I Dare You
Page 30
“I don’t mean friends with benefits either,” she said.
“Did I ask you for sex, Elizabeth? Have I made a move on you?” My voice had tightened.
A soft “No” reached my ears.
“Right. I have plenty of girls willing to shag me. I don’t need to go begging.”
She licked pink lips, and I found my eyes lingering there, imagining my cock sliding in …
“Will you stop staring at me and watch where you’re driving?” she said sharply.
I couldn’t stop the grin on my face. She made me happy, and I didn’t even know why. Maybe it was the way she’d looked when I’d walked up to her at the bookstore—blushing like a schoolgirl, yet with a wicked gleam in her eyes that went straight to my dick. Maybe it was the way she filled out that T-shirt.
But, maybe it was more. Deeper. I sensed a kindred spirit in her, a loner who ached to find someone to love for real. Like me.
Just one glance from her and I wanted to kiss her and make her mine. People laugh when you talk about one look at someone and you’re in love, and I’m not saying that’s what this was, but damn, something weird was at work here and it had me scratching my head. Was it because she was so wrong for me that I wanted her even more? Yeah. Fuck. Elizabeth Bennett had her pretty little claws in me, and God help me, I wanted her to dig them in deeper.
I pulled the Jeep into the carpark of the Front Street Gym, although she wouldn’t know that since the signage hadn’t been hung yet. The work crew had left for the day, so it was quiet as I hopped out and looped around to help her climb down.
She stepped down on the pavement and looked around, wary eyes taking in the two story building. “What’s this place?”
I grinned. “It’s my new gym.”
“How can you afford all this?”
I shrugged. “I used the inheritance from my mum to buy the place, and my fighting money helps with the remodeling.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh.”
“Did you think I fought for fun?”
She licked her lips. “I—I don’t like fighting.”
I sighed. Whatever.
We stepped inside the dark foyer, the smell of sweat and rubber mats piercing my senses like a balm of cool wind on a hot day. We were both quiet as I flicked on the lights and watched her take in the wide space, imagining how she’d see it through her eyes. It was old and musty and most of the workout equipment hadn’t been updated, but the boxing rings were new.
She stared at the posters in the hallway. I pointed at one of Max with his gloves in the air as the ref put on his championship belt during a mixed martial arts championship. “That’s Max. He’s my personal trainer, and he’ll be one of my trainers here when I open this place in a few months. We’ve been friends for a while.”
Her eyes searched mine. “You really love this place.”
“Yeah. If it wasn’t for this gym—for training—I’d be, I don’t know, crazy? Pissed off all the time, for sure. It gives me focus.”
She chewed on her lip, unease on her face.
I ignored it. “Ready for your surprise?”
She sent me a nervous look. “Yeah.”
“Come on, then. Let me show you something.” I took her hand and led her over to one of the red sparring mats. “I can’t help but notice how wary you are with certain people, and I think you might be more confident if you really knew how to defend yourself. You need to know more than just how to make a fist. You need to know how to use it.”
She looked down at the thick mat. “We’re going to wrestle?”
I grinned at that image. “We’re going to do Krav Maga. Ever heard of it?”
She shook her head.
“Translated it means contact combat, and I’ve been teaching it at various gyms in the area for a couple of years. Basically it’s a form of self-defense developed by the Israeli military, fast, aggressive, and very effective with just a few moves.”
“Does this mean you’ll be touching me?”
I blinked. “Yeah. A lot.”
She debated for a few seconds, a small smile curving her mouth. Full and plump, those lips on mine had been my fantasy way too many nights. “Okay, but only if you let me take you down a few times. Like flip you over my shoulder, toss you to the ground kind of take down. Maybe sit on you.”
I exhaled, picturing that little scenario, and I couldn’t stop the little grin on my face. “You can sit on me whenever you want.”
She smirked. “Funny, Englishman. You better be nice if you don’t want me to hurt you.”
I laughed. This was the girl I wanted to see. Sure of herself. Sassy. Not the scared girl at the frat party.
She walked around on the mat and hopped a little on her heels. “Okay. This is going to be fun. What’s first?”
“I need you to take your clothes off.”
Chapter 20
Elizabeth
Of course he was teasing me.
He chuckled. “You can close your mouth. I meant that you don’t want to ruin—or rip—your jeans.” He pointed to the back of the gym where the lockers and restrooms were. “Come on. I’ve got some extra pants for you to change into.”
Ten minutes later I came out of the ladies locker room barefooted in a pair of extra-small white karate pants.
I walked back to the mat and did a little pirouette, liking the way it made his eyes gleam with laughter.
He waited for me dressed in the same pants. His feet were bare and spread apart in a cocky stance, and even though I’d never been one of those people who got a thrill from odd body parts, his feet were sexy.
But it was his naked chest that made my heart do a loop-de-loop. My tongue wanted to lick it, but I settled for deep breathing. I recalled how wonderful it had felt to press myself against his skin the nights we’d slept together. But that was then and this was now, and it seemed as if we were slowly progressing toward more.
Keep your tongue in your mouth, Elizabeth, I told myself.
To distract myself, my eyes traced the dragonfly tattoo on his neck, my fingers itching to draw it. The tattoo seemed so incongruous with the tough guy he was, yet it fit him. He had a softness to him, and I think I’d sensed it from the first moment we’d met.
“Come here,” he said. Silkily.
I went without hesitation. “What?” I asked.
He reached out and gathered the bottom material of my shirt and tied it in a knot that rested on my tummy. Tingles went over me at the brush of his fingers against my skin. “Now, you’re ready.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, looking down at the peek of my tummy that showed through. I suddenly felt alive. Wired.
He nodded as he bent down to readjust the sparring mat, and I saw the scars on his back again.
“What happened to your back?”
He stood back up and faced me, his face like stone.
I saw the distance growing in him, as if he didn’t want to talk about it.
“If—if you ever wanted to tell me about it, I’d listen …” My voice petered out.
“I don’t.”
Sadness filled me. There was so much more to him than just being the hot guy with the sexy accent. “I won’t judge you, Declan. I have my own scars.”
He exhaled, studying me. “I got into a scuffle with my father and went through a plate glass window when I was fourteen. My back took the worst of it.”
“That sounds awful.”
“I spent that whole summer sleeping on my stomach, waiting for the stitches to heal.” He looked at my wrist. “What happened?”
Images of the hotel zipped through my head, and I opened my mouth to tell him, I mean really tell him what had happened to me, but I didn’t. Old habits die hard.
I looked away. Swallowed. “I can count the number of people on one hand who know why I slit my wrists. I—I’m not ready to tell you.”
“Blake knows?”
I heard the jealousy in his voice.
“Yes.”
He tighten
ed his lips. “Right then. Let’s get to work.”
I nodded, relieved he was letting it go.
“When we get down to direct man-on-man sparring, I’ll ask you to wear protective gear and wrap your hands, but for today, we’re just going to talk about stance and some basic moves to get you comfortable. Okay?”
I nodded, and that seemed to be all he needed to go into full-on teaching mode. He had a beautiful voice for it, clear and low, yet commanding. I could see the appeal in taking a class from him. I bet the women hung on his every word.
“You don’t want to give your opponent any leeway. Be cognizant of your environment and if you can get help. If you can’t, then be prepared to put up a hell of a fight. Most importantly, be aggressive and do whatever it takes to defend yourself. Punches, kicks, elbow strikes, knees, and even biting and scratching. Just don’t freeze up like you did the night Colby showed up.”
I smirked. “Sounds like a cat fight I saw once on the quad freshman year.”
He smiled as he adjusted my shoulders and stance. “This kind of fighting is much more premeditated. Just keep your strong leg in front of you. Put your hands up in front of your face just below eye level. Your hips, eyes, and lead shoulder should always face your opponent.”
I followed his instruction, my heart thundering at our closeness.
He had me shifting my weight around on my legs to get comfortable.
Back and forth. Again. And then again.
He demonstrated an uppercut elbow punch for me, positioning his body next to mine as he rotated his hips and shuffled forward at an imaginary attacker. He moved like lightning strikes in the sky. Fast. Brilliant. Too hot to hold. I repeated his kicks and punches again and again until I began to feel a tight burning in my thighs and arms and buttocks.
“You’ll need to exercise to get stronger muscles,” he told me later as I failed miserably at a good front kick. “The thing to remember about a kick is you go for his twigs and berries. If you can’t, aim for a knee or his neck or nose. Just get the kick in and get out.”
I grunted and wiped sweat from my face.
“Tired?” He paused in demonstrating the kick once again.
I shook my head. Liar, liar. But watching him move his powerful body around was invigorating.
Who needed Gatorade when I had a hot dude showing me his moves?
A few minutes later, we faced off on the mat. “Come at me with some heat. See if you can sneak in my circle and land a tap on my arm.”
“What about the protective gear?”
He waved me off as he positioned himself in a defensive stance. “We’re fine for today. You won’t get in.”
Won’t get in?
I puffed up my chest and shuffled toward him like he’d shown me, hands up and ready to strike. I bounced around back and forth, angling for a spot on his body.
“Come on, Elizabeth. You’re taking too long.”
I moved around him, looking for a way inside, but each time I rotated around him, he’d pivot his body toward mine.
“Move slower,” I snapped.
“It doesn’t have to be perfect, Unicorn Girl. Just get a tap in.”
“Don’t call me that.”
I shifted and he followed.
“I can’t!” I yelled at him. “You’re too big and fast.”
He sighed and rolled his neck. “Pretend we’re at some party and we just met and I’m going to throw you down and take whatever I want …”
I don’t even remember lunging for him. I don’t remember telling my fist to slam his face, but it did. His head jerked back, mostly to avoid my punch, but some of it still connected.
I gasped. “Declan! Why didn’t you defend yourself?”
He blinked a few times. “Damn. I didn’t say break my nose; I said tap.”
I fluttered around him, feeling terrible. My hands cupped his face, our chests touching. “God, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” I ran my fingers across his jawline, fingering the stubble there. “Want me to get some ice? Maybe a bottle of water? Do you need to sit down? God, I’m talking too much, aren’t I?”
He wore a bemused expression. “I’m fine. You caught me by surprise is all.”
“I could have hurt you,” I wailed. “And then I’d feel horrible. You’ve been nothing but good and wonderful and sweet to me and I …” I sputtered out of words, scared at what was on the tip of my tongue. God. What was wrong with me?
“Maybe I do need water.” His voice was weird, his eyes as well, the gray taking up most of his irises.
“Declan, your eyes are dilated. Are you sure you’re okay? Do you have a concussion?”
He groaned and shut his eyes.
“Declan?”
He stepped back. “It’s not the hit, Elizabeth. It’s you.”
I hissed, something in my heart shifting as he opened his eyes and stared at me. With longing. With heat.
I imagined fireworks went off somewhere in the distance.
Change happens to all of us. Sometimes you want a new haircut, sometimes you want to try blue cheese instead of ranch, and sometimes you just want to ignore your head and go with what you desire the most. Mostly it’s a gradual process, but not with Declan. I wanted sex on a mat in an un-air-conditioned gym with a hot as hell British guy pounding into me, no matter the consequences. Fuck my silly sex rules. I wanted him.
He studied me. “If you knew what I was thinking, you’d run like hell.”
“Are you thinking about tossing me on the mat for real?”
He lowered his chin, his eyes at half-mast. “Yes.”
I felt drunk at his words. Dizzy with need.
I shivered at the heat that raced up my spine as he stood there looking at me with those molten eyes.
Wanting me.
God, I was sick of being a walking, talking dead person when it came to real emotional need. I just wanted him, hard and fast.
“Kiss me, Declan. Please.”
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Dirty English
Nana’s Super Secret Pecan Pie
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of sugar
1 ½ cups of corn syrup (half dark and half light)
4 eggs
¼ cup butter
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups pecans, broken
1 unbaked deep-dish pie shell
INSTRUCTIONS:
In saucepan, boil sugar and corn syrup together for 2 to 3 minutes and then set aside to cool.
In large bowl beat eggs lightly and slowly pour the syrup mixture into the eggs, stirring constantly.
Strain the mixture to make sure it’s smooth and lump free. Stir in butter, vanilla, and pecans and pour into crust.
Bake in a 350°F oven for about 45 to 60 minutes or until set.
Serve with a smile and a story about a secret recipe.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
8 tablespoons of salted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Microwave the butter for about 40 seconds to barely melt it. It shouldn’t be hot, but it should be almost in liquid form.
Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, beat the butter with the sugars until creamy. Add the vanilla and the egg; beat on low speed until just mixed.
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until crumbles form. Use your hands to press the crumbles together into a dough. It should form one large ball that is easy to handle. Add the chocolate chips and incorporate with your hands.
Roll the dough into 12 large balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes until the cookies look puffy and dry and bare
ly golden.
DO NOT OVERBAKE and let them cool on the pan for 30 minutes.
Double Chocolate Muffins
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
Combine flour, sugar, 3/4 cup chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk egg, yogurt, milk, vanilla, and vegetable oil in another bowl until smooth; pour into chocolate mixture and stir until batter is just blended. Fill prepared muffin cups 3/4 full and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
Welcome to a detailed list of all my books PLUS the various places to stalk me, which I highly encourage.
My series books are standalones about brand new couples.
Briarwood Academy Series: Angsty, heartfelt new adult standalone romances
Very Bad Things
Very Wicked Beginnings
Very Wicked Things
Very Twisted Things
British Bad Boys Series: Steamy and emotional new adult/contemporary romance with British heroes
Dirty English
Filthy English
Standalones:
Fake Fiancée
The Last Guy
(w/Tia Louise)
Spider