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22|Stardust
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Beautiful Disaster 23|The Problem With Fire
While Austin was wheeling and dealing down the hall, Marybeth stirred to life, yelping when she found a tiny-sized human sitting on the floor, gawking at her.She'd taught tiny-sized humans for seven years, hung out with the lonely and bullied during breaks, and started a music band with a few on Wednesdays. She just never had one sit and stare at her while she slept, as if she was holding a seance or summoning something scary."What is it?" Austin dashed into the room, a puzzled frown creasing his brows.Marybeth pointed at the brown-haired girl sitting cross-legged on the floor. "I'm sorry. I opened my eyes, and she was just staring at me, and I freaked out because I wasn't expecting anyone.""Orlando, we've talked about this," Austin gently admonished the little girl. "You can't just sit there and watch people sleep.""But you said I shouldn't disturb her, and I was just making sure she doesn't have nightmares. I get nightmares when I'm in a new place," Orlando explained, her roseb
Beautiful Disaster 24|Work Of Art
Marybeth had barely made it inside when she felt Austin's powerful arms on her, slamming her to the wall as he claimed her mouth in another torrid kiss. Within seconds, she was panting and purring his name again, the heat in her core, needing only one thing to get her out of her misery. As if he could see into her x-rated thoughts, Austin lowered his hands, pressing her firmly close to him as he sensually rubbed against her, the girth and length of his erection driving her wild with need."Tonight," he murmured."No!" Marybeth gasped, pushing him away, when she heard the faint sound of a door slamming shut somewhere in the house."Not tonight. Not ever!" she reiterated as she fixed her clothes.She returned to the living room in time to see Orlando walk down the hall in her unicorn onesie and matching slippers."I'm ready to set the table, Ms Tyson," she announced, showing off her clean hands.Marybeth gently patted her head, "Can you give me a second? But you can get started in the m
Beautiful Disaster 25|Beginnings And Endings
It wasn't one business meeting for Austin, but two.The first was with his lover—well, soon-to-be ex-lover—in Lavender Hills, a private estate on the edge of Pelican Surf.Benji drove into the underground parking of a modern, high-tech luxury apartment complex and parked in their usual spot. Arno offered to escort Austin upstairs, but he politely refused. Breakups were hard enough without an audience."I've got this," he assured his men as he left the car and dashed inside the building, stepping into the elevator just as an elderly couple was about to shut the doors.He reached the fifth floor too soon. Elektra answered his knock too quickly. The moment the front door banged in place, she was all over him like a bad case of poison ivy rash, kissing and undressing him."Stop it!" he growled, pushing her away from him."What's going on?" she asked in a small voice, hurt flickering in her eyes. Austin couldn't bring himself to feel bad for her, though. She knew when they signed their agr
Beautiful Disaster 26|Too Close To The Flame
"Jesus Christ!" Benji whispered in disbelief at the chaos in the room."He asked for it," was all Austin would say on the matter.Years ago, he declined to take over the security branch for this very reason. Reinforcing, collecting debts, and settling old scores often got bloody and messy. Blake, though, the ever bloodthirsty bastard, relished this side of the business.Arno stepped into the back office, looked through the safe and took exactly what was due to them, leaving the rest."Let's go," he said. "The cleanup crew is on the way.""At least the bastard went out with a bang," Austin mused, stepping over the bouncers' bodies. "Good thing we didn't interrupt his fuck fest."They left the same way they came. As they pulled away from Cruise Control, Austin took off his soiled jacket and dumped it beside him."Find the stripper," he told his men while he sent an urgent status update to his father and the consigliere about the mess with Amos."I'm on it," Benji replied.Half an hour l
Beautiful Disaster 27|Could Love You—Part 1
Marybeth was sore. Not in the 'I need to call the doctor' sore. But the 'I've been thoroughly ravished by my husband, and I still want more' sore.When her alarm went off promptly at 05:00 AM, she pushed the covers away, making as little movement as possible. She didn't want to awaken the sleeping beast beside her. But there was no need to worry about Austin. He was already wide awake, judging by how alert he sounded when he draped his arm over her tummy, pulled her close to him and mumbled, "Just five more minutes."Five more minutes in Austin's arms sounded like heaven. But if she wanted to beat the morning traffic, she figured 5:00 AM was the right time to start her day. Not a moment later. But his already-hard cock, as he gently pressed on her ass, was all the convincing she needed.For Austin's dick, she'd take shitty traffic."Make it count," she told him.And he did as he threw the covers over their heads and made his way down her body, kissing every inch of exposed skin, which
Beautiful Disaster 28|Could Love You—Part 2
"What is this?" Marybeth demanded."Our marriage certificate!""I see that, but why is my surname wrong?"Austin scoffed. "Wrong? You are mine, žena. You will bear my surname, and soon you will bear my heirs, too.""Are you insane?" Marybeth lost her shit, but was careful not to raise her voice; Orlando was still sleeping across the hall. "Bear your surname? Bear your heirs? What drugs are you on?""I'd be very careful with your next utterances, wife!" Austin warned her softly. "Traditionally, you should be staying home right now, and I should be filling your belly with our children. But I've had to fight the family to allow you to keep your liberties!""Liberties? Working is a 'liberty' in the Hawthorne family?" she asked, making air quotes with her fingers to show him just how ridiculous she found his statement. "Having passions that don't include being pampered and taken care of like a spoiled princess are liberties? Wow!""Beth," Austin tried to pull her in his arms again, but she
Beautiful Disaster 29|First Real Test
Orlando was her usual chatty self on the drive to Liberty Prep, harping on about everything under the sun, from her sleepover at Neli's the other night to Marybeth moving in with them.The planned grocery shopping trip, the same one Austin had invited himself to, was the morning's hot topic, garnering a lot of questions and commentary from Benji and Arno in the front."Everything okay, Boss?" Arno asked as they turned into Oakley Avenue, home to Orlando's private school."I'm fine!" Austin grunted. But he wasn't. Not after some strange man had called his wife to arrange a coffee date."You look like someone pissed in your cereal," Benji said as he pulled into a free parking spot."See you later, Daddy!" Orlando jumped out as soon as the car stopped and kissed him goodbye, before scampering off hand in hand with Neli.Austin checked the time on his Apple watch, grumbling under his breath when he saw he still had forty-five minutes to go before the parent-teacher conference."So?" Benji
Beautiful Disaster 30|By The Balls
An irritable Austin walked into his doctor's office almost an hour later. He would have gotten there much sooner, but all the traffic lights in the Central Business District were out. Rolling blackouts were back, and so was everyone's road rage."I was surprised to see you on my appointment list today, Hawthorne," said Dr Claudia Young as she pointed at one of the velvet scallop chairs reserved for her patients.Austin dutifully sat down, grumbling, "Nice to see you too, Claudia."He'd known her all his life, so there was no need for formalities and honorifics. She may be a doctor now and deserved all the respect that went with the title. To him, though, she would always be bratty, annoying Claudia, the little girl with pigtails who used to follow him, Blake and Tim, around when they were kids.Eric Young, Claudia's father, was the Hawthornes' primary physician for over three decades. Several years ago, following a heartbreaking diagnosis of early onset dementia, he was forced to hang
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Beautiful Disaster 293|Long Arm Of The Law
Beautiful Disaster 292|A Rare Gift
