Page 1 of Kindred Lies
Chapter 1
Amethyst strolled toward a quaint hotel with wide sweeping porches wrapped around a picturesque white house. It was more a bed and breakfast than an actual hotel. What made it even more appealing was it that had a private beach. As she walked through the parking lot she admired the waves crashing to shore in a mix of white and cerulean spray. Something about the lake or any body of water relaxed her. She closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of water in the air. Tranquility filled her and she felt at home when she had no real idea what home actually meant.
She opened her eyes and continued her trek to the main office. Once there she stepped into the air-conditioned office. A guy worked behind the desk and his gorgeous physique left her stunned and breathless. In profile his dark ebony hair flowed in unruly waves to the nape of his neck and matching stubble graced his chiseled jaw line. Teeth grazed full lips, giving the impression of irritation or perhaps just deep thought. Amethyst almost hated interrupting him, but she had been traveling a while and desperately needed a small respite in her room before starting her research. She cleared her throat to gain his attention. “Pardon me…”
The guy turned to face her immediately. He was completely focused on her, and once again, amazement filled her at the sheer male beauty before her. He glanced at her, surprise etched on his face, both eyebrows raised. He managed to shake off the shock with the blink of his eyes. Her lips parted and she lost all ability to breathe. Males should not be this breathtaking… He got up from the desk and sauntered over to greet her as if nothing momentous had happened. She fought for control and barely snapped herself together before he spoke. “Can I help you?”
Amethyst bit her own lip in appreciation. Muscles outlined his indigo shirt and his jeans hung low on the hips of his lean body.Damn it…Amethyst refused to be taken in by his charm or his stunning face. She set her hands on the counter and responded, “I have a reservation.” God had she ever sounded more pretentious? What the hell was wrong with her?
“Name?”
Amethyst still dazzled by his good looks voiced a bewildered, “Excuse me?” She really had to get herself together if she was going to be so affected by a mere innkeeper. Well, that is if he actually owned the inn… He could just be an employee.
“I need the name on the reservation.” His grin wide and amused as he leaned forward on the counter. His gaze trailed over her with open appreciation—his turquoise eyes appeared to sparkle with interest. Amethyst swallowed hard. No. He wasnotfor her…
She did her best to act with nonchalance as she replied, “Oh sorry I've been traveling for awhile and my mind wandered a bit. It should be under Amethyst S. Keane.” Great she already looked like an idiot and now she definitely sounded like one. The guy probably had females ogling him at random on a daily basis. She just went and joined the ranks of women falling at his feet. Awesome way to make an impression, good job Amethyst. She couldn't help berating herself. Most days she was on top of things. She’d had to be growing up with a mother who decided things on a whim, but for some reason this particular male before her turned her brain to complete mush.
“Your initials are A.S.K.?” The amusement once again filled his eyes as he studied her. “Does that mean I canaskyou anything?” His tone was light and almost affectionate. She had to be hearing things or perhaps she wanted to hear them. It was hard to be certain.
She could be wrong, but she believed this was an attempt to flirt with her. Amethyst didn't generally have a lot of available time so her dating life blew in the direction of nonexistent. He might prove useful in her stay here. That is if she could figure out how to make her brain work in his presence. If he was a local resident he might be able to help her with her research. Flirting back became her top priority. She batted her eyelashes as provocatively as she could muster and reciprocated his flirtatious banter. “Well that's sort of what I have under my byline in the magazine I write for. My mom must have known I'd be so inquisitive so she made sure I came with a warning label.” She didn’t tell him that she was the editor-in-chief and she actually owned and ran the magazine… ASK Magazine had been her baby and she’d started it as a junior in high school. That was…three years ago now. Starting a magazine at the age of seventeen was an ambitious task. Somehow she’d not only managed to do it, but had been successful in its implementation. It was a lot of work and she couldn’t love it any more if she tried. ASK was her life’s blood and it had made her a wealthy woman before she’d turned eighteen. At almost twenty she could pretty much do anything she wanted. The magazine was mostly digital, but could be purchased in print if a person chose to. In the era of instant gratification the digital outsold any actual print that could be made. She returned her attention to the male before her. If she wanted his assistance she had to be better at this flirting thing. Truthfully, she sucked at it and always had.
“So what's the S stand for?” he asked with a soft chuckle.
She sighed because she really hated to admit the middle name that her mother decided to stick her with. The initials only came in handy because of what it spelled out. Amethyst never liked her middle name and didn't see her opinion of it changing any time soon. “Solstice,” she grudgingly admitted.
He didn't react in the way she expected to her unconventional name. Instead he took a completely different direction with it and showcased his own inquisitive nature. An infectious smile filled his handsome face as he responded, “That's really interesting. Your mom believed in creativity when naming you. Do you have siblings? I'm sorry if this is too personal, but I'm curious if she could keep up with the lofty standards she set for herself.”
Amethyst shook her head back and forth slowly, dazed from staring directly into the mesmerizing blue-green pools of his eyes. “Sadly I'm an only child. It became clear early on she couldn’t create another kid as flawless as me and called it quits. Why try when she'd already achieved perfection.”
If she were to be honest her mother was very flighty and she didn't want to explain her mother's tendency for overreaction, often making self-professed drama queens look good in comparison.
“I can't say she was wrong in that regard, so far everything I see is ideal.”
“What can I say? I'm pretty close to perfect.” The tongue in cheek comment wouldn't stay in her thoughts and spilled out of her mouth before she could think otherwise. This trip could turn out to be rather fun. Provided her mother didn't pop in to spoil it. Lyoness Keane, had trouble staying in one place for long.
“You're mother must have been wonderful to have a daughter as lovely as you.” His lips twitched a little as he fought outright laughter.
Comments like that one just go to show how appearances can be deceiving. Growing up she had so many different 'fathers' she wouldn't know a real one if she saw it. Lyoness often found herself in 'love' with the first man who paid any attention to her. She knew her mother didn't have any strong feelings for the men in her life. They just played their part in helping to eradicate the loneliness. So, when it blew up in her face she would pack Amethyst up and move them on to greener pastures. Unfortunately, the pastures never got any greener. So ultimately Amethyst had no roots and didn't belong anywhere.
“Um, yeah, mom is beautiful.” That wasn’t a lie. Lyoness Keane was gorgeous and could have been a model if she’d chosen that as a career path. Instead she wanted to be pampered and found rich men to take care of her.
“I'm sure she is,” he answered keeping his tone amicable. “All right, let's get you registered.” He clicked a few keys on the computer in front of him. He glanced up and asked, “I have to ask, do you have a nickname? Amethyst is quite a mouthful.”
“No. I've always been Amethyst.” Maybe she should have a nickname, but that would imply she had friends who would use it. Moving around a lot didn’t help in that regard. After a while she stopped trying and kept to herself. That was part of the reason she’d been able to start her magazine at an early age. She didn’t do what normal kids did and it helped her forget how lonely her life could be.
He smiled and then winked at her as he hit a few more keys. “We'll have to remedy that while you're visiting us.” He scrunched up his eyebrows as he studied the screen. “Ah here you are. I see you're going to be with us for several weeks. If you run out of things to keep you entertained come back and see me.”
Amethyst eyes widened at his words. Did he just proposition her? No one flirted with her so openly before. Her earlier flirtation had seemed awkward and an anomaly. Did she want to see what this might lead to? She couldn’t recall a time she’d ever been so attracted to a male before. He was almost too beautiful it ached to look at him. After several minutes of silence he began to ramble shaking her back to the present.
“I mean I've lived here my whole life and I probably know more of the local attractions than you'd find on a website. God I'm messing this up. I'm Cooper and I'd love to spend some time with you while you're here.”
How adorable he believed he needed to explain. Amethyst liked him instantly and thought she would enjoy getting to know him better. She flashed him a reassuring smile. “It's nice to meet you Cooper.” She was a mess... “I'm Amethyst, but you already know that.” What more could she do to make herself seem any more scatterbrained? “Can I have the key to my room now?”
He had been holding it tightly in the palm of his hand. If she guessed right, Cooper didn't really want to let it go. He looked down at his hand and muttered with astonishment filling his voice, “Oh, yeah, that would probably help. You're in room thirteen. It's upstairs at the far end of the hall.” He handed her the key and he pointed to the open staircase next to the lobby.
“Thank you,” she replied as he dropped it into her hand.
“Enjoy your stay.” A disappointed look shadowed his eyes.
