Perilous Curves Collection (BBW Romance) Read Free

slower as my temper flared.
    "Olivia, he’s innocent." Dante reached out to cover my hand with his.
    The effect was instant -- heat flared up my arm then split to warm my face and chest. More swear words filled my head. Damn him, damn him, damn him!
    I jerked my hand back. I shouldn't feel a damn thing when he touched me. Or I should feel cold, numb. I'd made myself numb after he left, stayed that way for months. It had taken a year before anything feeling like a real smile had graced my face. And my confidence had been shattered, turning me almost feral for a few years when would-be suitors complimented me.
    I mean, those other men couldn't possibly have been telling me the truth, right? Like Dante, they had said they found me sexy, desirable, yadda, yadda, yadda. Like Dante, they had to have been lying and would soon leave.
    Folding my arms across my chest, I glared at Serrano.
    Shaking some of my resolve, his face grew stern in response. "Liv, you won’t hold my mistakes against an innocent boy. I know you."
    Mistakes!
    His first and only word on the matter since he’d disappeared from my life. I looked at the pad with his son’s birth date on it. At least I now knew why he had walked out.
    "Dante." His name came out as softly as I’d ever spoken it. "How can I focus on finding evidence to help Alex when all I can think about is how he was conceived two months before you dumped me?"
    There, it was out. No more holding my breath or dancing around the subject. He could pick Craig’s card up from the carpet and walk out of my life once more. And this time he could do it forever because I sure as hell didn’t need to go through this again. Every second of this meeting was bringing back memories and feelings I had thought dead and buried.
    The deep voice that had made me want to peel my clothes off during college and snuggle against him, now made my skin flush uncomfortably until I felt like I had fire ants crawling along my skin. He still wore the same brand of cologne, too. Thinking of the scent against his flesh reminded me of all the times I had buried myself against the warmth of his body.
    And when he sucked the left side of his bottom lip in, like he was doing right then, I instinctively flinched knowing what would come next. He did it when he was in deep thought, zeroing in on a solution to a tough problem. This morning, my refusal was the problem and the only solution was for him to leave.
    His mouth relaxed and I knew he was about to try again to convince me. I raised my hand before he could speak. "Don’t Dante."
    No matter what he might say, he damn well couldn’t deny the dates. Even if Alex had been born premature, Dante had gone straight from dumping me to another woman’s bed. Probably some slinky blonde, one of the cheerleaders at college who were always trying to attract his attention. Not that I cared what she looked like.
    Trying to keep the growl out of my voice, I pointed at the card on the floor. "Craig’s an experienced investigator, former Masonville homicide detective. Pretty famous in town and he would be working the case anyway if I had said yes. So just take the damn card and go."
    For a second, he didn't move, just stared at me as if I was a complete stranger. Then he stood. I foolishly thought he would relent, that he was standing to leave. Instead, he started to come around my desk.
    I pushed my chair back, trying to escape his resolute approach. "He’s good, Dante."
    "I don’t want good, Olivia. I want the best. That's you -- always has been you." The purr was back in his voice, full throated and rumbling.
    I shook my head. I knew that look in his eyes. It frightened and excited me in a way I no longer thought possible.
    "Don't come any closer," I pleaded.
    His hand came down on the back of my chair to keep me from scooting further away. The other hand took possession of the arm rest so I couldn't slide out. He bent until his mouth was next to my ear, his breath falling warm against