Page 4 of Twisted Beauty

“Talking is overrated. Wait here, I’ll be right back.” Katie trotted back over to the SUV and leaned in the driver’s window. The darkened figure of the driver leaned toward her.

At the same time, a back door swung open and drew her attention to the passenger side of the truck. A man got out and slammed the door shut behind him. He reached for the front door, but paused to look toward Liv before opening it.

The sun was in her face so she couldn’t make out his features, but he had wide shoulders that tapered into a narrow waist, and clearly muscular arms. And there was something about his stance, almost a power stance, that made her wish she could see more.

Shit. She wrapped her arms around her waist. She’d only been un-engaged for two weeks and six days—not that she was counting—and already she was ogling some guy who was so backlit she couldn’t even see his face? What was wrong with her?

She wasn’t getting anywhere near another man. Not anytime soon, anyway. Maybe not ever.

It had taken her no more than a day or two after walking in on Grant and Jillian to realize she was the poster girl of serial monogamy. She didn’t know where she’d heard that phrase, or if it was even really a thing, but it made perfect sense. Once she moved out of her parents’ house for college, she’d spent the next ten years hopping from one bad relationship to the next, without ever taking time off to recover, or, god forbid, actually learn something about herself. At twenty-eight, she probably hadn’t spent more than a month or two on her own in her entire life.

That had to say something about her. Exactly what, she wasn’t sure. But it wasn’t good, and she wasn’t doing it again. Not this time.

She tore her eyes away from his big, hunky frame. She lifted her carry-on off the ground and slung it over her shoulder, ready to head inside. This was nothing a little tequila couldn’t fix.

When she finally looked up again, the man had already gotten back into the truck, and all she could make out were a couple of dark figures through the windshield as the SUV backed away.

Katie bounced back over to Liv, grabbed her suitcase, and rolled it toward the building’s entrance. “Let’s get you drunk!”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

2

Liv

Walking into Katie’s condo felt so familiar it was almost like coming home.

Liv had forgotten how many trinkets and collectables Katie had strewn all over the apartment they’d shared back in the day. Somehow this looked the same, even though everything in here had a distinctly Mexican flair.

It was a gorgeous condo, too. Comfortable furniture in muted hues, modern appliances, a sweeping view of the sea. Liv could hardly wait to get through those sliding glass doors and out onto the deck. But Katie was already wheeling her suitcase across the living room toward the back of the house.

She followed, getting a better look at some of the brightly colored statues and paintings. One watercolor in particular drew her in—a woman’s head attached to a fish’s body, almost like a mermaid but so much stranger. She stopped for a closer look.

“That’s Marta!” Katie said, glancing back. “Keep up, pokey. I’ll show you your room. I have to get you outside with a tequila in hand before sunset!”

“You named the fish lady?”

“Of course.” Katie shrugged, like it was a perfectly natural thing for anyone to do. “I pick up something artsy from every small town I visit. I always name it after one of the locals I meet on the trip.”

“So who’s Marta?”

“Oh, there’s no Marta. I just like the name.”

Liv let out a little huff of laughter as she followed Katie toward the bedroom.

Halfway down the hall, a small ceramic mask on the wall actually managed to startle her. Some kind of crazy animal demon, with turquoise horns and red eyes, glaring at her with its fangs bared. Liv shuddered. Thank god it was out here instead of inside the guest room, because there was no way she’d dare to sleep with that thing watching her.

“Chop chop,” Katie said as soon as she deposited Liv’s suitcase in the guest room. “Throw on your little red bikini and meet me on the deck!”

“It’s pink,” Liv muttered, only half listening. She was busy drooling over the bed.

It looked even wider than a typical king-sized mattress, topped with a pillowy purple comforter, and suddenly she didn’t care how nice it was outside. All she wanted was to climb in, pull the covers over her head, and hide in the dark until the pain in her heart went away.

She had no idea how long she’d been standing there when she heard Katie clear her throat. Liv looked up.

“Well?” Katie said, tapping her fingers on folded arms.

“Bossy much?”