When You Dare

by Lori Foster

  She shook her head, not understanding him.

  He looked back to Tai. “I scared you.”

  “No.”

  The look he gave her said liar. And that hurt.

  Defensive, Molly shrugged. “Okay, you did. Just a little. But not like…not like I was afraid for me. I would never, ever fear you that way.”

  “Then how?”

  “You were like a…a machine.” She put both hands to his face, holding him, wanting him to know the truth. “You somehow took the love you have for Chris, and you turned it on those men. Not in an emotional way, but it was so…cold.”

  “Methodical,” he corrected.

  “Yes.” She licked dry lips. “That you could…refocus like that, that’s what scared me.”

  “It’s necessary for the job I do.”

  But that type of power meant he could shut out anyone and anything. How could he ever really care for a woman if he could so easily turn his emotions on and off?

  Scowling, he said, “If I hadn’t—”

  She nodded. “I know.” She even managed an uncertain smile as reassurance that she did understand. “I’m so very glad that you’re okay.”

  Disregarding the injury to his arm, he reached for her, hugging her so tightly that it took her breath.

  “Dare?”

  In a flat tone, he told her, “It’s over.”

  She froze.

  “It was your stepmother, honey. All of it. Some twisted, sick idea of protecting Bishop from your growing popularity.”

  “Kathi?” She shouldn’t have been surprised, but… A strange relief overtook her. “So it wasn’t Dad?”

  Dare smoothed back her hair, cupped her jaw. “George’s cell phone rang a little bit ago. It was Bishop. He got a full confession from Kathi.”

  Her thoughts went blank. “Dad called?”

  “Yeah. He said that the cops are at his house right now.” Dare rubbed her shoulder. “He wanted to warn you, honey, and calling George’s phone was the only way he knew to maybe reach us.”

  Molly struggled to assimilate all that. “You don’t look surprised.”

  “No.”

  And then she remembered. “I heard what you said to George. You knew it was Kathi, didn’t you?”

  “After talking with them, I thought she was probably involved. Bishop apparently thought so, too. That’s why he said he wanted to check into things.”

  Dare explained to her about the postmark, the way Kathi spoke so familiarly of Mark Sagan, and how protective she was of Bishop.

  “What I didn’t know, George gladly filled in.”

  “Gladly, huh?”

  He shrugged. “I’m sorry, Molly. Kathi wanted to make you understand her idea of morality, that you protect what you have, or you lose it. No room for mistakes, no room for human error.”

  Thinking aloud, she whispered, “The character that I redeemed…”

  “In Kathi’s mind, there is no redemption. There’s only the perfect appearance.” His thumb brushed the corner of her mouth. “I guess she figured if you were going to find fame, it had to be with her moral code, with characters she approved of.”

  “I wonder if she ever really enjoyed my work, or if she just read it to keep tabs on me.” It made sense, because the minute her popularity really bloomed, Kathi took action against her.

  Dare bent to put a soft kiss on her lips. “According to George, she never intended to kill you. She just wanted to throw off the movie deal. Once the opportunity was lost, she was going to have you released.”

  A rush of anger shot through Molly. “I might not have survived that long!”

  As if that thought hurt him, Dare briefly closed his eyes.

  Refusing to dwell on her stepmother’s deviousness, Molly let her thoughts skip ahead to other details. “She and George…?”

  “They were having an affair. But George wasn’t the only one. Kathi was sleeping with Sagan, too.”

  “So you were right about that.” It amazed Molly, how much Dare had figured out, how he’d put the puzzle pieces together.

  “That’s how Kathi arranged everything. When George found out, he had this sick need to prove himself to her.”

  Not being a dummy, Molly guessed, “By killing Sagan?”

  “His death would take care of any evidence against Kathi, and remove Sagan as a threat to her or to Bishop. But George was in way over his head. If I hadn’t busted him now…”

  “Sagan would have had him murdered.”

  “That’s about it.” Footsteps sounded in the hallway, and Dare stood, bringing Molly up with him.

  “Kathi never would have left Dad for a hired guard.”

  “George was okay with carrying on an affair. He said she was worth it.” Dare’s mouth twisted. “But he was also financially compensated.”

  “So money was a better motive than love.”

  “She paid him with her own allowance, which I gather is substantial.”

  “It is.” Kathi had often bragged about the extravagances Bishop lavished on her. He wanted his wife to wear the best of everything, drive the best…be the best. The irony gave her no satisfaction. “I guess Dad was devastated?”

  Dare scowled. “A little numb.”

  “I understand that.”

  “Thing is,” Dare said, “at least now he’ll be alive. If for no other reason than to clean up loose ends, Sagan would have killed him after he got rid of Kathi and George.”

  “Dear God.” Abhorrence left her feeling sick. “So much scheming.”

  “All of it centered around your stepmother.” Dare lifted her chin. “I don’t get it. She’s attractive enough, but she’s nothing special, so why these men were so anxious to win her over—”

  “Under the circumstances, you hardly saw the best of her. Most of the time, she’s a charming hostess.” For as long as Molly could remember, she’d enjoyed her stepmother’s company more than her father’s.

  “I saw the real her. That’s what everyone should see.” He kissed her, and that felt so good, so real and honest, that Molly didn’t want it to ever end.

  Sliding his hand into her wet hair, Dare ignored the uniformed officer now standing there watching. “Outside earlier… I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.”

  “You had a lot on your mind.” She touched his jaw. “I’m sorry that I punched you.”

  Half smiling, Dare put his forehead to hers. “I couldn’t look at you, honey. I knew you were scared, and as much as I needed to separate from everything that had just happened, and how I felt about it, I knew I couldn’t, not if I saw how those bastards had affected you.” He kissed her again, harder this time.

  The officer cleared her throat.

  “Give us a minute,” Dare said.

  Annoyed, she hesitated, then gave one sharp nod. “Make it fast.”

  Dare gathered Molly closer. “You need to understand something.”

  Her heart started thundering, and her breath felt trapped in her lungs.

  “It isn’t just Chris that I love, or my dogs. Christ, Molly, I could have faced off with ten men to keep you safe, because I love you, too.”

  Her knees felt weak again. She clutched at him, hopeful, dumbfounded. Elated. “You…?”

  Dare smiled. “I love you like I didn’t know I could love anyone.” His eyes glistened, but only for a second. He looked down, took a few breaths, then met her gaze again. “I never thought it was possible, but you fit in here, Molly Alexander. In my life, my home and with my friends. Chris loves you, my girls love you.”

  He hesitated, frustrated, and glanced over at the cop. With a roll of her eyes she moved out of sight.

  Dare held Molly’s face in trembling hands. “Now that you’ve been here, nothing would ever be the same if you left.”

  “Are you…? Do you mean…?” She couldn’t pull together a complete thought. So much had happened, but she knew how she felt, had known for a long time.

  But she didn’t want to jump the gun and do or say anythi
ng to make Dare’s life more difficult.

  “Stay with me, Molly.”

  Well, that was pretty clear. “Dare.” God, she loved him. “Are you sure? No, wait.” She put a finger over his mouth. “You’re hurt, and you’ve been through hell tonight. You might not know—”

  “I know.”

  She shook her head. “I mean, you’ve felt responsible for me for so long—”

  “Hell, honey, I feel responsible for almost everyone. That’s not going to change.”

  “You do?”

  That gorgeous mouth of his curled into a sexy smile. “Everyone smaller, older, weaker, younger—”

  Molly couldn’t help but laugh. “And that covers about everyone.”

  He shrugged. “Trust me, what I feel for you is different. I’d love for us to be responsible for each other, but it’s more than that. Hell, I don’t know what to call it, because I never felt it before now. But it’s as real as it gets, and it won’t change.”

  “I’ve never felt this before, either.” Molly forced herself to think it through, instead of leaping with open arms. “Dare, you need to be sure.”

  His brows knit together. “Are you sure?”

  She didn’t care about protecting her heart or her pride. “I love you.”

  He let out a breath. “It’s going to be a rough road ahead.” He trailed his thumb over her cheek, along the line of her jaw, down her throat. “I haven’t protected you well at all. That damned bomb is going to cause a stir. The law, both local and federal, is going to be all over this. There’ll be a massive investigation, most of it centered on your stepmother and father. I’ll pull some strings and keep you out of most of it—”

  “Dare, no.” She let out a breath, and smiled. “None of that matters to me.”

  “No?”

  She shook her head. “Dad might care, but he and I have so little in common.”

  Filled with sincerity, Dare glanced at where the officer had been, and then lowered his voice. “I can spin this to protect him, too, if that’s what you want.”

  “No.” She put her arms around him. He had enough responsibility in his life; her father could fend for himself. “All I really want is you.”

  On a groan, he lifted her off her feet. “God, baby, you’ve got me.”

  The officer cleared her throat, and Dare released Molly to stand on her own again. “Are you okay to do this?”

  Molly couldn’t help but smile again. After everything else she’d been through, facing the police would be a piece of cake.

  Just to tease him, she said, “I’m fine.”

  Dare rolled his eyes, but he smiled, too. “Come on, then. Let’s get this over with.”

  MOLLY WORE HER cutest pajamas, the ones Dare hadn’t wanted her to bring, when she went into the kitchen early in the morning and found Chris sprawled in a chair, more disheveled than not. Dare was at the stove cooking breakfast, and the dogs jumped up to greet her.

  She petted each one, went to Chris to kiss him on the ear and then went to Dare to wrap her arms around him from behind.

  He looked over his shoulder at her. “Morning, beautiful.”

  She gave him a squeeze, then went to pour some coffee. “Chris, you look more out of sorts than usual. Everything okay?”

  Dare gave her a look. “All the decision-making on his new place is keeping him awake at night.”

  “Alani is a slave driver,” Chris complained. “I just want the house done, but she keeps saying it has to be done right.”

  “Now, Chris,” Molly teased. “You’re hurting my feelings. Am I really so difficult to be around?”

  He sat upright. “I didn’t mean that.”

  “Are you sure?” For a couple of months now, Chris had been living in the main house with them while his home was rebuilt. “I know I’m an interloper—”

  Both men protested so strongly that Sargie barked. Molly started out by snickering, but ended up laughing out loud.

  Chris gave her a dirty look. “Not funny.” And then to Dare, “She has a twisted sense of humor.” He swilled some coffee and added, “I like it.”

  “Dare, don’t forget that we’re meeting Natalie and Jett for dinner tomorrow.” They were needed back in town yet again. Her stepmother had been arrested, along with Mark Sagan and Ed Warwick, but amazingly enough, her father hadn’t been implicated in any wrongdoing. He was still bitter about how it had all turned out, the intrusion into his life and his business affairs. But he cooperated with the investigation and out of necessity spoke with Molly more often now than before her abduction. The scandal hadn’t affected him too much, business-wise. There’d been gossip, of course, and long looks from some of his so-called friends. But all in all, he’d been business as usual, throwing himself into his work and his social life.

  For her part, Molly stayed too busy with her writing, the exciting progress on the movie and loving Dare to worry overly about her father’s affections.

  “Let’s pick out a ring while we’re there, okay?” Dare put pancakes in front of her. “I like that little jewelry shop near where Jett works.”

  So much joy filled Molly, she thought she might burst. “All right.” She reached for Chris’s hand. “Want to come along?”

  “Sorry. I’d love to, but the contractor will be here in an hour.” He lifted her hand for a kiss to her knuckles. “Pick out something outrageous, okay?” He winked at her.

  Chris did enjoy spending Dare’s money.

  “She can pick out whatever she wants.” Dare put pancakes in front of Chris, too.

  Once Chris had his house back and the legalities were all settled, she and Dare would marry. She was happy to wait and do it right. As long as she got to do it all with Dare, nothing else mattered.

  Life had challenged her. Life had brought out her strengths.

  Life had given her love—and knowing how it had all turned out, she wouldn’t change a thing.

  ISBN: 978-1-4592-0157-6

  WHEN YOU DARE

  Copyright © 2011 by Lori Foster

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