Maximum Dare

by Fewings, Vanessa

  I could have left them with her aunt. I hoped she’d not see through my ruse and mention it. When it came to her, I was crap at faking I didn’t care.

  She recognized her clothes. “Keep them.”

  “I was going to burn them but was scared I’d scorch off my eyebrows.” I followed that up with a smile.

  She stared at me suspiciously. “Have you come to warn me not to turn up at one of your events again?” She wagged a finger. “You’ve wasted your time. I’m over the Banhams.”

  “I’m a Marquis.”

  “I meant your entire family.”

  “I’m here to make sure you’re not too traumatized.”

  “I’ve been through worse.”

  “Really, what?”

  “I’m kind of busy.”

  I looked around. “Ghost hunting?”

  “No, the whole point is waiting for them to come to you.” She crossed her arms over her chest and raised her chin. “I’ve never been more ready.”

  “Okay, well, I’ll just leave these over here.” I hung the dry-cleaning on an old picture hook and set the shoebox down on the floor beneath it. I glanced around with disapproval. “This place is pretty rundown, Daisy. I don’t think you should stay.”

  “You don’t get to tell me what I can or cannot do.”

  “You don’t want my advice anymore?”

  “No, because you’re nothing to me.” She inhaled sharply.

  It was a bald-faced lie—the one we’d been telling each other since we’d first met.

  I scratched the back of my head as I tried to ignore her beauty, her compelling eyes tracing my every move.

  Stepping forward to grip her chin and plant a fierce kiss on her pouty lips would undoubtedly be too aggressive. I wanted to press my mouth against her neck and nibble my way tenderly up to her ear, but that couldn’t happen either. Not now, not ever.

  This unbearable desire I felt to drag her into my arms and crush her to my body was my cue to leave.

  “I thought that after last Tuesday you’d never want to see me again,” she said softly.

  “You left the house without saying goodbye.”

  “I was going to send your bathrobe back.”

  I shook my head in frustration. “Are you alone?”

  She placed her fisted hands on her hips. “Yes.”

  “Stupid idea,” I muttered. “Anyone could wander in here.”

  “I’m locked in.”

  “Daisy, I walked in through the front door.”

  Her pouty mouth turned up at the corners. I could plant a kiss right there on the side…

  She was infuriating.

  I pointed to her blanket in the corner. “Let me carry your things out.”

  “I’m not leaving.”

  “Staying here all night is not a good idea.”

  “I brought a picnic basket. Might as well make the most of it.”

  I sighed.

  Fading sunlight filtered in through the fogged windows and shimmered over her delicate features. I’d never been able to look at her without being drawn to her presence. I wanted to know her intimately.

  “It’ll be dark soon. Let me give you a lift home.”

  “I’m having fun.” She pointed to a flask by the basket. “Want a cuppa?”

  She stubbornly returned to her tartan blanket and sat down on it, crossing her legs into a yoga pose and getting comfortable. She reached for a packet of biscuits and offered me one.

  “I don’t have time.”

  She gave me a cute smile and shook the packet insistently.

  With a huff of annoyance, I stepped forward and accepted the biscuit, taking a quick bite. The taste of sugary cream melted over my tongue, mixing with the chocolate. If the English were good at something, it was baking biscuits.

  “You’re not scared to be here all night?” I asked between bites.

  “No, not really. I brought something to read.”

  I sat beside her, thinking this was damn uncomfortable.

  On the rug next to her lay a copy of Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

  “How’s the book?”

  She followed my gaze. “Wonderful so far.”

  The books in my To Be Read pile were also victims of my demanding job.

  I looked around at the peeling paint and the dusty floor. The dimness was unsettling. The torch next to her picnic basket better have good batteries.

  I resigned to sit awhile. “You don’t strike me as someone who believes in ghosts.”

  “My aunt’s a clairvoyant.”

  “That’s right.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

  A rustling down the hallway drew my attention.

  “I’ve heard other strange noises.” She watched my reaction. “The trick is to ignore them.”

  The small hairs on my forearms prickled. I scooted closer to her on the rug, shuddering at the thought of seeing anything that resembled a ghost.

  I shook my head. “These dares really do push you to do questionable things.”

  “They make you vulnerable,” she admitted. “They call it total exposure.”

  “Funny.”

  “After what happened Tuesday night I almost quit. Then I thought, what do I have to lose? Might as well keep going.”

  Her adventurous spirit was inspiring.

  In another universe we might have evolved into more than friends. Developed the kind of trust that’s coveted by those willing to give love a go.

  I admired her flawless complexion. The weight of my stare must have made her self-conscious, because she looked away, revealing a profile that could have made a master like Vermeer weep.

  She broke the quiet. “Do you like being a defense attorney?”

  “Like is a strong word.”

  “Because you defend criminals?”

  “Innocent until proven guilty.”

  “I heard you can get away with anything if you have a good lawyer.”

  “I defend the law.”

  “Have you ever defended someone you knew was guilty?”

  “You can’t ask me that, Daisy.”

  “But I just did.”

  “Everyone deserves a trial.”

  “I imagine you could win over any jury with your charisma.”

  “You find me charismatic?” I teased.

  She blushed a little. “Let’s just say…”

  “Yes…?”

  “You’re ridiculously hot. Like, embarrassingly good looking.”

  “Why is it embarrassing?”

  “Because women wonder what it would be like to…”

  “To…?”

  “You know.”

  “Enlighten me.” It was fun to see her squirm.

  “You’re easy on the eyes.”

  I laughed. “So are you. You’re very pretty.”

  Her coyness was adorable.

  She cleared her throat and changed the subject. “Are you looking forward to going back to work?”

  “Are you fishing to find out when I leave?”

  “Might be.”

  “I’ve managed to get another week in London.” I let out a weary sigh. “My work is pretty draining so it’s a welcome change.”

  “That’s not good.”

  “I didn’t always want to be a criminal defender,” I admitted.

  “What did you want to be?”

  I shook my head, unsure whether to share this detail about my life.

  “Max?”

  “I wanted to be a civil rights attorney.”

  My thoughts wandered back to that call from a woman named Maria. She’d searched me out to take on her brother’s case and I’d not even spoken with her. I’d had my secretary handle it. I could have dug around and found out more details about the case but there’d been no point, really.

  “Why aren’t you, then?” asked Daisy.

  “Life had other plans for me.”

  “What changed?”

  I drew in a deep breath. “My father owned a law firm. I w
as expected to join it.”

  Another sound down the hallway drew my attention. “Are you sure we’re alone?”

  “Yes. I looked around when I first got here.” Daisy placed her hand on mine. “My aunt says it’s the ghosts from our past we need to be wary of.”

  “I suppose that’s true.”

  “The ghosts from your past influenced your decision.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “Well, when your mum came to live here, you were left to fend for yourself. You had your dad but it wasn’t the same. You leaned on him. He took care of you the best he could. But he was working a lot, I imagine. You felt you owed it to him to join his firm.”

  Now I was the one being exposed over a truth I’d managed to suppress.

  I shook my head. “Let’s talk about you.”

  “There’s not a lot to say.”

  “Do you enjoy your job?”

  “Kind of. My dream was to design high-end shop windows. The ones in the finest stores in London.”

  “And especially the ones for Christmas?”

  She nodded. “I wanted to create something unique. Something that stands out and can be seen by many…something artsy, but also for retail. I didn’t just want to work inside the store.”

  “How do you get that kind of job?”

  “You get a degree in art and design.”

  Yet she’d dropped out of university sometime soon after her brother’s death, I gathered. Continuing her education had been too difficult. Daisy had been too grief-stricken to continue.

  “You can go back to Uni,” I said.

  “Maybe one day.” She shook her head as though clearing her thoughts. “After last Tuesday night I feel like I have some closure.”

  “How so?”

  “I did what I set out to do. I warned Nick about Morgan. Now it’s over. I’ve done my bit.”

  “Right.” I hoped she was really ready to move on.

  “What about you?”

  “Me?”

  “Yes. What’s holding you back, Max?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  She shrugged. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I wanted to follow in the footsteps of lawyers like Martin Luther King…”

  A pained expression came over her face as she listened to me explain, as if she felt my regret and sensed the yearning of a soul unable to fulfill its purpose.

  “Why not become a civil rights attorney now?”

  “I run my father’s firm.”

  “But he passed away,” she said softly. “Maybe it’s time to fulfill your dream.”

  “Life doesn’t work like that.”

  “Why not?”

  “I made a choice.” My chest felt crushed with the pressure of knowing such a thing wasn’t possible, not really. My staff and clients back in São Paulo depended on me.

  Daisy rested her hand on mine again, her touch warm and gentle.

  I turned my hand over to grasp hers. “I don’t usually talk about it.”

  Being with her was easy, opening up to her cathartic. This was fine, we could hang out awhile before it got too late and I had to leave.

  “You genuinely care for people,” she said, her expression sincere.

  “You deserve all the praise, Daisy.”

  “Why?”

  I’d been waiting to break the news to her…

  “He made it. Nick’s been offered a place with Manchester United.”

  Her shoulders relaxed and her eyes closed in a way that proved she’d always wanted the best for him. She gave a nod and we shared a moment of gladness for him. Even though Nick was the ultimate asshole at times, my brother was essentially a good man and he’d worked hard for this. He’d dedicated his life to football, and it had all been worth it.

  “You got him there,” I whispered. “When his dad died you were there for him.”

  She smiled and her gaze met mine. We let the special moment linger, feeling mutual respect and understanding for how we’d both influenced him in our own ways, sacrificing our time and energy to support him.

  Reaching out, I brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, my fingers lingering against her cheek, feeling her soft skin beneath my touch, the warmth of her blush.

  A rustling sound reached our ears—we’d both heard it.

  “Do you think it’s a ghost?” she asked softly.

  “Maybe it’s someone checking on you.”

  “Ted told me he wouldn’t return until the morning.” She paused. “Maybe it’s a ghost who needs me to guide them into the light.”

  I pushed to my feet. “Or into hell.”

  “Aunt Barbara told me what to say to the ghosts, if I saw any.”

  I shot her a skeptical look. “Ghosts don’t exist, Daisy.”

  She rose and stood beside me. “Then what was that noise?”

  Before turning the corner, Max gave me a wink to reassure me he’d be fine. I didn’t actually believe someone was in here with us, but I’d definitely heard something.

  He had no idea how sexy his cute grin looked, but with that one gesture of reassurance, he’d made my toes curl and my heart flip-flop. He was still here, after he could have made an excuse to leave.

  I felt a twinge of regret at the thought that he would soon disappear out of my life and I would not have the chance to get to know him better. He’d been kind to me at Nick’s party. I shouldn’t have run out on him like that at the Hampstead estate. I’d just been so mortified that all I’d wanted was to place as much distance as possible between me and that manor.

  Max took my hand and pulled me closer, leading me down the hallway. At his warm touch, my limbs went weak and I almost forgot what we were up to. Ghost hunting—that’s right. Checking out the spirits, guiding them into the light.

  I couldn’t think of another person I’d rather go ghost chasing with.

  All Max had to do was walk into the room or arch a brow or breathe for heaven’s sake.

  We stopped just outside one of the rooms.

  “Let me go first,” he said, shaking me out of my daydreams.

  “Don’t you want me to instead? I’m more qualified to deal with ghosts.”

  “No,” he said incredulously. “That’s not how this works.”

  It made me smile.

  “Stay here.” He disappeared inside the dark room.

  This was the stuff horror films were made of…the couple splitting up, one left alone while the other goes off bravely exploring the mystery. Each one had a fifty-fifty chance of dying first.

  “Max,” I called out.

  Silence.

  “Max, are you okay?”

  A shuffling sound reached my ears.

  I hurried after him through the door and slammed right into a firm chest, knocking the air out of my lungs. Max’s strong arms reached around my waist and lifted me off the floor. He pressed me against the wall and leaned his body against mine. I inhaled sharply and wrapped my legs around his middle, hooking my fingers behind his neck.

  His lips lingered dangerously close to mine. “I want you off the floor,” he said huskily.

  “Why?”

  “It was a ghost,” he said. “But it’s gone.”

  “You saw it?” I was panting.

  “It floated off.”

  I studied him. “It was a rat, wasn’t it?”

  He relented with a look that said yes.

  “How big?”

  “The size of a double-decker bus.”

  I squealed and buried my face in his neck, cringing. Immediately, my senses were stimulated by the familiar scent of the sexy Alpha male who’d protected me. Being this close to Max Marquis made my head spin.

  “Are you okay?” he said.

  I nodded.

  “You shouldn’t be here. Not alone, anyway.”

  “I’m not alone.”

  “I can’t stay, Daisy.”

  “I know.”

  “And I can’t kiss you. You understand why, right?”

&nbs
p; I understood nothing at the moment because he’d pushed his pelvis against me. I felt his erection nudging between my thighs and there was no moving away. I felt suspended in bliss, lulled by the erotic sensations coursing through my body, thrumming my clit.

  Max’s eyes fell to my lips.

  I could feel him growing harder.

  When he dragged his teeth across his bottom lip it was dangerously inviting…and proof that he was fighting an urge to do more.

  “I need to make sure you’re safe.” A flash of desire sparked in his eyes.

  I stared at his beautiful mouth.

  “I’ve never felt safer,” I said softly.

  He was speaking now, saying something in Portuguese, his words hypnotic.

  Max leaned in to kiss me and then stopped himself.

  I pulled back to see his look of confusion.

  He peered into my eyes as though searching for the words to appease me.

  “Can I kiss you goodbye, Daisy?” he whispered.

  I let out a wistful sigh, which he knew meant yes. His mouth captured mine greedily, persuading me to relent. Our tongues lashed passionately, our moans of desire colliding as the world fell away.

  We could have been anywhere.

  I’d never been kissed like this…not by any man. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced, this fierce heat that shook me to my core, promising eternal happiness, a life lived in the sun—the kind of affection that could erase a past filled with sadness, replacing it with hope.

  He pulled away and studied my face, nearly gasping. “God, your kiss intoxicates me!”

  I’d never felt more alive.

  Max’s warm breath touched my face. “To taste you…”

  The thought of him going down on me caused me to shiver. I wouldn’t say no to anything he asked of me. My heart had been shocked back to life…it was beating again, feeling again. I’d planned on being alone tonight—I’d been trying to think of anything except Max. Now, thoughts of him consumed me, stealing my very breath.

  He rested his forehead against mine. “This place is not right for…a first time.”

  To think he’d even gone there in his mind, just like I had. Imagining what it would be like to make love.

  Max eased away from the wall and let me stand, but I felt the strength of his arms around me, pulling me toward him. My face nuzzled against his chest and I inhaled the scent of the man who always seemed out of reach. Even now, I was trying to fathom how we’d come to this moment. All those times I’d sensed our chemistry.