by Maria Luis
“You gonna bail on me, Blondie?” Luke’s voice echoed in the narrow, dark tunnels beneath St. Andrew’s Castle. It’d started out as a joke—get Anna out of her stilettos and down into the winding tunnels beneath the medieval castle. It wasn’t funny, to her anyway. And as much as Anna usually loved to hear her boyfriend’s husky baritone, right now she was heavily considering barring him from their bedroom for at least the next two weeks.
Okay, probably only tonight.
All right, probably not at all.
“Oh, my God! Something just touched me.”
“That was my hand.” Blunt-tipped fingers patted her butt as she slowly made her way up the ladder to the next section of the tunnels. “See?”
“Luke, are you feeling up my mom right now?” Julian was up ahead of them both, his boots echoing off the metal rungs.
Her daredevil of a boyfriend chuckled softly, his hand firmly against her butt as he kept her steady. “Not a chance, Jules,” he lied, squeezing her bottom, “your mom is definitely just scared of a few critters. Maybe some ghosties.”
“You think this place is haunted?” Julian’s voice pitched with excitement.
“Could be.” Luke’s fingers brushed the outside of her ankle, just above the ridge of her tennis shoe. The man could do nothing but touch her with one finger and she was ready. If the last few months had shown Anna anything, it was that she loved Luke with all of her heart. And she also liked it when her man got dirty. “Think about what the guide told us. Two opposing armies planning to each surprise the other by digging their way to the other side of the castle walls . . . and neither of them expecting to meet in these tunnels? Sounds like the perfect recipe for a haunting.”
“I wonder if they appear during the day. Hey, Mom,” Julian said, “you want to offer yourself as a sacrifice? Take one for the team?”
“You’re mistaken, Jules. Ghosts always go for the youngest in the bunch, which would be you.” As much as Anna loved it when her son and her boyfriend decided to join forces, she so wasn’t in the mood for it right now. Her shoulders scraped the walls of the tunnel. “Are we almost at the top?”
“Yeah, almost. Oh!”
Anna glanced up, her fingers flexing on the rungs, as she watched Julian heft himself out of the narrow space. There was barely any light, not enough to etch out her surroundings other than tight, enclosed spaces, but then her hands were resting on earthy, rocky terrain. Luke boosted her up, and she landed on hands and knees in the soil.
When she’d first mentioned wanting to go on an adventure across Europe, she hadn’t expected Luke to agree so readily. But like in every other aspect of their life since Anna had gone all Superwoman and picked up bat-swinging for a living, the man encouraging her never let her forget to live.
He spent weekends luring her into the world of Louisiana, bringing her fishing and down to the Cajun Riviera (in other words, a strip of beach along the Gulf of Mexico). After she spent long hours at the boutique, he enticed her with trips to the local frozen yogurt place, knowing that the dessert managed to make even her worst days better. Every night, he dared her to love him as they closed their bedroom door and he settled his hard body over hers, always promising that he would be the last man to mess up her pristine white sheets.
Mr. All Wrong felt suspiciously like Mr. Forever most days, and she knew Julian felt the same way about the man who’d one day become his stepfather.
But next month Luke started the New Orleans Police Academy, and so he was fulfilling yet another promise: taking her out of the country and showing her the world.
A large hand settled on her lower back as an equally big body kneeled beside hers. “You good, Blondie?”
“I’m out of breath.”
Luke laughed. “Didn’t I say that you should come running with me in the mornings? You know, I’m pretty sure I can recall saying just—”
Anna shut him up the only way she knew how, with a kiss that she stamped over his lips after she’d dragged his face down to meet hers. “What were you saying again?”
Though the tunnels had little light, she saw his lips turn up in a grin. “How amazing you are?”
“Y’all need to get a room,” Julian said from up ahead. “Remind me again why I’m on this vacation?”
“Because you love us.” Anna pushed herself to her feet. “And because I secretly love to torture you. Knowing that you can’t touch a video game for two weeks has officially become the highlight of my life.”
“Must be living a boring life,” Luke teased, as they followed Julian. The tunnels had opened up, but there was still the quiet ping-ping of water hitting puddles and their tennis shoes squishing against the wet soil. “Good thing I convinced you to come to Europe. Go on a little adventure with me.”
Every day with Luke O’Connor was an adventure, and Anna slipped her hand into his. “Name the day and time, babe, and you know I’m there. Always.”
“That’s good.”
She lifted a brow. “All you have to say?”
“Well, I have a lot to say, but we’ve got to . . . wait, hold on.” He released her hand, lengthening his stride to catch up with her son. “Jules, that good?”
“Yeah, we’re good.”
What in the world were they talking about?
Anna picked up her pace, careful to not sink her foot into a hidden puddle. They’d arrived at St. Andrew’s Castle so early in the morning that there hadn’t been another soul in sight, except for the guides. As she put one foot in front of the other now, she listened to the subtle sounds of the tunnel.
The whooshing of the ocean crashing against the steep cliffs. The plunk of a pebble falling into a pool of water. The pop of bones—wait, hold on. She’d recognize the sound of his hip popping anywhere. No matter how much physical therapy he’d done in the last few months, especially after being stabbed by the now-imprisoned Sumner Ajax, his hip remained a cacophony of noises.
“Luke?” she called out, hating that her voice wavered.
Pull yourself together, he’s fine.
Totally fine.
“Mom, don’t move.”
Anna froze, her heart rate picking up tempo as her fingers clutched at the hem of her sweatshirt. “What is it? Is it a rat?”
“No.” A flashlight flicked on, illuminating Julian’s features in a totally creepy way, and Anna clapped a hand over her mouth to hold back a surprised yelp. “It’s a ghost,” he added, dropping his voice theatrically. “A clown.”
“Every word and you’re getting closer to spending time with Grandma Dorothy when we get back to New Orleans, Jules.”
Laughing at her empty threat, he rolled his eyes. Thanks to the flashlight, there was no mistaking the way he sucked in his breath and whispered, “I’m scared. Quick, Luke, save me!”
And then the flashlight’s aim changed, scanning across the tunnel’s walls before landing on Luke.
On his knee.
A velvet box in his right hand.
And a twinkling diamond ring seated in the center of the plush cushion.
“Oh.”
That was all she said. Oh. Like a total idiot—or perhaps just like a woman who had no idea what to say but yes, yes, yes when the questions hadn’t been asked yet.
Her gaze flitted to Julian, who had positioned himself against the wall of the tunnel, flashlight aimed to spotlight them, as he held his phone with the other hand. He must have caught her stare because he shrugged, and said, “Gotta capture it forever, Mom. You’re only going to be proposed to once.”
She nearly burst into tears right then and there, because Luke was perfect for their family. Julian loved Luke in a way that his affection for Brady and Shaelyn couldn’t even compare. It was in the way he rose early every morning to walk Sassy the Dane with Luke, no matter if it rained or was deathly hot outside. It was in the way that all Jules had to do was ask if Luke wanted to throw the football, and her sexy boyfriend was off the couch in a heartbeat, planting a kiss on her lips, and clapping h
is arm around the teenager’s shoulder. It was in the way that Julian liked to call the four of them “a pack,” with Sassy as the leader.
Anna didn’t know what she’d done in her life to earn Luke’s love, but she refused to ever let him go.
“Blondie.” Luke cleared his throat, and it was then that she saw the velvet box shook, ever so slightly. “The day I met you, I swore I’d throw you out of my mother’s shop for good.”
“Dude, Luke,” Julian whispered, “stick to the script.”
Green eyes glimmered with laughter as Luke met her gaze. “You both know I never like to stick to the script. Where was I again? Oh, yeah. I met you, Anna Blondie Bryce, and I swore right then and there that I’d never have anything to do with you again. Then I witnessed one of the worst dates to ever exist, and you were dead in the center of it all. And you dared me—you dared me, a man that can never turn down a dare, to find you the man of your dreams. Who knew that man was sitting at the booth with you in that exact moment?”
“I did.”
“Jules,” Anna muttered out of the corner of her mouth, though she wasn’t upset at all. These were her two guys, her two favorite people. Unable to keep her hands to herself, she threaded her fingers through Luke’s messy brown hair. His eyes fluttered shut as he nuzzled her palm, and her heart caught in her throat.
Love.
This man never failed to show her each day how much he trusted her, how much he loved her.
“Keep going,” she whispered, “don’t stop.”
The grin he sent her was naughty and pure sex. “I know this tunnel is not your idea of fun, but I chose it for a reason. You crave adventure, you crave the unknown, just as much as you love the familiarity of our home. This tunnel has that, the unknown.”
The light flicked off, leaving them to the darkness. But as her eyes adjusted to the lack of light, she finally noticed that behind Julian was a hollowed-out hole in the wall, and it gave sight to the medieval castle ruins and the sapphire ocean beyond.
Anna swallowed. Her palm curved over Luke’s face, tracing the familiar lines of his nose and cheekbones, enjoying the way the shadows played on his masculine features. “And the familiar,” she said, completing his sentence. “I have you both.”
“You do, Blondie, always.” Luke stood, his hip pop-popping! as he rose to his feet. “Life is always filled with things we know, Anna, and things that we don’t. But I do know that I want to tackle everything with you by my side, now and forever.”
“Oh, Luke.” She gripped his hand, bringing his palm to her face so she could kiss the center of his calloused flesh. “I love you so much.”
“You stole the words right out of my mouth.” His lips curled in a small smile, even as his voice dropped to a husky purr. “I dare you to love me, Anna. I dare you to kiss me every day for the rest of your life. I dare you to put up with me when you’re PMSing and threatening to dismember me when you realize in two weeks that I’ve brought home another dog—”
“Wait, Luke, hold on. Did you get another dog . . . while we weren’t even home?”
“He said the little guy’s face called to him, Mom. He has no self-control.”
Luke stole a kiss, chuckling low. “We’ll talk about it later. Sassy was lonely as an only dog. Anyway, I dare you to spend your days being the successful woman you are, and I dare you to spend your nights in my bed.”
“Luke,” Julian muttered, “I’m going deaf. Right now. What is the script for if you don’t use it?”
“I dare you to marry me, Anna Bryce. I dare you to marry me and make me the happiest man in the world.”
“You mean, happiest man in a tunnel, right?” Julian threw in, still holding up the phone. “Because that’s where we are, Luke. We’re in a tunnel. This is either the best proposal ever or the weirdest.”
“Julian.”
His hands lifted. “Sorry, sorry, no more commentary. I love y’all. Say yes, Mom.”
She blinked up at the man who had thrown her entire life off course, and who would continue to do so for the rest of their lives. She met Luke’s green gaze, soaking in the warmth she saw there. “Yes,” she whispered, “to everything. I never expected to meet a man like you, a man who’s both my best friend and the man of my dreams. But I have one last thing to say.”
Luke’s gaze dipped to her mouth. “Yeah?”
“I dare you to kiss me, Luke O’Connor. I dare you to kiss me and I dare you to never stop.”
And so he did, slipping the diamond ring onto her finger as his mouth claimed hers. It was everything she’d ever wanted, everything she’d ever dreamed of, and when she heard Jules whisper, “hooah,” just like Luke tended to do whenever he was excited, Anna knew that she was truly home.
Dear Fabulous Reader
Thank you so much for reading Dare You To Love Me, and I so hope that you enjoyed Luke & Anna’s journey to their HEA!
For new readers to my books, you might be wondering what this space is – welcome to the fun! I always love to give a little behind-the-scenes glance to the plot or locations that are utilized in my novels, and here it is for you. Let’s get started numeral-style, shall we?
#1 – Tuck’s, aka Luke & Anna’s bar. Does it exist in real life? Well . . . not quite. But! In a way, it does, though I’ve taken some major liberties. For local New Orleanians, you may recall a very (ahem) trashy college bar in the Uptown area. As a university student at Tulane or Loyola, Tuck’s was the “it” spot to be – they didn’t card, you see, and offered drink specials throughout the week. When I needed a bar/restaurant for Luke and Anna to meet, Tuck’s immediately came to mind, though the fiction version is much classier. It’s been closed for a half-decade now, and the building is now home to a sushi restaurant, but I couldn’t resist paying a little homage to a former haunt. Nowadays, if you mention “Tuck’s” in the city, most will think you’re talking about the Mardi Gras parade. Also fun, but be prepared to have toilet paper thrown at you from floats, as well as plungers. Have fun! LOL
#2 – Herbal Heaven. Again, there are quite a few places in the city that are “real-life” versions of Herbal Heaven, including Maypop in the Bywater neighborhood. For me, though, I created Herbal Heaven as a little fun for my mom, who is a licensed herbalist. Most of Luke’s reactions in the books are reactions that I’ve had myself in the past, not to mention the time I forgot she’d given me tea blends as I was heading on a plane. You can imagine the fear I had when I realized TSA might be thinking I was harboring pot and trying to bring it aboard! (Nothing happened, thankfully). Still, the herbal world is a welcoming one, and the medicine and techniques used are centuries-old. I liked to think that a little “love potion” might be sought after sometimes.
#3 – The Friend and the Doll. Think that was weird? Well, I’m here to tell you that Anna’s Date from Hell was inspired by reality. Once upon a time, when I worked at a restaurant here in the city, I had the best table ever. Seriously, they were so nice and funny! It was a large group of folks, maybe ten or so. It didn’t occur to me that their friendliness might be trying to gauge how . . . receptive I’d be at the end of their dinner. There I was saying good night, when the guy in charge slid me his card. I won’t mention the company’s name, just as a matter of privacy, but they belonged to a fetish group with a penchant for including blowup dolls and, yes, dolls. In case you’re wondering, I politely turned them down, handed the card over to a coworker in the kitchen, who promptly told me, “Oh, their parties are awesome! I totally go to them every few weeks.” Ahem. To each their own!
I have others, but we’ll cap it at these highlights. As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read Dare You To Love Me!
Tempt Me With Forever
Lizzie & Gage
Never trust a bad boy
That’s what Beauty Influencer Lizzie Danvers tells her subscribers after getting dumped on Instagram. Lizzie may have the devil’s luck in choosing men, but she’s determined to prove that the age-old “once a playboy
, always a playboy” theory is bulletproof. All she needs is thirty days and one sexy commitment-phobe to do it...
By day, Gage Harvey helps his twin at Inked on Bourbon, tattooing butterflies onto every female under the age of thirty. By night, he works for New Orleans’ Special Operations Division, fulfilling a family legacy to protect his city. Relationships aren’t on his radar—until the hot-as-hell woman on his tattoo table glances up at him, a butterfly half-inked on her ass, and propositions him.
Gage should say no—nothing good ever comes from entertaining crazy women. But for the sake of playboys everywhere, he’ll take one for the team, and prove to Miss Lizzie Danvers that bad boys are the only men who will tempt you with forever.
Tia Rosa,
Every hope, every dream, every goal I have ever had, you were my biggest cheerleader. No matter how high I reached, or how far I moved away, your laughter, saucy humor, and strength always grounded me. This one is for you, Tia. I hope the butterflies will make you smile, the scene in the nightclub will make you laugh, and every word would make you proud.
Love you.
Good job, honey.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16