Beneath Your Beauty Read online

  Single parenthood was hard.

  After the sixth call from a concerned teacher in two weeks, I went into work that next day and talked to my boss. Okay, I had more like blubbered to my boss. Unfortunately, there was no way he could help me. Being at the bottom of the totem pole, he couldn’t offer me much. He had then told me about a friend of his who lived in a small town, Birdsfall, which was three hours away from where we currently lived. The friend had intended on hiring a baker for his restaurant.

  I had packed us all up and relocated us to Birdsfall. I had used what was left of the insurance money to buy a fixer-upper house, and I upgraded the inside. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but I’d made us a home.

  Once we had arrived in Birdsfall, everyone we came across would comment, What handsome boys you have. That was when the boys started calling me mom. We had a great life here. It was quiet, and we were content. We loved the small-town feeling.

  Jeff had brown eyes and light-brown hair that he kept in a buzz cut. He definitely took after my sister’s side of the family. Dalton had the same dark brown hair as mine that he kept in a shaggy cut. He had the most beautiful blue eyes that he must have gotten from his father because no one in our family had blue eyes. In addition, Dalton had very sharp male features where the men in our family had softer ones, which Jeff had enquired from our side of the family.

  I tied my black Converse and then straightened my Georgia Tech pink shirt that I’d matched with faded, fitted blue jeans.

  “Mom, are you listening?” Jeff asked.

  I grabbed my travel mug and keys.

  My thoughts had not been focused on what Jeff was telling me. I mumbled, “Mmhmm…”

  My boys had a sixth sense of knowing when I was not myself.

  It was time to end the conversation. “Hey, guys, can we pick up this chat later? I need to get to the store.”

  I ended the call with the boys after promising I would Skype with them tonight. I slid into the driver’s seat and settled in for the hour drive.

  Eight months ago, both boys left to attend Georgia Tech. Jeff majored in architecture, and Dalton majored in business. Their plan was that Jeff would design houses, and Dalton would run the construction side of the business. I truly couldn’t be prouder of them.

  However, it had been eight long months of being alone. These boys had become my life, and therefore, I hadn’t had one. Since they had left, I felt as though I had some incurable disease. When I met someone new, I would feel compelled that I should warn them that I suffered from empty-nest syndrome.

  That was until a knock had sounded on my door a week ago. I opened it to find two big, husky men in suits. They were looking for my sister on behalf of a dealer whom she owed money to. He had spent eight years looking for her. In all his searching, it brought him to me. The men said that Marco only wanted his ten thousand dollars.

  Boy, am I freaking lucky.

  Steele

  “I’m thinking that’s not going to be a possibility.” I was lying on the rumpled covers of the most uncomfortable fuckin’ bed I’d ever slept on. I stretched the cricks out of my back.

  “I don’t know, Steele. I’m going to have Red send her an email,” Rico said.

  A growling rumble rose from deep within me, and it wasn’t from pain. The thought of Kayden doing a scene with another guy had my insides on fire. “No, Rico, it’s not a good idea.”

  Rico probed, “Why?”

  “Because,” I bit back.

  “You two were smoking hot together,” Rico drawled. “Damn, the chemistry was off the Richter scale. I smell an award,” he said with a smile in his voice.

  I retorted, “What makes you think she’ll have that chemistry with someone else?”

  I sat on the edge of the bed, bent, grabbed my sneakers, and began putting them on. I couldn’t handle much more of what Rico had been saying. I needed to get the images of Kayden with someone else out of my head.

  Rico persistently went on, “I’m going to send her an email myself. If she says no, then she says no. But, man, that was hot yesterday.”

  I grumbled, “Yeah.” Then stood from the bed. “Gotta go. I’ll call you later.” I tapped End, put my earbuds in, went to my music app, and headed out the door.

  With the fresh dewy morning air, and Whitesnake singing into my ears, no matter what Rico said, I was bound to make it a good day. I ran down the concrete sidewalk with no destination in mind. Kayden occupied my head—her smile, the way her soft curves had felt against my hard body, and how she’d kissed me. It was as if she had been starving for an intimate connection. I could still taste the sweetness of her in my mouth.

  Fuck.

  As I turned the corner, my feet pounded the asphalt harder. I tried to outrun my thoughts as my cock began to rise. Running with an erection was not an easy task.

  When I returned to the hotel, I showered and then got dressed. I put on my dark blue jeans, my polo with light blue and navy stripes, and my dark blue Nikes. My uneasiness spiked, and I scowled at myself in the bathroom mirror as I styled my hair.

  “You’re thirty-five fuckin’ years old. Stop being a pussy.”

  I packed my bag, not intending to return. If things went the way I planned, I should be tightly snuggled with Kayden tonight.

  Snuggle? When the fuck did I start thinking about snuggling? I don’t fuckin’ snuggle. Hell, I haven’t even spent the whole night with a girl.

  Damn this woman.

  I checked out of the hotel and went down to the corner store. I grabbed a pint of milk and a pack of gum. I sat on a nearby bench with a clear view of Forenzo’s. I pulled the shaker and protein powder from my bag. After laying the two items next to me, my eyes scanned the area. It wasn’t a great neighborhood, and not somewhere I would want to raise my kids.

  Kids? What the fuck?

  I never gave any thought to having kids.

  I’m Steele fuckin’ Waters, sex god of porn. I don’t want kids.

  Right?

  Shit.

  I shook the protein powder into the black shaker with Lift Me’s logo on it. Lift Me was a gym I belonged to for the past six years. The owners, Jim and Sophie, had been like siblings to me. I was an only child, and seeing as my dad had taken off when I was eighteen and I hadn’t seen or heard from him since, I had a problem trusting people. So, I kept folks at arm’s length. Except for Jim and Sophie.

  I was brought out of my trance by the sound of a car. A shiny black Lincoln appeared in front of Forenzo’s. The two pit bulls emerged from the front seats. They skimmed their surroundings before one of them opened the back door. Marco folded his stocky, short body out of the car. He fixed the lapels on his black suit and struggled to button the jacket. I watched as they disappeared down the alley on the side of the restaurant.

  I sucked back the last of my shake. With one hand, I opened a piece of gum while I glanced down at my watch. It was eight fifty-three. Kayden would be pulling up in no time. My heart rate picked up a few beats. Then, I saw her car, and my palms became sweaty.

  “Kayden,” I breathed softly to myself as I watched the driver’s door open, and her step out from the car.

  I couldn’t mistake that body anywhere, but her blonde hair was now a mess of soft dark brown waves. She had glanced over the area, and I tucked my head to the side. When I knew it was safe, I stared back at the more beautiful woman.

  Marco came out the front doors of the restaurant. Kayden closed the car door, lifted her sunglasses to rest on her head, and walked toward him. He opened his arms, and Kayden hesitantly moved into them. My eyes locked, watching them embrace. I unconsciously started rubbing my sweaty palms on my jean-clad thighs. My blood began to boil, and rage started twisting in my gut. Marco’s hand glided down Kayden’s back and landed on her succulent ass.

  “Oh, fuck no,” I rumbled as I rose from the bench.

  My feet brought me to a quick jog that landed me across the street. “Get your greasy hands off her!” I shouted.

 
Both their heads came up at the same time.

  “Now!” I roared.

  Kayden blinked her sultry brown eyes and said hesitantly, “Steele?”

  Wait—what? Brown eyes?

  Marco let Kayden go and sneered, “Is this your girlfriend?”

  I snatched Kayden from Marco’s side, wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her tight against me. “She sure the fuck is, asshole.”

  Her body jolted as her hands came to her face. “Oh my God,” she muttered.

  Kayden

  We entered the dimly lit restaurant, and were directed to the center table. My uneasiness had the best of me, so I stood, and Steele sat. Marco observed me with inquiring eyes.

  “You gonna sit?” Marco asked.

  I stretched an arm behind me, and the beefy body guards took a step forward.

  “Down, boys. I’m just getting an envelope.” I held my hand up, showing them I wasn’t lying. I looked to Marco. “No, I’m not going to sit. I have your money.” I tossed the envelope onto the table. “So, we should be done here.”

  Marco nodded toward the table. Guard Dog One came over and retrieved the package. He opened it, counted the money, and bobbed his abnormally large head at Marco. The envelope was placed back on the table. Marco then sat across from Steele, studying him¸ as he began to unfasten the straining button on his suit jacket.

  “She good now?” Steele questioned.

  Laying his chubby hands, one on top of the other, on his plump stomach, Marco responded, “No.”

  I threw my hands in the air. “What do you mean, no?” My hands fell and gripped the back of the chair in front of me. I leaned in. “I gave you the ten thousand you asked for.”

  Marco’s beady eyes came to me, and he grinned. “Ah, you did. That was until pretty boy showed up.”

  My head swung to Steele as my nails dug into the red vinyl of the chair. Steele brought his eyes from Marco to me.

  “He is not my boyfriend,” I declared, never taking my eyes from Steele.

  Something flashed over Steele’s features. I couldn’t seem to read the look on his face, nor had the time too. I ignored it and turned back to Marco.

  “Please…you said ten grand. I gave you ten grand.” My head dipped to the envelope on the table. I continued to plead as I whispered, “She’s dead, Marco. There’s not much I can do.”

  Marco swayed his stubby arm through the air. “I’m done with Mary. My business is with you and pretty boy.”

  I stomped my foot and raised my voice as I insistently implored my case, “I told you, he is not my boyfriend.”

  In a hard, low deep voice, Steele butted in, “You have any problems now, you keep it between you and me. Leave Kayden out of it.”

  Marco threw his head back and cackled. My eyes narrowed at him. I hated to say it, but he had the perfect evil laugh that made my nerves stand on end.

  Marco abruptly stopped laughing, his hand slammed on the table, bringing the attention to him. “You stalk Marco, and I don’t like that.” His face became red as he carried on using an irate tone, “You came here last night, and then you hurt my Angie. All for”—Marco threw his hand out in my direction, “trash!”

  Steele flew to his feet and started rounding the table. “You fuckin’ bastard.”

  The guard dogs moved quicker than Steele, and they seized his arms. They held him back, and Marco rose with an amused grin planted on his smug face.

  “You both owe me now,” he informed, pointing a finger between Steele and me.

  Marco got an inch from Steele’s face, and Steele struggled against the guard dogs’ grip.

  “Fifty thousand,” Marco demanded sternly. “Now, I want fifty thousand from you both.”

  “What?” I breathed out in shock and pulled myself together before asking, “Why?”

  “Because, you piss me off and I don’t like to be pissed off, and when people make me mad, I make them pay” Marco said with a raised voice.

  “Marco, please.” I cried.

  Marco pierced me with fixed eyes. “You sent your pretty boy to check me out,” He snickered. “I’m done. It’s final. One month from today, you will be here, both of you, at the same time.”

  With that, Marco started walking away.

  “Wait.” I quickly marched in his direction.

  Letting Steele go, one of the dogs clutched my arm, halting my steps an inch from Marco.

  “Get the fuck off her!” Steele yelled.

  We all ignored him.

  “There has to be something else, Marco, please,” I begged.

  Marco watched his stubby finger travel down the center of my chest. “Oh, I can think of something.”

  I closed my eyes and inwardly recoiled.

  Steele roared through the small restaurant, “Don’t fuckin’ touch her, you slimy piece of shit.” He thrashed on the guard dog’s hold. “You’ll get your hundred grand,” he finished.

  Marco looked at me and smiled before turning and making his way to the back of the restaurant.

  I couldn’t help myself. I beseeched again, “Please…”

  Marco spun on his shiny black loafers. I assumed he’d finally heard how desperate I was.

  Then, he punched me in the gut with his words, “Sometimes we have to pay for others mistakes, Caro, and I realize now what a big mistake your sister was.”

  “That’s not fair!” I screeched.

  “Ah,” Marco started and paused before he grinned and finished. “Nobody said life would be fair my, amore.”

  What he had said hit me so hard that I jerked back and couldn’t find my words.

  Marco kept speaking. “You both will be watched…how they say it?” His hand waved to one of the dogs.

  “Twenty-four-seven,” the guard dog thundered.

  Marco threw his head back and chuckled. “That’s it.” Then, he disappeared down a narrow hallway.

  Steele and I were tossed outside. I stumbled and righted myself, and then headed for Steele.

  I pushed at his hard chest. “What in the fuck are you doing here?”

  He never budged. He encircled my wrists with his hands. “Stop. I was only trying to help you.”

  “Help me?” I sarcastically laughed. “Owing Marco more money is not helping!” I shouted. I pulled from his grip and stomped toward my car. “Stay away from me.”

  Steele sprinted across the street.

  It figures he would run. Sissy.

  Just when I thought my day might actually get easier, Steele reappeared with a bag slung over his shoulder. He opened the back passenger-side door.

  I questioned in disbelief, “What are you doing?”

  He threw a duffel bag inside and shut the door. “Going with you,” he said casually, opening the passenger-side door and then slipping into the seat.

  I opened the driver’s side and peeked my head in. “Get out.”

  “Nope,” Steele said, touching the knobs on the dash.

  “Stop it,” I whined. “And get out.”

  His eyes came to mine. “Get your ass in the car, baby,” he said in a low rumble.

  That sent a pleasuring vibration down my body, and I got in the car. “I’m not talking to you.”

  He smiled. “That’s fine. First, please tell me you live more than thirty minutes from here?”

  “Why?”

  He laid the seat back and crossed his well-built arms over his firm chest. “Because if you’re not going to talk to me, I could really use a nap. The fuckin’ bed I slept in last night sucked.”

  I huffed and snubbed him even though his close presence was doing a number on my girlie parts.

  Once I got onto the highway, I chanced a look, and his eyes were closed. The yummy scruff covering his jawline made me shiver at the thought of what it had felt like on my naked body. His tattooed biceps and his long, lean muscular body relaxed. He looked delicious. A horn honked, and my eyes jolted toward the windshield.

  “Baby, you should probably keep your eyes on the road, not o
n me, even though”—he opened one eye—“I really like the way you were looking at me.” He closed his eye and grinned.

  Oh my God, how in the hell did he know I was looking at him?

  Shit!

  Steele

  I walked behind Kayden from the garage, through a door, and into the amazing kitchen. She threw her purse and keys on the end of a long counter. Piles of mail and papers told me that was her catchall spot. I placed my duffel on the floor. She kept walking, rounded the table, and went to a set of French doors. Once she swung them open, she turned to me.

  “Start explaining,” she demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

  I observed her for a moment. Standing in her kitchen, the sunlight behind her was casting an amber glow around her wavy brown hair. What I’d thought were blue eyes were now brown and sexy as hell. She had soft facial features, a button nose, and plump lips. She was breathtaking.

  My cock began to notice her, too. My eyes averted to the floor, and I took a deep breath. I looked up again, and her head tilted as if nonverbally urging me to answer her. My pants became even tighter in the groin area, and my heart skipped a beat.

  Whoa. What in the fuck?

  Oh shit, am I having a heart attack?

  I’m only thirty-five. Can I have a heart attack at thirty-five?

  “Fine, but you’re next,” I finally spoke. I needed to focus on something, and that something was talking. I couldn’t just stand here and look at her. I needed to touch her, kiss her, and feel her body up against mine. Besides, with the look in her eyes and her stance, it was clear she was not thinking the same thing I was.

  I could easily pay off Marco, but that would most likely take Kayden out of my life. I didn’t want that, and as much as she appeared to not want me in her’s, she didn’t seem like the kind of woman that would be okay with me paying the whole debt. Which I had every intention of doing, but I’d wait out the thirty days first.

  I looked from side to side. “Can we sit somewhere?”

  Kayden sighed and gestured past the French doors.

  The stained wooden porch had plush outdoor seating with colorful plants lining the deck. Candles and little knickknacks were set about. A pergola shaded the seating area from the sun. All the way to the privacy fence had been filled with plush green lawn. One huge crepe myrtle tree sat in the center of the area. Even from a guy’s point of view, I must say that the space had a calming feel to it.