EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2018 Lacee Hightower
ISBN: 978-1-77339-614-9
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: CA Clauson
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
Dedicated to my big brother in Heaven. My biggest cheerleader from afar.
PINK LILIES
Beautiful People, 1
Lacee Hightower
Copyright © 2018
The raging fire which urged us on was scorching us;
it would have burned us had we tried to restrain it.
—Giacomo Casanova
Prologue
‘Come and embrace me Lord.
Hold me secure.
Hold me strong.
Hold me forever.
In your everlasting arms.’
“Isn’t that song nice? Don’t you just love the sound of the beautiful guitar? Doesn’t it simply give you chills all through your body?”
The sound of the music was nice. The same song played over and over. And the words … they were all so appropriate. I was faithless. There was nowhere to hide. Not now. Nobody could save me.
“Tyler? Is that you?”
Hadn’t he just been here? I was sure I’d heard him speaking.
The room was almost completely dark, the only light a small streak streaming through the partially open mini-blinds. Yet, I could still see the glow of vibrant green eyes as I stared ahead—waiting. Waiting for what my body craved more than anything it had ever needed so badly. The rush. The peace. The ultimate high.
My strength was fading quickly. I was scared, the short prayer my mom and I recited every night before bed when I was a child, suddenly falling from my lips.
Were those angels on the wall?
I raised the pen that rested on top of the lilac-colored paper, expressing the words I knew were my last.
The sudden pinch stung. The burn was heavy at first, but welcoming. Why was my mouth suddenly so hard to move? Why was I struggling to speak the words of the prayer as I hoped for the miracle I knew wasn’t coming?
The pain began subsiding, the evil glare still piercing mine. No words were spoken. None were necessary. Everything was right there … behind those eyes.
My body began making gurgling noises as I fought the urge to throw up. I was tired. So tired. The green eyes … they were fading. I pulled my feet underneath my chest trying to subside the cramping in my stomach. Suddenly, I didn’t want to be alone.
Please don’t leave me alone.
The room was growing darker, my mind slipping into that peaceful place I craved. Everything was fading. This is what he would have wanted. I understood now. It was all perfectly clear.
“It’s time.” The voice was distant, the cramping gone. I felt as if I was flying somewhere into a long warm gush of brightness.
Then it was gone…
Chapter One
Alex
Have you ever awakened from a normal night’s sleep thinking today was going to be a day like any other?
Get up.
Drink coffee.
Take a shower and get dressed.
Proceed with the day.
Then all of a sudden, shit hits the proverbial fan. Everything blows up in your face. Not necessarily in a bad way. Just not the norm.
Only when we least expect, something happens to change every single thing in our life. Something that may just rock our world…
* * * *
“We should try that new pancake house before too long. I heard it’s excellent.”
Maci and I ambled toward the counter of Krispy Kreme. Same as most Wednesdays, I was off work, and the attorney Maci worked for had court, so like plenty of other hump days, we’d met for a quick breakfast. Maci was one of those girls you loved to hate. Naturally lean and gorgeous, if she wasn’t my best friend, I might actually be offended by her ability to eat what she wanted and never gain an ounce. “Pancakes and doughnuts … they’re both the same. Poison for my ass.”
“A girl’s gotta eat, Alex. Plus, it’s not exactly attractive walking around with a stomach groaning like horny mating whales,” Maci countered, her comment making me grin. “Might as well be something that tastes amazing.”
“Says the girl that never gains weight no matter what.” Who the hell knows what horny mating whales sound like?
“Two glazed and a cup of hazelnut?” the same grinning, middle-aged man that always seemed to wait on me asked. I gave him a nod and like always, he walked into the back to get me two warm doughnuts instead of just giving me a couple from the display. Maci stood beside me, giving the very well-endowed thirty-something year-old woman with overly bleached hair her order.
“Thanks as always, Eric.” He handed me my order and I secured my purse over my shoulder and spun around to nab us the last empty table in the crowded shop. After I managed to find what was probably the only slick spot on the entire floor, I almost lost my balance, not only smashing my two warm doughnuts into the steel-hard chest of a stranger, but also spilling freshly-brewed piping hot coffee on the front of his shirt.
“Dr. Yates!” The platinum blonde busty woman rushed over with a towel, placing it against the drenched chest of the man she obviously knew, as he grimaced, staring down at his stained shirt.
My face burned with embarrassment as I cringed in empathy at the mess I’d made. “Oh, my God. I am so sorry,” I expressed. “I didn’t even realize anyone was behind me.” I took a step back and bent down to pick up the empty coffee container, immediately noticing Italian leather black loafers and saying a silent thanks to the man upstairs for not getting coffee on what I expected were highly expensive shoes that my monthly salary probably couldn’t replace.
“I see that,” the man said, looking serious, as I stood back up and looked into two glistening emerald-green eyes full of intensity, topped by strong arched brows and dark thick lashes. “Are you okay?” he asked, snagging the towel from the blonde who continued to blot at the dark brown stain. After wiping off his hands, he returned the wet towel with a quick thank you to the woman. That was the minute I noticed his beautiful hands. Impeccably manicured, he owned the longest, most perfectly shaped fingers I’d ever seen on a man, his tanned wrist covered by a sleek watch with a dark dial and a shading of black hair.
As he stared back at me, unsure if he was angry or otherwise, one look at his beautifully carved face stopped all the air from circulating in my chest. Nothing but pure male, his jaw was prominent, covered in a light coating of facial hair. Then, on either side of a straight nose were those two beautiful eyes, rendering me speechless.
Dark brown hair, nearly black, was slightly wavy, and almost touching the collar of his shirt. Obviously styled with gel, every perfect strand was in place. My pulse racing, he took a step closer, giving me a deep smell of woodsy cologne and his natural body scent.
Still in shock—more or less filled with shameful humiliation—I finally managed to speak. “I’m fine, but what about you? You’re the one with hot coffee on your stomach.”
His look turned contemplative as he softly answered, “Probably only a few third-degree burns. Fortunately, I’m a cosmetic surgeon,” he added, h
is lip bending into a small grin, my eyes zooming in on his lips. Jesus … his lips. Full and thick, they were sumptuous and absolutely perfect for kissing. And the way he was running his tongue over his top teeth while staring down at me with scorching hot eyes. Probably not intentional, his expression was sensual and made me think of a sweaty, hot, rugged kind of lewd carnal sex that left a person struggling for oxygen and completely unable to move their wasted body for a good thirty minutes afterward.
“Dr. Yates, I have your normal order ready. They’re on the house today. Give me just a couple more minutes, and I’ll have fresh coffee for you.” The blonde returned with two boxes of doughnuts, smiling up at him before turning toward me and sneering.
“Again,” I whispered. “My apologies … Doctor.”
“Fucking hell,” I whispered to Maci as I stepped away to distance myself from this man with the blistering hot eyes and lips. Thankfully, the place had cleared out a little, but we were still getting a few exceedingly doleful stares. Wasting no time, Maci sat down and started eating, my appetite diminished.
“I thought you might still enjoy some breakfast.”
My eyes darted up as the stranger set down a small white bag and another cup of coffee in front of me, his gorgeous eyes staring at my lips, sparks of some kind of charge bouncing between us. “It is what you came in for, isn’t it? Unless you make a habit of scalding strange men with coffee. I’m Tyler Yates, by the way. And your name?”
“Alex…a…,” I nervously sputtered. “Alex Bohmann.” My voice cracked, and I attempted a smile, immediately visualizing easing the elastic band down and watching what he had underneath his scrubs come to life. “And this is my friend Maci.”
“Alexa … Bohmann,” he repeated in his monotone voice, an uncomfortable expression suddenly covering his face, his smile fading and unreadable. “And Maci,” he added, his soft full lips pressing together.
“Well, have a good day … Alexa. Maci.” With a clearing of his throat, he nodded and turned around and left, my eyes glued to his muscular ass as he exited the doughnut shop.
****
Forty-five minutes later after the most horrific, yet interesting breakfast of my life, I was pulling my dated Honda Civic into the garage listening to more weird sounds from my twelve-year-old car. At some point, I was going to have to try to find a way to get a newer car. How? I had no idea.
My phone beeped with a voice mail from my mom and a text from Maci reminding me of the upcoming office party she insisted I go to. For an office full of uptight, stuffy attorneys, her company certainly broke the mold on partying, having employee gatherings once, and sometimes twice a month.
I reached for the groceries out of the back seat and headed to the door, calling my mom back. Grabbing wine on the way home, I’d ended up with asparagus and parmesan cheese, too. After a dreadful morning, my favorite risotto was going to taste good in a couple of hours, along with the overly expensive bottle of Chardonnay I splurged on. Screw the tightness around my ass and waist that I’d surely feel in the morning after eating my favorite indulgence on top of doughnuts.
“Hi, Mom. Everything okay? Dad okay?” With my dad feeling lousy the last few weeks, my mom was concerned with all the stress his job was bringing on. Even with medication, he was having trouble controlling his blood pressure. Mom had called crying more than once, so I knew it was serious. I couldn’t fathom not having my dad and refused to even think in that direction.
“No, no, honey. It’s not Dad. It’s your cousin. It’s Becca.”
Chapter Two
Alex
I swallowed hard. My cousin was dead. Becca and I practically lived together growing up. My first cousin, we always felt more like sisters. Kindred spirits, we used to say.
We didn’t look related at all. Tall and blonde with green eyes and light skin, Becca had a small dusting of freckles covering her face and shoulders. I was dark haired, light skinned, and had blue eyes. I also topped out at five foot three inches, and that was only when I stretched it. Unfortunately, Becca had been cursed with the same ugly dimple on her cheek that I had.
I ended the phone call with my mother, sliding down onto the couch in my tiny living room. The duplex I rented was small, yet it was nice and it was home. I’d managed to decorate it well over the last year. Of course, nobody needed to know that nearly every item had been purchased at local thrift stores.
While I realized life itself had caused us to lose touch over the last few years, I still felt a strong connection to Becca. Next to my mom and Maci, she’d been one of the few people in my life I truly felt comfortable around. I got along with people well. That had never been hard, but few people genuinely earned my complete trust. Which had been the problem with my only serious boyfriend. Ryan and I dated for close to two years, but I never really learned to trust him. Not that he had done anything to cause my wariness. He hadn’t. But the way I felt, he also never did anything to really deserve it. After almost two years together, we mutually decided to end things and move on. Quite simply, we just never really seemed to click. Especially in the bedroom. I’d never had an orgasm with Ryan. Sweet and gentle during sex, most women would probably respect his kindness. Somehow, it just hadn’t been enough for me.
Just weeks ago, Becca called me out of the blue, sounding great. And happy. She was coming out of her shell and wasn’t quite as shy as I remembered. Only speaking briefly, she mentioned a hot, rich guy she was seeing, and how he’d educated her in ways she never thought possible. Whatever that meant. Not saying much else, when I asked what he did for a living, she shut down completely and quickly changed the subject. At the time, I really didn’t think it was a big deal. Of course, I’d ended our conversation quickly that day because I was running late for work.
Now she was gone. Found by her roommate in their apartment, she had been dead for close to forty-eight hours. The paramedics said she overdosed on heroin, the syringe still in her arm, along with more than one fresh needle mark. I couldn’t fathom Becca doing any kind of drugs, let alone heroin. Strange markings also found on her wrists and ankles, the autopsy revealed the marks were caused from some sort of undetermined metal device.
The graveside-service funeral was in two days in my hometown of San Angelo. Thoughts of my uncle and aunt hurt my heart. Becca their only child, I knew Johnny and Nancy would be broken over this. There would be no getting over it. Not this.
I opened my phone contacts and called Richard, my boss at the restaurant. It was going to kill me to miss work. Already behind on bills and a recent college graduate with no profession yet, I needed every dime from my job just to make ends meet, but I wouldn’t miss Becca’s funeral.
Chapter Three
Alex
Crazy damn insomnia. Trying to sleep was a hopeless impossibility. 10:30 AM, and I was already in my hometown of San Angelo after leaving Dallas before daylight. Minimal traffic, plus the fact my foot had been overly heavy while driving, it had only taken a little over five hours.
My bottom lip quivered as I parked in the circular drive of my uncle and aunt’s house. The yard needed mowing. Always so anal about having the greenest grass in the neighborhood and the Yard of the Month sign proudly displayed for passersby, my uncle had to be in a completely desolate frame of mind not to tend to his lawn.
Over a year since I’d been back to my hometown, as much as I missed seeing my parents, work pretty much took up all my time. With a degree in Child Psychology, I was still unsure what I wanted to do, so I continued working as many hours as I could at the well-known upscale steakhouse I’d worked at throughout school. My social life was non-existent with the crazy hours I worked, but nights brought in the best tips, so I generally worked until closing if I could.
A strong soft spot for kids, I still dreamed of working with children. So many suffering from physical, mental, and social needs, I wanted to do something that could possibly make a difference in their lives. The problem was, during four years of college, I never decided exactly
what that was. In order to be a child psychologist, there was more schooling in my future to get my master’s degree. I didn’t know how I could afford that.
With my chest pounding, I hesitantly knocked on the door. On a road trip somewhere in Arkansas, my parents wouldn’t be back until later in the day. I knew it proved my weak side, but I really wished they were here to do this with me.
Camping being my parents’ favorite pastime, they’d saved every spare cent they could for years to buy an RV. Dad still worked in the insurance business, but they managed lots of three-day weekend excursions. God knows he needed any relaxation he could get with his stressful job as an insurance adjuster.
My hand visibly shaking, I removed it from the glass front door as Nancy walked toward me. Deep, engrained dark circles covered her normally bright eyes as she attempted her best at a small welcoming smile.
“Alex. Come in, honey.”
“Aunt Nancy.” I gave her a hug. Way thinner than the last time I’d seen her, we were both instantly in tears.
“I’m so sorry.” I’d promised not to cry in front of them, but seeing Becca’s picture in the entry hall completely sidetracked me. It didn’t seem possible for her to be gone. Only twenty-three, she had her entire life ahead of her.
On the only couch I ever remembered my uncle and aunt owning, Johnny brought some coffee and sat the cups down on the glass table beside the aged, navy blue sectional sofa. I didn’t really care much for the drink unless it was completely submerged with cream and sugar, but I sipped on it anyway as they struggled to fill me in on the death of their only child.
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