“You need help, Coop. Please don’t push everyone away. Let us help you through this.”
“I don’t want anything from you. I’m not your next charity case. You take care of your own life and stay out of mine.” He pushed away from the bar and struggled to his feet.
“Look, you should get some rest. Let me call a car.” Daxton gripped his shoulder to steady him.
Cooper shook off his hand. “I have a phone.” He pulled it from his pocket, stumbling into a nearby table in the process. “See?”
“Hey, man. I think it’s time to call it a night. Car’s here.” Finn’s approaching voice sliced through the tension looming in the air.
Cooper let out a loud snort. “Guess you’re the babysitter tonight, huh?” He rolled his eyes, slinking toward the exit. “Do I get a snack before bed if I’m a good boy?”
“Thanks, Finn,” Daxton murmured. The drugs and the alcohol turned Cooper into a guy he didn’t know; a guy he didn’t want to know, truth be told. And that made it damned hard to want to help him when all he did was push away with his scalding rhetoric. “He’s in bad shape. He said some pretty shitty stuff.“
“Stop. You know how he gets when this crap with Laney hits. Let him sleep it off. We’ll deal with it tomorrow. Enjoy tonight. You guys deserve it.” Finn punched him in the shoulder. “Don’t stay up all night celebrating. We’re meeting at the studio at nine. The new manager is supposed to show up, too.”
“Don’t worry about me. Just make sure Cooper sobers up by then.”
“On it. Now you get on it.” Finn snickered as he sauntered out of the bar in pursuit of a staggering, belligerent Cooper.
Daxton walked over to where Sara was waiting and grasped her hands. She was so beautiful, so perfect, inside and out, a true beacon of light whose rays never faltered. He was going to make sure she heard those words every day for the rest of her life. The rest of their lives.
“How is Cooper?” She bit her lower lip. “What happened with Laney?”
“Same shit, different day. I wish she’d stay the hell away from him. He was finally getting over the hump, and she sent him reeling back into the past.”
“You can’t live his life, Dax. He has to want to get better.”
“I know. I’ve tried so many times, but it’s no use. The further away he gets, the more I think he’ll never come back.” He shook his head. “And tonight, the tribute to Jase…”
“It hasn’t been easy for him. You know that. Give him some time. He’ll come around.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I hope so, too.”
He curled a loose tendril of her hair around his finger. “Take a walk with me.”
“And disappoint your public?” She smirked, waving her hand around. “There are a lot of people here looking to corner the most devastatingly handsome philanthropist in the room. How do you expect to escape unnoticed?”
“I know how to fly under the radar.”
“Yeah, thanks to my expert publicity guidance.” She giggled. “Glad you finally paid attention.”
He snaked an arm around her slim waist and led her to a set of tall glass doors. They stepped out into the cool night air, the sky brightened by a blanket of stars. Moonlight danced atop her soft, silky blonde hair. It looked like spun gold skimming her bare shoulders. “You’re breathtaking.”
Her face relaxed into a smile. “You’re biased.”
“No, I just love you.” He tightened his grip, pulling her closer.
“I love you, too.” She let out a deep sigh and rested her face against his neck.
Sara had been more relaxed and settled over the past few months than he’d ever seen her. After so much time had passed, she and her parents had finally reconciled and begun to work through their issues. Daxton had always encouraged her to reach out to them, but in the end, it was Sara’s mother who initiated the contact. Ever since then, they’d made several trips back to Minnesota. And after their latest visit, he’d received several anxious phone calls from her parents. Tonight, he and Sara would be the ones making the call with the exciting news they’d been waiting to hear.
“So, you’ve gone from being my publicist to my girlfriend to my foundation co-founder. Some progression, huh?”
“It’s been a fun ride.” She snickered. “You know, for the most part.”
“Yeah, aside from being stabbed, shot at, injected with poison…”
“I never expected a rose garden.”
“But you deserve one.”
“That’s very sweet, but I’m actually allergic.”
“I think I can come up with an acceptable substitute.” He stroked the back of her head, the shiny strands so smooth against his fingers.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the grape-flavored ring pop that had been burning a hole in his pocket since he’d picked it up from the store earlier that day. “You believed in me when nobody else did, Sara. You inspired me to get my life in order, to find purpose and meaning, and to look forward instead of choking on the past.”
Sara’s mouth dropped open. “Dax?”
He fell to his knee on the cobblestone path. “Everything was dark before you plowed into me that night in Houston. And ever since then, you’ve been my bright and shiny, the one sparkling star in a world of gray. You’re my best friend, my everything. Marry me, Sara. Be my wife. Give me the chance to make you as happy as you’ve made me…forever.”
Her large eyes shone in the moonlight, pooling with tears as she spoke the single word he longed to hear, “Yes!”
“So this makes it official, right? No more threat of tourmance?”
A giggle escaped her lips and she sniffed. “I think we’re beyond that hurdle. But what happens when I finish sucking on this delicious ring pop?” She smirked. “Is there a substitute for that, too?”
“Oh, I can definitely find other things for you to suck. But you’re right, it won’t last forever. Not like this one.” He pulled out a tiny velvet Harry Winston box and popped open the top.
“Or like us.” Her eyes sparkled as bright as the tiny facets on the five-carat. “It’s gorgeous,” she breathed.
“Not as tasty as the first one, though.”
“Not as sticky either.” She wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Good thing I had a backup handy. I wouldn’t want any competition for that mouth of yours.”
“Just wait until we get home. My mouth has exciting plans for you.”
“Do they involve the grape ice pops in the freezer?”
“Well, I know you prefer cherry, and I can be flexible.”
Her teasing tone made his cock twitch. Drizzling fruit juices on his skin, having that greedy tongue mop up the sugary sweetness, tasting those lips in every sense of the word. The countdown to when they could slip away unnoticed had begun. “I like where this is heading.”
“To the shower?”
He smiled, stroking the side of her face. “To forever.”
THE END
LUST, LIES, & LEIS:
An Insta-Love Hidden Identity Celebrity Romance
* * *
Academy Award winning actress Tatum Atwood had played plenty of starring roles in her glittering Hollywood career, but damsel in distress was never one…until one fateful night when she almost lost everything.
Anonymity was her only shot at freedom.
But when she falls into the arms of a mysterious stranger at a remote beach resort halfway around the world, she realizes you can’t ever escape your past.
It always finds you.
Lust, Lies, & Leis © 2017 by Kristen Luciani
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.
Except for the original material written by the author, all songs, song titles, and lyrics mentioned
in this novel are the property of the respective songwriters and copyright holders.
All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced, scanned, distributed, or used in any manner whatsoever, via the Internet, electronic, or print, without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
For more information, or information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact Kristen Luciani at [email protected]
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Chapter One
TATUM
Moonlight slithers into the darkened room through the skylight, making the steel blade of the knife pressed against my throat gleam.
His vise-like grip around my chest squeezes my lungs together to the point where I can barely suck in a breath.
I never saw it coming.
“Look at yourself, Tatum,” he hisses against my ear. “You think the entire world outside of your little bubble exists solely to kiss your ass. You don’t give a fuck about anyone but yourself and your career.”
My teeth chatter as the blade digs into my flesh, but I don’t dare make a sound. Luke Lansing, if that’s even his real name, has proven to be as unstable as the damn wind, and I’d prefer to leave this whole decapitation scene on the silver screen instead of in my living room.
Mascara runs down my face in thick, black streaks, my face almost white in stark contrast. Luke’s beady, black eyes narrow to slits. “You never bothered to give me the time of day. I tried to get your attention so many times, but you treated me like gum on the bottom of your fucking designer shoes.”
I can see the grimace on his face in our reflection. His lips are moving, spewing hate, but the sounds fade to white noise. The only things I can hear clearly are my own desperate pleas for someone, anyone, to barge into my large Calabasas home and rescue me from certain death.
Because Luke Lansing is not about to walk away without finishing the job. Not this time. I thought I’d been smart the first time around when I got that restraining order, but it was a bullshit attempt for some degree of sanity.
He was never too far away, and he made sure to let me know. The only problem is, I could never prove it.
A sinister smile curls his lips upward, and a shiver shimmies down my spine as he drops his hand from my throat and spins me around to face him. “Are you scared yet, Tatum? Because you should be. And I’m going to take my time with you because I know we’re alone, and you’ve got no shot in hell of getting away. Let me give you a little play by play in advance. First, I’m going to fuck you senseless, something I’ve dreamed of doing for so long, and then I plan to slit that beautiful throat of yours and watch that bright and shiny life fade away into nothingness because that’s what you’ve reduced me to…nothing. But before that happens, you’re going to feel my hard cock in that golden pussy of yours, in your ass, and in your mouth. I’m going to fill you with everything I have before everything you have is yanked away.”
I swallow hard, my eyes darting left and right, searching for anything I can use as a weapon. This crazy motherfucker is going to rape and kill me unless I can escape.
“There’s nowhere to go.” Luke grasps my wrist and points to the couch with the knife. “Get on the couch. Now.”
I back up toward the plush leather sofa in the middle of the room, careful not to turn my back. I need to keep my eyes on that knife, in case there’s even a sliver of a chance I can kick it out of his hand and get the fuck away from him. My foot catches on the corner of an area rug and I stumble into the arm of the couch, slamming my shin into the wooden frame and twisting my ankle. I choke back a yelp, afraid to show any sign of weakness.
His hard body collapses on top of me, yanking my arms over my head, his hot tongue dragging over my skin. Bile rises in my throat and I press my lips together, praying to wake up from this nightmare.
He cuts away my shirt and bra with the blade and attacks my breasts with his greedy, disgusting mouth. Tears pool in my eyes, my breaths sharp and fast. His thick fingers unbutton my jeans, pulling them down, giving him access to plunge into my body, and it burns like a motherfucker. His touch is rough, hateful, and full of rage, just like him.
I never saw it coming.
My sister Jules would say it’s because I trust too easily and always see the good in everyone, even when there is none.
In this case, she’d be right. There is nothing remotely redeeming about this psychopath on top of me. And now, with the blade resting against my chest, I have a decision to make. Fight like a hellcat to get away from this crazy motherfucker or wait for him to slice me into Carpaccio.
Tears roll down my cheeks and my fingers are losing feeling from being stretched above my head, but I know if he wants to fuck me, he’s going to have to use one hand to get his pants off. And it’d be pretty damned impossible to do if he’s clutching a butcher knife. He realizes the same thing seconds later, and releases my hands. My throat constricts. I know my window is about to slam shut, so I flex my fingers and they feel heavy…like they’re moving in slow motion.
Luke pulls his jeans apart and forces them down to his ankles. I can’t look, I don’t want to see anything. My body rockets upward and I put both of my hands out and push with every ounce of strength I can muster. Luke loses his balance and falls backward with a loud grunt, but that knife is still clutched in his hand. He slices at the air, and I can hear the whir of the knife, close but thankfully not too close. I swing my legs around the side of the couch and prepare to run my ass off.
But I’m a millisecond too late.
He swings the knife at me again, this time catching my upper abdomen. I cry out as the steel blade lances me, digging into my flesh. Sobs wrack my body and I fall to my knees, crawling away while pressing a hand to my wound. It hurts like a bitch, and I know I won’t get far slinking around on the ground.
“You stupid cunt. You can’t get away from me.” Luke’s voice is right above me. He yanks my long hair and forces me onto my back before he presses his naked body on top of me.
“Please help me!” I shriek as he brings the blade to my throat. I feel a trickle of blood drizzle down my neck. “He’s going to ki—“
The laptop next to me blares with a Face Time call, and I lurch upward from the mountain of pillows behind me, momentarily forgetting where I am, my breaths coming fast and furious. I rake a hand through my hair, my eyes darting in every direction. Empty. The brightly lit villa is completely empty, save for the mountain of luggage in the corner.
I rub the sleep from my eyes and hit the Accept button before Jules panics and gets ready to hop a flight down here.
“Hey,” I struggle to make my voice sound as normal as possible, even though my heart is racing like a thoroughbred after that jaunt down memory lane.
“What’s up, bedhead? Life is tough, huh?”
I manage a smile. “The sea air makes me sleepy, what can I say?”
“Is everything all set for tomorrow? I tried to contact Louise, but I haven’t heard back from her yet.”
“Of course. Louise will take care of everything.”
“Well, why don’t you put her on real quick, so we can just go over the details?”
“She’s, um, grabbing lunch.”
“At four o’clock?” Jules makes a face. “It’s almost dinner time there, right?”
“Yeah.” Dammit, why does she have to be right all of the time? I bite my lip. “I’ll have her give you a call with the rundown later, okay?”
“Sure.” Jules furrows her brow. “Are you alright, Tatum? You seem…I don’t know, spooked.” Her eyes widen. “Did something happen that you’re not telling me?”
I chew the inside of my mouth. Something did happen, not that I can tell my sister. She’d have a complete shit fit if she knew. “Of course not. This resort is probably the most remote one I’ve ever been to in my life. You picked well.”
“I knew you’d love Lanai. I wanted you to be able to relax without photographers jumping out of trees to get a picture of you in some skimpy, inappropriate bikini.” She sighs. “It’s better that you stay out of the media for a while, anyway. You need to lay low until everything blows over.”
I run a hand through my tousled hair and pad into the large, airy bathroom, laptop in hand. I set it down on the granite countertop and fish around in my makeup bag in an attempt to make myself look somewhat presentable. “Jules, I promise to be careful. Nobody on this island has a clue who I am. Trust me.”
“I do, sweetie. It’s everyone else that makes me suspicious, and with that crazy bastard on the loose—“
“Okay, first, you know I’m not alone.” Yeesh. Lie number two in less than thirty seconds. “Second, yes, Luke turned out to be a complete loon, but they’re going to find him.”
“You sound pretty confident about that.”
“I have no choice, Jules. I can’t let him keep me from living my life.”
“You can’t afford to be so flip about your safety. I’m worried about you, and I know you’re scared, too.”
A chill zips through me and images I’d worked so hard to erase from my memory reappear, wallpapering my mind. What had started out as an innocent meet and greet, morphed into something very dangerous. I didn’t see it coming, but then again, Jules always says I live life like it’s one extended happy hour. And this time, the bouncer wasn’t around to stop the belligerent and emotionally tortured drunk who crashed my party saddled with obsession, rage, and jealousy.
I squeeze my eyes shut. I am scared. Fucking petrified is more like it. My fingers fly to the side of my abdomen, the events of that fateful night bubbling into my conscious. But life goes on. I mean, thankfully for me it does. Things would be very different if my assistant Louise and her boyfriend Todd hadn’t chosen that exact time to pop into my house unexpectedly.
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