A Beautiful Danger (Beautiful #7)

by Lilliana Anderson

  A Beautiful Danger

  Beautiful Series, 7

  by Lilliana Anderson

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright 2017, Lilliana Anderson

  All rights reserved

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means without the prior written permission of the author of this book.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental. Any actual places, products or events mentioned are used in a purely fictitious manner. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various places/products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission and is by no way sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Edited by Hot Tree Editing

  Cover by Ember Designs

  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  SYNOPSIS

  BEAUTIFUL SERIES READING ORDER

  DEDICATION

  FOREWORD

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  23

  24

  25

  26

  27

  28

  29

  30

  31

  32

  33

  34

  35

  36

  EPILOGUE

  Books by Lilliana Anderson

  About the Author

  SYNOPSIS

  Bad boys. They’ve been Ruby Garvan’s weakness since she started dating. But, when one of them took the ‘bad’ in the ‘boy’ too far, her bones broke... along with her spirit.

  She swore she’d never go down that road again. Her next boyfriend would be a ‘nice guy’—a man with integrity, goals and a heart of gold.

  Armed with a stack of inspirational quotes and a list of traits her new man must have, Ruby goes in search of her happily ever after.

  She’s convinced she’s found it with her self-defence instructor—a kind hearted man named Joel, who cares for her deeply. But when Flynn Trotsky literally slams into her life with the force of a steam train, he quickly derails her plans with his unwavering interest and refusal to take no for an answer.

  After a drunken night of far too much honesty, the two strike a deal—two weeks for Flynn to show Ruby that he’s not the bad boy she thinks he is. If he can’t convince her, he’ll go away for good this time.

  Ruby doesn’t think he stands a chance against her resolve to turn her life around, and agrees to get the pesky dare-devil out of her way and hopefully out of her mind.

  But, when your friends are all on his side, the chemistry just might be too palpable for even the most stubborn red-head to ignore....

  Standalone New Adult Romance featuring mature scenes.

  BEAUTIFUL SERIES READING ORDER

  A series of Standalones and companion novellas (The Beauty in Between). Each story is complete and can be read on its own.

  Although, for readers wanting to follow the series from the beginning, it can be read in the following order -

  Too Close – The Beauty in Between

  A Beautiful Struggle

  Phoenix – The Beauty in Between

  A Beautiful Forever

  Commitment – The Beauty in Between

  A Beautiful Melody

  A Beautiful Rock

  Devotion – The Beauty in Between

  A Beautiful Star

  A Beautiful Taste

  A Beautiful Danger

  DEDICATION

  To my readers. Thank you for your patience.

  FOREWORD

  IT’S BEEN a while since a Beautiful Series book has released into the world. I’ve had some time off while we welcomed our fifth child into the family, and it took a while for me to find the time to get lost in my own Lilli-verse again (a reader once called the world I create the ‘Lilli-verse’ because of how my characters intersect between series. I loved the term so much that it’s stuck). But, once I started writing, I couldn’t stop.

  Being in the Beautiful Series is like going back home and visiting with your very best friends whom you don’t get to see often enough. I love it. So there’s little chance of this series wrapping up any time soon. As long as you keep reading, I’ll keep adding new couples—make sure you get your friends hooked on the Beautiful series as well so it never has to end.

  We first met Ruby in A Beautiful Taste when she was involved with a particularly shady character named Tony. She was the stand-out character for me, so it was a no-brainer that the next Beautiful Series book would be all about the road to her happily ever after.

  A Beautiful Danger has been a pleasure to write. There are two new heroes for you to get to know—Flynn Trotsky and Joel Mayer. One is safe, and one is everything Ruby is trying to avoid. They are so dreamy. And to make things even better, we’re revisiting Coral and Shane from A Beautiful Forever as well as a handful of the rest of the Beautiful gang. If you’re a long running fan of the series you’ll get a kick out of seeing your old favourites, and if you’re new to the series you’ll fall in love with Flynn and Joel and wonder how you ever lived without them.

  Lilliana xoxox

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  AS ALWAYS, there are people to be thanked! Many sets of eyes go in to the creation of each of my books, and I am very grateful to every person who takes time out of their lives to help create them.

  Thank you to my beta readers—Julie Chippindale and Cyndi Hart Duplessis for giving me such wonderful and enthusiastic feedback.

  Thank you to Kristin of Hot Tree Editing for doing a fabulous job working through my final draft.

  Tammie, as always, you are the biggest champion of my work, and I love you for it.

  Mary, Annie & Helena—thank you for sharing my teasers and book related posts. Your support means the world.

  Thank you to all the bloggers who shared my cover reveal or release blitz.

  Thank you to all the reviewers who signed up to receive ARCs.

  Thank you to my author friends, namely Cj Duggan, T Gephart, MR Field and Lauren McKellar, for always championing my work. I think I would go insane without you all.

  To the Aussie NA girls—you rock!

  To the ladies in my reader group, thank you for always being there—this book is for you.

  A big thank you to my family for eating the crappy meals I provide when I’m on a deadline and finding it funny. You are my sun and my moon!

  Thank you to my street team. We are tiny. But we make a difference.

  I’d also like to thank the wonderful team at Apple and Smashwords, who set up all of my preorders and trust me to upload my books on time – I truly appreciate your support!

  And of course – thank you to all of my readers. Without you, I would be writing to the crickets.

  Mwah! xoxox

  “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”

  -Buddha

  1

  “WHERE THE HELL are my keys?” I grumble to myself as I shift mail from side to side and look underneath magazines on the coffee table. I take a step back and knock over a surfboard that’s leaning against the couch.


  “Shane.” The name grinds out of my throat, forcing its way between my teeth. I kick a pair of thongs out of my way and pick up the surfboard, propping it against the wall.

  Shane doesn’t even live here. He’s my roommate, Coral’s, boyfriend, and his stuff is everywhere. It's driving me nuts.

  My Chatswood apartment has two bedrooms, one bathroom, and an open kitchen and living area. There isn't enough space for unconfined mess. There isn’t enough space for me and Shane to exist together. Coral, she’s fine. I can totally live with her. Her boyfriend is a whole other story.

  Lifting a discarded T-shirt, I find my keys underneath it on the floor. I know I didn’t put them there. I put them on the hook by the door like I always do. But Shane just grabs whatever set he wants when he goes out for his morning surf. He has no communal living etiquette.

  I’m going insane.

  He needs to get his shit out of here.

  At the very least, he needs to start paying rent.

  Stepping out into the mid-morning sunshine, I pull the door shut behind me and take a deep breath to calm down.

  I just need a little space.

  Once upon a time, I lived alone. I liked living alone—loved it, actually. I was happy and in control of my living quarters. But some nasty shit went down and I got scared of being by myself. Then I advertised for a roommate and that’s when Coral came into my life.

  She’s a beautiful person. I think a lot of people would call her a doormat because she’s still with Shane despite his obvious commitment issues, but I only know her as strong. She’s been my rock through some of the hardest times of my life, and I really don’t know what I’d do without her.

  It was only supposed to be three months at first. I thought that would be enough for me to get my confidence back. Coral was here from London on a short visa. She said she wanted to give things between Shane and her a go once and for all. They’d been dancing around this thing called love for years and existing on and off via long distance. This was the final chance, so she wanted to spend three uninterrupted months with him before deciding if she was going to move on with her life.

  It didn’t quite work out that way. At the end of the first three months, he hadn’t fully committed to a life together, so she extended it. Then she extended again.

  It’s been over a year now, and he still comes and goes as he pleases. But she loves him, that much I’m sure of. I’m just not so sure of his feelings toward her.

  I think I might hate him.

  I think we might need to rent a bigger place.

  On the bus ride on my way to work, I scroll through lists of rental properties in the area, but there aren’t really a lot we can afford that have the space we need.

  Tapping my Opal card at my stop, I thank the bus driver. He’s not the usual one who drives this route. When he looks at me, he does a double take when he sees my bright red hair; the box calls it ‘Intense Red’. It shines so bright in the sunlight that it looks like fire. I find his reaction odd when rainbow colours are the current fashion. I smile broadly and step off the bus, flicking my hair over my shoulder so it catches the light.

  He looks unimpressed as he scowls and pushes the lever in front of him. The bus door hisses and does a jarring slide to close.

  I give him an exaggerated wave as he drives off, then look back down at my phone and start my walk along River Avenue to get to the kayaking club where I work.

  I’m currently working as a floor manager in a busy restaurant that is situated inside the club. It’s called ‘Rae’. There, celebrity chef Bradley Rae sets the menu and cooks up a storm almost every night of the week. I haven’t worked there long. It’s quite a sidestep from my job at Sydney’s most popular restaurant, Quay, but I’m glad I made the change. I don’t have any great aspirations of a lucrative career in hospitality, and Rae has a great clientele with a laid-back atmosphere. Plus, the pay is pretty much the same as Quay, so a little less stress in my life is a good thing.

  Around me, people walk their dogs and some teens are skateboarding off to my right. An old couple sits on their front porch, drinking tea out of china cups. The woman has whiskers and deep lines in her sagging cheeks while the man seems to be absent of all hair except for his overly bushy eyebrows.

  Even though I’m still scrolling through my phone, looking at rental ads, I notice all of this. It’s rare for me to stop paying attention to my surroundings. I’m always listening—always on edge.

  A few things happened in my life that have made me super-alert. I’ve tried not to let those events change me or the way I behave and view the world, but I can’t help it. Sentences end. People point fingers. Revenge is sought.

  Inside me lives the seed of fear. I’m afraid of not seeing the danger before it comes.

  I’m afraid of answering my front door.

  It’s another reason I took this job in Lane Cove. After all that shit happened, I really needed a change of pace. So, when Brad invited me to work at his new restaurant, I was more than happy to join him. We’d worked together at Quay, so there was a mutual trust that extended to our personal lives. Brad was the help I needed when everything went bad. He was the big brother who made me feel safe when I thought I had nowhere to go. I think I’d follow him to work at a street cart if he asked me to.

  With the sun heating my skin, I breathe in the fresh autumn air. I’m in Lane Cove National Park. To my left is a nature reserve slotted between two houses. It looks like Mother Nature built a playground, as vines have wrapped their way around a fallen tree and made a cubby house of sorts. Sometimes when I pass here, there are kids in there giggling. Sometimes there are teens inside smoking pot.

  Today there isn’t anyone there, and instead of the scent of smoky herbs, all I can smell is the damp earth and the perfume of blossoming trees. It’s all accompanied by the dulcet tones of magpies singing overhead.

  I shift my gaze to the gumtrees that tower above me, trying to spot the black and white birds. It’s the magpies’ mating season. If I go too close to a tree they’re nesting in, I’ll get swooped. Those beady-eyed buggers sing a sweet melody, but they have sharp beaks that peck at your head if you’re not on the lookout.

  I have my ears on my surroundings and my eyes in the trees. I’m so busy trying not to get swooped that I don't hear him coming. I don't even know where he came from. I hear nothing. Then slam! A solid wall of man collides with me head-on.

  It rattles me. I should’ve noticed someone was nearby.

  My phone flies from my hand.

  Obscenities fly from my mouth.

  We both go down.

  The back of my head hits the concrete.

  “Shit. Are you OK?” A deep voice rumbles as two dark pools of liquid chocolate look down at me. They’re wide with surprise, edged with concern. I’m sure my green eyes are wide with shock, edged with fear.

  I open my mouth to speak, but he’s heavy and he’s lying on top of me. “Crushing. Me,” I force out.

  Apologising, he pushes himself up and lands on his feet with the ease and grace of a gazelle, his hand out to me.

  “Are you OK?” he repeats, pulling me to stand.

  Shaking off his hand, I scowl and look around for my missing phone. “Why didn’t you watch where you were going?”

  Spotting what I’m after, he moves quickly to pick it up while I dust myself off, checking my elbows for scrapes, finding them embedded with gravel.

  “I’m sorry. I really am. I was looking over my shoulder.” His eyes dart past my shoulder as he holds my phone out to me. Is he running from something? “I hope the screen was already cracked?” There’s a sheepish pull at the corner of his mouth. Under any other circumstance, I’d think he was cute—hot, even. But I'm too pissed for his looks to register.

  Snatching the phone from his hand, I groan at the sight of the shattered glass. “Nooo.”

  “I take it that was a new phone?”

  “Yes!”

  He takes it from my hand and
inspects it.

  “Oh fuck.”

  “I know. And it's not insured. It's—”

  “Ahhh, miss?”

  I spin around to the sound of a new voice and find myself face-to-face with a police officer on a bicycle.

  How the hell do people keep sneaking up on me today?

  “Have you seen a man in his early to mid-twenties, black hair, about this tall—” he holds his hand up to about six foot “—wearing a dark grey shirt, black basketball shorts and running shoes? He might have been leaping off rocks and swinging out of trees.”

  He just described Tarzan. But by the clothing description, he’s after the guy who ran into me.

  He’s a criminal?

  My heart stops beating as I look around. He seems to have vanished into thin air.

  “Well, um... he was here.”

  Of course he’s a criminal. I’m like a beacon to bad boys everywhere. This time it seems that I quite literally attracted one to me. Even when I want to put my bad-boy fetish behind me, the dangerous ones seem to find me in a crowd. “He, um....”

  “Did you see him?”

  “I think so.” I continue to look around. Where the hell did he go?

  “Can you tell me where he went?”

  I shake my head, feeling completely daft. “He came from over there.” I point in the direction I was walking. “I don’t know where he went,” I say honestly, only then realising that he still has my phone. “Oh God.”

  The officer takes my groan as disappointment that I’m unable to help. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, miss. We’ll find him.”

  He cycles off, leaving me standing next to the reserve alone. I watch after him, a little rattled over the whole situation and pissed as hell that I no longer have my phone.

  “Fuck that guy,” I grumble.

  Then a magpie swoops at my head.

  Fuck my life.

  2

  “I DON’T THINK you’ll need stitches.” Brad’s wife, Dakota—Cody for short—dabs at the cut on my head where the magpie got me. Her brown eyes inspect my wound closely.