A Little Dare

instead of standing with her in the light, he went and sat in the porch swing that was located in a darkened corner. She sucked in a breath. If he thought for one minute that she

would join him in that swing, he had another thought

coming. As far as she was concerned, they could converse just fine right where they were.

“So how did AJ behave tonight?” she asked, deciding to plunge right in, since there was no reason to prolong the moment.

She heard the swing’s slow rocking when he replied. “To my surprise, very well. In fact, his manners were

impeccable, but then it was obvious that he was trying to

impress Thorn.” Dare chuckled “He pretty much tried

ignoring me, but my brothers picked up on what he was

doing and wrecked those plans. Whenever he tried

excluding me from the conversation, they counteracted and included me. Pretty soon he gave up, after finding out the hard way an important lesson about the Westmorelands.”

“Which is?”

“We stick together, no matter what.”

Shelly nodded. She’d known that from previous years.

“But I must admit there was this one time when they were ready to disclaim me as their brother,” Dare said,

chuckling.

Shelly rested her back against the post and crossed her legs. “And what time was that?”

“The night I ended things with you. They thought I was crazy to give you up for any reason. And that included a career.”

She nervously rubbed her hands up and down her arms, not wanting to talk about what used to be between them. “Well, all that’s in the past, Dare. Is there anything else about

tonight I should know?” she asked, trying to keep their

conversation moving along.

“Yes, there is something else.”

She sought out his features, but could barely make them out in the darkened corner of the porch. “What?”

“I gave AJ reason to believe that I’m interested in you again.”

Shelly nodded. “And how did he handle that?”

Dare smiled. “He had something to say about it, if that’s what you’re asking. Just how far he’ll go to make sure nothing develops between us I can’t rightly say.”

Shelly nodded again. Neither could she. Personally, she

thought AJ’s dislike of Dare was a phase he was going

through, but a very important phase in his life, and she

didn’t want to do anything to make things worse with him.

“In that case, more than likely he’ll have a talk with me about it.”

Dare leaned back against the swing. “And what do you plan to say when he does?”

Shelly sighed. “Basically, everything we agreed I should say. I’m to let him know he’s the one who has a beef with you, not me, and therefore I don’t have a problem with

reestablishing our relationship.”

Dare heard her words. Although they were fabricated for

AJ’s benefit, they sounded pretty damn good to him, and he wished they were true, because he certainly didn’t have a

problem reestablishing anything with her.

He looked over at Shelly and saw how she leaned against the post while silhouetted by the glow from the moon. His gaze zeroed on the fact that she stood with her legs

crossed. Tight. She had once told him that she had a

tendency to stand with her legs crossed really tight

whenever she felt a deep throbbing ache between them. Evidently she had forgotten sharing that piece of

information with him some years ago.

“Well, if that about covers everything, then we’d best call it a night.”

Her words interrupted his thought, and he figured they could do better than just call it a night. Calling it a “night of

seduction” sounded more to his liking. Some inner part of him wanted to know if she wanted him as much as he

wanted her, and there was only one way to find out.

“Come sit with me for a while, Shelly,” he said, his voice husky.

Shelly swallowed and met his gaze. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Dare.”

“I do. It’s a beautiful night and I think we should enjoy it before saying goodnight.”

Enjoy it or enjoy each other? Shelly was tempted to ask, but decided she wouldn’t go there with Dare. Once he got her in that swing that would be the end of it. Or the beginning of it, depending on the way you looked at it. Her body was

responding to him in the most unsettled and provocative

way tonight. All he had to do was to touch her one time

and…

“Let me give you what you need, Shelly.”

He saw her chin lift defiantly, and he saw the way she

frowned at him. “And what makes you think that you know

what I need?”

“Your legs.”

She raised a confused brow. “What about my legs?”

“They’re crossed, and pretty damn tight.”

Shelly’s heart missed a beat and the throbbing between her legs increased. He had remembered. A long, seemingly

endless moment of silence stretched out between them.

She could see his features. They were as tight as her legs were crossed. And the gaze that held hers was like a

magnet, drawing her in, second by tantalizing second.

She shook her head, trying to deny her body what it wanted, what it evidently needed, but it had a mind of its own and

wasn’t adhering to any protest she was making. The man

sitting on the swing watching her, waiting for her, had a

history of being able to pleasure her in every possible way. He knew it and she knew it as well.

Breathing deeply, she found herself slowly crossing the

porch toward him, out of the light and into the darkness, out from temptation and into a straight path that led to

seduction. She came to a stop between his spread knees and when their legs touched, she sucked in a deep breath at the same time she heard him suck in one, too. And when she felt his hand reach under her skirt skimming her inner thigh, her knees almost turned to mush.

His voice was husky and ultra sexy when he spoke. “This morning I had to know if your mouth still knew me. Now I want to find out if this,” he said, gliding his warm hand

upward, boldly touching the crotch of her panties, “knows me as well.”

Her eyes fluttered closed and she automatically reached

out and placed both hands on his shoulders for support. A part of her wanted to scream Yes! Her body knew him as the last man…the only man…to stake a claim in this

territory, but she was incapable of speech. All she could do was stand there and wait to see what would happen next and hope she could handle it.

She didn’t have to wait long; the tips of Dare’s fingers

slowly began messaging the essence of her as he

relentlessly stroked his hand over the center of her panties.

“You’re hot, Shelly,” he said, his voice huskier than before. “Sit down in my lap facing me.”

Dare had to move his body forward then sideways for her to accommodate his request. The arrangement brought her face just inches from his. His hand was still between her

legs.

He leaned forward and captured her mouth, giving her a

kiss that made the one they’d shared that morning seemed complacent. Her senses became frenzied and aroused,

and the feel of his hand stroking her only added to her

turmoil. And when she felt his fingers inch past the edge of her bikini panties, she released a deep moan.

“Yeah, baby, that’s the sound I want to hear,” he said after releasing her lips. “Open your legs a little wider and tell me how you like this.”

Before she could completely comply with his request, he

slid three fingers inside her, and when he found that too

tight a fit, backed out and went with two. “You’re pretty snug in there, baby,” he whispered as his fingers began moving in and out of her in a rhythm meant to drive her insane.

“How do you like this?”

“I love it,” she whispered, clenching his shoulders with her hands. “Oh, Dare, it’s been so long.”

He leaned closer and traced the tips of her lips with his

tongue before moving to nibble at her ear. She was about to go up in smoke, and he couldn’t help but wonder how long it had been for her, since this was making her come apart so quickly and easily. He asked, “how long has it

been, Shelly?”

She met his gaze and drew in a trembling breath. “Not since you, Dare.”

His fingers went still; his jaw tightened and his gaze locked with hers. “You mean that you haven’t done this since we…”

She didn’t let him finished as she closed her mouth over

his, snatching his words and his next breath in the process. But the thought that no other man had touched her since

him sent his mind escalating, his entire body trembling. No wonder her legs had been crossed so tightly and he

intended to make it good for her.

His fingers began moving inside her again and her muscles automatically clenched around them. She was tight and wet and the scent of her arousal was driving him insane. He

broke off the kiss, desperately needing to taste her.

“Unbutton your top, Shelly.”

She released her hands from his shoulders and slowly

unbuttoned her blouse, then unsnapped the front opening of her bra. As soon as her breasts poured forth, looming

before him, he began sucking, nibbling and licking his way to heaven. He moved his fingers within her using the same rhythm his tongue was using on her breasts.

He felt the moment her body shook and placed his mouth over hers to absorb her moans of pleasure when spasms tore into her. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders as he