Mastering Her Curves: A Curvy Girl Romance

by Piper Sullivan

  “Next semester as long as I don’t flunk any classes.”

  “That was one class your freshman year, Rocky. Stop beating yourself up about it. And it was math.”

  “A crucial part of business, unless Pretty Feathers does some other kind of business I don’t know about?”

  That pulled another laugh out of me as I turned onto the block where my bungalow sat with its newly repainted yellow door. “And since then you’ve aced all your classes, smart ass.” I shoved the key into the door and kicked off my wedge sandals the moment I was inside. They were beautiful but they weren’t meant to be worn for twelve straight hours.

  “You’re right but still, I worry.”

  I smiled at Rocky, the perfectionist. Despite her bookish tendencies, she was gorgeous and bubbly, a double-whammy that would take this world by storm, I was sure of it. “It’s an open offer when you need a week or two off from thinking about tests and papers and projects.”

  “I’ll keep it in mind. But what I really want to know about is that big ginger hottie you were locking lips with on Facebook.”

  Her words stopped my feet half way between the front door and the living room. “How on earth did you hear about that?”

  “Are you kidding,” she asked on a far too amused for my liking laugh. “Your new hometown puts everything on Facebook, honey. Everything.” She drew the syllables out for emphasis and I knew she was telling the truth.

  “Right. Nate is a S&R worker and that kiss was for charity.” Though that kiss hadn’t been charitable, not at all, or what came next. I shook of those thoughts because it was a one and done, and if maybe I felt some kind of way about waking up in bed alone after the best sex of my whole entire life, well that was my business and nobody else’s.

  “Looked like a hell of a lot more than charity,” she offered with an amused laugh.

  “I’m taking care of myself and my business right now, Rocky. What about you, any men in your life?” I browsed the contents of my empty fridge while she spoke, cursing Nate for my lack of food. If he hadn’t just up and left I wouldn’t be avoiding him. Redheaded jerk.

  She snorted and I could picture her shaking here head, thick waves tumbling over her shoulders as she did so. “Several boys and none at all worth mentioning, I’m afraid.” That sounded about right because for all her beauty and personality, Rocky didn’t seem to take the opposite sex too seriously, a trait I admired. And envied. “But I do have a date with one tonight so I best get going.”

  “All right, thanks for checking on me. Have fun tonight.”

  “I’ll do my best but he plays football so no guarantees.”

  I laughed and sent my love before ending the call, casting one last derisive look at my empty fridge. If I wanted to eat tonight, and I did, I would have to go out or have something delivered. Or I could just wait until morning. The growling sounds coming from my stomach served as a necessary reminder that I’d already skipped lunch and was in dire need of sustenance. “Okay fine, I’ll order a pizza.”

  And tomorrow the shop didn’t open until after lunch which meant I could make an early morning run to market here in town, or I could head over to Edgerton’s twenty-four hour supermarket, which sounded ridiculous. There was no reason to avoid Nate.

  I mean sure, he banged my brains out and then vanished like a ghost in the mist but that was all right. It’s not like I was expecting forever from him, just a little bit of human kindness. Apparently even that was too much, but there was no harm which meant no foul. If he could act like it didn’t happen, so could I.

  That’s what I told myself, but the minute I stepped into the shower as it slowly filled with steam, my mind went to that night just over a month ago when Nate had looked at me like I was a desirable woman, not just a means to an end. The heat in his green eyes and the way his jaws clenched between that burnt sunset beard as he fought to maintain control of himself. Every dang time I stepped into this shower, I thought of him, standing behind me with those big hands sliding up and down my body, his mouth raining down kisses on my neck and shoulders, down my back.

  Nate Callahan may be a jerk and a womanizer, but damn the man knew how to make a woman feel good. Really good. And that night had been the best I’d felt, physically, in a long damn time. He kissed like a dream and made love like a pro, which made it impossible to forget. And even more impossible not to think of him whenever I took a shower. Or made a sandwich. Or watched TV.

  Or…the sound of the doorbell, thankfully, interrupted musings that couldn’t possibly go anywhere. Ever.

  Stepping from the shower, I dried off as quickly as I could, hoping the impatience of the teenage delivery boy wouldn’t cost me tonight’s dinner. “Coming,” I yelled as I wrapped my favorite kimono robe around my body and flew down the stairs. “Nate,” I sighed. “What are you doing here?”

  Nate

  Damn meddling old matchmakers, that’s what I was doing here but there was no way in hell I’d tell her that. “That happy to see me, huh Mikki?” She didn’t look happy but she did look gorgeous with her face scrubbed clean of makeup, showing off smooth olive toned skin and went hair that clung to her skin the way I suddenly wanted to.

  Mikki stood up taller and gripped the doorknob in her hand, notching her chin up as her gaze slowly met mine. Her face was carefully devoid of emotion. “I was expecting someone else. What are you doing here?”

  Someone else? “Who are you expecting?”

  “None of your business.” There was no playful tone which meant she wasn’t trying to make me jealous, another thing that made her unlike most women. “Well?”

  “Can’t I stop by to see a friend?” I don’t know why I was screwing with her or what I hoped to gain, but Mikki didn’t looked amused. Or in the mood to be screwed with.

  “Sure. As soon as you tell me why you’re here, you can go stop by to see that friend.” There was no sting to her words, just a bland matter of factness that set my teeth on edge.

  “We’re not friends, Mikki?”

  “Are we,” she shot the question back at me. “We’re not and we both know that so why don’t you tell me why you’re really here.”

  Damn, the woman didn’t pull any punches, then again what did I expect after leaving her bed just before the sun came up and not calling her once in the past thirty-three days? “I came to see you.”

  “Oh.” The word held no surprise or pleasure, and I was pretty sure she didn’t even believe me. “Well then you should have called because I’m not having visitors this evenin’.” She took a step back and began to close the door, apparently serious about not being in the mood, us not being friends and not having visitors tonight. Whatever the hell that meant.

  “Wait.” My palm smacked against the door, startling her but she hid it quickly behind a glare.

  “What is it?” Her exasperation was clear and I realized just what a mistake I made avoiding her this past month.

  “Eddy and Elizabeth stopped me coming out of Big Mama’s and handed me these. For you, I assume.” I lifted the pizza box and the bottle of wine on the table beside the front door and handed them to her. “It wasn’t my idea but you know how they are.” And when it came to matchmaking the Hometown Heroes, they were worse than ever.

  “Oh. Well, thank you.” She turned left and right, damp hair still sticking to her skin as she searched for…something. “How much do I owe you?”

  Before I could answer, Mikki’s back was to me, giving me a good long look at the golden dragon imprinted on the fire engine red robe. It was silky and touchable looking, short enough that more of her legs were revealed than were hidden. Mikki had great legs even though she was as diminutive as they came, they were shapely and toned, evidence she was more than her curves. And those legs led to delicate feet with sparkly red and pink painted toes. All in all, she was an enticing package and I felt my control slipping, at least it would’ve been if not for her insulting question. “You don’t owe me anything.”

  The frown that
met me when she spun towards me said it all, Mikki didn’t like my answer. “I am perfectly capable of paying for my own dinner, Nate, thank you very much. And I will.” She folded her arms over her chest, revealing honeyed cleavage, and notched her chin into the air. “Or you can take that pizza home with you and I’ll order a new one. You can leave the wine since I didn’t order it.”

  Immediately my thoughts went to the meddling matchmakers I left in front of Big Mama’s and what they’d have to say when word inevitably got back to them that Mikki had ordered a second pizza. It wasn’t worth the hassle. “You owe me twenty six bucks,” I told her. “Plus tip.”

  She snatched a few bills form her purse, mostly just ignoring me until she smacked three ten dollar bills against my chest. “Delivery costs too.”

  I shoved the cash in my pocket angrily. “Thanks. I guess.”

  “Thanks for the delivery, even though it wasn’t necessary.” She grabbed the pizza and wine and turned away from me before stopping to look at me over her shoulder. Those hazel eyes held me, transfixed, as she assessed me. I wondered what she was thinking about and if it mirrored my own thoughts. Until she spoke. “Have you eaten?”

  I shrugged. “I got food in the car. Eddy stopped me coming out of Big Mama’s Diner.”

  “Oh.” Just one word that held a wealth of meaning. Disappointment that I hadn’t come because of my desire to see her. Annoyance that I stopped by unannounced and if I read her right, annoyance in general at my presence. “Okay then, thank you. Have a good night.” And there it was, the sweetest way I have ever been dismissed in more than thirty years on this planet.

  “Right.” Why I stood there like a damn idiot, I had no idea but the way those eyes, gold and green and brown, stared a hole right through me, was irresistible. Yeah, I was more screwed up than I realized.

  “Are you all right, Nate?”

  “I’m fine,” I growled and instantly felt bad when she took a step back.

  “All right.” She slammed the door in my face and I don’t know how long I stood there, both shocked at her behavior while also knowing I deserved that, and a lot more.

  Even knowing that, I wasn’t ready to say good night. Raising my fist, I pounded on the door three times and rang the bell for good measure. Mikki could pretend not to be home, but that wasn’t her style.

  A few moments later the door swung open and an irritated Mikki appeared, but the front of her robe was open just enough to reveal that she wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing underneath. “What is it now?”

  “Nothing. Just this.” I leaned in and wrapped both of my arms around her waist until not even a breath of air could slide in between us, and lowered my head. I didn’t stop until my lips were on hers, my tongue sliding back and forth across her bottom lip and then her top lip until she gasped and softened, leaning her weight against me. Then I slipped in and deepened the kiss while, in the back of my mind, waiting for her to push me away or smack my face. Tell me to leave her the hell alone.

  Mikki did none of that, instead she fisted her small hand in the work shirt I still hand on for Janey’s photos and pulled me closer, swiping her tongue against mine and curling her fingers into my beard. But when she moaned into my mouth and sucked my tongue, I just about lost all the good intentions I had. If I even had any.

  I was the one to put a stop to the kiss because I had to. Because Mikki’s tongue was doing delicious things to my body, reminding of the way she’d wrapped those same lips around my cock and used that same tongue to drive me out of my mind. “Okay. Good night.”

  Mikki blinked and looked up at me, confusion swimming in her eyes but she quickly hid it and took a step back, guard slowly going back up around her. She wrapped both arms around her body for just a second and nodded. “Right.” Then she slammed the door in my face, locking it—twice—for good measure.

  Yep, that sounded about right.

  Mikki

  Monday morning arrived bright and early, as it always did since decided that Mondays were a half day at Pretty Feathers. It wasn’t so much a day off as it was a day to catch up on all the home and everyday life stuff that I neglected in favor of my baby. Still, I swung my feet over the edge of the bed, did my bathroom business and rushed downstairs to get a pot of coffee brewing while I took care of small housekeeping matters.

  While the coffee brewed, I picked up all the things that I dropped, discarded or sat down in places they didn’t belong between coming home and heading to my shop. Thankfully there wasn’t much this week, and when I finished the coffee pot was full and no longer sputtering. “Sweet, caffeine!” Thanks to my still empty fridge, the most pressing item on my list for today was a trip to the grocery store, which started with a shopping list.

  I could think of at least a million things to do with my time other than cooking, which was basically a sin for a well-bred southern woman, but there you have it. There would be no lavish Sunday dinners on my meal plan, just simple and easy. Steak and potatoes. Chicken and corn. Pork and broccoli. Maybe a salad or two, and definitely tacos. Add in a few more veggies and cocktail ingredients, and I was ready to go after just two cups of black gold.

  After Nate’s visit last night, I had a long talk with myself of a piping hot pizza and a delicious bottle of Beaujolais. I was done avoiding him since it seemed he didn’t see a reason to avoid me. We were nothing to each other and there was no need for there to be animosity between us. There was chemistry between us and nothing more, and I was more than capable of ignoring it, when and if it reared its ugly head again. Incidents like that kiss last night, as hot as it was, could not and would not happen again.

  Because I wouldn’t let it, no matter how much is proximity lit my body up like Fourth of July fireworks. It just couldn’t happen again because Nate wasn’t the guy for me, if there even was a guy for me. I thought Mitchell was the guy, until he and Charla had proved me the fool.

  I wouldn’t let Nate do the same because he wasn’t just a player, he wasn’t just a man completely and totally unsatisfied with one woman in his bed without thinking of another. No, he was the worst kind of player, the kind who toyed with your emotions by whispering sweet nothings while he made love to you, body and soul. He was the kind of guy who made you feel things for him only to toss it back in your face that he never promised you a damn thing. Yeah, I was well versed in the likes of him and I wanted to part of it. Well, aside from the orgasms because those were spectacular.

  I pulled into the small parking lot reserved for customers of Tulip Grocery & Drugs, killed the engine and took several deep breaths until my nerves were fortified with steel. Just in case. Armed with a shopping cart barrier and a list that provided the perfect distraction from speaking to my neighbors, I kept my head down and smiled as the air conditioning smacked me right in the face. It had to be a good omen, the air conditioning, because I’d grabbed enough produce to last a week before my first obstacle approached.

  “Mikki honey, you always look so well put together.” Eddy Henderson, sweet old lady, casserole queen and meddling matchmaker extraordinaire stopped right in front of me, blocking my progress with her compliment.

  “Why thank you, Miss Edy. I always enjoy putting together an outfit,” I told her, adding a bit more twang to my accent because that’s what she expected. “You’re looking mighty colorful today,” I told her sincerely. The woman loved a good track suit and the brighter the colors and patterns, the more she loved it. Compared to my plain turquoise shirt dress, Edy was the one with all the fashion sense.

  “Oh, you,” she smiled and waved a dismissive hand but I didn’t miss the pink blush that stained her cheeks and neck. “I wasn’t sure hot pink and leopard went together until I found these,” she said and stuck out one foot to show off a pair of leopard print sneakers. “Perfect, right?”

  “Absolutely,” I told her sincerely. I wouldn’t bee caught dead in it but I appreciated how Eddy wore what she liked no matter what. “I have some cotton track suits coming in this week, you mi
ght find them a bit more breathable in this Texas heat.”

  She nodded thoughtfully, a mischievous smile on her face. “Give me a call as soon as they arrive. I’m calling dibs,” she said, proud of herself for remembering. “Now missy, how was that pizza and wine last night? And more to the point, how was Nate?” The gleam in her eyes would have been frightening if I hadn’t just shored up my defenses where Nate Callahan was concerned.

  “The wine was amazing, thanks for that. I haven’t had a nice Beaujolais in close to forever. The pizza was exactly what I ordered and the perfect way to end a long weekend of tourists. And cleaning up after tourists,” I added because one of the things I learned quickly about living in this small town was that tourists were a preferred topic of conversation, aside from gossip. It wasn’t uncommon to hear people talk about how ridiculous they were, while also coming up with ways to attract more tourists and get them to spend more of their dollars in Tulip.

  “Yeah, yeah,” she said dismissively, not even bothering to pretend she cared about anything else. “What happened with Nate, girl? I’ve got a lot riding on this.”

  That was news to me so I merely shrugged. “Nothing happened. He dropped off the food, like you made him, and then went to where ever he was going before you shanghaied him into delivering my food.”

  The old woman didn’t even bother to look sorry or guilty and I was glad, because I knew she wasn’t. Between her and Ry’s mom Betty, and that policeman Antonio’s mom, Elizabeth, the remaining hometown heroes were literally quaking in their oversized work boots. “I didn’t have to do anything for him to lay one on you like he did at last month’s festival.”

  No, that hadn’t taken any interfering at all but I would never concede that point to Eddy because I’d never have a moment of peace. “I was just doing my part to help out with Tulip’s Tribute, that’s all. As a new member of this community, that’s important.” And that happened to be the truth. Eddy didn’t need to know that I hadn’t stopped daydreaming about kissing Nate since I first saw him walking past my shop with his brother.