Dare To Resist (Dare Nation 1)

As she reached the bottom step, he let out a low whistle. “You’re gorgeous.”

A light flush rose to her cheeks. “Thank you.” She stepped up to him and pulled on either side of his bowtie. “You’re pretty hot yourself, Mr. Prescott.” In her high heels, she didn’t have to lift onto her tiptoes to lean in and press a kiss on one side of his mouth, then the other.

“Marking me?” he asked with a grin, lifting a hand to wipe his mouth in case she’d left red marks. He couldn’t walk into the banquet with lipstick on him.

“Actually it’s long-wear and smudge-proof. You’re safe.”

Looking at the seductress in the formfitting dress, he wasn’t so sure.

* * *

Quinn watched Austin schmoozing businessmen, athletes, and reporters, struck by how at ease he was with a variety of different types of people. How much others gravitated toward him, men and women alike. And while he did his thing, he kept a strong arm around her waist, hanging on to her as if she were his date and not his assistant.

She refused to overthink anything about his actions or her emotions or how good she felt against his hard, hot body. Instead she enjoyed the night. How could she not when Austin in a tuxedo took her breath away? His scruff, a permanent fixture, made him sexier than if he were clean-shaven. And his masculine scent was not only a turn-on but it reminded her of the nights she spent tangled in his arms. The fact that she knew she’d end the evening in his bed made the mingling part of this event more bearable.

“Austin?” an unfamiliar voice called.

He turned. “Alex! Good to see you!”

The two men embraced with a quick hug and slap on the back. “Alex Dare, this is my … assistant, Quinn Stone. Quinn, my cousin Alex.” The word cousin slid smoothly off his tongue. He really had adapted to his new reality.

She looked at the handsome man, giving him a warm smile. His brown hair and matching eyes made for a striking combination, and like Austin, his muscular frame filled out his tuxedo.

“Hi, Alex. Nice to meet you.” She knew this was Ian Dare’s half brother.

“Same here. And this is my wife, Madison.”

A pretty woman with blonde hair and blue eyes grinned back. “Hi, Austin. It’s been awhile. Hello, Quinn. Nice to meet you, too.”

Austin chuckled, the sound low and deep, settling in Quinn’s stomach.

“Well, you two and your many kids, your traveling for the Thunder … keeps you busy,” Austin said. He glanced at Quinn. “Alex and Madison run a foundation for the Thunder that teaches athletes how to prepare for life after football. Especially those with concussion issues and CTE,” he said of the brain injury that was debilitating for many football players and was only diagnosed postmortem.

She nodded. “I’ve read a lot about your work. I think it’s wonderful. And Madison, it’s great to meet you. I also heard about your foster kids. What you two do … it’s just amazing.” Madison and her husband took in foster children who needed homes. Some they adopted, some they kept until they moved on. Whatever was best for the children. She’d heard Ian mention it more than once.

Madison smiled. “We love our kids and our lives. And it was cool to discover there were more Dares,” she said to Austin, a grin on her pretty face.

“Well, well. Everyone is here.” Ian Dare joined them, his wife, Riley, by his side.

“Look at us, one big, happy family. Should I say we’ve come a long way?” Alex asked, letting out a laugh.

Riley, a pretty brunette, rolled her eyes. “How about not?”

Apparently the Dare family dynamic was unique on all sides. Sperm donation for the Prescotts, and Paul’s brother, Robert, had two families at the same time. It had taken Ian awhile to accept Alex and his siblings, but they were now close, according to Austin.

“Always the wiseass,” Ian muttered. “I’d worry if you changed.”

Everyone laughed.

The night went on, the Dare family mingling more than not, everyone friendly to Quinn. She liked Ian’s and Alex’s wives, and they went out of their way to be open, warm, and genuine. Given Quinn’s experience with many of the sports wives, Madison and Riley were a welcome change.

Quinn excused herself to go to the ladies’ room and, when she finished, made her way back to the bar area, needing a glass of water for her dry throat.

“Quinn? Is that you?” a familiar voice called, and a frisson of unease wrapped its way around her. She turned. “Daniel, hello.” She faced her ex-fiancé, who stood in his tux, an arm around an attractive woman with dark hair and the beginnings of a pregnant belly.

She swallowed hard.

“Hi, Quinn. I thought that was you.”

She smiled at him. “Yes, this is an event that’s part of my job. What are you doing here?” Last she’d heard, college professors didn’t come to sporting foundation events.