Beautiful Ruin (The Enemies Trilogy Book 3)

by Piper Lawson

  My chest tightens. “The way you wanted to play La Mer… That’s how I want you. The way you felt on that stage… That’s how I feel when I’m with you. You make me glad I’m alive, like there’s some purpose outside of me. I don’t want to live in a world where I don’t get to feel that.”

  Her head lifts, and her dark gaze searches mine. I can’t dare to name the emotions there for fear I’m wrong.

  “I love you too.” She holds out a hand, and my heart kicks.

  I grab her hand before she can think twice and press my lips to her palm. The feel of her, warm and real and here, soothes the ache in my gut.

  That’s not enough, so I cup her face and tug her toward me. When I crush her lips under mine, she meets me.

  “Raegan,” I murmur against her skin, unwilling to pull back. “I want to be with you. Tell me you want that, too.”

  Her phone rings and she yanks it out of her pocket. I want to hurl the thing across the room, but she looks torn. “I have to take this.”

  She’s out of the room before I can respond.

  RAE

  Ash claims the back seat when Harrison drives us to brunch. It’s our first time without security in weeks. Harrison’s hand rests on my thigh, his fingers brushing the skin exposed by my shorts.

  The phone call I took an hour ago echoes in my head. I feel better than I did this morning, but the events of last night still weigh on me. My cheek hurts, and I resist the urge to brush it.

  The way you felt on that stage… That’s how I feel when I’m with you.

  Harrison’s words meant everything. I love him with parts of me I didn’t know could love.

  There’s no chance of going halfway with Harrison King—not emotionally, anyway.

  Since last night, my social media’s blown up. But I don’t know how to tell Harrison about the phone call I got earlier.

  Harrison finds parking, and we get out at the port. The restaurant is open air, with jaunty blue-and-white-striped umbrellas mimicking the sea. Our friends are already at a table, and my chest expands.

  The last time I went through hell, I was alone.

  I’m not anymore.

  “Good morning, superstar.” Annie passes the baby to Tyler so she can rise and hug me. “Or should I say afternoon?”

  “Late night,” I say as Harrison pulls out my chair and claims one on the other side.

  “About that…” Tyler starts, and I stiffen. I don’t want to rehash it again.

  Beck leans in. “Yeah. Let’s hear it.” He looks around the table. “How’d the set feel?”

  The knot in my chest loosens. “Amazing. I have a dozen messages from my publicist I haven’t returned with requests for interviews, even a documentary.”

  “That’s so great!” Annie gushes, and even Elle bobs her head.

  Beck snorts. “And you didn’t want to be on my TV show.”

  “I didn’t say yes to the documentary.” I sneak a look at Harrison.

  Because there might be something bigger.

  The waitress comes to get our drink order.

  “What’s next for everyone?” Elle asks, looking around the circle of us. “We brought down Harrison’s nemesis, right?”

  Tyler nods. “Paid you back for saving my life.”

  “You never told me what happened,” Annie prods.

  Harrison and Tyler exchange a look before Tyler says, “I was driving in London. Wrong side of the road. I got messed up and drove into a fountain.”

  “You’re joking. I pictured it as something crazy or sexy or dramatic,” Annie says.

  “It was dramatic,” Harrison weighs in. “The man drove into a stone angel. Water was spurting from her navel.”

  Tyler winces. “It wasn’t pretty.”

  “You should save that kind of drama for my show,” Beck goads.

  “I’m not going on your show.”

  Beck shifts an arm over the back of Tyler’s seat. “It’s one of the top ten streaming shows, and we’re only in the first season.”

  “People are bored and stupid if they want to watch you fuck around,” Ash drawls.

  “My fucking around,” Beck says, “is charming.”

  The baby fusses, and Beck motions to Tyler, who passes her over.

  Within moments, Rose quiets.

  “What about you?” Annie asks Harrison.

  “It’ll take time for Mischa’s estate to be worked out, but as the investigation unfolds, many of his assets will be repossessed and sold off. I’ll be first in line.” His gaze meets mine.

  I squeeze his hand. He’s always wanted that club, and I can’t expect that to change now.

  More than that, I want him to have it.

  “You could be back playing there sooner than you think,” he murmurs.

  I shift in my chair. “I got a call this morning from DJ Maxx. This guy I used to work with. I never liked him, but he’s put in a word for me about a residency in Vegas.”

  Everyone gasps and gushes, but Harrison goes still next to me.

  “When would this residency commence?” he murmurs when the waitress brings our drinks.

  “Four months.” He doesn’t answer, so I add, “I’ve been traveling forever. Maybe it’s time to put down roots. I want more than living out of a suitcase. I could buy a place. Hell, I could be a grownup. Even get my own espresso maker.” I try to joke, but he doesn’t smile.

  “An espresso maker in Vegas.”

  I lift a shoulder.

  I can picture it. Crowds there to see me, a club to call my own. The familiarity was one of the things I loved about Debajo, but I’ve outgrown it. I want a new challenge.

  But I don’t want it without him.

  Harrison’s hand resting on my knee withdraws. His ocean-blue eyes I love cloud, and he rises abruptly from his seat, tossing his napkin on the table before addressing the table. “Excuse me. I’m afraid I can’t stay.”

  Before I can say a word, he’s halfway to his car.

  32

  Rae

  “Harrison?” I call into the house.

  There’s no answer, but Barney peers through the railing upstairs.

  I hung out with my friends over lunch before they had to fly back, pretending the man I love more than anything didn’t walk out on us and take my heart with him.

  When I return to the villa, I’m resolved.

  I want Harrison. The rest we’ll figure out.

  I step out of my sandals and head across the room, taking the stairs in bare feet. I pause at the top.

  There’s movement in Harrison’s room, a shadow falling across the open doorway.

  “I know I sprung the Vegas thing on you, but I want a future. And I want it with…”

  When I step inside, he’s waiting.

  My attention drifts to the matching set of Louis Vuitton luggage on the bed. I reach for one and open it, finding it full of my belongings. “What is this?”

  “Proper bags. For more than a handful of items. You said you wanted to settle down. Doesn’t mean you won’t travel occasionally, but this will get you started.”

  His thoughtfulness slices through the knot in my stomach.

  “This is a lot of luggage. What could possibly be in…” I unzip the second bag, and the silver appliance glints up at me. “The espresso machine?” My jaw drops.

  “I bought it for you,” he murmurs from behind me.

  “You’re insane.”

  “Only since I met you. You’re impossible to please.”

  “That’s because there’s nothing you could give me that would make me happy.”

  Because what I want is you.

  He frowns, nodding to the next suitcase. “Look anyway.”

  I roll my eyes but open the top.

  The contents have my hand dropping to my side.

  Rows of folded, pressed dress shirts stare up at me. Neatly looped belts. Folded slacks.

  The window is open, but there’s not enough air in the room. My throat works for a moment before I can
make a sound.

  “Your things?” I force my gaze to meet his, and when I do, it’s full of so much emotion I’m tingling everywhere.

  “Consider me newly acquired baggage. I love you. You’re not going anywhere without me.”

  Hope surges through me. I want to so badly. I know he usually leaves Ibiza at the end of the season, but for London. The last time he was in the US, it was for Kings, which is a pile of rubble. I can’t quite believe this man would drop everything to follow me.

  “Even Vegas?”

  He nods. “I made a call. We have a penthouse at the Wynn.”

  My slow smile won’t stop. “God, you’re arrogant. I haven’t even invited you.”

  Harrison drags me against him, his hard body warm through our clothes. “You owe me one favor—“

  “Keep it,” I interrupt, breathless. “This time, you’re doing me one.”

  His eyes warm with love and desire, and he drags me up to his lips. My hands fall to his chest as he kisses me. In this moment, I have everything—a home, a family, someone I adore who loves me back, when I want him to and when I don’t.

  “What will you even do in Vegas?” I pant, pulling away an inch.

  He brushes his thumb across my lips. “It’s close to LA. I can run my business from there.”

  “And La Mer?”

  He shrugs. “I’ll put in an offer when it comes up. Leni would love to take it on and find the right person to run it.”

  I shake my head, disbelieving. “I can’t believe this.”

  “Worked out well for me too.” His quick grin is sexy as hell. “This way, you still owe me a favor.”

  “There’s an expiry date on those.”

  “No such thing.”

  Harrison lifts me into his arms, and my legs go around him.

  He tastes like sun and sand and man, and when he claims my mouth, my arms wind around his neck without permission.

  I kiss him back, with relief and love and the kind of hope I never thought I’d feel.

  Barney barks, and we reluctantly part. I frown, reaching for his collar. It matches the luggage.

  “Barney’s coming?” I demand.

  “Charter leaves tomorrow. If you’d rather avoid a man you hate, you can fly commercial.”

  I grin. “How terrible.”

  He kisses me again, pushing me back toward the bed, and we find a spot between the luggage. I kick at one of the bags, and there’s a loud bang as it crashes to the floor.

  The espresso maker.

  I look guiltily up at Harrison.

  “Oh, you’re in trouble now,” he murmurs before his mouth descends.

  Epilogue

  RAE

  Six months later

  The crowd is amazing.

  From my raised platform, I get a look over the top of the dance floor to the booths circling the floor at the Vegas club.

  In the two months since my residency started, each time I take the stage, my mind is blown again.

  Still, tonight is special.

  I take a sip of the vodka soda in front of me, the buzz going to my head. I spent my life keeping secrets, but suddenly I have news, and I can’t wait to share it.

  The nearest booth is occupied by half a dozen execs in suits with Harrison in the center.

  I take advantage of my angle and drink him in. His sharp jaw and nose, firm mouth, muscled shoulders and chest beneath the custom suit.

  I send a text quickly after a transition.

  Rae: Charm them yet?

  He glances at his phone, typing with a smirk.

  Harrison: That’s your job.

  He shoots me a hot look and pockets the device before returning to his conversation.

  This isn’t his club, but he came to see me, and brought some prospective partners to discuss collaborating on a new project. While he didn’t give me all the details, I’m praying it works out.

  Harrison likes Vegas. It suits him, its flash and flair with an edge beneath the surface.

  He has zero problem getting businesspeople to come here to see him, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised how little he’s traveled since we arrived here.

  I don’t hate it either.

  While we spend most of our time living at our penthouse at the Wynn, we do days off in LA and we’ve been to London twice to see Ash.

  The only wrinkle is that a top DJ is normally travelling two hundred nights a year or more, something we knew we’d have to take a hard look at once my residency was up.

  I can tell Harrison would rather stay put. But it hasn’t been clear how long we can make that work.

  I refocus on my set, and the crowd is lost in the music, in me.

  At one point, I see the execs shake hands like they’ve done a deal.

  I dash off a text.

  Rae: Looks like my magic worked.

  This time, Harrison looks my way in an instant. His expression, full of love and admiration, steals my breath.

  He lifts a hand, and I think he’s going to flip me off. My heart kicks as I think of our old Ibiza tradition.

  Instead, he blows me an air kiss.

  Fuck me.

  I’m grinning like a moron, and I don’t even care.

  His gaze stripped me bare when I dressed for tonight, my mermaid-inspired getup an homage to the water-themed club, with a cropped, lilac lace top that leaves my navel exposed and green pants that hug my hips and butt.

  My body tingles with anticipation because after my set, I have more to go home to than a hot bath and a sleepless night.

  I have a man who loves me.

  Two years ago, all I wanted was to play La Mer, but I didn’t realize who I’d become in making that dream come true.

  Now, I’m in love with the man who owns it.

  A trustee in charge of Mischa’s business assets until Eva’s unborn child can inherit decided La Mer was too huge to run effectively and should be sold to an attractive buyer.

  Good thing an attractive buyer was available.

  Very attractive, if I may say so. But I’m biased because every night, he wraps those very attractive arms around me.

  I wrap my set to screams and applause and head out of the booth. After, I’m lingering with fans to take selfies when my phone buzzes.

  Harrison: Come find me.

  I shake my head, typing back with a grin.

  Rae: A little busy. Why don’t you come find me?

  A few moments later, there’s a response.

  Harrison: Because if I come find you, I’ll drag you into the nearest corner and fuck you senseless. I don’t care who’s watching.

  I’m already damp with sweat, but now my panties are sticking even more.

  When I’m good and ready, I weave my way toward his booth.

  As if he feels my presence, he turns and reaches for my hand.

  “Gentlemen,” he says. “This is Raegan Madani. My...”

  He trails off, and I look up, arching a brow.

  He typically introduces me as his girlfriend. Though we think of ourselves as partners, it’s a possessive thing for him, and I don’t hate it.

  But now, he doesn’t say anything.

  I’m spared overthinking it when men whisper-shout compliments on the show.

  A booth girl shows up and begins pouring Dom, handing out glasses starting with me.

  “Raegan“—Harrison takes his own glass and lifts it—“these gentlemen have agreed to invest in an expansion of Echo Entertainment in America.” He pauses, and I see the emotion behind his eyes. “We’re going to rebuild Kings.”

  My heart kicks hard in my chest as he clinks his glass to mine.

  I ignore the champagne and press up on my toes to kiss him hard. “Hell yes,” I tell him with a grin.

  When he tugs me against his side, stroking a hand down my back to my ass where they can’t see, my happiness is overtaken by a sudden jolt of arousal.

  “Perhaps we can talk her into an exclusive partnership next year,” another man suggests.
r />   I raise a brow. “Unfortunately, that’s going to be impossible.”

  Harrison’s hand on my ass stills. While I like playing for him once in a while, we’ve learned it’s best if I keep my work separate, but he’s noticed my firm words. “Why is that?”

  I think of the news that’s been bubbling in my chest all night.

  “Because I’ve committed to playing here for another six months.”

  Harrison’s mouth parts in surprise. “Since fucking when?”

  I bite my cheek. “This afternoon. I had a meeting with the owner, and we discussed it.”

  Six months in one place. The penthouse Harrison found personally. Our luggage stored in the closet, Barney lounging on the carpet.

  I can’t tell if he’s upset I didn’t let him in on it or simply stunned. At least not until he threads a hand into my hair and jerks me toward him, taking the kiss I planted on him before and raising it to straight-up tongue-fucking, audience or no.

  The fact that I matter more to him than work makes me move into his lips, the invitation of his body, the way his arms drag me closer.

  When we come up for air, he’s only looking at me.

  “I didn’t mean to interrupt your business,” I pant, innocent. I flick a glance to the men who’ve started talking amongst themselves given the awkwardness.

  Harrison’s eyes flash. “Business is over. I’m taking you home.”

  “You want to wrestle for the good side of the bed?”

  Harrison leans in to whisper against my ear. “You can have it. After I fuck you in it until you’re too sore to move.”

  HARRISON

  When we get back to our penthouse at the Wynn, Barney’s passed out on the carpet. He lifts his head as we enter, ears twitching while Raegan sets her bag on a hook, then flops back down.

  “I’d say he’s adjusted rather well,” I comment, stretching my neck.

  Rae steps out of her heels, groaning a little when her feet hit the carpet. “Why not? It feels like home.”