Because love comes in many forms, and you don’t have to be with someone to love their soul.

  Thirteen

  “This is the famed Bondi markets, huh?” I say, turning a slow circle as I take in the eclectic mix of stalls. There’s a woman selling crystals and jewellery, and a man selling honey. Across from them is a tent filled with women’s clothes, then a stall for antiques. The scent of cinnamon in the air tells me doughnuts are nearby. My stomach grumbles.

  “Maybe I should feed you.” Elliot catches my hand as he laughs.

  “I skipped breakfast,” I say, placing my hand on my stomach. I was so nervous about coming to see him I spent far too long choosing my outfit and not enough time on the regular things like eating.

  “But it’s the most important meal of the day. Surely you know that.”

  “I know. I just woke up late and had to get ready quickly to catch the train,” I fib, hoping the cute white summer dress I chose looks as good as I think it does. It’s hard to find clothing that looks feminine on my non-curvy body, but the flare of the skirt gives the illusion of hips. If I had to describe this dress with one word, I’d call it flirty.

  “I would have waited,” Elliot insists, giving my hand a squeeze. “But, since you didn’t eat, it just means I get the pleasure of sharing two meals with you today.”

  “It’s almost lunch. I can just have a snack and eat something more hearty later.”

  He glances at his watch. “It’s almost eleven which means we can eat now and call it brunch. Then we’ll scour the markets and when we’re done we can eat again and call it…linner?” He frowns. “Lunner? Dinch? Hmm. I don’t think I like any of those.”

  “My vote is for linner, because it’s past lunch and before dinner. That works for me.”