His Beautiful Revenge

1. Chapter One-1

1

Chapter One

The phone’s shrill ring broke across the bookstore. Zulika waved the receiver.

“Lucian,” she yelled across the room. Norah didn’t notice the man sitting at the corner table and the way he stiffened at Zulika’s words, his attention caught. Norah grinned at Zulika as she took the phone from her.

“I’ve told you before, me Norah, him Lucian.”

Zulika poked her tongue out good-naturedly at her friend.

“Ha ha.” She walked away, swatting Norah’s butt with her hand.

“Hey, you,” Norah glanced at the clock on the wall of the bookshop.

“Hey, doll,” Lucian sang cheerfully. “It’s Friday, work’s out, and I’m in the mood for some quality time with you. Are you going home soon?”

Norah grinned, caught up in his mood. He sounded more cheerful than he had in months. And wanting to spend time alone with her? Rare, she thought to herself, what was up with him? But she didn’t want to waste his good humor.

“Yeah, very soon. Just gotta clear up some stuff-then I’m all yours. You cooking?”

They both laughed. “Pizza it is, then,” Norah said. “I’ll pick it up on the way home. Do we have beer?”

There was a pause. “Well, we did until last night.”

She rolled her eyes. “Okay. Hey, did Ziggy eat his breakfast?” Ziggy was their ancient St. Bernard crossed with a barrel on legs. Lately he had stopped eating so much.

“Yep, all of it.” Lucian sounded like a proud daddy.

“Oh, good. O Okay, be home soon.”

“Love you.”

She hesitated, then smiled. “Love you too.”

Norah went back up to her little office above the bookshop. Her freelance graphic design company—consisting of just Norah and her uber-organized work ethic—was beginning to take off and she found herself spending less time in the bookstore she ran with her almost-sister-in-law and best friend, Zulika. It was a blessing and a curse, she thought now as she glanced through the endless emails she’d received. As much as her first love was art and design, she loved the laid-back pace and friendly atmosphere of their San Francisco store. Now that Russian Hill was an up and coming “hip” area, their clientele had tripled in the three years they had been open. The store, all dark wood bookshelves and large, comfortable couches, had added a coffee machine in the last year, which had drawn many people in, and they had recently expanded into the empty store front next door, adding tables where writers could sit and work. Ziggy also took up residence, making friends with the customers and their dogs.

Norah, at twenty-eight, was completing her Ph.D. in graphic design part-time as well as working, and sometimes the work seemed overwhelming. She wondered if she had missed the signs that her relationship of five years with Lucian Hargity was beginning to unravel and whether it was her fault for working too hard. She’d even said as much to Zulika—Lucian’s step-sister—but Zulika had merely rolled her eyes. “If my brother can’t handle a successful woman, that’s on him, not you.”

Zulika and Lucian were not close, but Norah and Zulika were, and so Zulika put up with her brother. Her mother had married Lucian’s father after both being widowed, but the marriage had been a disaster and lasted less than five years. It had cost Zulika’s mother her health and when she died, Zulika went to her best friend for comfort: Norah. The two had met in college and become as close as sisters; they’d earned the name “the twins” because they were always together. Looks-wise, the only thing they shared was their long, dark hair. Norah, with her dark beauty inherited from her Indian mother, dark brown eyes, and soft, warm smile, was tall and curvaceous, whereas Zulika, her sapphire-blue eyes large behind black-rimmed spectacles, was athletic and slender. They shared a silly sense of humor as well as sharp intelligence and street-smarts. Despite never being apart for long, they enjoyed each other’s company.

Norah considered Zulika her family and when she had met her step-brother, Lucian, it seemed the orphaned Norah had found her family. It was only later that she discovered that Zulika had been dismayed at the relationship between her best friend and step-brother. It had bugged her ever since, but to Zulika’s credit, she had never bad-mouthed Lucian to Norah or interfered in their relationship.

Five years later, and Norah felt as if something major—something bad—was about to happen. Lucian had been distant, distracted, and even cold. They rarely made love anymore, both exhausted from work. Lucian worked for a major PR company in the Bay Area and his work often took him down to Los Angeles or over to New York. Yes, that was it, Norah told herself, it was work …except …She knew from Zulika that Lucian was relatively junior in his role. At thirty-one and not long out of college—where he had struggled to maintain higher marks—he was still working his way up the ladder. Norah wondered if all of his trips were actually work and not …

No. Stop thinking about it. An affair? Norah was horrified by her own thought process. She would rather think the worst of him than accept that his trips were genuine. It wasn’t fair to Lucian. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was treading water with her.

She pushed the thought out of her mind—something she had a lot of practice with—and it wasn’t until there was a soft knock on the door that she looked up from her work. The sun was getting low in the window and, for August, that meant it was getting late.

“Yes?”

The door opened and Lucian stuck his dark blonde head around it. “Hey, you.”

Norah was surprised. “Hey …I thought I was meeting you at home.”

“I thought I would surprise you—and say hi to my little sister. She’s serving a customer, so I thought I’d come up.”

“The store’s still open …sorry. I mean, hi,” she chuckled and kissed him. Lucian was a typical preppy archetype—handsome, well-maintained …bland. What had attracted her to him in the first place …Norah was ashamed that she couldn’t remember, but she knew she had loved him once. Now …didn’t all relationships turn into this? Friends with benefits? If you could describe their stale s*x life as a benefit.

They went back downstairs to see Zulika finally locking the store up. She grinned at Norah, half-ignoring her stepbrother.

“You will not believe the sale I just made; that complete leather-bound Dickens collection? Sold, baby.”

Norah’s jaw dropped. “The five-thousand dollar set?”

“The very one.”

“Holy moly …we’ve had that for years.”

Zulika grinned at Norah. “You wanna make out with me?”

“Always.”

“Okay, it just got weird.” Lucian pretended to be sick.

“Yeah, but if I wasn’t your sister …”

“Dude, stop. You really have no filter, huh?”

Zulika shook her head. “Nah. Not much of one. By the way, I have news. I have a date.”

Lucian and Norah looked at each other, then at Zulika.

“Holy hell.” Norah’s eyes were wide.

“Did the skies darken?” Lucian checked outside the window.

“Oh, you’re both so f*****g funny.” Zulika gave them both the finger, but she grinned and chuckled.

“When’s the first date?”

“Tomorrow night. Oh, I was going to ask a huge favor.” Zulika fluttered her eyelashes at Norah. “It would be really nice if, say, I at least attempted to look like a lady. And seeing as I don’t own anything …”

Norah smiled. Zulika was always borrowing from Norah’s beloved collection of vintage dresses and Norah kept a few of them upstairs in her office for “emergencies” just like this one. “Yes. Here.” She threw her door key to Zulika. “Go nuts. Just don’t wreck it.”

Zulika kissed her cheek. “You’re the best.”

She and Lucian laughed at the speed with which Zulika scooted out of the door. Lucian shook his head.

“Poor guy doesn’t stand a chance.”

Norah grinned. “Who is it anyways? Not Rufus?” She looked hopeful and Lucian grinned.

“You wish, Reddy. How long have you been trying to finagle that? Two, three years?”

Norah tapped her head. “I’m telling you, it’ll happen. I know things.”

Lucian hooted. “Oh, you know things. Tell me, O Wise One, why do you want them to get together?”

“Because they are perfect for each other. Zulika is gorgeous, Rufus is cute, and he makes her laugh.”

Lucian’s smile was fond—and a little patronizing. “Is that really all you look for in a man?”

Norah flushed at the slight. “That …along with kindness and fidelity.” She couldn’t resist the snark and she watched something flicker in Lucian’s eyes. He didn’t rise to the bait though. “Come on, you. Let’s get home to the dog. Both he and I are starving.”

Norah relented a little. “I can rustle up dog-food pizza for both of you?”

Lucian laughed. “Yum. Now I’m really hungry.”

“Gross.”

That made him laugh even harder. “Let’s see, do I fancy beef chunks in gravy? Chicken in jelly?”

Norah made a gagging face. “Stop, please.” He laughed, caught her by the waist, and pulled her into his arms, kissing her tenderly. It was a sweet, loving kiss, but Norah felt herself tense up. Lucian noticed and his smile faded.

“Let’s go. I’m bushed.” He walked out of the door in front of her and got into his own car, not waiting for her to follow him on the way back to their Palo Alto home.

For a brief second, Norah considered not going home, staying there, pulling out the little temporary cot they kept upstairs for emergencies, and sleeping there. If it wasn’t for Ziggy …

Norah sighed and, starting her car, followed Lucian out of the city.