Pink Lilies (Beautiful People Book 1)

by Lacee Hightower

  The water barely warm as I stepped in, I sucked back a long breath, reaching for the coconut body scrub that was my absolute favorite. I soaped up and rinsed off quickly, hoping my hair didn’t reek of steak. Always paranoid about that, chances were, it was probably ninety-nine percent only in my head.

  My heart pounded as I steadied myself just enough to slip on a maxi dress, not bothering with shoes. After brushing my teeth, I sprayed on a light mist of body spray and pulled a brush through my hair. This was the best it was going to get in fifteen minutes.

  Steps from the living room, Tyler’s eyes instantly rose from the ground, his mouth bending into a sexy smile that knocked the wind from my chest. God, he was so hot. At some point when I was showering, he had unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt, a small dusting of chest hair now peeking through, along with the small edge of ink of some sort. He clearly had a tattoo underneath his shirt. Jesus, what I’d give to see that.

  “Sorry. I’m really yucky. I just didn’t want to keep you. I’m sure you have other things to do.”

  He stood, towering over all five foot three inches of me, the look on his face charging the air between us.

  “You look anything but yucky, Alexa.”

  “Are you sure I can’t get you anything? Water? Wine?”

  “Why are you so nervous around me? Do I really make you that uncomfortable?”

  For seconds, I was at a loss for words, the look on his face so serious and complex. Finally, another small smile curved over his lips, making me feel bolder.

  “No, Doctor. Actually, you don’t make me nervous at all.” God, I suck at lying. An empty tightness tugged underneath my dress as I squeezed my thighs together.

  “Then why do you keep licking your bottom lip, Alexa? You do that every time I’m around you.” My nerves tingled at the touch of amusement in his eyes.

  “Tell me why you’re really here, Tyler,” I asked apprehensively, ignoring his question about my nervous habit. “Shouldn’t you be with your beautiful girlfriend right now?”

  He arched a brow, his smile narrowing. Suddenly, he burst into laughter. Why did he find that funny? I turned my head, breaking eye contact, his gaze following me as I stared off in the opposite direction at nothing really, just anywhere other than in his piercing green stare as he laughed at my nervousness.

  “Alexa, look at me.” He turned my chin back toward him with a long finger, forcing me to make eye contact. He slid his hands across both my flushed cheeks before moving them into my hair. “Angel, Katherine isn’t my girlfriend. She’s merely a friend. Actually, she’s a possible work acquaintance now. That’s why we were together when you saw us.”

  He was speaking in his monotone voice again that made my skin crawl—in a delicious kind of way. Low and deep, it was arousing. Sensual. My heart hammered against my chest as I watched him swallow hard. I felt powerless in his presence. He intimidated me. But his smell. His touch. His everything. He also bewitched me.

  “Now she’s a possible work acquaintance? What does that mean? You’ve been in her bed, haven’t you?” I blinked back disappointment, looking away from him again. I had absolutely no reason to cry, being as I had no hold on Tyler whatsoever, but today had been an especially emotional one. Between thoughts of Becca and just, well … everything, I couldn’t stop my heavy heart.

  “Yes, Alexa. I have. But we aren’t a couple anymore. We haven’t been for quite some time. Like I told you, she’s simply a friend. I’ve known Katherine for years. I actually told her about the coffee episode. She found it quite humorous.”

  “Honestly, I’m not feeling great today. I think I just need to go to bed.” I looked away, trying to fight this upcoming emotional breakdown sinking through me.

  He rubbed a hand across my cheek and I turned back toward him. His brilliant green eyes flickered with gray right around the middle, his breath warm against my forehead. His hair was flipping out just the slightest bit behind his ears and his sideburns seemed longer than before. The combination of his eyes and sexy hair ignited my heat level and a flutter in my belly. Sexual magnetism crackled between us. I wanted him.

  I also wanted to talk about Becca. I needed to talk about my cousin.

  “Are you okay, Alexa?” He reached for my face again and I tilted my head into his hand as he brushed it over my cheek and traced my jaw with his long fingers.

  “My cousin died recently. She overdosed on heroin. That’s why Maci and I were at Venture. My cousin had been visiting a fetish club somewhere in the area. We were digging for information on either her or the man she’d been coming with, so I could talk to him and maybe find out why she did this. Her name was Becca Bohmann. Did you know her?”

  Was I really telling him this? I barely knew Tyler, yet I couldn’t stop. I had to get the bottled-up words inside me out in the open. Plus, he may actually have known who she was. And strangely enough, I wanted to talk to him about her.

  His jaw clenched when I mentioned Becca’s name and his lips sealed together. He stared at me for a few seconds. Then, with a slight dip in his voice, he uttered, “No. I’m sorry. I didn’t know your cousin.”

  My gaze fell to the ground, my thoughts churning a million directions. “We were very close growing up. Today has been an exceptionally hard one.”

  My heart was heavy. Breaking down in front of Tyler was the last thing I wanted, but I was suddenly more inclined than ever to simply let the barrier break. Tears I’d forcefully been withholding choked me and I was suddenly sobbing like a small child in front of a man I barely knew.

  He gathered me in his arms and shielded me against his body as I cried violently about the unexpected tragic loss of my cousin. He felt like he was a little shaky himself.

  “I’m so sorry, angel. Maybe I should go,” he murmured. His grip on me was tight as he simultaneously rubbed and patted my back. Chances were, he wasn’t ready to listen to my personal issues and I hoped he wouldn’t think of me as needy. But then, maybe that’s exactly what I was.

  “No. Please… I’m sorry for losing it like that in front of you.”

  Regretful at my decision to talk about something so personal, I broke apart from his embrace and walked into the kitchen, rubbing underneath both eyes that were undoubtedly smeared with makeup. I dabbed a paper towel below my lids and opened the refrigerator, removing two bottles of water. When I returned to the living room, Tyler was sitting on the edge of the couch staring straight ahead toward the patio door. He turned toward me and I forced a small, embarrassed smile. He sighed and pinched the tip of his nose.

  Again, his look was unreadable as I placed the two unopen bottles of water onto the round sofa table. I sat down beside him, resting my hand on top of his thigh. The action unexpected, it surprised me, and obviously Tyler. The feel of his leg hardening at my touch was seductive and sexual, my body warming at the gesture, along with the depth of his stare.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” His eyes seemed full of care and concern, his tender side a trait I wasn’t familiar with. It was nice. I liked it. A lot.

  “I am now. I’m so sorry for the emotional outbreak. I had absolutely no right to do that. I hope I didn’t scare you off.” He nodded at my apology as his eyes studied me.

  “No, Alexa. You never have to apologize for having a heart.” His fingers brushed the top of mine that still rested on top of his leg. Without any warning, our touching hands were suddenly moving across his thigh together. We both sighed, watching the intimate motion. Sparks ignited between us.

  “And also, I don’t scare easily,” he whispered.

  He leaned closer, our lips less than a millimeter apart. “I want you, Alexa. I’ve ached for you since the first time I saw you. Am I wrong in thinking you feel the same?” The movement of our touching hands stopped, more long seconds slowly ticking by.

  “I need to hear the words from your lips.” He curved his head, his lips hovering over mine. “Angel, listen to me when I tell you this. I’m not the kind of man you’re
accustomed to. I don’t ever want to hurt you.”

  “Well, that’s easy. Just don’t,” I whispered.

  He kissed me with his eyes wide open, a curious, yet unsettled look behind them. I trembled in anticipation and pushed my hands through his hair, my fingers tight as I mingled my tongue over his. I moaned and he moaned right back, the deep sound making me clench my legs.

  “Christ, Alexa, I don’t think I can walk away from you. I’ve tried. I simply don’t know how to make myself leave.”

  His fists clenched. Slowly, he took one hand and moved his thumb across my cheek before lowering it over my bottom lip, and I shivered. Gentle at first, his passion changed when I responded with only my eyes and a small nod of my head. His lips were then on mine, hungry and filling me with an unbreakable kiss as he tangled his long, sensual fingers through my hair. His kiss was savage, our mutual desire to the point of maddening. Desire pounded through me. I inched closer, reaching for his shirt and unbuttoning what he hadn’t already done himself.

  I wanted him. Dear God, I wanted him.

  “I’ve waited so long for this,” he breathed into my mouth, his lips floating over mine before trailing in a downward motion over my neck. My body shielded me in chill bumps and I pulled my legs together at the harrowing bareness now painful between my thighs.

  His eyes darkened as I studied the beauty of his face. “You need to understand, Alexa.” His voice was hard with passion. “Once I have you, I’ll use your body in every possible scenario. You’ll be mine. I’ll own you.”

  Every hair on my body standing at attention, his sensual, but controlling words unsettled my brain, yet ignited every inch of my body.

  “Tell me you want me, Alexa. Look at me and tell me you’ve wondered what we might feel like together. Imagined what my mouth would feel like against your wet opening. I need words. I need to hear you speak them, angel.” His ravenous eyes sent red-hot sparks through every nerve in my body, making me want him so much that it ached. I crept a shaky hand up my side, brushing it over my breast.

  “Jesus.” He buried his lips against mine before I could get the words out that he already knew. His kiss wasn’t gentle. Ceaseless and hard, it was like we’d been holding off what we’d both wanted forever. Our mouths tangled together as we touched each other frantically. We felt. And learned. His hands were on my shoulders, slowly inching downward, seemingly memorizing my body as he skimmed them across my back before slowly inching toward my butt and slipping underneath, raising me from the couch. The sight of his immensely growing, hard erection was impossible to ignore as he pulled me even tighter into his strong body, moaning the most sensual sound I’d ever heard as he traced the outline of my neck with those beautiful thick lips.

  “You. Are. So. Beautiful,” he whispered into my ear. “Your smell. The way you lick that bottom lip when you’re nervous. You’re killing me.” I took his hand and lay back on the couch, easing him down over me and urging his hand down my thigh.

  “Christ, Alexa,” he whispered in my mouth, his full lips swollen from our intense kiss. “You take my breath away.” His swollen erection pushed firmly against my belly as his hand squeezed my thigh, a heavy groan flowing deep in his throat. My cheek leaned into the palm of his hand as I ached to feel his bare skin on mine.

  “Tyler. Please.” Panting, my hips arched to meet his throbbing erection. His head fell into the curve of my neck, teasing my skin with his tongue as I tingled from the light stubble I craved to feel everywhere.

  I wanted more.

  I wanted it all.

  I wanted him to own me.

  “Angel.” Slowly, his head lifted. His flawless face suddenly appeared colorless and drained, like something had changed. He stared down at me for seconds, and then focused on my mouth, leaning over and kissing me gently again before standing up, holding out a hand to help me stand. Something was off. He was hesitating.

  “Did I do something wrong?” Seconds after I asked, his fingers frustratingly raked through his dark hair, the curl behind his ear flipping up even more. Without warning, his demeanor became detached and despondent. The air suddenly felt cold. As his chest exhaled, he lowered his hands onto my face, brushing them over my eyes and then my cheeks. He smiled, even though the corners of his lips were unsettling.

  “You did absolutely nothing wrong, sweetheart. It’s just me. This thing between us … it can’t work.”

  Confused, I inhaled hard, looking for answers in his green-gray eyes.

  “Why?” I whispered, as my heart sank at the thought of never knowing what it would feel like to be connected with him.

  He didn’t speak for a few seconds. He only looked at me for what seemed like an endless amount of time. I turned from his gaze and stared at an imaginary nothing across the room. Finally, his voice changed as he spoke. He was clearly uncomfortable with me. Or something else he didn’t intend on sharing.

  “I’m sorry, Alexa. Trust me. This just won’t work.”

  What the actual fuck!

  Chapter Thirteen

  Tyler

  Could things possibly be any more fucked up? Holy shit, I was ready to call it a day. I had a goddamn business to run for Christ’s sake and I sure as hell didn’t treat my employees like shit, but as of right now, I was absolutely certain of two things. I wasn’t going to put up with disrespectful employees, and in the future, I was going to hire an outside company to conduct pre-employment interviews. Unmerciful where my staff was concerned, I was going to fucking snap if people couldn’t learn to get along in the office.

  I pushed some cash inside the tip jar and grabbed my coffee off the counter, saying my thank you and goodbye to the young girl that worked in the building’s coffee shop. Scheduled to fly out to Houston at 6 AM tomorrow morning, I needed to pull my head out of my ass and concentrate. Like the last two years, I’d agreed to participate in an educational seminar about the scope of available cosmetic procedures offered in today’s market, and also speak about nonsurgical procedures, including fillers and laser skin care treatments. The least favorite part of my job, it was also vital. Speaking one-on-one with the public at no cost to them proved to be very beneficial for my reputation. Plus, giving out complimentary products and personal evaluations brought in hundreds of potential clients, not to mention the tax benefits.

  My mind a stir of emotions, I couldn’t stop thinking about Alexa. So far, I’d done nothing but turn everything into one big, unexpected mind fuck, and of course, she probably assumed it was something she did. My gut in knots, I wanted her in my life, but how was that a realistic possibility? I’d dug deep for a way to be honest with her and yet, I was still lying. Dread at the thought of hurting her hammered at my chest.

  I’d never been at a complete and total loss at controlling myself around a beautiful woman. I’d also never lied to one. Never had a reason to. But last night, I straight up misled Alexa. Nothing but weak, small, spineless pussies, I fucking detested liars, and now I fell knee-deep in that category. A weak move for a Dom, I’d looked her in the eye and fed her a complete line of false bullshit. Maybe deep down I wasn’t the unyielding tenacious man I thought I was.

  Becca was her goddamn cousin. She was dead. Quite possibly because of me. And after long minutes of tears, needing answers and closure, I’d denied knowing her, when I should have ended it right then and there. Instead, I’d just about flipped my shit to get my mouth on her. And now, after knowing her taste, her sweet musky smell, and the little sounds she made when she was turned on that were somewhere between a moan and a sob all tangled up, my feelings were skyrocketing. All the same, it hadn’t turned out to be my finest hour. Sex seconds from happening, I’d walked away leaving both of us tense and miserable.

  What the hell was happening to me?

  A dark dread rolling through my chest, I punched ‘Justin’ on my phone contacts. I needed to vent to my best friend.

  * * * *

  The buzz of my doorbell bringing me back to actuality, staring outside, I pu
shed away from the patio door to go let Justin in.

  “Well, damn. You look like hell, Tyler.” Justin walked directly to the kitchen and set down a pizza box and a six-pack of Heineken.

  “Fuck you, too, pretty boy.” The tightness behind my eyes suddenly felt like my head might split wide open. I winced.

  “Let’s open up that pizza and beer.” I popped the tops from two Heinekens and handed Justin one, downing half mine in one gulp.

  “I fucked up, Justin.”

  “Obviously,” he said, sliding the open pizza box my direction. “Wanna tell me what exactly it is that you did?”

  Justin wouldn’t judge me. The best friend I’d ever had, he may rip me a completely new asshole, but he would never be the critic. I rubbed at my jaw. “It’s Alexa. Alexa Bohmann. From the club the other night.” A half smile, half frown covered Justin’s face.

  “No shit, Sherlock. That isn’t really a surprise. Now what’s the problem? Other than the obvious fact that she’s related to your ex.”

  Quiet for a minute, I really didn’t know how to explain the huge pile of shit I’d gotten myself involved in, but I had to tell somebody. It may as well be my closet friend.

  I leaned against the counter, blowing air through my mouth. “She’s Becca’s first cousin.” I grabbed my hair again, hesitating. “I knew this going in and I acted on it anyway. Now I’m screwed.”

  “Fuck!” Justin rubbed at his temple. “I knew she was something. Same last name. Same dimple. Well, you’ve definitely gotten yourself tangled up in a shit storm, haven’t you?” For minutes, we were only silent and ate pizza and drank more beer. I needed to slow down on the alcohol. 4 AM wakeup was gonna come way too early as it was.

  “Are you sure you can’t just go find a woman with a good rack and drum some pussy? Get this one out of your head?”

  I pinched the end of my nose and looked at my best friend.