A Little Dare (58 page)

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Authors: Brenda Jackson

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #General, #Contemporary, #Arts&Photography

BOOK: A Little Dare
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make
him
understand
and
appreciate
the
difference
between
having
mind-blowing
sex
and
making
earth-
shattering,
soul-stirring,
deep-down-in-your-gut
love.

She
was
the
only
woman.

And
he
also
knew
that
she
was
the
only
woman
he
would
ever
love
and
that
he
still
loved
her.

Moments
later,
Dare
pulled
his
body
from
Shelly’s
and,

gathering
her
gently
into
his
arms,
walked
over
to
place
her
on
the
blanket.
He
stretched
out
on
his
side
facing
her
as
he
waited
for
the
air
to
return
back
to
his
lungs
and
the

blood
to
stop
rushing
fast
and
furious
through
his
veins.

“I
was
beginning
to
think
you
weren’t
coming,”
he
finally
said
some
time
later,
the
tone
of
his
voice
still
quivering
from
the
afterglow
of
what
they’d
just
shared.

He
couldn’t
help
touching
her
again,
so
he
slid
his
hand

across
her
stomach,
gently
stroking
her.
He
remembered
the
question
AJ
had
asked
him
about
wanting
other

children,
and
he
remembered
thinking
that
he’d
want
more
children
only
if
Shelly
were
their
mother.
He
wouldn’t

hesitate
putting
another
child
of
his
inside
her,
in
the
womb
he
knew
he
had
touched
tonight.
Not
only
had
he
touched
it,
he
had
branded
it
his.

Shelly
slowly
opened
her
eyes
as
her
world
settled,
and
the
explosion
she’d
felt
moments
ago
subsided.
She
gazed
up
at
him
and
wondered
how
was
it
possible
that
each
time

they
did
this
it
was
better
than
the
time
before.
She
always
felt
cherished
in
his
arms.

Treasured.

Loved.

She
silently
shook
that
last
thought
away,
refusing
to
let
her
mind
go
there;
refusing
to
live
on
false
hope.
And
she

refused
to
give
in
to
the
want,
need
and
desire
to
give
him
her
heart
again,
no
matter
how
strong
the
pull
was
to
do
so.
She
broke
eye
contact
with
him
and
looked
away.

“Shelly?”

She
returned
her
gaze
to
him,
to
respond
to
what
he’d
said.
“It
took
a
little
longer
than
expected
to
get
AJ
settled
tonight.
He
wanted
us
to
have
a
long
talk.”

Dare
asked,
“Is
he
all
right?”

“Yes.
But
I
think
he’s
somewhat
disappointed
that
he
didn’t
get
the
chance
to
tell
you
the
truth
today.
He
had
planned
to
do
so.”

Dare
sighed
deeply.
His
gut
instincts
had
been
right.
“Do
you
think
I
should
talk
to
him
tomorrow?”

Shelly
shook
her
head.
“No,
I
think
the
best
thing
to
do
is
to
wait
until
he
gets
up
his
courage
again.
But
I
suggest
you
make
things
a
bit
easier
on
him
by
making
sure
the
two
of
you
have
absolute
privacy
without
any
interruptions.

However,
you’re
also
going
to
have
to
make
sure
he

doesn’t
think
things
are
being
orchestrated
for
that

purpose.
He
still
has
to
feel
as
though
he’s
in
control
for
a
while
longer,
Dare,
especially
with
this.
Right
now,
telling
you
that
he’s
your
son
is
very
important
to
him.”

Dare
nodded.
It
was
important
to
him
as
well.
He
slumped
down
on
his
back
beside
her
and
looked
up
at
the
stars.
“I
think
I
have
an
idea.”

“What?”

“The
brothers
and
I,
along
with
Jamal,
had
planned
on

going
to
the
cabin
in
the
North
Carolina
mountains
to
go
fishing.
AJ
knows
about
it
since
he
heard
us
planning
the
trip,
so
he
won’t
think
anything
about
it.
What
if
I
invite
him
to
come
along?”

Shelly
raised
a
brow.
“Why
would
you
want
to
take
AJ
with
you
guys?
I’d
think
the
six
of
you
had
planned
it
as
a
sort
of
guys’
weekend,
right?”

“Right.
But
I
remember
AJ
mentioning
to
Thorn
that
he’d
never
gone
fishing
before,
and
I
know
that
Thorn
came
close
to
inviting
him.
The
only
reason
he
didn’t
was

because
he
knew
we
would
he
playing
poker
in
addition
to
fishing
and
Storm’s
mouth
can
get
rather
filthy
when
he

starts
losing.”

Shelly
nodded.
“But
how
will
this
help
your
situation
with
AJ?
The
two
of
you
still
won’t
have
any
privacy.”

“Yes,
we
will
if
the
others
don’t
come.
After
AJ
and
I
arrive,
the
others
can
come
up
with
an
excuse
as
to
why
they

couldn’t
make
it.”

Shelly
raised
a
doubtful
brow.
“All
five
of
them?”

“Yes.
It
has
to
be
a
believable
reason
for
all
of
them
though,
otherwise
AJ
will
suspect
something.”

Shelly
had
to
agree.
“And
while
you
and
AJ
are
there
alone
for
those
three
days,
you
think
he’ll
open
up
to
you?”

Dare
sighed
deeply.
“I’m
hoping
that
he
will.
At
least
I’m

giving
him
the
opportunity
to
do
so.”
He
met
Shelly’s
stare.
“What
do
you
think?”

Shelly
shrugged.
“I
don’t
know,
Dare.
It
might
be
just
the
thing,
but
I
don’t
want
you
to
get
your
hopes
up
and
be

disappointed.
I
know
for
a
fact
that
AJ
wants
you
to
know
the
truth,
but
I
also
know
that
for
him
the
timing
has
to
be
perfect.”

Dare
nodded
as
he
pulled
her
into
his
arms.
“Then
I’m

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