Dare To Love Series: Dare Me Again (Kindle Worlds Novella) (8 page)
Read Dare To Love Series: Dare Me Again (Kindle Worlds Novella) Online
Authors: Cora Seton
Tags: #Worlds, #Kindle
He tilted his head, studying her. “How long have you been in town?”
“Three days. We’ve partied plenty, but tomorrow, it’s back to work.”
“Three days in New Orleans, huh? There’s plenty to party down with here in the Big Easy.”
He leaned forward, studying her intently. Light from the small lamp on the table highlighted the flex of muscles in his forearms and caught the golden hair scattered over the skin.
“Sarah?”
She blinked herself back to reality. “Sorry. Must have spaced out there for a minute.”
He flashed that hundred-watt smile at her again. “I’d hate to think I was boring you,” he teased.
“What?” She brushed her hair back from her face. “Oh, no. No, no, no. Not at all.”
Wow. Wasn’t she turning into the most brilliant conversationalist? What was next, drooling on the table? Well, maybe, if she kept looking at the sex god sitting next to her.
“What I meant to say is, I’m glad you sat down with me. Did you say your friends ran out on you?”
Oh, damn.
“Ran out” wasn’t the phrase she wanted to use.
He chuckled, that sexy, raspy sound that made her nipples ache and a pulse throb hard between her thighs. Oh, my god. What was going on with her? Two minutes with this guy and she was like a horny teenager.
“More like they had things to do, and I didn’t,” he said. “I thought maybe two people sitting by themselves would have more fun if they sat together, so I took a chance.”
Sarah made herself relax. After all, how often did she get to have drinks with a football god like Beau Perini? What a great way to end this trip to the Big Easy.
“I’m glad you came. Over,” she quickly added, her face heating.
“Me, too.” He winked. “So, what brought you all to New Orleans for your big party time?” He pronounced it N’Awlins, like most of the natives.
“One of the guys in our study group has been here a lot. He convinced us it would be a great place for a massive celebration.”
“And was it?”
“Oh, yes.” She grinned at him. “In spades. We hit all the great bars and restaurants and even did some sightseeing. Had beignets at Café Du Monde. You know. The usual stuff.”
“And do you feel like you got the celebration out of your system?” he asked.
Almost, she wanted to say.
“Almost?” He lifted one of those great eyebrows again.
Oh, damn
. Had she actually said the word out loud? Because, idiotic as it was, she wanted to finish out her big party with the sex god sitting next to her. Beau Perini! The partners at the firm where she worked would go apeshit if they knew she was thinking about sex with
Beau Perini
!
Wait. Having sex? How had she gone from having a conversation to having sex?
“You must have some very heavy thoughts weighing on your mind.”
His fingers stroked along her forearm, sending sharp spikes of heat stabbing through her. That only made her breasts feel heavier and that damn throbbing pulse increase its pounding. She lifted her wine again, with her other hand, and took another gulp. Maybe she should slow down before she got drunk on her ass here.
“Um….” There she went with that
um
again. “Not really. I was thinking how glad I am that you wandered over here to keep me company.”
“I didn’t exactly wander over.” His fingertip made circles on her skin, sending little shivers skating along her spine.
She drew in a breath, but the rich, woodsy scent he was wearing, with a faint hint of lemon to it, sent a call for immediate action to every part of her body, especially her hormones.
“No?”
“Uh-uh. I actually had my eye on you the whole time you were sitting here. I was taking my time, waiting to see if you were coupled up with one of the guys.”
She giggled, thinking of the guys from her study group. They were all like brothers, with no sexual appeal for her in any way. She didn’t know how the other women in the group were even attracted to them after hanging out with them in grubby situations for three years.
“Not a chance,” she told him. “They can sleep on my couch but not in my bed.”
Oops.
Had those words in fact popped out of her mouth?
“Oh?” His eyes narrowed. “Who does sleep in your bed?”
“No one at the moment.” How had they gotten onto this topic?
“That include tonight, too?”
He lifted one of her hands, opened her palm, and pressed his lips to the spot on her wrist where her pulse now pounded so strongly. The sudden darkening of his eyes let her know he was aware how he affected her. Whoa! Things were moving way fast here, but she wasn’t sure she could stop them. Or even wanted to.
“Most likely. I mean, we just met, right?”
He leaned closer to her, tucked a finger under her chin, and turned her head so she faced him completely. The contact was like a match touched to her skin. When he spoke, his breath was a warm breeze on her skin.
“Maybe that means, with our time limited, we should get to know each other faster.”
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by Nicole Kuhn
“D
EENA, OH MY god, are you ok? What are you doing here?” Isabelle Dare opens the door as I finally collapse into tears. Sliding down to my knees in her doorway, I sob into my hands. “Dee, get up, come inside.” My best friend from high school whom I haven’t been allowed to see in years picks me up, trying to drag me into her luxurious New York City apartment.
“I’m so sorry Iz, I didn’t know where else to go,” I whimper. Isabelle Dare just holds my shoulders as she leads me into her living room.
“Right, so you decide to drive eight hours from Buffalo on a whim because you’re sad and missed me?” Isabelle looks directly into my eyes, concern written across her face. Taking a deep breath I can smell coffee, vanilla and baby. Baby Noah. I’ve been wanting to see him, hold him, squeeze him, but not like this. Not under these circumstances. It’s oddly quiet in here for someone having a baby. “I’m not stupid Deena, what’s really going on? Does it have something to do with the massive bruise on the side of your face?” Isabelle continues frowning at me. Of course she would catch that right away. Why wouldn’t she? Isabelle has known me almost my whole life. She leads me over to her plush white couch. Slipping down to sit on the cozy softness, I wonder how she keeps it so clean with baby Noah around here. Her husband, Gabe Dare, has given her such a better life than she had with her ex. At times I’m jealous.
“Focus Dee, what’s going on? There’s no reason you would drive here in the middle of the night, show up on my doorstep unannounced early in the morning, if you weren’t in trouble. You know I’m here for you, what can I do to help you? Are you in trouble? I thought you got a restraining order against Michael when you got the divorce? How’d you get knocked around again? Why didn’t you call the police?” Her voice is full of concern, hands wringing in her lap. Iz is normally so composed, so put together that this is unlike her. I must have really messed up to have her fidgeting.
“Breathe Iz, I can only answer one question at a time!” I can’t contain my cries and begin sobbing again.
“Shh, it’s going to be ok. Gabe will be home shortly, I just texted him. He’s turning around and coming right back. We won’t let anything happen to you.” She wraps her arms around me and I cry into her shoulder. After a few minutes of trying to calm myself, I lean back into the couch, closing my eyes. I rub my temples, sighing. The front door slams shut, as loud footsteps come towards us, causing me to jump.
“It’s just Gabe hon,” Iz pats my leg from next to me.
“Isabelle, what’s going on? What’s the emergency?” A concerned Gabe Dare towers over us and I’m just as intimidated by him as I was when I first met him after they got married. The man exudes power. I hadn’t been able to make it to their wedding. My controlling husband, Michael Dorn, forbid it. I had to wait until they visited Niagara Falls and Iz’s friends and family, just to see her. I open my mouth to explain, but end up stammering. A hiccup escapes my mouth. Iz’s arms wrap back around me, making me feel better immediately, giving me a slight boost in my ability to tell this story.
Gabe slips into the chair across from us, patiently waiting. Well, not very patiently. This is Gabe Dare we’re talking about. His cold hard stare would normally intimidate anyone he meets, but not me. I don’t intimidate easily anymore. His mouth is set in a grim line. The lips tightly pressed together, his forehead wrinkled as he stares me down. Sighing, I lean forward on my knees. Covering my face with my hands, I try to explain in a way that won’t make me look guiltier than I already am. Who knows, at this point, I could be wanted for murder.
“When I filed for divorce against Michael, he was in jail for beating me up again. I got an attorney the moment I left the hospital. I thought, maybe having an attorney would keep Michael away from me. Maybe it would keep him in line. I was wrong. My attorney did nothing but bill me for everything and not help very much. Michael was still harassing me, still showing up drunk at all hours, threatening me. I had enough. I got the restraining order based on the marital domestic violence.
“WHEN I WENT through his office, trying to find our marriage license and other important paperwork, I found some photos and a flash drive. They showed some men standing around bags of money and what looks like drugs and guns, and a few that actually had dead bodies. I have no clue who the men were or why Michael had these photos. I couldn’t figure out why he had this stuff. I mean, he was an attorney, or so I thought. I just remember falling to my knees and shaking. If he was a part of stuff like this, what else could he do? Was he going to kill me too?” Taking a deep breath, I wipe the tears away from my eyes, my cheeks feel puffy and warm. “I packed the rest of his stuff up over the next few weeks and sent it to where he was staying. Him coming to the house was not an option. I kept the flash drive and photos and hid them in the vanity by the door. You know the one,” I ask, looking up at Isabelle, she smiles at me.
“You still have that old vanity we played with when we were kids? Your grandmother was always and forever hiding treats in there for us,” she smiles warmly at me as we remember some of the few good times in my life. Nodding, I continue.
“I was scared, but trying to be smart.”
Don’t stop there! You can read the rest of Daring to Save Me by N Kuhn in Carly Phillips’ Dare to Love Kindle World!
www.amazon.com/N-Kuhn/e/B008HR897Y
by Bethany Lopez
“Y
OU SERIOUSLY NEED to loosen up,” Ella said, her eyes narrowed as she watched Vanessa over the rim of her whiskey sour. “It’s been what …
years
since you’ve had sex?”
Vanessa rolled her eyes to try and play off her best friend’s statement, but her hand tightened around the stem of her wine glass. “I’ve been focused on my career.”
It was true. She’d spent the last six years working her ass off to learn as much as she could, and had worked her way up that ladder at Smithson’s PR back in Detroit. A few months ago, when a position opened up at Fine PR in Miami, she’d jumped at the chance to move closer to Ella, whom she met in college.
“More like obsessed,” Ella accused as she tossed back the amber liquid. “It’s time to get a little crazy and achieve an orgasm with another person in the room. Preferably a hot male.”
Vanessa bit back a sarcastic reply when she realized Ella had a point. When
was
the last time she’d been with a man? Had it really been two years? Beginning to feel the tingly glow of liquid courage, she looked around the party with a slight frown.
“I know most of these people from work, so even if I did decide to throw caution to the wind and pick up a guy, I couldn’t. I don’t mix business with pleasure, you know that.”
Ella looked at her beautiful friend. Vanessa’s rich chestnut hair was loose and flowing down her back, and the little black dress she wore showcased her killer long legs. It really was a crime that Vanessa was always so focused on moving up to the next level in her career, that she never allowed herself a little fun. Ella was determined to change that tonight.
“You never mix
pleasure
with pleasure,” she argued, biting back a smile when her perfectly posh friend stuck out her tongue in defense. “There has got to be at least one hot guy here who has nothing to do with your PR firm, or the Miami Thunder, and I’m going to find him.”
“Wait,” Vanessa said, her tongue darting out to lick her lips nervously. “What am I going to do while you search?”
Ella smirked at her friend and replied, “Drink up … I think you’re going to need something to grease those wheels.”
“Gross,” Vanessa grumbled, then watched with mild panic as Ella left her and began to circle the room. Taking Ella’s advice, she knocked back the rest of her red, then casually walked to the bar to order another.
“There’s the lady of the hour,” Vanessa’s boss, Derek Fine, said, reaching out a hand to stop her after her trip to the bar.
“Just doing my job,” Vanessa said humbly, even though her insides were glowing at the compliment. She’d only been with Fine PR for a few months, and she already loved working there. Mr. Fine could be a tough boss, but that only made her respect him more.
“Vanessa, you know Avery Dare.”
Vanessa turned to the striking brunette with an easy smile.
“Yes, we’ve met a few times.”
Avery smiled back and said, “It’s nice to see you again.”
The three chatted for a few moments, then Derek excused himself to go speak with Ian Dare, Avery’s brother and the President of the Miami Thunder.