Dare To Love Series: A Kissing Dare (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read online

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  A Kissing Dare

  (Carly Phillips Dare to Love Kindle World: Dare to Desire spinoff)

  Yvette Hines

  A Kissing Dare

  He’s used to being the one doing the tackling, but when love is before him will he grab hold or let it slip by him?

  Donovan “The Tank” Clay once stood at the top of his game, a great NFL defensive lineman for the Miami Thunder. An injury sidelined him and now he has to fight for what was his. On multiple levels life is starting to come at him hard and fast and he feels seconds away from landing flat on his backend. With all the distractions before him, he’s blindsided by an unexpected move by a curvaceous beauty. When it comes to relationships he’s always kept low, only engaging when necessary, but this woman has a hold on him he can’t break away from.

  Jo’el Gifford is a numbers girl, intelligent and a go-getter, but only in her career. Everything else for her has been placed in a miscellaneous column that she will get around to calculating the time investment profitable potential—eventually. One night she allows her older sister to drag her out to a bachelorette bar crawl and everything changes. On a dare she approaches a sexy, new steel, gray-eyed stranger and one plus one soon starts to equal the two of them in ways she’d never conceived possible. However, she doesn’t have time to think about a man when her job and a company president start making demands she may not be able to accomplish. Can love be the missing factor to her problem?

  Chapter One

  How was it that one man could be so damn sexy? It wasn’t possible. She stared at the man across the establishment from her and could not deny what she saw. Wide shoulders, thick biceps and legs. Oh, lord, the man’s legs appeared to be as thick as his arms. She swallowed, but her mouth was so dry her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. Pulling her drink closer to her, she took a healthy sip through the straw. For a long moment she kept sipping and swallowing as she stared. He was like icing on a cake, placed before her to be licked. One thing that people knew about her was that she adored thick, sweet buttercream frosting. It was one of her vices. Really her only vice. She was as straight arrowed as they came.

  Maybe I have a new vice. She felt a giggle bubble up in her throat as she took in the sight of the man. Usually she didn’t get eye candy pics from her friends on social media. No Man Candy Monday, or Hallelujah Hunk Friday and if they every sent her a semi-nude Hump Day photo she would probably fall out of her seat in shock. No, drooling over men had never been her thing. However, if she’d accidently been on the receiving end of a shot of the sexy specimen on the other side of her glass now, she would make him her screen saver. Just something to perk her up when the numbers she constantly analyzed got too humdrum.

  Where did he find a suit that fit him so well? Tailor made, it had to be tailor made—

  “Tell or dare.” Her sister Marcy’s high-pitched voice intruded into her thoughts.

  “Dare,” she murmured to herself around the straw. Unsure of who she was speaking to and half paying attention to the silliness the other ladies in her booth were engaged in, she turned away from Mr. Saturday Special and looked around the table. It didn’t take all of her smarts to realize everyone was staring at her.

  Maybe I should have been paying more attention. Jo’el took another sip realizing it was her last of the mixed drink. Moving the glass to the center where a lot of empty ones from the ladies were placed, she then glanced at her sister. “What?”

  All the women, who were acting more like teenage girls began to giggle and laugh. They’d had way too much to drink. Jo’el shook her head at whatever nonsense they were hatching up now. However, the swiveling of her head made her vision blur a little and her brain feel as if it had moved more than a few seconds later after her head did.

  Lifting a hand, Jo’el rubbed her temple. Not sure what effect that would have on the loopiness of her brain, but she always remembered in movies intoxicated people did it. The bachelorette crawl party was now in its third bar and Jo’el was shocked she was leaning strongly toward being drunk. She’d insured she kept to the milder drinks; one frozen pina colada at bar one, one frozen mango daiquiri at the next and here she’d gotten a simple ice tea.

  “Come on, Jo’el…Tell or dare?” Marcy nudged her with her with an elbow to her side.

  “What? It’s not my turn. I didn’t say I was even playing.” Jo’el start

  Riley Dare slapped her hand on the table. She was the cousin, or in-law or best friend or something to the bride-to-be Jo’el couldn’t recall because the Dare family had so many familial tentacles it was hard to keep track. The multiple glasses clinked together. “Everyone is playing. That is the point of a bachelorette party…all in. So spit it out tell or dare?”

  “She said Dare!” one of the ladies declared pointing at her across the booth.

  “No I didn’t.” Jo’el shook her head fast trying to deny it. The movement wasn’t any more of a smart idea this time then it had been a moment ago. Everything went topsy-turvy for a moment and she wasn’t sure if she was going to be sick or lose consciousness. For a second she thought about ordering more water or another glass of tea to help clear up the two drinks she’d had earlier.

  “Yes, you did. You mumbled it, but you still said it.” The bride-to-be, added in as she clapped her hands in excitement.

  Jo’el focused on the pretty, sleek woman in the tiara and bridal sash trying to recall what her sister had said her name was. Was she a Dare or marrying a Dare? Monica? Margo? Madison? Madison!

  “Did you say Dare, Jojo?” Marcy’s matching cinnamon brown eyes met hers. Her older sister always had a way of dragging the truth from her.

  Not the nickname. Her sister was like a surrogate mother to her. Even if Jo’el wasn’t completely sure at the moment what the truth was. “Maybe. But could I change it to tell?”

  “Fine. Then tell us the last man you slept with.” Olivia Dare called out, her voice overriding the other ladies naysaying.

  Oh, no, that’s worse. Jo’el was sure she was going to be sick now. She looked at her sister and around the table thinking she couldn’t divulge that piece of information. The last guy she had attempted to have sex with was Winston Miller. A cute associate that had temporarily joined the financial management firm where she worked. Not used to hot numbers guys and definitely not used to men flirting with her, she found herself caught in a sticky situation. Sticky was right. The memory flooded her mind, returning her to the office Christmas party and too much egg nog. She gave into the mutual attraction between her and Winston. She’d found herself pulled into the supply closet being kissed and groped. It had felt exciting, his hand up her skirt and in her panties while she palmed his length. However things progressed fast and went downhill from there. He’d barely unfastened his pants before he was exploding all over her hand and her expensive, red, off the shoulder holiday dress.

  Someone had heard her scream, probably thinking it was in ecstasy, and started banging on the door and cat calling. She’d run out of the closet with her face as vibrant in color as her dress, as she made her escape and went home. Her co-workers had teased her for weeks along with guessi
ng at the mysterious couple that had made naughty photos of their sexually engaged genitalia on the copy machine. Winston had finally taken another job with a competing firm and it had all died down. She still felt the embarrassment to this day.

  “Come on, tell us, Jo’el.” One of the bridesmaids called out.

  Jo’el shook her head fiercely. “Dare! I’ll take the dare.” Anything had to be better than confessing the Winston humiliation. Besides hadn’t everyone been getting drink challenges or silly dancing directives? She wasn’t the greatest of dancers but she could hold her own. The music in the bar was pretty decent.

  There were a few naysayers, but her sister held up a hand and calmed them. “No changes this time, Jo’el.”

  Feeling heat in her cheeks as all the women snug in the big booth eyed her, she said, “No changes.”

  She should have been leery about the gleam in her sister’s eyes as she smiled at her then scanned the room.

  What is she looking for? Jo’el felt as if her sister was going to make her do something Coyote Uglyish. Dancing was one thing but Jo’el didn’t think she could handle climbing up on top of the bar and doing it. The suspense was killing her. “Come on, Marcy, what?”

  “We dare you to walk up to that guy and without saying a word or explaining… kiss him.”

  “A solid one on the lips,” Madison added.

  “And tongue!” A blonde-headed bridesmaid volunteered.

  “She may not have time for tongue.” Riley picked up her drink of water and sipped it. She was the only one not indulging in the brew. The women had already congratulated her on the pregnancy for her and some Miami sports team guy

  Jo’el wanted to change her mind again, but knew the revelers would not allow it again. “What guy?” She looked around the bar at the men that appeared to be anything from college students, who just may get a kick out of it and it would not be so difficult to an older man that was well dressed but could be her grandfather. The bartender was a type of silver fox, Jo’el was sure he was used to patrons coming on to him and he probably would laugh off the kiss or make a comical production out of it. That would be great.

  Marcy leaned closer to her ear, but didn’t whisper at all as she identified the victim of the dare. “The hot one you were eyeing at the end of the bar he seems to be alone.”

  “Oh, yes!” Someone chanted in excitement.

  Closing her eyes, Jo’el was everything but excited. She heard someone saying something about the guy being someone but she couldn’t hear anything clearly beyond the loud thumping of blood flowing around her eardrums.

  “Come on, up and at ‘em.” Marcy nudged her firmly, practically pushing her out of the padded seat.

  Jo’el rose slowly glancing around the table for a sympathetic face. However, none was to be found. The women were either too drunk to think about the dare she was given reasonably or having too much fun with the game period to care.

  “What if he’s married or gay or something?” She waved her hands before her not being able to come up with anything else to keep from kissing the sexy stranger.

  “Oh, he’s not.” Madison declared all too knowingly.

  “You’re not asking him to go halves on a baby, just an innocent kiss.” Avery Dare’s voice was kind but still didn’t alleviate Jo’el from the pressure of the dare.

  “You make it quick. Then we are all going to Emilio’s to eat. Ann and Emilio have a serious spread set up for us.” Olivia gave her a friendly smile. She was another Dare sibling, on which side Jo’el was too fuzzy in the head to recall or figure out.

  Taking a deep breath, Jo’el turned toward the bar. Glancing down the line of people at the bar laughing and talking she didn’t stop until her gaze landed on Mr. Big and Sexy. A part of her had hoped that during all the commotion and discussion he’d left, but there he stood beside a vacant seat. His hands planted flat on the polished wood with his head bowed over a short tumbler of something dark with no ice. He appeared as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders as his dark locks, too long to ever be considered conservative, hung over his shoulder and shielded his face. Bad day? It’s about to get worse buddy.

  It’s just a kiss. Taking a step, she allowed the alcohol in her blood to give her more courage than she felt. In college she’d always wanted to be one of the outgoing and adventurous sorority girl types. They always seemed to be living life on the edge and having all the fun. Here’s my chance.

  Her second step was a little wide and off balance, but she regained her stride as she continued moving toward him. She told herself not to be concerned with the other patrons that were watching her, or the riotous giggles and squeals of her fellow bachelorette partiers. Just him and me.

  Before she knew it, she was standing behind him. She was kinda tall at five eight and heavy on the curves but this man up close, and even from behind seemed mammoth. He was intimating with shoulders that spanned so wide that they could easily bear the weight of her thighs. Her mind played a few vignettes the positions they would have to be in for that to happen. Oh, yea I’m drunk.

  Not giving herself time to second guess her actions, she stepped and tapped him on the shoulder. “Excuse me.”

  The mountain moved, his dark hair catching the light and showing off the healthy midnight waves as he faced her. Gray eyes the color of new steel or melted silver met hers. She’d always had a thing for gray eyed men like Anderson Cooper, Michael Ely and Simon Baker. This man’s were soulful, his lids half-mast with an emotion she couldn’t identify exactly, but it made her heart ache. She wanted to hug him. Step up and put her arms around the big guy.

  “Yes.” His voice was dark, smoky and rich like a cigar bar, drawing her in. She didn’t miss the moment that it took for him to take her in from head to toe. His eyes turned more gun melt in color but she didn’t have time to figure out if he appreciated what he saw before him or not.

  I’m not here for hugs.

  She acted, without thought and leapt, literally. Holding onto his broad shoulders and thick neck she pressed her lips to his well-sculpted dusty-rose hued lips. His lips seemed to relax under hers for a second before a firm grip to her hips held her then pushed her away.

  “What the hell?” He was still holding her hips keeping her at arm’s length as he stared down at her, heat in his gaze. “Honey, I usually like a little introduction before a kiss. I don’t know if you’re some fan or what?”

  Her mind cleared real quick as the reality of what she’d done hit her. “Oh, my gosh…I…I…” she placed a hand on her lips, as they pulsed beneath her fingers from the kiss, and tried to figure out something to say. Her mind was blank. Her nerves got the best of her. What did I do? Everything in her stomach started to roll and bubble up toward the back of her throat.

  “Jo’el!” Someone called her name jolting her out of stupefaction.

  The man released her as he glanced toward the group of cheering and whistling ladies.

  Using his distraction to her advantage, Jo’el turned and rushed out of the bar. She didn’t stop, even when the women were calling her back. Air. She needed to clear her mind and escape the confines of the establishment and her actions. Jo’el bumped into a group of guys passing the door as she exited. She couldn’t even make her apologies as she spotted a trashcan by the street lamp post. Praying she made it and didn’t embarrass herself more by throwing up on the borrowed slip dress, she stumbled toward her salvation. Barely making it, she emptied out the contents of her stomach, most of it liquid since she had only had nibbles of chicken tenders from the first bar and nothing else since breakfast.

  People made disgusted sounds behind her and called out epithets like drunk and loser, but she couldn’t muster the energy to care. Pulling her tissue pack out of her purse she wiped her mouth clean. Feeling much better physically if not emotionally she moved away from the foul receptacle and meandered another quarter of a block before she stopped. Leaning against the wall of a closed bakery she took in several breaths and disrega
rded the strange looks she got from pedestrians and the high-fashioned dressed people headed into the night club at the end of the bar.

  Ten minutes later, her group came down the walk headed toward the Escalade limousine they had for the night. Her sister hooked her arm through hers and dragged her along.

  “Once you have something in your stomach you will feel much better lightweight.” Marcy encouraged.

  Jo’el didn’t think that was the case. What she wanted was her bed and a big pillow to hide her head beneath in shame.

  Everyone chattered about food and the upcoming wedding as the driver held open the door of the vehicle and they climbed inside.

  Jo’el was shocked no one mentioned the kiss or her teenage embarrassment and hasty retreat. Relieved at the women’s kindness, overt or subvert, Jo’el breathed a sigh of relief. She’d be able to forget this night altogether.

  ~YH~

  “Damn you players get all kinds.” Hank the bartender called out.

  “I guess.” Donovan “The Tank” Clay still stood staring toward the door where the plain curvy woman had run out. Her girlfriends were rambunctious as they’d tried to call her back, but she continued on. The other women settled out the bill and soon followed her out. More than a little stunned at the woman’s audacity, he turned back to the bar and for the first time that night claimed the empty stool.

  Hank popped a clear liquid filled shot glass next to his first drink he hadn’t even sipped from yet. He eyed the bartender.

  “The shot is on me. You look like you need it even more than that glass of Jim you ordered twenty minutes ago.” Hank went down the bar to answer a call from another customer.

  “Maybe you’re right,” Donovan spoke more to himself. Picking up the tiny glass he tossed the drink back. The encounter with the woman still shook him to the core. He couldn’t recall the last time a woman had stunned him. Of course his profession always led to odd situations with women. Everything from women jumping into his arms while he was doing a signing to showing up in his hotel room during out of town games. However, none of them made heat instantly flush his body with an arrow of lust into his groin.