Flawless - Manhattan Knights Series Book One Read online

  COPYRIGHT 2017 PRISM HEART PRESS

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  COVER DESIGN: Pink Ink Designs

  EDITING: Rebelle Editing

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or, if an actual place, are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control and does not assume and responsibility for author or third-party websites or their contents.

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  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  To Brandon Redgrave:

  You inspired me to write.

  Description

  Life can change in the blink of an eye. No one knows that better than Lily Tate…

  A chance encounter with a tall, handsome businessman, throws Lily’s organized world into disarray. After witnessing her dad’s murder when she was fifteen, she keeps men at a distance, reluctant to love or be loved – scared that she wouldn’t survive another loss. Tormented by nightmares, and racked with guilt, Lily struggles with the onslaught of emotions that accompany this enchanting stranger.

  Alexander Rhodes is the whole package - intelligent, gorgeous, and wealthy. From the outside looking in, his life is perfect, but he learned the hard way not to expect loyalty or love from those around you. Success comes at a price. Xander is determined not to make the same mistakes again, but a breathtaking beauty forces him to throw caution to the wind, and win her love.

  A chance encounter; two broken souls; explosive consequences.

  Will Xander and Lily be able to heal each other’s wounds, or will their past spill into the present, extinguishing any chance of a future together?

  Flawless is a sexy, sassy, and elegant take on a classic fairytale - the endearing knight in shining armor, intent on conquering the heart of his fair maiden… no matter the cost.

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  Social Media

  Sneak Peek

  I met my soulmate on an average Monday, on my way to the library at Columbia University, just after picking up a coffee with my best friend and roommate Addi. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that your life can change in the blink of an eye, when you least expect it…

  I grew up on a ranch in Texas, spending most of my childhood riding horses with my sisters, and following my dad around as he worked the ranch. He and I were thick as molasses, inseparable, the best of friends. He was my hero, but unfortunately, he wasn’t invincible. Two weeks after my fifteenth birthday, my father died, and my life imploded. Everything I knew - gone. My dad came to pick me up from the movies, and never made it home. I will never forget that night as long as I live. Even if I tried… my nightmares wouldn’t let me.

  A year later, my mom sold the ranch and moved us to New York to be closer to her family. That move altered my path in so many ways; I thought my life was ending, but it was just the beginning of the journey that would lead me to him.

  I’m not really a morning person, but when the aroma of coffee and fresh baking fills my room in the mornings, Addi manages to convince me of life before noon! I pad barefoot down the hallway of our New York apartment, trying to tame my bed-hair into a messy bun, which is almost impossible. Her voice sings out in the morning silence, full of excitement.

  “Of course we’ll be there, we wouldn’t miss it… can’t wait… see you Friday.”

  As I round the corner, I’m happy to see her alone, throwing her phone onto the couch. I ask a question I know I’ll regret. “Who’s WE, and what wouldn’t WE miss?” The irritation is clear in my voice.

  “Morning, grumpy, that was Jason. Remember him… opening his own restaurant, devastatingly gorgeous, loves men more than I do?” Okay, so she’s going for snide this morning.

  “Hilarious. What’s going on?”

  “I was just checking. You seem to have your nose so deep in the books lately that I thought there might not be any space left in that brain of yours to remember life in the outside world.” She starts jumping up and down when she remembers she has news. Talking at lightning speed, her voice becomes incomprehensible. “Well… you know the restaurant will be opening officially next week – but - everything is fitted out and Jason is throwing a party on Friday night for some friends and the NY elite! He wants us to come. Maybe I’ll find myself a dashing CEO to party with this weekend!”

  Typical Addi. When it comes to guys, she has a one-track mind - $$$$$$. Maybe a two-track mind - she also has a tendency to think with ‘little Addi’ a lot of the time, too.

  “I told him that we would totally be there, Friday at 8 p.m.”

  “Thanks for asking, I’ve got no plans, and I’d love to go.”

  “Wow you’re moody today, what crawled up your ass last night?”

  “Sorry, you know I’m a mean girl before coffee. Prep for finals is getting to me, and I’m still trying to get this damn thesis finished. Of course we’ll go. I wouldn’t miss it. Anyway… what’s cooking? Smells amazing.”

  “Your favorite - Banana nut muffins. There’s a fresh pot of coffee waiting for you, too. Don’t say I’m not good to you.” I grab a muffin, still warm from the oven, a giant mug of coffee, and head back to my room.

  I team my favorite skinny jeans, grey needle cord, soft, stretchy, and complementary to my curves, with my faded tight Superman T-shirt. I’m ready for a day locked in the campus library with William. I’m sure today will be the day I get my thesis finished – Sexuality in Shakespeare. I’ve been working on it all year, becoming an almost permanent resident in the library.

  Addi is running around like a headless chicken, zigzagging from room to room. “Hey, Lil, wait up! I’ll tag along - got some stuff to do on campus.”

  “Professors won’t flirt with themselves!” I shout down the hallway.

  “Very funny, just sit your skinny ass down and wait two minutes.” Ten minutes and a makeover later, we’re out the door.

  The sun is splitting the skies as we enjoy an unusually ple
asant and leisurely walk to campus, stopping for coffee-to-go at our favorite café, before heading our separate ways for the day with a plan to hook up for dinner. It’s Addi’s way of making sure I leave the library and interact with the outside world. She’s a firm believer in the saying – all work and no play makes Lil a buzzkill.

  Addi Warner has been my best friend since sophomore year in high school, when I moved to New York with my family. We sat next to each other in first period English, and have been inseparable ever since, coaching each other through it all - first kisses, dates, and broken hearts. The woman is ridiculous; tall with model proportions, black sleek hair that hangs down her back like a waterfall, and the deepest blue eyes. Not enough of a winning hand to be dealt - she’s also intelligent, funny, and caring. If not for the fact that she’s hands down the best person I’ve ever met, I’d hate her guts! She’s the only reason I had any kind of social life at high school, and why I remotely registered on the cool crowd’s radar.

  Me on the other hand… how would I describe myself? I’m tall, but not in a model kind of way, more of an ‘I feel like a lumberjack’ way. My mom would always say I have a classic hourglass figure, however, standing in front of the mirror in my underwear, I would say my butt and hips are disproportional to my waist. My chest is... ample, and my legs are long but kinda gangly. I don't paint a great picture, do I? When I'm dressed up for a night out, I can work what I have, so I'm fine with it. My hair is long, blonde, and wild, but a styling wand can make it killer! My forest green eyes are my best feature – something I’ve always been complimented on.

  Anyway, back to the reason you're reading...

  The doors of Butler Library are in sight. Juggling my books, bag, and coffee, I’m lost in thought. As usual, I’m so caught up in my own head, oblivious to my surroundings. I don’t even know what hits me. The concrete beneath my feet disappears, the world turning upside down as my vision blurs, and the sky is all I see. Coffee soaks into my pants, a burning sensation spreading down my leg. As I watch in slow motion, bracing myself for impact, my papers flutter down around me like butterflies in spring… but the pain of my body smacking to the ground doesn’t come. It takes a moment to register the man looming over me, holding me just shy of the ground with one arm, the other hitting the harsh sidewalk. I stare in disbelief as a trickle of red runs from beneath his palm, dripping onto the vast expanse of gray.

  “Oh shit! Are you okay?”

  I must have hit my head, because the voice speaking to me right now is smooth like silk, almost angelic – with a rich breathy tone of sin itself. I struggle to focus as I’m lifted, and set down on my feet. He holds me firm against his chest until I’m steady enough to hold my own. Luckily, he didn’t let go. When my eyes glance from a firm chest… up to his face, my knees buckle at the sight before me. Six inches away from my lips is the most attractive face I have ever seen; and I’m not talking in ‘real life,’ I mean EVER.

  Chiseled cheekbones, a perfect nose, full lips that look capable of wicked, wonderful things… and his eyes - I feel like I’ve been punched in the chest with the force of feeling his eyes stir inside me. They are the lightest blue, almost sparkling silver, made even more spectacular by gorgeous dark hair, with a slight curl to it. My fingers itch to touch it, but I return from my blatant daydreaming by his voice – sultry, yet commanding.

  “Are you okay? Are you hurt? I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention… stupid phone never stops ringing.” Oh. My. God. My brain is broken. I can’t speak. I just stand here looking like an idiot, begging my mouth to comply with my mind. I want to say that I’m fine and it was my fault for being completely oblivious - as usual, but what comes out, is something else entirely.

  “You’re perfect.” Shit! Did I just say that? Please, tell me I did not just say that. What the actual fuck?

  He begins to chuckle, and it’s the sweetest sound to ever grace my ears, it makes me tingle in ways that I couldn’t describe even if I wanted to. Then I realize he’s laughing at my ridiculous outburst. I tear my gaze from him and drop to my knees to grab my stuff.

  “Let me help you with that, Miss…?”

  “Lily… my name is Lily Tate.” My cheeks are on fire. He drops down next to me and starts gathering my thesis. “You don’t have to help, I’m fine.” Lifting the loose pages, he scans the text, before stopping dead.

  “Sexuality in Shakespeare. You don’t strike me as the type…”

  What did he just say to me? I’m not the type to what? Be interested in sexuality? I know I’m a walking disaster, and he’s way out of my league, but where does he get off saying something like that to a stranger? “Well, as you know nothing about me, and we’ll never see each other again, I guess it doesn’t matter worth a damn what I strike you as.” I grab my papers from his hand and run toward my building.

  I can hear his footsteps behind me, trying to catch up without running. I’m sure he wouldn’t want to ruin his perfect hair and expensive suit by running after the likes of me. He’s probably never had to run after a woman in his life - not with that face. I refuse to look back; I’ve endured enough embarrassment for one day.

  “Miss Tate, please stop for a moment.” He grabs my shoulder, sending a jolt of electricity straight through my body.

  “Don’t touch me.”

  I disappear through the double doors and into a sea of students - hidden from the stranger doing unfamiliar things to my insides. I can still hear his voice shouting for me to come back, but I can’t let myself turn round, so I just keep walking, relieved to be away from his intense stare and judgment - choosing to ignore the churning in my stomach at the realization that I’ll never see his stunning face again. It’s for the best; someone like me does not live in the same world as someone like him.

  My day is a complete washout. I won’t get my thesis finished. I can’t concentrate enough to study, and every time I try to get my head together, I’m assaulted by visions of sparkling ice-blue eyes.

  No matter how hard I try to focus, he is all I can think about - the tingling sensation that coursed through my body at his innocent touch. I have never experienced such intense attraction before; such raw lust towards anyone in my life - not even an ex-boyfriend. It’s a foreign and unwanted development. I liked my high school sweetheart. He was my first love, but we never took that last step together. It’s not that I wasn’t interested in sex; I guess I just wasn’t ready when we were dating. I couldn’t get past what happened that night, then I left for college, and we went our separate ways amicably. I’ve been on dates in college, but no one has ever made me really feel anything sexual in the core of my being. In all honesty, I’m in love with literature, and have been striving to do the best I can here at Columbia, and there hasn’t been anyone that I felt warranted being a distraction. How pathetic am I? Married to my books is what Addi says. She’s always teasing that I won’t be the crazy old cat lady - I’ll be the crazy old book lady, surrounded by thousands and thousands of books. Doesn’t sound too bad to me!

  I decide to call her and meet up earlier than we’d arranged - I’m clearly not going to make any progress in the library. When I rummage around in my bag, I realize my phone is missing. I know I had it when I left the apartment this morning, and then it hits me - I must have dropped it outside in South Field when I knocked into Mr. Opinionated. I grab all my crap and head out to see if I can find my lifeline! I spend a good thirty minutes checking the grounds, but with no luck. Of course! Why do I think this day will cut me some slack? I know where Addi will be at this time of day, so I’ll just go to the student bar in search of her. It doesn’t take me long to track her down.

  “Oh my God! It’s the first sign of the apocalypse. Lil is out in daylight. Has the library burned to the ground?”

  “Very funny. Just what I need; your smart-ass remarks. Like my day hasn’t sucked enough already.” I sit down next to her and the latest victim of her charms. I honestly don’t know where she keeps finding new guys to crush on. I do
n't think I’ve ever seen her with the same guy twice.

  “Aww, poor baby. Tell me what’s up and I’ll turn that frown upside down, even if I have to get Jeff here to hold you up by your ankles!” That gets a hint of a smile on my face. I know she’ll give me no end of grief about my morning mishap, but I need to tell someone, just to get it off my chest - and maybe stop myself from obsessing about him.

  “Okay, okay, here goes nothing” I relay the whole story, from my lack of awareness, to the painfully embarrassing outburst of “you’re perfect,” ending with me running away like a twelve-year-old after shouting at him for making an observation. Her face contorts trying to stifle the inevitable laughter… until I describe the way his touch affected me. Her face drops, her jaw slack, all hint of amusement gone.

  “Oh my God, Lil. It really is the end of the freaking world! Not only are you out during the day interacting with other humans, but you met a guy who makes your panties tingle.” She snorts, clearly proud of her snide remarks. Why am I friends with this girl? “What’s this guy’s name?”

  “Did you not hear the story? I didn’t wait around to find out.” I’m subjected to a ten-minute lecture on how moronic I am for not getting a tattoo of his name and number, and something about thinking less with my giant brain, and more with ‘little Lil.’

  She does a pretty shitty job of taking my mind off of the beautiful stranger that has taken residence in my head, teasing and berating me all afternoon, and throughout dinner at our local diner. Little did I know, he would infiltrate my dreams that night, and every night since: Stunning, ice-blue eyes staring down at me, lush dark hair and lips made for sin, tending to my every desire.

  I wake with a start, tangled in my sheets, a warm tingling sensation all over my body. I’m damp between my thighs, my cheeks flushing with the realization that I’ve just had a sex dream about a total stranger. A run in Central Park is the only answer right now. I pull on my yoga pants an old top, grab my sneakers and I’m off. I’ll figure out a new phone later, and catch up on the work I didn’t get done yesterday.