When You Dare (37 page)

She nodded. “Yeah, I am. It’s just…” She gave up her supervision from the window. “When will I get to see her again?”

What she really wanted to know was when would her life be returned to normal. Sometimes being an honest man sucked. He would have liked to lie to her, to promise her a quick resolution. But lying to her would never sit right. “I don’t know, baby. But I’m working on it.”

Soft breath left her in a sigh. She closed her eyes, but only for a second of grief. When she opened them again, the melancholy had been replaced with acceptance. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t do that.”

“I don’t mean to be a complainer. You’re doing so much already. And I know it’s going to work out eventually.”

“You are far from a complainer, Molly.” She was so damned accepting that it amazed him.

“I guess…being here, back at my apartment…” She waved a hand, at a loss for the right words. “I just see so many loose ends that I can’t really tie up, not while I have to keep looking over my shoulder.”

Her warmth drew him, so Dare trailed a knuckle along her jaw. “Will you tell your agent or publisher what happened?”

“God, no.” With an emphatic shake of her head, she said, “The fewer people who know, the better I like it. If it comes out, then it does. I won’t hide from it or be…be ashamed about it.”

“You have no reason to be.”

She agreed. “But this is one of those things that if I tell even a little of it, people will want to know more. They’ll start digging for every ugly detail.” Pride stiffened her spine. “It’s private, and I have no interest in advertising it.”

Dare got it. Many would pity her if they knew what she’d endured, and some would speculate on things that had not happened. Molly wasn’t the type to accept wrong assumptions or excess compassion.

But she wasn’t naive. She knew the truth would come out eventually. “I guess that’s not the kind of publicity you want.”

“Can you imagine?” She stepped up against him and wrapped her arms around him. “I already feel far too exposed without people talking about it.”

The perfect fit of her in his arms stirred Dare more, but right now what she wanted, what she needed, was comfort, so he only held her.

Through the window he saw that the black night had faded to gray. Before long, the sun would rise.

Molly tipped her head back to see him. “I think I’ll take a bath.”

Disappointment knotted his guts, but no way in hell would he let her know that. “Okay.” Exhaustion pulled at him, but he wouldn’t sleep. Not yet. Not until he had her somewhere safe. “It’ll do you good to relax a little. Go ahead, and I’ll clean up the mess in here.”

Both palms on his chest, Molly whispered, “I was sort of hoping that you’d join me.”

That compelling offer blasted his tiredness into oblivion. “Yeah?”

An impish smile teased him. “I don’t know, though. The tub isn’t huge,” she said. “And you’re awfully…big.”

He fought the grin trying to take over. “If we work on our positioning, I think we’ll fit just fine.” After one quick kiss, he turned her and planted a light swat on that tempting ass. “Go get things started while I put this mess away.”

She sent an indulgent laugh over her shoulder. “Chris is right, you know. You are a neat freak.”

The mention of Chris made him wonder how his girls were doing. It was too early to call, but he’d check in with them on the way to her father’s home.

Dare watched Molly disappear around the corner, and a second later he heard the water running. Primed, he made short work of the empty cola cans and pizza box. After rinsing the few dishes they’d used, he put them into her dishwasher. Other, soured dishes, had been in there since her abduction, so he went ahead and ran a cycle.

Already he’d seen every inch of her place. But as he surveyed it again, he thought that it could benefit from a good cleaning; it showed the absence of use since she’d been gone. If they were staying, he’d help her with that. But he wanted Molly as far from this place as he could get her, the sooner the better.

After checking all the windows again, Dare went to find her in the bathroom.

She didn’t hear him come in, and he lounged against the doorframe, content to watch her. Already naked, with her shoulder-length hair pinned atop her head, she tested the water filling the tub—and gave Dare one hell of a show.

Lust carried him forward until he had her within reach. From behind, he cupped his hand over her sex—and she jumped in startled surprise, jerking around to face him.

Face going hot, she said, “You are far too quiet for a big man.”

Dare’s attention went to her heavy breasts. He cupped one in each hand, but resolutely held himself in check. She wanted a bath, he’d give her a bath. And now that he’d already had her, he’d be able to explore her body as he wanted without losing control.

Releasing her, he moved to the tub and turned off the water. “Get in.”

She bit her lips, already breathing fast. Dare waited, visually exploring her ripe body until she gave in. He held her hand as she climbed into the tub and eased down into the warm water. Steam rose around her. The water lapped at the bottom of her breasts.

Wearing only jeans, Dare knelt down on the outside of the tub. “Lean back.”

“I thought you were going to get in with me.”

“I will. After.”

“After…what?”

“After you come for me again.”

Her eyes rounded, and she started to protest. Dare leaned in and drew one nipple into his mouth. She inhaled sharply, tangling her fingers into his hair and holding him close.

Dipping his hand down into the water, Dare cupped her inner thigh and parted her legs. “Bend your knees, Molly.” He helped her to lean back as he gave that instruction.

Uncertain, she reclined in the tub until most of her body was submerged. After parting her legs more, Dare lifted one foot up and to the outside of the tub, then growled at the sight of her. “Just like that.”

“I…”

“Shh.” He picked up the soap and built up a lather in his hands. “Let me enjoy you.”

“Oh, God.” She closed her eyes and half turned her face away from him.

Smiling, Dare used the slick suds to tease her breasts, concentrating on her pointed nipples. Sliding his fingers around them, slicking over them, tugging.

Molly groaned, but quickly stifled the sound.

When her legs started to tense and close, Dare stopped her. He caught the leg closest to him and held her still. “Relax, Molly.” He could see her small clitoris, now distended, begging for attention. He wanted to taste her again, and he would. Soon. “You’re beautiful.”

“I’m not. I mean, I’m not ugly, I know that. I was just worried about the bruises before. But… I mean, I’m not fishing for compliments or anything. It’s just that I’m not…”

Dare rinsed her breasts, removing all the slick soap, then again playing with her nipples, using the new friction to arouse her even more.

Beneath the water, her small hands curled into tight fists. The sleek muscles in her thighs tensed. She’d lost weight through her ordeal, and he wondered how she would look when fully recovered. Would she flesh out even more with another ten or twelve pounds?

Leaning over her, a hand on each thigh to ensure her legs stayed open, he blew on her nipples. They drew painfully tight, and he couldn’t resist drawing on her again, tonguing her nipples, sucking. He could spend an hour doing just this, but given her wriggling and panting, Molly wouldn’t last if he did.

She needed release. Now.

Dipping both hands into the water, Dare said, “Keep wide-open for me, baby, okay?”

A soft groan was her only reply. Dare opened her lips, pressed one finger into her, and encountered silky slickness. He eased back from the grip of her body and added a second finger.

Her back arched as he worked them into her, slid out and pushed in again. With his other hand, he played with her clitoris, softly circling with his thumb, gauging her every shuddering breath, each small contraction. “Dare.”

He looked up at her face, saw her eyes squeezed tight, her lips parted to accommodate her deep, fast breaths. He strained his jeans, she was so damn sexy.

And so real.

With a broken moan, she grabbed his wrist, holding him still with his fingers buried inside her. Water sloshed out of the tub as she curled forward—and came.

Damn, but he’d misjudged his own discipline. His earlier release meant nothing, not with her like this, so wild, so carnal.

Gasping, she oh-so-slowly settled back again, limp, her legs dropped open, her arms lax. Dare eased his fingers from her and felt her flinch with an aftershock of sensation.

Standing, he shucked off his jeans and boxers and, holding her shoulders forward, stepped into the tub behind her. With a sigh, she rested back against his chest.

He knew she was sensitive still, but he couldn’t resist covering each breast with a hand. He kissed her temple and tried to ignore his raging hard-on.

“Dare?”

“Yeah?” He sounded hoarse even to his own ears.

“I’ve never…” She went silent, then struggled to sit up, to turn and face him. She looked at his body, at his erection, and a shameless grin appeared, followed by an embarrassed laugh. “I feel like a… I don’t know. A hussy?”

Dare grinned. “You’re a healthy woman, thank God.”

She shook her head. “You don’t understand. If someone would have told me that I’d do…well, what we just did… I’d have died of embarrassment just thinking about it.”

“Why?” He toyed with a damp tendril of hair that hung to her shoulder. Her dewy skin looked lustrous and smooth, the bruises almost gone. His stomach knotted with the need to taste her all over.

“Because it’s not like me. I mean, I wasn’t a virgin—”

Emphatic, Dare interrupted her to warn, “I don’t want to hear about you with other men.”

That gave her pause. Then she complained, “I wasn’t going to give you details, for crying out loud.”

Damn right, she wasn’t. “How about I cut to the chase here?” He drew her down to him, chest to chest, and kissed her. With his hands on her ass, ready to explore again, he said, “You aren’t used to being so uninhibited.”

“I’m really not.” She jumped when he pressed a finger into her from behind. “Dare.”

Against her lips, he whispered, “Hmm?” She was even slicker now, a little swollen, and he wanted to hear her come again. As he teased in and out of her, he kissed her more deeply, loving the way her belly moved against his boner, how her cushiony breasts rubbed on his chest. “Scoot up.”

“I don’t know about this.” But she arched her back, driving his fingers deeper.

“Scoot up, Molly. I want to suck on your nipples.”

She whimpered, and her sex tightened around his fingers—but she finally did as he asked. Bracing her hands on his shoulders, she levered up—and Dare closed his mouth around her, sucking hard.

She let out a deep, vibrating moan, rocking against him, damn near pushing him toward release until she finally cried out, climaxing hard again.

On a sigh, she whispered, “Oh, my God,” and tried to settle down against him.

Laughing, Dare caught her shoulders and sat up with her in the tub. “Baby, don’t go to sleep on me.”

“No, I won’t.” But her eyes were slumberous, her body utterly boneless.

Dare grabbed the soap and washed while looking at her. At half-mast, her lids looked heavy, her lashes long. The heat of the bath and her orgasms had left her skin rosy.

And he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything.

After he rinsed, he used the soap on her. Ignoring her disconcerted exclamations, he bathed every inch of her, lingering between her legs again until he knew he had to stop torturing himself or he’d lose it.

He stepped out of the tub to dry off, then helped her out, too.

Licking her lips, Molly stared down at his aching erection. She reached out a hand, saying, “I had wanted to spend a little more time on you.”

Ah, hell. Feeling a nearly uncontrollable surge of lust, Dare caught her wrist just short of her touching him. “Not this time.” He’d had her, but he hadn’t gotten enough. Not yet.

He was beginning to think a lifetime wouldn’t be time enough, not with this one particular woman.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

M
OLLY WATCHED AS
Dare drained the tub and used the towel to dry it. She stood there, aching all over, nerve endings alive, and he was indulging his tick for orderliness.

He had such an amazing body that she couldn’t look at him without wanting him. But it was so much more than that. Even with everything that had happened to her, he made her feel more independent, stronger and capable than she’d realized possible.

He also brought out her carnal nature, so easily encouraging her to a lack of modesty, a total indulgence into sexuality. It was amazing.

He was amazing.

If he didn’t come to bed with her, right now, she’d probably attack him. Bare foot tapping the tile floor, she asked, “Does my messiness bother you?”

Folding the towel and hanging it over the shower bar, he looked at her—then all over her. “You should see the inside of Chris’s place if you want to see messy. And I still love him.”

Her mouth went dry over that
L
word. Never had she known a man so comfortable with stating affection, especially for a friend.

Molly cleared her throat. “Well, it’s just that you’re…” She gestured at his naked body. “I mean…” She gestured at her own. “All this could be done later, right?”

“You think I give a damn if your bathroom is cluttered?” He glanced at her askance as he picked up their clothes. “I’m hanging on by a thread here. I was just buying some time to get myself under control.” He strode past her into the bedroom.

“Oh.” Molly hustled after him. “I guess I’m not used to guys—”

Dropping the clothes on the floor, he turned and put a finger to her lips. “Again, I don’t want to hear about you with any other man.” He took her shoulders and dragged her closer to him. “No one has ever made me feel so goddamned possessive.”

She started to say “Oh” again, but he took the word from her in a deep, hot,
really
possessive kiss.