Reignite (Curvy Seduction Saga Book 3)

by Aidy Award

  “My gut reaction is to say no and run far away. But that’s not how I got where I am today.” She swallowed and looked away for second. She glanced all around the interior, to the glass rooms, the bar, the stage, and then back to me.

  “This is crazy.” She laughed. “But I’m going to say yes.”

  I squeezed her hand. This was more than I’d hoped for. Which was a big part of why I’d chosen Dani. The other part was because out of everyone in my life, she’d held me get through the darkest times, simply by being herself.

  “Good. I’ll get my lawyer to draw up the paperwork and we’ll start getting you up to speed as soon as we can.”

  “Wow.” She blinked a few times as if processing everything. “Okay.”

  I glanced over at Gray, who had been watching us the whole time, and nodded. He raised his glass to Danica and smiled.

  She gave him a nod back. “What will you two do? Where will you go?”

  We’d be spending most of our time loving each other as hard as we could. “I’m not sure yet. But there’s an island off the coast of Belize that I own and I’ve been meaning to visit. I think we’ll start there and see what happens.”

  I could practically hear the cogs in her brain turning. “Didn’t I hear about some BDSM reality TV show filming down there?”

  “Maybe.” I didn’t even try to hide my grin.

  Gray stepped into our bubble of fun, saving me from saying anymore. “Dani, I need to steal Angel away from you for a while.”

  “No worries. I’m going to go chat with Cade and Vanessa about our new adventure.”

  Gray waited for Dani to cross the room before he said anything else. “She’s going to take this place off your hands?”

  “Yeah.” I was sad, and happy, and relieved, and ready to move on. Devils and Angels was the embodiment of a dream, a struggle, a journey I’d needed to go on, and I had learned so much about myself.

  I’d thought having a harem, becoming a Dominatrix, and finally opening the club would prove to the world, and to myself that I was worthy. Worthy of respect, worthy of sex, worthy of love.

  But it wasn’t the club that helped me learn that lesson. It had been Gray.

  When I lost him, I’d almost lost myself. I would have eventually come back. I had already started when Gray returned to my life. But that Angelina was different, wounded. I was grateful that was a path I didn’t have to travel.

  I liked--no I loved--who I was now, and I didn’t need anything but my own skin to prove who I’d become after all this time: the real me.

  Gray took my hand, caressing the inside of my palm. “Good. But while it’s still yours I have one more thing I’d like to do.”

  Gray led me to the stage and in front of the cross. This was the last place he and I had played together here at the club before our lives went to shit.

  A butterfly did a dance with some of her friends in my stomach.

  “I have something for you. Some things. For both of us.”

  He knelt, like he had that last night we’d been here, but this time it was different. This time we weren’t doing this for anyone else. This was for us.

  “Angelina. You seduced me from the beginning. I have been yours since the day we met.” He pulled a box from his pocket and opened it. I’m sure there was a sparkling ring inside, but all I could see was the sparkle in Gray’s eyes. “Will you marry me?”

  “You stole my line.”

  He grinned and slid the ring onto my finger. “Say it, Angel. Say yes.”

  “Yes.”

  Applause started behind us, but Gray stood and held up his hand, silencing them “I’m not done yet.”

  Was there more to a marriage proposal than I knew?

  He reached into his other pocket and pulled out two chains, one darker and thicker than the other, both with a wing shaped locket dangling from them.

  He laid the thicker chain in my hand. “Open it.”

  I popped the charm open and inside were the words I’m yours forever.

  “Gray, this is beautiful.”

  “Put it on me, my love. Collar me, because I am yours, forever.”

  My mouth dropped open and I looked between the locket and Gray several times. “You’re asking me to collar you?”

  “Yes. This is a symbol, as much as the rings are, that I belong to you.”

  My hands shook as I reached around his neck and clasped the chain. Gray fulfilled my every need, making me better than on my own.

  “Now you.” He placed the collar on me and I heard the click of the clasp, felt the weight of the charm on my skin.

  These symbols meant everything to me. But I would be happy without them, as long as I had Gray in my life.

  “I love you, Grayson Baker.” I kissed him and the cheers Gray had silenced before filled the room.

  “I love you, Angelina soon-to-be Baker.”

  I touched the chain, held the locket in my hand. “Hey, I didn’t get to see what mine said inside.”

  Gray smiled. “You’re mine, forever.”

  And I was his. Forever.

  ~~~

  Need more Curvy Love?

  Grab Curvy Diversion to see how Danica begins her adventures at Devils and Angels.

  A LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR

  Dear Reader,

  Thanks so much for reading Reignite.

  I’ve spent the better part of three years with Gray and Angelina and I’m so happy that you’ve chosen to spend time with them too.

  It was a hard journey for them to get to their happy ever after and there were times even I wasn’t sure they were going to make it.

  But they had to, because I’ll always find a way to give my curvy girls a happy ever after.

  Hey, would you mind leaving a review right now? Your opinions will be helping other readers discover my curvy girl stories too.

  Even one simple sentence that says something like – Loved this book! or Hooray for curvy girls! – can make a big difference.

  If you enjoyed The Curvy Seduction Saga, you’ll probably like The Curvy Love series. It stars some of the characters you were introduced to here.

  Keep reading and there is an excerpt from Curvy Diversion with is a free novella starring Danica, right before she inherits the club from Angelina.

  Want more romances with BBWs and hot alpha males? Some of the other characters you’ve read about in the Curvy Seduction Saga have their own stories. Would you like to see how Cade fell for Vanessa?

  Curvy Diversion, the first book in the series is free for you!

  Want even more Curvy Love stories?

  Sign up for the Curvy Connection and I’ll send you Curvy Persuasion right away!

  Plus, I’ve got a present for all my elite readers.

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  Excerpt from Curvy Diversion

  Saturday Night and I Ain’t Got Nobody

  I wasn’t going to Devils and Angels. That felt weird, like there was something I’d forgotten to do.

  It’s not like I couldn’t go without a sub. There was never any shortage of submissive men who wanted me to make them lick my boots or other more fun places. The thought of spending an evening with a beta male held zero appeal at the moment.

  A small break from the scene, as recommended, that’s all this was. Then I could come back to it with renewed vigor. I even had a challenge in mind. There was a new coffee shop not far from my loft and a very cute latte boy.

  But, not tonight. Netflix was queued up with a whole list of chick flicks, the facial-mani-pedi station was set up on my coffee table, the newest trial and error paleo cookie recipe was in the oven and making the house smell delicious, and Nessie was on her wa
y over for girls night in. Everything was perfect and exactly what I needed for some R&R.

  The phone rang and Nessie’s number popped up. Uh-oh. “Hey Ness.”

  “Don’t hate me.” Her tone was apologetic and distracted at the same time.

  Not that I could, but I knew already I was in for some alone time. “I’ll never hate you. What’s come up?” I tried to hide the resignation in my voice.

  “I’m sorry. A whole stack of invoices just landed on my desk and not only do they need to be paid yesterday, they are in some weird back-assward order. Ugh, I could just beat my department head for the way he lets people run roughshod over payments.”

  Kind of like the way she let everyone else in her life walk all over her. If ever anyone needed a vacation, it was Nessie. I had plans for her though. “Bring him on down to the club, I’ll be happy to whip him into shape for you.”

  “Oh, you and that club.” She laughed, but only half-heartedly. “Shoot, I’d love to hear your latest escapades, but with this stack of paperwork and the museum board meeting tomorrow at the butt crack of dawn, I’m down for the count.”

  “Rain check then.”

  “For sure. If you want we can grab coffee at the new place, what’s it called, uh, The Mean Bean, tomorrow after my meeting.”

  “Yeah. Can’t wait. Text me when you’re on your way.”

  I plopped down on the couch and hit play on some romcom about an awkward sexual adventure. The bowl of avocado for our facials cried out for some chips. There would be plenty now.

  I was half into spreading the green goo on my face when the phone beeped a Facetime call at me. Maybe Nessie gave her boss the finger and was on her way.

  I slid my thumb across the green button and a face popped up on the screen. But, it wasn’t Ness. Unless she’d grown a five o’clock shadow and a penis.

  “Dani?”

  “Grant?” I dipped the phone so all he could see was my kneecap and scraped as much of the avocado off my face as I could with one big chip, swiping at the rest with my sleeve. “What’s the word nerd?”

  He was far from a nerd. Looks of a model, but never came out from behind his own camera long enough for anyone to get a picture of him. Although, I had a few shots.

  “I was hoping to catch you. Getting ready to go out?” His voice was that low flirty tone I adored.

  “Not tonight.” I should have lied. He’d know something was up if I wasn’t going out on a Saturday night. He and I had torn up the town more than once in our college days.

  “Under the weather? You do look a little green.” He swiped a finger along his chin a few times.

  Crap, I’d missed a huge chunk of facial guac. “Har har. You know the things I do to keep this face looking young and beautiful.”

  “It’s all a mystery to me. But, you do look edible.”

  That was a little more flirty than Grant usually was with me. Not that he hadn’t ever hit on me. But, we’d missed our moment. Either he was attached or I was busy with a sub, not that I’d tell him that. Somewhere along the way we gave up on being lovers and became friends. He was the only other long-term relationship I had with anyone besides Nessie, and the two of them had never even met.

  “What’re you doing in on a Saturday night? Don’t you have some twenty-one year old twig to be seen on the town with? What town are you even in?”

  “I’m in Prague, so Saturday night has come and gone, and I haven’t… okay maybe I have dated a younger model or two.”

  “If you call robbing the cradle dating.” The man had a thing for younger women. That was fine, I had a thing for younger men. We’d had this convo more than once in the opposite direction.

  “It’s actually why I called, love.”

  “To rob my cradle?”

  He cleared his throat, nervous-like. “I know this is a long shot, but do you have a job booked for next week?”

  The shot wasn’t as long as he thought. The jobs were coming fewer and farther between than they used to. I certainly wasn’t ready to retire at thirty-three, but I wasn’t being booked like I used to. “You’re in luck, I’m free. You got something for me?”

  “Kind of. I’m calling in a favor Dans. Can you fly out to Costa Rica Monday morning? Stay at least three days?”

  “Are you kidding me? Costa Rica? Please. I’d take that job for free. You’re shooting? Who’s it for?” I’d worked with Grant a few times over the years, but he did mostly the kind of high-fashion that didn’t include plus-size.

  “Actually. It would be for free. I can’t pay you and I can’t guarantee the photos will even make it into Sports magazine.”

  Umm. Grant and his family were kazillionaires. Maybe this was for charity. “A. Sports magazine doesn’t do plus size models in swimsuits or otherwise, and B. Why can’t you pay?”

  “Here’s the favor part. I’m doing a proposal to dear old dad that this year we do an all bodies swimsuit edition, but I’ve got to foot the bill myself. I’ll cover flights and hotel, but, I’m beg, borrowing, and stealing models.”

  That I could get down with. Too few magazines believed that all bodies were beautiful and my heart pitter pattered at the fact that Grant wanted to do something about it.

  “Your dad will never go for it. I love him, Grant, but he isn’t exactly known for proponenting realistic standards of beauty. I mean, look at step-monster, what, number three was it? She was more silicone than the valley.”

  “I know, I know. But, I’m taking over G-Media at the new year and if I could get him to agree to this new look now, it will be a thousand percent easier to get the board behind me in January when I make more changes to the magazines. And it was number four.”

  Holy news flash. “Wait, what? You’re taking over Granted Media? When did this happen?”

  “My father asked me to become the new CEO starting in January.” His tone was that of a kid who had to come in for dinner right in the middle of an exciting game of kiss the girls.

  “The billionaire playboy settles down and takes an office, huh?” Grant’s father had been trying to control him, and failing since we were in school together. What I didn’t understand was why he was giving in now.

  “I have to. It’s all hush hush for the moment, but dad had a series of what they’re calling mini-strokes this year and he decided to step down.” Grant’s face through the phone was sad and resigned.

  That boy had a myriad of conflicting emotions about this situation that I could see written all over him like a giant neon sign saying – ask me about my guilt.

  None of his girlfriends would see that. Only the ca-ching of cashing in on their billionaire CEO boyfriends moneybags who could advance their careers.

  Grant had called me out on questionable career choices. That’s what friends were for.

  “Do you want the job?” I asked.

  It would be a serious cramp in his wham-bam-thankyou-ma’am lifestyle. But it also meant he’d be moving to town. Granted Media’s HQ was within walking distance from my loft.

  He was my second best friend in the whole world, but partly because we only saw each other a few times a year. He was separate from my everyday life, and I liked it that way. A girl had to keep some mystery about her, even from her friends.

  “Yes. Maybe. Kind of.” He swiped a hand over his face and then grinned sideways at me through the phone. “Can we save that conversation for later? For example, on a beach in Costa Rica with a fruity drink in hand?”

  I was totally down for the gig, paid or not. What better way to take a vacation than at a tropical resort, where there were no BDSM clubs or subs or Doms in sight or Dommes for that matter. Fun times with Grant were an added bonus. Maybe I could work out my feelings about him moving to my neck of the woods while we were at it.

  “I’m not letting you off the hook, but yes. What’s up with the change to using diverse models? That’s so not Granted.” I never ever thought I’d work for any of their magazines. They weren’t really my people. By which I meant human
s with an actual body fat percentage.

  “But, it needs to be. We’re behind the times and the circulation is showing it. Only about half the magazines have a strong online presence and the look of every one of the print rags is outdated. I don’t want to see the business my grandfather built dissolve because a bunch of old fuddy-duddies still think Twiggy is in.”

  “Did you just say fuddy-duddies?” He was either acting nine years old or seventy-nine. That or he was already turning into one of those corporate politically correct types. God, I hoped not. I liked the don’t-do-anything-I-wouldn’t-do-and-I’ve-done-a-shit-ton guy I’d had a crush on in college way more

  “Better than dirty bastards. They’re slow to change their underpants, much less the magazine. I want to start with Sports and transition all the magazines into something current.”

  “You’re saying L’eau isn’t going to feature the heroin chic models that make a size zero look baggy anymore?” Not bitter at all. Nooooo.

  “I’m saying that I’ve got a chance to bring the antiquated ideals in both body and business the board of Granted Media has been operating on since the 70s into the modern world. I’m not saying it will happen overnight.”

  Ooh. He already sounded like the sexy CEO from all my naughty romance novels.

  “Even your porno mags?” That would be the day.

  “Ahem, they are men’s magazines, and they have great articles, I’ll have you know.” He waggled his eyebrows at me.

  “Oh, yes, because everyone reads them for the articles.”

  “Not to mention the tits and ass.”

  “You’re an ass.”

  “You’ve got great tits.” His eyes dropped to the front of my shirt.

  I couldn’t decide whether to preen or tell him to fuck off. I went with ignore it. “I’ll be there for you, you know I will. When and where?”

  “Check your email. I sent a link to your e-ticket to San Jose and hotel reservation in Montezuma. We’ll be shooting on Tortuga Island.”

  I popped up the email app and scrolled through the junk mail to Grant’s message. “This says the ticket was purchased yesterday.”