Taking a Dare

by J. A. Hornbuckle

  Christ!

  Onto the motherfuckin' carpeted floor that probably had more fuckin' bacteria on it than…

  Shit!

  Without thinking twice, he picked her up from the fetal position she'd curled herself into and placed her gently onto the bed, her head on one of the pillows even as her sobs continued. That got fuckin' worse as she curled her arms around her head as if to protect herself from a bomb.

  A goddamn motherfuckin' bomb that fuckin' Gus had created!

  Dare watched for a moment, finding his hands were in his hair, pulling as if to help himself think of how to alleviate the worst of the hurt he could hear in Ryley's cries. And his helplessness in the face of her pain ate at him.

  He had no fucking experience in offering comfort! He was the good-time guy. The one people came to for a laugh, not when they were upset.

  Fuck!

  His mind raced, trying to come up with something, any-fuckin'-thing that he could do to rescue her from her own anguish.

  "Ryley?" he called as he reached her but he didn't think she could hear him over her crying. Sobbing as if she'd lost her world. Or as if someone had fuckin' died.

  He moved to the other side of the bed and laid down, his chest to her back as put his arms around her.

  Christ!

  She was shaking so hard, he felt the bed and his own body vibrate with her tremors. Her whimpers never letting up for even a second sounding so harsh, so deep and completely out of control.

  Dare knew he was totally out of his depth and wished he knew what to do.

  Then he remembered seeing Hardwood tuck Lulu's face into his neck when she'd lost it after her ex-fiance had tried to force her back to New Mexico. So Dare turned them both, tucking Ryley's streaming face into his neck and allowing his skin absorb what was pouring from her eyes.

  Brand would often pull Reese into him and rub her back. So Dare used one of his hands to rub Ryley's back.

  When Huff had taken a bullet, a through-and-through to his shoulder, Dare had watched as Huff had murmured into Carly's hair as she'd sobbed into his unhurt side.

  "It's okay, Ryley. It's gonna be okay," Dare murmured softly, keeping his mouth close to her ear.

  At first, it was hard to keep her tucked, rubbed and murmured to all at the same time but as soon as she began to respond, to quiet, he got the rhythm of it. And because it seemed to help, he kept doing it not having to concentrate so hard on each individual movement or word but more on just giving her succor. And as he relaxed into his actions and his murmuring, she seemed to ease as well no longer shaking so badly, sobbing so hard or holding her position of knees to chest. He kept it up for a long time, long enough that the arm holding her started to go numb.

  But if it helped his girl, he'd go with it.

  Forever if he had to.

  So Dare continued doing what needed to be done in order to get Ryley calm and thought he was doing well as her sobs turned to weeping before settling into wet hitches.

  That was until she finally wrapped one of her arms around him even as another wave of tears started and she murmured, her lips so hot and soft on the skin of his neck, "I love you too, Dare."

  Oh, Christ! Ryley told him she loved him.

  Loved.

  Him.

  Holy shit!

  Wait, though.

  She used the word, 'too', which means he must've…

  He must've fuckin' said it first!

  Said it without thinking, just allowed it to pop out of his mouth…

  "I always have," she continued and then kissed his skin in such a way it caused goosebumps to skitter over each motherfuckin' inch of his body.

  Everything inside him went to stone before turning to pulp and then to water as he realized what he'd admitted and how she'd replied.

  He tried out the words, this time allowing his ears to hear and his heart to recognize the truth in them as he repeated himself. "I love you, Ryley." Which brought on more tears but he somehow knew they were different than the ones from before.

  "Say it again, Ryley," he begged on a whisper, his heart thumping so hard it was almost beating out of his chest.

  "I love you, Dare."

  Then he remembered overhearing the same thing said between Trey and Dallas. So he did what Trey had done with his girl when those words had been spoken between them.

  He shifted her body until he could reach Ryley's mouth.

  And he kissed her with everything he had in his heart.

  It was a kiss he'd never given or received before and one that he recognized he'd always craved. It wasn't one that wasn't set to excite but to demonstrate, to give credence to what he was feeling for her. And to receive what was being offered in return.

  A kiss so tender and so fuckin' filled with love that if he'd been standing, it would've fuckin' brought him willingly to his goddamn knees.

  "Say it again," he whispered and tightened his arms.

  "I love you, Dare," she breathed pulling back to look at him with a smile so wide and bright, he lost his breath at its beauty. "Always have, always will."

  "God, Ryley," he groaned, leaning his forehead into hers. Every time she said the words, it filled up another part of his heart. "I love you so much, girl."

  Their mouths fused and again he could feel the difference in it. Kissing Ryley had always been the best but now, with their real and true feelings out in the open, kissing her was deeper somehow. More intimate.

  He needed to touch her because kissing only showed her one facet of what she meant to him. He turned and brought them to their sides, nose-to-nose and chest-to-chest. Her hands went to his face and brushed the hair away from his forehead.

  In turn, he used his fingers to trace her jaw before moving to stroke the long column of her neck.

  But still it wasn't enough and he moved her to her back as he came up on an elbow.

  Holding her gaze, he reached for the top button of her shirt and pushed it through the buttonhole before moving down to the next one. And the next. Until finally her shirt opened allowing him to caress her collarbones, the tender skin of her chest. His fingers moved lower, over the front clasp of her bra until he again met warm flesh. He touched the skin of her belly, delighting in its softness, reveling in the dip of her navel until his hand met the waistband of her jeans.

  Just as with her shirt, he used pushed the button through before sliding down her zipper and pushed the sides apart in order to touch. To stoke her warm, silky skin. His fingers hit lace and then moved upwards again, to caress the areas he'd already memorized by touch alone.

  As soon as his fingers were back on her beautiful face, he heard her whisper. "My turn."

  Her hands were underneath his t-shirt, pushing it and he ducked his head until it was up and off. A gentle press of her hands on his pecs had him easing down onto his back and her fingers began their own exploration of his face, his neck, his chest.

  It wasn't sexual but was so erotic he shuddered at the feel of her touch as it slid over his skin. Like he'd done, she avoided the obvious erogenous areas that caused every area of flesh she caressed to become one.

  He knew he was hard, probably harder than he'd ever been in his life but it wasn't a lustful, throbbing fullness. More like a thankful one, grateful to have her love him, him, with her touch.

  "I love you, Ryley," he whispered.

  "I know," came her soft reply and he felt her hands on the top button of his jeans. Slowly, so achingly slow, she popped each button and, like he'd done with hers, spread the sides out in order to stroke the skin of his belly before changing direction and moving upwards.

  As soon has her fingers were back on his jaw, he used a hand on the back of her head to bring their mouths together, taking a slow kiss deeper by using his tongue to discover and memorize her oral entrance.

  "Love me naked," Dare whispered, holding her gaze when she raised her lips from his. With a secret sort of smile, she shifted and rolled up onto her butt as she shrugged out of her blouse. Tossi
ng it to the floor, she turned her attention to her boots, then her jeans.

  All he could do was watch, caressing the flesh she exposed with devoted eyes. But as she scooted herself up to the top of the bed, he made short work of his remaining clothing as well. Clad only in his boxer briefs, he draped his big body over hers and held himself up on his elbows as he gazed down at her.

  "Thought you said naked, cowboy," she teased on a sigh as she opened her legs, providing the perfect place for him to rest against her.

  "We're getting there, sugar. Don't be so impatient," he replied with a slow chuckle as he moved her hair off her forehead. Leaning down and away, he brought his teeth to the front clasp of her bra and, with a quick head turn, undid it with such strength the cups sprung apart.

  "Jay-sus," she breathed, looking down at her now naked breasts before blinking back up at him.

  "Is that better?" he asked, his eyes twinkling as he maintained his position.

  "Closer anyway," she mumbled in agreement and he kept his eyes on hers while he moved his mouth towards one of her sharp peaks. He heard her indrawn breath when his lips caught the pink bead between them as his tongue began to circle, rub and flick against it.

  She threaded her fingers through his hair and he moved to the other one to perform the same maneuver, hoping to hear another gasp at his ministrations. He was, as always with Ryley, not disappointed.

  He felt her tug on his hair in almost a silent plea to move upward but that was not where he'd planned to go. Dare used his hands on the mattress to push himself down and never let his lips leave her skin as he moved. Licking and laving, he worshiped her as his mouth traveled over ribs, across her tummy, dipping into her belly button and going ever southward. Bringing his hands to either side of her hips, he dragged the scrap of lace down as she lifted her legs in order to completely remove her panties. Her ass dropped back down to the bed and he went into his former position and resumed his survey-by-mouth effort.

  His nose teased her sparse curls as he slid further down and again used his tongue to discover her. Used it to explore the feel and the taste of what was hidden but smelled so motherfuckin' good. As soon has his tongue was between her folds, the hands she had twisted in his hair clenched and he couldn't help but smile at her involuntary reaction.

  She tasted amazing as hell!

  He tried to keep his movements gentle and slow, as tender as he could think to make them. Twining his arms around her thighs, he used his thumbs to open her in order to better caress and adore her with his lips and mouth. He could hear her sweet whimpers as his tongue lapped and rubbed on her unhooded clit. Her hands pressed him down as her curvaceous hips slewed upwards and he found he was grinding the hard length of himself into the bed, using her same slow rhythm.

  Good fuckin' Christ she was sexy!

  He slid two fingers inside her wet hot cavern, palm up and fingers curled to rub against the rough patch inside, on her g-spot. And with one full circle, she began to clench and shake, her mewls sliding into a deep moan of his name that was somehow more exciting, more thrilling than having her scream it as she came.

  Softening the strokes of his fingers and the lapping of his tongue, he stayed with her until her shudders subsided. Dare kissed his way back up her body before shifting to lie next to her, feeling very powerful and very, very male in his satisfaction at pleasing his woman.

  Ryley turned in his arms and tucked her head into his neck. "I love the way you love me naked," she said, her voice still holding the perimeter of her satiated pants.

  He felt the smile he hadn't even realized he was wearing grow bigger at her words and he was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't realize she'd started moving. Caressing his chest, dragging her nails over his flat nipples and along the ridges of his abs until she begin stroking the steel between his legs. She shifted again and he felt her sexy mouth follow her hands to tease and taunt until she pushed him over onto his back, her mouth hovering over his still covered but rock-hard cock.

  Her eyes came back to his as she held the position and said, "Let me love you naked too." Dare swore he felt her words in his balls which had his dick flexing in response. He yanked his briefs off as quickly as humanly possible.

  He couldn't take his eyes off her, the way she used her tongue and then captured his crown, sucking it up into her mouth. Reaching down, he gathered her hair in his hand because he needed to see, to watch as she worked him, loved him.

  She brought her hands into play and when she cupped his sac, he almost lost it but was able to hold off, to move his orgasm to the back burner. He didn't want to come yet but to enjoy. Usually, he was all for reaching the goal as hard and as fast as possible but at that moment, he wanted to delight in the loving journey of shared pleasure.

  Her movements were slow, just as slow as his had been when he'd had his head between her thighs and he found it to be much more than a tease, more exciting than anything he'd ever had experienced. The deliberateness of her actions seemed more carnal, more personal somehow. Which made it even more arousing.

  And, Christ! So fuckin' adoring.

  He felt another deep throb pulse through his genitals and knew he was again getting close. "Pull off, sugar."

  And she did, but not without bringing him right up to the very edge.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  The way his voice had changed from the low growls he'd been using to the sharp tones when he abruptly asked me to pull off startled me. But I followed his instructions and pulled my mouth away before sliding myself up and onto his body. And as I did so, his hands moved from my head over my back to caress my ass.

  I had just completed my full body trek and was back pressing my boobs to his chest when I saw his gaze drop to my lips before coming back to my eyes. "Christ! You have a wicked mouth."

  There was no way to help the laughter that rolled up and out of me. I'd been expecting something along the words of love we'd been sharing. But in reality, that wasn't Dare. I admitted to myself that it was nice to have the romantic stuff occasionally but if it wasn't naturally a part of him, I didn't need it.

  Because I only wanted him, the real Dare in all his in-your-face, say-the-wrong-thing-at-the-wrong-time glory.

  "My mouth? Shit, yours should be registered with the Vatican," I snapped back, trying to hide my smile. "Total religious experience."

  "I made you see God?" was his smart-assed comeback sounding more than pleased with himself.

  "Abso-freaking-lutely."

  "What he'd say?" I could tell he was trying to hold his own mirth back as well.

  "Dunno. Couldn't hear him over my own moans," I choked out, trying and failing to keep my laughter inside. "Dare, you made me miss God!"

  At that, he joined in and both of us laughed so hard we had to move. I slid off his body and buried my face in a pillow. Feeling a pounding on the mattress, I twisted my head and saw he was turned towards me, eyes scrunched closed and his hand hitting the mattress in time to the laughter that pouring out of him.

  As our chortles died down, I felt him snag me around my waist and drag me to him, twisting me until we faced one another. And as I watched, his face went from his I-found-something-funny smile to one that said something different. Something that seemed so much deeper as his eyes again zeroed in on mine.

  "I fuckin' love laughing naked with you, Ryley," he murmured as he moved my hair aside in order to kiss my neck. The fingers from one of his hands came into play as he trailed them over my back. "I fuckin' love the way you love me naked, Ryley."

  He lifted his head to put his lips against mine before declaring as he shifted me over onto my back and placed himself on top of me, "I fuckin' love loving you, Ryley."

  I didn't answer except to raise my knees and hook my ankles around his lower back while I slid my arms around him. Taking my cue, his hips pulled back and I felt the head of his hard length graze my folds before he flexed his hips to push it against my wet core.

  Slowly, so achingly slow, he eased
himself in and I felt him smile against my mouth as I breathed out an long "ahh".

  "You feel so good," I groaned when he was fully inside, filling me with his hot eager length. He felt freaking wonderful as he crowned and pressed even deeper. I could feel everything: the ridge of his cockhead, the width of his shaft, his…

  Wait…what?

  "Dare?" I said realizing exactly why he felt so wondrously good being so deep. "You're uncovered again, cowboy."

  All expression was wiped from his face and he seemed to test my words as he drew himself out a couple of inches before pushing back in. The movement caused him to lift his chin, close his eyes and groan. 'Fuck! Sorry, Ryley. Didn't even think about it."

  He opened his eyes and raised up even further. "Was tested two months ago and have never, ever, gone without except with you."

  I didn't know what to do with that info but needed to share my own. "Something I should've told you before," I started, my mind racing on how exactly to get the truth out in as few words as possible. "My dad wanted me with March, which I went along with. But I broke it off the morning after you and I spent the night together."

  I glanced up at him to gauge his reaction, but he didn't seem surprised by my news in the least. "I'm not worried about getting pregnant because I'm on the birth control shot."

  I glanced at him to gauge his reaction but he simply made a hand motion for me to continue. The next part I knew would be hard for me to say and maybe for him to hear.

  "But I found Vegas in March's room the morning I told him we were done. Don't know what I might be carrying since I didn't know they were sneaking it on the side."

  "That fuckin' bother you?" he asked with a head tilt.

  I blinked up at him as I thought it through. "About them hooking up? No. About me giving you a second hand disease? Hell yeah."

  His fingers tagged my hair again. "You didn't want him."

  "No cowboy, I didn't. He was Gus's choice," I whispered and found myself embarrassed by my admission especially in light of what Dare and I had put together concerning my dad. What kind of woman allows her father to choose her husband without considering her opinion? Opinions I had given over and over again, during more than one of my family's heated discussions.