The Dare (13 page)

"Jace," I tugged his shirt, "sit."

"No, I'm not
—
"

"Sit, or so help me God, I'm going to revive
that goliath spider and put it on your pillow."

Swearing, Jace sat back down.

"What does therapy entail?"

"Communication," Grandma said smoothly.
"Knowing your partner."

"But we aren't partners."

"Six days," Grandma whispered.

"What?" Jace asked. "What did you say?"

"Nothing." Grandma clapped twice, the lights
dimmed and classical music began playing in the background. "Now
close your eyes."

Jace swore again.

"Stop swearing, son, it makes you sound
simple-minded."

"Did she just call me stupid?" Jace whispered
next to me, his lips grazing my cheek.

"Pfft." Grandma chuckled. "If I wanted to
call you stupid, I would just say it to your face."

"Right."

"Jace?"

"Yes, Grandma?"

"You're being stupid."

Jace cursed again.

"See?" Grandma grinned triumphantly. "Now,
both of you, close your eyes. I'm going to give you a sample of
what therapy will do for you. Take it or leave it, but don't make
your decision until tonight. Agreed?"

"Fine," I said, teeth still clenched.

Jace nodded.

"Good." Grandma clapped once more, causing
the shades to pull down the large window, blanketing us in utter
darkness.

Great, just what we needed, to be vulnerable
in the dark with Grandma.

"I want you to feel," Grandma instructed.
"Beth, put your hands on Jace's legs."

Slowly, I stretched out my hands and placed
them on Jace's thighs.

"Jace, turn toward Beth so it feels more
comfortable."

His body shifted so we were facing one
another on the couch. My hands were placed awkwardly against his
thighs, and I could feel the heat of his body through the linen
pants. I could almost feel his heartbeat as blood hummed through
his system.

"Now, Jace," Grandma said softly. "I want you
to touch Beth's face with your hands. I want you to be gentle, and
I want you to memorize the way she feels."

I felt the heat of Jace's hands just before
his fingertips grazed my chin then my cheekbones. His hands roamed
across my face; his touch was so gentle it almost hurt. I leaned
toward him as he moved his hands down my neck and to my
shoulders.

"Feel how her body responds to you," Grandma
coached. "Feel her skin, every sensation, every touch. I want you
to memorize her face so well that if asked to draw a picture of her
likeness you could do so blindfolded."

My fingers dug into his thighs as he
continued rubbing my face, dipping his hands into my hair. With a
gasp, I bit down on my lip as he brought his head closer and closer
to me.

"Now," Grandma whispered. "Beth, I want you
to do what Jace was doing but start on his legs, move up his torso
until your hands are placed firmly on his chest."

And so my torture in hell began. I say
torture, because every movement my hands made across his thighs
caused my hormones to spike to deadly levels. Muscles I didn't even
know existed were now a permanent fixture in my memory. My body
cheered with delight when my hands made their way to his abs. They
were tight. And I was ready to maul him for no other reason than
touching him felt so good.

By the time my hands reached his chest, it
felt like I'd just gone into a sauna with a wool coat on and was
confused on how to get it off. My breathing was erratic. I was
leaning so close to Jace that I could smell his cologne.

Grandma clapped, and the lights came on. I
was practically in Jace's lap. His face was one inch from mine, and
my body was tight so tight it was ready to explode. I wanted him
—
everywhere
—
and I didn't even feel guilty that I was sweating like a whore in
church.

"All done." Grandma clapped again, and the
lights went full-blast, making me pull back.

"I'd say the first lesson went very well."
Grandma rose from her chair.

"What was the lesson?" I croaked.

Grandma turned away from us and laughed. "I'm
sure you can figure it out."

Jace grabbed my hand. "She finds joy in
torturing others."

"No," Grandma turned to face us, "I find joy
in inspiring others and, by the looks of you," Grandma looked Jace
up and down, "I'd say you're about as inspired as they come."

"Pool," Jace blurted. "We should, uh, go
swim."

"Okay."

Jace pulled me out of the office and stalked
down the hall, tugging me behind him with such force my arm almost
came loose
—
not that he'd notice. The man
was on a mission.

We jogged to the pool area.

Jace pulled off his shirt and jumped in,
leaving me gaping after him.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Inspiration." Jace cursed. "Too much damn
inspiration."

"You drugged them… again?" The agent
scratched his head.

"Well, what was I supposed to do, Gus?"

"Um, how about not drugging them?"

"Oh you're no fun, Gus. Tell me, when have
drugs ever done more harm than good."

"You're kidding, right?" The agent looked
around, "You have to be joking."

"I don't joke." Grandma sniffed. "And I stand
by my decision. Every man needs help every once in a while."

"Shall I add drugging to your kidnapping
charges?"

"Well if you must. I don't want to have to
give you too much paperwork, Gus. I really don't want to be a
bother."

Jace

"Um, Beth." I swam to the edge of the pool
and tried to think of a way to tell her that wouldn't sound
crazy.

"What?"

I'd been swimming around for a good five
minutes while Beth went in search of towels, but now that she was
back, I had to tell her. Damn it. Damn Grandma!

I shook my fist at the sky.

"You okay, Jace?"

"No." Embarrassed, I closed my eyes. "I think
there was something in my tea."

"What do you mean?"

"I think I was drugged."

Beth's eyes widened. She took a step toward
the edge of the pool and leaned down so she was on her hands and
knees, talking to me. And let's be honest. I the state I was in, it
was doing more harm than she even realized.

"What type of drug? Do you feel funny?"

"I wouldn't say I felt funny…" I looked down.
"Just… inappropriate."

"Huh?"

"Viagra. She put Viagra in my tea."

Beth burst out laughing, "Jace, I highly
doubt she would do that. You're a young healthy virile
—
" Her eyes widened. "Oh, Lord."

"What. Do. I. Do?" I grasped the edge of the
pool like it was my lifeline.

Beth's grin grew. "Clearly you have a little
problem."

"Can we call it a big problem?" I hissed.
"You know, for my self-esteem and all? Can we not refer to it as
little or small or miniscule or
—
"

"I got it." Beth held up her hand. "We have a
tiny problem."

"Damn, should have seen that one coming."

"Just…" Beth waved, "make it go away."

"Just make it go away?" I repeated. "Make IT
go away? How do you imagine I go about that, Beth? In a public
place? In a public pool? Under the watchful eyes of God? Hmm?"

"Whoa. Easy, sinner. I don't mean for you to
fornicate with the pool toys or anything. I'm just...
thinking."

"Can we come up with a better idea? One that
leaves pool toys out of this whole conversation?"

"Don't be so touchy," Beth snapped. "We'll
just wait it out."

"Right." I nodded. "Great. So I'll just stay
in the pool for four hours in hopes that the situation alleviates,
and if it doesn't, what then? Call 911?"

"Well they do say that if an
erect
—
"

I covered her mouth. "There's an easy way to
fix this." Without thinking about the ramifications of my actions,
I pulled her into the pool, clothes and all.

When Beth came up for air, she screamed. "I'm
not really a prostitute, Jace!"

Luckily the only other couple at the pool
were by the swim-up bar and partying it up.

"Stop yelling!" I pulled her to the furthest
corner of the pool. "And I didn't call you a prostitute. I accused
you of having a shady past. There's a difference." But if she were
thinking about a career change, now would be the time to fully
commit.

"This is SO not the fairytale." Beth smacked
me in the shoulder once we reached the other side of the pool by
the waterfall.

Thunder rumbled across the sky.

And then sheets of rain started tumbling out
of the sky
—
it wasn't a normal rain. It
was a Noah rain. The type of rain that makes it almost impossible
to see the person in front of you without blinking the drops out of
your eyes.

Beth tilted her head back and laughed.

I couldn't laugh. The laugh was stolen from
my chest the minute I saw her close her eyes as the water dripped
down her body. I would never need Viagra in that woman's presence.
Ever.

Just put Beth in front of all the test
subjects for ED. Problem solved. I should get a medal.

"Come here." I growled, pulling her close to
me. She didn't fight. She wrapped her arms around my neck and her
legs around my waist.

I groaned as she pressed against me. I was
ready to beg, I'd been brought that low. Weeping? Yeah, it was
going to happen. A grown man was going to weep, jury was still out
whether the weeping would be from ecstasy or pain.

"I'm still not helping you." Beth smiled.
"But there is this one thing I've always wanted."

"There's several things I want at the
moment," I said in a hoarse voice as I moved against her. "But
what's your one thing… tell me."

"I want to be kissed in the rain."

I touched my forehead against hers and nipped
her lower lip then whispered against it. "I think I can do
that."

Our mouths touched.

And it was like lightning had struck the
pool. My entire body hummed as Beth's mouth worked against mine. I
pushed her against the wall of the pool and then jerked her hard
against me when she moaned into my mouth.

My body didn't just ache for her
—
it burned from the inside out, the outside in. Every
time her teeth grazed my lips or her tongue collided with mine, I
was burning hotter and hotter. Ready to explode. Happy and
satisfied to be kissing her, even though my body had physically
wanted more, I was finding ecstasy in her touch.

Rain poured down our faces as I walked her
through the water, back underneath the waterfall.

I tripped with her in my arms; we both
laughed as I managed to get us into the little cave.

My lips were about to find hers again when I
heard a low voice say, "Beth?"

Beth moved her hands toward my pants, so I
ignored the voice.

"Beth, is that you?"

Growling, I pulled back to yell but stopped
when Beth's face visibly paled. "B-Brett?"

"Hey!" He waded through the pool and pulled
her in for a hug. "How are you? It's been so long!" He released
her.

I tugged Beth closer to me and shielded her;
I would have peed on her to mark my territory if my body would have
allowed it. Seriously, the guy needed to back the hell off before
my fist ran into his face.

"I'm good." Beth gripped my arm tight. "And
you?"

"Awesome! Just on vacation for a few days."
He held up his hand. "Hold on, you have to meet my fiancée."

He left. Beth's grip tightened. She looked
like she'd just seen a ghost
—
and not a
friendly one like Casper
—
one that feeds
on the souls of small children.

"Make a run for it?" I whispered, tugging her
away from the man with too much chest hair. Did he get implants?
Did guys do that? To look more masculine?

"They'll see us," she said through a fake
smile.

Brett reappeared with a plastic Barbie doll
look-alike in nothing but a string bikini and smile.

Wonders never cease.

"This is Paris."

"Of course it is," I said under my breath.
Beth elbowed me and held out her hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Paris. I'm Beth."

Paris shook her hand, but passed Beth over as
if she were a tiny little bug. Instead her eyes were glued to me
and my naked chest. Of course they were. I'd be looking at me too
if I had to date someone who used the same comb for his hair that
he did his chest.

"Senator Jace Brevik?" A predatory smile made
its presence known on her Botox-infused face.

I gave her points that she could still manage
to move her mouth, let alone bust out a smile with all that swollen
puffy skin.

"Yes. Yes, I am."

Brett laughed. "I knew you looked familiar!
What are you doing here? Beth, holy shit, that's so cool you work
for a senator?"

"Work?" Beth repeated. "What do you
mean?"

"Well, you know." Brett waved her off. "You
always were so smart. I just figured you were here to offer support
to the senator and his wife or lover or whatever. Say, where's your
significant other?" Brett looked around. "I would really love to
meet her. Honestly, it would be an honor."

"My Brett's in politics too." Paris kissed
Brett's neck and sighed. "He's the mayor of our town."

How nice. Brett thinks being a mayor means
he's in politics. I should punch him in the balls and get it over
with.

"Oh yeah?" Beth's lower lip trembled.

Why the hell did she look like she was going
to cry?

"Yeah, Mayor of Bellingham, but I have
aspirations for more." He puffed out his chest.

Bellingham, Washington? Right. Good for him.
If he kept at it, he could run against me for president, said no
person ever.