All Chapters of The Billionaire's Curvy Bride: Chapter 131 - Chapter 140

SELENE’S POVThe Friday morning air had that damp, metallic bite that usually signaled the first real cold snap of late October.I stood by the front parlor window of the Gramercy house, watching the streetlamps flicker off one by one. Down at the corner of Third Avenue, a dark grey sedan sat idling near the fire hydrant. Two men in dark overcoats stood near the passenger side, casually sipping coffee from paper cups while eyeing a lone tabloid photographer who had tried to set up a camera tripod on the opposite sidewalk.When the photographer tried to step into our service alley, one of the men in the overcoat simply walked across the street, stood directly in his line of sight, and pointed down toward the public sidewalk. No shouting, no dramatics. Within thirty seconds, the camera was packed away, and the photographer was walking briskly toward the subway entrance."Ryker’s security team," Ethan said, coming up behind me with a mug of black coffee in each hand. "They’ve been rotati

SELENE’S POVThe autumn chill had settled into the floorboards of the Gramercy house, bringing with it the damp smell of falling leaves and turned earth.By mid-afternoon, the sun had dropped behind the brick townhouses across the park, casting long, cool shadows across the front parlor. My father was upstairs taking an afternoon nap, exhausted after spending three hours organizing his restored botanical manuscripts in the library. Downstairs in the kitchen, Dr. Lin was chopping root vegetables for a stew, her radio playing a low jazz broadcast that filled the quiet house.The doorbell rang—two distinct, unhurried chimes.I set down the teapot I was rinsing and walked down the hallway to open the front door.Ryker stood on the brownstone steps, holding a heavy cardboard carton taped along the seams. He wore a simple dark wool coat over a navy sweater, his hair slightly windblown from the breeze coming off the park."Miller brought these over from the Riverdale storage unit," Ryker sai

SELENE’S POVThe radiator in the rear parlor gave a loud, metallic clank before settling into a low, rusty hiss that barely warmed the air.By eight on Thursday morning, a steady northeast drizzle was turning the dry leaves in Gramercy Park into a dark, slick paste. My father was at the kitchen table nursing a cup of tea, his wool cardigan buttoned up to his throat. Every time the radiator groaned, he threw a sharp, irritated glance toward the floorboards."The steam valve is choked with calcium," he grumbled, stirring a spoonful of honey into his cup. "That boiler hasn't been flushed since 2018. Catherine always refused to let the maintenance crew down into the cellars because she thought they’d drag coal dust onto her carpets.""I called the heating company at seven," I said, leaning against the counter as I sliced an apple for Kai’s lunch box. "They said three other buildings on the block had line leaks. We're on the afternoon list.""Afternoon means five o'clock," my father muttere

RYKER’S POVThe master bedroom was dim, lit only by the golden streetlamp glow filtering through the wet glass of the tall windows.I laid Selene down on the middle of the heavy King bed, her dark hair fanning out across the white linen like silk. She was breathing fast, her cheeks flushed a deep, gorgeous rose, her full, generous body glistening slightly from the heat of the hallway.I kicked off my shoes, unbuckled my belt, and stripped out of my trousers and shirt in three rough movements, tossing them onto the floor.When I climbed onto the mattress above her, trailing my chest down over hers, the sheer physical contact made us both let out a low, simultaneous growl. I positioned myself between her thick, smooth thighs, feeling her warm flesh wrap naturally around my hips."Look at me, Selene," I rasped, my hands sliding down to cup the full, heavy flare of her hips.She opened her dark eyes, heavy-lidded and brimming with pure, unadulterated desire. She reached up, her soft, ring

SELENE’S POVThe steam from the master bathroom had turned the tall mirrors into milky sheets of white.I stood near the marble vanity in a short silk robe that wouldn't close properly around my bust, my hair pinned up in a loose twist. My legs felt pleasantly heavy, my inner thighs sensitive from two days of Ryker’s relentless attention.In the reflection, I looked at my body...at the full, soft flare of my hips, the generous curve of my waist, and the deep, flushed skin where Ryker’s jaw had left faint stubble burns along my neck. For five years, I had treated this room like a temporary sanctuary. Today, standing here bare-legged with wet hair, it felt like home.The bathroom door swung open, bringing the sharp scent of cedar, warm water, and rain.Ryker walked out with a dark towel draped low around his waist, water dripping from his broad, muscular chest down the heavy line of his abdomen. His dark hair was wet and uncombed, his green eyes dark and completely focused on me."You'r