Page 57 of Love Me, I Dare You

The name immediately rings a bell and I can’t believe I hadn't realized it sooner. “You’re Dr. Dawson's daughter, one of the triplets?” I ask, remembering I saw her sister, one who looks almost identical to her only with slightly lighter hair, earlier today at the farmer’s market with their mom Millie Dawson.

There’s a small twinge in her expression and I suddenly feel awful for referring to them as “The Triplets”. I’m sure growing up with identical sisters wasn’t easy, especially if most times they were always seen as one and not individuals. Nonetheless, she politely answers. “Yes, my sisters are Rayleigh and Reyna.”

“Oh my God,” Billie shrieks. “I remember you girls when you were babies. I used to babysit you. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you.”

“It’s fine. I’ve been away from Crossroads for a few years now. I only came back because…” She pauses, sorrow takingover her bright green eyes. “I’m looking for a job. Saw the sign out front and was hoping I could set up an interview.”

“Are you old enough to work in a bar?” The question comes out a bit harsher than planned. I’m simply curious since even with the light hand of makeup, she looks no older than twenty.

“I turned twenty-one last week, and I’m pretty desperate for work. I just got back into town and things at home aren’t the best right now. I’ve never worked as a bartender, but I was a server down at a restaurant in Tennessee for a few years while in college. I’m sure they’d give me a recommendation if I called.”

I want to ask what she means about trouble at home, but I don’t want to appear nosey. Things seemed fine with Millie and her other daughter when I ran into them, but I know firsthand how things aren’t always as black and white as they may seem.

“No need,” Billie says. “You’re hired.”

“Really?” Raven asks in surprise. And I’ll admit the surprise is mutual.

I don’t want to outright turn the girl away, but hiring her on the spot won’t work, either. “Mind giving us a second, Raven? Why don’t you grab a drink and come join us?” She nods and heads off toward the bar.

“Billie, you know I love you and love being in business with you at Honeybees, but you can’t just hire people to work at my bar.”

My best friend has the audacity to roll her eyes like what I’m saying makes little sense. “Bailey, she’s perfect. For one, Raven is one of the most gorgeous girls I’ve ever seen. I know she has two identical sisters, but I remember Raven. She’s always stood out from the three of them. Not to mention she’s smoking hot and perfect for the bar. Imagine the tips the girl will get. Besides, you just planned a speed dating event we need to pull off in less than two weeks. Two weeks, Bailey. There’s no way we can pullit off alone. A girl like Raven Dawson is exactly what we need to make this successful.”

Monroe and I look at each other and know that she’s right. Having a girl like Raven behind the bar will bring in plenty of business and the dating mixer coming up. We could use her help to figure out what the younger, touristy crowd would be into.

Yet I’m not one hundred percent convinced. Raven and her family are one of the wealthiest families in Crossroads. Dr. Dawson and his wife have been at the front of the hospital for the last forty years, and I know they own a large plot of land on the border of Crossroads and Rivers Bend. However, I don’t get to ponder the possibilities of why Raven’s in dire need of employment for long.

Suddenly, the room feels increasingly suffocating as an aura of darkness lingers around us. As it usually does when he’s around, the crowd goes silent, conversations pausing and gazes momentarily darting in his direction. There’s no discretion, only a buzzing hum in the air matching the anticipation brewing within me. The soft tune of the guitar playing a more melodic song in the distance rings in my ears as my breathing wavers the slightest bit.

I can sense his arrival without having to turn my attention to the front doors of the bar, though I do anyway, unable to resist. His presence carries a unique and unmistakable aura that shifts the entire energy of the room. My heartbeat quickens when his gaze finds mine, the tension in his eyes softening the moment he sees me. Nash Bishop commands attention wherever he goes and my body can’t help but react to his intense stare, arousal pooling in my core as his eyes drink me in.

There’s something so mesmerizing about his confident stride through a room full of people who find thrill in speaking poorly of him. He effortlessly blends into the crowd yet just as easily stands out, drawing attention to the way those damn jeans fitsnug around his thighs and groin. My chest heaves as I drink in the man that makes my mouth run dry every time I look at him. The white tee he’s wearing is tightly fitted around his broad back and shoulders, a stark contrast to the ink tangled around his arms and neck.

Blue eyes, the darkest shade of night, burn through me as he wields the power to control me, turning every thought of mine into pleas of a merciful conquest at his hand.

Suddenly, I’m back in the shower, pressed against the cold tile wall with his hands on my body and mouth on mine. Everything I felt then crashes into me now, a raging wave of desire that threatens to wash me out. It’s at this moment I know I’m totally fucking screwed.

“God damn, I think I just came from the sexual tension palpitating in the room.” I ignore Billie, unable to think straight, when all I hear is the beat of my open heart thundering in my ear.

Nash heads straight for us, for me, ignoring the stares and whispers as he makes his way to our table.

“Nash,” I whisper as he stands right beside me, focused solely on me. His eyes are so deep and attentive, a hint of worry lingering in the small crease of his crinkling eyes as a hand comes up to cup my cheek. Time stands still, unspoken words and emotions aching to be heard and felt. Yet it’s the desire that burns in his gaze, which sets my entire being ablaze in a way I’ve never experienced. The brewing tension promises a world of possibilities as our dreams and memories intertwine. Our shared secrets are so loud in the silence that passes between us.

Leaning into his palm, closing my eyes at the feeling of his touch, I lose sight of everything around us and only the two of us exist. I completely forget that not only are Monroe and Billie still here, but we’re in the middle of my bar. Though, I can’t getmyself to open my eyes and look at him, afraid of what I might find looking back.

“Nashiel, what are you doing here?” Billie asks with a knowing smile and I could murder the girl for her lack of discretion but also kiss her for breaking the tension and giving me a much needed chance to breathe. Slowly I open my eyes and find her smirking at me, Monroe with her mouth gaping open beside her as she closely watches her brother.

Nash keeps his gaze focused on me, refusing to give anyone else at the table any attention. “I texted you,” he says, as if that explains why he’s come, though I don’t hear the question he’s clearly expecting an answer to.

I feel sort of guilty, thinking maybe there was something he needed from me and that’s why he rushed here. “I haven’t checked my phone. Is there something you need?”

“I was calling to check on you and when you didn’t answer, I thought maybe you’d gotten hurt.”

“Check on me?” He has to be joking. Why would he suddenly be interested in my well-being when he’s spent the last week avoiding and ignoring me? Not that I haven’t been doing the same.

He stares at me like he doesn’t understand why I sound so surprised. “Yes, to see how your ankle is doing.” A deep scowl forms on his face, his brows caving in disapproval. “Why are you down here, anyway? Shouldn’t you be upstairs resting? Why isn’t she upstairs resting?” His last question is directed at Billie who simply gives him a knowing smile.

That seems to suddenly remind him we’re not alone, and he drops his hand from my cheek as his gaze finds Monroe.

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