Dare to Desire

by Carly Phillips

  “Play hooky. Take the day off and do something fun.”

  She raised an eyebrow, considering his words. “Like what?” She couldn’t believe she’d asked him that. Why wasn’t she just saying no to doing anything or going anywhere with him?

  “Somewhere you can forget about your problems and relax.”

  “But we have work to do.” And she couldn’t imagine taking time off … with him. She’d be too tempted to act on her desires. Her willpower if he even touched her was nonexistent.

  “Look, we’re going on a business trip in a few weeks. We’ll be working then. A day off isn’t too much to ask. Besides, I’m related to the boss.” He tapped her nose playfully.

  “If I recall, your relationship with him isn’t the most stable. Are you sure you want to test his temper?”

  Alex shrugged. “I also have an in with his wife.”

  Madison rolled her eyes. “Way to go, using your friendship with Riley to get what you want.”

  “Whatever works, Angel. Whatever works. Are you with me?”

  She hesitated but had to admit it was tempting. Not just the time with him but the day of freedom. She never played hooky, always took her job seriously. Earning money had always come before anything else.

  “You, me, the sun, the pool,” he continued with his litany of temptations. “I’ll even get you one of those fruity drinks with an umbrella in them. Come on, what do you say?” He bumped her hip with his own.

  His playful touch sent a shock of electricity shooting straight through her body. She couldn’t deny she liked this mischievous side of him, and after a morning in a lawyer’s office, she was tempted to allow herself time to let loose.

  The elevator doors slid open to the lobby, and the bright sunshine from the glass doors beckoned to her as they stepped out.

  She felt his questioning gaze on her. All he’d asked for was a day off to have fun.

  She didn’t need to overthink this. “Okay. We can go.”

  “Really?” He grasped her shoulders and turned her to face him.

  His eyes lit with pleasure at her agreement, and she wanted to keep the sparkle there.

  She nodded. “Now let’s go before I change my mind.”

  * * *

  Ian had lived well before he’d married Riley and moved out of downtown Miami. His apartment was an offshoot of The Ritz, a condominium with all the amenities of a hotel. The perfect place for Alex to bring Madison for a day off, one they could spend together. He thought it was a brilliant idea when he thought of it.

  Now, as he watched Madison peel off a silky top to reveal the bikini beneath, he wondered if he’d thought this through enough. Lavender-colored ruffles covered her breasts, and a matching bottom barely concealed everything else. His mouth grew dry at the sight, the idea of tugging on the strings and revealing that luscious body to his hungry gaze all he could think about. He adjusted himself as discreetly as possible in his swim trunks.

  It being a weekday, most people were at work, and other than another couple at the far end of the pool, they were alone. Alone with thoughts he shouldn’t be entertaining for a woman who was still playing it cool with him.

  “I didn’t realize Ian kept his apartment after he and Riley moved to their new house,” Madison said. “It was nice of them to let us hang out here. And on a work day, no less.”

  “Perks, Angel,” he reminded her.

  “Something tells me you only asked Riley for permission,” Madison said.

  He grinned. “I’m connected, not stupid.”

  She burst out laughing, the first freely given laugh since he’d seen her again in Ian’s conference room, and he soaked in the joyful sound. Damn, he had it bad.

  He’d driven her home to drop off her car and let her change clothes before stopping by his place to do the same. He’d called Riley for permission while Madison was getting her stuff together. They’d then headed here. Thanks to the confined car, he now knew she smelled of peaches and cream, and his cock had been at attention ever since.

  He hoped seducing her was the answer to this all-consuming need, because he didn’t know what else would satisfy him. Nor did he know how long it would take to achieve his goal. At the thought of sliding into her wet heat again, he stiffened even more. He raised his knee up to deflect attention.

  She lay down on the lounge chair and clipped her hair up, revealing her slender neck. His tongue begged to run down the smooth skin.

  Slow down, asshole, he cautioned himself. Where Madison was concerned, he had a lot to prove. So he’d wait her out and would be here on her terms.

  For as long as it took.

  FOUR

  After an hour under the blazing hot sun, watching Alex in swim trunks, his tanned six-pack glistening with sweat, those tattoos looking delicious enough to lick, Madison was ready to cave in to every carnal desire running through her mind. And she’d had plenty.

  Needing space, she rose and headed inside the cabana behind them. She dug through her bag for a bottle of sunscreen and sat down on the recliner inside to apply it. She’d finished her face and arms when a shadow loomed in the entryway.

  “Need some help?” Alex stepped into the cabana, taking up the rest of the small space and what remained of the oxygen.

  “I’ve got it.”

  He settled in beside her. “But where would the fun be in that?”

  He took the bottle from her and poured a liberal amount of cream into his big hand. She wanted to suggest they go back outside, but they were almost equally secluded there, and she needed a break from the intense heat of the sun.

  “Lie back,” he instructed.

  She tensed, sensing this was a turning point. If he put his hands on her, she was done for. But it was her decision to make, and she had to choose whether to trust him enough to let him back in.

  She thought about Riley’s words. You won’t know unless you open yourself up to possibly being hurt again. Seeing Alex at the lawyer’s office, so compassionate and interested, made her want to try again. She had to ignore those urges. But her desire to sleep with him? To have mind-blowing sex and quell the need he inspired? Well, that she was ready for. Granted, she was no expert on sex without emotion, but she had no choice. She remembered the pain of heartbreak and abandonment all too well. So this time, she’d keep her head and her heart protected, and she’d be the one to walk away first.

  So she lay against the back of the chair, stretching out completely. He gripped her foot with his big hands and began massaging the coconut-scented cream into her skin. Oh yeah, she was so done for. She tipped her head back and moaned, his sensual massage feeling so unbelievably good.

  This was no sunscreen application, and they both knew it. His thumb pressed deeply into her arch, abused from wearing high heels all week. She sighed in delight as he worked first one foot, then the other. His talented hands slid up her calves and pressed into muscles she’d pulled on the treadmill at the stadium. He released the pressure that was always a part of her, and she reveled in the relaxing feel. Somehow she managed to maintain a dispassionate distance as he worked her lower leg, massaging from her toes to her calves and up above her knee. But too soon, his hands lost their greasy feel, and his roughened fingers now slid over her skin, beginning a slow climb up her thigh.

  The change in sensation caused a pulsing in her lower body, and she moaned, the sound echoing around the enclosed cabana.

  “You have no idea what that sound does to me,” he said in a gruff voice.

  This was what she wanted. Arousal. Mutual pleasure. And she gave in to his now tender yet seductive ministrations. “Keep working, cabana boy,” she murmured without opening her eyes.

  “Cute,” he muttered, inching higher, his hands splaying over her upper thigh, mere inches from the edge of her skimpy bikini bottoms.

  She held her breath in anticipation of his touch on her sex, of his fingers sliding over her moist heat. But he stopped, his fingers curling into her flesh with just a little bite. He
liked it that way. Just a little rough, showing her how good a hint of pain mixed with pleasure could be, and her nipples hardened at the memory. Desire further dampened her bottoms, need pulsing in a steady beat between her thighs.

  “Angel.” The one word sounded like a command, and her heavy lids snapped open, automatically responding.

  “Let’s be clear,” he said in that sex-personified voice that turned her insides to mush. “This is about you. I’m not asking for anything in return. Not even for you to trust me again.”

  She hadn’t expected conversation or discussion, nor did she want any. Hot and fast sex, no time for thinking. That was normally his style anyway, so she didn’t anticipate a problem being able to convince him.

  “No talk, just work,” she reminded him, keeping her tone playful.

  “Not until you really hear me. This”—his thumb took one swipe over her sex, unerringly finding that hardened nub of desire beneath the bathing suit—“is about you. The rest we’ll take one day at a time.”

  He pressed down harder on her clit, the pad of his thumb connecting with the exact spot that craved his touch.

  She arched her lower back, her hips rising of their own accord.

  “Understand?” he asked.

  “I can’t think when you’re touching me.”

  His low chuckle enflamed her even more. “All I ask is that you take us one day at a time, starting now.”

  “There is no us. You don’t really want that anyway.” She reminded him of who he really was.

  His gaze darkened, his sexy jaw set in frustration. “Baby, this is something.”

  “Baby, this is sex,” she said, amazed she could speak, let alone maintain the train of thought that demanded she hold on to her heart.

  His shocked expression was priceless. If only she could snap a picture and remind herself that, finally, she held the upper hand.

  “So that’s how you want to play it?” he asked, his fingers tightening incrementally.

  She wondered if she’d see his indentations on her skin later, knowing there had been nights when she’d gone home and examined the reddened prints and remembered the desire that had fueled each one. He wasn’t into kinky sex, but he did like her to feel him the next day.

  “You wrote the rules,” she reminded him. She was just the one who’d forgotten to believe them. “Sex not romance,” she said, echoing words he’d used the first time they were together.

  He shook his head, amazement in his handsome face. “Be careful what you wish for.” With a low growl, he pulled at her bikini bottoms until he’d slid them down and off her legs, dangling each over the edges of the chair. Open wide to him, her pussy throbbed with need.

  On a mission now, he slid his hands over her stomach, down to her damp outer lips. “You’re so damn wet for me.” Gruff pleasure sounded in his voice.

  He lowered his head, and she braced for his mouth on her there. Instead, he pressed his lips to her stomach, nuzzling her with his mouth, licking her skin. Her belly rippled, even more moisture seeping from her core. Soft kisses, so at odds with the harder side of him she knew existed, told her he had an agenda. One that would frustrate the hell out of her while letting him enjoy every minute.

  His tongue swiped from belly button to the top of her sex, and she gripped the arms of the chair in both hands.

  “Need something, Angel?” He raised his head, his gaze meeting hers. A sexy grin edged the corners of his mouth.

  She stared back defiantly.

  “No? Okay then, slow and steady works for me. Seduction works better for me.”

  Gaze never leaving hers, he slid his thumbs back over her outer folds, and her breath caught in her throat. Then he lowered his head and licked her thoroughly, his tongue laving her inner and outer lips, tasting and teasing along either side of her clit, never quite touching her where it would do the most good.

  She rolled her hips beneath him, and he slapped her thigh lightly. “Hold still.”

  “Can’t.” His talented tongue felt so amazing, and everything inside of her was coiled tight, waiting to explode. But instead of sucking on her clit like she needed him to do, he continued to lap at her everywhere else. Licking, tasting, teasing even more until Madison threw her head back and moaned, the sound echoing in the dark, enclosed space that smelled of musky coconut and, yes, sex. Even the air vibrated with desire.

  He slid one finger inside her, still not touching her throbbing center that begged for attention.

  “Oh God.” He thrust one long digit in and out, filling her and yet creating an even bigger ache than before.

  He added a second finger, drove in and out of her pussy with relentless strokes.

  “Please, Alex.” Now she wasn’t above begging.

  “Please what, Angel?”

  “More, harder, faster.” Her legs shook, thighs trembled. She thrashed beneath him, and still he took his time, thoroughly making a meal out of her with his mouth and tongue, fucking her with his fingers.

  “Oh my God! Do something, Alex. Make me come.”

  He finally listened. He clamped his lips over her clit and nipped her hard. Stars flashed in front of her eyes, and she came so fast fireworks exploded inside her head. Waves of pleasure crested, peaked, and washed over her in never-ending swells. She arched her back and gyrated her hips against his mouth until she collapsed against the chair, lost to everything around her.

  She came back to herself, expecting to see him naked above her. At the thought, her pussy contracted once more. Instead, she found him watching her, his eyes glazed with desire, lips damp with her juices, a satisfied expression on his face.

  “That was fucking hot.”

  She crinkled her eyes. “Aren’t you … I mean, aren’t we going to—”

  “I said this was about you.” He shifted beside her, the bulge in his bathing trunks obvious.

  “But—”

  He placed a finger over her lips. “I plan to show you I’m a man of my word. You can believe what I’m telling you I want. And I want you to trust me. I want more than just sex.”

  Her heart pounded hard, and she shook her head hard. “No. I can’t go there again. This is sex, Alex. Nothing more.” The lie caused a painful ache in her chest.

  He didn’t know what it meant to be in a relationship, to give to someone and not walk away when he was bored, finished, or ready to move on. But she knew what it was like to be left. Too many times to count.

  She bit her lower lip, and he slid his thumb along her pouty mouth. Her breath caught in her throat.

  His gaze darkened. “We’ll see.”

  She shook her head, licking the pad of his thumb at the same time. “Has anyone ever said no to you?” she asked, hoping he didn’t notice the tears of frustration in her eyes, the pain in her voice for the things she wanted but could never have.

  “Not when it mattered,” he said, his honesty surprising her. “And you matter. I also know how to work for what I want. And Madison?” He looked directly into her eyes. “I want you.”

  * * *

  After dropping Madison back at her place, Alex headed home to shower and jerk off. He had no choice, considering how worked up he was after their afternoon together. He’d finally gotten his hands on her again, and it was as good if not better than he’d remembered. Once she let go, she was vocal with her needs, and those barriers she liked to keep so high were almost nonexistent. But she still didn’t trust him, and damned if he knew what direction to take next.

  He needed to get out tonight, so he called Jon to meet him for dinner. The lawyer was one of the only friends who’d stuck around after his injury. Alex might have been a nasty SOB for a while, but true friends didn’t bail. A couple of his other buddies lived in Tampa when they weren’t on the road, and most of his childhood friends only stuck around when times were high and fun. Once good-natured Alex had disappeared along with the career and the status, they’d drifted away too. He and Jon were childhood friends, and they’d gone to University of
Florida together. Their bond was tight.

  They planned to meet up at their favorite steakhouse and grab their usual seats at the bar. Alex got there first. Nick, the owner and bartender, cleared seats for them when they called ahead. Though Alex had cut back, there were perks he didn’t mind spending on, and this was one of them.

  He was sitting on a barstool waiting for Jon and watching baseball when he heard his name. He turned to see Ian walk up to him.

  “Hey. What are you doing here?” Alex asked, surprised to see his half brother downtown. His new house was outside the city.

  “Riley was craving steak, so I said I’d stop on my way home. How about you? Having a drink?”

  “And dinner. Waiting for a friend.”

  “Madison?” Ian smirked.

  Asshole. “No. I dropped her off at home earlier.”

  Ian grabbed the barstool beside him and made himself at home. “Enjoy your day off?” he asked.

  “Actually, we did.”

  “I heard you two are going to New York City on a business trip.”

  Alex nodded. Business was a safe enough subject with Ian. “There are some lecturers she wants to interview, and I’ll start making inroads with the Giants coach. Gauge interest.”

  Ian nodded.

  “I also figured I’d meet up with Gabe.” Their grandfather, their father’s father, had a brother, who was Gabe’s father. Both older men were in the hotel business, and Gabe’s dad had left Miami to take his business to Manhattan.

  The family situation had been awkward for years after the revelation of Robert Dare’s other family. But the relatives had reached out to Alex’s mom and the kids, welcoming them, and Alex had a close relationship with Gabe.

  “I heard he’s thinking of opening another club,” Ian said.

  Alex nodded. “Gabe loves a challenge.”

  Ian rested an elbow on the counter behind him. “Speaking of Madison—”

  “We weren’t.” Alex scowled.

  “Are you making any progress on that front?” Ian asked, ignoring him.

  Since the smirk didn’t leave the other man’s face, Alex wasn’t sure how to take the comment. “Are we really doing this? Discussing my love life like you give a shit?”