Owning Beauty (Taking Beauty Trilogy 3)

“This is what I want,” he growled, before disappearing under my skirt, his head hidden by the flower printed fabric.

His tongue dove into me.

“Well, you’ve definitely come to the right place for that…” I murmured, letting my thighs fall open, as I lifted my hips to his delicious caress.

Bear

The cabin was quiet. Way too quiet.

I walked around the big house after I got there, making myself dinner and lighting a fire. I had no idea what I was looking for. Perhaps there was nothing left to find. I’d already searched Bruce’s place, after all.

Honestly, I just needed to get away from the city, from the noise constantly running through my head.

I’d asked Charlie to look into Santiago for me. A quick internet search had indicated he’d been released just a few months before Bruce’s death. I didn’t like where my thoughts were going, but I couldn’t deny the possibility either. I knew Bruce likely wouldn’t have killed himself, and if he did, he wouldn’t have just done it because of depression. I just couldn’t believe that.

With the taped recording and that last journal entry, I was sure I was onto something here. I just had no idea what it was.

I spent the evening pouring over his journals again by the fire until I couldn’t see straight. I fell asleep on the couch, my dreams haunted by memories of Bruce.

The next morning, I woke up more determined than I’d been before. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong and I’d learned long ago to trust that feeling when it arose. I went for a long run through the woods, showered and ate breakfast before I made my way out to Bruce’s cabin.

It was just as I’d left it weeks ago. But I could have missed something.

Again, I searched it high and low, looking through every dresser drawer, every pocket of his clothes, every file in the desk. I even crawled into the attic and looked up there in the dark, dusty corners.

Nothing.

“Damn it, Bruce, help me out,” I said. I sat on the brand new bed, the place he’d taken his last breath, trying desperately to establish a connection with him. I wasn’t a religious man, by any means, and I wasn’t even sure I believed in any sort of afterlife at all, but if there was any way Bruce could communicate with me, I welcomed it.

After eight hours of searching every nook and cranny, I was left with nothing but frustration. I went back to the main cabin and made myself dinner and called Chloe. I felt a little guilty being away from her, but I needed this time to myself. She, of course, was sweet and gracious and completely accommodating, as usual.

I don’t deserve a woman like that, I thought. She was better than me, so much more forgiving than she should have been. I knew this, I knew she didn’t have to forgive me so easily. All of this only reinforced my intention of never treating her badly again. I was trying to shake the shame I felt for my actions, but I wasn’t sure that would ever go away.

Maybe after a few years time it would all fade away, but as for now, I still felt like shit.

I felt terrible about what I’d done to her. I felt terrible for failing Bruce. I wasn’t a man used to feeling regret, but I was bathing in it these days. I hated it, of course. I wanted to shed this skin, but it wasn’t the skin that was the problem. It was what was inside of me.

Had I been so selfish that I’d not paid proper attention to the two people I loved the most?

It was too late for Bruce, nothing I could do would bring him back, but I was determined to find out the truth, now more than ever. It was the only thing left for me to do. It was the only way to make it up to him.

Thank goodness I still had Chloe so that I could make things up to her. At least I had that opportunity.

In the meantime, I was crawling out of my skin. I was amped up, restless, my head spinning with ideas and thoughts as I tried to wrap my head around everything.

I was about to drown my sorrows in a glass of twenty year old scotch, but I thought better of it. It wouldn’t do anything to ease the irritability and frustration I was feeling.

I headed out for another run after strapping on a head-lamp. The forest around the cabin was quiet and dark, but I knew the trail well. My feet pounded the ground furiously as I ran for miles before turning around.

Sweat poured down my back as I picked up the pace on the way home. I told myself the wetness pouring down my cheeks was sweat, too. By the time I was back on my property, I was panting hard, my heart beating so fast I thought it would burst from my chest. But all my irritability was almost gone and I felt a little better.

The scotch called my name now and I knew I’d fall asleep hard and fast as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I slowed down as I approached Bruce’s cabin. A light shone through the window and I stopped in my tracks. I was sure I’d turned them all off before I’d locked up. I peeked in the window and froze.

Someone was in there. A man, a very large man, stood behind Bruce’s desk, rifling through it, just like I’d done only a few hours ago.

Quickly, I contemplated what to do. I jogged back to my place and pulled my handgun from my safe and quietly crept back down the trail that connected the two cabins. I looked in the window again and saw he was now looking through the kitchen drawers.

The sound of a ringing phone broke through the silence. With a grunt, he fished in his pants for his phone, answering in a low muffled voice.

“Yes?” he answered.

He paused, listening.

“There’s nothing here, boss. I’ve looked everywhere. I’m going to search the big cabin next. Maybe it’s there.”

Fuck! I thought, my heart hammering in my chest. He sounded just like the guy on the tape. I could have confronted him, but he was much bigger than me. If went into the cabin, he’d see the roaring fire, the dirty dishes in the sink…he’d know I was there and I certainly don’t want this asshole in my home.

I snuck back into the forest, deep enough down the trail behind the cabin so that he couldn’t see me, but I could still see the door.

When he came out, he did so slowly, his large frame wobbling towards my cabin. I pulled out the gun and pointed it over my head. I took a deep breath and then pulled the trigger, the shot sounding out over head and sending birds shooting out from their roosts.

The man froze and looked around with wild eyes, before turning around and hurrying back past Bruce’s cabin and then back down the hill. I followed as close as I could without him seeing me. He’d parked down at the bottom of the hill and I watched as he got behind the wheel of a black SUV. I waited till he’d started to drive away and burst out of the trees with my cell phone pointed at his license plate. I snapped a photo as quickly as possible and ran back into the trees and watched until his SUV disappeared from view.

I walked back to the cabin breathless, my head spinning.

Now my fears were confirmed.

This didn’t prove my theory that Bruce didn’t kill himself, but it sure did confirm that there was more to the story.

As soon as I got back into the cabin, I locked the doors and texted the photo to Charlie with a message asking him to find out who the registered owner of the SUV was.

I may not have any more answers, but I was knew I was closer than ever.

At least now I had another clue.

I poured myself another scotch to slow the adrenaline rushing through my veins, finally finding

sleep, my gun resting on the nightstand right next to my head.

Chloe

“Violet, you are amazing,” I said. We sat in a coffee shop near Central Park, going over all the information she’d collected to share with me. We’d secured the retail space, which just meant registering the address, since Bruce owned it, and the seamstresses were hard at work in my apartment right now. Everything was coming together perfectly.

“It’s true, I am amazing,” she said with a wink. “Now tell me, did you decide on a name yet?”

“Bear suggested it actually,” I said, “and I love it.”

“So, what is it?”

“I’m going to call the shop ‘Beauty’,” I smiled with pride.

“Oh, I like it. Simple. Elegant. One word, easy to remember. It’s perfect,” she said, with an approving smile.

“I’m glad you like it,” I said. Bear had suggested it before he’d left for the cabin the other night and as soon as he’d said it, I knew it was perfect. It seemed so obvious now.

It gave me a little thrill knowing that a little piece of us had inspired it. Without him, none of this would be happening, and it just seemed fitting somehow.

We finished up our meeting and agreed to meet again in a week. I walked out of the coffee shop with a sense of accomplishment and pride. It was all coming together and I couldn’t be happier.

I’d walked to the coffee shop today, not wanting to bother Max for such a short walk from the penthouse. The snow had disappeared a few days ago and it was sunny and cold. I pulled my coat tight around me, shivering against the crisp chill in the air.

I was almost to the entrance to the building when I heard someone call my name.