Scarred Beauty Read online

  Evernight Publishing

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2012 Sam Crescent

  ISBN: 978-1-77130-094-0

  Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

  Editor: Karyn White

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  I want to dedicate this book to Evernight Publishing for taking a chance on me. You're a wonderful publisher and I'm so happy to have found a home for my work with you.

  SCARRED BEAUTY

  Imperfection, 1

  Sam Crescent

  Copyright © 2012

  Chapter One

  Isaac Welch watched as he fucked the nameless woman in front of him. He’d been out all night partying, and he’d picked up some random bird and was now screwing her brains out. His friend, Clark Welland, had his cock inside her mouth while Isaac fucked her pussy.

  The woman was a blonde, her name meaningless, as she was just another woman looking to score a rich husband. He’d seen the cheap design of her clothing and the way she responded to every man at the club, which was known for the rich clientele. For as long as he could remember women had been coming onto him in the hopes of stealing him away.

  The rich husband, the beautiful trophy wife and the lifestyle to go with it. Through the drunken haze Isaac felt himself begin to lose his erection. He spent most of his time working or fucking a faceless woman, and he was bored of it all. Bored of the same old dirty sex, the same old arguments with the board.

  Clark held her hair as he slammed into her mouth. Not bothering to try to regain his hard-on, Isaac pulled out of her body. She moaned in protest, but his friend kept her busy. Isaac made his way to the bathroom and looked at his reflection in the mirror.

  At forty years old he’d maintained a great deal of his youth. He had minimal lines around his eyes and mouth, and his hair was still the same jet black it had been as a boy. The eyes were the only difference. He saw the years of heartache and pain where once he’d been young, filled with the promise of sweet fairy tales. Now he held the bitter reality of what life was like. He knew what the real world had to offer. He knew the type of people who filled his life, and he hated every single aspect of his own life.

  The sound of the woman’s screams reached him, which could only mean Clark had finished her off.

  What had Isaac lost along the way? At forty years old he should be in the prime of his life with a wife and some kids. Instead, he ran a successful business, had several women he fucked on a regular basis, and nothing else. He refused to speak to his family, even though it had been over twenty years since he had last spoken to them. How could he speak to the man who’d left his first wife and son for a gold-digging whore?

  He fisted his hands at his sides as the old anger rose to the surface. The pain and humiliation had been too much to bear. Seeing his mother wilt under the scandal of being replaced still struck him down. The man he’d become had begun that night his father, Thomas, had come home and kicked his mother out. He’d told Isaac he was to stay, but he refused. On that night he’d vowed to make his father pay. In twenty years he’d been the creator of one of the most successful businesses in the world. Money was no longer a problem. His mother, Tina, lived in luxury and never had to worry about finding work. The life he led was perfect. Except something was missing. He didn’t know what was missing, but he knew it was there.

  The sound of the door being slammed interrupted his thoughts. Seconds later Clark stood in the doorway, naked and sweating. They’d long got over being naked in front of each other.

  “You missed a fine fuck. What happened?” Clark asked.

  Isaac shrugged. He had no idea. Women were a dime a dozen to him. He could have anyone at anytime.

  “I think I’m sick of this shit. It doesn’t matter what woman we have, by the end of the night she’ll be screaming as she orgasms. I’m tired of it. They all want the same thing,” Isaac said.

  “What is the problem with that? Every night we can have a different woman. You’re over-thinking it. Wherever we go, there are women falling over their feet to get in our beds.”

  “And into our bank balance. Don’t forget most of these want money and nothing else.”

  “So? We’ve got the money to give them some, and at least we still get free pussy at our ages.”

  Closing his eyes as the dull throb of a migraine began, Isaac tried to think past everything Clark was saying.

  “I’ve got to go,” Isaac said. Opening his eyes, he walked out of the bathroom, not bothering to look at his friend. He grabbed his clothes putting them on as best as he could.

  “Whatever. You’ll give me a call later to make sure you got back safely. I don’t want your death on my conscience.”

  Isaac agreed and left the penthouse apartment. He took the elevator down to the underground parking facility. The parking area was deserted. Isaac found his car, beeped the alarm and got inside. For several moments he stared straight ahead not wanting to do anything. Taking a deep breath he started the car, pulled out of the parking bay and left the building completely. The drive helped to clear his head. He’d booked the time away as he had an important dinner on Saturday. One of his half-brothers had phoned and requested they talk and get to know each other. Bradley Welch, the oldest of the gold-digger and Thomas’s marriage.

  He parked the car at his own apartment building and said good evening to the security guard before he made his way to the elevator to take him up to his floor. Owning the whole building meant he could come and go at will. Most of the other residents had a curfew to allow maximum protection.

  Minutes later he stood in his apartment looking in his liquor cabinet for something to keep him company. Sleep would be hard to come by with his thoughts running riot as they were.

  Taking out the bottle of aged whisky, he opened the bottle, poured a generous amount in the glass followed by a handful of ice. He took a large gulp of the fiery liquid before moving through to his kitchen. The fridge held a massive amount of food. Isaac took out some cheese and pickle spread and buttered a couple of slices of bread, then spread the pickle over, following it with the cheese.

  Forty years old, and besides his business he had nothing to show for his time. No family, just an endless supply of faceless women with one use: to fuck.

  He bit into his sandwich and took a swallow of the strong drink. Many married men wanted his lifestyle, and yet he disliked the way he’d turned out. Once he finished his sandwich, he poured himself another whisky and went to bed.

  Tomorrow he would have to face another aspect of his life he didn’t enjoy.

  ****

  “Brad, come and check my hair out,” Noelle said as she brushed her hair. The hair dye had been a new purchase and a new colour. Ultra Violet, or a deep red as she called it.

  “What the fuck have you done now?” her best and only friend and flat-mate asked as he walked into her room. He stopped, and unlike most people who gave her a look of disgust, Brad stared at her face without flinching. He was the only man to ever look at her with something other than disgust or pity.

  “What do you think?” She ruffled her hair with a smile.

  “Why have you changed your hair colour again?”

  The smile dropped. “I wanted to.”

  “I know you, Noelle. Why this time? Your hair is natura
lly blonde and beautiful. I don’t know why you keep changing it.” Brad folded his arms and glared at her.

  She knew he would expect a long conversation, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of talking about her low self-esteem. He already knew the reason she changed her hair colour on a regular basis.

  Without thinking she touched the right side of her face and winced. There was no pain, only the feel of the scarred flesh that went from beneath her eye down her cheek and neck, the scars she’d gained from a car accident over ten years ago. Brad reached out, took her hand and touched the scarred side of her face.

  “Don’t do this to yourself,” he said. He held her in his arms as she held the tears at bay. “One day you’re going to find a man who loves you for who you are. Not the way you look.”

  Noelle pulled out of his grip and turned away from him. She stared at her bedroom and around at the plain walls. For ten years she’d lived without looking in a mirror. The sight of her scars made her hate her life and what had happened to cause them. She never spoke to her family, as she couldn’t stop herself from blaming them for her ugliness.

  “I’m twenty years old. That crap about falling in love and finding a man who’ll love me for me is bullshit. You know that. I know that. So stop trying to fill me up with false promises.” She folded her hands under her breasts to try to stop herself from touching her face.

  “If someone can learn to love me then they can love you.”

  She wanted to shout at him. His situation had been different from hers. He would never carry around physical scars on his body. Brad, or Bradley Welch, had been sober for two years. He’d suffered with alcohol and drug addiction along with a gambling problem. When she listed the problems she could understand the comparison. She’d only lived with the scars down one side of her face and neck. Brad did have the hardest thing to deal with. Every day he had to live with the temptation always in reach for the substances he craved.

  Blinking back the tears she turned to him. “What do you think?”

  He moved to her side, ran his fingers through her hair. “You do know men will see past your blonde hair and full figure to see the woman underneath.”

  “All they have to do is get past the revulsion of the scars on my face.”

  “The hair colour looks lovely, but it’s not yours. You’re only hiding. How long will this one last?” he asked.

  “Until I grow bored.”

  “Or until another man checks you out, sees your scars, and recoils, as you’ve said many times before.”

  The first time a guy had checked her out, she’d been shopping for their groceries. Brad had pointed him out to her. Without thinking, Noelle turned round to see who’d been checking her out, only to see the guy change completely as he looked at her face. Since then she’d spent most of her time changing hair colour, which she miraculously did without the use of a mirror.

  Brad owned the only available mirror, and Noelle hated staring at it.

  “I’ve got a lunch date tomorrow. Are you going to be okay by yourself?” he asked.

  Rolling her eyes, she nodded at her best friend. “I can look after myself. I did a great job before you came into my life.”

  He kissed her on the head. “But I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to you. You should call your family.”

  “Why would I want to do that? I’m better off on my own.”

  “You think you’re better on your own curled up in an apartment all day?”

  “I get by. Besides, who is the date with?” she asked changing the subject.

  “My brother. I’ve not seen him in years, and I contacted him and asked for a date to talk to him.”

  She had heard him talk about his older half-brother. There was conflict between Brad’s mother and the older brother’s mom or something.

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” He kissed her on the head and left her room. Noelle played with a curl of her ultra violet hair. The colour had been a radical change. She knew it was a mistake, but she wouldn’t change it. Unconsciously she began to finger the line of her scar. The car accident that had created the resulting damage was still a blur. Her father hated himself, and because she blamed him, too, Noelle stayed well away from home. She hadn’t visited once in the two years since she left.

  Sighing, she lay across her bed, grabbed her book and began to read. Romances were her guilty pleasure. There was no book that she’d read where the main heroine didn’t get her man. Whether she might be on the fuller side or have something wrong with her, the men all fell in love, eventually.

  She fell asleep during the early hours of the morning with her romance book clutched between her fingers.

  Chapter Two

  Isaac sat waiting in his favourite Italian restaurant for his half-brother to show. He sipped the strong blend of coffee they were famous for and perused the menu. Meeting his brother after so long apart would certainly provide some source of entertainment. None of the dishes appealed on the menu appealed to him. Frowning, he placed the menu down on the work top as he looked around at the people inside the small building.

  He recognised few. The flirtatious gazes from women he was accustomed to. He couldn’t believe how much he’d changed in the last few years. So many women would welcome him into their bed, but none of them would see past his glamorous lifestyle.

  The moment Bradley Welch walked through the door, Isaac recognised him immediately. He’d been the oldest son of the next generation of Welches. Twenty years separated them in age. Staring at the man coming towards him, Isaac felt great respect for him. The challenge of contacting an older brother must have required great courage, especially since Isaac had publicly disowned his father’s new family many years ago.

  Bradley stood at the table.

  “Are you going to sit, Bradley?” Isaac asked.

  “My name is Brad, and I was making sure I’d be able to sit down.”

  Isaac nodded his head and watched as the younger man sat down. Isaac signalled the waiter over to take their orders. When they’d ordered a light lunch the two men observed each other, neither speaking a word.

  The waiter came and served them coffee, and placed their lunch in front of them.

  “Thank you for seeing me,” Brad said, the words breaking the ice.

  “I was intrigued by your message. I wondered what you could possibly want to see me about.”

  “Steps.”

  Isaac glanced over at him as Brad stopped the waiter from pouring wine into his glass. The restaurant always served the finest wine with every meal.

  “Why don’t you have some wine? I promise you it is quality.”

  “I don’t think serving wine to a recovering alcoholic is considered a great step on the road of recovery.”

  Silence met Brad’s admission. Isaac felt like an idiot. When he’d disowned his father and family, thinking about them had never entered his head.

  “How long have you been free of alcohol?” Isaac asked.

  “Three years from alcohol and gambling. Two years free from drugs.”

  “How old are you?”

  “I’m twenty-three.”

  “But I thought you were twenty,” Isaac said.

  “No. Mum and dad had me while he was still married to your mum. You left as they were moving me into the house.”

  The silence well and truly broken, Isaac stared down at his salad. The thought of eating it repulsed him.

  “I’m sorry to hear about your problems.” For too long he’d dealt in the business world where his emotions were not needed. Speaking with his brother was awakening something within him, making talking very difficult.

  “Don’t be. I’ve gone through shit, but I’m better now.”

  “I guess you better start from the beginning.” Isaac sat back, sipped his coffee as he listened to Brad inform him about his life. The steps to recovery and Isaac were part of a collection of people he wanted to get to know. He learnt the alcohol was only the beginning. His mum and
dad completely missed the drug and gambling abuse. With every passing minute, Isaac felt like a complete and total asshole of a brother. He’d been so convinced of his superiority and of his mother’s superior situation, he hadn’t thought the damage it could do to others around him. He’d known Brad existed but had failed to even give a shit about him. The other man had been dragged under by his position and had fought his way out.

  “What made you decide to quit and seek help?”

  “I met someone. I met a lovely young woman who showed me love and happiness can come from other places than at the bottom of the bottle,” Brad said with a smile.

  “Are you engaged to be married?” Isaac asked as he noted the other man wasn’t wearing a ring of any kind.

  “No. It’s nothing like that. Noelle is my best friend. We share an apartment together not too far from here. She’s amazing, but she has her own demons to live with. Anyway, you see, I’m gay.”

  Isaac waited for the food to be taken away before starting up the conversation again. The female friend sounded like someone who really mattered, so Isaac brought her up again.

  “I guess Noelle is one of a kind,” he said.

  “She’s the most amazing friend I’ve had. Throughout the rehabilitation process and the start of my new life she’s been by my side.”

  “How come you didn’t bring her today?” Isaac wanted to meet the woman whom Brad talked so fondly about.

  “I wanted to meet you in person, alone for my first time. She wouldn’t come out. She doesn’t like going out much.”

  Isaac noticed the vague answer from his brother but left it alone. Other people’s business had nothing to do with him. When his phone went off, he told his secretary to reschedule all of his appointments as he would be busy for the remainder of the day. Isaac was shocked by how much he wanted to get to know the man in front of him. The life Isaac led left him unsatisfied, and the only way to get out of it was to take charge and be the type of man he wanted to be.