Dare to Touch (Dare to Love 3)

“I love dogs, not cats, but my building doesn’t allow pets,” she said, guessing at what had to be the only subject they hadn’t covered.

“Have you ever been in love?” he asked, his expression schooled and unreadable.

She blinked in surprise. “Was that your plan? Ask the easy questions, lull me into a false sense of security, and then hit me hard?”

“I have to answer the same question,” he reminded her.

She blew out a long breath. “I thought I was. But then I saw the type of person he really was, and I realized I couldn’t possibly be in love with someone who could—cheat.” She chickened out at the last minute, opting for the truth, just not all of it.

Dylan frowned at her answer. “Your boyfriend cheated on you?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t have said it if it weren’t true.” She looked away, embarrassed.

“Hey. It’s no reflection on you. It’s his stupidity.”

“Thank you.” She met Dylan’s dark gaze. “I have a different question for you to answer.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Go for it.”

She grinned, seeing that he wasn’t thrilled when the shoe was on the other foot. “Why did you and Meg break up?” She not only wanted to know, she needed to.

“Check and mate,” he said, shaking his head.

“I don’t play chess.”

“But you did just corner me.”

She grinned, pleased with herself. “Well?”

“When the time came to go away to school, I had to ask myself if it was worth the risk to break up and maybe lose her just so I could see other women.” He paused, obviously giving the memory serious thought. “I decided it was … and that made me realize I didn’t really love her. We were just used to each other.”

She exhaled the breath she hadn’t been aware of holding.

“Is that a smile I see?” he asked.

She shrugged. “You spend a lot of time talking to her. It’s good to know how you really feel.”

“Now are we finished talking about exes?”

“I should hope so.”

“Good. Because I’d rather focus on how I feel about you.” He leaned over, pressing her back into the cushions, his lower body in direct contact with hers.

“Feel that?” he asked of his hard, firm erection.

She opened her mouth to answer, but a needy moan came out instead. It was heady, knowing he’d gone to all this effort to make a special evening for them, that she could arouse him and make him want her as much as she wanted him.

“I like hearing what I do to you.” He nuzzled his mouth behind her ear and sucked on her skin.

Ripples of awareness rocketed through her body, and she writhed beneath him, wanting more.

“You know we’re alone here, right? Nobody will come in.”

She shivered at the intent in his tone.

As he spoke, he pulled the strap of her dress over one shoulder and pressed soft kisses over her bared flesh. He continued to unveil her body, sliding her other strap down until her dress settled around her middle.

“Lift up.”