“Before I pulled you into my office earlier today, you confessed you didn’t think I had told anyone about us. You seemed to believe I was keeping you as my dirty little secret, but I’m not.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Oh.”
“Candy, from the moment I saw you walk into Vanilla Beans on a bright Sunday morning, your luscious curves have been the only ones I’ve craved.”
“Uh…”
Max frowns and cocks his head to the side. “You and I seem to have this ongoing misunderstanding—I know exactly how I feel about you and you seem determined to think I don’t.”
“Well…”
“Isn’t it not obvious?”
“Max…” I’m so overwhelmed by the moment, I can’t continue. There’s a part of me that believes him, but there’s still a small part of me that doubts such a dreamy guy could fall for a girl like me.
“You can be so stubborn at times, Candice.”
He hasn’t called me by my full name in such a long time. Why is he being so formal?
“I’m not. It would have been okay with me if you felt it was more appropriate to hide our relationship from the people you work with.” It’s not as if it would be the first time a boyfriend has kept me as his little secret.
“Yeah, but it wouldn’t have been acceptable for me to keep the woman I love in hiding. I want everyone to know how crazy I am about you.”
“Wh-what?” I choke on those words as I take a step back. I’m so astounded by what I thought I heard, I stumble. Max leaps towards me and catches me like a white knight and brings me back to my feet.
“Is it something I said?” he mocks.
“You… Are you joking? I mean… You do realize…” I don’t even know how to approach this.
“Yes, I’m fully aware of the fact I brought you to this romantic location to declare my love to you, Candice. I don’t want you to ever have any doubts about the fact you’ve been occupying my thoughts since I first tasted your lips on the forty-first floor of the Bymark Hotel.”
“Did you really say you loved me or am I dreaming?”
“Well, I guess a little of both since you’re the woman of my dreams and I do love you very much.”
His words are like fuel to a fire. I open my mouth to respond, but I’m so utterly shocked, I can’t string together a coherent sentence.
After a few seconds of silence, Max searches my eyes for an answer, but I’m so taken by the moment I let my tears speak on my behalf. “Baby, you’re crying. I hope they’re tears of joy.”
I inhale deeply and find the presence of mind to finally speak. “Max, I think I fell for you the morning you shared the story about how you ended up with such an intricate tattoo on your left arm. There’s such a dichotomy about you—you’re the sweetest man I’ve known and you’re the raunchiest lover I’ve had. I love you so much.”
“You were so quiet there. You had me worried.”
“You caught me by surprise, Max.”
“Good. I hope you’ll never doubt how I feel about you again,” he says, gazing at me with such intensity.
“I promise.”
He leans in and brushes my lips with his. I can never get enough of his sweet kisses. I pull him closer into me and I respond voraciously to his passion.
A clink in the background interrupts the romantic mood. Since I’ve arrived it’s the first time I’ve taken in the smell of food and I realize we’re not alone in this spacious room. “Is there someone else here?”
“Yes. You didn’t think I was going to cook dinner myself, did you?” he teases.
“We’re having dinner here?”
“I couldn’t possibly declare my love to you on an empty stomach.”
“Of course not.” I grin.
“I could have made reservations at one of the finest restaurants in the city, but I wanted something more original. Not to mention it’s impossible to find a place in Manhattan that would have accepted this chaise,” he says, pointing to the large lounge chair in the middle of the room.
“I can’t imagine this beautiful piece of furniture would fit in many eateries in New York.” I smile back at him.
“Seriously, it was too late to find a decent caterer at such short notice, so I called my personal chef Marcello and I asked him to whip up something sinful and simple.”
“Hmmm, it sounds delicious. What’s on the menu?”
“Since this extravagant set-up is last-minute, Marcello and his sous-chefs are preparing an exquisite Italian menu. The pièce de resistance is a succulent plate of creamy pesto pasta with garlic butter shrimp. Marcello ran to his favorite fishmonger to grab us some big fat juicy shrimp from Chile. I think we’re in for a treat.”
“I have a feeling I’m going to have to ask for seconds.”
“I have a feeling I’ll be doing the same.” He winks.
“The food sounds decadent and it smells divine. I can’t imagine how anything can top this meal. What’s for dessert?”
“Marcello has prepared his famous tiramisu. You won’t be disappointed, but I have to be honest…” Max reaches out to wrap his arms around my waist. “The only thing sweet I truly want is you.”
“Tell me more,” I coo.
“I intend on making good use of this chaise the second Marcello and his crew leave,” he says with such carnal lust in his eyes, my clit tingles.
“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.” Wow, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world right now.
This must be the most surreal and delightful moment of my life. This is the kind of day sweet dreams are made of. I can’t believe the man I’ve fallen for weeks ago has declared his love to me. Devin was right all along—big girls can have hot boyfriends who love them.
BOOK 4—CURVY CONQUEST
Chapter Six
I can’t believe it’s already been ten days since I got back from Rio and it’s been so crazy busy I’ve only been able to text Lia, Lexi and Devin. Tonight is the first time in a long time we’ll be able to hang out together. I can’t wait to tell them all about Rio and all about Max’s declaration. I was tempted to text them a few hints, but I know they’d kill me.
It won’t be long now before my friends find out about my magical love story. The timing couldn’t have been better, since Max has dinner tonight with some old friends from college who are in town visiting from Colorado. It’s one of the first Fridays where we won’t end up sleeping next to each other in a long time, but tonight it’s all about my best friends. I can connect with my man later in the weekend once his friends have left. While I’ll be enjoying a leisurely brunch tomorrow morning with Lia, Max will be playing a few rounds of golf with his university buddies in the Hamptons.
The day started easy, but around three-thirty, I got slammed by an insane amount of work for my column in the next issue of the paper edition of Sassy magazine. I was practically chained to my desk all afternoon until I realized I had to get out of there or else I would be seriously late to meet with my friends. At seven, I shut down my computer and I grabbed my handbag ready to make a run for it when Jennifer cornered me at the elevators looking for an update on her stupid diet pills. Were it not for the fact her five-year-old son, Malcolm, called looking to know when she was coming home after she’d been talking my ear off for twenty minutes, I’d still be standing there listening to her yap about how revolutionary the cleanse is for consumers—especially women.
Of course, by the time I hopped in a cab, I was trapped in New York’s legendary gridlock traffic and I only got home a few minutes ago. With little time to spare, I quickly touch up my makeup and trade my dress for a pair of black pants and a gorgeous bead-trim coral tunic with three-quarter-length sleeves I bought in Brazil. I’m rushing back to the bathroom when I notice the time.
“Crap. I can’t believe it’s a quarter past eight. I need to get out of here.”
I put the finishing touches on my hair and run to the kitchen to grab my phone I had plugged in to recharge. In m
y frenzy, I knock off the bottle of diet pills Jennifer has been pestering me about for weeks now and the lid pops open, spilling little gel capsules all over the floor. “Shit!” I bend down and scoop the pills into a corner. I grab an empty box and place it on top of the mess.
“Leo, don’t touch this. I’ll sweep it up when I return. I’m going to leave you in the bathroom so you’re not tempted to play with these.” I grab my cat to place him in a secure location far away from the pills. I’m just about to close the bathroom door behind me when my phone rings. I look at the name flashing on my screen and I instantly know I’m in trouble. Devin.
“Hey, Dev.”
“Where the hell are you? Are you ditching us for your god of sex? We’ve been here for twenty-five minutes and you’re a no-show, Candy.”
“Dev, I’m on my way. It was a stupidly busy afternoon at work and Jennifer insisted on a pow-wow right as I was leaving. I swear I have my handbag on my shoulder and I’m about to leave.”
“It’s going to take you at least thirty minutes to get here.”
“I might be lucky. Maybe traffic has slowed down.”
“Honey, this is New York on a beautiful Friday night, not Omaha, Nebraska. Get here fast. Lexi is already on her third drink and the girl doesn’t look like she’s going to slow down.”
“Tell her not to get tipsy without me. I’ll be there before you know it.”
* * *
I slowly pry open my eyes after a night of partying with my friends and turn my face away from the bright sunshine. “We really party way too hard,” I lament to myself. I roll to my side, ready to pet Leonardo DiCaprio, but I forgot he’s still under lockup. I was too tired last night to even remove my makeup and I crashed the minute I got home. “Leo, I know you’re mad at me for locking you in the bathroom. I’m going to let you out soon. I promise,” I yell, hoping to catch my cat’s attention before selecting a playlist from my phone and dropping it on my music dock. Oh, well, he can be upset at me all he wants. I’m not ready to get up yet.
I’m basking in a lazy Saturday morning listening to a new soulful bossa nova compilation Devin made for me before I left for Rio when my phone rings. Lia.
“Did you drink too much last night and are you calling to cancel our brunch date?” I ask.
“Nah, I can hold my liquor.” She chuckles on the other end. “I was calling to make sure you were okay, since it seemed you were intent on matching Lexi. I guess you have a lot to celebrate, given the fact you’ve snatched one of the most amazing boyfriends in Manhattan.”
“I do have a lot to be happy about, but I stopped well before Lexi and you know it.”
“I’m teasing. I’m so jealous now. I need to get my act together and get my profile on one of those dreadful dating sites again or flash my tits in the middle of a swanky hotel like you did.”
“You’re hilarious this morning,” I tease.
“I do my best. On a serious note, is it me or does it seem Lexi had a really hard week and she needed those drinks to unwind?”
“Yeah, I think you’re right. She’s been crunching numbers because of all these upcoming IPO deals and on top of it, she’s been helping me dig out more details for my case.”
“So how’s that going? Is Max’s brother still representing you?”
“Yes, Gabriel is officially my legal counsel. He’s assigned a couple of legal eagles who are doing their best to get to the bottom of this messy ordeal. I wish I didn’t have to reopen this nightmarish Pandora’s box, but Annie left me no choice when she contacted me out of the blue with her message.”
“Since we spent most of the night talking about your sexy boyfriend and your red-hot international love affair, maybe you can fill me in about your parents’ case during brunch. I really hope you’ll be able to get some kind of resolution even if it’s taken too many years. I’m crossing my fingers. Perhaps this Annie Smith woman, or whatever her real name is, might be the one who helps you crack this case wide open.”
“From your lips to my grandmother’s ears. She fought hard but we were no match for this conglomerate with very deep pockets.”
“True, but now you have one of the top legal firms in Manhattan helping you. I’m sure they’ll make headway your former lawyer would have never been able to achieve.”
“I hope you’re right, Lia. I don’t want to get my hopes up. I’d hate to be disappointed again if things didn’t work out and the bad guys eluded us again.”
“I know, sweetie, but it seems like Annie has information you didn’t have a few years ago.”
“And that’s the only glimmer of hope I have right now.”
“I have faith things will work out this time. Let’s talk more about this over brunch. I was calling because I wanted to know where you wanted to eat today. I’m debating between three different new restaurants we haven’t tried yet and I spent the last thirty minutes Googling each one. I’ve done my analysis and I’m ready to give you a summary so we can make a decision.”
“You kill me. You really take eating out seriously, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. It’s one of my favorite activities in New York City.”
“I have a sneaky feeling your restaurant critic review will take a while. Why don’t I get out of bed and I’ll stroll to the kitchen to prepare a cup of coffee while you give me the lowdown on our three eatery options.” I chuckle while flipping the sheets over my naked body. I jump to my feet and stretch before walking to my closet to grab a robe. I look around, still hoping to see my finicky cat’s beautiful white face, but then I remember until I let him out of the bathroom I won’t be able to cuddle him. “I have to let Leo out.”
“What do you mean? Where is he?”
“I was rushing to meet you guys last night and I accidentally knocked over the bottles of those stupid diet-slash-cleansing pills Jennifer is forcing me to ingest. Since the mess happened in the kitchen, I locked Leo up in my bathroom all night so he wouldn’t be tempted to play with the pills.”
“Man, your cat is going to be so mad at you. First you ditch him for a god of sex, then when you’re not spending all your time getting fucked by him at his swanky penthouse, you’re locking Leo up before running out to meet your best friends. Your cat has a hard life.”
We both laugh.
“Hmmm, strange,” I say as I walk through my apartment. “I swear I shut the door to the bathroom behind me last night right before I ran out to meet you guys. When I got back at the wee hours of the morning, I couldn’t be bothered removing my makeup and I dove straight into bed, but now the door is wide open and there’s no sign of Leo anywhere.”
“Did he jump out the window?”
“Are you crazy? My cat is way too pampered to even think of doing such a foolish thing.”
“I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t either if I was treated like a king.”
“Don’t be jealous of Leo. I found him. I don’t know how he got out, but he’s sleeping exactly where I didn’t want him to be. Silly cat, I told him to say away from the pills.” I squat down to pet my furry best friend. “Did you miss me? Come to Momma—” I stop talking and bring my hand to my mouth in a gasp of horror.
“What is it, Candy?”
“Oh my God, Lia. It’s Leo.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know, but he’s lying on my kitchen floor as rigid as a board with his eyes wide open.” I jump back up to my feet, panicked. “I swear I barricaded him in the bathroom. God, could I have forgotten to close the door when Devin called me to find out when I was getting to the bar? Oh, no. I think he’s swallowed some of the pills, Lia. There’s powder on the floor and he’s not moving,” I wail, scared out of my mind.
“Candy, calm down. Get dressed and get Leo to a vet.”
“My vet is closed on weekends.”
“This is New York. Someone is open. Let me do a few Google searches and I’ll text you an address close to your home.”
“Lia, what am I going to do if Leo is de
ad? I’m already an orphan and now my best—”
“Honey, you need to get him out of your apartment immediately and get him some help. I’m going to jump into a cab and come to join you. I don’t want you to be alone right now.”
“Lia, what have I done?” I cry out.
“Candy, don’t panic. You haven’t done anything. You need to rush your cat to a vet. Do you hear me?”
“Yes,” I say, bursting into tears again.
BOOK 4—CURVY CONQUEST
Chapter Seven
Nine days later
“I have to stop crying,” I whisper under my breath, aware the cab driver is looking at me suspiciously through his rear view mirror.
I’m on my way back to the vet. Dr. Victor Mills called me on Sunday as I was having brunch with Max to ask me to come into his office first thing. Max wanted to come with me, but I assured him it had to be a technicality, since there was nothing more the doctor could tell me that would shock me.
It’s been a little over a week since my beloved cat, Leonardo DiCaprio, died. What more news can there be? I thought I had developed enough to no longer feel pain, but from the hellish week I’ve had to live through, I know nothing could be further from the truth. Death sucks.
Everything happened so fast last week. I couldn’t think or feel. I guess I was lucky in many ways, because Lia found the address to a caring vet not too far from my home and I didn’t have to deal with driving around the city with a dead cat in my lap. Dr. Mills gave his diagnosis very quickly and when he did, I broke down and collapsed on the floor. Lia and the doctor picked me up and took me to an empty waiting room where I cried my eyes out for thirty minutes straight. Lia sat next to me hugging me and caressing my back. She did her best to reassure me, but my heart was broken and I was inconsolable.
Once I stopped crying, Lia declared she needed to get me home. As we were leaving, Dr. Mills asked me to take a photo of the label of the BoostaSlimz-X30 Green Tea & Ginger Cleansing Total Body Cleansing System pills so he could compare the ingredients to what they’d find in Leo’s stomach to confirm cause of death. He said something didn’t add up given the details I had shared with him and his preliminary analysis and he wanted to get more accurate tests done at a lab. I must have looked at him blankly because Lia was the one who responded, assuring the vet she’d send him a photo and drop off some of the pills lying on my kitchen floor.
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