Page 40 of His Curvy Temptation

That’s Andy, though. Stubborn and proud and strong as hell. I always pictured myself settling down with a more submissive woman, but Andy has changed all of my expectations for my life including that one.

She doesn’t take orders from anyone. Especially not me.

Unless we’re in the bedroom, of course.

The bedroom. That’s another thing that’s changed. Before Andy, I hadn’t shared a bed with anyone in nearly ten years. At my insistence, we took things slow. Slept on opposite ends of the room for a few nights, just to be sure I wasn’t having any problems in the night. Eventually we closed the distance between us and now we’ve been enjoying my king sized bed together every night for months without any issues.

My therapist says this is big progress. Not the no-night-terror thing. That’s been a thing for a while.

No. The wholetrusting people and opening upthing that she’s been nagging me about for years.

Apparently my relationship with Andy is what she calls a “breakthrough”.

Who knew?

“Hey!” Andy says, walking into the bedroom and sitting on the bed. “Let’s go, sleepy head. I’m not going to miss this exhibit just because you want to stay in and sleep.”

I open my eyes and stretch my arm towards her, grabbing her around the ankle and pulling her close.

“I don’t want tosleep,” I say. My hand wanders up the hem of her dress.

“Oh no,” she says. “I’m not missing this. You’re coming with me to Deepti’s photography exhibit, which starts…like, now! Shit. I’m late. I can’t let Deepti down, let’s go.”

“Deepti will be fine,” I say, pulling her closer to me by the hips. “She has Arthur to keep her company, doesn’t she?”

“His name isn’t Arthur,” she laughs. “It’s Art.”

“Art isn’t a name,” I scoff with fake disdain in my voice. “It’s a subject in school.”

“It’shisname,” she says.

“It’s not his real name,” I reply.

“How do you know?” she asks. “Did you have your security team do a background check on him or something?”

I grin, enjoying her little joke about my security team. Does my security team do background checks on the people Andy interacts with on a regular basis? Yes. Including on one Arthur Neil Redding, Deepti’s new flame.

“Youdiddo a background check, didn’t you?” Andy groans. “Well, do I even want to know what you found out?”

“Nothing too damning,” I reply lightly. “Only that his whole starving artist routine is an act…shocker. He’s a trust fund baby. Grew up not far from here. Private schools. Ivy League. Silver spoon. This whole photography thing is a rebellion, a way to piss off his parents most likely. But the worst thing about it all has got to be him calling himselfArt.A little on the nose, right?”

“Don’t mention this stuff in front of them today,” she groans, adjusting her earring. “Please? It won’t last anyway. None of these flings of Deepti’s ever do.”

“My lips are sealed.”

“You’re such a stalker,” Andy says, shaking her head. “Checking the background of every single person in my life. It’s a big city, you know. How are you going to protect me from everyone?”

“I’ll do my best,” I say lazily, pulling her closer to me.

Her hair smells like heaven, the mix of fruity and floral scents wafting from the glossy brown strands. I close my eyes. I don’t want to get out of bed. I don’t want to go anywhere at all. It’s a rare Saturday where both of us have the day off. My own work keeps me busy, but so does Andy’s, with her raising money for her spa that is scheduled to open at the end of the year.

Like I said; Andy is one ambitious, independent woman. Unlike any other that I’ve ever dated.

She doesn’t need me. Shewantsme.

And she doesn’t think I’m broken. She thinks I’m perfect exactly as I am. Even with my history, my faults, my occasional possessive anger when it comes to protecting her.

Dan won’t soon forget the lesson I taught him all those months ago. After I finished rearranging his face, I had my lawyers corner him into an airtight NDA and then a contract agreeing that he won’t step foot in any of Andy’s regular places in the city.

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