Dare to Tempt

by Phillips, Carly

  A flick of his tongue and the pull of his lips that she felt straight down to her clit had her writhing on the cushion.

  “Or is it here that you want me to kiss you?” He eased her bottoms down her thighs and off her legs, leaning over to press a kiss on her neatly trimmed sex.

  “Yesss,” she moaned, arching her hips in a clear entreaty for more. “There.”

  “No problem.” Then he went about what he did best, licking, sucking, and eating at her until she was trembling with desire, her body fighting itself because she couldn’t climb fast enough and she needed to peak and fall over that glorious edge.

  He gripped her thighs in his big hands and held her legs apart, enabling him to delve inside her with his tongue. Unable to hold back, she cried out at the amazing feel of him, raising and lowering her hips, needing to feel him everywhere. Without warning, he moved, his mouth shifting to her clit, flicking at the tiny nub, and soon she was coming, seeing fireworks behind her closed eyes.

  “Damon, God. Yes. Yes.” She continued to murmur words, his name, and pleas for more.

  He kept going until she peaked and returned to earth. He stood, and before she knew what was happening, he came back over her, notched himself at her entrance, and thrust inside.

  She grabbed for his shoulders the minute he entered her because he hit just the right spot and she climaxed once more.

  Knowing she was there, he didn’t take it slow. He lunged into her, over and over, his deep groans echoing in her ear, the sound of his pleasure arousing on a whole different level.

  “Fuck, Evie. You’re so tight. So hot. So perfect.” Then he shouted as his release took hold and he came hard, the large lounger creaking beneath them.

  When he finally rolled off her, she was an emotional wreck from the unexpected emotions soaring through her. She glanced over to find him tying off the condom, and she said a prayer of thanks he’d been coherent enough to think of protection, because she sure as hell hadn’t been.

  “Evie?”

  She met his gaze, shifting her bikini top back in place and sliding on her bottoms. “Yes?”

  A sexy smile curved his lips. “Stop overthinking.” He rose to his feet in all his naked glory, and she did her best not to sigh as she looked at his tanned, muscular body.

  She blinked into the sun, unsure of how to reply. He obviously knew her well or her feelings showed on her face.

  “Just enjoy being in paradise, okay?” He picked up a beach bag, obviously ready to leave.

  She nodded and began to help him gather their things and head up to the house.

  “We’ll just go up to our room, shower, and then let me take you for the best lobster dinner you’ve ever had. Think you can do that?”

  “Of course.” She shook her head, knowing he was right. For now she was going to have fun. The time to think would come soon enough.

  * * *

  Damon sat across from Evie at a restaurant on the ocean. From their seats outside, they could see the rise and fall of the waves as they swept in and out, the scent of saltwater around them. She had a two-pound lobster in front of her, and he had a three-pounder he’d finished in front of him. Although the kitchen staff had cracked the claws before serving, they’d both had to work hard to pull out the meat. With her bib around her neck and a determined expression on her face, she looked adorable.

  “So, can I ask you something?” She pulled a leg off the body and sucked out the meat.

  Watching her purse her lips was hell on the raging desire that had been plaguing him since they’d arrived on the island. Even their time on the beach hadn’t sated his need. But taking her out for a nice dinner had always been on his agenda, and tonight was special.

  “Go ahead,” he said in a gruff voice.

  She met his gaze. “You really didn’t care when you found out about your uncle Paul being your biological father?”

  He didn’t even have to think about it. “Nope.” And since she’d brought up the subject of Jesse Prescott, Damon was glad he’d already finished his dinner.

  He leaned forward. “Imagine if you did your best but were punished for it because it didn’t meet your father’s standards. Or you were belittled because the physical part of the game didn’t come naturally to you. Or worse, because you weren’t as naturally talented as your older brother.”

  “I’m really sorry,” she murmured. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

  “Hey, if I’d tell anyone, it’d be you. The thing was, Jesse, my dad, lost out on a pro career due to an injury that sidelined him. He lived for the past and was determined that his kids would damn well succeed where he didn’t.” Damon took a sip of water. “But later, after finding out about Uncle Paul, I realized there was more to it. Jesse was just a man who felt inadequate about a lot of things, and he took it out on us kids.”

  When she didn’t say anything, he continued. “Each of us was different. Austin was more the golden child. Sports came naturally to him. Jaxon wanted to play baseball and he was damned good at it. You can imagine how well that went over. And Braden…” Damon shook his head. “He was the brain. The smartest one. Now a doctor. But was Dad proud? Hell no. Because he couldn’t meet the old man’s standards for being a man by playing football.”

  “He’s with Doctors Without Borders, right?” she asked.

  “Yep.” And Damon was damn proud of his brother.

  “What about Bri?” Evie reached out and took his hand across the table.

  “He made her play sports. For her he accepted softball and soccer, but she wasn’t his focus. She slipped under the radar more than the boys.”

  A waiter walked over and they both glanced up. “Finished, folks?” he asked.

  “Yes, please,” Evie said, and Damon nodded.

  When the server had removed their dishes, returned, and taken their dessert orders, he left them alone.

  “Why did your mother stay with him?” Evie asked.

  He rolled his shoulders. It was a question he’d asked himself many times. “Sometimes I can’t figure out whether she loved him or settled because she couldn’t have Uncle Paul.” He paused. “They grew up together, best friends, and she was in love with him. But you know why that didn’t happen.”

  She looked entranced by the story. “Unrequited love. Or impossible love. Either way, she couldn’t have Paul.” She paused in thought. “I guess you’ll never know the answer to that one.”

  “Yeah.” He knew that. “As for why she stayed? I’m pretty sure she believed she could be a buffer between Jesse and us, but it never worked out that way.”

  Evie squeezed his hand and he more than appreciated her understanding.

  “You know,” she said, obviously speaking carefully, “if your mom married Jesse because she couldn’t have the person she really loved, that’s sad. But I’m sure she thought she wanted a husband and a family. And I would guess she loved him in her own way.”

  He nodded. “I know. She was and is a great mother.”

  “And that’s why you’re a great guy.” Evie’s smile lit up the room.

  “Thanks.”

  They finished their apple pie a la mode and decided to walk back to the house, hand in hand, taking the route along the beach. He was in shorts, she was in a knee-length dress, and they edged the water, waves lapping over their feet, shoes dangling from their free hand.

  After those games of touch football on the beach, his ankle bothered him, aching like it did during a game, making him wish he’d agreed to the shot Doc had suggested. But he wouldn’t trade this moment and didn’t mind the pain.

  Silence surrounded them except for the sound of the ocean. He didn’t feel compelled to speak, not after spilling his guts over dinner. He’d often thought about his father’s heavy-handed ways and beaten himself up for not living up to Jesse’s standards.

  Not anymore. He wasn’t going to torture himself over his childhood again. Revealing his torment had him looking at his past like an observer. And it had been Jesse
’s issues, not his, causing him to act like a bully. Jesse’s behavior that was wrong, not Damon’s or his siblings’.

  He glanced at Evie’s profile and smiled. She’d lightened his burden. And even better, he hadn’t thought about his suspension all night, at least until now, anyway.

  And he owed it all to the woman by his side.

  * * *

  The next two days followed the same pattern. Damon worked out in the morning, they had lazy days on the beach, and before dinner, Evie would take an hour or two to do some digging into the college pasts of Gregory Emerson’s father and Dr. Jonas. What she’d found was interesting, and she intended to discuss it with Damon on the flight home. No reason to intrude on their vacation when there was nothing to be done. Yet.

  She enjoyed another dinner alone with Damon, and they’d had incredible sex in their massively huge bedroom with a king-size bed. Knowing how hard it had been for him to confide in her about his childhood, she’d treated him to stories of her growing up with four brothers and discovered she and his sister, Bri, had a lot in common. They’d both tagged along with their big brothers, driving them crazy, making them worry about them as they grew up. His father aside, there was as much love in his big family as she had in hers.

  She was nervous about the fact that he was certain his mother would follow up with a lunch date, but he assured her his mom was harmless and insisted they weren’t lying to her since, right now, they were together. And he promised Evie would enjoy his mom. That’s what frightened her. She was becoming overly involved in Damon’s life. Getting to know his friends and family. It was going to be hard to go their separate ways when his case was over and her ex was finally behind bars, where he belonged.

  But she put the thoughts out of her head because she had to dress for their last night, when they were meeting the guys for a final get-together before their plane ride home in the morning.

  After a delicious meal, they headed back to the house and sat around on the patio overlooking the ocean. The guys smoked cigars, Damon passing because he was in season, regardless of the suspension.

  “Damon, have you given any thought to the business proposition we had for you?” Nick, who was mostly silent, surprised Evie by speaking first.

  She swung her gaze his way, then glanced at Damon, knowing her curiosity was all over her face.

  “We have a new promotional campaign planned for Dirty Dog Vodka, and we want Damon to be the face of the brand. Up until now, he’s mostly been a silent partner. We think his mug will sell alcohol, especially to women.” Asher winked at Evie. “Think you can convince him?”

  “I don’t know. Damon?”

  Folding his arms across his chest, he shook his head. “I think it’s a fucking ridiculous idea. For one thing, my reputation at the moment is shit.”

  Asher shook his head, then flicked the ash of his cigar. “This is a blip in time. It’s not going to last forever. We can help you rehabilitate your rep. Everyone loves you, Damon. Rise above it and show you aren’t in hiding.”

  Damon frowned at his words. “I’ll think about it.”

  She narrowed her gaze, knowing that meant he’d already made up his mind against it, but she had news that might change how he felt. “So, when I was digging around online, I discovered that Emerson’s father and Doc were fraternity buddies at Duke.”

  Damon’s feet, which had been resting on the table, dropped to the floor. “What?”

  She nodded. “It’s not proof, mind you, but it’s a link. And when we were in Doc’s office and I asked if he kept in touch with college friends, he never mentioned knowing Emerson’s father. That’s odd, don’t you think?”

  Damon’s eyes blazed with hope.

  “What’s going on?” Asher placed his glass on the table and met Evie’s gaze. The other two men listened intently.

  She sighed. “I’m trying to figure out who benefits from Damon testing positive, and the only person I can come up with is the backup quarterback.”

  She went on to explain how she’d tested Damon’s pain patch because she’d suspected the trainer of giving him drugs, but that had come up empty.

  “Anyway, when we went to the doctor the other day, I noticed he attended the same university as Gregory Emerson’s father. A little more digging and I discovered they were two years apart but in the same fraternity.” Evie couldn’t help sounding proud of herself. She was due for a win.

  “So you think … what? Emerson got his father to get Doc to slip him PEDs?” Nick asked.

  “Something like that. It’s just a starting point,” she warned them. “But I’m going to prove that Damon is innocent.”

  The guys stared at her, approval in their eyes and expressions.

  She planned to live up to their expectations.

  * * *

  On the flight home, Damon held her hand as they took off. The luxurious jet had a bedroom in the back and plenty of seating, where nobody felt like they were in a sardine can like a typical airplane. Black-and-white marble accented the inside of the jet, and she was in awe of her lavish surroundings.

  And with Damon by her side, she was as relaxed as she’d been on the island.

  “Back to reality,” he said, turning his head to meet her gaze.

  She smiled. “Yeah. This was incredible. Thanks for letting me tag along.”

  His grin warmed her inside and out.

  Evie waited until they landed in Miami to turn on her phone and the messages came pouring in. “What in the world?”

  “What’s wrong?” Damon asked.

  “A lot of messages.” Instead of listening to her voicemails, she checked her texts first, her stomach twisting as she read Mack’s words. “My apartment was broken into.” She clenched her fingers around the phone. “That stupid asshole!”

  “What?” Damon stiffened beside her.

  She blew out a long breath, trying to analyze and not panic. “I don’t have anything of value to speak of, and I’m sure he realizes I haven’t been there in days, but you know John wants to scare me.”

  Damon squeezed her hand. “And did he?”

  She shook her head, anger oozing through her veins. “Hell no. I’m sick of him trying to ruin my life.”

  She rose from her seat and followed everyone down the steps, then turned to the men who’d been so good to her the last couple of days. “Bye, guys. Thank you for including me.”

  Each pulled her into a warm hug.

  Asher’s lasted the longest. “If this asshole screws things up, call me.” He winked at her and laughed at Damon.

  She grinned just as Damon shoved his friend, pushing him away from her.

  “We’ll stay in touch. Good luck,” he said to Damon, then turned to Evie. “Take care of him.”

  A mixture of emotions floated through her as she wondered for how long she’d have the ability to do just that. “I will.”

  Then she and Damon headed to the private garage and settled into his car. He pulled out and headed home, still relaxed, driving with one hand on the wheel.

  She used the time to call her brother. “Mack?”

  “Jesus, Evie. You said you were going to the Bahamas, not off the grid.”

  “Can’t a girl take some time to herself?” she asked. “Before we talk about my apartment, did you find out if the bar had cameras in the back hall?”

  “Yes, and you made an excellent call, Evie. We have John on tape with a knife in his hand. We’re looking for him. Just stay at Damon’s and it’ll all be over soon.”

  She frowned, wishing she knew where to find John herself. But she had no good ideas. She didn’t know him now, if she ever really had, and he’d obviously spiraled. But she wanted him caught and her life back. No matter what that meant for her and Damon, she needed to feel composed and in control.

  “I’ll come to my apartment tomorrow to clean up,” she told her brother.

  “It’s done. Deke, Lucas, Josh, and I pitched in. You’re going to have to replace the things John destroyed, bu
t forget about it until he’s caught. If you come home, you’re an open target, and I’m sure he expects you to show up there. We have a patrol car doing drive-bys, looking out for him. Just sit tight.”

  “Thanks, Mack. You guys are the best.” Her heart warmed for her brothers and how fortunate she was to have them in her life. “You didn’t tell Mom and Dad, did you?” She didn’t want them worrying.

  “Of course not. And don’t thank me. In fact, when you hear what I have to say next, you’re going to want to kill me,” Mack muttered.

  Her shoulders stiffened. “What is it?”

  He chuckled as he said, “Mom wants us to come to dinner tomorrow night. And she wants you to bring Damon.”

  “What?” she shouted, startling Damon as he drove. “Sorry, everything’s fine,” she told him before refocusing on her brother. “Mack, no.”

  “I’m afraid so. Derek told her you’re seeing a famous football player and that John was lurking, but you were safe because you’d moved in with Damon. Of course, she told Dad and they want to meet him.” Her brother sounded too amused for her liking.

  Her head began to pound. Their pretend game was getting too confused with reality, and her family definitely had the wrong idea about what was going on between her and Damon. “Damon’s too busy to be bothered with a family dinner.”

  “No, I’m not. I’m free whenever,” Damon said beside her.

  Her gaze slid to his face. A slow grin edged his mouth, and her body reacted because even the man’s damned profile was sexy.

  She drew a calming breath until her brother spoke again. “I heard that. I’ll let Mom and Dad know you’ll both be there. Meanwhile, watch your back and I’ll see you soon.”

  Leaning her head back against the plush headrest, she groaned. “You do not want to come to a big family dinner with my parents and brothers,” she told him.

  He reached over and clasped her hand in his. “Why not?”

  “It sends the wrong signal, for one thing.”

  “You do realize I could hear Mack’s loud voice. Your parents already know you’re staying with me and we are sleeping together, so we’re not really lying.”