Owning Beauty (Taking Beauty Trilogy 3)

Ruby René was a woman I knew many years ago. I was in my late-twenties, trying to make sense of the darkness I’d been cursed with. Every woman I dated that I’d experimented with until then became scared or turned off or accused me of horrible things, even after I’d insisted on consent. No matter how much I tried to hold myself back, I never could find someone who understood.

Those early years where full of introspection and experimentation. At one point, I’d experimented with a few escorts. I didn’t pick anyone up off the street or anything, but I knew a few colleagues that had talked about an elite agency that was very discreet and very expensive.

Ruby was one of those girls. In fact, she was one of the only women who even came close to understanding me, understanding what I needed and why. She never fully understood, but at least she’d tried. We’d had a few good nights together, but in the end, we just didn’t fit, no matter how hard she tried.

I sent her away as soon as I realized she was starting to have feelings for me.

Why in the hell she’d be sitting in that courtroom behind Rio Santiago, I had no idea. I’d not had any contact with her in years and years. I had no idea what she was doing now. The idea of her getting mixed up with a man like Santiago made my stomach churn.

She was better than that.

I turned everything off with a heavy sigh, filled with even more questions as I left the office for the day.

Beauty was waiting at home.

Her sweet embrace would greet me at the door and I’d melt into her.

I drove a little faster than I usually would and made it home in record time.

Chloe

“No, I haven’t seen him again,” I said to my mother, my shoulder pressing the phone to my ear as I finished the seam on a dress I was working on. “And thank God for that.”

“I can’t believe he had the nerve to approach you like that.”

“Well, at least he waited till the day after my wedding to freak me out.”

“He shouldn’t have contacted you at all. If he wants to talk to you, he should go through me.”

“Mom, I’m adult,” I said. “I’m sure he knows you hate him.”

“Of course he does,” she said. “But still…”

“You can’t control the entire world, Mom,” I said, knowing it was eating her up. “But don’t worry, if he shows up again, I can handle him. He caught me off guard the first time, but I’ve had time to think about how to handle it now. I’m prepared.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Well, I’ll march right up to him and calmly tell him I have absolute no interest in having any type of relationship with him and politely ask him never to contact me again.”

“That’s very mature of you,” she said.

“Is it? I do feel like I’m growing up,” I said, cutting the thread and turning off the sewing machine. I grabbed the phone from my shoulder and walked into the kitchen.

I was starving again, just like always. I was starting to show a little now and I wasn’t sure if it was from all the pasta and pizza I’d been consuming or the tiny human growing inside of me.

“You’re growing up a lot faster than I expected,” she said, her voice sounding almost wistful.

“Mom, are you getting sentimental in your old age?”

“Don’t be absurd,” she bristled. I couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re going to be a grandma soon, you have to soften up a little.”

“I don’t have to do any such thing,” she laughed.

“It may just be another one of those things you don’t have any control over,” I teased.

“Are you trying to send me to an early death, Chloe? You know that’s my weakness.”

“You should try relinquishing control every now and then, Mom, you might find you like it.”

“I doubt that,” she said. I could feel her eyebrow raise over the phone. She was so predictable, so set in her ways, I knew she’d never change but it was fun to tease her about it.

Our relationship had taken an interesting turn these days. Now that she’d accepted my relationship with Bear and that we were having a baby, it was almost like we could be friends instead of the constant pull that existed in our screwed up mother-daughter relationship.

It was nice.

In small amounts.

“I gotta go, Mom,” I said. “I have to make my second lunch and then start dinner.”

“Eating for two these days?”

“I think it’s more like eating for two dozen,” I said.

“Well, eat healthy stuff, the baby needs its nutrients.”

“I know, Mom…”

“Okay, I’ll let you go. You know where I am if you need me. I love you, Chloe.”

“I love you, too, Mom.”

That was new too. Declarations of love used to be rare and now she never ended a conversation without it.

I guess that was nice too.

My phone rang while I was making a sandwich. I looked down at my phone and grinned when I saw my handsome husband’s face staring up at me.

“Hey babe,” I answered.

“Hello, my love. How are you feeling?”

“I’m good. Hungry, making a sandwich right now.”

“If you want we can go out to dinner tonight,” he said.

“I’d rather order in, is that okay?”

“Of course, love. Listen, I’m calling because I have to make a stop before I get home. I’ll be an hour or so late. Do you need anything?”

“Not that I can think of.”

“Okay, love, see you soon. Oh, and Chloe?”

“Yes?”

“Put the remote control vibrator in, would you?”

“Can I eat my sandwich first?” I laughed.

“You have fifteen minutes before your first zap,” he said.

“Okay, okay…”

“Good girl. See you in an hour. Love you.”

“Love you,” I replied, shaking my head as I hung up the phone.

Hurriedly, I finished my lunch. By the time I was finished, I was already wet just thinking about what was coming….

Bear

I’d left the office and sat in the back of the car on the way home, thinking about Bruce and trying to figure out my next steps. The thing is, I needed more information from people who were there at the time.

“Hey, Max,” I said, rolling down the dividing window. “Can you take me to the District Attorney’s office? It’s on Hogan Place, over by Columbus Park.”

“Sure,” he said, turning the car around.

I called Chloe to let her know I was going to be late and then looked up information on the current District Attorney. Lacey Vance had been appointed by the governor after Bruce left and then elected permanently into the position later. She’d worked under Bruce for years and I couldn’t find anything indicating she’d worked on the Santiago case, but I figured if I could meet with her for a few minutes, it might help.

It took a bit of work. Her receptionist was a tough older lady that I could tell wasn’t in the habit of letting people walk off the street and gain access to her boss. She recognized me right away though and that helped. I charmed her with compliments and when the DA walked by, she waved her over and introduced us.

“Mr. Dalton, nice to meet you,” she said. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Well, don’t believe everything you read,” I said, winking at her. Lacey Vance was a buttoned-up blonde with her hair pulled back in a severe ponytail. Her smile was as tight as her suit.

“Actually, most of what I’ve heard came from Bruce,” she said.

I laughed and shook my head.

“Well, in that case, maybe I should start by apologizing for any stories you might have heard.”

“It’s not all bad,” she said. “Why don’t you come into my office? I have a few minutes before my next meeting.”

Her’s was the biggest corner office on the floor and she closed the door behind u

s, sitting at her desk. I looked around, realizing I was sitting in Bruce’s old office.

“What brings you here today, Mr. Dalton? I certainly hope you’re not in any legal trouble.”