Maximum Dare

by Fewings, Vanessa

  “You have a lovely taste.” I gulped. “I meant you have lovely taste. In things. Like glasses. And hotels. This place is so nice.”

  “Daisy,” he said softly, his tone seductive. He moved closer until he was towering over me.

  I felt an electric charge in the air, a crackle of volatile chemistry between us.

  He reached out with both hands and yanked the front of my coat closed, the tug nudging my breasts together and causing my nipples to bead in pleasure.

  “You lost a button on your shirt,” he explained.

  “Sorry?”

  “I was pulling your coat closed to cover your shirt.”

  Looking down, I saw where my bra was peeking through a gap in my shirt. I let out a long moan of mortification; it sounded erotic.

  Max stepped back and leaned against the wall. He whipped out his phone, now seeming to ignore me.

  I pulled mine out of my back pocket and swiped over to Instagram. I raised it closer to my face to better see the screen.

  Max hurried toward me and crushed my body against the wall. “Don’t.”

  “Don’t what?”

  His eyes narrowed. “Don’t take my photo. I don’t want Nick to see it.”

  I cringed inwardly. “Of course not.”

  His intense brown gaze met mine. “Daisy, what I meant was…”

  “Why would I want a photo of you?” I asked, his closeness making me shudder.

  Our breathing was in sync, our eyes still locked on each other. His minty breath tickled my face. The pressure of him leaning against me made me feel alive.

  “I was seeing if Nick watched it,” I finally admitted.

  He flinched. “Watched what?”

  “I recorded my adventure.”

  “Right.”

  I gave him a polite smile and showed him my screen. “See? Me sliding down the glass chute.”

  The angle of the recording hid the fact that I had crash landed into Max.

  I squinted at the number of “likes” my video had racked up. “Wait. That can’t be right.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  My gaze snapped to his. “It’s got two thousand hits already.”

  He turned my phone around so he could see the screen again. “Are you okay with this?”

  My eyes widened with a sudden realization. “Nick will see it!”

  Max’s jaw tensed. “He doesn’t deserve you.”

  Silence filled the space between us as I replayed his words. It was the kind of moment you wished you could rewind so you knew you hadn’t misheard it.

  Max read a text on his phone. “Carl’s at the curb, ready to drive you home.”

  “I’m fine with the Tube—”

  “Under no circumstances. I’d drive you myself, but I have a conference call scheduled with my firm.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t want you to drive me.” I lied because the feelings I had were so intense, they scared me. I didn’t want him to see I had a silly crush.

  Our eyes met as the panic in my words weighed heavily in the small space between us.

  “Then I won’t drive you,” he said flatly.

  I gave him a weak smile. “Thank you again for the soft landing up there.”

  His expression softened and he broke into a grin. “The pleasure was all mine.”

  I wasn’t imagining it, was I? The sparks that sizzled when we were close…the undeniable chemistry between us.

  The doors to the lift opened.

  “I’ll walk you to the car.” He gestured for me to go first.

  “Such a gentleman.” I headed out to the lobby.

  He caught up and rested his hand lightly on the small of my back. “Guilty as charged.”

  His touch sent a shiver of delight through me, his accent making me delirious.

  We exited through the front door of the hotel and strolled out into the chilly evening air. Self-conscious about the lost button, I tugged my coat tighter.

  Max rested a hand on my arm. “Até logo, doce Margarida.”

  “I feel the same way.”

  His brow furrowed. “That was, ‘Goodbye, sweet Daisy.’”

  “I know.” I gave him a silly you look.

  He chuckled, and then his lips pressed together as though he were trying to prevent more words from spilling out of his perfect mouth.

  We reached the curb where the SUV was parked. Before I thought better of it, I rose onto my toes and planted a light kiss on his cheek to thank him, brushing my lips across the stubble there just to see how it might feel. He smelled so damn good I didn’t want to pull back.

  His lips were now lingering close to mine.

  I heard Carl open the back door of the SUV. “Everything all right, sir?” he asked.

  Max jolted back. “Of course. Miss Whitby is ready to go home now, please.”

  I lowered my head and climbed into the back of the car.

  Max leaned down to peer at me. “Let me know how the next one goes?”

  “Next one?”

  “Your next dare.”

  Oh. I’d already forgotten about that.

  He cupped my face with his hand. “You’re going to get through this, I promise.”

  “The dares?”

  “No, that’s not what I meant.”

  I wanted this moment to linger, but he pulled his hand back and gave Carl a nod. “Get her home safely.”

  “I will, sir,” said Carl.

  Max offered me a business card. “If you need anything, call me.”

  I took it, a bit bewildered that he was willing to stay in touch with me after I’d nearly killed him tonight.

  Max shut the car door.

  I could still feel the buzz of chemistry shimmering between us.

  He strolled back into the hotel, his broad shoulders and distinguished height inspiring respectful nods from those around him.

  I threw one last glance his way as the car pulled into traffic. My fingers traced my lips, trying to soothe their burning desire. I was feeling the same sort of adrenaline rush I’d experienced when I’d slid down the glass chute.

  Though certain I’d never call him, I tucked his card into my handbag.

  Reaching inside my coat, I caressed that vulnerable spot where the button should be.

  This wasn’t unusual for me…spending another evening alone, eating a bowl of spaghetti I’d ordered up from room service and sipping a chilled can of Miller Lite with my laptop open, trying to tackle an endless amount of work emails.

  I’d attack the minibar later. Eat the caffeine infused crap in there to keep me awake late into the night. For now, I was numbing myself to do what had to be done.

  I’d promised Dad I’d take care of the firm. He’d sacrificed so much for it, and near the end of his life I’d believed it had helped to hear I would continue his work. See his legacy honored by his only son.

  Day after day, week after week—the years rushing by, one after another, as I put my head down and thrived on winning in court. Those wins were the reason my father had become addicted to this profession.

  We defended those on the fringe of society. The kind of men you would never want to get on the wrong side of—the politicians, the businessmen, and the wealthy ones who had everything to lose. Our high-paying clients relied on us to do the impossible. This passionate dedication to the job was what had separated my parents—too many late nights and weekends spent in the office saving other people’s lives.

  I was my father’s son, destined for the same future. Though I’d not be ruining my marriage because I would always be inaccessible—it was the easy way to prevent a divorce. The key to avoiding loneliness was to keep busy, obsessing over the fine print of the law, the legality that terrified others.

  On the table my phone lit up with my office number. I picked it up and pressed it to my ear.

  “Olá, Maximus.” Gylda’s bright voice was a welcome sound from home.

  “Practice your English,” I teased.

  My secretary cursed in Po
rtuguese. “How are the family?”

  “Great!” I told her.

  Things were going well enough.

  Gylda had worked for my father for decades. After his death, she’d stayed on to work for me. She was a competent and kind woman who liked to bore me with photos of her grandchildren. Secretly, I adored her.

  She proceeded to share news of a potential client. “Maria Alves is distraught, Max,” Gylda said, compassion in her tone. “Her brother’s been arrested. He was protesting in front of the embassy, denouncing political corruption. She’s in a state of panic.”

  “Not an unusual reaction when being threatened by the law,” I reassured her. “Put the client’s sister through.”

  “I’m afraid it’s a waste of your time. Miss Alves is looking for a civil rights attorney. She’s asking about pro bono.”

  I let out a sigh of frustration. “Well, then, we’re the wrong firm for her.”

  “I’ve told her, but she’s very insistent. Your reputation precedes you.”

  “Can you advise her, please?”

  “I’m in it.”

  “You mean, ‘I’m on it.’”

  She huffed at my correction and put me on hold.

  While waiting for her to speak with Maria Alves, I took another swig of beer and checked to see if I had missed any other calls while I’d had my phone silenced.

  Gylda came back on the line. “She’s begging, sir. She wants to talk with you.”

  I rubbed my forehead. “Find her a good civil rights attorney.”

  “I will do my best.”

  I had a bad feeling in my gut, turning away someone in need, but this was not the sort of work I did. It certainly wasn’t what our firm was known for. I felt confident that Gylda would deal with the woman fairly and compassionately.

  She hung up and I clung to the comfort I’d felt having that brief contact with home…the only place I’d ever belonged. I enjoyed London, but my heart was in São Paulo.

  I needed to refocus.

  It would be a lot less difficult if my mind didn’t keep circling back to Daisy. That kiss had touched more than my lips. It had awoken a longing inside me for something more—though a relationship was something I had no time for…even if I couldn’t fight the compulsion to keep checking my phone.

  It would have been so easy to steal another kiss from her outside The Waldorf.

  No, I can’t think about that.

  Family first. Nick was my priority. If he hadn’t gone out with Morgan tonight, I’d be pushing work aside and hanging out with him.

  I couldn’t help wondering, though, what Daisy would be like in bed. A sweet and eager lover? I imagined her back arching beneath me as I took her hard and fast, my hands buried in her hair as she moaned loudly, her way of asking me to thrust my cock deeper inside her.

  Great, and now I had a hard on.

  Shut. This. Down.

  I took a swig of beer, blinking to clear my vision so I could refocus on reading the emails on my laptop—only this time processing what I was seeing. My latest court case had been postponed by the judge.

  I stared at the screen, realizing that my schedule had just opened up. I could even consider staying another week in London.

  Just don’t think about it.

  Don’t think about her.

  Not kissing Daisy last night had been the right decision. I was so damn good at being sensible. But still, my mind kept circling back to thoughts of the way Daisy’s eyes had brightened when she saw me. Her easygoing nature was a pleasure to be around. I admired her sweet disposition and her natural beauty. She’d captured my attention in a devastating way. Whenever I was around her she made me feel…happy.

  Nick was an idiot.

  There, I rest my case.

  I looked down at my smartphone and saw Daisy’s number lighting up my screen. Conflicting emotions warred within me. An hour ago I’d made the wise decision never to see her again.

  I let out a deep breath and pressed the phone to my ear. “Yes?”

  “Max?”

  At the sound of Daisy’s voice, warmth saturated my body like I’d just had a personal hit of bliss. She was fast becoming my drug of choice.

  Push her away.

  “It’s late,” I said.

  “It’s only nine o’clock. You gave me your card.”

  “I did?” I did.

  I climbed off the bed and began pacing the room. “Everything all right?” I should pretend not to care. I glanced back at my laptop at the emails stacking up.

  Fuck the emails. This was more fun.

  She was more fun.

  My heart stuttered with the realization that my father would have ignored her call had this been my mother. He’d have worked late into the night despite her needing him. Those kinds of choices had devastated his existence. He could have hired someone to do half his workload. His ego, his arrogance, his blind determination had taken him down and his marriage with it.

  I’m no different.

  Nor will I ever be.

  Daisy piped up, “Are you still there?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m on top of The Shard.”

  “The tallest building in London?”

  “Yes. It’s super high. Very windy.”

  “You’re with the Dare Cub?” I brushed my fingers through my hair. “What have they got you doing this time?”

  “This one’s scarier than the first dare. The one with the glass chute.”

  “Like I could forget.”

  “Yeah…right.”

  “Next time, land on my face.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I said, next time give it some space.”

  “Oh, I thought you said something else.” She paused. “This one seems harder.”

  Did she have to say it with a husky tone? I felt my cock twinge in response to her subconscious tease.

  I squeezed the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger. “I suppose they’re making them incrementally more challenging—”

  “That’s not why I’m calling, though. Ted says no invitations went out. All the sign-ups were online.”

  My gut tightened with uncertainty.

  “Max, I’m trying to figure out who the invite came from. I showed it to Ted, and he has no idea.”

  From my window, I could see the The Shard, a beautiful structure of monstrous height. The skyscraper dwarfed the buildings surrounding it.

  My mouth went dry and I was hit with an attack of vertigo. “Really?”

  “Nick asked you to give me that invite, right? Do you think he was trying to send me a message?”

  “Daisy, does it matter? You’re having fun, aren’t you?”

  What the hell did they have her doing up there?

  She let out a wistful sigh. “I was thinking maybe Nick is leaving things open with me. Maybe he wants to see if I can be more spontaneous.”

  I felt a wave of pity for this beautiful girl. My brother was still wielding his spell over her. “What’s the dare, Daisy?”

  The line was muffled as she called out to someone. “Sorry, Max. I have to go.”

  “What have they got you doing?”

  “We’re going over.”

  “Over what?”

  “The top of the building.” She huffed out a nervous breath. “Sorry to have bothered you. I won’t call you again. I know it’s awkward. I didn’t mean it to be.”

  The call dropped and I heard only silence.

  I stared at the skyscraper with a feeling of dread, my throat constricting.

  Going over it?

  What the hell did that mean? Studying the silhouette of The Shard, I realized that whatever they had her doing was quite possibly illegal. No city would grant permission for anything that hazardous to their clients or the pedestrians below. There’d been no initial indication of the organizers leaning toward criminality. It had seemed more like trivial fun…the get-out-of-your-comfort-zone kind, not the get-yourself-killed kind.

  The last
dare had been in a controlled environment with the glass chute being constructed for this exact purpose in a well-respected hotel. It had been open to the public and proven safe for over two years. It was in the Waldorf Astoria, for God’s sake—the best hotel in London.

  What Daisy was suggesting was that they’d rigged something at the top of the building and were going rogue.

  As the blood chilled in my veins, I pulled on my coat and headed out. Different scenarios kept flashing through my mind and none of them were good. Within a minute, I’d hailed a taxi and was heading through commuter traffic toward that towering skyscraper.

  If anything happened to her, I’d be to blame. I’d encouraged Daisy, and I’d even found the whole idea amusing.

  After hopping out of the taxi, I bolted into the foyer.

  I navigated through the milling crowd and eventually arrived at the glass lift. Once inside, I was alarmed to see that it jutted outside the building. Rising fast, the view of the city was spectacular, if not alarming. I experienced a momentary sense of weightlessness as we arrived at the top floor at lightning speed.

  I exited the lift and the chatter of a crowd drew me in the right direction. The members of the Dare Club I’d seen last night were all here. Over in the corner, Ted was helping Daisy pull on a red jumpsuit. He interacted with her in a flirty, confident way, which spiked a protective reaction in me. I’d be quite happy to see her make a smooth transition back to singlehood and find happiness again. But if I wasn’t careful, batting off wayward suitors who could hurt her all over again could turn into a full-time profession.

  Daisy disappeared through an emergency exit. I followed the others up a staircase to the roof.

  A blustery gale whipped at my coat and disheveled my hair as soon as I stepped outside. I immediately felt chilled to the center of my bones.

  We were impossibly high. The noise from the city was drowned out by the sheer force of the winds. It was hard to deny the iconic tower’s spectacular positioning. The tallest building in the city provided a clear panoramic view of London.

  Clearly, I wasn’t the only one in awe of the scenery. People were gathered at the far end of the roof and they, too, were staring out as though hypnotized by this incomparable vantage point.

  Daisy’s cheeks were flushed from the cold and she fought to keep her hair out of her eyes. She looked windswept and vulnerable, biting her bottom lip nervously, her eyes filled with terror—yet her beauty was startling in the moonlight.