Curves 'em Right (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (Paranormal Dating Agency Book 4) (3 page)

THREE

Dani pushed the mask higher on her face and winced. A masquerade ball blind date. This was what she’d allowed herself to be talked into. All to meet a man that might be the one for her. When Gerri mentioned her annual ball would be the place she’d meet her date, she hadn’t given it much thought. But now that she wore the zipped up tight red corset with leather accents and a short black bustle skirt that showed off her thigh highs, she wondered if she’d lost her mind. Probably. Okay, not probably, definitely.

Lord help her when she had to go to the bathroom. She’d have to ask someone for help. Why did she let her neighbor and good friend make the damn thing so tight she felt like her boobs were going to pop out at any second and flash the party a big hello? She’d wanted to feel sexy. And she had, until she reached the front door of the massive mansion in the woods.

The place was huge with expensive cars lined up along a circular driveway. She pulled the short red cape around her shoulders, trying to take the attention away from her breasts. It was useless. She’d thought a sexy red riding hood outfit would be great for a masked ball, but now she felt all sorts of uncomfortable.

Gerri was easy to find. She stood at the center of the grand ballroom dressed as a Greek goddess. Her long toga and gold arm bands looked amazing on her.

She rushed over to Dani’s side and hugged her. “Daniella, so nice to see you.”

“How did you know it was me?” Stupid costume did a bad job of hiding her identity. She’d gone with her contacts for the night, hoping they would help her look sexier than having black rimmed glasses over a face mask.

Gerri grinned. She was the only person without a mask. “I can scent you. Which defeats the purpose of the mask. Come with me.”

She tugged her to a side door and into a private parlor. Dani glanced around the sumptuously decorated room. It looked like something straight out of a romance novel. A massive four poster bed with big satin pillows and sheer drapes sat in the middle of the room. Gerri sauntered over to a locked case and used a key to open it. She brought out a box of pills and a spray bottle and turned to face Dani. She opened the box and took out a small pill, passing it to Dani.

“Put that on your tongue,” she said. “It will dissolve before you know it.”

Dani did as she was told. The little pill was tasteless and in the blink of an eye had dissolved.

Next, Gerri put down the box and pointed the spray bottle at her. “Come here, child. Let’s make this interesting.”

Her words worried Dani a little. What was the woman up to? She moved closer and stood in front of her thinking Gerri would spray her with a perfume or something of the kind. She did spray her, but there was no discernible smell to the spray.

Gerri did a full circle, spraying her from head to toe until she swore she was covered in whatever the mist was.  Then she went as far as sniffing her neck and back.

“Open your hands.” She sprayed her hands and feet. Heck, she even told her to lift the skirt so she could get at her lower body.

Once Gerri sniffed a few more times and seemed satisfied with whatever she’d done, she smiled and put the bottle back in the case.

“I don’t smell anything, Gerri,” she said, smelling her hands and arms.

“That’s the idea.” Gerri smiled. “The thing is, I need you to have an open mind tonight.”

Uh-oh. Why did that sound like she should be worried?

“I do have an open mind. I’m here in this playmate red riding hood costume, aren’t I?”

Gerri chuckled and sat on an antique chair by the bed. “You are, but there’s something I need you to do for me.”

“What?”

“Follow your instinct tonight. You might find yourself in a position to choose something new over what you are used to. I want you to listen to your heart.”

She nodded. She wasn’t really used to anything. Her disappointment in men came from their inability to accept her as she was. Some of them thought she was the kind who felt so insecure about her body that she had to be okay with any man offering sex. That she wasn’t worthy of a real relationship based on a man thinking she was hot. Fuck that.

She knew she was hot. Maybe not in the way society deemed women to be hot, but she was. Her body had curves. She had big hips and a small waist. Men had not gotten the message that Dani wasn’t desperate to hear pretty words. She wanted real words. She wanted to see the passion and lust in a man’s eyes. She wanted to be taken up against a door and have her clothes torn off her. She did not want to hear about him needing a few beers before the word sex popped up. That was not romantic.

“Now, I’m going to have someone usher you to the open indoor garden on the right side of the house. Hang out there and your date will meet up with you.”

She nodded and gulped. Gerri had mentioned she’d find her a man that would want her as she was and not try to change her into something else. Someone that looked like what he thought his dream girl should be.

They strolled out of the room together and a man showed up to guide her away. She waved at Gerri and left the older woman smiling in the middle of the room. That smile sort of creeped her out a little. Aurelis had told her that Gerri was a great matchmaker that could decide to hook her up with someone she might not be expecting. At that moment, all she expected was a decent man.

Her escort led her down a long hallway bypassing people in costume to a set of French doors. She went through and gasped. There was a giant private indoor garden the size of her house on that side. Large glass doors had been opened to allow guests in and out of the garden. At the moment, it was empty and she was the only one there. She walked around, fascinated with the multitude of plants and flowers. Then she saw it. A giant swing in the center of the room, facing the outdoors and the forest. The swing was a giant two person seat, covered in white and pink frilly lace cushions. The ropes it hung from on the ceiling were twined with sheer fabric. The seat looked inviting and comfortable, not to mention incredibly romantic.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” a voice said.

She glanced around the room, her gaze searching through the pockets of darkness to find a figure leaning against a pillar by a door.

“It’s very beautiful,” she said softly. Shit. When the hell had her voice turned so low and husky? “If you’re looking to be alone, I can go.”

He left the wall and prowled to her. The light filtering from outside allowed her to make out his costume. She didn’t know what he was. Her best guess was a pirate. His pants were torn as was his shirt.  His chest was exposed for her view. The closer he came, the more nervous she got.

“I’m here to meet you,” he said.

She frowned, paying more attention to his voice. She knew that voice. “Kane?”

His lips lifted in a sinful smile that made her belly heat with desire. “That’s me. And you’re my Little Red, I guess?”

She wanted to laugh but she couldn’t. This was Kane. Her brother’s best friend. How could he not realize it was her? Kane had never looked at her with all that open hunger before. He eyed her up and down as if she was a meal and he was starving.

“I am,” she said, her voice still a mere whisper.

If Kane was here, that meant...

“She looks just as good from behind as she does from the front,” another voice said.

She glanced over her shoulder. Sure enough it was Blake in a costume identical to the one Kane had on. She knew she’d worn a face mask, but how did they not recognize her? Of course. They’d never really seen her like this. Without her glasses, and the last time she’d seen the two of them was years ago when she was in college. Back then she’d hidden behind big long dresses and sweats. It was only a few years ago that she’d changed her whole way of dressing to blend with her personality.

“You’re Blake,” she breathed as the two men crowded around her.

Kane removed his face mask and sniffed. His brows dropped down in a frown. “I can’t scent you.”

Blake touched her arm and goose bumps broke over her skin. She glanced at him and watched him inhale. “I can’t either.”

“You’re not supposed to scent me,” she said, her voice growing huskier. “You’re supposed to follow your instinct.” She fed them the same line Gerri had given her.

It was like her biggest fantasy come true. Blake and Kane. Both men she’d wanted years ago paying attention to her. She wanted to say something but feared the more she spoke, the easier it would be for them to realize it was her. She didn’t want the fantasy to end. If she could get a night with them, she would give up Aurelis’s cakes for a year. Okay, a month, but that was huge for her.

“Take the mask off,” Kane said, reaching for her hand.

She shook her head, feeling brave under the mask. These men were her brother’s friends. They would run out of that garden faster than a speeding bullet if they knew it was her. For years she’d known that being Marcos’s sister had made her the one person they wouldn’t touch. So she’d stayed away from them. Not like she needed the temptation anyway. But now here they were. Both showing interest in her and she had done nothing but stand there and say a handful of words. Maybe she wouldn’t find her one true love tonight, but she was sure going along with whatever these two had in mind for her.

“I’d feel better with it on,” she whispered, keeping her voice soft. It wasn’t hard when her chest felt tight from lack of oxygen. Sweat gathered in her palms. She swiped them on the short skirt, gripping the material in her fists.

Kane drew closer his face mere inches from hers, and inhaled. “Nothing. It’s so strange. I can’t scent you but something tells me you’re the right one.”

Excitement flooded her veins in a quick dizzying high. She bit her lip in order to not say anything incriminating and glanced at Blake.

His eyes were bright with the power of his animal. “I feel the same.”

“Did she tell you about us? That we’re a pair?” Kane asked, pulling her long hair from inside her cape and gliding his fingers through her tresses.

She swallowed back a moan and stopped herself from leaning into his touch. Jesus. She wanted so badly to say something to them to the effect of “get naked and show me what you got”, but didn’t think that would go over well.

“She did.”

Kane grabbed her hand and placed it flat on his chest. The shifting muscles under his shirt made her palm tingle. “Is this what you want?”

Lord, yes! Definitely times a billion to the power of the hell yes. She glanced up from where her hand lay on his chest and met his gaze. His eyes had also gone bright with his animal. It was so fucking sexy to know they both wanted her. There was no holding back because she was Marcos’s sister. These were two incredibly sexual men filled with lust. It was pure animal attraction. She loved it.

She lifted her lips in a grin and stared at his mouth. “I might need something to drink.”

Blake pulled away from her. “I’ll get you some champagne.”

“So? Is this what you want?” Kane asked again, his big body looming so close she wanted to rub herself on him with every breath she took.

She turned to face him fully, sliding the hand on his chest up to his shoulder. Christ! He had a mountain man’s body. Big and buff with enough muscles to make her beg to let her climb him. She licked her lips and he sucked in a breath.

“I don’t know. I’ve never been with two men.” She was certainly not opposed to it, especially when it came to Kane and Blake, but she had no idea what the hell being with both entailed other than probably better sex than she’d ever had.

He curled a hand around her neck and pulled her close. “Too late, Little Red. These wolves want you.”

She smiled at his aggression. This was what she wanted from a man. To show her that she was desirable as she was. “I might need convincing.”

There was no time to pat herself on the back over her little quip. All she could do was inhale and watch his head descend to press their lips together. Passion blazed and an electric shudder raced down her spine at the first brush of his lips over hers. He plunged his tongue into her mouth and owned her. Rubbing his mouth over hers like some sinful mating ritual, he pushed her to submit to his touch. To the invisible control he had with a single kiss.

She dug her nails into his shoulders. Her body pressed tight to his. He slid his big hands down her back, until he reached her ass and squeezed her cheeks. The kiss deepened. God that felt good. His hands on her, his lips on her, felt fucking amazing. He nibbled and sucked on her tongue. Her nipples pebbled tight, aching with the need to be touched under the restraining material of her corset. Lord, she’d never wanted to be naked like she did at that moment.

Heat poured over her in waves, seeping through her pores and warming her to the marrow. Her heartbeats thudded in her ears. No kiss had ever done this to her. It made her lose herself completely in the moment.

She pulled away from him, gasping for a breath. “You” —she cleared her throat, her entire body aching with suppressed tension— “made your point.”

It was pure luck that he’d decided not to tear the mask off her face and be done with her mystery. He curled his hand around her jaw. “You’re tempting the beast, Little Red.”

She blinked. The fire in his eyes made her pussy throb. This was the first time a man or any men had looked at her like she was sex on heels. It was really frickin’ awesome.