HazardsDare (11 page)

“Only because of how you looked at me when we first met.”

“We talked about this. If I could take back the moment we
met, I’d have kicked Timothy’s pompous ass out of the hospital and held your
hand while you waited for news from surgery. As it was, he was behaving like
your fiancé. No matter what, I won’t steal another man’s woman.”

“He’d asked me to marry him when I tried to break things off
with him. I found out about an apartment he’d been paying rent on that neither
of us used and confronted him about his other woman. He deflected with a ring.”

“But you didn’t take the ring.”

“I told him to keep it for someone who loved him.”

“What did he do?”

“He asked me to think about accepting it, saying a marriage
such as ours shouldn’t be complicated with love. To him, marriage was meant for
procreation and a stepping stone to the right power positions in Kentucky
politics. I got the call about my father the same night.”

“I’ll say it again. I’m glad you got rid of Timothy. He was
not the right man for you.”

“Maybe someday I will find the right guy. It’s for certain
that it’s not Taran Maddox or Remy Sinclair, but perhaps he’s closer than I
realize. I’m not sure I’d know love even if it was looking me right in the
face.”

“You’ll know, Avery. Your heart will.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m happy with you. But I realize it’s
far too early to think forever after.”

“It’s worth more than you may think,” he said, on the inside
feeling as though his heart burst, the pain of it making him rub his sternum to
soothe it.

He didn’t know why he’d reacted like that. A night of
fucking did not translate into a lifetime of love. Not for him. Love hurt.
Sometimes it destroyed relationships. He knew. He’d suffered the consequences
of what happened when love turned into hate.

Sadly, his failed marriage wasn’t the only one he’d had to
go by. His parents divorced after years of bitter arguments and slammed doors.
The shouts always made him feel guilty for being conceived in a seedy hotel
room the night of his parents’ senior prom.

They’d stayed married through three more children, his
brothers and sister scattered about the country, living their own lives now. It
wasn’t as if he didn’t see Chloe, Eric or Jacob. They spent holidays together
whenever possible and they all had nice kids.

Chloe and her husband Robert had three children, their
youngest son, Sean, was autistic. It was because of his nephew that he created
a research and scholarship fund for families to send their special needs
children to the best schools.

Over Thanksgiving, Eric confided in him about seeing another
woman. His wife suspected nothing and Hazard was sworn to secrecy. He tried to
talk sense into Eric, but Eric was debating leaving Angie for his younger
mistress, claiming he didn’t want to stay married to a woman who was too busy
working or taking their daughters to soccer practices and flute lessons to have
sex.

Of all his siblings’ marriages, he’d thought Eric and
Angie’s was the most sound. Both were financially secure, with Angie being a
real estate agent in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Eric having his own dental
practice. Their daughters were teenagers now. Their family portraits showcased
a happy family.

To learn things weren’t nearly the way they appeared had
broken his heart.

Snatching up a piece of bacon from his plate, he munched it.
Distracted from his negative thoughts by the way Avery stuck a forkful of food
into her mouth and sighed as if the taste made her come, he was half tempted to
slip beneath the table and open up her robe to taste her until she came on his
face.

“Is it good?” he asked after swallowing the bacon.

“Perfect! How about you, Hazard? Have you ever been in
love?”

Taking his coffee in hand, he drank it too fast, burning his
tongue a little. “Um-hmm,” he murmured his yes, swallowing the black coffee.
“My high school sweetheart, loved her, married her, gave her everything I had
at the time.”

“If I may, what happened?”

“Things turned seriously ugly less than a year into it and
we separated. After the divorce, she became a money-grubbing bitch who’s now
married to the owner of the first team I played for. Apparently, a rookie
linebacker didn’t make enough money to support her in the manner she was used
to.”

“I’m so sorry.” Her compassion was genuine. She set her food
aside and came over to him, surprising him by sitting on his lap.

“It’s okay. Our marriage wasn’t meant to be. For some,
marriage isn’t. I wish I’d figured it out before the vows were spoken. As it
is, I’m never making the same mistake twice.”

“Don’t judge the future based on your past. You might miss
what’s right in front of you.”

Her words soothed him as nothing else could. “So could you,
baby,” he heard himself say, hugging her close and thanking her for not asking
too many probing questions. “Seems to me we’re both too scared of what was to
see what could be.”

Keeping her on his lap, he reached over for her fork and
slowly fed her waffles and whipped cream. With each bite, she sighed in
pleasure. Carefully, he helped her sip coffee and nibble on bacon.

After she finished, he cleaned his plate and set her on her
feet.

“Can I take a shower?” he asked.

“Please do,” she said. “I’m going to enjoy a cup of coffee
on the balcony. There’s an incredible view of Main Street.”

Watching her pour a fresh cup of coffee and take it with
her, he wondered if it was already too late. Had he fallen in love with Avery
Grant already?

And if he was in danger of giving her more than a temporary
fling, of giving her his heart, why he wasn’t panicking? Maybe it was the fact
that they’d become more than lovers over the night. They’d become friends.

He’d never given up on a friendship. He wouldn’t start with
Avery.

The morning air was downright crisp in Nevada. Avery didn’t
mind. The brisk temperature helped cool her off.

Hazard radiated sexual heat at all times. Even after they
had morning sex, she’d not been completely satiated. Satisfied, oh yes, she’d
had an incredible orgasm. She always did with him.

But the more they had sex, the more she wanted. The sexual
tension didn’t lessen, it got stronger as the night turned into morning.

Hazard was generous and wonderful in bed, not to mention
super sexy and gifted. He’d already showed her things she’d never dare to try
with anyone else. She looked forward to the remainder of the week.

Yet in the back of her mind, she knew the week would end.
Last night, he’d hinted that they might take their relationship beyond their
days and nights in Dare. Avery would like that very much. But she didn’t want
to scare him off.

She hadn’t missed how gun-shy he was about commitment. It
was more than that, though. He was gun-shy about marriage. His ex-wife must
have done a number on his heart. What she couldn’t do was try to change him.
She could show him that she was nothing like his ex-wife and hope the change of
heart came from within him.

Wrapping her robe around her a little tighter, Avery sipped
on her coffee and looked down at the street below. The height of the sun
indicated it was about eight o’clock. Traffic was nonexistent, she figured,
because those out for late-night fun were still sleeping.

Off on the horizon, she could see the silhouettes of the
Sierra Nevada Mountains. The scenic, ice-capped crests were created long ago,
but the jagged heights indicated they were still young compared to the mountain
ranges on the East Coast.

The fresh air of Dare was worth a day in a spa. It was
crisp, clean and unspoiled by too many cars or houses or tourists. She hoped
Dare maintained its reputation as a small town with Vegas fun and amenities.

The door to the balcony slid open. The rush of warm hotel room
air brushed up against her back a second before Hazard’s arms came around her
middle. Already the vibrant arousal that never seemed to go dormant took flight
with nervous excitement within her as his giant hand splayed out and slipped
inside her robe.

“Hazard.”

“Um-hmm?” he answered, brushing her hair out of his way to
nuzzle the side of her neck with kisses.

This time, his face felt smooth. “You shaved,” she said,
naturally bending her head to the left, exposing her throat to his clever,
wandering mouth.

“There were a couple disposable razors. I figured you’d
appreciate the lack of razor stubble.” Silky smooth, his chin and jaw felt
heavenly. His mouth felt warm, familiar, making her ache.

Hazard’s hand began to move, caressing upward so that his
thumb brushed her nipple. “Hmm, keep that up, we’ll be late for our
appointments, Hazard.”

“I know. I have to leave soon. But maybe we can have some
fun until we meet up later?”

“What do you have in mind?”

His hand shifted downward, aiming straight for her quim. As
big and long as his fingers were, it was a matter of adjusting his stance and
his index finger slid home, finding her clit with ease.

“Oh my,” she uttered, giving in and loving it.

He drew her away from the balcony, hugging her closer and
continuing to run kisses up and down her neck while he rubbed her clitoris. He
smelled clean and cinnamon fresh, his hair a little damp from the recent
shower.

About to drop her head back to his shoulder and let go of
her coffee cup, something odd caught Avery’s eye. Focusing on what she was
seeing, she saw a guy in a baseball cap walk out from a hotel kitty-corner to
where the Dare Hotel and Spa resided.

Was that John from the night before? She was pretty sure it
was, especially after he paused and seemed to look directly up at her and
Hazard. Even though they were on the sixth floor and she didn’t think John
could see what she and Hazard had been doing, Avery couldn’t shake off the
chill that slithered down her spine as he stared at them.

“Avery, what’s wrong?” Hazard asked, drawing back. “You
froze up.”

“Sorry, I think that’s John, the guy who’d given me his room
number last night,” she commented, gesturing to the man a block away.

Hazard looked in the direction she’d indicated. “I think
you’re right.”

Fortunately, John turned and started walking away.

“Something’s off about that guy. The way he stared at us was
creepy.”

Hazard frowned. “Did he have a camera or cellphone?”

“Not that I could see.”

Avery moved so she could watch John walk at a brisk pace
away from his hotel. A second or two later, another man rushed out of the
hotel. He shouted. John slowed, turning back. The other guy rushed forward.

A second later, the two caught up with each other and shared
a kiss that left nothing to the imagination. Even at the slight distance, it
was easy to tell they were into each other.

“Well, hello, I know the second guy. Guess they’re a
couple,” Hazard said.

“Certainly looks that way,” Avery said, deciding to step
back and give the couple their privacy. “How do you know the other guy?”

“He’s visited Dare a few times, name’s Billy Grainger.”

“Really?”

“He’s a baseball player who was expelled from the game for
steroid abuse. Guess he’s laying low so the press doesn’t hound him.”

“Steroids are foolish,” Avery stated.

“Can’t agree more with you. They have nasty side effects
that aren’t worthy ruining my career over, among them erectile dysfunction.”

“Good thing, Hazard. We’ve the better part of a week left. I
hope to spend much of that time fucking you.”

Hazard’s hand came to rest gently against her chin, bringing
her around to face him. “I consider myself lucky to be the man you want. But
who’s to say the week doesn’t progress to something more substantial?”

“Do you want more with me, Hazard?”

“Yes, I do. Do you want more with me, Avery Grant?”

“I’d like that.”

“Then kiss me and I’ll get out of your hair for the rest of
the day. I wouldn’t want to make you late for the spa.”

Her heart soaring with the possibility that they really
would last longer than a week, Avery grinned and leaned into him. Hazard kept
one arm at her waist, helping to keep her balanced when she went up on tiptoe
and kissed him.

Their first morning kiss was passionate, yet lovingly
gentle. As if he didn’t want to let go, he lingered, seeking permission to
deepen the kiss. When at last he drew back, Avery was already anticipating
their date.

“I should go,” he murmured, kissing her forehead.

“Too bad you can’t stay.”

“If I’d not promised to help Jax around his house today, I’d
stay.”

“You can’t break a promise to a friend.” Avery stepped back.
“If you did, I’d be disappointed.”

“Thank you for understanding. Do me a favor and get your
cellphone. I want to add my number to your contact list.”

Avery practically skipped inside the hotel room to find her
phone on the side table where he’d placed it last night. Handing it over, she
watched him turn it on and tap the screen.

“My number’s saved in your contacts. Give it a try, text me
or something.”

Avery texted him as asked. Pulling his phone out of his
pocket, he texted her back. She’d read it later.

“Don’t hesitate to call me if you need something, anything,
you hear? I’ll keep in touch today. If you don’t return a call or a text, I’ll
worry.”

“Are you turning into my bodyguard, Hazard?”

“Guarding your body isn’t such a bad thing, is it?”

“No. I want to be sure we’re on the same page.”

“I’m looking out for you, Avery, yes. But there’s nothing to
worry about. I want you to have a great time at the spa and enjoy your
chocolate massage.”

“Thank you. It’s a relief to have a friend in a strange
place. Maybe tonight at the club I can get to know Jaxon better if he’s there.”