Dare To Tempt (Dare Nation 2)

She was nervous about the fact that he was certain his mother would follow up with a lunch date, but he assured her his mom was harmless and insisted they weren’t lying to her since, right now, they were together. And he promised Evie would enjoy his mom. That’s what frightened her. She was becoming overly involved in Damon’s life. Getting to know his friends and family. It was going to be hard to go their separate ways when his case was over and her ex was finally behind bars, where he belonged.

But she put the thoughts out of her head because she had to dress for their last night, when they were meeting the guys for a final get-together before their plane ride home in the morning.

After a delicious meal, they headed back to the house and sat around on the patio overlooking the ocean. The guys smoked cigars, Damon passing because he was in season, regardless of the suspension.

“Damon, have you given any thought to the business proposition we had for you?” Nick, who was mostly silent, surprised Evie by speaking first.

She swung her gaze his way, then glanced at Damon, knowing her curiosity was all over her face.

“We have a new promotional campaign planned for Dirty Dog Vodka, and we want Damon to be the face of the brand. Up until now, he’s mostly been a silent partner. We think his mug will sell alcohol, especially to women.” Asher winked at Evie. “Think you can convince him?”

“I don’t know. Damon?”

Folding his arms across his chest, he shook his head. “I think it’s a fucking ridiculous idea. For one thing, my reputation at the moment is shit.”

Asher shook his head, then flicked the ash of his cigar. “This is a blip in time. It’s not going to last forever. We can help you rehabilitate your rep. Everyone loves you, Damon. Rise above it and show you aren’t in hiding.”

Damon frowned at his words. “I’ll think about it.”

She narrowed her gaze, knowing that meant he’d already made up his mind against it, but she had news that might change how he felt. “So, when I was digging around online, I discovered that Emerson’s father and Doc were fraternity buddies at Duke.”

Damon’s feet, which had been resting on the table, dropped to the floor. “What?”

She nodded. “It’s not proof, mind you, but it’s a link. And when we were in Doc’s office and I asked if he kept in touch with college friends, he never mentioned knowing Emerson’s father. That’s odd, don’t you think?”

Damon’s eyes blazed with hope.

“What’s going on?” Asher placed his glass on the table and met Evie’s gaze. The other two men listened intently.

She sighed. “I’m trying to figure out who benefits from Damon testing positive, and the only person I can come up with is the backup quarterback.”

She went on to explain how she’d tested Damon’s pain patch because she’d suspected the trainer of giving him drugs, but that had come up empty.

“Anyway, when we went to the doctor the other day, I noticed he attended the same university as Gregory Emerson’s father. A little more digging and I discovered they were two years apart but in the same fraternity.” Evie couldn’t help sounding proud of herself. She was due for a win.

“So you think … what? Emerson got his father to get Doc to slip him PEDs?” Nick asked.

“Something like that. It’s just a starting point,” she warned them. “But I’m going to prove that Damon is innocent.”

The guys stared at her, approval in their eyes and expressions.

She planned to live up to their expectations.

* * *

On the flight home, Damon held her hand as they took off. The luxurious jet had a bedroom in the back and plenty of seating, where nobody felt like they were in a sardine can like a typical airplane. Black-and-white marble accented the inside of the jet, and she was in awe of her lavish surroundings.

And with Damon by her side, she was as relaxed as she’d been on the island.

“Back to reality,” he said, turning his head to meet her gaze.

She smiled. “Yeah. This was incredible. Thanks for letting me tag along.”

His grin warmed her inside and out.

Evie waited until they landed in Miami to turn on her phone and the messages came pouring in. “What in the world?”

“What’s wrong?” Damon asked.

“A lot of messages.” Instead of listening to her voicemails, she checked her texts first, her stomach twisting as she read Mack’s words. “My apartment was broken into.” She clenched her fingers around the phone. “That stupid asshole!”

“What?” Damon stiffened beside her.

She blew out a long breath, trying to analyze and not panic. “I don’t have anything of value to speak of, and I’m sure he realizes I haven’t been there in days, but you know John wants to scare me.”