Evie checked him with her hip. “Come on. How can it hurt? Unless you’re afraid of me?”
He gritted his teeth. “Of course I’m not afraid of you. I just don’t think we’re … compatible or that it’ll look real,” he said, scanning from her scuffed boots to her wind blown hair, ignoring the fact that he thought she was gorgeous in an understated and quite unique way.
She stepped in front of him and braced her hands on her hips. A flush of red stained her cheeks.
“Embarrassed to be seen with me?” she asked, telling him he’d been right. He’d hit a nerve. “Because I promise you I can dress up and play a role as well as any one of those football females you and your buddies hang out with,” she assured him.
From across the room, Austin glared. Because Evie was Quinn’s best friend? Or because Damon was being stubborn about a plan Austin had faith in? Probably a combination of both.
“Tell you what,” Austin said. “Let’s go to Allstars tonight and test the theory of you two as a couple.”
Damon considered the idea. The upscale bar would have enough people there to see them together and for them to get a feel for whether people familiar with Damon bought the concept of Evie as his girlfriend. He could handle testing things out. “Fine.”
“Don’t sound so thrilled.” Evie scowled at him. “I’m going home. Apparently it’s going to take me a long time to pull myself together for his highness over here.” She jerked a thumb his way, making Damon feel like shit.
He hadn’t meant to insult her, just explain why he didn’t believe this plan would work.
“I’m going with you.” Quinn picked up her purse, shot a nasty look at Damon, and followed her best friend out, leaving Damon with his siblings. And he damn well knew if Quinn was pissed at him, so was Austin.
“Well that went well,” he said aloud.
“Because you’re an asshole,” Bri said. “Evie didn’t deserve to be insulted considering she was willing to help you.”
Damon stiffened his shoulders. “I didn’t think I was offending her. Just being honest.”
“You as much as told her people wouldn’t think she was your type, Bro.” Austin leaned against the wall unit in the family room.
“Actually the way he looked her over all but insinuated she wasn’t feminine enough,” Bri said.
He winced.
“Okay look, you’re not in a position to fight this,” Bri reminded him. “A regular PI can’t talk to the people around you. She can. So suck it up and make nice.”
“I’ll see you tonight. I’ll text you the time. Want us to pick you up because you can’t drive?”
“I’ll take a driver.” He had a feeling Quinn would lay into him if they were alone. And the three of them might show up with Evie.
Damon needed time to prepare himself for the act of a life time.
“I’ll see you tonight. I expect you to be on your best behavior.”
Damon frowned. “Are you speaking as my brother or my agent?”
“Both.” Austin stood up straight and started for the door. “And you could start with an apology to Evie.”
Bri smirked, liking when someone else was getting called on the carpet. “Hang in there, Damon. You can trust Evie to get the job done.” She paused. “As long as you’re not an asshole to her, that is.”
Ignoring her comment, he let his family out and leaned against the door with a groan. He was exhausted and needed to lay down if he was going to go out for an hour or so tonight. At least Allstars was quiet, known for letting athletes and famous people mingle in peace without groupies begging for autographs or signed boobs.
Speaking of boobs, he wondered how much cleavage Evie would show tonight. Jesus, he was an asshole. Blaming the concussion, he headed upstairs to take a nap before his performance later tonight.
* * *
“Stupid jackass,” Evie muttered as she yanked a hairbrush through her long hair. It was knotted from the ride in her convertible and she stood in front of the mirror on the wall in her bedroom, trying to get the tangles out.
Brainless no-good, dark-haired, sexy, tattooed, bastard with full lips, tanned skin and indigo blue eyes. She blew out a puff of air and ignored the tingling of her skin and the rush of arousal that always accompanied her thinking about Damon Prescott.
Quinn sat cross-legged on the bed and Evie could see her in the reflection. “He didn’t mean to be a jackass. He’s in pain and he’s frustrated.”
Evie turned to her best friend. “Are you standing up for him?”
“No.” She held up her hands, making it clear whose side she was on. “I just don’t want you to lose out on a good job. Not to mention we need you. Ignore Damon’s attitude. I’m sure Austin straightened him out when we left.”
“Fine but if he says anything rude tonight he’s getting a stiletto in his foot.”
Quinn grinned, a real smile. Since falling in love with Austin and taking on the role of mom to the baby girl he’d found on his doorstep, she was lighter and happier than she’d ever been.
“Or we could sic all four of your brothers on him. That could be fun. If he wasn’t injured, that is.”
Evie rolled her eyes. “Now that you’re attached to the family you’re no fun,” Evie said. “You’re too nice.”
“What are you going to wear tonight?” Quinn ignored her comment, slid off the bed and headed to her closet to look through her dresses.
Evie narrowed her gaze, remembering how that handsome jerk had looked her over and found her lacking. Damon Prescott pushed all her wrong buttons. From the day she’d been introduced to him at a party for Paul Dare that Quinn had convinced her to attend, he’d treated her like an annoyance. So she couldn’t deny the idea of dressing up and seeing his jaw drop at the sight of her held a lot of appeal.
“This.” She joined Quinn by her walk-in and reached for the black one-armed dress that draped her body and hit mid-thigh.
“Oooh pretty. Reminds me of my red gown and Austin nearly ripped that right off me.” She grinned at an obvious memory Evie didn’t want to know about.
“Keep the dirty details to yourself.”
“You know … you don’t need to cover your arm. The scar has healed and—”
“We don’t discuss it, remember?” Evie laid the dress out on the bed and smoothed her hand over the soft fabric.
“You don’t discuss it. I do because the past doesn’t define who you are, no matter what you think.” Quinn put her hands on her hips and faced Evie. “Now I’d love to lend you a gold dress that would look gorgeous with your skin tone. It drapes down the back and both arms are bare.”
Evie shook her head. “A married woman hired me to catch her husband cheating and it turned out he was my fiancé. A man I hadn’t pegged as dangerous and I should have. I’d say that shows a decided lack in judgment on my part when I prided myself on being a smart chick.”
Quinn gave her a sympathetic look. “You’re still a smart chick. John was a slick bastard. He conned his wife as well as you and she’s an investment banker. I don’t think she’s stupid. Do you? What about the other women who’ve been duped by pathetic men? Who’s at fault?”
“I hear you but it isn’t the same thing. I need my instincts and if I can’t trust those, then I have issues I need to work through. And this is a reminder of my mistakes.” She held out her arm with the angry red scar running along her forearm.
“I don’t want it exposed so I can see it every day or be asked about it and have to explain the knife wound.” Because John, once cornered, had come out fighting and he hadn’t hesitated to cut her to get away.
Tears formed in Quinn’s eyes and she pulled Evie into a hug, something she still wasn’t used to, even though Quinn had always been a hugger. Her brothers were more the shoulder slapping types but they always had her back. Always. And they’d have gone after John if she hadn’t insisted she didn’t want them to end up behind bars.
“Okay fine. I’m not going to give up trying to c
onvince you that you’re the strong, kickass woman you always were but tonight wear that dress. When he gets a look at you, Damon is going to swallow his tongue. Now let’s see the shoes.”
A couple of hours later, Quinn had gone home to see Austin and Jenny, the adorable little baby, and change for tonight.
Evie stood in front of the mirror once more and she didn’t recognize herself. It had been a long time since she’d dressed up for any reason or gone all out for any occasion.
She’d put self-tanner on her legs, arms, chest and face, because she never had the time to relax and lay in the sun. Her face was completely made up, including wearing false eyelashes, her lips were plump, and her gorgeous brown eyes wide.
The dress accentuated her curves while the designer red-soled heels hurt her damned feet. Though she had to admit she liked the Chanel purse she owned for times when she had to look a certain way. And tonight? She appeared every inch the pro football player’s girlfriend. Damon Prescott wasn’t going to know what hit him.
* * *
Given his concussion, Damon couldn’t drink alcohol. It was hard enough to hold up his head but he understood the need to be out tonight. If he wanted to discover who had set him up, he needed to put a plan in motion and testing Evie and their chemistry was a start.
So he sat at a table at Allstars with Austin, Quinn, Bri and her best friend, Charlotte. Surrounding them were other guys from his team, Devon White, his running back and James Slater, his wide receiver. Marnie, the cocktail waitresses, an auburn-haired, stunning woman, knew them all by name and took drink orders, fawning over Damon and his injury.
Beside him, Austin shifted in his seat so many times Damon grew agitated. “Bro, what the fuck? You’re annoying as hell.” Damon elbowed Austin in the arm.
Quinn grinned. “Your brother took Marnie home the night he found Jenny on his doorstep.”
Damon tipped his neck back and burst out laughing, immediately regretting the motion when his head began to pound. Dammit these symptoms were lasting a long time. “I have to admit that was worth the pain.”
Austin shot him a dirty look but Quinn merely cuddled up closer to Austin and continued to smile.
“At least you’re not the jealous type,” Damon said, to the pretty woman with dark hair and green eyes, who seemed custom made for Austin.
Not that they hadn’t had their issues. Between Quinn not wanting kids, Austin being handed a baby by another woman, and her being his brother’s assistant, they’d overcome a lot in a short time.
“That’s only because Marnie’s keeping her distance from your brother.” Quinn’s gaze traveled across the room to where Marnie filled drinks by the bar.
“And that’s because you’re wrapped around me, staking your claim. Besides, I only have eyes for you.” Austin leaned over and pressed a kiss against her lips.
“You two are making me want to barf.” Bri picked up her bottle of Blue Moon and took a long sip.
Charlotte, an attractive woman with jet black hair, followed suit.
Damon grinned and stuck to his water. He glanced at the entrance to the bar. A couple stood at the hostess stand where they were led to an empty table. He watched them be seated, waiting for Evie, growing annoyed that she couldn’t make it on time like everyone else.
From behind him, James let out a low whistle. “Now she’s fucking hot.”
Damon turned to look. A brunette, her hair hanging in long, spiral curls, stood at the hostess stand, looking down. A short black dress with one sleeve clung to a rocking body. Her legs were long, her heels high, and if his head weren’t still throbbing he could imagine them wrapped around his waist as he pounded into her, hard and deep.
She lifted her head and immediately met his gaze. He found himself looking at a bombshell with pouty bright red lips, cat-like liner around brown her eyes and a knowing smirk on that familiar mouth. “Holy shit.”
“I think this is what they call Damon eating his words,” Austin said, sounding amused.
“You didn’t think she could do it, did you?” Quinn met his gaze, judgment in her expression and she was right.
“No, I did not.”
Before he could say more, Evie sashayed across the room, every male eye on her as she headed directly towards him. Her stare locked on his, she stopped in front of him.
“Hi, honey. Sorry I’m late.” And with that pronouncement, she sat down in his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and settled her mouth against his.
He stiffened in surprise and she slid her tongue over his bottom lip, causing his cock to rise and his mouth to part. Next thing he knew, he’d gripped her neck, pulled her tight against him, and was kissing the hell out of her in public.
Damon had made out with many females but he’d never wanted to get lost inside a woman the way he did with Evie. Evie. Jesus. Sanity threatened to return but she ran her fingers through his hair and he forgot he’d been about to pull back. He slid his tongue over her lips and speared inside once more.
A whistle broke the moment and Damon jerked his head back, taking the pain as his due. What had he been thinking, devouring Evie in a place he frequented often? It was one thing to test the theory of them being plausible as a couple, another to stake a real claim on her.
“You didn’t tell us you had yourself a hot woman,” James said. “Keeping her to yourself?”
Damon drew in a calming breath. His dick wasn’t cooperating and he was certain Evie felt it against her thigh but he needed to sell them and now was the beginning.
“We were keeping our relationship quiet but after Damon’s injury, we decided life’s short, so why hide our feelings?” Evie spoke before Damon could jump in with an explanation. “Right honey bear?”
He caught himself before he glared her way. He cupped his hand on her thigh. “Right snookums.”
From beside him, he heard his siblings stifling laughter. But he had to admit, he’d underestimated Evie Wolfe. She could definitely pass as an NFL player’s girlfriend and he didn’t mind having her acting as his.
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NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller, Carly Phillips gives her readers Alphalicious heroes to swoon for and romance to set your heart on fire. She married her college sweetheart and lives in Purchase, NY along with her three crazy dogs: two wheaten terriers and a mutant Havanese, who are featured on her Facebook and Instagram. The author of 50 romance novels, she has raised two incredible daughters who put up with having a mom as a full time writer. Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa as a romance club pick and was the first romance on a nationally televised bookclub. Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers. Want to keep up with Carly? Sign up for her newsletter and receive TWO FREE books at www.carlyphillips.com.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
About the Book
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue
About Dare to Tempt
Excerpt from Dare to Tempt
Keep Up with Carly
About the Author
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Dare to Resist Page 17