by Bella Juarez
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Beautiful Nightmare
Copyright © 2015 by Bella Juarez
ISBN: 978-1-61333-810-0
Cover art by Fiona Jayde
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
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www.decadentpublishing.com
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Hanging by a Moment
Dedication
To the Babes, thank you for all your support.
Beautiful Nightmare
Knights of Red Horse
A 1Night Stand Story
By
Bella Juarez
Chapter One
The smell of cigar smoke wafted through the private lounge reserved for their party. Aaron relaxed into the oversized leather chair opposite his best friend and partner, Tom Ryan. The designer had created this space with men in mind; luxurious dark walnut panel covered the walls and surrounded them in warmth. The plush throw rugs scattered over the wooden floor and the leather furniture made you want to sink into them and relax. The low lighting demanded you drop your worries when you entered to enjoy the effects of comfort and relaxation. This space allowed one to release the cares of a stressful day and engage in intelligent discussion, lively debate, or simply sit, smoke, and drink.
The adjacent room in the exclusive club included a sports lounge where some of their younger colleagues enjoyed a televised sporting event. Aaron was thankful the rooms were soundproof. He needed this quiet break. Content to be in the discreet oasis, he likened himself and Tom to two old tigers enjoying a respite from the business jungle of conference rooms and design tables. Taking a sip of the special scotch he’d ordered for the occasion, he let the smooth liquid relax him before taking a long drag of the smoldering cigar between his fingers.
“I’m very happy for you. A leben ahf dir!” Aaron toasted in Yiddish.
Tom raised his glass in appreciation for the blessing. “Is this kosher?”
Aaron let out a hearty laugh. “Do you care? Are you nervous?”
“Nope, I’m glad it’s almost over so Emily can focus. There’s a sculpture she’s been working on since before we left for Afghanistan, and she still hasn’t finished it.” Tom paused and took a puff off his cigar. “It’s promised to a hotel chain she has a contract with. The wedding plans have kept her busy, but she needs to concentrate and get back on track.”
“Well, it all begins tomorrow.”
Tom picked up his jacket and reached inside one of the pockets. He took out a small white envelope and handed it to Aaron.
“What’s this?”
“A present for the best man.” Aaron opened the envelope and knitted his brows as he read the card inside. Perplexed by the gift, he turned the card over. “Be careful what you ask for. You will get it.”
Before he could comment, they were interrupted.
“This is one dead bachelor party. Seriously, you two look like a couple of old men.”
“We are a couple of old men,” Tom and Aaron chorused.
“Shit! Where are the strippers? Where’s the loud music and nasty-ass tables to dance on?” Mike asked from the doorway.
Michael Brannan, the firm’s lead CAD designer and a reserve tech sergeant in their unit, hadn’t seen his thirtieth birthday yet. The young man had attached himself to the pair when he’d come to their unit. He was as wild as his ginger hair and just as temperamental. Seating himself on the loveseat opposite his bosses, he shook his head at the pair while they puffed and sipped. He released an exaggerated, loud sigh. “Should I learn how to extend my pinky for the wedding?”
“Extend this, motherfucker!” Aaron shot him the finger.
“Thank God! I was seriously getting worried about you two sitting here like Churchill and Roosevelt.” He pointed to the picture behind him. “I’m half expecting to see you two up there the next time I come.”
Aaron poured Mike a scotch on the rocks and the three of them bantered while they drank. After a couple of rounds, Mike decided he and the younger men needed to celebrate in earnest for Tom at one of the local strip bars. Aaron and Tom waved them off then left the club themselves by ten o’clock and went their separate ways. While he drove home, Aaron’s thoughts drifted to the present he’d received. A gift certificate for a dating service, 1Night Stand.
What the hell is he thinking? He knows my predicament and knows damn good and well I don’t do one-night stands…anymore.
The gift he’d received from Tom wouldn’t leave his thoughts, no matter how hard he tried to concentrate on something else. When he arrived home, he raced inside and searched his jacket while stalking through his house to the bedroom. He tossed his jacket on to his bed and stared at the card in his hand, recalling Tom’s statement, Be careful what you ask for. You will get it. Peering down the hall at his study, he considered what he’d do with the gift. Shaking his head, he threw the card onto the dresser. He didn’t have time for this shit! He had a wedding to attend tomorrow, a conference in Vegas next week, and a business to run when Tom left to go on his honeymoon for a couple of weeks. But he didn’t have to run the business alone, not anymore.
I have Natasha.
The business had doubled in size in the last three years. With the growth, the partners had found it increasingly difficult to do what they loved, create structures and oversee every detail of their project’s creation. Instead, they were embroiled in negotiations, meetings, conferences, and events to sell their services. He wanted to create, not haggle.
A little over a year before, a quandary had forced them to take action. Tom and Aaron’s RED HORSE reserve unit had been recalled to active duty service in Afghanistan, and they were both scheduled to deploy at the same time. They’d needed to hire someone to run the business before they left. A firm they partnered with in Dallas had mentioned their business manager needed to relocate to San Antonio to be closer to her aging mother.
Natasha Rodriguez had come highly recommended, so they’d dec
ided to try her for a few months before their deployment. When she easily slid into the position, they left, comfortable the firm would be in good hands. She’d frequently communicated with them during their overseas duty, updating them on the status and financial health of the business. When they returned, she had grown the business even more, so they invited her to stay on.
In the months since then, Aaron had found himself not just appreciating Natasha’s business savvy but growing genuinely fond of her. He’d picked up on some of her personal quirks, the way she liked her coffee with cream but not sugar, how she would reapply her lipstick right after lunch, the way she tossed her hair back when she concentrated. Tasha was an efficient, intelligent, and wise woman. He’d come to rely on her business sense and eye for detail.
While they sat in meetings, he’d often catch himself studying small things about her. The way her eyes narrowed when she verbally closed a deal, communicating to her counterpart on the other side of the table that negotiations had ceased and talking had ended. How she wrapped her arms in her jacket in the refrigerator they called a conference room, her nipples beading. It bothered him his cock responded every time he watched her shiver or got close enough to smell her floral scent. If she had given any indication she’d been interested in him, he’d have found a way around the promise he’d made his Orthodox mother when his father passed away.
Their back briefs at the end of the workday, when they would talk about the business and where she felt it needed to be, were the highlight of his day. They didn’t talk about the company all the time, though. Every now and then, he’d get a glimpse into her personal life when she would mention taking time off to drive her mother to the doctor or a shopping expedition over the weekend. He’d gotten familiar with her large family through her. She’d become his anchor. He relied on her judgment; she freed him to pursue his passion, creating one-of-a-kind structures.
Picking up the card, he sauntered to his study and logged onto his home computer. It had taken him forty-five minutes to register his account and fill out his own profile. Now this? Staring at the ideal woman’s profile page, he contemplated Tom’s statement again. Needing to do something to get Tasha out of his head, he thought about what he wanted in a woman. Maybe these people can work miracles…. He leaned back in his chair and shook his head at such a foolish notion. His standards were so fucked up, not even his Jewish matchmaking mother could find him a mate. How in hell would this dating service find him a woman she’d approve of? Why did I make my mom that promise? Fuck it! This is my last try at this shit! He sat upright and typed.
Chapter Two
Tasha watched Tom and his bride seal their vows with a kiss. Tears stung her eyes. It never failed to affect her when two people were finally joined to each other for the rest of their lives. Her tough-as-nails business exterior hid a soft, romantic woman who still believed in fairy-tale endings. However, for all her achievements, she’d never been able to find the right man to have her happily ever after with. She sniffed back tears and thought about her mother and family. They wanted her to be married and happy. But, she’d never been able to attain the deep connection she saw whenever Tom and Emily glanced at each other. Their wedding drove her belief in happy endings even deeper.
As she’d gotten to know Tom and learned about his past, she’d understood the significance behind his decision to put aside his grief and give his heart once more. He deserved a happily ever after, and Emily seemed to be the perfect woman to share it with him. She discreetly glanced at his best man, her boss, Aaron Rosencrantz, and a familiar tremor went through her. Tasha exhaled wistfully. If only…. A fantasy never to be realized and someone she had to forget.
The only man she’d ever wanted and could never have would be her one failure in a lifetime of success. Of all the men in the world, he’d been different—and unattainable. The more she learned about him, the more she understood him and his needs. She suspected he was much like her, having assumed responsibility for family early and maintained the load ever since. They’d had a brief conversation about him going back to Israel to serve his three years in the Israeli army and how they’d missed meeting each other by five years while she’d served her two years. They were both overachievers, always wanting everything perfect to attain the praise and recognition that made them thrive.
Aaron’s very definite ideas about relationships made it abundantly clear they could never be together and whole. How could she make him see he could practice his conservative faith and still have a loving, fulfilling relationship with her? He’d been an only child while she’d been the eldest of five. Closing her eyes in agonizing want, she considered how, for all of the color and creativity of his work, his life outlook was black and white. Their need for perfection and hard work ethic had enabled them to achieve a high level of success but left them both lonely at night. Tearing her stare away from Aaron, she glanced at the yellow and white flowers lining the small chapel where the ceremony had taken place. She found herself in the middle of a beautiful early fall day in South Texas. The fall flowers were in bloom, the days mild and pleasant. The wedding party passed her on their way back down the aisle, and she grimaced at a twinge of jealousy when Aaron walked by with another woman on his arm. Get a grip! The woman is Emily’s married sister! She stood to follow the small crowd from the church, compelling her thoughts elsewhere. Her mind focused on what needed to be done when she returned to the office. On Monday, she had a deal to close, guaranteeing work for the firm for the next two years. Then she would hop a plane to Las Vegas for a conference on Wednesday. Returning on Sunday, she’d start her routine at the office all over the next morning. She twitched when someone grabbed her elbow.
“Sorry, Tash. I didn’t mean to startle you. Can I ride with you to Emily’s place for the reception? Please? My car is at her house.”
The gesture took her by surprise. Other than shaking hands, Aaron Rosencrantz never touched anyone. Her favorite pastime had become studying every move he made. The intimate, gentle action had been uncharacteristic and such a rare display of any emotion, it took her a few moments to respond.
“O-of course,” she said, staring at him.
Her body quivered as he lightly ran his hand over the lace sleeve covering her arm, making her wish he didn’t affect her so profoundly. The second gesture startled her even more than the first. The businessman persona was gone. Suddenly she felt like his…date.
What the hell’s wrong with him all of a sudden?
“Are you okay?” A frown crossed his handsome features.
“Yes, of course.” When her nipples beaded again, she swore to herself.
While they strolled toward her car, he tucked her arm gently into his and led the way. He opened the driver’s side door for her and she sat, still not believing he’d made such an overt pass at her, not once but three times in less than five minutes. She twitched again when he slammed the door shut after he’d climbed into the passenger seat.
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
Taking a deep breath, she nodded and wished she was attracted to someone who didn’t have quite the eye for detail he had. He knows. For the first time when dealing with a man, she felt stripped and without the usual control she maintained. He had to know, so why did he ignore her fascination with him every time? Managing to regain her composure, she started the car and got into the procession heading to Tom and Emily’s house for the reception. When they arrived, she expected Aaron would abandon her, like always, to mingle with the guests, many of whom were business acquaintances. She had never really fallen into the chic circles her bosses ran in. A natural introvert, being outgoing was strictly a learned behavior. She preferred to be a homebody. Favoring the company of books and one-on-one conversation in a quiet café, she socialized with a small group of friends who accepted her without question, allowing her to drop the mask and be herself, uninhibited. She scanned around, and her tight shoulders loosened when she spotted a small cluster of those friends in a corner
, holding glasses and laughing.
“Tash, do you want a drink?”
Aaron touched her arm—again. She fought the urge to ask him straight out what the hell had come over him. Unwittingly, her body language must have done the talking for her. He released her, and stepped back. She quickly reined herself in and slipped back into a professional demeanor.
“I’m sorry, you seemed distracted.”
Even though it confused her, the sudden loss of contact with him left her empty.
“I guess so. I just noticed a few of my friends are here.”
“Would you like something to drink?”
“Yes, please.”
“Water, soda, beer, wine?”
“Water please,” she murmured, noticing one of her friends waving from across the room.
Thankfully, Aaron went away before Lucian arrived at her side. Their friendship went back to her days in Dallas. Before Tasha had met him at a conference, she’d been restless, never comfortable in a relationship. He’d instantly seen through to her core and had helped her understand herself and why she’d felt so awkward with men. He’d mentored her until she’d become more comfortable in her own skin; now all she needed was to find a man who’d accept her.
“Hello, my sweet. Maven.” Lucian gave her a warm embrace. “Is that your date?” He shifted his glance to Aaron.
Laughing, she greeted his wife with a light hug. “No, he’s my boss.”
“Dear heart, I’m aware of who he is professionally. How about personally? He seems rather handsy with you. Is he…?”
“No. Not now, not ever. He’s very narrow on his views about life and love.”
“Really?” He arched an eyebrow.
“Hello, Lucian.” Aaron handed a bottle of cold water to Natasha.