If She Dares (Contemporary Romance) (3 page)

He laughed. “Do people actually do those in real life? I thought it was just the kind of thing you see in movies about fraternities. Have you ever—”

The elevator lurched, and she instinctively reached for Jack’s hand. Sparks of awareness slipped past the wall of anxiety. It was starting to get really warm in the still air. Heat pulsed in parts of her body she hadn’t given much thought to lately. Rather than flinch away from the sensation, she found herself trying to cling to it.

Her voice sounded raspier than usual when she prompted, “Your turn to ask a question.”

“Ever kissed a stranger in the dark?”

3

T
HE
QUESTION
HADN
’
T
been premeditated. Jack had set out to distract her, not make a move. But his once-noble intentions were muddled by the tantalizing mental image of her losing at strip poker—and by proximity to Riley and her lush curves. Her soft fingers were still wrapped around his, and their legs were practically entangled.

“N-no.” The husky catch in her voice was sexy as hell. “I’ve never done that.”

I dare you
. The words shimmered in his mind like an incantation. If he said them, would she accept the challenge? Not that he would exploit the situation. And yet, had she just moved closer?

He inhaled the faint scent of raspberry lotion on her skin and wondered irrationally if she tasted like raspberries, too. He could feel the heat from her body and, as he angled his head toward hers, her breath feathered over him. Releasing her hand, he skated his fingers up the satiny flesh of her inner arm, within grazing distance of her generous breasts.

Which is when the lights buzzed back to life in what felt like a burst of accusation.

Riley’s eyes were wide, and her gaze dropped to his mouth. There was desire in her expression—but it was accompanied by apprehension, which kept him from leaning forward and kissing her. She abruptly pulled away, and Jack called himself a litany of names,
dumb ass
being the kindest. What in the hell had he been thinking? Hadn’t he learned his lesson about getting involved with women who lived in the same building?

Riley got to her feet and busied herself with the box she’d set down, but he couldn’t make himself look away from her yet. Jack also stood, keeping an appropriate distance while he surreptitiously studied her. She wore a charcoal sweater and black jeans. The outfit was flattering, outlining the curve of her hips and hugging perfectly rounded breasts, but drab. Thinking back to the night he’d met her, he recalled a beige jacket and dark slacks. After their unexpected conversation during the blackout, he realized now that there was another Riley beneath the surface, one too bold for neutral shades and plain cotton.

Her words echoed in his mind.
I want to feel like myself again
. There’d been such a plaintive note in her tone. Jack had learned young, when he couldn’t convince his mother to leave an abusive boyfriend, that it wasn’t in his power to rescue everyone around him. Yet he couldn’t help wishing he knew how to help Riley.

The
ding
of the elevator jarred him from his thoughts, and the doors parted.

Riley glanced through the opening then laughed. “I guess this is close enough?” They were about two feet off the ground, the elevator shaft visible through the top of the doors.

The property manager who’d given Jack the tour of his apartment stood outside the elevator, looking up at them. “You okay, Ms. Kendrick?”

“We’re all right. But I might need a hand with this box.” She passed it to him, then hopped down to the floor with the man’s assistance. Jack followed, feeling a little silly with his empty pizza box and the plastic bag he’d seized as an excuse to join Riley in the elevator. He was glad he had, though. The few minutes he’d expected to spend assuring her he was an amiable new neighbor had turned into something altogether more intriguing.

She smiled over her shoulder. “Thank you. I couldn’t have asked for a better crisis buddy.”

“Hey, what are neighbors for?” They were for borrowing cups of sugar or perhaps feeding your fish while you were on vacation.
Not
, he told himself, for the kind of carnal activities he was suddenly envisioning.

The last lover he’d had lived in a completely different part of the building from him, and he’d still felt compelled to move out after their affair ended. Riley lived directly across the hall. They were the only two people on that floor, with no one else to act as a buffer. So instead of falling in step with her and continuing their conversation, he hung back, making small talk with the manager about how he was settling in.

I will not pursue her
. But, given that he couldn’t tear his gaze away from her, the vow lacked believability.

* * *

A
S
R
ILEY
WALKED
away from the elevator, it occurred to her that she now had the necessary reception to call her sister and explain why she was late. Yet she didn’t reach for her phone, too distracted by lingering prickles of awareness. Was it her imagination that she could feel Jack watching her? Or perhaps wishful thinking?

Looking back over the past twelve months, she recognized that part of her had wanted to become invisible, as if no one could hurt her if they didn’t see her. She’d forgotten how nice it could feel to have someone notice her, to appreciate her for something beyond programming and design skills. Jack had made her feel desirable, had made her realize how much she’d missed that.

Plus, the man was pretty damn desirable himself. Those dark, compelling eyes, that voice...

“Riley? Wait up!”

Speaking of Jack’s voice
. Her pulse quickened, and it was a thrill to have her heart accelerate from an emotion other than apprehension. She turned to face him. “Yes?”

“I was thinking about what you said in the elevator.”

Her body tingled as she recalled the many things that had been said. What if he invited her over for a neighborly game of strip poker?
Don’t be ridiculous
. She knew their playful conversation had been a diversionary tactic more than anything else. Besides, she wasn’t a college kid anymore. She was a grown businesswoman; no way was she getting topless in front of her new neighbor.

Yet the forbidden fantasy was not without appeal.

“About what I said?” she echoed, trying to quell her overactive imagination.

“About being spontaneous and demonstrating backbone. The property manager was just filling me in on some details, like the tenant-board election next month.
You
should run against Mrs. Tyler for president!”

Uncertain whether she was relieved or disappointed that his suggestion wasn’t more risqué, she laughed. “Interesting idea, but I don’t think so.”

He grinned knowingly. “Dare you.”

“Oh, that’s just...”
Why the hell not?
“Okay,” she heard herself agree. She was well organized and, when not flinching at shadows, a reasonable person. She was certainly invested in the building’s security. Best of all, this was the most spontaneous decision she’d made in months. Since Mrs. Tyler was likely to mow her down in the parking lot once she found out, it even qualified as reckless.

“Seriously? You’ll do it?”

“I told you, I’m a sucker for a dare.” A mischievous thought struck her. “Of course, you never know when I might return the favor.”

“You mean daring me to do something? Like what?”

“I don’t know.” She beamed at him, her spirit lighter than it had been in nearly a year. “But I’ll think of something.”

4

“I
QUIT
MY
JOB
.”

Riley sighed. Typical Wren—her sister couldn’t even wait until she was seated before making a dramatic announcement. “Hello to you, too. I went ahead and ordered your drink,” she said, gesturing to the iced tea on the other side of the booth.

Wren shrugged out of her raincoat, then slid onto the high-backed bench. The hem of her jeans was soaked, as if she’d been splashing through puddles on the sidewalk, and her normally flat-ironed hair was curling into damp gold ringlets. “I’m counting on you to be supportive. Dad’s only response was a grunt from behind the newspaper—can you believe he still gets hard copies of the paper?—but Mom and Rochelle were both completely wigged. Honestly, I’m twenty-two. Did they expect me to be some CEO by now?”

“I think they were just hoping you could stick with something for longer than three months before getting bored,” Riley said gently. At her sister’s narrowed eyes, she held up her hands. “Not that I’m judging. Honestly, part of me admires your fearless spontaneity. Just...don’t let being spontaneous conflict with paying rent, okay?”

Her sister’s blue-gray eyes twinkled with mischief. “If my roommates kick me to the curb for not ponying up my share, I could always bunk with
you
.”

Because she loved her sister, Riley managed not to shudder. Wren had offered to live with her once before, when trying to dissuade Riley from putting her house on the market last year.
If it would make you feel less vulnerable about being there alone, I’ll move in, Ry
. A kindhearted sentiment, but working from home required a certain amount of organization—or, at least disorganization that Riley could control. Wren was a slob of epic proportions.

Luckily, she was only kidding this time. After flashing a quick smile, she reverted to the topic of her job. “I didn’t quit because I was bored, FYI. Waitressing is hella degrading! Oh...no offense,” Wren said to the waitress approaching their table. “I meant cocktail waitressing, trying to discourage drunken guys who want my number without being so blunt I lose my tip.”

The waitress made a sympathetic face then took their orders. Riley asked for a salad and cup of soup.

“Same here,” Wren said, “except, instead of the bisque, I’ll have the chocolate cake.”

After the waitress walked away, Riley asked, “So do you have a plan for life after cocktail waitressing?”

She nodded. “There’s an awesome lingerie store near me, Vivien’s Armoire. Upscale, but fun—my friend Becca had her bachelorette shower there. It’s owned by two sisters but since one’s planning her wedding and the other one is preggers, they need help. I’ll work there until my own business is up and running.”

Riley was almost afraid to ask. “Your business?”

“Making jewelry! Check these out.” Wren tucked her hair behind her ears, showing off colorful, funky earrings.

“Nice.”

“Glad you like them, because I have something for you.” Turning, Wren began to dig through her giant quilted handbag.

She was in full excavation mode, half the contents of her purse piled on the table—why the hell did she have a TV remote control?—when the waitress came with their food. Still focused on her search, Wren absently pushed her salad bowl forward. Riley exchanged her cucumbers for her sister’s tomatoes.

“Here it is!” Wren held up a small drawstring bag in triumph. “I made you this.”

She handed over the bag. Inside was a silver bracelet, beaded with tiger’s eyes and deep blue stones.

“Oh, Wren. Wow.”

“It’s a talisman bracelet, for protection. From...bad luck and stuff.” She ducked her gaze, her tone troubled. Of all the Kendricks, she’d seemed to take what happened to Riley the hardest. She cleared her throat. “Like getting stuck in elevators. Rochelle mentioned the power outage in your building over the weekend.”

A smile tugged at the corner of Riley’s lips. Would she describe the time she’d spent stranded with Jack as bad luck?
No.
Despite her initial trepidation and the inconvenient situation, the overall experience had turned out to be...fun. She hadn’t seen him in the two days since, but he drifted into her thoughts at odd moments.

His teasing encouragement had been uppermost in her mind this morning when she’d emailed the tenant board to declare herself in the running for the election in November. She’d written a first draft yesterday, trying to sound as diplomatic as possible, thanking all the board members for their hard work and saying she’d like to step forward and take her turn. In the event that Anna Tyler’s response to the email was to show up at Riley’s door with a bazooka, Riley had waited until she was ready to leave her apartment before hitting Send. Between this morning’s medical checkup, lunch with Wren and a self-defense class this afternoon, Riley hoped her hours of not being home gave the current president time to calm down.

Wren was busily scooping her belongings back into her purse. “I don’t know if the mystical qualities people ascribe to crystals and gems are real, but it can’t hurt to try, right? At the very least, maybe wearing them will make you feel braver.”

“The jewelry equivalent of a security blanket.” Riley’s tone was more defensive than she’d intended, as if she was embarrassed her little sister thought she was a wuss. She took a deep breath and tried again, determined to sound suitably grateful. “The bracelet is lovely, and I’ll treasure it.”

Wren smiled, looking relieved. “Once I’ve built up some inventory, I’ll want you to do my website.”

“Naturally. I’m the best.”

Laughing, Wren reached past her salad for the plate of chocolate cake. Riley snagged a forkful before the entire piece was gone, and the two of them chatted and joked their way through lunch. They jumped from topic to topic, from the weather—“Blecch” was Wren’s succinct opinion—to the most recently eliminated chefs on Wren’s favorite TV cooking competition. As lunch ended, Riley found herself wondering if it was odd that she hadn’t brought up Jack. There’d been several moments in conversation where it would have been natural to mention him, but she’d stopped herself each time.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t specifically told Rochelle about him on Saturday, either, had only said that she wasn’t alone in the elevator during the power outage and there’d been plenty of moral support.
You barely know the guy. Not much to discuss
. Yeah, that was probably it—not that she was holding the memory of his rough velvet voice close like a guilty secret.
Ever kissed a stranger in the dark?

“You seem preoccupied,” Wren noted. “We were having a good time, then I lost you somewhere. Are you worried about getting to class on time?”

“No, I still have a few minutes.” Riley used her straw to fish an ice cube from her empty drink. It felt too warm in the restaurant. “I was just realizing I haven’t told you about my new neighbor. Jack Reed.” There. No guilty secrets.

Leaning back, Wren raised an eyebrow. “You were staring into space and have flushed cheeks because you were thinking about a guy? He must be hot.”

Scorching. God, those mesmerizing eyes. “He’s attractive.”

“And is he single?”

“No idea.” That was a jarring thought. Truthfully, she
didn’t
know if he was seeing anyone. But the way he’d looked at Riley, the flirtatious drawl in his voice when he teased her, made her want to believe he was unattached. What if she was wrong?

She ground her teeth together. “You know what? I probably should get going, make sure I have enough time to change and stretch before class starts.” She was in the mood to knock a sparring partner to the ground.

“So I asked a couple of questions about the new guy in your building and suddenly you have to bail?”

Riley forced a chuckle as she slid the straps of her gym bag onto her shoulder. “I’ve been taking classes for months. There’s nothing
sudden
about this.”

“Uh-huh.”

Deciding to ignore Wren’s irritating smirk, Riley stood and thanked her sister again for the bracelet. It was a genuinely thoughtful gift.

“Dinner last week, lunch today,” Wren mused as Riley pulled out cash for the bill. “Nice change of pace. For a while, you were so—”

“Busy?” It sounded better than cowardly or closed off.

“Anyway, it’s great to see you more often.”

“What can I say? I missed my pain-in-the-ass kid sister.”

“Maybe we should make plans for the weekend, too. I could bring over takeout and we can stream a movie.” Her smile was sly. “Maybe I’ll even get to meet your new neighbor.”

“Did I already mention the part about you being a pain in the ass?”

Wren grinned. “At least say you’ll visit my new job and buy lots of stuff from me so I look good to my bosses.”

“Yes to the visit if it will keep you from stalking my building, but you’ll need to lower your expectations from
lots
.” With that, she waved and quickly departed before Wren talked her into spending hundreds of dollars on unnecessary lingerie purchases.

Riley could drive to her class, but the nearest public parking for the gym was a couple of blocks past it, not any closer than where she was already parked, so she looked at the walk as her warmup. Her small umbrella shielded her from the worst of the persistent rain. The weather was midway between drizzle and downpour, with lightning and high winds predicted for tonight. What were the chances of two power outages in one week? She’d put fresh batteries in both her flashlights and bought a set of candles, just in case. Would it be the neighborly thing to do to knock on Jack’s door and ask if he needed a couple?

Jack Reed by candlelight. Now there was a thought more sinful than the billion-calorie chocolate cake she and Wren had shared.

Considering that Riley barely knew him—and their longest conversation had taken place in the dark—it was astonishingly easy to picture him. Jack smiling down at her, the muted light flickering over those muscular arms...

The pulse of female appreciation that shot through her was a welcome surprise. While she had no intention of throwing herself at a near stranger, it was reassuring to know she could still experience a little harmless lust.
Baby steps
. Maybe someday she’d even go on a date again, like a regular person.

Though she was grateful that Jack inspired hope of eventually emerging from her self-imposed isolation cocoon, she’d already dwelled on him enough for one day. She was dangerously close to obsessing like a lovelorn teenager. Plus, if she was distracted, her sparring partner would kick her butt in hand-to-hand exercises. Banishing her hot new neighbor from her thoughts, Riley reached for the door to the studio.

Class went by quickly, and she relished the workout. After the long hours she spent staring at lines of code, it was invigorating to use an entirely different part of her brain, honing her instincts and reflexes. She did notice, however, that when the instructor asked for her help demonstrating a new move, Riley was more conscious of herself physically than she had been during last week’s session. She had a renewed awareness of her body, as if she were relearning how to be comfortable in her skin.

As she walked back to where she’d parked her car, she didn’t even use the umbrella. She just let the rain slide over her, recalling an afternoon in her teens when she’d twirled in circles across her driveway during a downpour while her boyfriend laughingly chided from the covered porch that she was nuts. The fact that it was currently daylight helped her enjoy the moment, but she still jumped when thunder shook the ground.

Another thunderclap followed a few minutes later, this time accompanied by a sharp, pitiful cry. She stopped in her tracks, glancing around, not even sure what exactly she was looking for. A baby? The sound came again, drawing her gaze downward. Huddled beneath a nearby public mailbox was a whimpering puppy. Obviously, Riley wasn’t the only one who’d been startled by the thunder.

Brushing damp bangs out of her eyes, she knelt to get a better look at the little guy. “Hey, there,” she said in a soft voice. She didn’t see a collar. The puppy was ridiculously adorable, if soggy. Its overall color was a creamy light tan, though its ears were darker. A patch of white was visible on its chest with a mask of matching white around the most soulful brown eyes Riley had ever seen. She’d be surprised if the ball of fur even weighed five pounds. Thunder rumbled once more and instead of retreating farther beneath its makeshift shelter, the dog scurried to her, as if seeking protection.

“It’s okay, buddy. I won’t let anything happen to you.” At the sound of her voice, the dog’s tail wagged, and Riley’s heart melted. She picked up the puppy and stood, glancing around. No one seemed to be calling for a lost dog. The nearest business on the street, a hair salon, had already closed for the day. Meanwhile, clouds that looked downright ominous were rolling in.

She tucked the shaking canine between her jacket and workout top, cradling it against her body heat. “Looks like you’re coming with me.”

What are you going to do with a puppy, genius?
She didn’t know yet, but no way in hell was she leaving it here at a street intersection. She could always come back later and post flyers around the area.

Keeping up a soft, one-sided conversation meant to keep the puppy calm, she hastened to her car, glad for the remote control on her key ring that made it easy to unlock the door without a free hand. Once she had the passenger door open, she unzipped her gym bag and dumped her clothes on the floor. She needed the empty bag for a makeshift pet carrier. Hopefully, the mesh sides that would allow the puppy to see her would keep him from freaking out.

Him?
Curious, she held up the puppy. “Ah, not a boy, then.” She scratched behind the dog’s ears. “Us girls have to stick together, right?” She set the gym bag on the seat and gently deposited her new friend inside. After zipping the bag, she put the seat belt through the bag’s straps to keep the puppy safely anchored in case Riley had to make any sudden stops.

By the time Riley got in on her side of the car, the puppy was whining and pawing at the side of the bag.