I Dare You (Truth And Dare Duet 2)

Instead of his usual attire of jeans and a shirt, he was wearing black pants, a white buttoned-up shirt and a black tie. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, his thick forearms coiled with muscles. My stomach fluttered at the sight of him…all casual elegance and so sinfully looking.

Maddox sauntered over to me, his eyes dark and intense. “Now that you’re in the dress, I don’t want to leave the room,” he said hoarsely.

“Why?” My voice dropped to a whisper. “Do you like it?”

He stood in front of me, a mere inch away. So close, I could feel the warmth of him. He smelled clean…his aftershave and favorite cologne mixed with his manly scent. I’d recognize his scent anywhere, even in a crowded room.

Maddox took another step, until our bodies were flushed against each other. His breath skated over my cheeks. I could smell the mint on his breath, and I’d bet he had gum hidden somewhere in his mouth. “I like it too much.”

I swallowed, my mouth was suddenly dry, and my tongue didn’t seem to work. “Um… can… you help me?”

There was a single heartbeat, a short second, a throbbing moment, before his hand came around my hips. Maddox turned me around, so I was facing the mirror. With my back against his front, we stared at each other.

There was a look in his eyes, the intensity of his blue gaze unnerved me. Eye contact was a dangerous, dangerous thing. It spoke a thousand unsaid words; words we were too scared to speak.

His fingers skimmed over my bare back, and I fought back a shiver. My toes curled around the soft carpet, and my eyes fluttered shut as his head lowered to my neck. His lips whispered over my skin, and his teeth grazed my shoulders sharply, before laving his tongue over the bite.

I felt him inhale, breathing me in.

I exhaled a shuddering breath in response.

My heart catapulted in my chest when his lips ghosted behind my ear, a tender kiss. I didn’t want him to stop touching me. There was magic in his touch, I was dizzy and drunk on Maddox.

His fingers worked the thin straps, and he tied a single knot, before his hands landed on my hips again. “Black is your color, but white makes you look like an angel who has descended on earth. Although, instead of bringing peace, you’re wreaking havoc on my heart.”

Thud. Thud. Thud.

My heart was falling… breaking… a loud shatter that echoed in my ears. I wasn’t going to survive the next five days with Maddox.

His grip tightened on my hips. “Leave your hair down.”

I licked my lips and eyed him through the mirror. “You’re really demanding today.” Like always.

Maddox half-shrugged before he flashed me a dimpled smirk. “You like it.”

“Say please.”

“What?”

“First step of wooing me: stop being such an arrogant asshole. Say please.”

His thumb brushed against my hips, moving back and forth. It was a teasing touch through the thin fabric of my dress.

“Please.” My womb tingled at the low rasp, his voice thicker than usual.

Holy. Shit!

Maddox Coulter just said please.

“Shall we, little dragon?”

I nodded, simply speechless. He really was serious about wooing me. Maddox didn’t have a single romantic bone in him, but he was trying.

I wasn’t strong enough to escape his attempts.

I just knew…

By the end of our Paris affair, I was going to lose my heart to Maddox – the heartbreaker.

Hours later, my feet were sore from walking around the streets of Paris, and my stomach rumbled with hunger. I was just thankful Maddox had suggested I put on my flats, instead of heels, when we left the hotel this morning.

Now, the day was slowly coming to an end.

And what a beautiful day it had been.

A date, a… real… date with Maddox Coulter.

We spent the morning at the Modern Art Museum. True, it was boring for Maddox, but he did it for me. He knew how much I loved museums and viewing collections of art over hundreds of years. Paris was rich with culture, and I’d never grow tired of exploring the heart of France.

For lunch, we settled for a small picnic at Champs De Mars, a 60-acre garden that used to grow vegetables and grapevines in the sixteenth century until it was repurposed for military training by Napoleon’s nearby academy. Today, we could just enjoy the view of the garden while having lunch.

We later explored the Trocadero gardens and had our dessert there, from ice cream vendors. Maddox had his favorite mango flavor, and I chose chocolate mint.

Everything had been so… perfect. As childish as it sounded, I didn’t want the day to ever end.

It would have been the same scene if we had explored Paris as friends. A normal outing between two best friends. We would have gone to the same places, ate the same food…