Secret Curves (Dangerous Curves Book 5) by Marysol James Page A

tattoos – and knew there was no way he’d be able to hold her against it. Tessa was clean and sweet, and she had no business being anywhere near Curtis at all, but most especially when he was like this.
    “Because,” she whispered. “I’m scared.”
    “Of me?” he gritted out. “You scared of being close to me, Tessa?”
    “No.” She shook her head. “I’m scared of not being close to you… of having pushed you away. Of – of losing you.” She took a shuddering breath. “I’m scared that I did lose you.”
    He stared at her, stunned and almost afraid to believe his own ears. Was she actually saying that she wanted to be close to him? That she – that she wanted him ?
    Slowly, terrified that he was going to screw this all up, he reached out again, kept going this time. He brushed the very ends of his fingertips on her face, traced the curve of her cheekbone, praying hard that she didn’t flinch or move away. When she stayed right there, so fucking warm and soft under his rough touch, he damn near fell to his knees in front of her.
    Tessa stood very still, barely breathing, as he curled up his fingers and skimmed the front of his hand down her neck, coming to rest against her pulse point. She knew her heart was beating a million miles a minute, and she was sure he felt it.
    “Does that feel like you pushed me away?” he asked softly. “Like you lost me?”
    She felt tears starting. Curtis saw them and his eyes flashed fire.
    “Don’t do that.” Without moving his hand off her neck, he brushed her tears away with his thumb, his touch so incredibly light. “Don’t cry.”
    “I’m so sorry,” she whispered again. “Please don’t hate me.”
    “Oh, God,” he said, finally giving in to what he’d wanted to do for so long. “Tessa…”
    He moved his hand to the back of her neck, and pulled her to his mouth. Their first kiss was so soft, so gentle, it brought more tears to Tessa’s eyes. The kiss had passion and desire, to be sure, but its tenderness took her by surprise. She hadn’t expected tenderness from this hard, tough body, then she realized that she should have. When had Curtis ever been anything but gentle with her?
    She pressed herself against him fully, and that was when he increased the pressure, just a tiny bit. His lips moved slowly over hers, his tongue running over the sweet curves and ridges. He was exploring her, getting to know her, and he was letting her do the same with him. When she lifted her trembling hands and set them on his naked chest, he groaned deep in his throat and pulled away. She made a small sound of protest, and he cupped her face in his hands.
    “Does any of that feel like I hate you, baby?” He held her eyes, so damn intense and connected to her. “Like you have anything to feel sorry about?”
    Since her throat wasn’t actually working, she shook her head. His kiss had been gentle and slow, but it had scorched Tessa’s whole body and taken her voice at the same time.
    “Come here.” Curtis wrapped his arms around her now, and she almost collapsed in to his embrace, from sheer relief. “Just come here.”
    Tessa stood in the circle of his strong arms, wondering if anything in her life had ever felt better than this. She shut her eyes, and just let herself feel Curtis all around her. He overwhelmed every one of her senses, and Tessa suddenly suspected that when it came to this man, she was just a few shorts breaths away from falling so deeply in love with him, she’d never get to her feet again. She didn’t care, though. She just didn’t want him to let go.
    Curtis ran his hands up and down her back, comparing Tessa’s body now with the body that he’d held on the sofa at Curves that night. What he discovered disturbed him: she was so fucking thin, her shoulder blades poked out, and her curves had straightened out. She felt way smaller, too… more delicate, somehow. Like he could break her if he wasn’t careful.
    She sensed his touch grow