Pink Lilies (Beautiful People Book 1)

by Lacee Hightower

  “Hi, sweetie. I was getting worried since I hadn’t heard from you. Everything okay, Alex?”

  “I’m good, Mom. Just had a crazy day yesterday, plus I worked late. I’m sorry I’m just getting around to calling you back. How’s Dad?”

  Crazy hadn’t even been close to the way last night had turned out. Tyler Yates loved me! And I loved him back! When he whispered the four words, I wasn’t sure if I’d heard him right.

  “Dad’s fine, honey. Alex, I’ll be so glad when you find another job. I absolutely hate the thought of you working so late at night and having to walk to your car alone. There’s so much meanness in that city. Have you given that any more thought at all?”

  Of course I’d given it more thought. It was in my head pretty much twenty-four-seven. But every job I looked at on job sites either required experience or more schooling. I lacked both. Maci had suggested a paralegal trainee job, but I just didn’t think the legal profession was for me. Attorneys intimidated me for some unknown reason. Yet the irony behind that was laughable. I was in love with Tyler Yates, the king of intimidation. Suddenly, my fear of attorneys seemed lame.

  “I have, Mom. I just don’t know. I think I want something where children are involved, but I can’t figure out exactly what that is.” I pulled into the restaurant parking lot, listening to my car sputter again, the sound not nearly the nagging concern it usually was.

  A heavy wave of emotion hit me like a big brick wall. Last night had been one of the best in my life, so I wasn’t sure where the feeling was coming from. Was this what it felt like to miss someone? Tyler left for Houston and wouldn’t get in until late tonight. Which meant I wouldn’t see him until tomorrow sometime because he had back to back surgeries starting first thing in the morning. Tomorrow seemed like next year.

  “Okay, honey. You’re a smart girl. I know you’ll figure it out. But listen. Really quick, Johnny and Nancy got some news. They’ve learned the name of the man Becca was dating. They’re supposed to be bringing him in for questioning. Hopefully he’ll have some answers for us. It’s still hard imagining your cousin involved with that kind of slime.” Jesus. He’s hardly slime. And he’s already been interrogated and cleared.

  “About that, Mom. I need to talk to you and Dad. There’s a lot going on I haven’t told you about.” My eyes coated in nervous tears. “Are you both going to be home this weekend? I was thinking about coming down for a short visit if I can get someone to cover my shift at the restaurant.”

  “Of course, we’ll be home. Alex, are you sure everything is okay?” I sniffed, watching a white Jaguar pull into the parking lot behind me.

  “I’m okay, Mom. Sorry I can’t chat longer. I’ll let you know if I’m coming this weekend. I love you.”

  My car door locked, I slid my purse strap over my shoulder, hearing footsteps behind me.

  “Good afternoon, Alex. Back for another interesting day waiting tables?” I turned and looked into the eyes of Katherine. Her malicious, black-hearted smile accentuated the small scar on her left cheek. Lipstick stains streaked across the top of her front tooth.

  “Yes, Katherine. I am.” Why the hell was she here again?

  “I need a minute of your time, Alex. You and I really need to talk. It’s for your own good.” I peered at my watch, wishing somebody else would pull up in our designated employee parking to lure me from this woman.

  “And why would we need to talk, Katherine?” Having had enough, I turned to face her. “I can honestly tell you I don’t have one single thing I wish to speak to you about.” She smiled a huge, toothy grin, a small smile covering my own lips at the stain still coating her tooth.

  “You know, you’re nothing in his eyes, Alex. Not really. You’re only a few weeks of meaningless sex for Tyler. He doesn’t do anything more. He never has. He never will.” I turned and continued to walk at a brisk rate, tugging a hand at the shoulder strap of my purse, adrenaline swelling through my veins.

  “Oh, sweet Jesus! You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

  Willing my temper to cool the hell down, I didn’t look at Katherine again, refusing to let her ruin my mood.

  “Don’t be ignorant like stupid, naïve Becca. I won’t warn you again, Alex.”

  As much as my Bohmann temper wanted to get in her face for even mentioning my cousin, I didn’t. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction.

  “Hey, Alex. Looks like a busy night tonight. Tips should be good.” Richard looked flustered. The restaurant business was stressful. It was a tough way to make a living. People were already packing in and we were still understaffed—good help was hard to find.

  “I’m good. Just give me a minute. I’ll be right out.” Richard forced a smile and left the tiny break room. He still acted differently toward me since the parking lot incident. I hated that.

  I pulled my phone out and sent Tyler a quick text. Not confident about bugging him with my silly fear of evil Katherine and her showing up at the restaurant a second time to harass me, for some reason, I thought he’d want me to.

  I’m sorry to bother you. Please call me when you get a chance. I love you.

  * * * *

  My car making it another day, I was barely inside my duplex before I was opening the Chardonnay I’d picked up on the way home and throwing off my shoes. Jesus, my feet were killing me. Richard still acted so strange tonight. I feared I was going to have to either talk to him or find work elsewhere. I couldn’t stand the thick tenseness that seemed to only be getting worse.

  I stared at the box of Lego’s on my coffee table. I’d seen them when I stopped by Target to pick up a few things on the way home. The New York City Skyline model made me think of Mason the minute I saw it. I sipped on the cool white wine, letting everything Tyler had told me and the tragedy his family had endured, all sink in for a minute. There had to be some way for Mason to get the help he needed. Tyler hadn’t mentioned him again, but I suddenly wished to see him.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Tyler

  For the first time in my life, I was putting another person’s needs in front of my own. Other than my professional aspect of things, I’d never had any kind of real feelings for another human being, other than my family and Justin. Now I sat in an upscale restaurant, trying to talk business with my future partner, and I couldn’t get the woman I loved out of my mind.

  The sudden ding of my phone was more annoying than anything else. One of several today, more than one of my office staff was becoming a never-ending pain in my ass. Why couldn’t everyone just get the fuck along? A company lunch would be a priority on my agenda when I returned to Dallas. Slipping the vibrating cell from my jacket pocket, I was surprised and happy to see a text from Alexa, instead of another message from my receptionist.

  I’m sorry to bother you. Please call me when you get a chance. I love you.

  Rare for her to call or text me during the work day, not that I minded, it just seemed out of place. Ready to wrap this meeting up, I slid my phone back in my pocket.

  “I need to get going, Brandon. I have a flight to catch. I’m looking forward to us working together. By the way, when will your new home be ready to move in?” I slid my American Express card toward the young waitress, leaving her a substantial cash gratuity for her outstanding service as I looked at her with my best ‘don’t you wish’ eyes. Purposely brushing her lean thigh against me twice and giving me a full view of her larger than normal cleavage since we’d been at the quaint Italian restaurant, she bent over again, the tips of her nipples clear to the eye. You’re wasting vital energy on me.

  The busty blonde had looks that I would have jumped all over in the past, bending her over the side of a hotel bed just to get my rocks off after having her mouth cover my dick. Today, the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind.

  Brandon cleared his throat, watching the leggy waitress walk away with my credit card. “Three weeks. My wife is pretty excited about the move. She grew up in Plano, so she’s got family there.”

>   The blonde returned my card, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Thank you, gentlemen,” she said, smiling the same ‘fuck me’ grin she’d given the both of us since we arrived.

  Ready to get the hell out of this city, thank Christ I was finally done with my business meeting and getting through the dreaded airport security an hour later. Finally, I could sit down and wait for boarding. And call Alexa. These late-night flights were the absolute worst.

  “Hi.” Her voice was soft. I fucking missed her.

  “Hey, baby. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to call. Getting through this airport is hell.”

  A second didn’t pass before I realized my sweet, hot-tempered angel was mad as fuck.

  “Jesus Christ, Alexa. I had no idea. I’m sorry I didn’t call right away.” Goddamn Katherine. I knew she was a scorned woman unable to move on. But thoughts of her actually threatening Alexa were completely unforeseen. She’d made herself perfectly clear she still wanted to have sex, but this was damned preposterous. A muscle jumped in my jaw as my temper kicked in. Nobody was going to fuck with the woman I loved. No one. Ever.

  “Angel. Please … I give you my word I’ll take care of Katherine. She won’t bother you again. I’m not going to get back into Dallas until after midnight. Do you want me to come over?” My dick twitched just at the thought of falling asleep with her nestled up against my chest.

  “No, it’s okay. We both have early days tomorrow. I’ll be fine. I’m just really tired. And I miss you way too much.”

  “I miss you too, baby. Get some sleep. And think of me inside you when you close your eyes.” I exhaled as I fought telling her the three words that still seemed strange. But fuck, they were the truth.

  “I love you, Alexa.”

  “I love you, too, Tyler.”

  How in hell was I hard for her again? Sitting in a damn airport for fuck’s sake! It hadn’t been quite twenty-four hours since I’d been inside her and now I fought to cover the growing erection fighting for escape in my pants. Motherfucking hell! She was just so sweet. I ached for her.

  The words “Flight 231 to D/FW boarding” blasted in the background.

  “My plane is boarding. Sleep well, angel. We’ll be together soon.”

  * * * *

  Nearly 11:00 AM, I was tired as hell. My RN, Terri, was walking around sniffing and blowing her nose. She had a sinus infection and half the nurses and aides here at the surgery center were out with allergies. Goddamn ragweed. Most of the temps brought in looked like they couldn’t be a day over twenty years old, and I was beginning to wonder how capable they were.

  My first surgery was at 8:15 and had gone over due to the fact we couldn’t get the three-hundred-and-fifty-pound man adequately sedated enough for what should have been a completely easy rhinoplasty. That was the first clue to my present day of hell.

  “Doctor Yates, Ms. Bennett is getting really antsy. She was scheduled for 10 AM. She’s been ready to go for over forty-five minutes.” I gritted my teeth, holding my tongue as best I could with the young, naïve nurse. Who the fuck did she think she was?

  “I’m fucking aware, Stephanie,” I hissed as I looked at the name on her identification tag, slamming my phone down into my pocket. The girl’s eyes filled with ridiculous unnecessary tears as she turned from me and walked the other direction. Christ! I’ll apologize later.

  After I’d processed what Alexa told me about Katherine last night, thoughts of her threatening the woman I loved still had me seething in anger. I couldn’t shake it off. This was unacceptable and nothing but a huge load of fuckery. I’d called her multiple times. Left her messages, yet she was ignoring my calls. And she knew damned well why I was calling. But I had to calm the fuck down. I had a liposuction procedure waiting for me only feet away. I had a job to do.

  I wanted to see Alexa tonight. It had been way too long, but I had to go over to Katherine’s house. First and foremost, I had to find out where this raving lunatic who I’d once actually had an attraction to, was coming up with her mad ideas about threatening Alexa. Thank Christ we hadn’t settled on the Venture sale yet. I couldn’t possibly leave Justin with a neurotic mad woman to take control of my shares. We’d have to find another way.

  I paused at the front desk nearly three hours later, my day finally ending. “Ladies, enjoy the rest of your evening.” I picked up three messages.

  “They’re all patient calls, Dr. Yates.”

  I reached for the pink slips and winked at the receptionist before I walked outside. For fuck’s sake. I had totally forgotten to apologize to the poor nurse I snapped at earlier. Okay, so I’m a complete asshole.

  I tightened my seatbelt and scanned over the three phone calls I needed to return. Janna Phillips. Christ! One of my patients I’d done just about every cosmetic procedure there was to perform on a woman under forty years old, she was never satisfied. I’d call her back tomorrow. As much as I loved my job and making people feel better about their physical appearances, I loathed the fact that so many women felt so strongly that they had to try and look half their age, when in fact, women were ultimately beautiful at all ages.

  By the time I got to Katherine’s, it was nearing 6:30 PM. The last thing I wanted to be doing was having an angry confrontation with her.

  “Good evening, Dr. Yates. Nice to see you again.” The doorman held the door open to the Uptown high-rise tower she’d lived in for as long as I’d known her.

  “Nice to see you, too, Samuel. How are those girls of yours?”

  “They’re good, Dr. Yates. Giving me more gray hair every day.”

  “That’s what I’ve heard about raising daughters.”

  “Miss Katherine is home. I’ll ring her and let her know you’re coming up.”

  The twelfth floor was the top level of the exclusive apartment building. Katherine had inherited some money when she was young, but damned if I could figure out how she managed to live in the style she did. All I knew was that she’d made some good investments years ago when she cashed in on her mother’s life insurance policy.

  “Tyler. Please … come in. I was expecting a visit from you. Can I get you anything to drink?” The red robe she was wearing was long and slit high on the side, showing her legs and the lack of anything else underneath.

  “No, Katherine. I won’t be staying. You know why I’m here. To make it perfectly fucking clear that you’re not to harass Alexa. Do we understand one another? Does this prove my goddamn point?”

  She swallowed as I held her shoulders tighter than usual.

  Tears filled her eyes, my gaze locked on hers. Warning. Threatening. Promising.

  “Tyler, please,” she whispered through a raspy plea.

  I released her shoulders and jerked away.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just felt I needed to warn her before she was in too deep. I didn’t want her hurt like I am. But I was too late. Just like the last one, she’s in love with you. Are you aware of that?” An open bottle of wine sat in the middle of the glass-enclosed wet bar. She poured herself a full glass of the red and took a long drink. Alongside the assortment of liquors and glasses was one of my silver pens with the clinic logo streaming down the side. Underneath was a stack of purple paper.

  “And I’m in love with her, Katherine. Are you aware of that?”

  “Tyler, you can’t be serious. With a middle-class waitress? You and I both know you don’t fall in love. What’s so special about this Alex? What does she have that I don’t have ten times more of?” She lowered her glass of wine onto the bar, sliding the robe from her shoulders and letting it fall to the ground in a heap of red satin.

  “These… You used to love my breasts, Tyler.” She ran her hands across the full breasts that I had done surgery on just years before. “You always said my nipples were some of the most beautiful ones you’d ever had in your mouth. Please. Touch me the way you used to. I can give you so much more than Alex.”

  “Katherine, put your fucking robe back on.”


  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Alex

  “What a fucking skank! She’s nothing but a fantasizing sociopath. I don’t see how Tyler ever had a thing for her,” Maci said.

  I nodded. “No disagreeing, here.”

  “Oh, that looks so good. What’s that drink?” Candice was carrying a large tray of food and mixed drinks to a table full of women.

  “That’s a Ruby Red Greyhound. They’re made with pink grapefruit vodka and St. Germain Elderflower liqueur. They’re excellent.”

  “Yum.”

  For minutes, we were quiet as we had a quick glass of iced tea while Maci waited on take-out. Bryson’s had the best fried mushrooms known to mankind and she’d ordered a double batch. The white chocolate cheesecake I’d added to her order would be a nice surprise when she got home.

  “Tyler promised to get her off my back, but there’s just something about her that I can’t figure out. I get creeped out just thinking about it.” I took a long drink of mango tea. Maci and I didn’t get much time together anymore, so it was nice that she had showed up without any warning.

  “Thanks, Candice.” I took the bag of food from the server and set it down on the booth as Maci reached for her wallet.

  “I threw in an extra jalapeno ranch for the mushrooms. Can’t ever have too much of that.”

  “Awesome. Thanks, again.” Maci smiled.

  “Nope. Put your credit card right back in your wallet.” I hugged my BFF and handed her the sack.

  Now I found myself feeling a little guilt ridden about the way I’d talked to Tyler. The thing about having a temper was the fact that it could just creep up on you at any given moment. You could never prepare yourself for what it may cause you to do and it always seemed to show its pretty little face at moments you were the most vulnerable.

  The night crowd thinning out, I set down the tray of dishes in the kitchen, deciding to take a quick bathroom break. Only thirty minutes and I was off for the night. I grabbed my purse to head to the ladies’ room.