Curves Envy 2 - Curvy Girls Do It Better: BBW Billionaire Romance (2 page)

“Yes, please.” My three best friends respond in unison and we get ourselves ready for another Saturday morning heart-to-heart.

* * *

For the next ninety minutes, as we devour our succulent fried-egg sandwich from Wichcraft, I recount every single detail to my best friends. I bare it all from the second I stepped out of the elevator on the fourteenth floor of the Bymark hotel up to the point I nearly passed out in the boardroom when he revealed he wanted me to travel to Miami and Brazil with him.

“Shit, Candy, that’s a pretty steamy encounter. The sexy stranger gave off a cocky flair, but who knew he was downright dirty?” Lia fans herself and we all laugh.

“I have to agree with Lia. Your hookup could win an award in the gay world.” Devin is grinning at me from over his coffee cup and I can’t help but roll my eyes at him. “I’m so thankful for the freak storm in Nashville. If Trish had showed up and laid eyes on your mystery man, she would have unleashed her slutty self all over him. Trust me, if the bitch had tried anything, I would have been on the first flight to LA to bitchslap her.”

“Dev, you’re so protective of me when it comes to my cousin. I’m also secretly happy she never made it.”

“Trish has no shame.”

Devin is right. Trish would have ruined it for me.

“Who knew a guy we met one week ago at brunch could turn out to be so delicious?” Lia is licking her lips so suggestively, I’m not sure if she’s scooping up the drizzle of sauce at the corner of her mouth or reliving the story I shared.

“Doesn’t it bother either of you he never mentioned he already knew me when he invited me for drinks?”

“Maybe he didn’t want to kill the mood. God knows, I’m all work and no play. Hearing your story makes me want to run to your bathroom to take a cold shower.”

Devin nearly spits out his coffee at Lexi’s remark and Lia is so shocked she’s looking at our friend up and down with her jaw dropped.

“Wow. Lexi, you’re living vicariously through my story of shame.”

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of. You hooked up with a guy who obviously was interested in you. He had been following you via
Sassy
magazine and maybe he fell for your wittiness and when he recognized you at brunch a week ago, he thought, ‘Damn!’”

“Okay, hearing those words come out of her mouth seems unnatural, but I have to agree with Lexi, this naughty encounter is pretty hot.”

“But, Lia, he’s most likely using me to ensure I give his product glowing reviews.”

“You’re assuming things, honey.”

“Candy, once again I have to side with Lexi here. You have no idea why this guy couldn’t keep his hands off of you.”

“None of this makes sense. Max is drop-dead gorgeous, he’s extremely successful, insanely rich and he has a phenomenal sense of humor. Why in the world would he be remotely interested in someone like me when there are so many other skinny options in a city like New York?”

“I thought you said he liked curvy women?”

“Vince said the same thing and his wife is a stick figure with a swollen belly. What if this guy is pulling my leg and taking me for a ride? What if every woman he’s ever dated is a freaking size-zero supermodel and he’s only buttering me up because my position at
Sassy
could help him expand his empire?” Is Max more interested in what I can do for him than in who I am? “I’m sorry, but handsome and rich men go for slim bombshells, not average plus-size women like me.”

“You infuriate me when you talk like this,” Devin shouts from the kitchen where he went to fetch another cup of coffee. He casts me such a disapproving look, I lower my gaze, feeling slightly guilty for what I said.

“Name me one powerful man dating a plus-size woman,” I say, tapping my nails against the stem of my wine glass.

“You’re blind.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean,” he responds in a clipped tone.

“If I did, I wouldn’t ask,” I say, ticked off. “Listen, if you’re going to give me a pep talk, don’t.”

“I won’t. I’m going to answer your question because right now the only thing you see is how seemingly huge your ass is as opposed to how phenomenal you are as a person. Pierce Brosnan, Ben Falcone and Simon Konecki. Sexy Irish actor Pierce is married to plus-size babe Keely Shaye Smith. Italian-American actor Ben is the father to your idol Melissa McCarthy’s two kids and yes, they are married, as you well know. Finally there’s CEO Simon who is Adele’s baby-daddy. If you need me to name a few other men who think meat on a woman is sexy, let me know. I’ll be happy to oblige.”

My apartment goes dead silent as Devin stares down at me from where he’s still standing with scornful eyes while Lia and Lexi exchange side glances.

Jeez, no need to gang up on me.
I want to believe him, but there’s a part of me still struggling to accept I could be as lucky as Kelly, Melissa or Adele.

“Just because you’ve dated assholes, cheats and scumbags with small dicks doesn’t mean all men fall in those categories. Maybe this half-Brazilian billionaire really finds you attractive.”

“Dev’s right, Candice.” Lia squeezes my hand gently.

“Ditto, hun. I’m totally siding with Dev and Lia on this one. I’d kill for your luscious tatas.” Lexi is desperately trying to push her breasts together to give the illusion of fullness and we all burst out laughing.

“Well, he does want to meet me for dinner tonight to explain why he didn’t reveal who he was from the get-go,” I say, biting my lower lip.

“What?” my three friends scream so loudly it sends Leo DiCaprio running to the bathroom to hide.

“Yeah. I might have forgotten to mention that part of the story,” I say shyly.

“Fuck you for holding the best part to yourself. Let me pour some more wine in your glass. Start talking.” Before I can respond, Devin is already marching to the fridge to pull out another bottle of California Sauvignon Blanc wine. “Don’t wait for me to uncork the bottle, spill your guts, sister,” he commands.

“At some point during the meeting, I felt nauseated at the idea I’d made out with one of our biggest clients. I excused myself pretending to have eaten something that made me sick. Once I burst out of the boardroom, my intention was to sprint to my desk and hide, but Max ran after me and he pushed me into the empty Fashion Archive room. To top it all off he had the audacity to threaten to blackmail me if I didn’t agree to have dinner with him tonight.”

“Oh, honey, this story is juicier by the second.” Devin is filling my glass and I grab it and take a big gulp, letting the alcohol calm my nervousness.

“Devin, it’s not. He’s manipulating me.”

“He can manipulate me any time if you don’t want him.”

“Amen.” Lia and Lexi are high-fiving each other while giggling over Lia’s comment.

“You two aren’t being supportive,” I scorn.

“You’ve accepted his invitation, right?”

“Dev, I didn’t feel I had any choice in the matter. It was either accept or he was going to pull the contract and award it to one of our competitors in the marketplace. This would make Jennifer look bad and I most likely would get fired.”

“If Max didn’t want to see you again, he wouldn’t be playing hardball like he is.”

“Yeah.” Devin and Lia are both nodding at Lexi’s comment with a huge grin on their faces.

“Honey, I hope you said yes.”

“I did say yes. I didn’t want to jeopardize my position at
Sassy
.” I might not be willing to admit it openly to my friends, but I do want to see Max again.

“Great call,” Devin says before bringing his wine glass to his lips.

“Were you only thinking of holding on to your job when you agreed to have dinner with him or were you having flashbacks to his impatient fingers against your clit?”

“Lexi!” we all say, shocked by her bold comment. She’s never talked in such a raunchy way in the past and I’m curious to find out what or who brings out this side of her personality.

“What? If your first night was so hot and heavy, I can only imagine how sizzling tonight will be. Damn. Should we make plans now to meet on Sunday morning so you can share all the dirty details?”

“Honey, on second thought, she does have a good point,” Lia says, winking at Lexi.

“I am also happy you saw the light. You’re totally blowing this out of proportion. Honey, you could give lessons to a few of my gay friends how to make out with a rich single guy,” Devin says before snapping his fingers in the air.

“You guys really think I’m overreacting?”

A collective, “Yeah,” fills my apartment, as my three friends lift their glasses to toast my decision.

Chapter 2

At seven o’clock, a sleek black chauffeured BMW rolls up in front of my building. Max texted me to let me know he’d send a car to pick me up, but I’ve been anticipating this evening so much I’ve been standing out here ten minutes already.

Terence, my chauffeur, is so elegant and I must say the BMW is a lot more impressive than the Lincoln Max hired to drive me home after our naughty interlude on the forty-first floor of the Bymark hotel.

As I slide into the back of the car, I can’t help but wonder if I made the right wardrobe selection.
I hope he’ll find me as irresistible as he did a few nights ago.
I opted for a curve-skimming wrap dress from plus-size designer Kiyonna. I would have bought this design in black, but lately designers are being daring with color and prints for curvy women. I must confess, it took me a while to get used to bringing attention to my figure, but I love this purple dress so much. I can’t speak highly enough of the three-quarter sleeves, which allow me to feel more comfortable. The flattering neckline is low enough to warrant attention to my cleavage without being trashy.
I have big boobs and I might as well use them, as Lexi keeps reminding me.

I paired the flirty dress with Christian Louboutin nude platform four-inch heels. Since I had to save for an entire year to get these as my twenty-fourth birthday gift, I bought them in a classic and versatile shade.
For the money I spent on these, I’ll milk the investment for the next twenty years.

When it came time to pick the lingerie set to compliment my outfit, I realized everything I owned is branded Sexy Curves.
Damn him.
I completed the look with a pair of simple gold earrings and a matching bracelet. Once again I have to thank Devin for forcing me to make an effort. As I caught my reflection in the mirror before rushing out, I had to admit I felt very pretty.

I’m a ball of nerves the entire ride, uncertain how the evening will unfold. Parts of me are yearning for more of Max and parts are scared shitless at the fact I’m infatuated with a man who holds my career in the palm of his hand.
It’s already seven-thirty
. I look down at my phone to check the time when the chauffeur slows in front of a luxurious building on the Upper East Side.
Posh.

“I’m sorry, Terence, is this a restaurant?” I lean in to ask the chauffeur if we have arrived at our destination.

“Mr. Keller requested I drop you off at his home.”

“Oh, I see. Which floor does he live on?”

“He’s arranged to have a concierge escort you to his floor, Madam.”

“Ah, very well. I guess I’ll get out then. Thank you so much, Terence.” I fish inside my designer handbag to pull a tip, but the chauffeur stops me.

“Madam, I work for Mr. Keller full-time. He’s already taken good care of me. Please enjoy your evening.”

“Oh, yes, of course,” I babble, regretting the faux-pas.

I reach out to grab the handle of the door with trembling hands and before I even step out of the car, a young doorman rushes to help me.

“Madam, you must be Ms. Westerman? My name is Ben, please allow me to help you. Mr. Keller has asked me to accompany you to his suite.”

“Oh, thank you, Ben.” I take the doorman’s hand and slide out of the back of the BMW. Although night is falling, I can still make out clearly the superb building before me.
Wow. It’s good to be a young billionaire.

Max’s building is the type of address you see in design magazines or on TV shows like
Million Dollar Listing New York
. It’s located in one of Manhattan’s most exclusive neighborhoods, surrounded by New York City’s premier museums, retailers and restaurants, and if memory serves me correctly, we’re a few steps away from the splendor of Central Park. Everything about this tall, elegant and sophisticated building screams money.

I’m sure this must be a landmark, but it’s clearly been impeccably renovated. I follow Ben into the lobby and stop when I take in the décor surrounding me—lush, opulent, refined. Everywhere I look I see beautiful white marble. The interior combines old-world comfort, avant-garde design and chic aesthetics.
Yeah, my renovated building isn’t quite as glamorous.

“Is everything okay, Ms. Westerman?” Ben turns around when he notices I’m no longer following him.

“Yes. I’m admiring this incredible space.”

“It’s extravagant, but it’s well suited to our elite residents.”
I bet.
“If you’ll follow me. Mr. Keller is already awaiting your arrival.”

“Of course,” I say, taking a step forward. 

As we walk by the concierge desk, I smile at the tight-faced woman staring at me. The petite redhead curls up her lips instead of smiling back.
Long day, I guess.

As I step into the elevator, a vivid memory from last Thursday flashes in front of me—him touching me with his strong hands. I’m excited and worried at the same time about tonight. I was too shy to answer Lexi’s question this morning, but she’s right. The reason I accepted dinner with Max is because my body responded to his touch in such a hedonistic way. A part of me is dying to relive our naughty interlude.
How far am I willing to go tonight if he touches me again?

“Ms. Westerman, we’re here.”

The doorman’s voice wakes me up from my delicious dream and I gasp when I realize I’ve been riding in a private elevator. The door opens onto Max’s home and he’s standing in front of me looking as incredible as he did a few nights ago.