CRAVING HER CURVES: The Complete Curvy Series

by Erin Havoc

  Liz whirls around like a hurricane. “Don’t you talk about Cherry! She’s too good for this family! And to think I brought her to share the load with me!”

  “Load? What load, Elizabeth?” Mom rolls her eyes. “The load of being a spoiled girl?”

  Bright red flares in Liz’s face. I step between them before this comes to violence.

  “I love her.”

  The two shoot knives at me with their glares. Dad bursts into laughter.

  “Dad!” Liz hisses, without taking her eyes from me.

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It’s just that you two are over-reacting again.”

  The three of us turn to him. I tap my chest, “Who are the ‘two’?”

  He waves off. “No, not you. Them,” he points to Mom and Liz then turns back to me. “I have eyes, Ty. I’ve always seen how Cherry looks at you.” He shrugs, “Then two years ago you started looking at her the same way. You two are in love.” He motions his hands with palms up. “There. They’re in love. What’s the problem with it?”

  I cover my heart with a hand. “Dad. I never took you for such a perceptive man.”

  He chuckles, “That is because these two are usually screaming at one another and I never have a chance of saying anything.”

  Mom scoffs. “Well!”

  Liz crosses her arms tightly over her chest, looking away. “Is it the truth? She’s always been in love with you?”

  “That’s what she said.” I point, turning to her.

  “I’ve never noticed. She never said anything.”

  “She never said anything because she was afraid you’d react exactly the way you did.”

  Liz sighs. “What a bad friend I’ve been. How could Dad notice and I don’t?”

  “In your defense,” I shrug, “I’m surprised Dad noticed.”

  Dad laughs again, pulling his phone out.

  Turning to Liz, I clear my throat. “I thought you were staying at the hotel? Then you wouldn’t have to see any of this. We’d tell you the usual way.”

  Liz presses her hands on her hips. “My battery died. Mom wanted to come here hell or high water.”

  “You know I hate that hotel franchise,” Mom points out.

  I point to Liz. “You should talk to her. She’s freaked out you won’t be her friend anymore because of this.”

  Liz groans, “This would never happen! Is my rep this bad?”

  She leaves, and I turn to my mother. “You will apologize, Mom.”

  Mom rolls her eyes. “Come on, Tyler. She’s stronger than that, she can take some words.”

  “You told her I sleep around, which is a lie. I don’t introduce girlfriends because I don’t have them, I’m always focused on the job. Do you really think I got on the board by sheer luck?”

  “No, but it’s hard to believe someone like you…”

  “Mom. Cherry’s had a rough life, and she has amazing achievements for someone her age. Someone her age who lost her parents so young. She’s amazing, and she’s gorgeous and she’s smart as hell.” I press a hand on my chest. “I love her. And I’m marrying this woman. Like it or not. So I do suggest you apologize for your insults and make all of our lives easier. Please.”

  To my surprise, she huffs, curls her fingers in fists, but leaves. To my bedroom.

  “Wow. If your lady wasn’t naked in there, I’d like to see her apologize.” Dad laughs, getting up. A hand of his comes to my shoulder. “Good words, Ty. You have a golden heart. Go get your lady.”

  And I do so. Because Cherry is everything I’ve ever wanted.

  15

  * * *

  CHERRY

  My heart’s still trying to escape my ribcage minutes later.

  I have taken hold of myself, found a fluffy white robe and snugged inside it. It’s Tyler’s — it’s so much bigger than me.

  And now I’m sitting next to the door, back against the wall, my hands in fists inside the long sleeves while I weep. Liz reacted exactly the way I predicted. Her mother’s way of freaking out was lashing out at me.

  I should have expected it. This dream was too beautiful to be real. Mrs. Pratt would never let me in family reunions again, and I’d never see Tyler again. Liz and I would go on awkward days for a long time. That is, if I was lucky enough for her to still stick around with me.

  Our friendship’s the most important thing in my life and I may have ruined it. I should have told her. Tyler’s right, I’ve been afraid. I’ve been afraid of standing up to it.

  Pressing the back of my head against the wall, I let out a deep breath.

  Get a grip, Cherry.

  I’m strong. I’ve been through some serious shit in my life. This won’t put me down. This can’t put me down.

  I’ll talk to Liz. I’ll come clean and ask for forgiveness.

  Her mother will be tougher.

  But fisting the robes in my hands, I nod to myself. I love Tyler. I’ve loved him forever. And now that I have a chance with him, I’m not letting this chance go.

  I want to have my cake and eat it too.

  The door cracks open softly. Liz peeks inside, her lower lip pouting.

  I shoot to my feet. “Liz. Can we talk?”

  She ambles inside, leaving the door half-open. Her lip is twisted to a side as she shoves her hands in her pockets.

  Liz blows out a breath. “So you two, uh?”

  Her question is so soft I can’t help but laugh. “Yeah. The two of us.”

  “I didn’t know he had a fucking jacuzzi.” She scoffs, “How did he dare to let me shower when he had a jacuzzi?”

  My brows come up in surprise. I laugh again. “He says he never uses it because it takes forever to fill. I guess that’s why he didn’t offer it. You seemed kind of desperate for a hot shower that time.”

  “I was and I am again. I’d even use the water there if you hadn’t fucked in it.” She pulls her upper lip in mock disgust.

  “We haven’t, and the tub recycles the water.” I cross my arms and after a beat, I smile at the easy atmosphere around us again. As if nothing had happened. As if she hadn’t caught me naked in a tub with her brother. “Liz…”

  “I’m so sorry, Cherry,” she covers her eyes with her hands and huffs. “That was so dramatic, I’m so sorry. And then comes my mother, who was bored with insulting me and says that, point-blank.” She shakes her head, her arms dropping to her sides. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted that way. I was just surprised.”

  “No, it’s my fault. If I have told you I was crushing on him since I’ve met him, it would’ve gone differently.”

  “Many things would. But I understand why you avoided telling me. I understand several things now,” she puts her hands in her pockets again and grins at me. “You have so much to tell.”

  “So we’re good?” My brows shoot up. This easy?

  “Of course we are,” she stretches her arms. “You are the best sister-in-law I could ever hope for. This is amazing!”

  Giggling, I hug her. “Thanks. I’m glad you’re fine with it all.”

  “Let’s just hope Mom will—” Liz starts but someone clearing their throat cuts in.

  I turn to see Mrs. Pratt by the door, her lips pursed. She doesn’t look up as she opens the door farther.

  “Sorry about the words, Cherry. Tyler told us the whole thing, and I think I overreacted.”

  What?

  “Thanks, Mrs. Pratt,” I say, trying to sound natural.

  Liz goes the opposite way, and she’s full-on gawking, her mouth ajar. “Wow, someone kidnapped my mother but I like this new one better!”

  Mrs. Pratt looks up, curling her nose. “Well, you can’t take a thing seriously, can you, Elizabeth?”

  I hold Liz around her elbow. “Yeah, you had to go on and run your mouth,” I laugh and Liz laughs along.

  Tyler shows up behind his mother. I don’t know what he told them but I don’t care. This is perfection.

  I grin up at him as he offers his hand. I take it and he pulls me out
of the bathroom.

  “Shall we get dressed? Liz will heat the dinner since she’s the one to blame for letting her battery die and not warn us.”

  Liz juts her tongue out, but she only laughs as she hooks an arm around her mother’s and the two leave, shutting the door behind them.

  My eyes are saucepans as I lock my gaze with Tyler’s. “Did you bribe them?”

  He chuckles, then pulls me close. “No. Just told them the truth. That I loved you and they should cut you some slack.”

  Cocking a brow, I place my hands around his shoulders. “Are you sure? I’m still thinking bribe.”

  He leans in and kisses me. “No bribe. Just the truth. That I want you. For real and forever. What about you?”

  I smile. There’s no other possible answer.

  I was made for this man. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

  “I love you,” I murmur, bringing my mouth to his and tasting his lips, savoring them, loving them.

  The first day of the rest of our lives.

  EPILOGUE

  * * *

  TYLER

  FIVE YEARS LATER

  “Mrs. Cherry Davies Pratt, you are the only one standing between us and our feast!” I call, a grin across my face.

  Teddy, my two-year-old, claps from where he stands, perched upon my lap. He repeats after me a sequence of words that may sound like Cherry’s name if you really try it.

  “Oh, your dad’s calling mommy!” My mother coos from her place next to me. Next to Teddy, in fact, because she’s gone full grandma bear after he was born. “Daddy’s calling mommy!”

  Teddy giggles and then squeals as Cherry walks in. Liz gets up and slow claps. My father follows her lead without taking his eyes off his phone.

  “There she is! Now that she’s a famous author, we hardly get to see her anyway, thank you, your majesty!” Liz drops in a mock curtsy. “Thank you for gracing these mortals with your presence!”

  Cherry sticks her tongue out before she drops on the free chair beside me. Teddy motions his tiny hands, asking for her, the momma boy, and I let him go.

  “I was just talking to my agent. Sorry, he’s across the country for a convention and in a different time zone…”

  “It’s alright, dear,” my mother waves Cherry off. My mother wasn’t easy in the beginning. I bought a place for me and Cherry near her college until she graduated, and I proposed by the end of the first year. Mom thought everything was moving too fast, but when Cherry got pregnant, all her objections dropped like they never existed. “Shall we?”

  Mom reaches for the wine but I hold a hand up, stopping her.

  “First, I have something to say.” I reach my hand to Cherry and she shoots me a knowing smile. “I love this woman.”

  Liz and my father laugh. My mother rolls her eyes, her signature move.

  “You’re keeping me from food to say something we know?” Liz smirks. “Please, Ty. Tell me something new.”

  “Alright,” I pull the newspaper I had been keeping nearby and unfold it to the page I desired. “Cherry has yesterday reached the title of a New York Times Bestseller!”

  Liz squeals and reaches a hand for Cherry to take. My mother congratulates her then blows kisses to Teddy.

  “Is that news?” Dad cocks a brow at me. “You know, I do read the newspaper. I saw that yesterday.”

  “Oh,” Cherry smiles. “That was overlooked, Mr. Pratt. We’ll have to think of something else!”

  “Um,” I tut, tapping my chin. Teddy goes on to imitate the motion. My mother almost melts. “Then, Liz?”

  “Yeah, Ty?” Liz freezes mid-motion as she brought a finger full of mashed potatoes to her mouth. She drops it next to her plate, looking up innocently.

  “What would you say about being a godmother again?”

  She takes a moment to understand the meaning.

  My mother bursts in a mix of tears and “Oh my God’s” and claps. A hurricane of arms as the three jump up and hug us, taking turns between me and Cherry. My mother takes her chance to steal Teddy away to her lap.

  Minutes later, Liz’s still clinging to Cherry’s neck. “Oh, Cherry! You’re going to be a mommy again!”

  “I will,” Cherry wipes a rogue tear from her cheek.

  I feel so much affection right now. So much love it escapes me. I wipe a tear too.

  “I’m so happy. So happy we’re a family now,” Liz sighs before she starts crying. “Thank you for being my best friend.”

  Cherry laughs, brushing a hand across Liz’s back. “I’m the pregnant one. I was supposed to be the most emotional.”

  “Sorry,” Liz sniffles. Hard. Then she turns to me. “You’re a lucky motherfucker, you know?”

  “Liz!” My mother hisses, “Teddy’s here!”

  “Mafafafa!” Teddy cries, and the rest of us crack in laughter.

  I stretch my arms to the woman of my life. Cherry comes to me and sits on my lap, accepting the kisses I shower down her face and neck.

  “Thank you, baby,” I tell her. The last years have been a flurry of love and gratitude.

  She kisses my temple. “Thank you. I love you.” She smiles, and it’s the most beautiful, most perfect moment of my life.

  I run a hand to her lower belly. “You’re the best thing in my life. The family you’ve given me. I’m so happy I can’t even put it into words.”

  She kisses me again, then slides to her chair. And I’m so ridiculously happy, by the end of the night my face hurts with how much I smiled.

  Cherry has made me this way. She has changed me. Whoever I was before, I don’t even care. All that matters in me is her. My whole heart is hers, and my whole soul.

  I have claimed her, but she’s the one who has my whole being.

  THE END

  Zach

  I’m a loner. I never cared for relationships.

  But it all changes when I see her.

  One touch is all it takes for me to know that this innocent, curvy woman belongs to me.

  She is mine, and my only intention is to be her first and only.

  Sienna

  It was supposed to be a simple job.

  Get up there, deliver the cake, go back home before the storm hits.

  Now I’m stuck with this hunk of a man, solid as the mountains.

  But men that sexy don’t fall for girls like me.

  1

  * * *

  SIENNA

  My very first client.

  And I’m terribly, irrevocably, unmistakably…

  Lost.

  Squinting at my phone screen, I slow my car down. I’m almost at a crawl now. But I’m not sure if this is the right place at all.

  I mean, I’ve been driving up this freaking mountain for the past thirty minutes and the scenery hasn’t changed — pines all around. Pines, pines and, oh look!

  More pines.

  When I started climbing, it was already snowing. Barely. But it was. Since I expected to find the house soon enough, deliver the cake and leave, there wouldn’t be a problem.

  The higher I got, the darker the road and the harder it snowed. There’s a blanket of white covering the path ahead. The forest’s getting thicker too.

  Am I walking into a horror movie?

  Looking over my shoulder, I check the cake. It’s faring well. It took me the whole night yesterday to bake it and decorate it. I had carefully put it inside the white paper box and cushioned the box with my clothes to keep it from moving.

  My big dream is to own a bakery. One has to start somewhere, so while I’m a year away from graduating culinary school, I bake. I used to bake for my classmates and family, just to get a hang of things, but I want to take it seriously. I want to treat it as a proper business.

  Amid a heap of possible names scribbled in the back of my notebook, I have chosen Muffin Top as the name of my future bakery. With a pink sharpie, I carefully wrote it across the white paper box.

  Yes, it doesn’t make it any more professional, but I like it. A
nd what’s the whole point of doing something if you don’t love it?

  After I decided the name and posted it on Facebook, a former classmate of mine contacted me. At first, I was thrilled at the prospect of having my first customer. In the end, she was willing to pay me in exposure on her Instagram… Well, it’s better than nothing, right?

  Right?

  Her friends will see it and they’ll love my cake and they’ll contact me. I bet it will be worth it.

  Or I hope so.

  Anyway, it’s not like I’m too busy.

  So I’ve baked the cake, sent her a picture, and am now on my way to deliver it. It’s her father’s birthday, and she said he lives kind of isolated and she doesn’t have the time to visit him. Luckily, he lives on the outskirts, so I offered to take it to him.

  But when she told me he lived on the outskirts, I kind of expected the suburbs.

  Not a mountain.

  And not on the top of it.

  “Isolated” doesn’t even begin to describe it.

  At least it’s not hot outside today, or the cake would melt. I’m crawling up the darkening road, keeping my eye on the GPS and singing along to a pop song on the radio. That is, until the song turns to radio noise. The buzz gets worse and worse by the moment.

  Of course, this would happen. There are probably too many trees around here. I change the station but it’s no use. Soon, I’m singing by myself.

  My phone’s bars also begin to diminish. If I wasn’t already so close to my goal, I’d give it up. I’d eat the cake by myself, at home, while I weep for having messed up my first client.

  Is it a client at all if I’m not being paid?

  Ugh.

  As the last bar of my phone gives out, I see it.

  The trees open by the road, and there’s a gate. The gate is not locked, so I quickly jump out of my car, push it open and drive past it. Just a little more. I don’t need the GPS now.