Page 75 of Reckless Dare

Her head spun and knees wobbled at the sheer intensity of the kiss.

She moaned again when she felt a small yet sharp tug on the back of her head. He pulled back her hair to allow him deeper access into her mouth. Clutching his sports jersey, she kissed him back, rubbing her tongue against his, wanting more of his addicting taste and feel.

He dragged her closer, until the top of her breasts rubbed against the slightly coarse material of his jersey, causing the friction to send tingles across her body. It was only when her towel began slipping down further, and she felt his mouth leaving hers to trail down her neck that she opened her eyes.

Her eyes widened even as she felt a trail of fire when his lips began to move over her bare skin. Shock ripped through her when she saw the pictures of her family on the walls of her room.

Until then, the angry, passionate kiss almost felt like a dream. But now, she was dragged back to reality. She suddenly realized whose arms she was in and whose lips were on her body.

No!

It took every ounce of willpower to place her hands on her tormentor’s chest and shove him away from her.

He froze and slowly raised his head.

“Don’t touch me!” she snapped, shoving at him again.

His hands fell from her and he took a small step away.

She recalled the time she had accidentally touched him in the rugby locker room when she had gone to speak to him. At that time, she was scared and helpless. His disgust at her touch had hurt her at that time. She wanted to hurt him the same way now.

“Don’t ever touch me,” she hissed out. “And get out of my room.”

His eyes blazed with dark emotion as his hands clenched. Her heart thudded with a small bolt of fear wondering if he would grab her to prove their attraction.

But he didn’t. He gave her a slow, sweeping glance, his eyes lingering on her chest where she was clutching the towel tightly. Her face heated as she recalled his lips on her skin.

“Get out,” she whispered.

With another lingering stare at her face, he turned away and slipped out onto her balcony before disappearing.

She continued to stand in her towel feeling angry, aroused and shaken.

Oh God. I can’t believe I kissed him again.

CHAPTER 22

Ava was still angry and shaken when she met with Neeraj for their date.

“You look great, Ava,” Neeraj said with a smile while his eyes swept over her in appreciation.

She was wearing a pale pink top and jeans. She hadn’t really put much thought to it. It was the first thing she could reach to cover up her shaken body after her tormentor left.

“You look good too,” she said with a small smile.

Neeraj was dressed in a formal button-up shirt and dark jeans. Although it was technically a casual date, he looked as though he was dressed for the occasion.

“I was able to get a reservation for a table at a corner,” Neeraj said as he held the jeep door open for her. “I really hope you like the place, because it is my favorite.”

She could tell he was going out of his way to make sure she enjoyed the evening. And it made her feel guilty. Pushing away her anger towards her tormentor, she tried to focus on her date.

“Thank you, Neeraj,” she said with a smile before getting into his jeep.

The ride to the restaurant was pleasant. They drove through a small town right outside the campus. Small yet beautiful homes with green lawns and gardens lined the street. She knew that’s where most of the university staff lived in the allocated housing.

Shortly after, the jeep stopped in a busy downtown area bustling with restaurants. Ava got out of the jeep and followed Neeraj inside a sports bar.

The table reserved for that night was at the far end of the dining area, away from the TVs and the bar area. Just as Ava sat down, she noticed Neeraj discretely slipping a note to the restaurant staff. “I hope we can have this space all to ourselves.”

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