Owning Beauty (Taking Beauty Trilogy 3)

I picked up my phone and tried to call my Mom. Of course, she didn’t answer.

I left a long rambling message insisting she ‘call me back immediately because Randy had shown up on the street and did she know anything about that and did he come to see her too and what the fuck and oh my god can you believe this shit!’

“That should do the job,” I said, hanging up as Bear walked back to me.

“She didn’t answer?” he said.

“Nope,” I replied, my fingers still trembling as I took the cup of tea from him. I’d kill for a good glass of wine about now, but that wasn’t in the cards for a while.

“There’s a board meeting today,” he said.

“Shouldn’t you be there?” I asked.

“Me?” he asked, smiling. “I’m on my honeymoon. Definitely more important than attending a board meeting and certainly much more entertaining.” He reached out, running a teasing finger up my thigh.

I shook my head and pursed my lips.

“I’m sorry, Bear, I’m just so upset right now.”

“I understand, love,” he said. “I’m just trying to take your mind off of it and I can’t think of a better way.”

“Normally, I wouldn’t be able to either, but this is very distracting!” I complained. “Why would he just show up like that?”

“Maybe it’s as simple as what he said.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re his daughter. That’s reason enough, isn’t it?”

“Is it? He’s been absent all my life. He left when I was two. One day, he just didn’t come home after work. Ran off with some tramp from his job. And we never saw or heard from him again.”

“Matilda didn’t sue him for child support?”

“Nope. She’s always been fiercely independent, determined to make her own way and even though it was a huge sacrifice, she did it. She worked her ass off and proved to him and herself and everyone else that she didn’t need him. I think she was incredibly proud of that, to tell you the truth. She didn’t chase him. She didn’t go after him in court. In turn, she didn’t have to share custody with someone that clearly wasn’t interested in spending time with me.”

“That’s fucked up,” Bear said, echoing the words floating through my head. “So no contact until today?”

“Nope.”

“That’s wild,” he said.

“God, I wish Matilda had never put that announcement in the paper. Did you know there’s a picture of us having dinner and an announcement about us getting married on Page Six, whatever the hell that is?”

“Is there?” he asked, smiling. “I didn’t know that. No wonder my phone was blowing up yesterday. I was wondering how everyone knew. I just figured Matilda mentioned it at work.”

“Matilda mentioned it to the world, apparently,” I said, dryly.

“It doesn’t matter, darling,” he said, pulling me close. “It won’t be the last time we’ll be in the papers. It goes with the territory.”

I groaned, leaning my head on his shoulder.

“You’ll get used to it, Beauty,” he said, kissing my forehead.

“I could have gone my whole life without seeing him,” I said.

“Well, something tells me that won’t be the last time. You should think about how you want to handle this. Let me know if you need me to do anything.”

“What are you going to do? Pay him to go away?”

“That’s an option,” he shrugged.

I hit him playfully and laughed.

“I was kidding!”

“Well, there are a lot of options. Give it some time. You might want to see him again. At the very least, it might offer some closure in your life.”

“I don’t need closure, not when it comes to him.”

“Okay, okay,” he said, holding up a hand, “it’s your choice, Beauty. It’s your life. You do whatever’s right for you. I’m behind you a hundred percent, no matter what you decide.”

“Now, see?” I asked, “that’s why I love you.”

“Why?” he smiled.

“Because you act like you always have to be in charge, but in reality you give me everything I want.”

He arched an eyebrow, lowering his voice as he placed a hand on my knee.

“Be careful, Beauty,” he said. “You learn all my secrets too quickly and I won’t be any fun anymore.”

I laughed out loud, the laughter roaring through me, all of the tension releasing from my shoulders.

I reached down, putting my hand on my stomach, thinking about my daughter. I’d never seen her face, but I knew I’d never be able to even imagine what it would be like to abandon her.

No, the last thing I wanted was to see Randy again. I’d gotten by just fine without him so far and I certainly didn’t need a father now.

I looked up at Bear and he kissed me gently. I leaned into his warm embrace, knowing deep in my heart that I’d finally found my true home right there in his arms.

Bear

It wasn’t the best time of year to go to Paris, but Chloe fell in love with the gloomy, rain-soaked, cobblestone streets right away.

“It reminds of me of home,” she said, her dancing eyes lighting up with some new joy around every corner we turned. We were huddled together under an umbrella, strolling along the Champs-Elyseés.

“I’m glad you’re happy,” I said, pulling her close. The avenue was filled with happy partygoers, the rain not deterring them one bit. Paris had a way of making your forget all your troubles, including inclement weather.

“I think I could live here,” she said. “Have you ever thought of moving away from New York?”

“I’ve thought about it, sure, but that city owns my heart. It would be hard to live somewhere else. I think I’d miss it tremendously. If anything, I could see myself living up at the cabin. Well, at least I used to, now…well, I’m not so sure.”

Chloe shot me an empathic glance. I’d tried to put Bruce’s death in the back of my mind, determined not to let his absence ruin my honeymoon, but it was proving more difficult than I’d imagined.

“Maybe it’ll get better with time,” she said, brushing a kiss across my lips.

“I hope so,” I said. “In the meantime, we’re here now and we can come back to visit anytime you wish! Maybe next time we can come when it’s not so rainy.”

“I’d love that,” she said. “And you're right, we’re here now! Let’s enjoy it!”

“Absolutely, Beauty. What are you in the mood for?” We’d had dinner at a candlelit bistro not far from our hotel earlier and we’d been strolling around aimlessly for an hour or so.

“I’m not sure,” she said.

“There’s a wonderful nightclub at the end of the avenue toward the Arc de Triomphe. Let’s go dancing.”

“Sounds great,” she said, “I’m happy doing anything, as long as I’m in this city and with you.”

“You’re easy to please,” I said.

“Am I?” she teased. “I like to think that you’re just really skilled at it.”

I groaned, my cock twitching in my pants. She’d been flirting like an unabashed vixen since we’d arrived.

“Beauty, if you keep flirting, I won’t be able to make it back to the hotel before slamming my cock inside of you,” I growled into her ear.

She moaned, arching her back as she leaned into me, her breasts pressing into my arm.

“Do you think I’d say no to that?” she asked, with a playful grin.

“There must be something in the Paris air that agrees with you.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head, her loose black curls waving around her upturned face, “it’s just you.”

“Lucky me,” I said.

“I’m the lucky one,” she said, stopping and turning to me, as she stared up into my eyes. “Have I told you today how thankful I am for you?”

“For what, darling? Claiming you as my own and dragging you kicking and screaming into my cave?”

> Her laughter rang out like a song. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Yes, something like that,” she said. “And for everything else. For loving me. For marrying me. For bringing me here.”

“Chloe,” I said, my face turning serious. “Surely you realize the pleasure is all mine.” I grabbed her hand, kissing the back of it. “You’re the best thing to ever happen to me.”

“I love you, Bear,” she said, her eyes beaming love straight through me.