I Dare You

by Ilsa Madden-Mills

  He scrambled up to his knees and crawled away a few feet until he jumped up and took off running. I watched him dart across the carpark and then cross the street to Minnie’s Diner where he’d parked in a darkened area.

  He squealed out onto the street and drove away in a black Porsche with tinted windows.

  I turned back to Elizabeth.

  “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” I rushed over to her and tilted her chin up.

  She took a deep breath, her lashes fluttering as she tried to gather herself. She gasped in air then slowly let it out.

  “Panic attack?” I asked softly, careful to keep my distance from her as she inhaled and exhaled.

  She nodded and spoke around her breaths. “Yeah. Only happens when I feel out of control.”

  I gave her a few minutes to gather herself and watched as she took deep breaths, her color slowly coming back to her face.

  “Who was that guy? Did you know him?”

  Her eyes flared wide and then she looked hurriedly away. “Just—just someone I met tonight at the bookstore. He—he followed me home, I guess.”

  She was lying. But why? Was she protecting him?

  “He said he knew you.” I clenched my fists. Was he one of her one-night stands gone wrong?

  She blushed a bright red and clamped her lips shut.

  Why wouldn’t she confide in me? God, I didn’t want to upset her when she was already freaked out.

  I sighed and looked around the breezeway. Okay. Changing gears. “Can you tell me what happened?”

  Her tongue darted out to lick her lips. She nodded. “One minute I was thinking about getting into my apartment, and the next he was just there. He didn’t touch me, but if you hadn’t come out …” She shuddered. “Thank you. Again.”

  “You get a name?”

  She stiffened. “Why?”

  I shrugged. “I have a friend with campus police. Wouldn’t hurt checking in to see if any complaints have been filed about him.”

  She let out a deep breath as if steeling herself. “Colby Scott.”

  “Okay.” I smiled gently, filing that name away as I took the keys from her hand and pushed her door open for her. I’d be doing my own investigating as well.

  She blinked at the door, not moving.

  I cupped her shoulders, consciously keeping my hands soft. “Hey, it’s over, okay? I showed up in time, and I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.” She rested her head on my shoulder, and shit, I got angry all over again. I should have hit him harder. “I think we should call the police and file a report. He followed you here, and that’s not cool.”

  She tilted her head up and looked at me. Her lips trembled. “He didn’t actually do anything.”

  “But you felt threatened, right? That’s enough to report him. Maybe I should just go pay him a visit myself.”

  Her eyes widened. “No,” she bit out. “It’s over, and after what just happened, he won’t be back.” She swallowed. “And don’t you do anything on your own either, Declan. I don’t want you getting into trouble because of my stupid mistakes. Besides, he could stab you or shoot you or hit you with a two by four … just don’t.”

  I grinned at her. “A two by four? Is that what people fight with in Petal, North Carolina?”

  She smiled—just a little—and damn it made my heart glad.

  She wavered for a moment at her door, her glance falling on my hand. “You were so fast, and I didn’t even know you were there—until you were. I wish I could do that.”

  I gazed down at her, assessing. “If you want, I can show you how to hit, but I’d need to touch you. Are you good?”

  Emotions flitted across her face and her mouth opened but then shut.

  “Elizabeth?”

  She covered my hand with hers and looked up at me with those soul-wrenching blue eyes I could drown in. “When it comes to you, Declan, I’m never afraid. Why don’t you come inside and show me?”

  Heat poured into me.

  “Okay.” I followed her into her flat. A lot like mine, it had a big living room with a small kitchen to the right and the bedrooms in the back. “Your place is cleaner than mine.”

  A few minutes later, after she’d got us some water to drink, we stood in the living room and squared off across from each other. I showed her a few basic self-defense stances, and then got to work on her hands. I took her right one and curled it around until she had a nice tight fist.

  “First rule is to make sure your thumb is on the outside. Never tuck it inside your hand when you hit because you’ll break it. Keep it tight, but not so tight you cut off the circulation.”

  She nodded and came in closer. I held her hand, adjusting it, my fingers pressing into her skin as I shaped her fist. The fresh citrus scent she wore made my cock twitch.

  Down, boy.

  She watched me intently, the electric current between us seeming to ramp higher.

  Did I notice that her eyes had darkened? That her breathing was heavier? Yes.

  I sucked in a ragged breath. Keep control, man. She might be gorgeous and sweet, but she wasn’t the one for me. I needed someone who wanted the same things I did.

  “When you hit, use a linear motion, not a wide swing. Your opponent is less likely to see a straight punch. Tilt your fist down slightly and protect the fingers. Your goal is to hit with the first two knuckles.”

  “Okay.” She made a fist and held it out.

  I bit back a groan, picturing her holding my cock, sliding those soft hands over my hard length.

  I cleared my throat. “Good. Now, use a quick jab when you hit, keeping one fist up to protect your body.” I took a step back and demonstrated a jab while she watched, her eyes big as saucers.

  “You’re beautiful,” she said, her voice full of awe. “And, I love how you move. I could watch you forever. Of course, you are half naked.” She blushed and bit her lip. “Sorry. It’s just … you have to know how great looking you are, and then you’re so fit and muscled up, and well, the sex appeal factor is just off the charts. But all that aside, you’re a nice guy too, and …” She trailed off, her tongue dipping out to caress her lower lip. “Sorry. I’m talking awkwardly. Again. I seem to do that a lot when you’re around. I’ll shut up now.”

  My heartbeat had kicked up, and part of me wanted to kiss her, but what kind of guy would I be if I made a move on her after what had just happened?

  I rubbed my mouth. Her chest rose more rapidly and her eyes glittered with a heat that had been banked for far too long.

  She wanted me.

  A few beats of silence passed.

  A car horn blared in the distance but neither of us moved.

  All I wanted in that instance was her.

  I gazed down at her mouth. Licked my own. “You need to stop looking at me like that if you don’t want me to kiss you, Elizabeth.”

  “God, please, kiss me.” Her eyelashes fluttered down and that was all I needed to close the small distance between us and press my lips to hers, my tongue diving in to take control of her mouth.

  She tasted like mint. Like perfection.

  My hands snaked around her waist and I tugged her against my chest, my mouth plundering the softness of hers. We kissed for a long time, our mouths learning each other, neither of us in a hurry to rush, yet the intensity was well off the charts.

  Sweet yet hot.

  I wanted to prolong the kiss, drag it out.

  But you can’t kiss forever.

  We pulled apart after a while and stared at each other. I rested my forehead against hers.

  I wanted her.

  But what did she want?

  The soft echo of rain falling and splashing on her balcony hit our ears.

  She closed her eyes, a soft smile on her face. “It’s funny that we’re kissing and now it’s raining. Two of my favorite things.”

  “Yeah?” She was slowing us down. I went with it. I didn’t want to rush her. Not yet anyway.

  She nodded. “I love the soun
d rain makes, how it taps against the roof, rhythmic and steady like a heartbeat. The best place to hear it is on a metal roof, lulling you to sleep. My trailer had a roof like that. Rain made me happy as a kid, just to get caught in a downpour so hard it’s like a white noise all around you. The best is when it catches you without an umbrella or rain boots and you go splash in a puddle.” A small smile flashed across her face. “I miss that feeling of being free and young, like I’m a superhero and nothing can touch me. We’re all so innocent as kids, and then life happens and we grow up and make stupid mistakes. We get hurt.”

  She let out a small surprised laugh. “It’s funny—I haven’t talked like this with someone in forever. And today, I actually drew some pictures—that’s a freaking miracle because I’ve been stuck in some kind of artist limbo. I know I’m not making any sense, and I’m rambling, but it’s just—just there’s something about you like you get me, and I—can’t put my finger on it, but I like it.” She bit her lip.

  I took her hand. I didn’t ask questions. She didn’t need them right now. “Come on then.” I tugged her through the flat.

  “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see.”

  She followed along behind me as I led her into her bedroom and stopped at the balcony door. Rain pelted down the glass door, the drops splashing on the concrete outside.

  “Let’s get soaked then. No rain boots, no umbrellas, just skin and rain.”

  “Naked?”

  I grinned. I couldn’t help it. She was so damn cute. I kissed her nose. “No, silly, we’ll keep our clothes on this time. If I was naked with you, we’d be fucking, not doing this.” I slid open the door and pulled her outside.

  She followed me and stood on the balcony as the rain came down.

  I got lost a little. Watching her. Taking in her face as she tipped it up to feel the wetness.

  She glanced over at me. “You’re staring.”

  I grinned. “Because you look like a drowned rat.” Because she looked beautiful.

  She laughed. “Come on, don’t make me feel like the idiot out here. This was your idea. Dance with me.”

  “Why are you always trying to get me to dance? What if I don’t have any rhythm? I am a big bloke, you know.”

  But she ignored me and tugged me around the balcony in some awkward square dancing moves she insisted on.

  I laughed. She laughed.

  I showed her how to box waltz just like my mum had shown me.

  After that, she did some baton routine she’d done at prep school.

  And we just got sillier and sillier, our laughter filling up the night. We did some moves from Grease and Dirty Dancing. I looked bloody ridiculous, but I didn’t care.

  In that moment, life—we—were perfect.

  I’d never been like that with a girl before. Spontaneous and fun. Real.

  Later, we ran inside to get dry. She grabbed a towel for herself from the bathroom and then handed me another. I stepped inside, shut the bathroom door, and dried off the best I could while I heard her tearing apart her bedroom, slamming drawers.

  I came out rubbing my hair and watched her scurry around the bedroom.

  My eyes darted to her bed, my thoughts dirty. Picturing us there. Fucking. Her mattress wasn’t nearly big enough for the ways I wanted to take her.

  She looked jittery as she took in my still damp gym shorts, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. She was wondering the same thing I was … where did we go from here?

  She’d changed into a nightie with a large white unicorn head on the front.

  “Nice,” I said. “You’ve always been a unicorn girl in my head, and now this proves it.”

  She grinned. “Oh? How’s that?”

  “You know, because you’re a rare sight on campus?” I grinned.

  She smirked. “Thanks. Now if I could only grow a real horn, I could stab people. Like you!” She turned and grabbed a pillow off the bed and tossed it at me. I ducked just as it sailed over my head and crashed into one of her photo frames.

  She giggled.

  “Oh no, you didn’t.” I rushed her, swooped her up and twirled her around while she screamed.

  “I’m going to barf on you!”

  “Liar.”

  She giggled and I set her down on her feet where she swayed and then grabbed my arm, her eyes laughing up at me.

  Something changed in the air, that tug between us sharpening.

  She caressed my arm, an unsure yet needy look on her face. “Stay with me tonight.”

  Somehow I sensed she didn’t mean sex. Not after the guy at her door.

  “Like a sleepover?”

  She nodded, a tentative smile on her face. “We can watch a movie if you want. I’ll even let you pick.”

  I didn’t want a movie. I wanted her under me.

  I scrubbed my face, thinking this was insane and a horrible idea, but she pulled back the quilt on her bed and crawled inside, her body sliding against the sheets. She was so bloody beautiful.

  I rationalized. This was purely platonic. No strings. Just me and a girl in the same bed. Sleeping.

  But…

  I was a heartbeat away from getting in too deep.

  She must have sensed my reserve. “I don’t want to be alone tonight, Declan. I—I need some kindness, and you seem to have it in spades. I can’t put words to it, but I feel safe with you and like nothing bad will ever happen to me again. Stay?”

  “My shorts are still damp.”

  “Then take them off,” she said, patting the bed.

  I grinned and took a step closer to her, my body already tightening up at the thought of lying next to her. “Fine with me, but I don’t wear underwear.”

  “That’s a problem.”

  “Yeah, a big one.”

  She blushed, her eyes drifting down to the obvious tent growing by the second in my shorts. Her gaze bounced back to my face as she cleared her throat. “Oh. I—I don’t mind if you’re…wet.”

  “Okay,” I chuckled and slid in, biting back a groan as my legs brushed the soft warmth of hers.

  “You feel so good,” she murmured as she turned to face me and wrapped slender arms around my chest, flowing into me like honey, warm and sweet. Our legs tangled together, seeming to know the perfect position to touch each other the most, and fuck, it felt right.

  She didn’t mention the movie, and I didn’t bring it up.

  Her body was a drug, and I wanted to consume her. I wanted to press her deep into those sheets and claim her as mine.

  But I didn’t.

  I didn’t want to be just one night with Elizabeth. I wanted more.

  I kissed her hair lightly, and somehow, I slept.

  Chapter 13

  Elizabeth

  At six on the dot my alarm clanged me awake. Monday, the first day of class.

  I rolled over, expecting to see Declan’s chiseled face resting against my extra pillow, but he was gone.

  Relief hit. No morning chitchat or awkward kisses goodbye.

  Yet …

  I was disappointed too. For the first time, I wanted the guy to still be there. I wanted to caress my fingers across his tattooed arm and wish him good morning. Sadly, the only thing remaining of him was the scent of his spicy cologne on my pillow. I picked it up and inhaled for exactly ten seconds longer than I should have.

  I wasn’t creepy at all. Nope.

  I showered, put on makeup, and dressed in a pair of bright red short-shorts and a vintage peasant shirt with cream embroidery, another one of Shelley’s purchases for me. We’d gotten the shirt at a consignment shop downtown, and although it had been too big, she’d taken in the sleeves and bust to fit me. She had an eye for fashion, and I tended to listen to her, especially considering I’d grown up wearing hand-me-downs from wherever my mom could get them. We’d never had much, and what’s funny is I hadn’t even realized it until I’d gotten in at Oakmont Prep and seen how the other half lived—fancy cars, designer clothes, Louis Vuitton backpacks.r />
  Money and power everywhere.

  I’d wanted to be part of it—desperately.

  I’d figured out quick that the only way to fit in was to pretend to be like them, and I had with the help of Shelley. I’d been young and impressionable and eager to make friends—who turned out to not be real friends.

  Everyone but Shelley and Blake had rejected me after Colby told his lies.

  After parking my car and trekking across campus, I settled in a seat in my first class, an elective English Literature class taught by Dr. Feldman, one of the toughest professors on campus.

  I craned my head to scan the auditorium, searching for Colby’s sandy hair. What if I ended up in a class with him? Now that I didn’t have Declan to distract me, the dread piled up. What was I going to do when I saw him on campus?

  Blake came in and took the seat next to me. We’d filled out our schedules at registration together last spring so we could get in some of the same classes.

  He tapped me on the arm. “Hey, how’s it going? I wish you could have gone to lunch with us yesterday.”

  “Sorry, it was a hectic day.” Understatement.

  He exhaled heavily.

  “What?” I asked.

  He rubbed his face briskly and then looked at me for a few ticks. He seemed to come to some kind of decision. “I—it’s just—I really need to tell you something, and there never seems to be a good time.”

  I cleared my throat, feeling nervous. I didn’t want to have that conversation.

  He checked his watch. “We still have five minutes. Let’s go outside and talk. Right now. We’ll get this all out on the table, and you’ll know exactly what’s been wrong with me lately.”

  “Class is about to start and Dr. Feldman is a stickler for being on time. Why don’t we meet later—?”

  He groaned his frustration, his mouth tightening as he glared at me.

  “Don’t be that way. You’re acting like a baby.”

  He closed his eyes and then popped them open. “Fine. You want to know what’s eating me? I’m in love with you, Elizabeth, and I have been since Oakmont. You know it. I know it. Hell, all of Whitman knows it. I’m sick of sitting back and watching you screw guys and never pick me. It’s a new year for both of us, and I want you to think about maybe … me and you … together.”