Men Love Curves: BBW Romance

by Ruby Madden

  Downstairs, he greeted the innkeeper and refused breakfast. He didn’t have time to eat. He stormed out of the inn and headed straight to the edge of the forest. It was very early, but the few people who were renting a room had all woken up and were getting ready for a long day. He avoided them as best as he could, lest anyone stopped him and tried to make conversation. Travelers were always so friendly and chatty, especially merchants.

  When he was sure no one saw him, Tavian got rid of his clothes and shifted into his bear form. When he let the beast take control, he felt free and invincible. No one dared approach him, and that gave him pure joy. He focused on what his senses told him, as they were much sharper than when he was in his human form, then let his strong legs carry him through the woods at his shifter speed. He could cover much more ground that way. From time to time, he stopped and sniffed the air, trying to catch Rose’s unique scent. If she was close, then his sensitive nose should be able to track her down.

  The brown bear roamed the forest for hours, then got out from between the trees and skirted the edge of the village, careful not to be spotted by anyone. Disappointed, he went back into the woods and decided to try again. He would never forgive himself if he missed a clearing or a ravine because he was in too much of a hurry. The Lost Kingdom had to be there, somewhere.

  He reached the river and walked along it for the second time that day. He had crossed it once with no luck, so he wondered if he should cross it again. Eventually, he decided it would be the last time, and if it didn’t work, then he’d go back to the inn and move on with his journey. The water wasn’t very deep, and when he reached the other side of the bank, he stopped and shook the cold droplets out of his thick fur. He stood on his hind legs and lifted his head as high as he could to sniff the air. His dark green eyes widened in surprise when he caught something. The tiniest whiff of fruits and flowers, just the way Rose’s hair and skin smelled. He dropped back on all fours and let his nose guide him.

  “Now I’m close,” he thought. “There’s no doubt. She’s here, somewhere.”

  The invisible wall of magic the curse had put between The Lost Kingdom and the real world hit the brown bear right in the head. He took a step back and looked around him. There was nothing there. Still, every time he tried to walk further, an obstacle he couldn’t see with the naked eye stopped him. He strolled along it for a few minutes, then he tried again only to have the same result. There was an invisible barrier, but he couldn’t see the kingdom behind it. It was just the green, lush forest, with its tall trees and entangled bushes.

  “There’s a reason why the fairy turned me into a bear-shifter,” he thought. “I should be strong enough to break down this wall.”

  With that being said, the brown bear took a couple of steps back, then rammed his shoulder into the magical wall. Pain exploded in the right side of his body, but it was gone instantly. That was another advantage of being a bear-shifter: he healed quickly. He did that again, and again, until he felt the wall crack. The fifth time, he found himself on the other side, in the middle of a whole different landscape.

  The forest wasn’t there anymore. Tavian recognized the dusty roads of his home land, and the tall, proud towers of the palace in the distance. He took a moment to enjoy the feeling of peace and happiness that had enveloped him, then decided to shift back to his human form and look for some clothes. Everyone was asleep, so they surely wouldn’t mind if he went through a couple of houses until he found some decent clothes to fit his size.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Every painting on the wall, every piece of furniture, every corner he turned brought back old memories Tavian had buried deep inside so he could cope with being away from home for so long. The village, the royal gardens, and the palace were the same as the day he had left. The only difference was the sleeping people he found here and there. Most of them had had time to find a bed or a sofa to lie on before the cursed slumber took them, but there were some who were lying on the grass, or on the cold, marble floor of the ball room. Tavian didn’t have time to look around much. If he had gone to the kitchens, he would have found the cooks, maids, and servants sleeping on the stone floor, or in chairs, with their heads on the table. He went straight to Rose’s room. He couldn’t be sure he would find her there, but it was the first logical place to investigate.

  Tavian stopped in front of the closed door and took a couple of deep breaths. Her unique scent filled his lungs, and he knew the Princess was there, behind that very door, waiting for him to wake her. His bear growled inside his chest, urging him to barge in and cover her in kisses. When she had cast the curse, the evil fairy had said that the Princess could be woken up only by a true love’s kiss. Tavian searched deep inside his soul and knew without a doubt that he loved her. He turned the knob and pushed the door open.

  Rose was lying on her bed, her blonde hair spread all over the pillow. Her hands were resting on her chest, and her generous breasts were rising in the rhythm of her breathing. Tavian strolled towards the bed and leaned over her beautiful form.

  “Rose, my love,” he whispered. He caressed her cheek. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long. I finally found you.”

  His bear thrashed underneath his skin, impatient, now that his mate was within reach. Tavian had to hold his breath and count to ten to calm the beast down. He wanted to do things his way. That was the reason why he had accepted to be turned into a shape-shifter: so he would live long enough to claim this moment and seize it. He ran his hand through Rose’s hair, and the bear backed down, soothed by the small gesture. Tavian knew his beast wasn’t evil. The bear just ran on instinct, but he would never hurt the Princess. Yes, he wanted to take her hard and fast, but his human side was there to balance things out.

  “My Princess, I will take care of you, I promise.” Tavian leaned over her some more, until his lips were above hers. “Come back to me now, and I will make sure nothing will harm you again. We’ll live a long, happy life, and I will do everything in my power to offer you the wonderful things you deserve.”

  He closed his eyes and pressed a kiss to her unmoving lips. He was surprised at how warm they were. Her breath was soft, and it smelled like fresh mint. Even though she had been asleep for one hundred years, her cheeks were rosy, and her skin smelled like she had just taken a hot bubble bath.

  When she didn’t respond to his kiss and didn’t give any sign that she was becoming conscious, Tavian took her face between his palms and angled her head in such a way that he could easily part her lips with his tongue. He kissed her long, passionately, feverishly, unwilling to break their connection until she opened her eyes. This was true love’s kiss. He could feel it in his heart, which was beating wildly, threatening to explode in his chest, he could sense it in his muscles and bones. His whole body reacted to Rose’s closeness.

  After a minute that seemed to stretch forever, Rose sighed against his lips. Tavian broke the kiss and opened his eyes. The Princess was looking up at him, her sky blue orbs trying to focus after so many years in which they hadn’t been used.

  “My love,” he said. “Welcome back.”

  “Tavian?”

  ***

  His name felt weird on her tongue. On second thought, her tongue felt weird because she hadn’t used it in a century. The kiss had left her breathless, and his handsome face hovering over her made her stomach flip in excitement. And it flipped so hard that it ended up rumbling, reminding her of the terrible hunger which had poisoned her cursed dream. He smiled down at her, and she made an effort to smile back. She tried to sit up, but her arms failed to support her weight, and she fell back on the soft pillow.

  “No, don’t move, my love. It’s too soon.”

  “You came…”

  “Of course I came. That’s why I left in the first place.”

  “You… you knew the curse was real.”

  Tavian shook his head gently. “I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t take the risk. When I couldn’t convi
nce you to pull out of the game your friends had started, I had to find a way to be there for you in case things went really bad.”

  Rose averted her gaze. “They’re not my friends.” The white, creamy skin on her neck and cheeks turned red with anger. But she wasn’t angry at Angel, Juliet, and Talia. She was angry at herself.

  “Hey, look at me… look at me.” He took her face between his hands and forced her to look into his eyes. “You’re here now, and I’m here. We’re finally together, and that’s all that matters. What’s done is done. We all have a new chance to start over.”

  Rose lost herself in his green eyes. Oh, he was breathtaking! His long, dark brown hair was tied in a loose ponytail, and his square jaw was covered in just enough scruff to make him look hot and mysterious. His strong hands felt nice on her round cheeks, and his massive body leaning over her made her want to snuggle against his chest.

  As if reading her thoughts, Tavian pulled her in a deep kiss for the second time. She moaned in his mouth, and it turned him on so hard that he had to shift his position on the bed to release some of the tension in his trousers. The fact that they were a size too small didn’t help. Rose wrapped her arms around her neck, which made him press himself against her. Her round, heavy breasts were trapped between them, and he trailed a hand from her cheek, down her neck and collarbone, to cup and squeeze her right breast through her corset. All he wanted was to untie the thing and let her breasts pop out free, then take a nipple in his mouth and suck on it until she begged for more.

  Rose entangled her fingers in his hair, pulled at the strands which had fallen out of his ponytail, and arched her back to give him better access to her virgin body. The things his kisses and touches were doing to her were unbelievable. Overwhelming. His hands were everywhere now, squeezing her breasts, running up and down her sides, grabbing her hips, and caressing her thighs through her long, summer dress. Then, Tavian found that small roll on her waist, right where the corset ended. She hated it, and hated the fact that she couldn’t cover it no matter what she wore. He found it and he pinched it. She snapped her eyes open and used both hands to push him away.

  “My love, what’s wrong? Am I going too fast? Oh, I’m going too fast, I’m sorry…”

  “No, no… It’s not that.”

  She swallowed heavily and averted her gaze again. Suddenly, she realized she couldn’t look at his handsome face anymore. Yes, Tavian had always told her that he liked her. And now, he had told her that he loved her. But, would he still love her when he saw her naked? The corset did a good job of hiding part of her curves, but once it was gone, her waist went back to its thick, full shape.

  “What is it, then?”

  Rose made another effort to sit up, and this time she succeeded.

  “I can’t… Not now, I…” She bit her lip, unable to come up with a pertinent excuse. She wanted him. Her body craved his touches, and she had felt his rock hard erection against her leg when he had leaned over her almost completely. She was sure he could tell, too, especially now that his senses were heightened. Then, a thought crossed her mind. “You’re different.”

  Tavian pulled away instantly and stood up.

  She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and allowed herself a moment to get used to the new position before she stood up as well. She had to be sure her feet could hold her weight.

  “You look the same,” she continued. “Last night, in my dream… our dream… I felt something inside your chest. Inside you. Something… wild, and restless. It wasn’t there before.” She paused for a moment, but when he didn’t say anything, she added: “Was that the price you had to pay to be able to live for one hundred years?”

  “Yes.” His voice was merely a whisper. “But I have no regrets. After the curse was activated, I went to the good fairies and asked for their help. They sent me on my way, telling me there was nothing they could do. My only other option was to go to the evil fairy who cursed you and your kingdom. She turned me in what I am now…”

  “What are you?”

  He looked into her eyes: “A bear-shifter.”

  They were both silent for a while. Rose took a couple of steps around the room, slowly getting used to being awake again. Tavian watched her shyly. The sun was setting, and burning rays of red and orange were dancing on her young features. Various sounds started coming from down the hall, which meant the curse had been lifted and everyone was waking up.

  “There are…” Tavian hesitated. He didn’t know how she felt about him being a bear-shifter, and he didn’t want to scare her away even more. “There are advantages, though. I had a whole century at my disposal to build a good life for myself, a name, and a generous fortune. If you still want me, I will ask your hand in marriage and the King will have no reason to refuse our union.”

  Rose smiled. “It’s not like Prince Phillip is still around…”

  Her fiancé from the neighboring kingdom. Of course he wasn’t around anymore. He had died years ago.

  Tavian chuckled. “It all depends on you, my Princess. We will do what you feel is right.”

  Rose turned to him and sighed. He was tall, with broad shoulders, perfectly sculpted chest and abs, and strong thighs. His hard cock was visible through the tight trousers that didn’t do much to cover the lower part of his body. She refrained from licking her lips. Heat spread between her legs, and her pussy released more juices. She clenched her walls to stop that from happening again, aware that Tavian’s shifter senses were sharp enough to catch the scent of her arousal.

  Tavian did his best to respect the distance she had put between them. He couldn’t understand why she had pushed him away when it was clear she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. But he couldn’t ask her, couldn’t insist. He had to let her choose the pace of their relationship, if what they had could even be called a relationship.

  Rose fixed her eyes on his face and took a deep breath before speaking. “I’m sorry, I can’t… It’s too soon, things are happening too fast.”

  “Is it because I’m a bear-shifter?”

  “No! No… I don’t know…” She bit the inside of her cheek.

  Tavian hung his head in defeat. It broke Rose’s heart to see him like this, but it would break her heart even more to let him see her naked and then deal with the disappointment in his eyes. Because there would be disappointment, she was sure of that. Angel, Juliet, and Talia had always told her men didn’t like big women. She had no choice but to believe them, given that they had had so many admirers, and she had had none. Except for Tavian. But, maybe, he had a completely wrong impression about her and her body. About who she was and what she really looked like.

  “I understand,” he said. “I… I will give you the time and space you need.”

  Rose wanted to thank him, but she was interrupted by her parents and friends bursting in through the door. The King and Queen hugged her tightly, while Angel, Juliet, and Talia waited patiently for their turn. They were happy it was all over, but they couldn’t show their excitement. Everyone knew it had been their fault. They needed to apologize to Rose and beg for forgiveness.

  Tavian wanted to leave them alone, but the King turned to him, and before he knew it, he was the hero of the whole kingdom. Given that they had found Rose and Tavian alone in the room, it was obvious he had been the one to wake her up with a true love’s kiss. They were meant to be together. When the Queen suggested it and expressed her excitement about a possible wedding, Tavian tried to catch Rose’s eyes. The Princess, however, averted her gaze and went to her friends. She hated them now, but they were the only ones who could save her from the awkward conversation. When her mother pushed for an answer from her part, Rose smiled sweetly and told her she was incredibly hungry and in dire need of a hot bath. The trick worked, because both her parents realized their daughter needed some time to recover. They all did.

  As Angel, Juliet, and Talia took Rose with them and offered to run her the best bath she had ever had, Tav
ian was left alone in the room. He looked out the window at the gardens and the villages in the distance. The Lost Kingdom was coming back to life. For some reason, he had imagined he would feel happier.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stay put. Even though she was in the large bathroom on the ground floor, Tavian could still hear her, smell her, feel her. His shifter senses were sharper than ever. He had found his mate, and now his bear was thrashing and growling underneath his skin, demanding to be let out. The beast couldn’t understand how the woman had even found the power to push him away when she had been clearly aroused. Tavian’s human side, however, was more calculated. While he was walking from one room to another to make sure everyone was fine, Tavian tried to imagine what Rose could have been thinking.

  “She never said she loved me…” he thought.

  But she was young and confused. The world she had been thrown back in today wasn’t the exact same world she had left when she had pricked her finger on the spindle. The King and Queen had locked themselves with their advisers, and they were debating how they could make the reintegration smoother for everyone. What the rest of the world knew about The Lost Kingdom was that it was a myth. They had to find a way to fix that. They were even considering asking for the fairies’ help and hope for the best. Apparently, it never ended well when fairies were involved. Tavian thought Rose was dealing with the same issues while having her bath downstairs. After all, she would be the one to inherit the kingdom in a couple of years.

  On the other hand, she had pushed him away when he had gotten bolder with his kisses and touches. Then it struck him: thanks to those three witches who called themselves her friends, the Princess was very insecure about her body. Tavian smiled to himself and headed towards the bathroom, almost on instinct. “If I pay attention, I can read her like an open book,” he thought. His bear helped him. The beast could smell the fear, discomfort, or insecurity on someone, and if Tavian focused, he could summon the moment of passion he and Rose had had in her room and analyze it until he reached the right answers. She was afraid he might not like her.