Page 14 of Dare
Stumblingto his feet, he grins down at me. “S’go.”
“Insideyour own apartment. Alone,” I explain, trying not to laugh.
Hisexpression darkens and a fleeting sadness flashes in his eyes. Since he makes noeffort to move, I grab his hand and pull. It’s laughable. The man is a damnmountain, there’s no way I can budge him. He seems to find it funny too, andchuckles as he throws an arm around me.
“Comeon. Come upstairs before you fall down them,” I sigh, leading the way. I needto get him in his apartment before he passes out again. With any luck, he’sdrunk enough that he won’t remember this.
Swayingon his feet, he leans his head against the apartment door and mumbles, “Keysare in my pocket.” His eyes are closed. Rather than argue with him, I slide myhand into his front pocket, but only find a wad of cash. I’m rewarded with amischievous grin when I try his other pocket and pull out his keys.
Hotbreath smelling of whiskey flows across my neck and I feel his body pressedagainst my back as I unlock his door. “I knew you wanted to get in my pants.”
God,he’s a solid wall of muscle. I can’t let him see he’s getting to me. “Shut upand get inside.”
Hisliving room looks like a typical bachelor pad with a long sectional couch,coffee table, and a huge T.V. I only get a glance as he wraps an arm around myshoulders and heads down the hall. He bumps his bedroom door open with his footand flops onto the bed, taking me with him.
Ohno. No, no, no. “Where you think you’re going?” he slurs, after I roll off thebed and get to my feet. “Stay with me.”
“You’redrunk.”
“You’resexy.”
Ican’t help the giggle that escapes. “You have no idea what you’re saying andI’m sure you’ll regret it tomorrow…if you even remember.” Please, don’t let himremember.
“Ifinally got you in my bedroom. I’ll remember.”
Withno concern whatsoever, he shucks off his jeans and pulls his shirt over hishead, tossing it on the floor. His eyes fall shut, and I take the opportunityto escape the bedroom in search of ibuprofen. He’s going to have one hell of ahangover when he wakes. His bathroom is bright and clean, painted the same paleyellow as mine. I’m standing in the bathroom of the most gorgeous man I‘ve everheld a conversation with, so I can’t help but have a look around. Fine. I’msnooping. Don’t judge me.
Hismedicine cabinet holds the usual male items, aftershave, a razor, an extratoothbrush. A bottle of ibuprofen hides behind a stick of deodorant, and Ispill a few pills into my hand before heading to the kitchen. There are bottlesof water in his fridge, but not much else. He wasn’t kidding when he said hedoesn’t cook.
He’sin the same place I left him when I return, eyes closed, his body laid out likea starfish. Fuck, I’ve never seen so much muscle in one place. My eyes aredrawn to his thighs first, lying like tree trunks on the dark sheets, andtravel up over his boxer briefs, taking in the clear outline of a cock thatdefinitely matches the rest of his thick body.
Achuckle rattles his chest and he peeks at me with heavy eyelids. “Are you goingto stand there eye-fucking me all night, or get in bed?”
Shit.Busted. “Neither,” I reply, trying to act as if he didn’t just catch medrooling over him. “I brought you some water and painkillers.”
WhenI bend to put them on his nightstand, he grabs my arm. His gaze meets mine fora long moment, and he slowly reaches to cup my face. His palm slides over thescars on my cheek, caressing them, and I close my eyes. No one has touched myface since the attack and I’m not sure how to react. Hoping I won’t be met witha disgusted expression, I open my eyes and see nothing but sympathy in his.“How did this happen?”
Mywalls slam back into place as I realize what I’m doing. What he’s doing. “Go tosleep,” I tell him, my voice barely more than a whisper.
“Goodnight, Ayda,” he murmurs, as I make my way towards the door.
“Goodnight, Dare.”
Mymind is racing when I crawl into my bed. He didn’t cringe when he saw my face.Was it just because he’s drunk? I didn’t imagine the way he was looking at meand I have no doubt he was serious about wanting me in his bed, but what if hedidn’t remember when he woke up? Trying to find a nice way to kick an ugly girlout of your bed makes for a particularly awkward morning after. Besides, evenif I wasn’t scarred, this guy is way out of my league.
Thebest thing I can do is pretend nothing happened and hope his brain was whiskeysoaked enough to block out tonight.
* * * *
“Uhh.”
Myeyes open to the sound of a loud groan, and I can’t help but laugh. Dare ispaying for that binge now.
“Areyou laughing at me?” His voice is low and full of gravel. My mind instantlyjumps to the sight of him in his boxer briefs last night. I really don’t wanthim to remember.
“Noteverything is about you, you know.”
“Thanksfor getting me inside last night.”
