Authors: Paige Edward
Tags: #Romance, #Contemporary, #Erotica, #coming of age, #Raine Miller, #Kyra Davis, #Jamie McGuire
Dare Me Forever
Dare Me Forever
By Paige Edward
Copyright © 2013 Paige
Edward
All
Rights Reserved.
No reproduction without written permission.
Table of Contents
Amy
I stood at the edge of
the water and felt the cool night sand beneath my feet.
I was on the verge of
something huge—a transition in my life that would change
everything. The waves crashed softly under the moonlight as the tide
gently tugged on my toes, trying to pull me out, into the deep ocean,
the vast unknown. I was scared about this new time in my life, but
even still I felt excitement stirring in me like water gently set to
boil.
It was moments like
this I could practically hear my dad’s voice: “In times of
trouble, times where you have to make a big decision, that’s when
you’ll learn who you are.” He repeated it so often that it became
almost like a prayer for him. “Are you the kind of person who lives
with her head or with her heart?”
That question stayed
with me, guiding the choices I made, gently pulling at me like the
waves at my feet that night. Dad said, “You can’t predict what
cards you’ll be dealt, or how the dice will role, but you can play
it safe, ignore the possibilities around you, and live a smaller
life. Or play out the hand you’ve gotten with gusto.” He was
careful to make sure I understood…he didn’t believe in gambling
but also he didn’t think life should be wasted by fear. He believed
in daring to take the plunge, daring to feel, daring to
live
.
Well, he lived by his heart, and little good it did him. At
forty-nine years old, he dropped dead of a heart attack.
When he died, I learned
what kind of person I was. The quiet, safe life was the one for me.
Unexpected things could still happen, but I needed to build a life
with a strong foundation, one that was real. Besides, I needed to be
practical. I was too busy taking care of my mom and little brother to
entertain thoughts of living the way Dad had wanted me to.
And I’d made good on
my terms. My little brother was in college, and I was starting my own
business. I wasn’t gambling with my heart, and I wasn’t daring to
live boldly. I had made my choice and was making the best of my life:
I just hoped that if my dad could see me he’d be proud.
But even if you have
the best laid plans, life has a way of taking new turns. Those sturdy
walls I had built, in order to raise my brother Luke and protect
myself weren’t impenetrable. I guess my heart wasn’t satisfied
with living safely. But it wasn’t until I connected with
him
,
emotionally, mentally, sexually, that I wanted to tear down those
walls, open my heart, and dare myself to really live.
Amy
“Frozen pizza or
Macaroni and Cheese for dinner again?” I murmured.
I blew my new shaggy
bangs, care of my friend Jaime’s orders, out of my dark blue eyes
as I strolled down the frozen food aisle of the local grocery store.
I usually walk around the outer edges of the market, as Cosmopolitan
advises, for the vegetables and fruits, and where the other
unprocessed foods are kept, but fresh food doesn’t hit the spot
like delicious cheesy carbs. And the only way to feel better when I’m
upset is to eat, and eat some more. There’s a reason they call it
comfort food. I desperately missed my brother Luke, who’d just
started college mid-year, and moved out of the house. Jaime and Cat,
my two best friends, keep telling me I should be enjoying my lack of
responsibility as I’ve been Luke’s de facto guardian for the last
six years, but it’s hard to be taking care of someone every day,
and then all of sudden, not be needed. I felt a small ache in my
chest.
To make matters worse,
our absentee mother had been calling me non-stop all week. I had
pressed the
ignore
button every time my phone buzzed in my
pocket. She always made me feel insecure, and I was tired of talking
to her just to be made to feel shitty.
Shaking my head to
clear my thoughts, I looked back at the sundry food choices. “Frozen
pizza it is,” I muttered. I was allowing myself one week of
wallowing in my new empty nest, and this was Day Seven. I pulled the
cold cardboard box out of the freezer, and quickly dropped it in the
cart. This, coupled with a pint of ice cream, and I’d be ending the
week in style. I’d be back to my regular exercise routine of
morning jogs, and good eating habits by tomorrow, but I had five
hours of carby, sugary goodness left, and I planned to make the most
of every second.
I pushed my cart
towards the frozen desserts. I scanned the brands until I landed on
my favorite, Breyer’s Mint Chip. I was about to open the freezer
when I saw the profile of a once
very
familiar face. I ducked.
It couldn’t be him. Snatching the ice cream, I edged my cart
towards the edge of aisle four, condiments and canned soup, trying to
make out his face more clearly.
It
was
him.
Hunter, my first real boyfriend. I hadn’t seen him in almost four
years. Of
course
the first time I ran into him I would be
wearing sweats and a running shirt, in a supermarket after a week of
binging. At least I was wearing some blush and mascara. I quickly
pulled my hair into a low ponytail, hoping to disguise the fact that
it had been too long since I’d washed it.
Put your game face on,
Amy,
I told myself. We were high school sweethearts, but he’d
ended it abruptly the week of prom. But I was cool—I was
fine—
really
. Okay, maybe I was a sobbing mess in a sequined
dress and white corsage for all of prom. But now, five years later, I
could at least pretend I didn’t care. Nervously, I started humming
a Katy Perry song, “The One That Got Away,” but immediately
stopped, realizing the irony.
Staring at a chili
spice mix, which promised to make sure your stew
Hot! Hot! Hot!
,
I saw him out of the corner of my eye, heading my way. His broad
shoulders, tall frame, and confident saunter.
Calm down Amy.
Smile,
I told myself. Then I realized I was grinning like the
Cheshire Cat at a rack of organic spices, which
maybe
wasn’t
the impression I wanted to make—hey I haven’t seen you in years,
but please meet my friends, oregano and mint. I stopped smiling, but
I also didn’t want him to think I was pondering the deeper meaning
of dried rosemary, so I settled for a sort of in-between half-frown
which, looking back on it, may have looked more like I was on the
verge of an anxiety attack.
Which maybe I was.
“Hey Amy.” Even if
I hadn’t seen him, I’d recognize his voice anywhere. After all
this time, Hunter’s deep baritone still made my stomach fluttery. I
turned slowly and smiled. He looked the same, but older. His face was
more defined, his jaw broader, with stubble he never could have grown
in high school. He was even more built than before and the short
sleeved polo shirt he wore showed off all those muscles perfectly,
his tight biceps pulling the white fabric taut. I found myself
wondering how hard they felt.
“Hey, Hunter.” I
sounded surprised to see him, even to myself. “Do you come here
often?” I smiled. Lame joke. I wanted to whack myself in the
forehead. But better than admitting that he had gotten super hot
since we last saw each other or that when I’d thought of him over
the past few years, the first word that came to mind was
asshole
.
He smiled down at me.
“Oh, just picking up some food for my parent’s barbeque tomorrow.
How’ve you been? It’s been a long time. You look great Amy.” He
said my name like he used to. Slowly, like a caress. It was still
enough to make me swoon, which was frankly annoying.
Keep it light
I
reminded herself. Jamie always teases me for being too honest, not
having any game. She’s always thinking about how she can win
whenever she talks to an old boyfriend, or even a potential new one.
I feel like most of the time, I’m just trying to sound like myself.
And maybe that’s not such a bad thing--when I find a man, I want
him to be attracted to the real me.
“Things are good. I’m
opening a stationary and gift store. Just working hard, and didn’t
have a chance to change after helping my neighbor clean out her
garage.” I gestured to my outfit and laughed. “Anyway…” I was
worried I would start to babble. I ran my fingers through my bangs
and pushed them out of my eyes.
“You always did help
people out,” he said. His deep brown eyes, speckled with light
flecks of green, stared into mine, a beat too long. My stomach began
doing somersaults. I was irritated he still had this effect on me,
even so many years later. It’s not like I hadn’t had other
relationships since high school.
“What are you doing
in town?”
Hunter pulled his eyes
away from mine. “I decided to come back and work alongside my Dad.”
He frowned, seeming at a loss for words.
“So um, I don’t
want the ice cream to melt,” I said, pointing to my cart.
Hunter tilted his head
toward the check-out line. “Ladies first.” He put his hand out,
gesturing for me to lead the way, as he pointed towards the cashiers.
I pulled my cart in front of him, hoping those extra slices of pizza
with a side of Ghirardelli chocolate hadn’t yet made it to my
thighs. I looked back, and caught his eyes sliding down the backside
of my slim frame. I think he was checking out my ass. His gaze met
mine again and he smiled.
As I put my groceries
on the conveyor, I took some deep breaths. We were together in high
school and it didn’t work out. Like most high school relationships.
And he’d been a total douchebag, again not so surprising. Relax, I
rubbed the back of my neck.
But there was something
about Hunter that got me all flustered. A chemistry that he exuded,
or maybe it was just the memories from the time were together. My
father had died before we got together, and being with Hunter, well,
it felt like I’d finally come up for air. Finally was back to the
living. And his family had been a beacon of light to my brother Luke
and me, especially his mom. She believed in me when I needed an adult
to care. It was probably just nostalgia, the way I was feeling, not
Hunter himself, I thought. But then why was my heart throbbing, and
my body on high alert?
“Can you believe
these magazines?” Hunter’s voice interrupted my thoughts. He
fingered the cheap tabloid in front of him. “
Alien baby found in
hospital
—like the extraterrestrial geniuses would teleport down
to the great US of A just for our stellar healthcare system?” He
pointed to another trashy cover. “‘
Split up again
’—how
many kids do they have again?”
I giggled, despite
myself, dropping the mint chocolate chip ice cream and spice mix on
the belt.
Hunter reached over my
arm into the cart. “You forgot these.” He unloaded some Campbell
soups I’d hastily dropped into the seat when I’d been spying on
him from afar. His arm brushed mine, and I could feel heat where his
skin had briefly touched mine. My body tingled.
His phone buzzed. He
took out his iPhone, made a face, and quickly texted back. “Sorry,
Amy—the office,” he explained while typing.
He put his hand on my
shoulder, and gently rubbed it. A shiver ran down my spine. Again he
looked me deep in my eyes. “Amy, really, it’s great to see you.
Come to the barbeque tomorrow. My parents are in the same house, off
Dewitt Drive. 4 o’clock.”