Page 14 of Curvy Girl for the New Year

Her eyes are scanning through all the masculine choices, and then she suddenly stops dead in her tracks.

“Oh. My. God.” she breaths out.

“What?” my brows furrow at her melodramatic reaction.

“Check out Mr. Big and Scary,” she breathes, and my eyes follow her line of sight and widen when they meet the object of her gaze.

A huge man in a black mask stands in a corner looking surly and brooding, towering over the other guests. The mask covers most of his face except his mouth. Think of the Don Juan mask Gerard Butler wore inThe Point of No Returnscene in that film adaptation ofThe Phantom of the Opera. That’s what his mask reminds me of.

His hair is dark brown. It’s stylishly disheveled, like it’s windblown and wild without looking messy. When he tilts his tumbler up and takes a sip of some liquid that’s probably brandy or cognac or something else equally expensive, I watch his suit rustle as his muscles bunch with his movements like it’s all the fabric can do to contain the beast within.

I don’t know who the hell the guy is or what he does, but he exudes power and wealth. He’s not wearing a costume like the other partygoers. No, he’s wearing what I already know is a custom-tailored suit.

I don’t need to be able to see all his features to see that he’s gorgeous and dark and dangerous-looking. I’ve never seen a more perfect specimen of male masculinity, and my heart speeds up as my breath catches in my throat.

I’ve never reacted to a man this way before, and Jenny notices it if the sly, mischievous grin she gives me is any indication.

“I dare you to go over there and kiss him,” she elbows me.

I laugh and push her back. “You’re crazy! I’m not going to do that! I don’t even know the guy.”

“Exactly!” Jenny’s eyes are excited. “You don’t know him…” her voice sing-songs, “he’s super smexy.”

I roll my eyes. Only Jenny would make “smexy” a word in conversation.

Jenny ignores me and goes on, “You’re twenty years old today, and you’ve never had a decent kiss.”

I glare at her, suddenly wishing I hadn’t told her all the embarrassing details of my failed boyfriends.

Again she ignores me and keeps ticking off reasons I should follow her insane suggestion. “It’s dark in here, and you’ll never have to see him again. You can simply go lay one on the hot stranger and have a great memory for your birthday, and then we’ll go eat cake and dance and party and everything will be perfect! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!” she says happily.

I stare at her like she’s sprouted another head.

Jenny is seriously out of her mind sometimes.

I’m laughing and shaking my head ‘no’ at her when she narrows her eyes and adds, “Plus, I’ll give you a thousand dollars if you do it.”

My laugh dies off as I nearly choke. “Whoa, wait. What?” I shake my head at her. “You can’t be serious, right?”

Jenny’s not laughing, though. She’s looking at me challengingly with that I-want-to-get-you-in-trouble look that only a best friend can have.

“Dead serious. I’ll give you a thousand bucks to walk over there and kiss that guy.” She nods her head in his direction before that evil twinkle enters her eyes again. “And not just a quick peck on the lips. A real kiss. Like with some tongue.”

I glance back over at Mr. Smexy. Jesus, did I just refer to him as Mr. Smexy in my head? I obviously need new friends. Jenny is rubbing off on me too much.

The man might be good-looking, but he’s terrifying too. God, he could crush me with one hand.

And what the fuck will he think when some random girl comes up and kisses him out of the blue?

He’ll probably have me arrested.

I’ll embarrass the hell out of myself.

God, am I really considering this?

But, fuck, a thousand dollars? That’d give me a huge boost on paying my bills.

I look back over at Jenny. She’s grinning at me impishly. She knows my struggle, and I think she halfway expects me to chicken out and not do it.

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