Page 9 of Curves and Courage

“Why not?” I ask, my voice softer now, still breathless from the kiss. “It’s okay, Samuel. I want you. I want you to kiss me.”

His intense blue eyes dart across at me, but there’s a shield over them again. He shakes his head, already stepping back, putting distance between us. “No, it’s not okay. I can’t do this. I’m sorry.”

Before I can say anything else, he turns and walks away, leaving me sitting there, confused and yearning for more. The kiss lingers on my lips, the taste of him still fresh.

I can’t help but feel like something important just slipped through my fingers. All I can do is watch him disappear into the night, my heart pounding in my chest.

What the hell? Who is this guy and what’s his deal? How the hell do I break down those barriers he’s fighting so damn hard to protect?

Before I can spiral too far into my thoughts, a pair of arms suddenly pulls me up and drags me over to the bar. I turn to see Freya, clearly tipsy and grinning like a madwoman.

“Stella! You have to come dance with us!” she slurs, dragging me toward a group of guys who are laughing and swaying to the music.

I glance back at where Samuel disappeared, my mind still reeling from the kiss. Freya pulls me onto the dance floor. The music is loud, the lights are bright, and the energy is infectious.

But all I can think about is him.

Him andthatkiss.

He might not be here anymore, but I know one thing for sure—I’m not done with Samuel. Not by a long shot.

Chapter Four

Samuel

Islam the door to the penthouse suite shut, the sound echoing in the empty space like a gunshot.

“Fuck!” I growl, grabbing at my hair in frustration. “God dammit! Such an idiot. You’re such an idiot, Samuel!”

I pace across the room, grabbing the whiskey bottle and pouring a glass. A moment of weakness, maybe, but I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve just gone and done something so fucking stupid, I know I’ll be regretting it for days.

I pour a glass and try to wash the taste of her off my lips.Stella.She was so soft, so warm. She tasted like pure heaven, like the sweetest sin I’ve ever known.

My stomach burns with the alcohol, confusion churning inside my stomach too, like a stormy sea swirling around and around and around, threatening to make my emotions spill all over this fucking floor.

I slam the glass down and move towards the window. It’s pitch-black dark outside, the sky so blackened that I can hardlysee the waves breaking around the ship. The empty penthouse feels more like a prison than a sanctuary right now. Did they really expect me to be happy in this big room all by myself?

You need Stella here with you.

“ARGH!”

I pour another glass of whiskey and throw it back, letting the burn in my throat grab my attention, even for just a second.

I can’t get her out of my mind.

Those honey-brown eyes, the way they locked onto mine. It’s like she sees me. She sees me better than I see myself. And then there’s that smile, that soft teasing laugh that promises so much more than a happily ever after.

And her body… God, that body.

Every inch of her was made to drive a man like me insane. The way her dress clung to those delicious curves, the swell of her big breasts. What I would give to stick my dick between them and watch her moan my name.

Fuck… it’s all becoming too much too quickly. She’s too tempting. Too goddamn perfect.

And yet, here I am. Alone.

I pushed her away. Because that’s what a wounded old man like me does. The attraction I feel for her might be undeniable, but it’s dangerous. I know what happens when you get too close to someone, when you let them into your life, into your heart. They become a liability, a weakness that gets exploited.

And I won’t have that for my Stella.

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