Darren “Dare” Shalvis has given up
on women. He's tired of being chased for his money, good looks, and prowess in
bed. He prefers to meet a woman who, for once, wants nothing more from him than
mere conversation. If only the woman asking him to spend the night with her
wasn’t his favorite legal secretary…
Accepting a dare has never
been so tempting…
Excerpt:
“Darren?”
Dare
turned on the stool, surprised to see Olivia Warner in front of him.
She
seemed different than she usually did at the office. He only ever saw her in
black and white—high-collar blouses buttoned all the way to the top, long
skirts or dress pants. Tonight, she was dressed in tight blue jeans and vibrant
white V-neck t-shirt with an image of ruby red lips on the front.
He
had to admit, he liked how those lips lay over her breasts.
At
the office numerous times, he’d never had much of a chance to talk with her,
but she’d caught his eye from the moment he’d seen her. He’d walked into the
office and caught sight of her delectable ass encased in a black skirt as she bent
over her desk writing on a memo pad.
An
immediate image of his cock sliding in and out of her was his favorite fantasy.
He
suspected, though, she wasn’t a woman that let a man get too close. From the
first glimpse of her head on, she was a no-nonsense kind of woman. Her face
didn’t show many emotions; she kept things pretty tight to the chest from what
he could see. At the office, she was strictly business.
He’d
seen her with other women when he’d first sat down at the bar. Manners made him
tip his bottle in a form of hello.
He
was surprised she’d approached him. “Olivia, hello.”
She
smiled in return, her hands clenched together. “I need your help.”
Instantly
on guard, Dare took in her nervousness and the perspiration along her upper lip.
He gestured to the empty stool beside him.
“What
is it?”
“Well,
it’s a little embarrassing…” Olivia cleared her throat. She signaled the
bartender. “Ice water, please.” She turned back to him. “My friends have put me
in a difficult position.”
The
bartender set the glass in front of her. Dare placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hmm,
sounds interesting.”
She
gave a small laugh and lifted the glass for a drink.
Dare
watched her lips as she drank. He wondered what they’d taste like. It was something
he’d considered many times lately.
He
was drawn to her, but unsure he’d ever act on it.
Her
whole demeanor said ‘hands off.’ And he wasn’t sure he was ready for the
challenge.
“Tell
me about it.”
“I’ll
cut right to the chase.” As he turned on the stool, their knees brushed. Neither
moved.
He
thought he saw her eyes lit up. Perhaps Ms. Warner wasn’t as immune as he
thought.
“My
friends brought me here tonight for my birthday.”
“Happy
birthday.”
She
smiled. “Thank you. The jury’s still out whether it’s happy or not. My friends
decided that as a present they’d get me a man.” She blushed and reached for her drink.
“Go
on.” Intriguing.
She
set down her glass and continued, “They dared me. Dared me to find myself a man
and spend the night with him.”
Women…who
understood them? He’d only ever participated in dares when he was younger. He
didn’t think anyone took them seriously anymore.
“And
you need my help, how?” Dare’s heart rate accelerated. She wasn’t asking him
to…
She
stared up at him, her gaze steady. “I need you to spend the night with me.”
If
he hadn’t heard it with his own ears, he wouldn’t have believed it. This night
was the strangest he’d had in a long time. It was as if he’d been offered a
million dollars on a silver platter.
Of
course, he wanted to spend the night with her. He’d fantasized about it many
times. He just wasn’t clear on what exactly she was asking. He didn’t
want any misunderstandings. “Are you asking me to spend the night with you to…”
Dare cleared his throat. “…be with you?”
“Oh!
No, yes, I mean no. Dammit, I’ve screwed this up.”
“Relax.”
He put a hand on her knee. “It’s okay. Let’s try this—do you want me to have
sex with you?”
