Curves 'em Right(25)

“Dani, I know that in time things could change.” He sounded so hopeful it pained her to disagree with him. If she felt even a little bit of the sexual attraction she had for Kane and Blake, she would have considered it a long time ago. She didn’t. What she felt was friendship and a little bit of pity for Tom.

“Things won't change. I'm really sorry, Tom. I am here as your friend for however long you want me, but anything else is out of the question.”

She felt like an absolute jerk turning away such a wonderful guy. But she refused to accept less than what she wanted. And she wanted chemistry. She wanted love. She wanted much more than being with a man because they were good friends. Tom was a nice guy. However, she was done with settling for anything. He did not make her crazy with lust like Blake and Kane did.

“Maybe if we went out a couple of times,” he insisted.

“No,” she refused emphatically. “Going out on any kind of date is not going to make me change my mind. We are not compatible in that sense. And while I know you don't understand you've got to accept my words.”

“I just don't think you're giving this a chance. We are so good together.”

Good together? What in the world was he talking about? She sighed, rubbing a hand over her temple.

“Tom we are not good. We are friends. From a distance at that. You've never even hugged me. How could you know that a relationship that involves sex would be any good for us?”

“Sex is overrated,” he said quickly.

Overrated her ass. Not the kind of sex Kane and Blake had given her. This was starting to piss her off. “Look, Tom, sex might be overrated for you but I want someone to rock my world. I want a man to want me. I want to be licked all over. And I really, really want to scream his name at the heat of my passion. Do you understand?”

Silence reigned over the line.

“If you can't give me that, there's nothing else for us to talk about.”

Tom sighed loudly through the phone line. “I thought you were different.”

“I don't know what you expected from me. I'm just a woman. A woman with needs and wants.”

Right then her wants and needs were much more important than accepting a friendship-based marriage that would be dull and in which she would end up sexually frustrated and buying sex toys by the bulk.

“I'm sorry I bothered you with my proposal.” He sounded upset now. There was a high pitch and quiver to his voice. If she didn’t know better she’d swear he was crying.

“Tom, don't do this. You're my friend and I care about you. I would never want to hurt you, but you need to understand you and I would never work out.”

Her words fell on deaf ears.

“Goodnight, Daniella.”

“Goodnight, Tom.”

With a heavy heart she set her phone down. She hadn’t meant to upset Tom or to be mean to him. But she just could not lie to herself or him. For so many years, she’d lived in bursts of relationships. Where she'd give in to other’s suggestions and end up unhappy.

Then she’d find herself with a man who wanted her to change who she was to fit what he wanted. And that was just not going to happen anymore. She needed a man who wanted her as she was. With her quirks. With her purple hair and with her love for books. She needed a man that would want her body like no other woman existed in the world. But more than that, she wanted to feel cherished and loved because of who she was.





NINE



The following morning Kane came by her office looking absolutely delicious. With his scruffy hair and days old beard she wanted to do nothing but whimper at the sight of him. Her boss rushed out of her office when he came to the desk.

“Can I help you?” Marla asked with a flirtatious smile.

“I'm here for Daniella.” He smiled.

The moment the words came out of his mouth, her boss turned around with wide eyes and stared at her, the look she gave her was a combination of confusion and disbelief.

“Marla, Kane is a family friend,” she said, trying to pacify her boss and at the same time keep the privacy of their relationship to herself.

Marla’s brows rose with interest. She made it seem like Daniella couldn’t have someone like Kane as a friend. After a heartbeat, Marla excused herself and turned around, flipping her long red hair over her shoulder. She headed back to the office. Probably to tell the others all about the unusual visit Dani had at the front.

“Hi.” She smiled at Kane. She went around the front desk and stopped next to him. Her first instinct was to throw herself in his arms and give him a kiss on his sexy smirk, but she held back. It took every ounce of willpower, but she did it.

“Hello, little librarian,” he said, in that deep voice that made her toes curl in her comfortable walking shoes. “You’re a contradiction.”