Dangerous Beauty: Part One: Destiny (7 page)

Damn he’s beautiful
.

Carter cringed. “Yikes, good luck to him, parking spaces are hard to come by downtown, especially during the summer.”

“Oh, he just walked in. I guess he finally found one.”

Carter didn’t need to turn and look at him. The guy was Lucca’s cousin so she already knew he would be hot. She just focused on the task at hand. “Okay, I’ll get you guy’s drink orders, and his when he makes it through the crowd.”

Carter was looking down at her pad listening to Mickey order his drink while throwing pick up lines her way to see if they worked when she felt a big hand cover her shoulder.

Everything else in the room ceased to exist when she locked eyes with him.

It’s him! It’s actually him I can’t believe it!

And he was more gorgeous than she remembered! He was dressed casually in a red button down shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. His golden blond hair now a bit tousled, messier than it was when she’d seen him earlier that day, and he was huge! Carter was sure his height was somewhere between 6’5” and 6’6”. He was just plain beautiful. His presence completely overtook the room. He exuded power, and dominance, it was…overwhelming. Carter felt as if she was standing in the presence of royalty, of a prince. She felt drawn to him. She wanted to touch him, she needed for him to touch her, to kiss her.

Kiss me. Kiss me, please.

***

Nathan didn’t know what was happening to him. He was staring into the eyes of the woman he hadn’t been able to get out of his mind since he’d first saw her earlier that day, and all he could think about was kissing her. Her beautiful expressive eyes called to him, begging him for something. He wanted to hear her voice, but neither of them could speak. They were stuck, once again, in one of their silent conversations. Nathan needed more. He
wanted
more.

He moved his gaze from her eyes to her beautiful long, black hair. This was the hair he dreamed about touching and longed to feel it against his skin. His fingers entered her thick wavy hair and heard her breath hitch. So soft, so fucking soft, just like he knew it would be. His hand went from her hair to her face and he trailed his thumb across her bottom lip. When her pouty lips parted and her pink tongue darted out, gliding so perfectly across her bottom lip, Nathan was suddenly overwhelmed with the need to kiss her. He couldn’t necessarily understand what had come over him, but the need was too intense, the desire to feel her lips against his was too strong. He had to taste her.

Without thinking better of it, he brought his hand up and cupped her face while staring deeply into her eyes. After only a moment of nervous hesitation he leaned forward and kissed her. Something resembling a volt of electricity shot through his body and he let out a deep moan. Immediately, her lips parted granting his tongue entrance into her warm, wet mouth. Powerful waves of emotion surged through Nathan, making every nerve, every cell in his body come alive all at once. Slowly and softly he caressed her mouth with his tongue, savoring her sweet taste. One of his hands moved to her neck then he slid his fingers back into her soft hair. Her hands glided up to his face as their kiss quickly progressed from soft to passionate. Nathan gripped her waist with his free hand as she took a step closer, pressing her soft body against his, and bringing her hand down to grip tightly to his shirt. She moaned into his mouth.

Nathan’s entire body shuddered.

He couldn’t really describe what he was feeling, but he felt it everywhere, coursing through is veins. The emotions rushing through him while he kissed this woman were foreign to him, he’d never felt them before. All he knew was that he couldn’t stop kissing her, touching her, longing for her, and he didn’t want to. He lifted her body from the floor arms automatically left his shirt, and went around his neck as he deepened their kiss.

Her body was so soft, so warm, Nathan wanted to possess every part of her, but what sanity he had left whispered to him that this was neither the time nor place to take her the way he wanted to. He knew that this kiss was nearing the too hot for public zone, and he needed to calm himself before he lost control completely. So reluctantly, very reluctantly, he broke the kiss.

Catching his breath, he pressed his forehead against hers. He relished in the feel of her warm breath against his lips and gazed into her eyes, truly fascinated by the beautiful woman who had made him behave completely out of character since the moment he laid eyes on her. He wanted to know her. He wanted to know what made her laugh, or cry. He wanted to know her likes and dislikes, her dreams and fears, and he wanted to know it all, tonight. He didn’t want tomorrow to come without knowing she was his; without knowing that he could kiss her, touch her, or hold her anytime he wanted to. Although all of this surprised the hell out of him, he felt no need to think on it right now. All he wanted at this moment was privacy. He wanted to be alone with her. So he made it up in his mind that he was leaving the bar, and he was taking her with him.

He placed another kiss on her lips before he placed her on her feet. She looked up at him curiously, and Nathan loved that he could see exactly how she felt in her eyes. She didn’t even have to utter a word. So without speaking, Nathan offered her his hand and she took it without hesitation, letting him lead her through the crowd and out of Benny’s Bar.

Kyle, Lucca, Dante, and Mickey sat stunned and in silence.

“What the fuck just happened?” Kyle growled glaring at the door.

“I believe Nathan just took your girl, brother,” Mickey said slapping Kyle’s back and chuckling. “And he took her good, too. Right in front of your face,” he said laughing.

Mickey continued his laughter while Lucca and Dante rolled their eyes at the kid, and chuckled when Kyle elbowed Mickey in his side, knocking the wind out of him.

“She’s not my girl, dumbass,” Kyle said slapping the back of Mickey’s head while looking back toward the door. “I told you we’re just friends,” he muttered.

Lucca saw the jealousy in Kyle’s eyes, but he knew it was just Kyle’s pride. He knew that if Kyle had actually had any real feelings for the girl he would have been just as gone as Nathan was a second ago. Lucca smiled as he remembered the look on his cousin’s face when he saw Carter, it was one of recognition.

“It was her,” he said feeling genuinely happy for his cousin.

“What the hell do you mean, ‘it was her’?” Kyle asked, a frown still on his face.

Lucca brushed off his tone even though he didn’t particularly like it. “She’s the girl that Nathan saw when he and Mickey first arrived today,” Lucca replied.

Mickey’s eyes went wide and his brows shot up. “Are you saying that Carter was the reason why we were about to be attacked by a bunch of road raged housewives?” Mickey stopped and contemplated the possibility then nodded his head in agreement, “Yep, I can see that happening, Carter’s hot enough to cause a whole damn traffic jam.”

Lucca chuckled. “Yeah, she really is beautiful, and I understand now too. Apparently they made quite an impression when they first saw each other based on what we just saw here.”

Kyle snorted. “Yeah, right. What we just saw here was Nathan looking for his next lay, and I can’t believe my Carter fell for his shit.”

Lucca’s brow rose. “
My
Carter?”

Kyle waved off Lucca’s curiosity, and crossed his arms over his chest. “You know what I mean. I knew her first is all I’m saying.”

Mickey chuckled. “Yeah, well it looks like Nathan is about to get to know her very well, the lucky motherfucker. That’s why I hate that pretty bastard. He didn’t even have to try,” Mickey said smirking looking at the door shaking his head side to side. “He’s so fucking awesome.”

Kyle rolled his eyes. “Calm down on the hero worship, kid,” he said as he punched Mickey’s arm.

Mickey rubbed the sore spot, scowling at Kyle, “Screw you, Kyle. You’re just jealous.”

“I’m not jealous, you little prick,” Kyle snapped, glaring at his brother.

Mickey shrugged and took a swig of the beer their new waitress had just brought him. “You are, but if I were you I would be too, hell, if I were you I would have never brought Carter around us. I saw how you freaked out when she kissed me. That type of girl is dangerous for a man’s health. You can’t stay mad at her, you’ll want to do everything for her, and she can get anything she wants with a damn smile, trust me I know. Women as beautiful as Carter are rare man.”

Mickey continued talking seeing that he was pissing off his brother and wanting to piss him off more. “Now Carter, Carter is grade A sexy, top of the fucking line. I almost fell off my damn chair when I saw her, and as you heard, Nathan lost his mind when he first saw her. That’s why I
know
you’re not okay with this. You had her all to yourself, her attention and her admiration. She probably had a big fucking smile every time she saw you, and seeing how comfortable she is with you I’m sure she wasn’t afraid to be close to you either, or let you be close to her. So I take that back you’re not jealous, jealous is not enough to describe what you’re about to feel now that you’re not the only man in her life. You’ve already developed a craving for her attention, hell, I have and I just met her. And now she’ll be giving all of her attention, and more, to Nathan,” Mickey said with a smirk, enjoying picking at his big brother. The asshole shouldn’t have hit him so hard.

Kyle’s jaw clenched as rage filled him. He was about to seriously injure his brother if he didn’t shut the fuck up. “I don’t crave shit,” Kyle said through clenched teeth.

Dante laughed. “You might want to shut up, kid, your brothers about to kick your ass.”

Kyle was so close to seeing red it wasn’t funny.
Fuck Mickey, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about
, Kyle thought to himself. Kyle cared for Carter, yes, but he didn’t crave her. Just because he can be in a friendship with her that has nothing to do with sex doesn’t mean he craved her attention. Yes, he thinks about her even when she’s not around, and he likes to get her the post cards like her father did because he’s a good fucking friend. The only reason he got a little jealous when she gave attention to other men was because… Well he didn’t know why but he knew it wasn’t for the reasons his brother mentioned. Kyle calmed himself, the last thing he needed to do is kill his brother. His dad would probably be pissed if he did that.

“Like I said, Nathan is just going to use her like he does other women, I’m not jealous, I’m just worried. Carter is a nice girl, she doesn’t deserve that shit,” Kyle said achieving the calm he wanted.

Lucca frowned. “You’re wrong, Kyle, Nathan’s not going to use that girl. Have you ever seen him act that way before, have you ever seen him look at a woman like that, like the entire room was empty of everyone but them two? He didn’t notice we were here!”

Kyle frowned and looked back to the door wondering where they went, where Nathan would take her. He knew that Lucca was right. He saw the look on Nathan’s face, and no, he had never seen it before tonight.

“Yeah, I agree, take it from me kids, I’m pretty sure we just met our young heir’s wife,” Dante said, he pointed his beer at Kyle. “And I’m pretty sure you’ve known her for a year.”

Lucca smiled and nodded in agreement. “I completely agree. How long you think it will be before they walk down the aisle?”

Dante laughed. “You’re looking for another bet?” He nodded and thought about it while taking another sip of his beer. “Okay, I give them six months. In six months’ time she’ll be covered in diamonds lounging in a million dollar penthouse, with a staff at her beck and call and a bodyguard to escort her everywhere, it might be one of us,” he said chuckling at the possibility.

Lucca smiled. “Okay, okay then I give them one year. In one years’ time Carter will be lounging by the pool at the mansion Nathan grew up in or drinking lemonade in the garden Nathan and Aunt Anya built when he was a kid. Oh yeah, and probably the body guard thing too. What do you say, a thousand?” Lucca said waiting for Dante to agree.

Dante nodded and shook Lucca’s hand. “You’ve got a deal.”

“Oh yeah? I got three thousand that says she’s pregnant within the next year. Did you see that kiss? I’m pretty sure they’re already getting started on making Nathan’s heir right about now,” Mickey interjected.

Dante and Lucca laughed. “I’m in on that one,” Dante said through a laugh.

“Yeah, I’m in. I can’t wait to take your money on this one too,” Lucca said and they all laughed.

Kyle sat there watching them agree on their stupid ass bets with only one thought going through his mind…
What the hell is going on?

Carter didn’t know if this was a dream, but if it was then she didn’t want to wake up, like ever. His name was Nathan Salerno, he’s twenty-four years old, his father is Italian, and his mother was a Russian woman from Moscow. He grew up in a mansion that looked like a castle, which included a pool and beautiful garden full of various flowers that he and his mother created together before she died. He loved to swim, and he did it competitively in college. He studied martial arts, kick boxing, and boxing. He enjoyed going to the gun range, and he had a collection of baseball cards that are probably worth a lot of money. His favorite color was red, and his favorite foods were steak and any type of pasta.

Carter asked Nathan every question she could think of as they began to walk down the beach hand in hand. She was curious and wanted to know everything about him.

When they first left Benny’s, Carter was a little nervous. After all, she didn’t know what was going to happen or where they were going to go. All she knew was that she trusted him. She didn’t understand why, but she knew he wouldn’t hurt her like others had done in the past. Being with Nathan made her feel safe. It was as if they were connected, only she just couldn’t figure out why. Without even thinking twice, Carter had taken Nathan’s hand and left the bar. Why did she take the hand of a man she had only met today without hesitation? She didn’t know where they were going and she didn’t care. All she knew, and all that mattered was that she wanted to be with him, that she needed to be with him.

When they first left, he guided her through the people walking in the downtown area to the parking lot where his car was. He opened the door for her and Carter didn’t hesitate getting in, which was unlike her because she didn’t trust anyone. Her life, thus far, taught her that absolutely no one was to be trusted. Yet, there she was getting in a car with a man she didn’t even know.

Once they were in the car he took her hand in his, and they drove, in silence hand in hand with “Kiss Me” by Ed Sheeran playing on the radio. Carter moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. His scent was intoxicating, a mixture of fresh laundry and soap. She held tight to his large muscled arm and outlined his hand with her fingers. She then brought his big strong hands to her lips and placed a soft kiss on them. Before she knew it they were pulling into the parking lot and when he shut off the car he pulled her into his lap and kissed her breathless. His hands caressed her body like she’s never been caressed before. His touch sent electric shocks through her igniting desires she didn’t even know she had. She loved when his hands moved to her hair and his long fingers massaged her scalp, the sensations he created had her moaning into his mouth and longing for something she hadn’t longed for in two years. He seemed to be fascinated with her hair, his hand continued to explore her soft tendrils even as his lips moved to kiss her neck.

Carter was lost in a myriad of sensation, she thought she would faint. Her body was on fire,
especially
when his hands left her hair and cupped her breasts, squeezing and caressing them. She panted, moaned, and whispered his name as she straddled his lap. Her body seemed to move against his all on its own. Carter wanted to rip off his clothes and beg him to take her right there in that parking lot, but once again Nathan broke the kiss before they got to the point of no return. She wanted to smack him for doing that.

He looked into her eyes as he tried to catch his breath and said. “We should go walk on the beach.”  All Carter could do was nod yes.

“What are you thinking about?” Nathan asked smiling at her curiously, and pulling her away from her wonderful memory.

They were sitting on the beach. Carter sat between Nathan’s long legs with her knees to her chest staring at his gorgeous face while he messed around with strands of her hair.

She smirked. “I’m thinking about what happened in the car before our walk.”

Nathan laughed, and it was a low sensual laugh, one that made her body warm with desire. “Yes, I remember. You looked like you wanted to kill me when I stopped us, which I understand. I wanted to kill me too, but we should talk first, get to know each other.” The look in his eyes indicated he couldn’t believe the words had come out of his mouth. He pulled it together quickly. “And until we get to know each other, I have to stay away from those beautiful lips.” He ran his thumb across her bottom lip. “Because next time I won’t be able to stop.”

Carter bit her lower lip. She definitely didn’t want him to stay away from her lips. That’s just not fair!

“Okay, it’s my turn to ask you questions,” Nathan said to her in a deep baritone voice that dripped with sex.
Oh God
sex
. Why couldn’t she stop thinking about it?

It’s safe to say that it’d been a long time since Carter had gotten laid.

She knew she had to get her shit together. Taking a deep breath, Carter straightened her back. “Okay, ask away,” she said coolly.

Nathan stared at her while he decided on what question he wanted to ask. When he made up his mind he cleared his throat. “Okay, why did you kiss the rose?”

Carter’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You saw that?”

She didn’t know he had seen her kiss the yellow rose at Hope Garden. She really didn’t know that anyone had been looking at her. Carter blushed, she had never really shared the story with anyone mostly because no one ever saw her do it.

She looked up at Nathan and smiled, he was waiting for an answer but she was going to make him work for the more personal stories. “I’ll tell you that story after all the little questions, like my favorite color or food, stuff like that.”

Nathan frowned. “I don’t want to know the little things yet, I want to know why you kissed the rose. I actually need to know because… Well just answer my question, please,” he said still messing with strands of her hair.

Carter chuckled, he was really cute when he frowned. “No, Nathan we have to get the light questions out of the way before we get to the heavy stuff. Plus you said you wouldn’t kiss me until we got to know each other, and don’t know how much longer I’m going to let you keep me from getting what I want,” she said with a smirk. Carter knew exactly how to get him to forget that whole no kissing until we get to know each other thing.

Nathan looked at her with his brows raised and grinned. “Let me?”

Carter giggled and nodded. “Yes, let you,” she replied a smug smile on her face.

Nathan laughed loud. “You’re cute. You know that?”

Cute? I’ll show him cute.

Carter raised an eyebrow. “Cute huh?” She moved closer to his body so he could feel her breath against his neck as she whispered her words. “I can be very persuasive, Nathan Salerno. Especially when I want something, or someone.” She placed a soft kiss on his neck while her hand slid up his shirt. She moved her hand up his muscled abs and softly glided her nails downward and grabbed his belt. He licked his full pink lips and desire darkened his stormy gray eyes. She knew that at that moment he wanted to take her, right here on the empty beach, and she probably would let him.

His jaw clenched, Carter knew he was trying to hold on to his self-control, and she tried to hide a smile.

“You’re not getting out of the question, Carter. So stop trying to distract me.”

She chuckled, “Fine, ask me five questions to start with and I’ll answer them all.”

Nathan sighed and wrapped his arms around her body pulling her close to him. “Okay, are you from here? Who are your parents? Do you have family here? Why did you kiss the rose? And, oh yeah, what’s your favorite color?” he said that last one in a mocking tone.

Carter rolled her eyes, the asshole. She thought about each question and how to answer without revealing too much too soon. Her life was not exactly easy to explain and she didn’t want to scare him off, so she figured she should keep her answers simple.

“No, I am not from here. I moved here a couple years ago.”

Nathan looked at her inquisitively. “From where?”

Carter chuckled. “That’s another question, Nathan.”

“Not really. It’s an extension of the first one, and those are allowed,” he said in matter-of-fact tone.

Carter sighed. “Fine, I moved to St. Louis, Missouri when I was seventeen, then I moved from St. Louis to here when I was nineteen but closer to twenty.”

“Alone?” he asked.

“Yep.”

“Why?” he asked with a curious frown.

Carter shrugged trying to think of something to say without giving the real reason why she left St. Louis. “I wanted to live near the ocean,” she lied. She did love the ocean, but that’s not why she got the hell out of St. Louis.

“You’ve never lived near the ocean before?” he asked.

Carter shook her head. “Nope.”

Nathan kissed her forehead. “And your parents, how did they feel about their little girl moving so far away from home?”

Carter sighed trying to choose her words wisely. “I moved to St. Louis after my father died.” Truth. “Then worked and saved enough money to move here.” Semi-truth. “I have no idea who my mother is.” Lie. “And I really don’t have a home.” Truth.

Nathan looked at her. He could sense her fear and he was afraid to push her anymore, but he didn’t want to hold back from her. He didn’t want her holding anything back from him. She kept lying, he hated that. For some unexplainable reason he felt close to her, like they were past lovers catching up after a long separation. He wanted to share things with her that he had never been able to talk about. Something about her told him she would understand. He made up his mind to put her at ease by talking about something that has always been difficult for him to open up about.

His arms tightened around her body pulling her closer, he looked out at the ocean as he spoke. “Next week is the anniversary of my mother’s death,” he said softly. Carter wrapped her arms around his waist and her body melted into him as he continued to speak. “I usually disappear off to my mother’s childhood home in Russia every year. She left it to me, and I make sure to keep it in good condition. It was kind of my promise to her after she… after she was, uhh…” he cleared his throat and swallowed.

Carter could see it pained him to speak about his mother, but she wanted him to keep going.

“Please, Nathan,” she whispered. “Please keep talking.”

Nathan cleared his throat again and continued. “Next week it will have been thirteen years and I still feel the pain as if it were yesterday. I can’t talk about it with anyone because it feels like nobody can really understand how much I miss her, you know. She really didn’t deserve to die so young. I don’t know, it’s just not something I think I’ll ever get over.” Nathan’s chest tightened. He felt himself getting choked up. Carter began rubbing his back with her fingertips.

He heard her take a deep breath. “My father was murdered five years ago. Right in front of me.” The words rushed out of her mouth as if she had been waiting to say them for a lifetime.

Nathan’s body stilled and he looked down at her seeing that she curled into his chest, his brows furrowed. “What did you say?” he asked, maybe he didn’t hear her right.

He heard a soft sniffle and he felt Carter’s head shake side to side against his chest. “I don’t know why I’m crying. I didn’t even cry when it happened or when I left,” she said. Her voice was so soft he almost didn’t hear it.

She didn’t know what had come over her, she hadn’t cried like this in years. Five years to be exact.

Carter’s body began to tremble and Nathan grabbed her chin and tilted her head until he could see her face.

When her face was visible, Nathan’s body froze and he stared at her in shock. Images of a small girl with the same sad hazel eyes and tear stained face flashed through his mind and Nathan shook his head in disbelief.

It’s not possible

Carter sniffled again. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice small and soft. “I just wanted to show you that I understand, you know…how much it hurts.” Her sad eyes dropped as her tears continued to flow freely.

Nathan was still in shock.
It can’t be, it just can’t.
“Look at me, Carter,” Nathan said softly. And she did.

Carter. Carter… Steele?

Nathan’s brows furrowed as a memory made it to the forefront of his mind.

Nathan approached the girl slowly with a smile on his handsome little face. “Hi, I’m Nathan,” he said waving at her. The little girl gave him a small.

Nathan walked a little closer and without another word held out his hand for her to take. She put her tiny hand in his without any hesitation. Nathan held tight to her hand as he led her through the living room over to where his mother was standing and looked up at her, “Are you ready mama, Carter’s going to love the garden.” Nathan turned and looked at Carter. “I’ll give you a pretty flower and then you won’t be sad anymore, okay?” Nathan said looking into Carter’s sad eyes and moving her hair from her face.

But it’s not possible. Spook Steele’s daughter was dead.

Nathan couldn’t be sure if she was who he thought she was or if this was some freak coincidence. He couldn’t just ask her, if he was wrong he’d look like a complete idiot, but he had to know, this was just getting too crazy.

“Carter, I need you to tell me the story about the rose.”

Carter looked at him and she frowned, confused by the change in subject, but she had already told him about her father so there was no use for her to try and be mysterious now. “When I was three, I went with my father on one of his business trips. I don’t remember much, all I know is that the house was huge and there was this garden and it was big, bigger than Hope Garden.” Carter curled back into Nathan and continued her story while Nathan listened attentively. “I remember I was with a woman and her son, he took me out into the garden and gave me a rose because I was crying, and then his mother came up to me and told me to kiss the rose and the stars would grant me wishes.” Nathan wrapped his arms back around her and held her tight while she continued to speak. “I still do it because it’s one of the few good memories of my childhood that I have. I never got to go back to that garden even though I wanted to. I begged my dad to let me go back. I screamed and cried, ‘
please daddy I wanna see my bubby
,’ which is what I called the boy. I don’t remember his name, but I had lost my teddy bear during the trip, which is why I was so sad, and his name was bubby.” Carter let out a small laugh. “I called him my bubby because he let me lay on him and cuddle with him that day even when we fell asleep on the big white cushy swing. I will never forget that day as long as I live. I really needed the kindness that woman and her son gave me.” Carter smiled at the memory and looked up at Nathan. Carter rubbed her palm against his cheek and turned his face toward hers, looking at him with concern. “What’s wrong?”