Page 7 of Love Me, I Dare You

“Shut your mouth, Jase,” I shrieked, reaching for the thing closest to me, which happened to be a soft pillow cushion, and chucking it toward him.

Nash took a step toward me and I swear it looked like he was about to reach out and touch me, but he didn’t. Instead, his fingers curled and fisted at his sides. “Ain’t nothing wrong with looking, Angel. But don’t you dare fall in love. I’m not that kind of guy. Never will be.”

I was stunned speechless, not because of what he said, but of how he said it. Like it was a burden more than a choice. Looking back at it now, it’s like Nash spent every chance he had warning me what falling in love with him would do to me, but I never listened.

Somehow, I was still paying the consequences.

“Hello? Earth to Bailey?”

The gravelly yet playful tone of his voice startles me out of my thoughts and once again I’m face-to-face with Nash fucking Bishop.Holy shit. I must be dreaming.

Nash’s mouth, much like it was in my memory, is turned up into a wicked smirk, his eyes gleaming with the familiar mischief they’d always had. He looks so different, yet deep inside, the boy I knew is still there. The friendliness of his smile when this is the least amicable reunion reminds me so much of who he was and the ache I felt when my friend disappeared, leaving me with so many unanswered questions.

Though as the busy bar fades into the background, my vision focuses on him. Nash notices and his smirk only widens, causing Penny to let out a small gasp. I’m too stunned to look away.

“Fuck,” I curse mindlessly to myself when I realize he’s not a figment of my imagination, but here in the flesh, just three feet in front of me.

“I thought I’d lost you there, B.”

Not wanting to let him see further how much his presence is affecting me, since the smirk he’s giving me proves he knows exactly what my reaction means, I brush off my unease and rely on the sharp tongue I’ve embraced since he last saw me. That ought to throw him off kilter.

“What are you doing here, Bishop?”

He lets out a sharp chuckle, and the deep and husky sound makes my skin break out in goosebumps.Hold it together, B.“We’re back to Bishop now, I see. I shouldn't have expected awarm welcome. Never was the kind of greeting this town and its folk gave me.”

Now it’s my turn to laugh. “Not like it wasn’t deserved.”

“Ouch.” He feigns hurt, clutching his chest with one hand as he runs the other through his short beard. “She bites.”

I ignore his jab, aware he’s just trying to get a rise out of me. That was always his favorite pastime only before it was nearly impossible to do.

I was a level-headed girl, even as a teenager. It was rare for something to make my skin crawl or push me to the edge of an angry outburst. But now, it’s like everything about him makes me feel a sharp pang of anger like never before. Especially staring into those goddamn perfect eyes.

How the hell had Nash Bishop become the most beautiful man I’d ever seen?

Nash was gorgeous back then, but now, holy shit, the man is fucking irresistible.

He commands attention. His tall, muscular frame exudes confidence, while his broad shoulders speak of strength. His hair, wet and tousled, is short enough to showcase his chiseled features, yet long enough you can run your fingers through it and pull. His presence draws you in and his piercing gaze and strong jawline makes you swoon. Nash effortlessly combines rugged masculinity with a touch of danger. There’s no way to resist falling captive to his striking beauty, more so by the mystery that surrounds him.

Nash isn’t flawless and instead has a dark and dangerous appeal to him. There’s an undeniable allure, a magnetism that leaves you curious to uncover what lies hidden beneath his charismatic exterior. A few scars on his face give him an edge that show although the last decade has been physically good to him, he's had some hardships along the way.

The dark rugged sex appeal, along with the leather jacket and tattoos that snake around his neck and mark his knuckles, and I'm pretty sure continue underneath his clothing, prove Nash bishop is lethal.

Now a thirty-year-old man, not the twenty-year-old boy who broke my heart, Nash is surely capable of so much worse. I can’t let that happen, and that means not letting him anywhere near me.

I blink away my unruly thoughts, thoughts I should in no way be having about him, instead feign nonchalance. “Again, what are you doing here, Nash?”

His smile widens as if he can read my thoughts and knows what a complete phony I am. “Passing through town, I saw there was a new bar advertised as the best in all the Old North. I just had to drop in and check it out for myself. You see, I’ve become somewhat of a bar connoisseur.”

“I can see that,” I say, more of a jab at his new look. It’s easy to imagine Nash frequenting every bar he comes upon. “Well, it was nice seeing you again,” I lie, hoping he can’t see through the mask I’ve so foolishly thrown on. “Have a nice life, Bishop.”

The words leave me so effortlessly I almost believe them.

“Woah,” he calls out just as I try, and fail, to turn and walk away. “Where’s that southern charm and hospitality you pride yourself on, B? Magnolia King’s daughter would never turn away a thirsty and hungry young man.”

Now it’s my turn to laugh. Turning back to face him, I lean forward against the bar top, and notice his eyes immediately drop to the dip between my breasts. Yeah, opting for a sexy lace pushup bra to give the girls a boost in my top might not have been the best idea tonight, but at this moment, it’s working to my advantage.

“If you haven’t noticed, Nash, things around here have changed a bit in the past decade.”

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