Dangerous Lies: Sawyer and Amethyst (An Emerald Falls Romance, Book Two)
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Dangerous Lies: Sawyer and Amethyst
An Emerald Falls Romance, Book Two
Christine Kersey
Contents
Note to Readers
Book Description
Books by Christine Kersey
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Epilogue
Chance Encounter Chapter 1
Chance Encounter Chapter 2
Books by Christine Kersey
About the Author
Note to Readers
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The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Dangerous Lies: Sawyer and Amethyst (An Emerald Falls Romance, Book Two)
Copyright © 2016 by Christine Kersey
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
eBook Edition, License Notes
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Book Description
Amethyst Fox is perfectly happy helping her friends find love while she runs her jewelry-making business. Then a handsome stranger moves in next door. Wanting him to feel welcome in Emerald Falls, she attempts to befriend him. But when he is less than friendly, she becomes more determined to get to know him.
Sawyer Cooke is in hiding. Wanting to remain as anonymous as possible, when his gorgeous red-headed neighbor stops by with a plate of cookies and a welcoming smile, it takes all of his will-power to turn her away. When she doesn’t give up, he finds he enjoys her company much more than is safe. To keep his secret from being discovered—and to keep his enemies from finding him—he’s forced to lie to Amethyst about all aspects of his life.
Will a relationship built on lies destroy them both, or keep them safe from those who would do them harm?
BONUS: Includes the first two chapters of Chance Encounter: Gage and Melanie (An Emerald Falls Romance, Book Three).
Books by Christine Kersey
Park City Firefighter Romance
Rescue My Heart
Hearts On Fire
Emerald Falls Romance Series
Crushing On You: Travis and Gabriella (An Emerald Falls Romance, Book One)
Dangerous Lies: Sawyer and Amethyst (An Emerald Falls Romance, Book Two)
Chance Encounter: Gage and Melanie (An Emerald Falls Romance, Book Three)
Searching for Love
Falling for You (Searching for Love, Book One)
Finding Reese (Searching for Love, Book Two)
Surrender My Heart (Searching for Love, Book Three)
Bring Me Home (Searching for Love, Book Four)
Lily’s Story
He Loves Me Not (Lily’s Story, Book 1)
Don’t Look Back (Lily’s Story, Book 2)
Love At Last (Lily’s Story, Book 3)
Life Imperfect (Lily’s Story, Book 4)
Parallel Trilogy
Gone (Parallel Trilogy, Book 1)
Imprisoned (Parallel Trilogy, Book 2)
Hunted (Parallel Trilogy, Book 3)
After (a parallel story)
The Other Morgan (a parallel story)
Over You Series
Over You
Second Chances (sequel to Over You)
Witness Series
Witness (Witness, Book 1)
Retribution (Witness, Book 2)
Standalone Books
Suspicions
No Way Out
Box Sets
Parallel Trilogy
Lily’s Story
Searching for Love bundle
Acknowledgments
I have the best beta readers in the world! They’re always willing to read my latest book at a moment’s notice and they do it quickly. Thank you!
Abigail W.
Amy Chris
Angela Macias Dial
Corinn Kendall
Jennifer Dhillon
Jess Landram
Kathy Labossiere
Kris Bird
Lisa Wilkerson
Robyn Maitland
Tiffini LeJeune
Chapter 1
“Perfect,” Amethyst Fox murmured as she threaded the final moonstone onto the bar necklace. Leaning back in her chair, she let her gaze wander her studio—her favorite space in her house. Soft turquoise paint accented one wall, shelves with drawers and pouches containing all of her jewelry-making supplies adorned another, and a sparkly chandelier hung over it all.
Pleased with her work that morning, Amethyst smiled. Though she still had a number of custom orders to complete—orders that had been commissioned online—plus over two dozen standard pieces that she’d promised the boutique in town, she wasn’t about to complain. Knowing she was fortunate to do what she loved for a living, she was glad to be busy.
If only she had a busy love life.
With a wry smile, she shook her head. Before her love life could become busy, she needed to find someone she wanted to date. Like Gabby had.
Picturing her good friend Gabriella Peters, who was now happily dating Travis Haywood, Amethyst’s smile grew. Pleased that she’d played a part—however small—in getting Gabby and Travis together, Amethyst consoled herself with the knowledge that people she cared for were now walking down the path to true love.
You just need to live your life the best that you can. Don’t worry about finding true love. That will work itself out.
The words she’d heard her mother speak more than once echoed in her head, and she wished she could call her mother and talk to her. But her mother had passed away two years earlier.
Softly sighing, Amethyst decided to take a break and water the flowers in her front yard. A few minutes later, as she turned on the hose and began watering the colorful flowers that lined the front of her house, her gaze went to the house next door—the house that had stood vacant for the last few months. Now, however, there was a dark blue BMW parked in the driveway.
Amethyst knew that the former owner—an older woman—had passed away s
everal months before. Since then, she’d briefly met the woman’s son who had inherited the house.
Was he back? Or maybe it was a realtor getting ready to list the place.
Keeping one eye on her flowers, Amethyst waited to see if the owner of the car would make an appearance. Curious to know what was going on, she finished watering the flowers and began pulling the few weeds that had grown since she’d last tended the flower bed. Still, no one came out of the neighboring house.
With a smile of irony that she wanted an excuse to stay outside but for once had nothing left to accomplish, Amethyst stood and brushed off her jeans. At that moment, she heard the creak of a door opening. Turning her gaze to the neighboring house, she watched as a man with dark hair and the beginnings of a beard walked out the front door, locking it behind him. Lifting her hand to shade her eyes, she called, “Hello.”
The man’s head jerked in her direction as if she’d startled him.
Despite the distance, she guessed he was about her age, maybe a little older. Pretty hot too. Was he a realtor? Then again, she didn’t think she had seen him around town.
He slid a pair of dark sunglasses over his eyes before he nodded in her direction, then he walked toward the car, climbed in, and drove away.
A little put off by the man’s lack of friendliness, she lifted her eyebrows in disapproval before going back to her studio to continue working.
Sawyer Cooke couldn’t help it. As he drove, his gaze shot to every car with a driver.
What if they had found him? They would kill him. No question.
Trying not to dwell on the situation he was in, he continued driving. The house his friend Paul was letting him stay in suited him fine, but he needed to get a few supplies. He’d left home in such a hurry that all he had were the items he’d been able to throw into a suitcase, plus his laptop. And though Paul’s house was furnished with his late mother’s belongings, there was no food in the place.
As he drove to the large town nearest Emerald Falls to buy what he needed, he pictured the woman who apparently lived next door to his new home. From where he’d stood on his front porch, her red hair had been unmistakable and her smile had been open and inviting.
That was an invitation he would just have to pass up. Getting to know the neighbors would only lead to trouble.
Sawyer frowned.
It was too bad. She was attractive. But it didn’t matter anyway. She was probably married or had a boyfriend.
His frown deepened.
Plus, the more people he meet in this little town, the more danger he might be putting himself in.
Pushing aside thoughts of the woman who’d greeted him, Sawyer focused on his errand.
Chapter 2
“Was this puppy your idea or Travis’s?” Amethyst asked Gabby as she sat in Gabby’s living room that afternoon and watched the yellow lab frolic on the rug.
Gabby laughed. “It was Travis’s idea, but it didn’t take a lot of convincing. After Buttercup’s owner—” She smiled. “I mean, Daisy’s owner, claimed her, I realized I wanted a dog.”
Amethyst thought about the yellow lab Gabby had recently fostered, a dog who’d been hit by a car and brought in to the clinic where Travis worked as a veterinarian. Once the dog had been ready to leave the clinic, and with the owner being unknown, Gabby had offered to foster her. She’d initially named her Buttercup, but when the owner had been located, it had turned out her name was Daisy.
Amethyst’s eyebrows rose as she looked around for Gabby’s gray tabby. “What does Sadie think about this new family member?”
“She’s not too sure, but I think she’s adjusting.”
“That’s good.” She paused a beat. “So things are going well for you and Travis?”
Gabby’s smile grew. “Yes. We’ve been getting together several nights a week.” Her smile dimmed. “I can’t believe I almost gave up on him.”
“The important thing is, you didn’t. And now look at you.”
Her smile brightened. “I know.” Then her eyebrows pulled together. “What about you?”
Amethyst didn’t want to get into her lackluster love life. “Business has been awesome. I’m busier than ever.”
Gabby laughed. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
With a smirk, Amethyst shook her head. “My focus is on growing my business.” Then the words she’d earlier recalled from her mother filled her mind. “I’m sure my love life will take care of itself.”
“I’m the last person to give advice, but I just want to see you happy.”
“That’s because you’re so happy, Gabs. And I’m happy for you.” Even as she thought it, Amethyst wished for her own happily ever after.
“Thanks.”
“I think we’re due for another girls’ night out,” Amethyst said.
“I’d love that.”
“I’ll see when Chloe and Ashleigh can get together and I’ll let you know.”
“Perfect.”
They talked about other things, and when Amethyst got home later that evening, she saw the BMW in the neighbor’s driveway again.
That was interesting. Maybe the owner rented the house. That would make sense since he was never there. Kind of a waste to let the house sit empty.
Curious, she decided in the next day or two she would bring over a batch of freshly baked cookies to welcome her new neighbor.
The next day Amethyst spent the morning working on her custom jewelry orders, but when she stopped to take a break, she went into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. Standing in front of the kitchen window, which looked out over her small backyard, she sipped the cool liquid. After only a moment, movement in the new neighbor’s backyard caught her eye.
Craning her neck, she peered out the window and tried to see past the fence that separated her yard from the neighbor’s. The fence was six feet high, but even so, she was able to see something happening on the far side of the neighbor’s yard. She focused on the space between the slats. It looked like her neighbor was digging.
What would he be planting at that time of year? It was mid-October. Then again, they were in California. The temperature in the Central valley wouldn’t drop for a few more weeks.
Still, she found it odd.
Lifting her shoulders in a shrug, she finished her drink, then went back to work.
She would make those cookies later that afternoon. Then she would have an excuse to go next door.
When the doorbell rang that afternoon, Sawyer’s heart began to pound and his first instinct was to run.
He had to chill out. If it was them, they wouldn’t bother ringing the doorbell.
Drawing in a deep breath, Sawyer took a moment to gather himself before going to the door. He looked through the peephole, and when he saw the woman from the house next door, his shoulders slumped in relief. A moment later he pulled the door open.
“Hello,” the woman said with a friendly smile.
Her red hair was even more beautiful when he saw it close up, but her hair was only the beginning. Emerald-green eyes sparkled under thick lashes, and when she smiled, Sawyer was immediately captivated.
Careful, Sawyer. Remember, you’re not here to get to know anyone.
He pushed a smile onto his mouth. “Hi.” Though he found her stunning, there was no question that he had to keep his distance. Not only did he not want to put anyone else in danger, but if he let people get to know him, that would only increase the chances of him being found by the wrong people. That was a risk he was not willing to take.
“I’m Amethyst,” she said. Then she gestured toward her house. “I live next door.”
Not wanting her to think he was the kind of neighbor she could befriend—although in other circumstances he’d want to do more than befriend her—Sawyer decided to keep his answers brief. With a nod, he said, “I’m Justin.” At least that’s what he was going to tell people.
“It’s nice to meet you, Justin.”
It sounded strange
to hear her call him that, but he would get used to it in time. He had to.
Amethyst held out the plate of cookies. “Just a little ‘welcome to the neighborhood’ treat.” She waited for Justin to take the cookies she’d just baked, then took a moment to study his face. Strong jaw, nice nose, broad shoulders. Yes, very good-looking. Even more, there was something in his light gray eyes that grabbed her attention.
What was his story?
“Thanks,” he said as he took the plate from her outstretched hand.
“I guess you’re new to Emerald Falls,” she said in an attempt to start a conversation. “Where are you from?”
Amethyst saw panic slide over his face, but when he smiled a split-second later, she decided it must have been her imagination.
“I’m kind of in the middle of something,” he said, then he stepped back and placed his hand on the back of the door. “Thanks for the cookies.”
When he closed the door in her face, Amethyst was shocked. “You’re welcome,” she murmured. A moment later she turned and walked back to her house as a mixture of irritation and curiosity swept over her.