Page 61 of Karma

And she’d shut him out too. Because this man posed a big risk to her—body, heart, and soul.

Chapter Eleven

For some reason,Liza couldn’t believe someone wanted her hurt. Or worse. Cars failed all the time. Surely when Sam investigated, he’d find out that Mason didn’t know what he was talking about and something had happened at the dealership when she’d had her car fixed. Nothing else made sense. Similar to the rest of her life, which had somehow turned into a jumble she didn’t understand surrounding Dare Barron.

By the time Liza’s doorbell rang at six thirty, she told herself she was prepared for him. Walls up, guarded, prepared. Then she opened the door and came face-to-face with a man bearing wildflowers in one hand, a box of pizza balanced on the other, and a bottle of wine under his arm, and all her defenses went out the window.

Why did he have to be so handsome? Sexy. And caring. It was the caring that got to her every time. Because, really, when had anyone in her life given her something so basic and simple?

So necessary…

“Come on in,” she said, gesturing for him to enter. “Can I take something from you?” she asked, struggling not to let him see how his very presence affected her.

“The flowers. I’ve got the rest.”

She accepted the bouquet. “Thank you,” she murmured.

“My pleasure.” His words warmed her.

He followed her into the kitchen. In silence, she filled a vase with water and put the flowers inside, placing them in a prominent place on the counter. He worked alongside her, unnerving her because he knew exactly where to find the paper plates, the corkscrew, and even her wineglasses. After one weekend of taking care of her in her home, he knew the place as well as she did.

“Want to eat outside?” He gestured to the patio off the kitchen.

“Sure,” she said, surprised by the idea.

A few minutes later, they were settled on a blanket on the ground, eating picnic-style. The air around them was hot and humid, but it was still a beautiful night.

“This was a good idea.”

He grinned. “I figured we both needed to relax and unwind.”

“Agreed.”

He cocked his head to one side. “So can we eat and save the serious talking for afterward?”

Knowing there’d be no avoiding conversation, she appreciated the delay. “I’d like to enjoy my pizza without indigestion.”

He shook his head and laughed. “At least you’re not throwing me out.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Would you go if I tried?”

“Nope.”

He had no idea how happy that made her.

He bit into his pizza, and she did the same.

For the next few minutes, they ate in silence. Enjoyable, easy silence. She could almost forget the reasons she had to keep him at a distance. But not quite.

So when they’d both finished and she pushed the pizza box off the blanket, she curled her legs beneath her and turned to face him.

“Why are you really here?” she asked.

Dare blinked, obviously surprised by the question. His brow furrowed in concentration, taking the question seriously. “Because I can’t stay away. And because I want to be.”

A delicious ribbon of warmth spread through her limbs. She nodded slowly, acknowledging the pull between them. “Attraction. I get it. I feel it too.”

Dare let out a laugh that sounded harsh to her ears. “If that’s all it was, I wouldn’t be here.”

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