A Little Dare (28 page)

That
thought
drove
a
primitive
need
through
him
and
the
erection
pressing
against
her
got
longer
and
harder.
The
thought
of
using
it
to
penetrate
the
very
core
of
her
made
his
mind
reel
and
drugged
his
brain
even
more
with
her
sensuality.

A
shiver
raced
over
Shelly
and
a
semblance
of
control

returned
as
she
realized
just
how
easily
she
had

succumbed
to
his
touch.
She
knew
she
had
to
put
a
halt
to
what
they
were
doing.
She
had
returned
to
College
Park
not
for
herself
but
for
AJ.

She
broke
off
their
kiss
and
untangled
herself
from
his

arms.
When
he
leaned
toward
her,
to
kiss
her
again,
she

pushed
him
back.
“No,
Dare,”
she
said
firmly.
“We
shouldn’t
have
done
that.
This
isn’t
about
you
or
me
or
our
inability
to
control
overzealous
hormones.
It’s
about
our
son
and
doing
what
is
best
for
him.”

And
why
can’t
we
simultaneously
discover
what
is
best
for
us,
he
wanted
to
ask
but
refrained
from
doing
so.
He

understood
her
need
to
put
AJ
first
and
foremost,
but
what
she
would
soon
realize
was
that
there
was
unfinished

business
between
them
as
well.
“I
agree
that
AJ
is
our
main
concern,
Shelly,
but
there’s
something
you
need
to
realize
and
accept.”

“What?”

“Things
aren’t
over
between
us,
and
we
shouldn’t
deceive
ourselves
into
thinking
there
won’t
be
a
next
time,
so
be
prepared
for
it.”

He
saw
the
frown
that
appeared
in
her
eyes
and
the

defiance
that
tilted
her
lips
reminded
him
of
AJ
yesterday
and
the
day
before.
“No,
Dare,
there
won’t
be
a
next
time
because
I
won’t
let
there
be.
You’re
AJ’s
father,
but
what
was
between
us
is
over
and
has
been
for
years.
To
me
you’re
just
another
man.”

He
lifted
a
brow.
He
wondered
if
she
had
kissed
many
men
the
way
she’d
kissed
him,
and
for
some
reason
he
doubted
it.
She
had
kissed
him
as
though
she
hadn’t
kissed
anyone
in
years.
He
had
felt
the
hunger
that
had
raged
through
her.
He
had
felt
it,
explored
it
and,
for
the
moment,
satisfied
it.
“You’re
sure
about
that?”

“Yes,
I’m
positive,
so
I
suggest
you
place
all
your

concentration
on
winning
your
son
over
and
forget
about
your
son’s
mother.”

As
he
turned
to
cross
the
room
to
leave,
he
knew
that
he

would
never
be
able
to
forget
about
his
son’s
mother,
not
in
a
million
years.
Before
walking
out
the
door
he
looked
back
at
her.
“Oh,
yeah,
I
almost
forgot
something.”

She
lifted
a
brow.
“What?”

“The
brothers
four.
They’re
dying
to
see
you.
I
told
them
of

our
plans
for
AJ
and
they
agreed
to
be
patient
about
seeing
him,
but
they
refuse
to
be
patient
about
seeing
you,
Shelly.
They
want
to
know
if
you’ll
meet
them
for
lunch
one
day
this
week
at
Chase’s
restaurant
in
downtown
Atlanta?”

She
smiled.
She
wanted
to
see
them
as
well.
Dare’s

brothers
had
always
been
special
to
her.
“Tell
them
I’d
love
to
have
lunch
with
them
tomorrow
since
I’ll
be
working
in

that
area.”

Dare
nodded,
then
turned
and
walked
out
the
door.

AJ
saw
the
two
boys
standing
next
to
his
bike
the
moment
he
walked
out
the
school
door.
Since
his
bike
was
locked,
he
wasn’t
worried
about
the
pair
taking
it,
but
after
his
fight
with
Caleb
Martin
yesterday
the
last
thing
he
wanted
was
trouble.
Especially
after
the
talks
the
sheriff
and
his
mother
had
given
him.

The
sheriff.

He
shook
his
head,
not
wanting
to
think
about
the
fact
that
the
sheriff
was
his
father.
But
he
had
thought
about
it
most
of
the
day,
and
still,
as
he’d
told
his
mother
last
night,
he
didn’t
want
the
sheriff
to
know
he
was
his
son.

“What
are
you
two
looking
at?”
he
asked
in
a
tough
voice,
ignoring
the
fact
that
one
of
the
boys
was
a
lot
bigger
than