Page 1 of Dare Me

Prologue

One year ago…

Life was unfair.

That was all Arianna Donovan kept telling herself.

She spent the world’s most perfect day with an amazing man and that was all they were going to have–one day. How could she have been in San Francisco for three whole months without meeting any guy who even piqued her interest, only to find the perfect one twenty-four hours before she was flying home to Laurel Bay?

She’d cried all the way to the airport and was convinced she would probably continue to do so all the way back to the East Coast when fate intervened.

He was on her flight.

And not only that, but she was sitting next to him!

“You want to know something wild?” she whispered to him.

“Sure.”

“My original ticket had me sitting practically in the back of the plane. When I arrived at the airport this morning, I took a chance and asked if there were any upgrades available, and there were! I mean…I just can’t believe we’re here together.” She knew she was rambling, and yet she couldn’t help it. Part ofher wanted to jump up and tell everyone on the plane just how amazing this all was.

Of course, she wouldn’t do that, but in her head, she was shouting it from the tallest rooftop.

They sat in companionable silence as people continued to board and listened to all the preflight safety instructions. It wasn’t until they were taxiing to the runway that Will reached for her hand and held it in his.

“How do you feel about flying?” she asked him.

“It’s almost second nature to me. I travel a lot for my job, but this is the first time I’m traveling with a beautiful girl whose hand I could hold during takeoff.”

Arianna felt herself blush. Seriously, this man was almost too good to be true.

How did I get so lucky?

“I’ve never had a strong, handsome man to hold my hand during takeoff, so this is a first for me too,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that all through takeoff, and as soon as their flight attendant came over to ask about a beverage, they both eagerly ordered coffee.

All day yesterday, Arianna told herself to keep things casual and that she shouldn’t ask anything overly personal because…well…it was only supposed to be one day.

But now, here they were, and while she had no idea how a long-distance relationship would work, it was obvious that the universe wanted them to be together. He was in D.C. and she was in North Carolina. The drive was just a little under four hours, so while it wasn’t ideal, it wasn’t impossible.

It wasn’t until they each took their first sip of coffee that she broached the subject.

“Hey, Will?”

“Hmm?”

“Truth or dare?”

Beside her, he chuckled. “Considering the confines of the airplane, I’m gonna go with truth.”

Smiling, she asked, “Would you want to see me again after we land?”

His eyes went a little wide, but he immediately reached for her hand again. “Arianna, you have no idea how much I want to say yes, but…I’m going to be traveling a lot over the next year. It wouldn’t be fair of me to start something. I wouldn’t ask that of you.”

“But you’re not asking,” she quickly corrected. “I am. And I’m starting a new job, and my life will be hectic and chaotic, and I’m not going to have a lot of free time for a while either. All I’m saying is maybe we keep in touch. Even if you’re traveling, we can video chat or text or…you know…anything.”

Will looked down at their hands and she didn’t take it as a good sign.

With a small sigh, she went to pull her hand away. “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that. I mean…we both knew we only had one day. It just felt like we were getting another chance by ending up on the same flight like this, so…I’m sorry.”

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