Finding Beauty (The Beauty Trilogy Book 1)

by Raven Scott

  “What the hell? I just tell you that I want you, and all you have to say is that. Why do you keep rejecting me?” he asks.

  Before I can say anything, there is a knock at the door. Cannon opens it, and the model is there.

  “Vive, what do you want?” he says with a scowl.

  “I wanted to know where you disappeared to? I want some more of what you gave me earlier.”

  She doesn’t know I’m there, but now I want to beat the shit out her. I am not like that though, so I walk towards the door.

  “Hello, Vive! I was just helping Cannon out with some paperwork. I’ll be leaving now though; he is all yours.” She steps to the side to let me out, and I don’t stop, even when Cannon says something. I get to the table and look to Parker, “I think I’m going to go home. I am not feeling too good.”

  “What? Are you okay? Do you need us to give you a ride home?”

  “No, I’ll take her home,” Jensen says from behind me.

  Dalton steps in, then says, “Collins, are you sure you want to go home, or do you just want to leave here?”

  He looks at me like he knows what is really going on. Dalton seems like the kind of man that nothing gets passes him.

  He reminds me of my brother.

  How I miss him. He would know exactly what to say or do in this situation. Rogen has always protected me, but it’s time for me to start making my own decisions. I must protect myself, and more importantly, the part of my heart I have left.

  “Dalton, honestly, I just want to go home for the night. I have some work and things to catch up on. You stay. Jensen will take me home. I promise to call as soon as I arrive back,” I say trying to assure him that I’m fine.

  I motion for Jensen that I’m ready to go.

  9

  Confused

  Jensen drops me off, and we make plans to meet each other for dinner the next night. I finally have a chance to pour myself a glass of wine and slip into my favorite pajamas.

  When I start to go upstairs, there’s a loud banging on the door with someone yelling, “Collins, let me in! He better not be in there with you! Collins!”

  It’s Cannon! What the hell is he doing here?

  “What the hell do you want, Cannon?”

  “Open the door.”

  I don’t want anyone to call the police, so I end up opening the door.

  “Is he here? Are you fucking him?” he shouts while searching the apartment frantically.

  What in the literal hell?

  “What? Who? You’re not making any sense. If I want to screw someone, I will. You can, so I can too!” I snap back to him.

  “I am not screwing anyone! I want to fuck you! But you make it so damn hard!” he yells.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me! Do you honestly think I believe that? I heard what she said. Cannon, go screw her. I don’t have time for your childish fucking games,” I say getting more pissed with every word that is uttered.

  “I didn’t screw her earlier. She just said that because she saw us go up to my office together,” he replies.

  I don’t know what to say. I want to believe him, but I’ve been burned too many times to let it go. This time, I will not allow a pretty face get past me.

  “It doesn’t matter anyway. Nothing is ever going to happen between us,” I say remaining firm in my stance against him.

  He doesn’t say anything.

  He simply rushes over to me and pushes me up onto the table. Before I can process what is happening, he has located my g-spot. His fingers start a rhythm that has me singing at the top of my lungs. The shock of being manhandled is quickly forgotten when Cannon starts biting down on my nipple. I feel as though I am about to burst.

  “More! Faster!” I say in an earnest way searching for a sweet release.

  “Oh, you don’t think I am going to let you come that easily, do you? We have all night. Now, strip and then bend over the table.” he says releasing me.

  I have never had sex with the lights on. Tyler always wanted it off. I don’t think I can go through with this.

  “Cannon… I am not sure I can do this,” I say showing more vulnerability to a man that can easily shatter what’s left of my confidence.

  He sees the want in my eyes, but then I see something else that went off in his head. It’s like he knows what I am thinking.

  “Collins, you are absolutely beautiful. I want you so damn bad. I want to feel you completely against me. You have nothing to be ashamed of,” he says stroking my face adoringly.

  I just stare at him as he stares at me. I can see the want in his eyes. I just nod and lean in to kiss him. My gosh, the man knows how to kiss. Those lips of his should be illegal. Nobody should be able to have it all.

  He yanks my top off; the cold air touches my breasts. He quickly shows each breast the equal attention I want. I grasp his manhood in my hand and start milking him.

  “Fuck! You have to stop that, or I am not going to last long, baby,” he says slowly biting down on my nipple. I whine, wanting to feel him fully inside me. As if he senses my urgency for release, he yanks down my pants and sees that I do not have any underwear on.

  “Fuuuccckkk! Are you trying to make me even harder?” he breathes into my ear.

  I giggle, and his face turns serious.

  “Are you seriously laughing at this moment, let’s see if you are laughing now.” With that statement, he pushes into me, and all I can do is moan. I push myself completely against him, then pull him almost completely out and then slam back down on him. This goes on until I’m begging for that sweet release, “Cannon, now please!”

  He quickens his movements until I am falling completely off the sinful oblivion, calling out his name. He finds his release after me.

  As I come off of my post-orgasmic high. My brain starts to awaken with new emotions— one being that I start to freak out. What have I done? I stand up, put my clothes back on, and go to the front door to open it for him to make a quiet exit, but for some reason, he is not leaving. He is doing the exact opposite. He is taking the rest of his clothes off and walking to my bedroom.

  “What are you doing? Isn’t it time to, you know, leave?” I say questioningly.

  He saunters back into the open space of the kitchen, and simply says, “I am not done with you.” He keeps progressing my way, and I am completely frozen in this spot. He grabs me and starts kissing his way down my body.

  “Please, don’t stop.” I groan.

  “I’m not planning on it.” He abruptly grabs my hand and yanks me towards the bedroom for countless hours of pleasure. All the while, I’m saying to myself, ‘What have you gone and done now, Collins.’

  10

  The Morning After

  I suddenly wake up too warm, almost suffocating warm. Then everything comes rushing back to me— the events of last night and very early this morning. I turn over to find the most scrumptious man alive lying beside me. Too bad this will never happen again. I can’t fall in love with this guy, he would destroy me mentally and most likely physically.

  He definitely has to go, but I might as well give him a proper send-off, right? I crawl under the covers and grasp his manhood in my hand, and wrap my lips around the most precious thing he has.

  He starts growling and moaning for more, still half asleep, and then says something in a mumble, “Annabeth, please.” I’m completely mortified. What the hell— he can’t even remember the woman who he has had sex with for the past four hours.

  I stop what I am doing, get up, and run to my bathroom. Hoping he will wake and leave without saying something to me.

  “Collins, where did you go?” he says, his voice nearing the bathroom door.

  “I have a lunch I have to get to, you can let your self out.”

  Thankfully, I think he left, so I jump in the shower only to realize I have forgotten all my towels in the bedroom. It is not going to be my day. I walk out of the bathroom to grab a towel only to find him sitting there.

  “What
the hell, Cannon! You nearly gave me a damn heart attack.”

  “You were waiting for me to leave, why?”

  “Because this was a mistake, and will never happen again.”

  “Sometimes, Collins, you are the most infatuating woman on this continent.” He is grinning while he says it.

  “Oh, great, you got my name right then.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Oh, nothing. Just something you are probably used to, like saying some other random woman’s name as another sucks your cock.”

  He just sits there acting as if I’m a crazy person.

  “Annabeth.”

  Something changes when I say her name, like a switch from the man I know to a completely different one. “Do not say her name to me again.” and he storms out. He thinks he can storm out without giving me answers, well, then he doesn’t know me at all.

  “Cannon, who is she?”

  He simply replies, “This was a mistake, and will never happen again.” He walks out of the loft, and for some odd reason, I start to cry, and I don’t know why. It’s not like I know him extensively, I just know that he is a playboy and bar owner.

  Collins, what have you done.

  Later that day, when I finish crying about what happened between Cannon and me; I meet up with Jensen and Parker to go over details for the party that is coming up.

  “Girl, you’re so late! I hope for a good reason,” Parker says, looking over to Jensen to see if she can see any hint of embarrassment.

  “Sorry, I just caught up on all of my sleep that has been nonexistent for the past couple of days. Anyways, what have I missed?”

  Jensen finally looks up to say, “Talking about what costumes to wear. I think I have finally decided on a vampire from the Victorian era.”

  I can’t help, but to laugh. Cannon would find it hilarious, wait, why I am thinking of him. Parker must see my mixed emotions because she gives me the ‘we will talk about it later‘ face.

  “What is so funny about my idea?” Jensen says.

  “Oh, nothing. I just was thinking about something that had happened at the last Halloween party I went to!” I say hopefully covering my tracks, not wanting to bring any weirdness to the conversation.

  “Please, tell us what happened, Collins,” a voice says. It’s him, why is he here? What should I do? I look up, and there he is. Cannon has a knack for ruining my day, but this time it is more of an attraction to him that I feel.

  Everything we did the night before, and the disaster that happened this morning came rushing back, and I start to cry, again. I have to get out here, make up an excuse. It is a gift from the gods my brother starts calling, luckily.

  “Hey, Rogen! What have you been up too?” I say to my heroic brother.

  “Why are you talking like that?” he says curiously.

  “Just one minute and I will tell you,” I whisper back to him.

  I hope like hell he can hear me. I must make a quick exit before I burst of anger or mortification.

  “Sorry guys, but I have to take this call!” I say to the group.

  Cannon is turned away and not even acknowledging that I’ve said something. Parker is looking from me to him and trying to piece together what is happening. I don’t give anyone a chance to think otherwise. I speed out of there like a bat flying out of Hades.

  My brother doesn’t waste a chance to ask me what was going on.

  “What the hell was that about, Collins? You seem not yourself at all. Where are you right this second?” he demands.

  “Standing right outside this restaurant I ran out of.” I can still see them all watching me from the table’s window.

  “Turn around and give your brother a hug, why don’t ya?”

  I turn around and there he is, wearing his leather jacket, beanie, and combat boots. My brother is in Scotland, he said he would never board a plane. Before I have a chance to turn, he has me in a big bear hug.

  “Get your hands off of her, now!” says an almost growling voice. Cannon comes out of nowhere and jerks me from my brother’s arms.

  “Collins, who is this prick?” asks Rogen.

  Cannon turns around to me and simply says, “How long have you been fucking him?”

  That’s it for my brother. He has Cannon pinned to the ground before I can get a word out.

  “Who the hell do you think you are asking my baby sister that, you sleaze?” my brother says radiating anger throughout his body.

  “Baby sister?” Cannon looks between the two of us.

  Finally, I say, “Yea, dumbass. Rogen, get off him and give me a hug! Don’t worry about that jackass.”

  Rogen seems uncertain but does as I ask. Cannon quickly jumps up and apologizes. Rogen ignores him, still fuming over the encounter.

  “You do not speak like that to my sister, or I will beat your little bitch ass. Got it?” he says pointing his finger into Cannon’s face.

  Cannon asked, “Collins, may I speak with you real quick?”

  I don’t want to speak to him after he ignored me in the restaurant and then acts totally out of control jealous on my brother.

  I should be the one pissed off. He’s the one that called out to another woman’s name while in my bed. I wish my brother would have at least punched him once.

  “No. I think it’s best for me to get my brother back to my place so he can settle in. Bye, Cannon.” I walk off with my brother trailing behind me, asking me a million questions about who that guy is. I don’t know how to answer him, because I’m not entirely sure myself.

  11

  Questions

  After a not so great evening, my brother and I start talking up in my library about the events that happened only a couple of hours earlier.

  “Honestly, Rogen, I have no idea what is going on. One minute we sleep together, then the next he is moaning some other woman’s name. I don’t know what is going on between us. I’m scared of getting hurt, so I am trying to avoid him. You should see some of the women that flaunt themselves at him. Why would he want a fat girl like me? So, I am ending it before I start to actually care for him,” I rattled off to him.

  He sits back, looking at me with a shaking head and simply leans forward, grabbing my hands.

  “Collins, you already care for him, and he cares for you. A person is not going to attack an unknown man for no reason at all. He was threatened, and he couldn’t stand the thought of you being physically affectionate with another man. Second, do not call yourself fat! You are curvy and beautiful. You’re the best sister in the whole world. About the other woman’s name, it could be two things. A) He had a very bad relationship, and she hurt him emotionally or B) She died or got hurt. I am hoping it’s the first one because B is hard to get over,” he states in a matter a fact tone.

  I start to cry when there’s a knock on the door. I quickly run down the stairs to see who is at the door. Parker is literally about to bust the fucking door down. I open it to see that she is not alone. Dalton has accompanied her for the evening.

  “Girl, I have so many questions for you about earlier. One, who the hell was that smoking hot guy that hugged you? Is that the guy you’re having steamy sex with?” Parker comes firing questions.

  Before I can get a word out, my brother answers for both of us.

  “I hope the hell not. That would be fucked up, to say the least. I haven’t formally introduced myself, but my name is Rogen Danford. Collins is my little sister, and I’m about fed up with people insulting her present sex life,” he says.

  Parker is shocked but quickly regains her composure.

  “Collins, I did not mean anything bad by that. You know by now I have no damn filter. Sorry?” she replies. She means well, that’s just how she functions.

  I quickly say to my newish best friend, “Forgiven.”

  Then Parker turns to my brother. “Also, I am sorry to you as well. I think you would get along with my brother, attitude wise. He is the one you about punched in the face ea
rlier. Oh, that’s the other question, why did you and my brother get in a catfight outside the restaurant?”

  I’m freaking out. What do I say to her? I cannot tell her the truth, what am I going to say? Before I have to say anything, my brother saves me like always.

  “I thought he said something bad about my sister, and she quickly told me he was her friend. I misunderstood the entirety of the situation,” Rogen states.

  Parker seems to buy the explanation because she drops the whirlwind of questions. Well, the ones that relate to earlier anyway. Dalton, I forgot he was here, walks up and starts talking.

  “Collins, how about we all go out and explore with your brother? It would be completely my treat,” he offers.

  Parker chimes in, “Please, Collins!”

  “Okay, I bet Rogen is hungry as hell right about now anyway,” I say glancing over at Rogen.

  “Hell yeah, I am! But, I still want you to cook some of your meals for me though.” He grabs his jacket and mine.

  Parker quickly says, “You didn’t tell me that you could cook!”

  I am so happy that my brother is here, but it makes me wonder why he is here.

  We all walk out and get into Dalton’s car. For the rest of the day and most of the night, we explore Scotland or the city part of it anyway. It is so much fun and less complicated than the rest of the time I’ve been here. Although, I have yet to figure out why my big brother is here. Something is up, and I want to know exactly what Rogen came across the world to escape.

  Pulling me out of my fog, Rogen leans over and says, “We are back at your place, Collins.”

  “Oh, okay. Parker, Dalton, I have had so much fun tonight. Let’s do dinner at my place tomorrow night, say around seven thirty?” I ask.