The Dare

by Rachel Van Dyken

  Chapter Eight

  "You mean to tell me he wanted to be kidnapped?"

  Grandma nodded. "Yes, that's correct."

  "And he wanted to be rufied?"

  "Of course."

  "And he asked you to give him some time before you revealed his location?"

  "That's what I'm saying."

  "Did you murder Senator Brevik?"

  "Oh honey, if I'd had murdered him. I wouldn't have gotten caught — that's why I'm here."

  "You're here because you got caught."

  "I let you catch me. To give him time."

  "Fine. I'll bite. Time for what?"

  "Love."

  Jace

  Once the plane dropped down in Honolulu, I was beyond ready to lose my cool. The little girl in front of us had, for the past hour, chattered about school, life, her mom, her gas — really anything that she'd thought might interest us. But the real kicker had been when Beth had started coloring with her.

  And I'd been left to watch.

  I'd watched her hands glide over the paper.

  I'd watched her delicate fingers as they held the color blue.

  I'd watched when her face lit up from the praise the little girl gave her.

  And then I'd ruined it by scowling when the little girl gave her a high five, and I'd been left out.

  Irritation pierced me in the chest. And I was ready to lose my damn mind over it. Every time I tried to imagine a reason for me to be upset that Beth wasn't giving me attention, the more upset with myself I became.

  I probably should have apologized for my bluntness, but things were better that way. She needed to know it had been a one-time thing. Yeah, she was beautiful, but that didn't mean I was ready to hand my balls to her on a silver platter.

  Been there done that. Never again.

  So what if that made me insensitive? I had my job. I loved my job, and I intended to do anything to keep it.

  I turned on my phone and looked down at the screen.

  Rick: Call as soon as you land.

  I texted him back instead, knowing I didn't want to be that annoying guy who started talking loudly when everyone was trying to grab his bag and make it down the narrow aisle.

  Me: Landed. Can't talk. Everything okay?

  Rick: Define okay.

  Me: Did the problem go away?

  Rick: If the problem you're referring to is an attractive thirty year old that works for the company whose bill you just rejected because you said it wasn't soundly written, then yeah. Sure. Peachy.

  Me: What?!

  Rick: Like I said, call me when you have time. We need to make this go away. Approval ratings can drop overnight. Good news? People think you're getting married, and the news is loving it. So stay put.

  Cursing, I put the phone back in my pocket and rubbed my temples.

  "Bad news?" Beth blinked her green eyes innocently.

  "Thanks to you, yes." I was trapped. I couldn't leave, and if I stayed, I stayed next to Beth, and the longer I was in her presence, the more I wanted to attack her — in a totally sexually pent-up frustrated way. One where there was biting and fighting and—"

  "Me?" Her eyebrows shot up.

  I tried to look pissed instead of aroused.

  "Any chance I can pay you an obscene amount of money to kick me in the balls on national television and say you're mentally insane?"

  Beth's eyes narrowed into tiny slits. "Tell you what, I'll kick you in the balls for free. As for the rest of it, go screw yourself."

  "Ha," I said dryly. "Chemist's got some personality after all." I was being an ass. I knew I was being an ass, but I was pissed. I'd specifically asked her if she had a past. I'd specifically asked about any sort of drama in her past and she hadn't even thought to tell me she worked for GreenCom? Technically, it had been my fault. I hadn't looked at her work history, just her title. And honestly it didn't matter that much. I was more upset over the fact that I could smell her damn perfume, and it was choking the bachelor out of me.

  "You're an ass," she hissed, pushing past me and walking down the aisle. By then, people had basically vacated the plan.

  With a curse, I got up and walked slowly down the aisle.

  I'd been drugged by an eighty-six-year-old woman.

  Couldn't remember my one-night stand.

  Had been accused of sleeping with a prostitute.

  On a last-minute vacation where I felt slightly manipulated and possibly kidnapped.

  And my approval ratings were going to hell.

  Things couldn't get worse.

  I finally reached the gate where Travis, Kacey, Char, Jake, and Beth were waiting.

  Clearly something was wrong because they were frantically dialing their phones, and Kacey looked like she was ready to cry.

  "What?" I asked stupidly. "Did someone die?"

  All eyes turned to me.

  "We can't find Grandma." Beth's voice was strained. "She said she had to use the powder room and just disappeared."

  "I'm sure she's fine," I soothed. "After all, this is Grandma Nadine we're talking about. I'd feel sorry for her attacker. Hell, I'd probably watch the entire episode and order popcorn."

  The group seemed to relax a bit.

  That is, until we heard honking.

  And then a splash of leopard flew by me at top speed.

  "I think I found her." I pointed.

  Grandma parked the airport cart, giving herself whiplash in the process, and stepped out. "Sorry, dears, it took me the longest time to find one of these things."

  I winced. "Grandma, I think it's illegal for you to drive that without assistance from the airport staff."

  My body gave an involuntary shudder as Grandma's pointed stare met mine. "I am the law."

  Ho-o-oly shit. What had I gotten myself into?

  "Get in." Grandma put the cart in reverse, nearly killing two elderly people in the process, then pulled out her lipstick and began applying in the rearview mirror.

  Great, so she used mirrors for lipstick application and not driving. We were in such good hands.

  The last thing I wanted to do was go to dinner. Sleep. That's what I wanted. Sleep. And to hear from Rick that everything was fine.

  I picked up my bag and made my way to the cart, eying Beth as she leaned on Char. Was she crying? Had I done that? Feeling like a jackass, I moved toward her, only to be stopped by Jake and Travis, both of them looking like they'd rather shoot me in the face than let me even near their family.

  "Listen, punk," Jake started.

  I laughed. I couldn't help it. Punk? Really? That's what he was going to go with? And then he punched me in the stomach. I doubled over, not a proud moment. Travis pulled me by the shirt and leaned me against the wall so it looked like I hadn't just gotten the wind forced out of me.

  "Listening." I glared.

  "We will end you." Travis smiled, as if he was excited about the idea of killing a state senator and going to federal prison. "Leave her alone."

  "Her?" I repeated. "You mean Grandma?"

  "Grandma?" Jake snorted. "That woman could run circles around you in her sleep. Hell, I don't even feel sorry for you. We're talking about Beth."

  "Hey," I held up my hands, "I didn't do anything wrong."

  "You slept with her."

  "I'm not sure," I answered honestly. "I can't exactly… remember the details."

  Travis nudged Jake. "Performance anxiety?"

  "Hell no," I growled. "I think I was too drunk or—"

  Wrong thing to say.

  I got punched in the stomach again.

  My stomach had dropped to my balls — well, at least I wasn't hungry anymore!

  Travis swore. "Don't play games with her. Leave her alone. Let her have a relaxing time in Hawaii and be nice."

  "I'm nice," I defended myself.

  "You're a… politician." Jake made mock quotes. "That basically means it's your job to be nice and make everyone feel confident in your abilities, but I see through the bullshit.
I saw through it when you were after Char, and I see through it now. Leave. Her. Alone."

  "Or what?" I sneered. Okay, so I wasn't actually going to do anything, but I was pissed they were threatening me.

  "Oh that's easy." Travis stepped away, smirking at Jake as if they had this giant-ass secret I wasn't a part of. "You don't leave her alone, and we let you fend for yourself with that one." He pointed back to the cart where Grandma was currently thrusting her phone into the air and yelling.

  "I have no service! Damn third-world country!"

  I'd last five minutes alone with that woman before committing a federal crime. "Fine, but for your information, I was going to leave her alone anyway."

  "Sure you were." Jake rolled his eyes. "That's why you've been staring at her ass for the past ten minutes."

  Naturally, my eyes went directly where they weren't supposed to, and I was gifted with another hard slap to the stomach.

  "Glad we understand each other." Travis smacked my cheek.

  "Shit, you're like Grandma's mafia."

  "She'd be one hell of a mob boss." Jake whistled, thrusting his hands into his pockets. "Oh, and by the way, have fun at dinner."

  "Damn." Deflated, I watched as the group got on the cart and wandered down to baggage claim, leaving Beth, Grandma, and myself.

  "Well!" Grandma clasped her hands. "Isn't this nice! Now, how about that dinner?"

  Chapter Nine

  "How long do you plan to keep this up?" the agent asked pointedly.

  Grandma grinned and leaned forward over the metal table. "How long do you have, sugar?"

  Beth

  I was a blubbering idiot. The only explanation I had was PMS or something like it. Char and Kacey enveloped me in a few side hugs and told me men were asses. It helped. Kind of.

  I could only assume they'd seen my fallen face and were trying to offer their support in any way possible, which to girls basically meant bashing on the guy in question until the crying girl stopped crying and started joining in.

  But I didn't want to join in. Because, regardless of how harsh Jace had been with my feelings — at least he'd been honest.

  Honest, I could do. It was the men who lied about who they were that really bothered me. I'd dealt with honest most of my adult life. I could work with it; logically I could explain it.

  Maybe it was my hair.

  I'd always been told the brown was too dull.

  Or possibly my eyes? But, in my opinion, they were really the only thing I had going for me. Dark lashes fanned the emerald green of my eyes, giving them an almost exotic look.

  But that was it. No, seriously. It was all I had. My body was normal, not too big, not too small. And I officially sounded like Goldilocks from The Three Bears.

  "Was he mean to you?" Char squeezed my hand. She'd always been the type to fight first, ask questions later.

  I loved her for it.

  "Nah," I lied. "He was a perfect gentleman. Not too bad for a senator."

  "Senator my ass," Char hissed. "He's slimy, that one."

  "I thought you liked him?" I argued.

  "Liked." Char sniffled. "Past tense. I liked him before he stole you away from the wedding reception. I liked him before I found out you were plastered against his naked chest for hours on end. And I liked him before he started staring at your ass as if it held secrets to national security."

  "He was staring at my ass?" I asked in a much-too-hopeful voice. Bad Beth. Very bad.

  "Not the time, Beth." Char's eyes narrowed. "Remember what happened with Brett? And Steve? And John?"

  "Stop naming men from my past before I kill myself," I muttered.

  Kacey didn't say anything. She watched our exchange with interest, her mouth turned upward in a smile as she looked between Jace and me.

  "He is cute," she finally said.

  Um, actually he was a god. No really, ask Marvel Comics.

  "Kace…" Char warned. "Cute is for puppies. Not politicians."

  "Let's go!" Grandma shouted above the boys fighting and the girls laughing next to me.

  "Go get 'em, tiger." Char pinched my butt. "Make him work for it."

  "Work for it?" I asked innocently. I had a sneaking suspicion she didn't mean actual work, as in giving him math formulas and solving for Z. But something way harder, like actually trying to be sexy.

  Char's answer was to nudge Kacey and laugh. Was I missing something? Shrugging, I summed it up to being overly exhausted and tugged my purse over my arm. Dinner. One dinner. And then I was going to find some Hawaiian man in a loin cloth to rub coconut oil all over me and say big words like electromagnetic and ionic… bummer. I was my own ionic bond. No matter how many times I'd wished I could stick to something, it hadn't happened.

  Crap. I had no charge. I so wanted to charge. I needed a charge.

  "You okay?" Jace asked, once we fell into step behind Grandma.

  "Do I have a charge?"

  "Huh?"

  "A charge," I repeated.

  "Like a card?"

  "Like a bond."

  "I think I'm confused."

  I sighed heavily. "Ionic bonds. They're formed when charged particles stick together. I think I'm chargeless."

  Jace's face lit up with humor. "Chargeless, huh? Is that your professional opinion?"

  "I'm going to the ladies' room! Damn wine!" Grandma yelled and stomped off, leaving Jace and in the very romantic spot people like to call the wall between the ladies' and men's restrooms. Toilet flushing was our romantic music, and the smell of Mexican food floated through the air.

  Again. Clearly I was chargeless.

  "So…" Jace leaned against the wall.

  "So?"

  "Your professional opinion. Is that it? That you have no charge?"

  "Yup." Another toilet flushed. Awesome. I almost wanted to cheer for that person. I mean if you can't cheer for someone having a successful bowel movement, really, what can you cheer for?

  "Great." He grabbed my arms, pulling me into his embrace. Toilets continued to flush, but I focused my attention on his lips as they moved. "Now, here's mine."

  His kiss was tender, elusive. I leaned into him, and I was rewarded for my efforts as his hot mouth pushed harder against mine. Without warning, he pulled back.

  "Beth," his hoarse voice washed over my body, giving me chills, "you're looking at it wrong. The problem isn't your damn charge. It's that you don't even realize you had it in the first place. If you don't know what you have, how can you use it? So you want to form an ionic bond? I call bullshit. Why would you want to bond with another person's energy when you have your own? Why bond when you're a continuous spectrum?"

  "You used big science words." Right, that's all I had after his speech.

  Jace's eyes flashed with amusement. "Sometimes. It happens. I did go to school, you know."

  "It was like dirty talk, only hotter." I leaned in closer as his smile grew.

  He leaned forward, touching his forehead to mine. "There's more where that came from."

  "You called me a continuous spectrum." I grinned, feeling all warm and fuzzy all the way down to my toes.

  "It was a compliment."

  His lips were so close I could almost taste his peppermint gum.

  "I know."

  "Beth," he gently pushed me away, "stop worrying about attracting things you don't want to attract." He cleared his throat and ran his hand through his overly long blond hair. Was he referring to himself? Was I attracting him? "Trust me, the right guy will come along, and when he does, it will be amazing. Until then, just keep shining. You're beautiful, you're smart, and you have a lot going for you. Don't let yourself become your worst enemy."

  Stunned, I could only stare at him and wish… that's what I was doing. I was willing or wishing him to say screw it and kiss me again. I wanted him to want me, and I hated that I was so weak that I felt like I needed a person of the opposite sex to affirm that I was attractive.

  "Well!" Grandma strolled out of the bathroom an
d swore. "Some people just can't handle dairy products, and that's that!" Her eyes narrowed. "What's going on here?"

  "Science lesson." Jace put his arm around me. "A little ionic-bond lesson."

  "Damn bonds." Grandma hauled her giant leopard purse over her shoulder and winced. "I'll tell you about bonds. The government makes you buy them, and then you wait years — years, I tell you!"

  "And an economics lesson," I added. "What a day."

  "I'm a starved lion. And I about croaked in that god-forsaken hellhole they call a bathroom. Let's go." Grandma pointed to the doors and scurried away.

  Jace chuckled and followed after her, leaving me trailing behind the two of them. Why did he keep kissing me if he wanted to keep me away? And why did I care? Thor was kissing me. This was cause for celebration not contemplation. But, of course, in true spinster fashion, all I could do was focus on the fact that he'd told me I was a spectrum, and sadly that was one of the nicest thing any man had ever said to me.

  Chapter Ten

  "Ma'am, what does Justin Timberlake have to do with anything?"

  "Justin Timberlake is the answer to everything," Grandma said solemnly.

  "How do you figure?"

  After a long pause she answered, "Because he brought sexy back."

  "I'm sorry I didn't take a sick day today."

  Jace

  So I'd kissed her twice. Big deal. I licked my lips for probably the twentieth time, hoping, no praying, that I'd still be able to taste her on the tip of my tongue. Damn, she tasted good. I couldn't get her smell or her taste out of my consciousness, and I really needed to be focusing on important things like trying to get my career on track, rather than flushing it down a shit hole.

  With a haggard groan, I licked my lips. One last time. Just to remember.

  How many times had I kissed a woman and experienced nothing?

  Shameful, to admit when a man is so ridiculously turned off by the female species that he stops responding all together. That's what Kerry had done to me. She'd broken me. And I hated feeling like a broken misused toy that no longer functioned properly. It pissed me off and made me feel like less of a man.