When You Dare (16 page)

When she said nothing, he tipped up her chin, giving her no choice but to meet his direct gaze. His thumb brushed her cheek, smoothing away a tear. “I want to find you sitting right here when I return. Understood?”

The softness of his tone kept it from sounding like an order. Appreciating his calm manner, Molly nodded.

He wasn’t gone long, but Molly used those few minutes to try to gather herself. She blew her nose, wiped away the tears and took several deep breaths.

Hoping for a distraction, she studied Dare’s room, starting with the incredible, multilevel tray ceiling. The room wasn’t square but instead had one wall of windows that extended out in a semicircle. The curtains were open, and through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Molly saw a million stars shining.

Heavy, masculine furniture included the bed set but also an upholstered couch and chair in a sitting area. An interior door led to his master bath. Curiosity got her off the bed, and she peeked into that sumptuous room. It, too, had a wall of windows that jutted out. They surrounded a large, sunken Jacuzzi tub. The entire bathroom was tiled for a spa-like feel.

Given her father’s wealth, she wasn’t unfamiliar with luxury. But in Dare’s home, he mixed it with a kind of functionality that was both cozy and comfortable. She could spend days just admiring the various rooms in his home, Molly thought as she cleared away the last of the tears, tossed her sodden tissues in a waste can and then headed back to her seat on the king-size bed.

Emotionally spent, she touched the indent in Dare’s pillow, proof of where he’d been before she’d so rudely awakened him.

She heard the dogs’ nails on the floor as they charged across the kitchen tiles, skittered to a turn and entered the room a few steps ahead of Dare.

Dare stopped in the doorway to scrutinize her, but the dogs headed straight for the bed.

When they jumped up onto the mattress, Dare made no move to stop them, leading Molly to believe that the dogs slept wherever they pleased.

She liked that about Dare. He was an orderly man, very particular about cleanliness, but a little dog fur didn’t put him off. There was something very appealing about that down-to-earth quality, especially in a man with his ability.

Tai circled once, then dropped down at the foot of the bed and closed her eyes with a lusty sigh. Sargie tried to get her whole body into Molly’s lap and ended up half sitting on Molly’s thighs. Giving a watery, choked laugh, Molly hugged the dog tight and buried her face in her ruff.

Silence filled the room. The bed dipped when Dare sat beside her, but he said nothing. He didn’t press her, didn’t hold her. He simply sat there beside her, his shoulder touching hers, his nearness calming her and, at the same time, filling her with new, different sensations.

Molly knew she couldn’t continue this way. When she stopped squeezing Sargie, the dog thumped her tail twice and snuffled Molly’s neck with her nose. But when she didn’t get a reaction, she crawled off her lap, over Dare, and flopped down next to Tai.

Awareness of Dare beside her, mostly undressed, expanded by the heartbeat. Molly glanced at him. His muscled, hairy thigh was right next to hers, pinning down the quilt he’d wrapped around her. She licked her lips, inhaled deeply and breathed in his hot masculine scent.

It was already familiar, comforting, enticing.

Her gaze skimmed up to his throat, his shoulders. He had the most remarkable chest, wide, strong, sculpted with obvious strength. Even relaxed, his abs remained defined. And a very sexy trail of dark brown hair led from his navel down into his snug boxers.

Beneath the soft cotton material she saw the bulge of his sex.

“Want me to lose the boxers for you?”

She jerked her gaze up to his. His slow smile showed more satisfaction than humor.

For Molly, one thought overshadowed the rest. “This should be awkward, but it’s not.”

“No.”

“I mean, the crying and being stupid and weak is awkward, but being here with you is just…nice.”

The smile faded, and his eyes warmed. “You feel better now?”

“Yes.” And she did. That thrumming panic was no longer a part of her, leaving her at a loss. “I don’t know what happened. I swear I felt fine earlier today.”

“I know.” He put a hand on her thigh, over the quilt. “But trust me, that sense of well-being is ephemeral at best. After your ordeal, you can’t expect it to last. Not this soon. You need to cut yourself some slack. We’ll get there eventually, I promise.”

We?
Did he mean that?

No, how could he? Dare barely knew her, and what he did know was shaded by extreme circumstance, not the routine, day-in-and-day-out parts of her life; not the mundane parts that made up the real her.

All in all, her mostly solitary life of research and writing equated to a very boring existence. Her life revolved around her desk, in her apartment, in a quiet town in Ohio.

Nothing exciting about that.

Even the few book signings and speaking appearances she did were low-key, attended by die-hard fans only.

With this one exception, she was not a woman who gained real enemies, or got kidnapped or abused, and she was definitely not a woman who crumpled under stress.

What would Dare think of the real Molly Alexander? When she wasn’t so needy, would he still be drawn to her? Or was it his heroic nature that made her seem appealing to him now?

Soon, when she returned to her normal routine, he would continue on with rescuing those in need, facing off with danger, and making a mint in the bargain. He was a high-stakes player…and she was the girl next door.

Dare squeezed her thigh. “Molly?”

“Oh, sorry.” She shook herself. This was no time to go meandering off mentally. “I was just… I’m better now. Thank you.”

“I’m glad to hear it. But the next time you feel that edginess coming on, don’t wait until it’s full-blown, okay? Just come to me. Let me help.”

Whatever tomorrow might bring, or next week or next month, she needed to get through tonight first. “Fine. I accept that I need time.” She
would
regain herself. Somehow, she would.

“That’s a start.” His hand stilled on her thigh. “What about tonight?”

“It’s almost over.” She tried to sound accepting instead of wretched. “But for what remains, may I sleep with you?”

“Yeah.” He turned a little toward her. “I’d like that.”

Relief robbed her spine of strength. Until he agreed, she hadn’t realized how tense she felt. “Thank you.”

“You don’t mind sharing with two hounds? Because the girls look settled in for the rest of the night.” He reached over to pat the dogs. “They usually favor the kitchen, but they sense you’re upset, I think, and they want to stay close.”

Somehow, Dare always took the most bizarre situations and made them feel…normal. Did nothing disconcert him?

“I don’t mind.” Given how being alone had thrown her, the more the merrier.

“Good.” He stood and reached out a hand to her. Molly let him pull her to her feet, and then she waited as he turned to the covers. “You won’t need this,” he said, and he took the quilt from her and tossed it to the foot of the bed, half over Tai, who didn’t stir.

Molly wore one of the big T-shirts and her panties, nothing else, but Dare paid no attention to that.

“In you go.”

Trying to be discreet, she crawled into the bed and then scooted over as Dare got in next to her. He turned out the bedside lamp, reached an arm around her and pulled her in close. Her head fit nicely into the space between his hard shoulder and his chest. Already his warmth penetrated her. She felt the prickly hair on his legs and the softer chest hair against her cheek.

She felt…at peace.

The soft kiss to her temple offered so much comfort.

“Okay?”

Molly nodded. “I guess if this was somehow…sexual, it’d be different. But I know it’s not, and that makes it—”

“Let’s try for a little more sleep before the sun comes up and the birds start singing. But Molly?”

Her heart pounded so hard, it was a wonder he didn’t mention it. “Yes?”

“If you need to, wake me.”

She’d try her best not to do that, but all she said was “Okay. Thank you.”

In that dark, quiet room, she could hear the dogs breathing, the wind outside the doors leading to a deck and the settling of an unfamiliar house.

Odd, but it felt more like home than anyplace she’d ever been.

H
AIR STILL DAMP FROM
his shower, carrying his shoes in one hand and his belt in the other, Dare came down the steps and across the hall. He paused by his bedroom door, heard nothing from inside and knew Molly still slept.

Sneaking out on her had been easy. Even when he’d gathered up the clothes he’d need and had ushered out the dogs, she hadn’t stirred. The sight of her there, crowded onto his side of the bed, her dark hair spilling out over the pillows, had moved him in unfamiliar ways.

He thought again of what she’d said, how holding her in his bed hadn’t been sexual.

For her.

For him, it equated to a true test of his control. All night he’d felt her warm breath on his skin, felt the softness of her thigh, her hair, her scent. Awareness of her body against his, separated only by a cotton T-shirt, had tortured him.

He wanted her. Bad. It had been all kinds of sexual for him.

Determined to do the right thing, Dare turned away from the bedroom door and went into the kitchen.

Looking like death, wearing only lounge pants and a wrinkled oversize white T-shirt, Chris slumped at the table, eating cereal. Both dogs sat at the ready near his feet, hoping for a bite.

Dare helped himself to coffee. “I’m surprised to see you up already.”

Chris rolled a shoulder. “I wasn’t sure if you were serious about running the dogs or not.”

“Already done.”

Chris eyed him. “Then you could have fed them, too.”

“I did—they just like your cereal. I told you not to start that or you’d regret it.”

Lip curling in a sneer, Chris mimicked Dare’s words, then gave each dog a piece of cereal. “You know, I detest that super-efficient, do-it-all, know-it-all attitude of yours.”

Dare saluted him with his cup. Right now, he wished he knew a little more—about Molly.

As if reading his mind, Chris asked, “Did Molly get any sleep at all last night?”

“Enough.” He helped himself to the coffee. “But she’s in my bed, so stay out of my room.”

Eyes widening, Chris froze with the spoon halfway to his mouth.

“Try to keep it quiet down here, and let her sleep as long as she needs to.” Dare met his gaze. “And shut up.”

Dropping the spoon back into the bowl, Chris held up his hands and tried to look innocent. “I wasn’t going to say a single word.”

“Yeah, you were.” Dare threaded the thick leather belt into his jeans. It looked to be a nice day ahead, so he’d only need his light jacket.

“Okay, I was,” Chris admitted as he scratched his bristly chin. “I mean, you slept with her.”

“Exactly. We slept.”

“Ah…” He looked confused. “So it’s not…?”

“No, it’s not, and that’s all the explanation you’re getting, so let it go.” Dare joined him at the table. “I’m taking off for most of the day. Without her.”

“Huh.”

“I did my own research last night. Her dad is on a golf outing only a few hours from here.”

Chris’s brows shot up and he said again, “Huh.”

He didn’t question Dare’s intel, knowing his personal resources were vast and accurate.

“Don’t tell her what I’m doing.”

“Easy enough.” Folding his arms over his chest, Chris said, “Because I don’t know what the hell you’re doing.”

Since he wasn’t sure himself, Dare ignored that. “Just say I’m out on business—which will be true enough. I’ll get back as soon as I can.”

Rocking the chair back on two legs, Chris considered everything and came to his own conclusions. “You don’t trust dear old dad, and you don’t want Molly walking into a booby trap.”

“Emotional or otherwise.” Dare set his coffee aside and bent to pull on his shoes. “I went ahead and called Trace last night, too.”

“Is he joining you?”

“No.” Dare shook his head. “I don’t need him to, and like I said, he needs to be there for Alani. But he did some additional checking for me.”

“And?”

“No one has reported Molly missing. Not her dad, not her stepmom and not the sister that she trusts so much.”

“But she was gone nine days!” The legs of Chris’s chair hit the floor. “And she doesn’t seem the type who disappears without a word.”

“No, she doesn’t, does she?”

Indignant on Molly’s behalf, Chris scowled. “That’s fucked up.”

“Maybe.” Dare straightened again. “I don’t know what it means. Yet. But I want to get a sense of things before I take her back there.”

“You didn’t want me to map out the trip?”

“Already did it.” Before Molly had come to him last night, he’d had his own issues trying to sleep. He’d filled the restless hours with plans on her behalf.

After she’d joined him, his thoughts had been diverted from wanting to protect her, to just…wanting her.

“Will you confront her dad?”

“Not sure yet.” Dare wasn’t the type to back himself into a corner by stating his intentions prematurely. “I’m playing it by ear for now.”

“Dare.” Chris leaned forward and folded his arms on the table. “Whatever is waiting for her back home, she eventually has to go back. You know that.”

“Yeah. And I’ll be with her.” No way in hell would he let her out of his sight until he could assess the risk. “I don’t like surprises, so I’m going to scope things out first. Do a little surveillance. That sort of thing.”

Chris looked toward the kitchen doorway. “I hope she sleeps the day away. I suck as a babysitter.”

“Just keep her safe. Don’t let her off the grounds, but maybe she’d like to check out the lake, explore the woods a little.” Dare stood and fished his keys from his pocket. “Make sure she drinks plenty of fluids, too. Whatever she likes. Order it if we don’t have it. And I want her to eat. She has to build up her—”

Exasperated, Chris pushed out of his chair to interrupt Dare’s laundry list of instructions. “I was kidding about babysitting, Dare. I can handle it. Just go. The sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll be back, and the sooner I can give up guard duty.”