Pretty Liar (The Pretty Trilogy #2) Read online

  I’m stunned, my mouth unattractively gaping as I begin to move away. ‘You’ve seriously lost the plot.’ I raise my hands in frustration. ‘You’re nuts!’

  Almost jumping to his feet, he takes my hands in his. ‘Think about it. It will take the power from him. Marriage will protect you—’

  ‘Yeah, that sounds completely sane. Marry me to sort out your dad? Thanks, but I think I’ll pass.’

  ‘You’re not listening! I love you, want to be with you, and I know you feel the same.’ I dig my heels into the sand trying very hard to pull from his embrace, but he only tightens his hold, drawing me closer, gathering me to his chest. ‘Don’t fight me. The thought of never holding you, never touching you again hurts so much.’ His voice is a low, passionate plea. ‘I’m guilty of a lot of things, but I swear to you upon everything that I hold dear, I would never betray you.’

  Something inside unclenches—his words and body, the key to my calm. I relax unintentionally, the knot in my stomach dissolving as he draws my bunched fists down from my chest to my sides, slipping them to the small of my back.

  ‘When I discovered you’d left, I was so desperate,’ he whispers, ‘I don’t ever want to be without you again. I never understood what marriage meant until faced with losing you. Marry me, Kate, for no other reason than I love you and you love me.’

  ‘I can’t. I’ve only known you five minutes,’ I whisper. I can’t look at him, staring mindlessly at his shirt as it rises and falls with his rapid breath.

  ‘What does that matter?’

  ‘I can’t,’ I repeat. ‘I can’t jump from being fuck-friend to girlfriend and then to wife in the space of a couple of weeks.’

  ‘Those are just words, titles. The truth is, you’re part of me. You’ve wound your way into my soul.’

  ‘Be serious, Kai.’

  ‘I’ve never been more serious, or surer of anything.’

  I rest my forehead against his broad chest, I laugh softly. It sounds odd. Hell, it feels odd. I must be slightly unhinged. Lack of sleep, maybe?

  Releasing my wrists, Kai anchors his hands in my hair. Being close to him is dangerous, so tempting, his mouth hovering just out of reach. Yes, he looks tired. Exhausted, but he also looks sincere. Even as I think this, the thought is replaced by the realisation that I know fuck-all. A cheater is a creature I’ll never recognise.

  But knowledge, emotion, and desire are all very different things, and as he lowers his head, I know I’ll allow him to kiss me. My eyes roll closed as our lips touch and I savour the shape of his lips against my own, kisses that are soft butterfly wings of regret. I try to hang on. To think. To remind myself of all that he’s said. Done. I shouldn’t need to make the effort, ought to know the answer. I’ve been here before: pain, anguish and lies. This is a kiss goodbye.

  He pulls away, lingering with small, sweet kisses of reluctance as his hands cup my face. A tremor touches his full bottom lip as words spill from them and unravel my anger. Undo me totally.

  ‘You’ve opened my eyes, Kate, and I love you more than I ever thought possible. Love I didn’t know I was capable of. You placed your trust in my hands and I know I can’t be whole without it. Give me your love, desire and trust, sweetheart, or walk away.’ He steps back, his hands loosening as my vison blurs at his words. ‘I won’t risk a life full of half-measures now. ’

  Risk. Here’s the thing I know about risk: It leaves you exposed, vulnerable. Trembling and tie to a table. On the beach with your bloodied heart beating in another person’s hands.

  He said once only I could decide if we were worth the risk. If he was worth the risk. Then like lightening, clarity strikes my mind. The power and intensity of what’s between us, the danger and fear of loving so much, it all falls away.

  I answer him, and myself, by throwing my body against him, making him stagger against the sand. I wrap my arms, legs—wind my whole self around him—placing my lips and my fingerprints everywhere.

  His words are in my heart and in my head.

  I kiss him hard.

  I kiss him mine.

  I kiss him yes.

  Authors Note

  A holiday in Australia?

  A wedding?

  A return to Dubai?

  One and a half sets of reluctant parents.

  It’s not going to be plain sailing—will they get there in the end?

  Will Kais remember faint heart never won fair lady?

  Will Kate trust her instincts or always expect the worst?

  Find out what happens next in part three of the Pretty Series, Pretty Things.

  Please, please, please, for the love of KAI review!!

  US Mrs Amazon

  UK Mrs Amazon

  Goodreads

  Pretty Things available 14/10115

  Acknowledgements

  For M x

  Writing a book is a very solitary experience, but one that needs lots of scaffolding. With that in mind, I’d like to thank my family for being the supportive, though slightly unhinged characters that they are. I’d also like to apologise to my children for my very shifty behaviour around the computer. I know you know I don’t like anyone reading anything over my shoulder, but I definitely don’t want you reading this. Same goes to my mother: please don’t ask.

  Special thanks goes to Nan Kubicek for all the virtual hand holding and words of encouragement. It’s been a long road, but I got there in the end, thanks, Nan!

  Thanks also to Kathie Spitz for her editing services and helping me overcome my semi-colon addiction, Jess Molly Brown for her advice and words of encouragement and Yoli at Cormar Covers for creating another cover that I absolutely adore. Thanks also must go to Kelsey of Kelsey’s Korner Blog for being my cheer-squad of one!

  Finally, my biggest and bestest thanks to those of you who have read and will read Pretty Liar. If I’ve managed to make you laugh, then I’m glad. If I’ve managed to make your heart beat just a little bit faster, then I’m even gladder still.

  About the Author

  Hailing from the North East of England, Donna is a bit of a Bedouin, moving houses and continents more times than she cares to recall. A bit clueless rather than stateless, she once worked at a school like the one Kate works in. Alas, there were no Kai-a-likes floating about there . . .

  Contents

  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

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Table of Contents

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-One

  Twenty-Two

  Twenty-Three

  Twenty-Four

  Twenty-Five

  Twenty-Six

  Twenty-Seven

  Twnenty-Eight

  Acknowledgements

 

 

  chive.