His Other Wife (Beautiful Lies Book 1)

by M. L. Ray

  She laughed uproariously as Anouk flushed a deep scarlet, and Knox snorted. “She is a bit of a screamer.”

  “I am not!” But Anouk giggled all the same.

  The good mood carried over as they moved her stuff in—what there was of it—and she, Iris and Knox slid her life easily into his. Knox was having some curved bookcases made, so until they were ready, they stacked Anouk’s books in piles against the walls. Knox put her vinyl collection next his ancient record player, and they strung her favorite string lights above the new bed. “No more mattress on the floor.” Knox said, and Anouk grinned.

  “I’m going to miss it.”

  “We don’t need a mattress if you want to get busy on the floor, baby.”

  Anouk poked him, as Iris made a gagging sound. “Too much information, dude.”

  Iris left them alone just after seven, although they urged her to stay for pizza and beer. “I have a date, you losers.” She hugged Anouk tightly. “I’m so happy for you, babe.”

  Alone, Anouk and Knox decided to leave the unpacking for the night, and curled up on the couch together. Knox brushed a hand over her hair. “How do you feel today, baby?”

  Anouk considered as she lay back against him. For once, given the events of the last year, she felt safe in this moment, behind the doors of the locked and secure studio, in the arms of the man she loved. She chuckled softly. “Whiplashed. It’s been such a strange year.”

  Knox was silent, waiting for her to go on, his hand stroking her hair. The movement sent pleasurable tingles through her. She sighed. “So much has happened in such a short time, and right now, right here, I could pretend that all the bad stuff didn’t happen.”

  “For tonight, pretend it didn’t, Nook. Give yourself a break. Anyone who has been through what you have, needs a break. Just for tonight… make the world go away.”

  Anouk turned to face him, studying his warm brown eyes, the faint crow’s feet at the corners of them, the dark brown beard, the full lips. She traced them with her finger. “All I want is you,” she said softly.

  “You have me. Forever, Nook, if you want me.”

  She leaned closer and his lips met hers. His hands moved to cup her breasts through her t-shirt, his thumbs stroking over her nipples. Anouk tangled her fingers in his hair, stroking his head, enjoying the feel of his lips against hers.

  Knox tipped her back against the couch and moved down her body, pushing her t-shirt up. His lips pressed against the soft curve of her belly, his tongue sweeping a circle around the deep hollow of her navel. Anouk closed her eyes, focusing on the electricity pulsing through her veins as he kissed her skin. His fingers unbuttoned the fly of her jeans, and he eased them from her, tugging her panties down in his eagerness to bury his face in her sex. Anouk was so turned on by the time his tongue touched her clit, that she came almost immediately. But Knox didn’t let her recover. His tongue dipped deep inside her in sharp-jabbing motions until she gasped again, her entire body trembling.

  Knox moved up so he could kiss her mouth, as Anouk freed his cock from his jeans and wrapped her legs around him. Knox rolled a condom onto his straining cock and thrust into her, their gazes held as they made love. Somehow, strangely, tonight felt as if a stronger connection was being forged between them, and they made love until dawn’s light was beginning to spread over the city. They made love in every room, eventually ending up on the floor of the studio, laughing and loving in equal measure.

  Finally, they went back up to their bedroom and slept, and for once, Anouk fell into a dreamless, relaxing sleep.

  The person who had watched them making love through the studio window, saw them go back upstairs, and turned away from the window. Hatred and jealously seethed in equal measure. He walked off into the Seattle morning, knowing he was about to make Anouk Devi Simon’s life a living hell.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The new year brought snowstorms so intense, that most of Seattle’s arts facilities were shut down. Anouk opened the gallery, but didn’t expect any of the staff to try and get in. The only reason she came in, herself, was that the studio was only a few blocks from the Granger Gallery, and she felt she needed to open for Tom’s sake. Just after his funeral, Anouk had a local photography studio blow up a print of Tom, and she had it hung in the entrance. Her name might be on the ownership papers, but it would always, always be Tom’s gallery to her.

  She had a tenuous email relationship with his brother Sam, now. It wasn’t exactly buddy-buddy, but Anouk was okay with it. She wanted the Grangers as involved as possible in Tom’s legacy, and just lately, she had been formulating an idea of how she could best pay tribute to her former boss, and use his money for good.

  She’d had the idea on a lazy Sunday morning with Knox. He was making silver dollar pancakes for brunch, and Anouk was brewing their coffee, when she asked him how the plans for the new arts center were going.

  “Good, I think. Slow. It’s taking a while for the funding to come through. The city says it wants to contribute, but the red tape is a hassle. By the time it comes through, I’ll be too old to teach.”

  “Old man.”

  “You know it.” Knox grinned, flipping some pancakes onto a plate and handing it to her.

  Anouk took a bite. “Yum.”

  “Good?”

  “Very. Baby… I’ve been thinking about what to do with Tom’s money. His brother is insistent I have it, but I can tell there’s resentment there. What if I put a huge chunk of it into the arts center? Tom would approve of that, wouldn’t he?”

  Knox set his own plate on the table and sat down. “Maybe.”

  “Hesitations?”

  “You’re going to think I’m a diva.” He smiled sheepishly. “And maybe I am, but I… Tom’s reputation is so international and…”

  “Ah. You think his name would overshadow you.”

  Knox grimaced. “It’s just… I want to show my dad that I achieved something, other than glory for myself through my art, you know? If I took Tom’s money, I would feel as if I failed, on a weird level, you know?”

  Anouk nodded slowly. “I get it. I do. Never mind.”

  Knox reached over and took her hand. “Don’t think I’m not grateful, because I am. Truly. Maybe when the center is up and running, we could do a collaboration and add a wing or something. Name it after Tom.”

  She smiled at him. “That’s a nice idea.”

  But she had been a little disappointed. She had liked the idea of Tom’s money helping new artists, but after a couple of days, she had another idea which she thought might be good. She emailed Sam Granger with the proposal, and sat back, nodding to herself.

  “Hey, Nook.”

  She looked up to see Ruby shaking snow from her coat. “Rubes, what are you doing here? It’s vile out there.”

  Ruby grinned. She was in her late teens now, a college student, obsessed with art. She was tall, slender, her dark hair always pulled up into a messy bun, and she had a punky dress sense which Anouk loved, and wished she had the courage to wear. “When you’re here, boss, I’m here.”

  Anouk smiled at her. Over the past few months, Ruby had become almost like a little sister to her, and her work ethic, despite the fact that she earned a relatively low wage, was second to none. “Rube,” Anouk said now, “how about we start the new year off right and make you an official assistant? Dahlia’s obviously the supervisor, but she and I both agree that you’re the best intern we’ve ever had.”

  Ruby flushed with pleasure. “That’s cool, Nook, but I have school…”

  “And we’ll work around that, if you like. I’d want you to get your degree, obviously. In fact, why not let the gallery fund it?”

  Ruby’s eyes bugged at her. “What?”

  “The Thomas Granger Scholarship for the Arts. You’d be the first recipient.” Anouk grinned. “I should probably say that I’ve had the idea for a couple of days now, and this morning, I emailed Sam Granger, asking what he thou
ght. Also, I might be jumping the gun, but I can’t see how he would say no.”

  Ruby sat down in the chair opposite her. “Nook, have you really thought this through? What would the others say?”

  “I’d have to consult with them, of course, but they know Tom was all about helping up-and-coming artists. Why not his own staff?”

  Ruby still looked uncertain, but Anouk could see a spark of excitement in her eyes, too. “You know I’d work even harder for it.”

  “I know you would. Listen, I haven’t nailed down all the details on how it would work, or whether the tax people would have to get involved. I’m just saying, if we can make it work, I nominate you.”

  Ruby looked as if she might cry. “You’re the best, you know?”

  “Right back at you, kiddo.”

  The gallery had a couple of brave visitors during the day, but as twilight began to fall, Anouk sent Ruby home, and began to close up the place for the night. Knox had messaged her telling her he would come pick her up. Her feminist spidey-senses rankled a little, but not much, and so she waited around for him.

  She spent the time looking at his work in the gloom of the gallery. Even with the lights off, his art was spectacular. Anouk felt nothing but love and pride for Knox Zapata. The man was a genius.

  “Anouk.”

  She froze, then turned slowly, a scream building in her throat. Shawn stood behind her. He held up his hands when he saw her expression. “I’m just here to talk. In fact, all I wanted was to ask you if you would kindly spare me some time to talk. Anywhere, anytime, anyplace. In public. Your… friend can even sit at another table if you don’t feel safe.”

  She didn’t feel safe right now, and her eyes flicked around the room, noting all the exits, all the ways she could get away from him. Her flesh was prickling with tension. “I have nothing to say to you, Shawn.”

  “Please, Nook. I just want closure.”

  “What’s going on?”

  A jolt of adrenaline flooded Anouk’s system. Knox’s face was like stone as he stared at Shawn. Shawn plastered on a smile and offered Knox his hand. “Shawn Simon.”

  Knox ignored the out-stretched hand. Without breaking his stare, he spoke to Anouk. “Want me to call the cops, baby?”

  Anouk shook her head. “No. Shawn was just leaving.”

  Shawn reached into his jacket, and for one terrible moment, Anouk thought he might have a gun. But instead, he handed a card to Knox. Knox took it. “I just want an hour to talk to you, to finally set the record straight. What we had, Nook… it’s my fault, I know it, but what we had was special. I just need to gain closure.”

  “Shouldn’t you be in London, looking for the mother of your children?” She hadn’t meant to sound so harsh, but the fact that he was so obsessed with talking to her, after his children were killed, made her incensed with rage. What was wrong with this man?

  Shawn’s expression flashed with anger. “I don’t care where that bitch is. She murdered my children because I wouldn’t let you go. I cannot forgive that.”

  Anouk could feel the tension rolling off of Knox. “She doesn’t want to talk to you, or see you. Anouk has made that clear, Simon—”

  “—she was my wife.” Shawn interrupted Knox, but his voice was soft. He looked at him now, meeting his eyes. “Wouldn’t it break your heart to let her go?”

  “You need to leave. Now.” Knox’s voice was like ice, and Anouk was afraid he would go for Shawn.

  “Shawn. Go. I’ll think about what you said.”

  “That’s all I ask.” Shawn smiled at her, his eyes soft. He shot an irritated glance at Knox and turned to leave. He hesitated at the door. “Please, Nook. An hour is all I ask. For five years.”

  “Get. Out.” Knox growled at him, and Shawn held up his hands and left, closing the door quietly behind him.

  Knox came to Anouk immediately. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “I’m fine. Shall we go home?”

  “Hell, yes.”

  “I’ll just go grab my bag.” When she came back down, she noticed the card Shawn had given Knox, crumpled in the trash can. Shooting a glance at Knox, who had his back turned, she quickly fished the card out of the can and shoved it into her pocket. Anouk didn’t stop to ask herself why she held onto it. There was just a nagging feeling she should.

  Three days later, the snowstorm let up and the day dawned sunny, although still freezing cold. Feeling stir crazy, Knox and Anouk drove out to see his father. Gregory greeted them with pleasure, but Knox couldn’t help notice his father looked exhausted. “What is it, Dad?”

  “We were at the emergency room all night with Flynn. Now, don’t look at me like that, she didn’t want to worry you. She just had a bad reaction to her medication.”

  “Where is she now?”

  “Sleeping upstairs. It wasn’t a big deal, at least that’s what the doctors told us.”

  Gregory ushered them into the living room. Knox looked around, his heart sinking. His father had always been a man who liked order, everything in its place, tidy and organized. This room, even though it was the family room, where they had always watched television together, or played board games, had never been what a kid might call ‘homey.’

  But now, there were stacks of magazine and papers strewn across the coffee table, and books with their spines bent on the arms of chairs. A collection of dusty coffee cups littered every spare space. Knox caught his father’s eyes, and Gregory grinned slightly. “I’m just less uptight than I used to be.”

  Knox relaxed a little. That, he could deal with. Anouk squeezed his hand. “Shall I go check on Flynn?” She said quietly, knowing Knox wanted to talk to his father in private, and he nodded.

  Gregory smiled at her. “She’d love to see you, Nook.”

  “I won’t wake her. I’ll just sit with her for a while.” Anouk kissed Knox’s cheek and disappeared, shooting him a concerned glance as she left the room.

  Gregory nodded to a chair, and Knox sat. “She’s a lovely girl, that one,” Gregory nodded. “Reminds me of… well, never mind.”

  “Lily,” Knox said with a sigh, “she reminds you of Lily.” He rubbed his hands over his eyes.

  It was true. Anouk and his long-deceased love Lily were so alike it frightened him. Even down to the way their hair fell down their backs, the soft, warm eyes, and the sweet smile.

  The feeling that something terrible might happen to them, as if they were predestined to die young. He still remembered that terrible day in high school…

  He had been sitting with Lily in the school library. Lily was reading, trying to cram for a final she needed to pass to preserve her perfect 4.0, and Knox, who hated every class except art, was idly twirling a lock of her silky dark hair around his finger.

  “You are distracting me, Zapata.” Lily shot him a half-annoyed, half-fond look, and he grinned back, unrepentantly.

  “Suck it up.”

  “Eww.”

  He snorted. “You have a dirty mind.”

  Lily wiggled her eyebrows at him just as they heard the first bang. “What the fuck was that?” Eric, one of their friends, looked up from his book and stared at them.

  Knox shook his head, opened his mouth to answer, then they heard it. The unmistakable sound of gunfire.

  “Oh, please, god, no…” Lily’s voice was soft. Knox stood, pulling her with him.

  “Everyone get to the stockroom, and keep the fuck quiet.”

  There were about fifteen students with him, and Knox and Lily made sure everyone was in before they went in themselves. The gunfire was getting closer. A couple of the students whimpered in terror, but Knox hushed them.

  They listened as they heard someone moving around in the library. Outside the building, they could hear screaming and the sound of sirens. If they could just keep quiet.

  “Lily Armitage?”

  Knox froze and Lily stiffened. “Lily? Your book is out here. I know you’re here somewhere
. Come on out.”

  “It’s Griffin.” Lily hissed. “We have poly sci together. He won’t hurt me, we’re friends. Maybe I can get him to stop.”

  “No, Lily, no…”

  “Lily?” The voice was right outside the door now. A girl stifled a scream in the back of the stockroom. “Lily, come on. Don’t make me shoot through this door. I just want to talk to you.”

  Lily nodded at Knox, who shook his head, but she made the others move further back in the room. Knox grabbed her arm as she opened the door a crack, but she pulled away.

  “Griffin?”

  She slipped out and closed the door behind her, and Knox was frozen. He listened to his love talking to the boy. “Griff? What happened? What’s going on?”

  “Lily, you’ve been so good to me. You’ve been a real friend.”

  “I am your friend, Griff. Griff, why don’t you put the gun down and we can talk.”

  “I can’t, Lily. I just wanted to see you one last time before I… it’s such a shitty world, Lily. You’re too good for it. Just too good for it.”

  “Griffin—” There was a shot, just one, and Knox burst out of the room just as Griffin put the gun in his own mouth and fired. Knox, half-crazed with terror, looked around to see Lily staring in shock at the scene. For a moment, he thought she was okay. Then, as red began to bloom across the white t-shirt she wore, she raised her hand to her stomach in confusion, looking at the blood on her fingers. “Knox?”

  He caught her as her legs gave way, and they both crumpled to the floor. Blood was gushing from the bullet hole in her belly, and she spasmed a couple of times, her breath hitching and catching as she struggled to live. Knox was begging her. Begging her to live, pressing down on the wound, trying to keep her blood inside her body, but he knew it was too late. As the police burst into the room, Lily shivered, sighed and went limp in Knox’s arms, as he screamed in absolute grief…