Dangerous Curves Ahead: A Perfect Fit Novel Mass Market Paperback

by Sugar Jamison

  The offer of money made his skin crawl, but Mike thought about Ellis for a moment. She loved making dresses. When he watched her work he saw passion glow from her that he had never seen before. It could make her dream a reality. He could make her business strong. Make it so she wouldn’t have to worry about money anymore.

  “Why do I feel like there’s a catch? What do you want from me?”

  Harry sighed and raked his fingers through his graying hair. For once he looked every bit of his sixty-six years. “I want to spend time with my son. Maybe offering you money isn’t the best way to do it but I don’t know any other way to get you to see that I want back in your life and nothing will stop me until I find a way in.”

  “Why now, Dad? Why wait twenty years? You must have been clean before now. You must have been clean for some time if you were able to make that much money.”

  “I was wondering when we were going to get around to that.” Harry sighed heavily. “I went to Mexico to lick my wounds. I knew I had to get clean in order to get your mother back.” He looked Mike in the eye. “You know she’s the only woman in the world that makes my damn heart pound when I hear her voice. But Mexico can be a destructive place for a man whose problem is pills. For a long time I still used. Not to cover up the pain in my back but to make myself numb from the pain here.” He tapped his chest. “I missed your mother and your sisters. I missed you to the point of pain. I started working with a private boat charter company during that time. I wasn’t doing well for myself but I was doing okay. I was feeling useful. Little by little they started giving me more responsibility. And little by little I felt like a man again and realized that I didn’t need pills to make me numb. Ten years had passed and the owner left the company to me. I had something then. But I didn’t feel like it was big enough, like I was successful enough to show my children. So I busted my ass for another year. I got contracts with the big cruise ships that port in Mexico. A year later I was rich. I knew I had something to be proud of then, to leave my children. So I booked a flight home just in time to see you graduate from the police academy. I was going to surprise you then, but I looked at you and saw that you were a man and that you had made it on your own. So I tucked my tail between my legs and went home. It took me another nine years to realize that just because you may not need your old man anymore, he still needs you. So I’m going to do whatever I have to do to get my wife and family back. And even if you still don’t want anything to do with me, you aren’t going to stop me from reclaiming the rest of them.”

  *

  It was hard for Ellis to ignore a summons to her parents’ house for dinner. She loved her folks, tremendously so, but tonight she’d rather crawl into bed than spend three hours with them. Being a bridal gown designer was harder than she imagined. The honeymoon period was over. One bride canceled her wedding. One bride moved hers up. Ellis’s sewing machine died, which halted her work for nearly two days, and now Mike was back at work. She missed him around the shop. He kept things running while she created. It made her think about taking him up on his offer. But she wouldn’t ask him to quit his job. She had no idea where they would be a year from now. They had yet to say I love you. Ellis knew the words weren’t important, but she was beginning to long for them.

  “So…” Phillipa occupied the easy chair and studied Ellis and Mike. They had been sitting on the sofa for the past ten minutes, making small talk and waiting for dinner to arrive. “How do you kids like living together?”

  “Hate it,” Ellis said. She couldn’t shake the feeling that her mother was up to something. “He expects me to share my closet with him.”

  “That’s nice.” Phillipa responded, clearly distracted. She glanced at the clock for the fifteenth time. “I put you two kids down as your father’s guest for the university’s Christmas party. You’re coming, right?”

  “I’m planning on landing on the moon that day. So I can’t go but I’m glad because I can’t stand to see you wear that poop-brown suit you wear every damn year to the party.”

  “Good—What?” Her focus snapped back to Ellis as Mike let out a chuckle. “What’s wrong with my suit?”

  “It’s ugly. Now spill it, hippie. What are you up to?”

  “Don’t hate me.” She raised her arms in defense. “But I invited your sister over. You know I hate it when you two fight.” She glanced at the clock. “She should be here in about five minutes. I told her to be here half an hour ago.”

  Irritation passed through her. Her mother was always trying to make things better between Dina and her. Phillipa thought that placing her daughters in the same room would magically cause them to resolve all their issues. Her realist mother was a dreamer.

  “Dinner should have been here seven minutes ago.” Walter entered the room, his eyes moving from the clock to the door. “Dina should have been here twenty-eight minutes ago.”

  As if magic conjured her Dina strolled through the door, her hair loosely curled around her shoulders and her body wrapped in a houndstooth coat that looked like it cost a fortune.

  “Hey, Smelly Ellie. Hi, Mom. Hello, Walter. How are you, Mike? What’s for dinner?”

  She dropped her coat on the chair Phillipa had vacated and headed into the kitchen.

  Mike locked eyes with Ellis and raised a brow. She knew what he was thinking. What the hell? But it was always like that between her and Dina. Ellis knew she was forgiven when Dina breezed in and acted like nothing had happened. All her life she thought being ignored by her sister was better than arguing with her. Maybe that was changing. She wanted to breathe a sigh of relief. It was what she had done in the past. She hated not speaking to her sister. Ellis didn’t want to go through life estranged from her only sibling. But this time she was finding it hard to choke down the bitterness she tasted when she watched her sister walk through the door. She was finding it hard to forget those nasty words her sister had flung at her during their last fight.

  The doorbell rang before Ellis could process it all. Mike stood up and helped her to her feet. She could think later. Now it was time to eat.

  *

  Dinner that night was an awkward affair, at least for Ellis. Mike sat by her side while they dined on Italian but neither of them had much to say. Phillipa, however, had plenty to talk about and kept the conversation going by herself for nearly an hour. Dina contributed, too, telling them about the new job she’d gotten at a large upscale department store in the city.

  “I used your name to help get my foot in the door, Ellis. I knew you wouldn’t care. I wasn’t sure about you designing clothes for a living but it helped me get a better job. Who would have thought you would be known in the fashion industry?”

  Ellis didn’t respond to her sister’s backhanded compliment or say anything more than “Pass the pepper” to her the entire meal. So when the last plate was cleaned Ellis made a dash for the kitchen, volunteering to slice the tiramisu for dessert.

  “You okay?” Mike’s strong arms folded around her, and she smiled as some of the stress leaked from her body.

  “I’ll be much better once you take me home.”

  “You mean you’re not enjoying the most awkward dinner ever?” He kissed the spot behind her ear that always melted her bones. “I know she’s your sister but she is the most self-centered person on the planet.”

  “You dated her,” she pointed out.

  “We didn’t do much talking.”

  “And yet you never slept with her.” She turned in his arms. “Why not?”

  “You interrupted us. Remember?”

  “Yeah.” Her cheeks burned. “I still can’t get the image of you in those Calvins out of my head.”

  “But those Armani boxer briefs you got me for my birthday should be replacing that image nicely.”

  “Wear the red ones to bed tonight.” She kissed his chin. “They’ll put me in a festive mood.”

  He slid his hands down her back as he groaned. “Let’s get dessert over with quickly. We need to get you to bed ear
ly tonight.” He held her tightly against him for a moment, dropping his voice to a whisper. “You don’t know how grateful I am to you for interrupting us that night. Sometimes I kick myself for not getting to know you better four years ago, but I know I wasn’t ready then. Hell, I’m not sure I’m ready for this now.” He laughed softly. “But I can’t imagine not being with you and I want you to know that you’re stuck with me for a very long time.” He pressed a soft lingering kiss to her mouth. Ellis’s eyes were about to flutter shut when she noticed they weren’t alone anymore. Dina stood watching them from the doorway, her face twisted in a painful expression. Ellis gently removed herself from Mike, wondering how long they had been watched.

  “Sorry,” Dina mumbled as her heels clicked on the hardwood floor. “Walter was wondering what was taking you two so long. He said you should have been out eight minutes ago.”

  Mike could barely hide his annoyance with Dina and gave her a look that told her so. “I’ll carry the plates out. Are you going to be okay with the coffee, Ellis?”

  She nodded, accepting his kiss to her forehead before he quit the room. Dina remained where she was.

  “He really loves you. Doesn’t he?”

  “I think so.”

  “Mom says you two live together.”

  Ellis nodded. She was having a hard time forming words. There was so much she needed to say to her sister and yet she could think of nothing to start with.

  “She’s says that you didn’t tell me because you didn’t want to mess up our relationship.”

  Ellis nodded again, now understanding that no matter when she told her sister about Mike, the fight couldn’t have been avoided. Because the fight wasn’t really about about Mike.

  “Say something,” Dina pressed.

  “I’m not sorry for loving him, Dina. I won’t apologize for it.”

  Dina’s expression hardened for a moment, and Ellis could have sworn hatred flashed in her sister’s eyes. Then it cleared, and Ellis thought her imagination was playing tricks on her. “I still wish you would have told me.”

  “But I didn’t and now it’s over.”

  “I want my sister back.” Dina stepped closer and kissed Ellis’s cheek. “Don’t be mad at me.” Ellis kept her body stiff but Dina wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly. “I was mean to you. I was a big fucking bitch but I was surprised, okay? And I couldn’t stop myself from turning back into the girl who was always a little jealous that somebody loves you more than me. So please don’t be mad at me. I love you.”

  Ellis relaxed a little. “I love you, too.” She was never really mad in the first place; more hurt than anything. She tried to let the bitterness drain from her body, but it was slow to leave.

  “Good.” Dina smiled as if her words made everything all better. And for Dina things might be better. But Ellis knew that things would not be smooth sailing for them from now on no matter how much she wanted them to be. “Because I’m going to Mom and Dad’s Christmas party next week and I want my fashion designer sister to help me pick out a dress. Since you seem to have taken the last hot guy I know, I’m on the prowl again and I heard there are going to be a lot of cute, single, brainy men there.” She grabbed empty mugs from the counter. “Grab the pot. We’ll go shopping on Sunday.”

  *

  Every year the University of Durant Science Department rented out Coco’s, a local restaurant, and threw a big Christmas party for the staff and their families. It was an event Ellis went to nearly every year. Scientists were pretty damn fun when they were tipsy, and Ellis was hoping this year she would get a glimpse of her father enjoying himself.

  “See if you can get my father to drink tonight,” Ellis whispered to Mike as they entered.

  “Most women want their fathers to stay sober at events. My girlfriend wants her father shitfaced.”

  “What can I say? I’m a classy lady.”

  “That’s why I’m with you.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in for a quick kiss.

  “Yuck.” Dina said. “Do you think you can abstain from PDA tonight? It’s gross.”

  “Hi, Dina,” Ellis greeted her sister. “I didn’t know you were here.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I came with Walter and Mom. You know he’s such a time freak.”

  “I’m going to get a drink.” Mike kissed her cheek. “You want a Bay Breeze, baby?”

  “Thank you.”

  He squeezed her shoulder and walked away. He hadn’t acknowledged Dina. And Ellis could tell by the look on her face that Mike’s shunning bothered her. She was going to have to talk to Mike later. She only had one sister, and they had to make it work.

  “You look great in that dress, sister,” she said, trying to soothe Dina’s bruised pride.

  “Thanks,” Dina replied absently as her gaze traveled around the room. “Do you see any hot guys here?” She glanced back at Ellis. “Why am I asking you? You don’t seem to have a type of your own.”

  Ellis ignored the little barb thrown her way and searched for her parents. “Do you know where Mom and Dad are? I want to say hi.”

  “I think they are sitting at a table in the back room. Why don’t you go find them? I’ll be around.”

  *

  Mike watched Ellis as another one of her father’s colleagues led her to the dance floor in the main room. She was a huge hit with the nerdy set. She barely had two seconds to sit down that evening because professor after professor kept asking her to dance. Mike let her go, watching as her face lit up with each invitation. It was one of the few times he wasn’t jealous of other men. He couldn’t blame them for ogling his girlfriend. She wore a red lipstick to match the satin dress that hugged her body and left a large part of her creamy back bare. Vivid images of her nude body flooded his mind. He couldn’t wait to peel her out of her dress. He wondered if he was going to be able to wait long enough to present her with one of her Christmas presents. He was going to take her away to Aruba as soon as she finished with her current orders. It was to be the first time they were going to be truly alone, and he couldn’t wait.

  “Who would have thought that my sister would be belle of the ball?” Dina slid into a chair next to him.

  Mike looked around the table before he acknowledged Dina. It was empty. The party was well into its fourth hour. Many people had already left, and those who hadn’t left were shaking it on the dance floor. “Your sister is gorgeous. Why wouldn’t she be the belle of the ball?”

  He looked into the next room, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ellis in the crowd. He failed to see her through the mass of bodies getting down to “Party Rock Anthem.” After this song was over he was pulling Ellis out of there and taking her home. He had some plans for her tonight.

  “Ellis wasn’t a cute kid, or teenager, and don’t even get me started about how she looked from eleven to thirteen,” Dina said offhandedly. “I couldn’t even describe her as a person, more like a blob of chub with a mess of brown hair on top.”

  Mike took a sip of his rum and Coke, trying to ignore Dina’s comment and trying not to make one of his own. He didn’t want to engage in conversation with her, but he couldn’t be rude, either. Dina was going to be his sister-in-law one day, and he knew Ellis would want them to be civil. At that moment Mike was finding it very hard to be around her. There was something ugly about Dina Gregory.

  “What a difference a few years make.” He glanced at his watch.

  “Do you love her?”

  The question caught Mike off guard and this time he looked at Dina. “Yes. Very much.”

  Dina shifted her chair closer to him and lightly placed her hand on top of his. “I need to know how it happened. How did you end up with Ellis?”

  “We ran into each other, Dina. It’s just like she said.”

  “But there’s more to it,” she pressed. “I want to know exactly what happened.”

  Mike removed his hand from beneath hers and folded his arms across his chest. “I think that’s something you shoul
d ask your sister.”

  “But I can’t. You’re the one topic we can’t talk about. You have to know how awkward this is. It’s not normal for us to share men.”

  “You aren’t sharing me,” he pointed out. “We were over a long time ago. We never were really together in the first place. I’m serious about your sister.”

  “I get it.” She rolled her eyes high in her head like a teenager. “Tell me how it happened. Did you know she was my sister when you bumped into her?”

  “Not at first.” A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth when he thought about their first meeting. “But…” He was about to share the events that threw them together but he remembered who he was with and thought better of it. “Ask your sister.”

  “No, Mike.” Dina slid her hand up his arm. “I want to talk to you now. Tell me what it is you love about her that you couldn’t love about me?”

  He moved back in his chair. He wasn’t expecting that question and sure as hell didn’t know how to answer it.

  “Tell me the truth.” She inched closer to him, and he could smell the alcohol on her breath. Her eyes were glassy. Her speech a tiny bit slurred. She was drunk. “I need to know what’s so damn lovable about her.”

  Shit. Why hadn’t he noticed sooner? This conversation was over.

  “You can still have me. I can see why you like my sister. She’s normal and steady and boring. She’s who you can go home to every night. But I’m who you can sneak around with during the day.”

  Mike shook his head. Dina looked as if she didn’t believe what she was telling him. Like she hated herself for saying it. “You’re drunk. You don’t know what you’re saying.” He looked around the room, hoping to find Walter and Phillipa so that they could get her out of here. “Where are your parents? They need to take you home.”

  “I’d rather go home with you.”

  He turned back to tell her no when her lips came crashing down on his and her arms twined themselves around him.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Men Who Got Fat …

  Why doesn’t anybody ever talk about famous men who gain weight? Kirstie Alley puts on four pounds and it’s on the cover of every magazine. Double standards piss me off. Nobody snaps a picture of Jack Black every time he shoves a doughnut down his pie hole. So here’s a list of actors who’ve gotten fatter.