Dare to Touch (Dare to Love 3)

He leaned in close. “I was hoping there’d be plenty of times you wouldn’t need much in the way of clothing.”

She sucked in a shallow breath. “You’re bad, Mr. Rhodes.”

“I can’t wait to show you just how bad I can be.”

* * *

At eight a.m. the morning of their departure for Arizona, Olivia dragged her suitcase behind her through the terminal in Miami Airport. She wore a light blue pantsuit, knowing that as soon as she hit the hotel in Phoenix, she would change into more casual clothing; but for now, she represented the team. She made it through check-in and security, then stopped to buy herself a bottle of water before heading to the gate and settling in. Typical, she was punctual to a fault, early when she flew, and she was the only person from the team at the gate, so she settled in with her iPad and headphones.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She glanced up to see Marcus Bigsby standing over her. If she’d been outdoors, he’d be blocking her sunlight completely. He was that large.

She pulled her earphones from her ears and glanced up at him. “Hey, Marcus. Fancy meeting you here.”

“Good morning, Miss Olivia.”

She smiled at his formality. He could be so proper sometimes, so troublesome others. “It’s bright and early, that’s for sure. You all set for Phoenix?”

He settled his large frame into an empty seat across from her. “I guess.”

She frowned. “It’s your third Pro Bowl. Aren’t you excited?”

“Yeah. But my mama’s mad at me for sending Wendell home. She thinks I need family by my side.”

“You don’t need a keeper. You just need to trust yourself a little more.” And Wendell a little less, but she didn’t say that out loud.

“You believe that?”

She nodded. “I do.” For all the self-confidence he had on the field, he was sadly lacking in it in other areas. But his teammates liked him and had taken him under their wing, and things could only get better from him from here on in.

“Big, my man!” Glenn Sanders, the Thunder’s running back, made his arrival. At five feet ten inches, small by football standards, the blond-haired player strode over, and the two men exchanged handshakes. “It’s a good morning to fly!” Glenn said with a grin before turning to her. “Hey there, Ms. Dare.”

She smiled at him. “Looks like you’re a morning person.”

He laughed and grabbed the seat next to Marcus. Grateful the other man had a diversion from thinking about his cousin, Olivia returned to her reading, only to be distracted a few minutes later by a familiar masculine scent.

“Miss me?” Dylan asked as he smoothly slid into the empty seat beside her.

She shook her head. “Too busy picking out clothes and packing,” she lied as she pretended to continue reading a magazine on her tablet. In reality, she couldn’t focus on anything but the man beside her and how just his very presence had lit up her day.

“You really know how to hurt a man’s feelings.” He leaned in close, nuzzled his nose against her neck, breathing in deep. “You smell good.”

So did he. She closed her eyes and inhaled his musky scent once more before wriggling to the far side of her chair. “We don’t want the players noticing us.” She turned and met his amused gaze.

“I don’t think they’d care.”

Neither did she, but there was something to be said for acting professional. “We need to set a good example for them.”

Dylan stared at her long and hard for a minute before turning to the other men. “Anyone want some coffee?” he asked.

Marcus, Glenn, and Sawyer, who’d joined them, shook their heads. “No thanks,” came a chorus.

“Well, I do.” He rose to his feet. “Come with me.” He grasped her hand and pulled her to her feet.

“Bossy much?” she muttered. “Hang on.” She slid her hand from his. She placed her iPad into her travel bag and pulled out her small purse. “Guys, watch my things?”

The players nodded.

Dylan gestured for her to walk ahead of him. She couldn’t help but take in his outfit, the black slacks and cream shirt that gave him a sophisticated, sexy air. Her awareness of him shot up several more notches, making her desire to keep their relationship a secret even more difficult.