A Little Dare (47 page)

bedroom
and
slip
down
the
stairs
and
through
the
back
door
to
race
outside
to
his
arms.

She
immediately
got
out
of
bed,
tugged
on
her
robe
and
slipped
her
feet
into
her
slippers.
Not
even
thinking
about
why
he
would
be
outside
her
window
this
time
of
night,
she
quickly
tiptoed
down
the
stairs.
Without
turning
on
a
light,
she
entered
the
kitchen
and
opened
the
back
door,
and,
although
it
was
too
dark
for
her
to
see,
she
knew
he
was
there.
Her
nostrils
immediately
picked
up
his
scent.

“Dare?”
she
whispered,
squinting
her
eyes
to
see
him.

“I’m
here.”

And
he
was,
suddenly
looming
over
her,
gazing
down
at
her
with
a
look
in
his
eyes
that
couldn’t
be
disguised.
It
was

desperate,
hot,
intense,
and
it
made
her
own
eyes
sizzle
at
the
same
time
the
area
between
her
legs
began
to
throb.
“I
heard
the
pebbles,”
she
said,
swallowing
deeply.

He
nodded
as
he
continued
to
hold
her
gaze.
“I
was
hoping
you
would
remember
what
it
meant.”

Oh,
she
remembered
all
right.
Her
body
remembered,
too.
“Why
are
you
here?”
she
asked
softly,
feeling
her
insides
heat
up
and
an
incredible
sensation
flow
between
her
legs.
Desire
was
surging
through
every
part
of
her
body
and
she
was
barely
able
to
stand
it.
“What
do
you
want,
Dare?”

He
reached
out
and
placed
both
hands
at
her
waist,

intentionally
pulling
her
closer
so
she
could
feel
his
large,

hard
erection
straining
against
his
jeans.
“I
think
that’s
a
big
indication
of
what
I
want,
Shelly,”
he
murmured
huskily,

leaning
down
as
his
mouth
drew
closer
to
hers.

Ten

S
helly
felt
a
moment
of
panic.
One
part
of
her
mind
tried

telling
her
that
she
didn’t
want
this,
but
another
part,
the
one
ruled
by
her
body,
quickly
convinced
her
that
she
did.
Her

mind
was
swamped
with
the
belief
that
it
didn’t
matter
that
it
hadn’t
been
a
full
week
since
she
laid
eyes
on
Dare
again
after
ten
years.
Nor
did
it
matter
that
there
were
issues
yet
unresolved
between
them.
The
only
thing
that
mattered
was
that
this
was
the
man
she
had
once
loved
to
distraction,
the
man
she
had
given
her
virginity
to
at
seventeen;
the
man

who
had
taught
her
all
the
pleasures
a
man
and
woman

could
share,
and
the
man
who
had
given
her
a
son.
And,

she
inwardly
told
herself,
this
has
nothing
to
do
with
love
but
with
gratifying
our
needs.

Realizing
that
and
accepting
it,
her
body
trembled
as
she
lifted
her
face
to
meet
his,
and
at
that
moment
everything,
including
the
ten
years
that
had
separated
them,

evaporated
and
was
replaced
by
hunger,
intense,
sexual
hunger
that
was
waiting
to
explode
within
her.
He
felt
it
too,
and
his
body
reacted,
drawing
her
closer
and
making
a

groan
escape
from
her
lips.

He
covered
her
mouth
with
his,
zapping
her
senses
in
a

way
that
only
he
could
do.
Fueled
by
the
greed
they
both

felt,
his
kiss
wasn’t
gentle.
It
displayed
all
the
insatiability
he
was
feeling.

And
then
some.

Dare
didn’t
think
he
could
get
enough.
He
wanted
to
get
inside
her,
reacquaint
her
body
with
his
and
give
her
the
satisfaction
she
had
denied
herself
for
ten
years.
He

wanted
to
give
her
him.
He
felt
his
blood
boil
as
he
pulled
his
mouth
from
hers
with
a
labored
breath.
She
was

shaking
almost
violently.
So
was
he.

“Come
with
me.
I’ve
got
a
place
set
up
for
us.”

Nodding,
she
let
him
lead
her
off
the
back
porch
and

through
a
thicket
of
trees
to
a
spot
hidden
by
low

overhanging
branches,
a
place
they
had
once
considered
theirs.
It
was
dark,
but
she
was
able
to
make
out
the
blanket
that
had
been
spread
on
the
ground.
As
always,
he
had

thought
ahead.
He
had
planned
her
seduction
well
this

night.

“Where
did
you
park
your
car?”
she
asked
wondering
how
he
had
managed
things.

“At
the
station.
I
walked
from
there,
using
the
back
way.
And
nobody
saw
me.”

She
nodded.
Evidently
he
had
read
her
mind.
From
the

information
she
had
gotten
from
Ms.
Kate
earlier
today,
the
town
was
buzzing
about
AJ,
wondering
if
Dare
was
actually
too
dim-witted
to
figure
out
her
son
was
his.