Dare to Hold

by Carly Phillips

  “Is that how you want to play it?” Olivia asked, an amused smile touching her lips.

  Meg blew out a long breath. Obviously nothing was sacred among these woman, and the truth was, Meg needed female input. Especially from women who knew the Dare men firsthand. “Fine. We’re involved. I think.”

  Olivia grinned, making it obvious to Meg that she approved.

  “And I take it from your comment about my daughter’s personality, you find Scott controlling?” Riley asked, laughter twinkling in her eyes.

  “You could say that. But I’m not trying to insult him or your family,” Meg rushed to add.

  Riley shook her head. “Oh, honey. You think Scott’s controlling? Ian is Scott on steroids. Times fifty.”

  Meg stared at the petite woman in awe. “How do you handle him?”

  “Don’t let her fool you. She has my brother wrapped around her finger.” Olivia propped an arm on the table and waved her fingers in the air.

  “Except it isn’t always easy,” Riley said. “And in the beginning, it nearly broke us apart more than once.” She bit down on her lip. “I really had an issue with controlling men because of my past, and I wasn’t used to turning to anyone for help. Especially when that help came in the form of being told what to do.”

  Like Meg had an issue with leaning on Scott. “I get that,” she murmured. “I feel the same way. Scott took me over to Tyler’s security firm this morning. I can’t afford to hire them, but he has them helping me anyway.” She shook her head. “I’m grateful but … I’d just promised myself I would stop relying on other people. Men in particular.”

  “But it’s a different kind of reliance, isn’t it?” Olivia asked.

  Meg thought about the answer. “Yes. Very different. Before, I just wanted any man in my life, and I’d accept almost anyone to not be alone,” she said, ducking her head in embarrassment. “Can we go shopping now? I don’t think you two together women need to listen to my problems.”

  She rose from her seat and pushed her chair in so no one would trip. Olivia and Meg joined her, and together they walked toward the stores.

  “I wasn’t all that together when Ian and I met,” Riley said, surprising Meg by continuing their talk.

  She glanced at the pretty brunette.

  “I fought everything Ian did for me to the point where I ended up in the hospital because I was so insistent on meeting up with my father and handling things alone.” Riley placed a hand on Meg’s arm, and they slowed to a stop. “My point is, we all have problems and issues, but please don’t think you have to go through it alone.”

  To Meg’s horror, tears filled her eyes at Riley’s openness and generosity. She pulled a tissue from her bag and wiped her eyes. “Thank you,” she said.

  Olivia tapped her shoulder. “Do you think I had it together when Dylan and I started seeing each other?”

  Meg shrugged. “I don’t know. He didn’t confide in me about you.” Which had been her first clue that her best friend had fallen in love.

  “Well, I was a mess. So wrapped up in my past I didn’t want to trust any man. So listen to Riley. She’s smart. And just know we’ve both been there.”

  “Except I’m pregnant,” Meg said, pointing out the obvious. “And I honestly don’t think your brother has dealt with what that means. So while I’m really grateful to have his support and help now, I don’t expect him to stick around for too long.”

  She blew out a long breath, not wanting to dwell on that thought, or the tears would return, and they wouldn’t be happy or grateful ones. “Now can we go shopping?”

  “In a second.” Olivia pursed her lips and hesitated before she spoke. “I also understand how you feel. And I’m not saying you shouldn’t be wary. Be smart. Protect yourself if you feel you need to.”

  For some reason, hearing her friend say the things she’d already been telling herself about Scott really hurt. Because it validated her fears that he would eventually realize she came with too many burdens and he wouldn’t stick around.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. Besides, I have more to worry about than myself and my feelings.” She patted her belly. “And I wouldn’t burden Scott with my—”

  “Whoa. That is not what I was saying,” Olivia rushed to assure her, sounding horrified. “I just meant I think it’s always smart to prepare for the worst. But Meg, it’s okay to hope for the best too.”

  That’s what she’d always done, with each new guy, only to be disappointed every time. But every instinct she had told her Scott was different. She knew for certain he desired her. In bed, they were explosive. She enjoyed talking to him, spending time with him. Getting to know more about what made him tick. And she had to admit it was a relief not dealing with Mike on her own.

  “You need to start believing that things are going to turn around for you. And I think you should trust Scott. If nothing else, he’s a man of his word. If he says he’s in, he means it. If he changes his mind, he’ll be honest about that too. But if he does, he’d be an idiot. And even though he drives me insane, my brother is not stupid,” Olivia said.

  Meg nodded. “You’re right. I’m going to look at things differently.” For right now, Scott wasn’t going anywhere. And she should enjoy every minute for as long as she could.

  “Now that that’s settled, let’s go buy out the store for you two pregnant women,” Riley said.

  With the heavy subjects out of the way, Meg had a blast shopping with Riley and Olivia. Riley did know what clothing was comfortable and what wasn’t, directing them away from certain styles and brands and toward others. Meg and Olivia took turns trying on the padded bellies, making sure the clothes they bought would last longer than a few weeks. They laughed over what they’d look like down the road and ignored the more graphic things Riley tried to warn them about. Meg wasn’t ready to purchase moisturizer for dry nipples quite yet.

  From the store, they went for a late lunch. By the time they finished, Meg felt happier and more relaxed than she had in a long while.

  She stretched her legs beneath the table. “This meal … this whole shopping trip was amazing.”

  “I think we should make it weekly,” Olivia said.

  “My mother-in-law would love to have Rainey once a week. I’m in,” Riley said. “I need girl time.”

  “Hey,” Olivia said, leaning on the round table and speaking in what sounded like a conspiratorial whisper. “Do you think we should tell the waiter it’s Rick’s birthday? They make a whole big deal. All the waiters clap and sing, and everyone in the restaurant usually joins in.”

  “Who’s Rick?” Meg and Riley asked at the same time.

  “Rick Devlin. Your security guy.” Olivia tipped her head to the right.

  “What are you talking about? I don’t have security.” Meg followed the direction to see a guy with military bearing sitting at a table alone. Her stomach churned uneasily as realization dawned. “He looks exactly like the guys wandering around Tyler’s office. But nobody said anything about someone watching me.”

  “Okay, I think I misspoke,” Riley said. “Ian is Scott on steroids. Times twenty-five, not fifty. I think he’s got more of that dominant gene in him than I realized.” She sighed and took a long sip of her iced tea.

  “Are you telling me Scott is having someone follow me?” Meg asked, horrified.

  “I thought you knew!” Olivia muttered. “You said you were at Tyler’s this morning and that Scott has them helping you.”

  “He’s got a computer guy digging for information on my ex and his family!”

  Olivia shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “When I recognized Rick, I just assumed you knew. He works personal security for Tyler. That makes him your bodyguard, for lack of a better word. He’s had an eye on us all day.”

  “I’m going to kill Scott.” Meg ripped a paper napkin apart in frustration.

  “He obviously wants you safe. If you think about it, it’s kind of sweet,” Olivia said, obviously trying to dig her brothe
r—and herself by extension—out of trouble. Because she’d called Meg’s attention to the man.

  “R-i-g-h-t,” Meg said, drawing out the word. “Because if Dylan had a man assigned to guard you and follow you around without your permission, you’d find it sweet. Good to know.”

  Riley giggled out loud. “She’s got you there,” she told Olivia.

  “Shut up,” Olivia muttered. “I’m so screwed. Scott is going to kill me when he realizes I pointed Rick out to you.”

  “No, he won’t. Because I’m going to kill him first. Besides, I would have figured it out sooner or later,” Meg muttered.

  Olivia blew out a defeated breath. “Well, if I’m going to get in trouble, and I will, I might as well go all the way. What I was going to say when I started all this was, I can’t think of a better way to end the day than embarrassing one military man with a stick up his ass. Let’s wish him a happy birthday.”

  Meg grinned and called for the waiter. Olivia was right. Watching her bodyguard turn bright red with embarrassment and glare at them over his big hot fudge brownie sundae with a candle was the perfect way to end the day.

  * * *

  Scott was on his way to Meg’s apartment, a large bottle of Perrier in hand, to celebrate his new job. He couldn’t bring champagne to a pregnant woman, so he’d opted for something else that was bubbly. He figured he’d get there around the same time she returned from shopping, and they could celebrate.

  His cell rang while he was driving. The dashboard indicated it was Rick, the guy Tyler had chosen for Meg’s security.

  He frowned. The more Scott thought about it—and he’d given his actions a lot of consideration as the day had worn on—the more he realized he needed to tell Meg she had a tail. On the off chance she realized someone was watching her, she’d assume it was her ex, and Scott didn’t want to scare her. He also didn’t like lying to her, even by omission. He should have been up front, and he would be now.

  He hit the play button and used his speakerphone. “Talk to me,” Scott said.

  “Fucking women,” Rick muttered.

  Scott had known Rick for a while. The man had served with Tyler during his stint in the Army, and they’d been friends ever since.

  “What’s wrong?” Scott asked.

  “I was made. You didn’t tell me your girl was meeting up with your sister.”

  Scott swore. “That’s because I didn’t know. I thought she was going with a friend.” And Olivia knew Rick as well as Scott did.

  “They treated me to a big-ass happy birthday sundae including singing waiters.”

  Scott shook his head, trying not to laugh at the women’s antics because he was so fucking screwed. “Sorry, man. And thanks for the heads-up. I’m almost at her place. I’ll deal with it.”

  “Want me to stick around?”

  “No, wait for me to get there and then take a break. I’ll call you if I leave tonight. You can cover me then.”

  Scott disconnected the call and shot a wry glance at his makeshift celebratory bottle. He’d hoped he’d be spending the night with Meg, but now he wasn’t so sure he’d make it past the front door.

  A few minutes later, Scott knocked warily.

  Meg opened the door, a surprised expression on her face. Obviously she hadn’t expected him, and that was fine. They hadn’t made plans, but he was happy to see her. Hell, his entire body lit up at the sight of her pretty face and dark brown eyes.

  “Before you lecture me, I looked through the security hole,” she said, as if expecting him to reprimand her first thing.

  “I figured.” He held out the green bottle of sparkling water. “Care to celebrate my new job with me?” he asked.

  She eyed the bottle, a pleased expression on her makeup-free face. “That’s a considerate choice. Come on in.”

  He stepped inside, and she locked the door behind him. He couldn’t gauge her mood, and that, more than anything, made him edgy. He wasn’t sure whether or not to bring up the subject of Rick, then decided to take her lead.

  He turned to face her. She definitely hadn’t been expecting company. She wore a pair of pale blue silk shorts and a matching silk tank top, no bra. His gaze zeroed in on the pointy tips of her nipples poking through the light material, and desire swelled inside him. But he didn’t kid himself that she’d be interested in fucking him, and he braced himself for the fight to come.

  She took the bottle out of his hand and headed for the kitchen. He followed, watching her ass, the faintest hint of rounded skin showing beneath the edge of her shorts.

  His mouth grew dry, and he could use a sip of that water.

  She collected two glasses from the cabinet and opened the top. “So how did your boss take you leaving?”

  “He wished me well. He knew how much I hated the rules… When I thought I could handle something, I resented having my hands tied by regulations.” Scott shrugged. “He said I was better off being someone else’s problem. I let him know I’d be my own boss, and we parted ways on somewhat good terms.”

  She finished pouring the drinks and handed him one. “To new beginnings.” She touched his glass with hers, then, keeping her gaze trained on his, she took a sip.

  He did the same, completely off-balance at her unexpected good mood. Actually, it was more than good. Her entire demeanor had shifted into a happy space, and he narrowed his gaze, unable to figure her out.

  “Okay, dammit, why aren’t you yelling at me?” he asked, unable to wait for her to slam him for placing Rick on her tail.

  A sexy smile lifted her lips and she laughed. “Am I making you sweat?” she asked cheekily.

  He liked this sassy Meg. “Yes. Care to explain?”

  She lifted one delicate shoulder. “When I realized I had someone following me—”

  “You mean when Olivia pointed Rick out,” Scott corrected.

  Meg raised her hand. “In her defense, I had already mentioned we’d been to Tyler’s and that he was helping me out. She assumed I knew about the bodyguard.”

  He inclined his head, less interested in his sister’s role than Meg’s feelings on the subject. “Go on.”

  “When I realized you had someone following me, I was furious.”

  Her eyes flashed with emotion and he braced himself. “Here it comes.”

  “No. Because as I drove home, I realized that, thanks to you, I could get out of my car and walk to my door without looking over my shoulder or fearing Mike would pop out of the bushes to attack me. And I realized how lucky I was to have someone in my life who wanted to look out for me.” She took another sip of her drink and looked at him over the rim of the glass, a light blush covering her cheeks.

  “So you aren’t angry.”

  “I’m not happy you didn’t talk to me first. Or warn me. But no, I’m not angry.”

  He stepped closer, drawn to this softer, more open Meg. “I’d already decided that I’d made a mistake. I would have filled you in tonight.”

  She ran her tongue over her lips, and his gut tightened as he followed the sexy movement. “Is that why you’re here? To discuss security?” she asked.

  He placed his drink on the kitchen counter. Took hers from her hand and set it down beside his. “No, I’m here because I can’t stay away from you. But I’d much rather get the lecture out of the way so we can move on to more pleasurable things.” He stroked his knuckles over her cheek, around her jaw, and down the soft skin on her neck.

  She visibly swallowed hard. “Are you going to ask me before you make decisions that involve me from now on?”

  “Yes. Unless you’re not around, in which case I’ll run them by you as soon as possible afterwards.”

  She nodded. “And if I don’t agree, we’ll reach a compromise?” she pressed on.

  Now she was pushing him to make promises he couldn’t keep. “I won’t compromise on your safety, but we will talk.” It was the best he could offer.

  As he spoke, he trailed his fingertips along the loose edge of her tank top. Goose b
umps prickled along her chest, her skin there flushed, and her nipples became harder peaks. He was dying to take one into his mouth, but they needed to finish up this conversation, and he shifted positions to accommodate his thickening length. The hard denim of his jeans was damned uncomfortable.

  She let out a long sigh. Tipped her head, her hair trailing along the top of his hand. He actually fucking shivered at the soft tickle.

  “I’ll accept that for now,” she finally agreed.

  He narrowed his gaze. “Can I ask what’s making you so … accommodating?”

  And that was the change, he realized. She was suddenly more accepting of him in her life. More of a willing participant in wherever things between them might go.

  “I spent the afternoon with someone who knows how to handle a domineering Dare man.” And on that note, Meg wrapped her arms around his neck and settled her soft lips on his.

  Chapter Six

  On the way home from shopping, Meg had thought over everything Riley and Olivia said. Olivia, especially. Meg understood she could keep fighting this thing between herself and Scott or she could enjoy what he offered and move on when he was ready. Once she let go of her fear, it was surprisingly easy to let him in.

  Especially when he showed up tonight with sparkling water and in an obvious panic because he’d been caught being high-handed. How could she resist the man when, beneath the control freak, he was so amazingly sweet? Not to mention drop-dead sexy. She’d looked through the security hole to find him on her doorstep wearing a pair of dark jeans that accentuated his hard thighs and a navy tee shirt that brought out the blue in his eyes and showed off the defined muscles in his forearms.

  Making the first move was easier than she would have thought, and she’d clearly taken him by surprise, which she had to admit, she liked doing. But the minute her mouth touched his, he groaned, cupped the back of her head in his big hand, and took over. He slid his tongue across her lips once, twice, then plundered. He kissed her over and over, long, drugging kisses that weakened her in the knees. He tugged at her hair, a gesture that she somehow felt in her core. He kissed her like he couldn’t get enough.