DARE: A Rock Star Hero

by Scott, S. L.

  She keeps her eyes on the road as I ramble, “She wanted to be cremated. Hated the thought of taking up perfectly good space in nature. She was big into recycling and saving the planet. Earth Day was a real holiday to her.”

  “You must have so many wonderful memories.”

  “Yeah,” I say, still grinning. “We once went to the beach to save the turtles. It was the only vacation we ever took, but I’ll never forget catching her staring at me with so much pride, her frame couldn’t hide it. She called it ‘deliriously happy.’ I thought she was nuts. I was only saving a few turtles.”

  “You saved turtles?” She mulls through the worlds thoughtfully. “That’s the sweetest thing I think I’ve ever heard.”

  “I was just doing what I was told.”

  “Did you enjoy it?”

  I take a second to remember how good I felt that weekend. “I did.”

  “That’s beautiful.” She’s ripe with heartwarming emotions taking over—long and low exhales, her hand on her chest, her eyes glued to the outside—but I feel it, too. We’re losing ourselves in each other, in each other’s lives. The past and future. If we’re not careful, we may miss the only opportunity we’ll have to swim before sinking.

  I’m hoping it’s too late for her. It is for me. I don’t want to be saved if I get to fall with her in my arms.

  The mystery that she is to me makes me want to unravel her slowly, yellow ribbon by yellow ribbon . . . I whip my gaze to her again while visions of pigtails and yellow ribbons pop into my head. “Weird.”

  “What?” she asks.

  I shake my head. “Just a memory.”

  “Care to share?”

  “It’s nothing. Not a memory I recognize.”

  The blinker flashes as she slows down to turn left. Turning off the winding road, she replies, “What was it? Maybe we can work our way back?”

  “Doesn’t make any sense. I just saw a girl with ribbons in her hair.” I touch the top of my head like an idiot. She’s not even looking.

  “Hrm. Cousin?”

  “No. I feel like my father targeted my mom because she was parentless when they met. And then he did a great job of isolating her from extended family.”

  “That’s awful.”

  “Doesn’t matter now.”

  We both sit quietly as she drives a little farther before she pulls off to the side and parks. “What color were the ribbons?”

  “Yellow.”

  “I love yellow. It’s my favorite color.”

  “Like your shoes.” She’s looking at me like I just grew a third eye, so I add, “The night I took you home. You had yellow ribbons wrapped around your ankles.”

  “I did,” she whispers. “You remember that?”

  I laugh lightly, but I remember every detail of our first night together, of her. I shrug. “It wasn’t that long ago.”

  “I know, but . . .” she says, fidgeting with the hem of the cutoffs she slipped on before we left. “You did. I didn’t think guys paid attention to that kind of stuff.”

  “I don’t.” Reaching over, I take her hand. “Normally. But everything about you is worth remembering.” I kiss her.

  Our lips part and she whispers, “Thank you.”

  We get out of the car and meet in the middle, our shadows stretching out before us from the headlights. We went on a late-night excursion after my gig on a whim. Since I took her to one of my favorite places, she wanted to bring me to one of hers. I ask, “This is your favorite place?”

  “It’s not as cool as trespassing at a secluded swimming hole, but I love Mt. Bonnell. You can see forever.”

  “I haven’t been here in years.”

  She’s staring up into the inky night sky, her lashes long and her hair flowing like a waterfall over her shoulders. “You can see a million stars even though we’re not far from the city.”

  I only see her, and that’s enough for me.

  When she catches me looking her way, a smile spreads, and she reaches for me. I take her hand and then rest my other on her lower back. “Dance with me.”

  Her laughter is music to my ears, and we start to sway. So willing to give me so much of herself without question. It’s addicting. She’s addicting. “There’s no music, but you still like to dance,” she says. “Why is that?”

  I rest my cheek against her temple and keep dancing, hearing every note of our hearts beating together. “When I’m with you, I don’t need to hear the music. I feel the rhythm.” I spin her around and pull her back in. With my lips to her ear, I whisper, “Do you feel it?”

  The gentle breeze is a chorus to her breathy whisper. “I do.”

  Under the crunch of gravel beneath our feet, I close my eyes, quieting my mind so I can tune in to listen to every pulse of her soul. But my heart pounds too loud, so I pull back despite the weight of our connection holding me there. Her gaze lifts, and for the first time in my life, I’m scared. “I feel . . . a lot for you, Weatherly.” Despite some foreign desire brewing inside me, I fight it, running my hands through my hair and walking away.

  I don’t get ten feet before I have to turn back to the woman who blindsided me weeks prior. I never saw her coming, but now that our lives have collided, there’s no recovering. “Why is it like this between us?” I ask.

  “I don’t know,” she says, a slight plead to her tone as confusion wrangles her brows. “I don’t understand it either. I don’t know why I feel like this with you. I’m not irrational or spontaneous, but you make me want to throw caution to the wind.”

  “I’m the asshole who told you I don’t make love since there’s no love to be found inside me. But then I made love to you. I fucking made love. We made love together. This isn’t normal. At least not for me. I know it’s not for you either. So what do we do?” I turn around and stare off the cliff into the distance. If it were day, we could see for miles. At night, it’s dots of lights across the hills. Otherwise, it’s too dark to get lost in a view.

  When I turn back, I notice she hasn’t moved an inch from where I left her.

  The lights illuminate her silhouette, and I stare like she’s the devil herself or an angel in white. Is she? Can she save me? I try to reason through the insanity I feel rambling around my gut. “That makes two of us.” I look at the stars, hoping to find the answers I need.

  I hear the gravel as she moves closer, cautious with every step as if she’ll scare me off. She can’t scare me more than I am about what we are already. “I feel a lot for you, too, Dare.”

  She makes me feel weak, and I struggle under the range of emotions pumping through my veins. Too much? She makes me want to share the stuff I don’t share with anyone. “You make me feel crazy.”

  Her feet wedge between mine as she settles against my chest. Our arms go wide while our hands stay clasped. Perfect puzzle piece. “No crazier than I am.”

  I swear I see the stars in her eyes. “So damn addicting.” I lean down and kiss those delectable lips, wanting her to feel everything I do.

  When she kisses me back, I realize she already does. But when feelings are stirred inside, I know we’ll find ourselves in each other. And that not only makes me feel fucking justified in how protective I am over this woman but possessive. I won’t own her like she already owns me.

  She needs to soar, and I need grounding. Whether we work or not with others, we work together. That four-letter word starts bouncing around my heart, causing it to swell.

  I’m so screwed.

  I need to cool things down before kissing turns into me wanting more right here on the side of this cliff. “C’mon. Let’s go for a walk.”

  With our legs dangling off the side of a cliff, I pull her back from the edge every time she leans forward. “Damn, woman. Be careful.”

  “Are you afraid I’ll fall?” She laughs and then runs her hand up the back of my neck and into my hair. With her lovey-dovey eyes on me, she sighs happily. “Too late, hero.”

  I give her a light elbow nudge and wink. She rests
her back on me, laying her trust in my hands. I wrap my arms around her, secretly giving her the same. “You worry about me?” she asks.

  “Yes. Why haven’t you heard from your friends?”

  “I’ve been texting with April and Stascia, but I haven’t been in the mood to go out.”

  “Why not?”

  Leaning forward, she twists to look at me. “Because I like my time with you, and even though I’m not hiding our relationship, I’m enjoying this time alone with you.”

  “I’m enjoying it too.”

  She laughs to herself. “If I told them about you, we wouldn’t have any peace. Trust me. They’d be there all the time.”

  “I can’t complain about our alone time. I like it. A lot. But what about your family?”

  “I stopped by their house today. My mom wanted to share the party plans. She told me she’s proud of me for graduating.”

  “And your dad?” I watch her carefully. There’s turmoil brewing where her family is concerned.

  “My dad wasn’t there. I’ll see him at the party.”

  “You’d tell me if I was causing you problems, right, Weatherly?”

  She turns back to face the city. “You’re not.” She glances back with a smile on her face. “You make me happy.” Resting back again, she stares ahead into the vast darkness with her head on my shoulder. “Can we go to your place tonight?” She teasingly pushes out her bottom lip.

  I kiss that lip and then bite it just enough to make her squeal. “Come on. Let’s get you to bed.”

  As we walk back, she stops when we near the car. Looking me right in the eyes, she pats my chest. “You make me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.”

  “You are beautiful.” Cupping her cheeks, I add, “Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise.”

  Her happiness is slipping away, some reality other than ours taking up space. “And if they do?”

  “Tell them to come see me.”

  The joy seen in her eyes is enough to comfort me. “I think you’re very dangerous for me, Dare Marquis.”

  “Not any more than you are to me, Weatherly Beck.” There’s no saving us now. We’re too far gone. A lost cause to love. My mom told me to never close off my heart, and if this is what love feels like, I’m okay with it.

  24

  Weatherly

  Dare is complicated.

  His emotions run deep and silent while he carries a lot of pain with him. I wish I could ease it, but that gorge is going to take time to fill. As strongly as I care for him and he cares for me, I’m hoping we have that time together. He’s everything I always hoped to meet and never thought I would find.

  I tiptoe into his house, but he doesn’t bother to hide that he’s home. “The guys sleep like bears. We won’t wake them,” he says.

  “Good. I feel sticky from the humidity. Do you mind if I take a shower then?”

  “Not at all.”

  “You going to join me?”

  “I took a shower before we met up. I’m clean, babe.”

  “Who said you’d stay that way, hero?” I shoot him a wink.

  He rolls his eyes and laughs. But he also starts undressing so win for me. His shirt flies off, and he works on his jeans. He’s naked before I have a comeback.

  Resting my arms on the bathroom counter behind me, I snort. “That didn’t take much convincing.”

  “What can I say? I’m a sucker for a woman who’s wet for me.” His hands take hold of the waist of my underwear.

  “Do those lines work on all the women?”

  “You say things like that as if the answer will change. It won’t, Pepper. I don’t use lines. I let my heart speak to you.”

  “What speaks to the others?”

  “My dick.”

  Shoving him back, I laugh. “So crude.”

  “And hot. You know you love it.”

  My heart squeezes, and I answer honestly, “I do love . . . it.” I almost forgot to tack that last part on.

  I suck in a deep breath just as he swoops in, his lips covering mine, and we kiss. As I wrap my arms around him, our lips part, but our eyes stay on each other. “What goes on inside that beautiful head?” he asks.

  Sometimes, I worry he’ll lose interest, but I’m starting to realize we’re not just about sex. “When someone cheats on you, trust is broken, and a protective wall is built. But you came into my life before construction had time to begin. So I worry about getting hurt. Are you going to break my heart, Dare?”

  “No.”

  Simple.

  Honest.

  Direct.

  “I’d never break your heart, babe.” He reaches behind the curtain. “C’mon, the water’s warm.”

  We step in, and after I rinse my body, he steps under and drops his head back. “Feels good.”

  “See?” I can’t revel in my righteousness because he’s breathtaking. With slicked back hair, wet from the water, his eyes are intense, studying me, peering into the soul he knows he already owns. It’s the first time I’ve seen him bite his bottom lip, and it is not disappointing at all. I run my fingers through the hair above his ears. “It’s always better sharing.”

  He laughs. “Okay, you win this round, but once I saw you naked, I wouldn’t have been able to stay away.” He winks, and yes, I swoon. He really is dreamy.

  He’s such a charmer when he wants to be, and it seems he wants to be with me. I’m happy to be spoiled, though I’m not used to it. Cars. The apartment. School. Superficially, I’ve been given every advantage in life. Emotionally, I try to believe my parents did their best, but I feel cheated.

  Tightening my hand around him, I admire his body. Almost as if it’s a habit, he reaches to muss his hair up. His face is tan, his eyes lighter when not hidden behind the dark strands of his hair. His jaw looks sharper, his lips fuller, his brow stronger when his face is fully exposed for the world to see. Dare’s striking features make me weak in the knees.

  It’s not a toothy grin, but his smile is kind, almost shy from the compliment. Holding me by the waist, he says, “A lawyer, huh?”

  For someone who is used to performing in front of crowds and stands at the forefront of the band, he doesn’t seem to like attention as much as I would’ve suspected. So I play along, following his lead to a different topic. “Yep.”

  “Damn. Sexy, gorgeous, and smart.” Tilting his head back, he stares into the heaven above. “Thank you, God.”

  Through a giggle, I say, “I didn’t take you for the religious kind.”

  “I wasn’t, but you’ve made me a believer.”

  If I’m not swooning from his sweet-sexiness, I’m smiling. “I don’t even remember laughing before meeting you. You make me happy. It feels good.”

  Dare turns us around so I’m under the water. “You looked cold.”

  “I’m not. I’m good with you.” I return to touching him.

  “Why don’t you laugh much?” he asks.

  “Huh?”

  “You said you don’t remember laughing before we met.”

  “Oh, um. I don’t know. I think I’m just too busy to enjoy life most days.”

  “Too busy is no way to live.” One of his hands dips between my legs, and he rubs gently. “How are you feeling?”

  “Better than I have in years.” Keeping my eyes steady on his, I move my hand through the water and keep rubbing him, though not as gentle as he’s treating me. “How are you feeling?”

  A finger slips between my lower lips, eliciting a heavy breath from my chest. I struggle to keep my eyes open when the sexual sensations start taking over, but I do.

  “Stop thinking so much. Just feel, Weatherly.” His voice is muffled against my neck as he tilts and starts kissing me. I could die happy listening to how he says my name, his tone deep and warm. Another finger is slipped inside me as my mind rolls like a wave, toppling over itself to reach the shore, the release better than the adventure.

  I lean my head back. “Tell me you’re good for me.”r />
  “I’m a bad seed, babe.” He picks up speed—not too fast and not enough to send me over. The most blissful torture.

  “That feels so good. You feel too good to be bad for me.”

  Meeting my gaze, he says, “I’m just what you need, but you know what?”

  “What?” Breathy. Wanton. Full of need. With his hands all over me, I can’t think clearly.

  “You’re the woman I’ve been waiting for.”

  Needing to settle my unsteady thoughts, I step out of his reach and hold on to the wall. As the water bounces off his shoulders, I tread carefully back to him. My head is swimming—in this night, this conversation, in him.

  “Does that scare you?” he asks.

  “No.”

  He presses me when I’m at my weakest. “How do you feel about me?”

  “I don’t know, Dare. You’re not something I can put into words quite yet. You’re a feeling instead.”

  “How do I feel?”

  It’s too soon to dive into the deep end of our emotions, but I can’t lie when it comes to this, my feelings about him. “You don’t scare me. Feeling so much does. I was living so safely, kept in a small box, and you lifted the lid. You brought daylight. I’m still getting used to being my own person.”

  “How is that possible? You’re a lawyer.”

  “That’s books, studies, school. All the safe places I ventured. It was my comfort zone. But there you were, opening my eyes to so many incredible things, to life and living for myself instead of everyone else. I’ve traveled to Europe, New York, LA, Florida, so many places. So confined to what I was shown—great works of art, symphonies, big concerts, charity balls—but I’d never seen someone with raw talent like yours. It’s you. Just like you said to me the first night. Everything I’ve done led me to that moment in time, that bar, that night, to you.”

  Our bodies reveal the change in the water’s temperature. My nipples harden as goose bumps cover my skin and his. He shuts off the faucet and grabs a towel from the rack. Wrapping it around me, he says, “Your life led you to me, but I was there waiting. You weren’t a girl at the bar. You were the woman I was meant to meet but somehow already knew.”