Marcus meets his Muse: Curvylicious Desires Romance Series

By Beth M.Roberts

As Jess, a recent law graduate weighed down by intense family pressure and her own struggles with body image, escapes to the peaceful mountain town of Brooksville for a few days of hiking, she longs for a sense of calm. Her weary mind and heart seek solace in the quiet beauty of nature.

 

But fate has other plans for Jess when she is injured in a storm and saved by Marcus, a ruggedly handsome former Marine who now works as a talented artist.

 

Marcus's piercing gaze and intense aura immediately draw her in, though she can't help but feel that someone like him would never give someone like her a second glance.

 

As they spend more time together and open up about their pasts and dreams for the future, their connection deepens. Jess is overwhelmed by the passion she feels for Marcus, unable to resist the pull towards him and giving in to their incredible chemistry. Through his unwavering confidence and adoration, Marcus helps Jess rediscover her sensual, confident self that had been locked away.

 

But their budding romance is not without challenges. Jess's formidable mother, Stephanie, arrives on the scene, casting a shadow of doubt and discord over their happiness. Despite Stephanie's vehement objections and attempts to pull Jess back into the fold of her expectations, Jess stands firm in her pursuit of happiness with Marcus.

 

In this short, steamy yet sweet romance, Jess embarks on an emotional journey from insecurity and doubt to self-love and confidence by the side of her soulmate, Marcus.

 

Scorching chemistry and a love that was destined ultimately lead to a deliciously satisfying happily ever after!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dhalia Publishers
• Release date: Jun 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9798227775597

Beth M.Roberts

Beth M. Roberts  writes short, sexy, feel-good romances about irresistible men and the curvy heroines they can't live without.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Jess

Driving three hours from the city and spending a week hiking in the mountains, had seemed like a good idea to Jess at the time.

The clear mountain air, verdant greenery, and quiet of nature were a balm to her soul. For the first time since graduating law school a couple of weeks ago, she could hear herself think properly.

As she slowly navigated the quiet woods, savoring the feeling of being completely alone, the thoughts that had plagued her for the last month returned.

Jess sighed, thinking about her parents. Both impossibly good-looking even in their fifties, tall and slender, they epitomized the power couple. Together since college, her parents were the dream team of the legal fraternity in their city—extroverted, sporty, driven, and ambitious.

Though they loved her, their daughter often puzzled them. Jess was plump and introverted, qualities that seemed at odds with her outgoing and gregarious parents. She preferred solitude and shied away from social interactions due to her highly sensitive nature. Her attempts at starting conversations were often awkward and uncomfortable, causing her to withdraw from social situations whenever possible.

As a child, she was quiet and dreamy, relishing curling up with a favorite book and losing hours in her bedroom, lost in another world. The only place that fired Jess’s passion was the kitchen. Her parents good-naturedly supported her cooking hobby and were impressed when, as a teenager, she won local cooking competitions. However, Jess's one impassioned plea to attend culinary school had earned her a week of silent treatment from her formidable mother. Jess backed down and never raised the matter again.

Taking a deep breath as the hurt flooded back, Jess remembered her mother’s last conversation with her. Her mother, always serious about her professional image, had conveyed how the corporate world and legal fraternity would view someone who, as she put it, didn’t take care of herself. For Jess, this meant sacrificing her own preferences: going makeup-free, doing her own nails, and avoiding fancy beauty salons. She couldn't help but wonder if this constant pressure to conform was what ultimately caused their strained relationship.

Memories of Jess's difficult childhood resurfaced, bringing back the pain she had tried to bury.

Her childhood was plagued by an ongoing struggle with her self-image. Strict diets and failed attempts to meet her parents' expectations flooded her mind. She had tried everything, from extreme calorie counting to trendy diets, all in hopes of pleasing her mother, Stephanie, who had been the driving force behind these attempts, convinced that Jess's success hinged on her appearance.

Promises of money and lavish gifts were dangled in front of her like carrots on a stick. If she could only shed those extra pounds, she would be rewarded with designer clothes, luxurious vacations, and the finest jewelry. But these incentives came with the underlying message that Jess, in her current state, was not enough. She needed to change, to fit into the mold her parents had crafted for her.

However, material possessions never held significant allure for Jess. Despite their appeal, they were never enough to eclipse her deeper yearning for genuine acceptance and love, unencumbered by her physical appearance. The pursuit of her parents' approval had left her with a profound sense of emptiness, as she longed for a connection built on authenticity rather than superficiality.

Each failed attempt at weight loss only intensified her feelings of invalidation and rejection. She had spent years trying to please her parents, seeking their approval, but it was a never-ending chase. Now, at the cusp of her journey into the legal profession, these emotions surrounding her weight and identity were amplified to a piercing sharpness in her mind.

Trying to push these feelings aside, Jess stopped to take a breather, sipping water from her brushed steel bottle. Though dressed in a long-sleeved Daft Punk t-shirt, dark blue windbreaker, jeans, and hiking boots, she shivered slightly as a cold breeze ran through her.

Gathering up her thick, curly auburn hair in a ponytail, she narrowed her hazel green eyes at the wind picking up fallen leaves on the forest floor.

Jess lifted her gaze to the sky and noticed dark storm clouds rapidly forming. She cursed under