CURVES ENVY
Book 4—Curvy Conquest
Scarlett Avery
Copyright © 2015 by Scarlett Avery
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.
Scarlett Avery / Absolutely Naughty Publishing
Edited by RJ Locksley
Proofread by Chrissy Becker
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental. This book is for sale to adults over 18.
Curves Envy / Scarlett Avery
ISBN 978-1-987943-03-0
Foreword
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***
Curves Envy Series
Book 1—Alphas Love Curves
Book 2— Curvy Girls Do It Better
Book 3—Claimed by An Alpha
Book 4— Curvy Conquest
***
BOOK 4—CURVY CONQUEST
Chapter One
My thoughts wake me up so violently, it’s as if the flashbacks are suffocating me. Am I having a nightmare? I sit straight up in bed, trembling. I can’t get Annie Smith’s words out of my head.
I look around the room, dazed and confused. It takes me a few seconds to realize I’m in Max’s luxurious penthouse and not in my own bed. Oh, yeah, I stayed at his place last night.
Yesterday was a freaky day of thrilling highs and shattering lows. I texted Devin, Lia and Lexi in a panic after receiving the mysterious package from one of my father’s former employees. Once they calmed me down, I called Max to share the latest development in my family saga. He was so dumbfounded by my news, he got behind the wheel of his Benz and drove to my place to pick me up instead of sending a chauffeur. He felt we needed time alone to talk this out.
When I was safely hidden away at his place, I broke down. I spent the last night either spilling my guts out about what I could remember or bursting into tears at having to relieve some of the most gruesome moments of my life. Max was incredibly compassionate and caring. He allowed me to sob as much as I needed while consoling me into believing Annie might be the key to helping me make sense of the last five years. For the life of me, I hope he’s right.
I look down at Max, sleeping so peacefully next to me, when I flash back to a conversation I had with my grandmother on her deathbed. I widen my eyes, shocked as the words resonate in my head. I must have blocked this off until now.
I take a hasty breath before reaching out to wake Max up. “Wake up. Please wake up,” I plead.
“What’s going on, Candy?” Max pops his eyes open and looks up at me with a concerned gaze.
“I just remembered my grandmother compiled so much information on the real-estate giant who tried to intimidate us while she was fighting for justice. It must still be with the lawyer she had hired to represent us.”
“Baby, we’re one step closer. How come you never mentioned this last night?”
“It only now flashed in my head. I’ve blocked out so many episodes during the last five years in order to diminish the pain.”
“I understand, baby,” he says, kissing my arm. “Do you remember the name of this lawyer?”
“I still have him listed in my contacts on my iPhone. My grandmother made me swear I’d never get rid of this guy’s name.”
“Great. Bless your avó’s heart.”
“What does avó mean?” I ask, perplexed.
“It’s grandmother in Portuguese. I called my mom’s mom avó. As a child it was much easier to pronounce than the English translation.” Max smiles warmly at me as he caresses my thighs.
“It’s such a sweet way to refer to a granny.”
“Let’s jump out of bed and get in touch with him. He might be able to shed some light on some of the things Annie said in her letter. Let’s hope we can meet today instead of having to wait until Monday.”
I throw the covers off my naked body and I rush downstairs to grab my phone. I flip madly through my contacts on my screen until I find his name—Nathaniel Carpenter of Carpenter and Associates LLP. Got it. I run up the stairs back to Max’s room with a triumphant grin on my face, waving my phone at him.
“Someone looks like they’ve found gold,” Max says, getting out of bed.
“Not quite, but pretty close.”
“Let’s go to my office and we’ll do a quick Google search first. This way we can find out what your grandmother’s attorney has been up to since you last saw him. Once we gather a few details on him, let’s call this guy. Lawyers usually have an after-hours service for evening and weekend emergencies. I’d say your case is pretty pressing.”
“Let me grab a robe and I’ll be right there.”
Before I can turn around, Max grabs my wrists and holds me firmly. “Why? You don’t expect me to start my weekend without royally fucking you? Once you and I are done speaking to this lawyer, I think we should play strip poker. Since you’re already naked the only thing left is for me to do is poke you with my cock.” He looks like a boy when he smiles like this.
“You never seem to be able to get enough of this,” I say, waving my finger between us with my eyes fixed on his growing erection.
“Enough of your curves? Never.” Max pulls my body into his and I close my eyes. Thank God he’s in my life now and I didn’t have to spend the night alone, nor do I have to deal with this dreadful situation by myself.
* * *
Max turns on his iMac computer and types Nathaniel’s company information into Google. My initial excitement turns into worry when I read the devastating words on the screen over his shoulder. Nathaniel Carpenter of Carpenter and Associates LLP Dies In Car Accident at Fifty-Eight.
“Oh, shit,” I whisper. “This doesn’t look like good news at all.”
“Let’s click on the link before we jump to conclusions. Perhaps Mr. Carpenter has a daughter or son who’s taken over his law firm. In many cases lawyers work with business associates who take on their roster of clients when it’s time for them to retire or when they pass away.”
“I pray you’re right.”
Max scrolls down the page and with each paragraph my anxiety grows. The new law firm that has taken over Mr. Carpenter’s business published a dry press release reassuring Mr. Carpenter’s active clients they’d gladly take over their affairs. It seems Mr. Carpenter died eighteen months ago in a car accident during a hellish stormy night.
“Eighteen months ago? He would have died around the same time as my grandmother. I guess that explains why he stopped calling.”
“What an eerie coincidence.” Max looks up at me and I can tell I’m not the only one worried here.
“It’
s way too close for comfort. Wait a minute, Max.” I catch an alarming sentence on the screen. “Did you read this paragraph?” I wave my hand at the screen. Max brushes his hair with his fingers and when I pick up on his jittery reaction, I officially panic. “I can’t believe the new law firm is unwilling to take on older cases. They’re leaving us hung out to dry.”
“I don’t think that’s exactly it. It could simply be a question of return on investment—some cases are too dated to make it worth their time.”
“What am I supposed to do now?” I nearly scream.
“Candy, there’s a good chance this new law firm still owns Nathaniel Carpenter’s archives. If they are able to track down your file, you can still hire a phenomenal lawyer who will help make sense of all of this. Sometimes starting fresh is the best way to go.”
“But Max, I don’t know of any lawyers, let alone a phenomenal one.”
“How many times do I have to tell you you’re not alone anymore?” he says, taking my hands into his and kissing them gently. “My older brother is an astoundingly sharp attorney. Let me call Gabriel and ask him to come over. There’s no point in both of us trying to figure this out on our own. We might be smart people, but from what I’ve read in Annie’s letter and from this latest discovery about your former attorney’s death, it’s clear we’re way over our heads and we need help from a legal top gun.”
* * *
Ninety minutes later, Max, his brother and I are huddled around the kitchen table finishing a heavenly New York-style breakfast while going over the facts of my life since my parents died.
Gabriel showed up at the penthouse with the perfect feast to calm my nerves and start the day off on the right foot. It was only when he opened the bag of freshly baked goods that I remembered I had been far too distraught to eat dinner last night. I was absolutely famished.
He’s brought an armful of Montreal-style bagels from the number one shop in New York. Black Seed Bagels is a tiny spot located near Grand Central Station subway. On weekends the lines are insane, but the sometimes-excruciating wait is well worth it. These outstanding Eastern European breads are hand-rolled and baked to perfection in Black Seed Bagels’ wood-fired oven. What makes these so irresistible is the heavenly dough infused with honey. It goes without saying these delicacies are made in-house, which makes them even more sinful.
Gabriel gained a lot of brownie points with me when he showed up with my all-time favorite—their signature black seed bagel stuffed with beet-cured salmon. He really won me over when he announced he had also brought dessert—sufganiyot. These ridiculously fluffy and golden small doughnuts ooze with sweet jam. My love of homemade doughnuts runs so deep, I nearly jumped up and down when Gabriel pulled out the box he was hiding in his shopping bag.
Lucky for us, Marty Vogelstein, one of Gabriel’s prominent clients, owns Sugary Treats along with a fleet of successful eateries. This little gem is one of the few Jewish pastry shops in New York that makes these deadly-delicious doughnuts just like they would in Israel, where people make sufganiyot of this caliber on a daily basis. One call to Marty’s assistant and Gabriel was able to jump to the front of the line on a busy Saturday to bring these to Max’s penthouse.
Before I started working at Sassy magazine, I used to work for a woman who would do a weekly run to Sugary Treats on Fridays and she’d always grab a few extras for me. One bite and you start hearing angels sing.
Damn, these are amazing. I’m still licking my fingers when Gabriel launches into another round of interrogation. He’s already asked me what seems like one thousand questions about the events surrounding my parents’ accident and the reasons why my paternal grandmother felt so strongly about avenging her only son and her daughter in-law’s gruesome deaths, but this time he pulls out his iPhone to record my answers.
“Candice, may I call you Candy?”
“Of course, Gabriel.”
“To friends and family, I’m Gabe. Seems you’re family now.” Max’s brother raises his eyebrows and tilts his head. Although I’m not ashamed of what I share with Max, Gabriel’s reaction makes me blush.
“Careful, bro.” Max smiles at his brother and wraps me lovingly in his arms.
“Candy is adorable. I’m teasing.”
“Consider yourself lucky, baby. My brother only mocks people he likes.”
“Thanks for clearing things up for me, Max,” I respond jokingly. “I’ll gladly call your brother Gabe.”
“On a more serious note, Candy, I want to go over key questions and I also want to record your answers. My penmanship is atrocious and since my days are filled with millions of little details, my head is constantly going a mile a minute. I want to be certain I don’t miss one small thing that could turn out to be crucial a few weeks from now. I’m going to try my best in the next hour or so to gather as much as I can. These are the preliminary stages, but on Monday morning, I’ll put two of my top legal minds on your case. Sheena Wagner and Francis Kraai are both brilliant attorneys and they’ve helped my office win many cold cases we’ve reopened when new evidence surges. Francis has a particular affection for damsels in distress and I strongly believe we need a passionate, unwavering, and unyielding force to go after the bad guys who’ve robbed you of your parents’ love.”
“Hey, bro, let Francis know Candy already has a boyfriend.”
We all laugh at Max’s possessive remark.
“Gabe, I really don’t know how to thank you. This means the world to me. My grandmother and I were no match for those monsters who destroyed my peaceful existence a few years ago.”
“I’m sure your grandmother and Nathaniel Carpenter did the best they could with what they had, but Annie’s letter and the facts you’ve shared so far suggest there’s a lot more to this story. It would have been extraordinarily expensive for you to go after them. Unless Nathaniel was willing to draw blood, your Goliath would have quickly dismissed you. My team of attorneys are like pit bulls—relentless, ferocious and inexorable when it comes to seeking justice for our clients. They won’t back down until they’ve flipped the case in every possible direction like a master Rubik’s cube player. Of course, we always work within the American legal system, but sometimes it’s a question of having the right insider contacts…”
“I appreciate all this, but…” I hesitate, uncertain how to let Gabe know I don’t have the means to pay for such accomplished lawyers. What am I talking about, I can’t even afford a junior attorney. “My only valuable assets are the jewelry and the apartment my grandmother left me. My parents’ estate went to pay our astronomical legal fees. I’m not sure how…” I let my words trail off, fearing I might be so close to discovering exactly why my parents died, but yet still so far—given I’m unable to afford to foot what sounds like another colossal legal bill.
“Gabe, I’ll take care of your fees on behalf of Candy.” Although Max is addressing his brother, his eyes are locked into mine. “Baby, we can’t let these monsters get away with this.” His words touch the deepest part of me and a tear of relief rolls down my cheek.
“I can’t believe I’ll be able to avenge my loving parents.”
“I know my brother and he’s never afraid to draw blood. I think we need this in your case.”
“God. I want nothing more than justice.”
“And you’ll get it. We’ll make sure of it.”
“I wish my grandmother was still here.”
“She’ll be celebrating up above when all this mess is over. Right, Gabe?”
“Max, it won’t happen overnight, but Sheena and Francis are ferocious in cases such as these.”
“I couldn’t ask for more.”
“Candy, we have a long haul in front of us. I know you’re supposed to leave with my brother for Brazil in a few days and my best advice is for you to enjoy yourself. Our country is majestic and the best place for you to recharge your batteries. There’s no point in worrying about anything more because you’re now one of our top clients. I promise we’ll take
good care of you.”
“Thank you, Gabe, from the bottom of my heart.”
“Candy, you heard the man. A few days in Rio is exactly what the doctor—I guess I should say lawyer—ordered.”
BOOK 4—CURVY CONQUEST
Chapter Two
The week in Rio is indescribable. How can you use simple words to depict heaven on earth? I still can’t believe we’re leaving this paradisiac land in less than forty-eight hours. I’ve so thoroughly enjoyed myself during these last eight days, it wouldn’t take much to convince me to stay forever.
Travelling alongside Max has been a real eye-opener. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t utterly impressed by the swanky private jet with full service and personal chef. I honestly felt like I was in an episode of the eighties smash drama Dynasty. Although I doubt my parents had even met when the show first aired on TV, my mom was a huge fan of the gloriously over-the-top trials and tribulations of the fabulously wealthy Carrington and Colby clans. Just like she needed her weekly dose of Murphy Brown, she also had to keep track of Alexis Carrington’s latest bitchy moves. She watched the reruns for years with me on her lap.
Max definitely has a “champagne wishes and caviar dreams” lifestyle. His penthouse in New York is breathtaking and it’s no surprise his place in Rio matches such opulence. Max’s luxurious apartment in Rio is located in the Lagoa area—the third-most expensive neighborhood in all of South America and the most exclusive neighborhood in the capital city. Not only is this one of the most idyllic spots I’ve ever visited, Lagoa is also home to an insanely beautiful water bed known as the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, which is surrounded by a four-mile path encircling the lagoon. Since the adorable little open-air cafés and quaint local restaurants offer stunning views of the lagoon, Max insisted on us indulging in as many as we possibly could. After our delicious and satisfying meals, we’d stroll hand in hand every night admiring the enchanting sunset until Max’s need to devour me became too overwhelming and we’d have to rush back to his place so that we could give free rein to our carnal desires behind closed doors.
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