Secret Curves (Dangerous Curves Book 5) by Marysol James Page B

Curtis?”
    “You’re hurting yourself. Please, Tessa. Please stop.”
    She stared at him, really saw his pain and worry. She hesitated.
    “Baby,” he said. “You need to stop before it’s too late.”
    “I –” She shook her head as the truth came out of her, against her will. “I – I can’t.”
    “I know.” Curtis’ voice was so quiet, she barely heard it. “That’s why you need some help, OK?”
    “No!” Horrified at how close she’d almost come to admitting defeat, Tessa shouted the word. “Leave me alone !”
    “This ain’t you,” Curtis walked closer to her now, crowded her with both his body and his words. “I know you, baby, and you’re not really like this.”
    “I am,” she snarled. “I am like this, Curtis… I’m ugly and pathetic and weak and –” A massive wave of dizziness passed over her, and she placed her palms flat on the wall, looking to keep her balance. “And… and…” She lost her train of thought and blinked hard. White spots appeared in front of her eyes, and then blackness tinged the corners of her vision.
    “Tessa?”
    Curtis sounded way closer now, but she couldn’t see him. She couldn’t see anything. The dizziness was back, stronger now, more insistent, and she fought against it. Hopeless, though; she had no strength for this battle. Not anymore. The black wave rose all around her, rose inside her. It cut off her breath and she gasped for air. Her chest rose and fell weakly, and suddenly she was hyperventilating.
    “Tessa!”
    “Curtis!” Mac’s voice cut through her confusion. “Catch her, man!”
    Large, strong hands grabbed her upper arms as she fell forward, hard. That was all she knew before the black wave took her away, and dropped her smack in to the first peace that she’d known in months.
    In years.

Chapter Five
    The first thing that Tessa felt was softness. She snuggled down in to it, loving its warmth and comfort. That was when she heard a familiar rasp – a very unwelcome one.
    “Tessa? You awake?”
    Her eyes popped open in utter shock, and she stared at the one person that she both longed to see, and loathed to see.
    Curtis. Damn him.
    “What…” She coughed, wondering why her throat was so dry. “Where am I?”
    “The hospital.”
    “What? I’m – what?” Tessa looked around now, and noticed the tube in her arm. “What the hell is this ?”
    He poured her a glass of water and silently handed it over, then stood with his hands in his jeans pockets.
    “Curtis?” She snapped his name, ignored the water. “ What is this ?”
    “A feeding tube.”
    “A – a what ?” Tessa goggled down at it, totally stunned. “Get it out of me.”
    “No.”
    “Curtis…” She threw the water on the floor, reached for the tube. “Get it out or I’ll rip it out.”
    His hands shot out now and gripped hers. Tessa struggled, but it was useless, she knew. The man could undoubtedly subdue her with his baby finger and with almost negative effort.
    “Stop it,” he growled. “Tessa… stop .”
    “Fuck you,” she snarled back. “Get your goddamned hands off me or I’ll start screaming the whole place down.”
    “Go ahead.” His hands held hers tighter. “The second the doctor sets foot in here, I’ll get him to sedate you.”
    “What?” She was horrified. “You what ?”
    “You heard me.” God, those blue eyes were cold. “I’ll tell him that you’re gonna rip out your tube and believe me, they’ll do what they have to to make sure that doesn’t happen. So go on, Tessa. Scream for help.”
    She slumped, defeated. “Let go.”
    This time, he did, though he didn’t move even one inch away from her. Frustrated, furious, she turned her back on him and laid down, facing the wall. She pulled the covers up and over her head and shut her eyes, willing hard for him to just go away and leave her alone. When she finally spoke again, her voice was as gray and cold and clinical as the room they were in.
    “I hate you.”
    Curtis