Dare to Take (Dare to Love #6) Read online

  She’d silently cried herself to sleep next to an already passed out Avery. And when she’d woken up in the morning, Tyler had been gone. His mother had said he’d been called back to base, but Ella had known better. He couldn’t wait to get away from her and put that horrible sexual experience behind him. And she couldn’t blame him.

  But she could blame him for how he’d handled it. On that, they agreed. Because Tyler Dare had been her first. He’d broken her heart and set the stage for every guy who came after him.

  After Tyler, Ella had chosen men very carefully—and they weren’t handsome, sexy men from wealthy families with big egos and high expectations. She didn’t come from Tyler’s world and knew better than to think she was good enough to keep him or anyone like him. She kept her distance from the men she met through work, men with money and swagger, who asked her out. She didn’t want a guy who’d assume she was sexually experienced … only to be disappointed in the end.

  Like Tyler had been.

  “Hey.”

  She shook herself out of the past and realized he’d knelt down beside her.

  “What do you mean, when the sex sucks?” he asked in what sounded like disbelief. He looked up at her, his dark hair falling over his forehead, his navy blue eyes with hints of violet staring at her intently.

  They were really going to discuss this? Hadn’t she been through enough today? She blew out a long breath. “I saw the look on your face after, Tyler. Not to mention, you called me a mistake. A mess. You couldn’t push me away from you fast enough. Believe me, I got the message.”

  “Apparently you got the wrong one. I was pissed at myself. I was more of an adult than you were. Drunk or not, I knew better.”

  She narrowed her gaze, unsure of whether or not to believe him. “I appreciate you saying that. Trying to make things right. Us being more civil will help when we’re with Avery and your family. It’ll be easier than trying to avoid each other.”

  He blinked at her. “Ella, that’s not all I’m doing. I’m telling you the truth. I fucked up and I’m sorry.”

  “Thanks. I’m glad we can move forward as friends.” They’d each apologized.

  She could live with that. It was better than what she’d had before.

  * * *

  Tyler couldn’t believe his ears. He’d finally set the record straight and she didn’t believe him. Because you screwed her over after her first time. He’d hurt her, and somewhere deep down, she still hadn’t gotten over it. He’d seen it in her expression, and it broke his heart.

  He watched in silence as she popped a grape into her mouth and chewed, followed by cheese and crackers. His gaze settled on her lips, full and puckered as she ate, and of course, all he could think about was those lips surrounding his cock.

  He shook his head to clear his thoughts before they could travel any further. “I think we should talk about the mugging,” he said, changing the subject. “Any idea what people could be looking for?” he asked, hoping she didn’t notice his desire-filled voice.

  “No. And I don’t even know if anything’s missing from my old room.”

  “As soon as the police do their job there, we can go back in and you can check. I called the front desk, and someone should be by to take a look and talk to you.”

  She shrugged. “They talked to me in the hospital. I don’t know any more now than I did then.”

  He frowned, not liking being in the dark when someone was obviously looking for something and didn’t mind hurting her to find it.

  “I need a shower,” she said, wiping her hands on a napkin and rising to her feet.

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. You may not be steady. What if you get dizzy?” He stood and walked over to her, ready to help if needed.

  “Umm, what are you doing?” She peered up at him, wrinkling her nose in confusion. “It’s not like you can join me.”

  But damn, he wanted to. He cleared his throat. “I can stand outside in case you fall.”

  “I promise to call you if I need you.”

  He closed his eyes and prayed for strength. “Fine. Don’t make the water too hot and steamy, and don’t take too long or I’m coming in to check on you.”

  She perched her hands on her hips and glared. “Bossy much?”

  He clenched his jaw. “You have no idea. Now go. Shower and get back into bed. I’ll call downstairs and see what’s going on with the storm.”

  He headed to the hotel phone and picked it up, only to find there was no connection. Great. Using his cell, he called Scott and got as good an update as he could from his brother, who confirmed the storm was still predicted to blow over by morning.

  “You okay?” Scott asked him.

  “Fucking swell,” he muttered.

  “Is Ella worse than you thought?”

  The shower water turned on, and a vision of her naked beneath the warm stream of water nearly knocked him on his ass. Warm rivulets running over her pale skin, dusky nipples.

  Fuck.

  He gritted his teeth and answered his brother. “Ella’s fine. A bad concussion but she’ll be okay.” He, on the other hand, might not survive the night. “How’s Meg?” His brother’s wife was pregnant and due any minute.

  “Uncomfortable and ready. So am I, man.”

  Tyler grinned at his brother’s excitement. Even if he didn’t quite get it. Tyler had never been the guy who saw marriage and kids in his future. His past proved he wasn’t much good at dealing with emotional upheaval, and what was being married or in a relationship? One big morass of emotions. And when things got tough emotionally, Tyler ran. But as his siblings paired off, one by one, and even his mother was now engaged to a good guy, Tyler found himself … lonely. Or should he say alone?

  “Give Meg my love and I’ll call you when I get home.”

  “Sure thing. And Ty?” Scott asked before he could disconnect the call.

  “Yeah?”

  “Tread lightly with Ella. Avery will have your balls if you get involved with her and hurt her.”

  Tyler stiffened. “Seriously? What makes you think I’d go there?” he said, wincing at the lie. “She’s like my little sister.” Another lie.

  His brother let out a know-it-all laugh. “I see how you look at her when you don’t think anyone’s noticing.”

  Fuck. Again.

  “I also see how she looks at you. And you bicker like an old married couple, so heed my words. If you aren’t serious, don’t go there.”

  “Connection sucks,” Tyler said, his third lie in as many minutes. “Talk to you when I’m back in the States.”

  He hung up on his sibling just as the bathroom door opened and Ella stepped into the room, wrapped in a short white towel and nothing else. Her legs were tanned and longer than he remembered, and he was suddenly assaulted by visions of those limbs wrapped around his waist as he pushed into her wet heat.

  Tyler broke into a sweat. “Don’t you have clothes?” he barked out.

  “Would I be dressed in this if I did? My clothes are grimy from the hospital. Do you have a tee shirt or something I can borrow?” Her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink, and she had a death grip on the top of the towel, looking more vulnerable than sexy, and he cursed under his breath.

  Once again, he was being an ass. “Let me look in my duffle.” He searched through his bag, using the time to get himself under control before turning to her with a tee shirt in hand.

  “Here.” He hoped the shirt was long enough so he’d stop thinking about what was underneath … especially since he knew she wasn’t wearing underwear.

  “Thanks.” She yanked it from his hands and hurried back into the bathroom.

  He ran a hand through his hair and prayed for the strength to survive the night. She returned, her damp hair falling around her face.

  “Do you think you’re up to talking about the mugging?” he asked. “Maybe I can put some pieces together you haven’t thought of that might give us a clue what someone’s looking for.”

&nb
sp; She nodded. “But honestly, I’ve been racking my brain, and I can’t come up with a thing. I was shopping for gifts for Avery and the girls at the hospital where I volunteer. I walked out with the bag, and the next thing I knew, someone was trying to grab my purse.”

  “And before that, nobody was following you or bothering you?”

  She wrinkled her nose and thought about it before answering. “No.”

  “Anything valuable in your room?” he asked.

  “Again, no. I have some pieces of jewelry in the hotel safe because they were from the shoot, and some of the things I loved and didn’t want to leave in the room.”

  He nodded. “Okay. We’ll grab those before we go. In the morning, I want you to look through the room and see if anything is missing.” He hadn’t wanted to put her through the stress until she was feeling better. And by the morning, any courtesy he was giving the island cops was over.

  “Sounds like a plan.” She pulled self-consciously at the hem of his shirt. “Umm, Tyler?”

  “Yeah?” he asked, his voice gruff.

  “Thank you. Really. I appreciate you coming down here to help me.”

  They stared at each other for a long while, the tension an uncomfortable mix of awkwardness, neither one of them knowing what to say or do, and distinct sexual awareness thrumming through the air.

  “I’m going to turn in. My head hurts and I’m exhausted,” she finally said, breaking eye contact.

  “I’ll be there shortly.” He didn’t want to think about the rest of the night sharing the bed with a woman he wanted … but couldn’t, shouldn’t have.

  * * *

  Ella woke up feeling more rested and in less pain. She breathed in deep and was surrounded by a distinctly musky scent that sent tingles of awareness shooting through her veins.

  “Tyler,” she murmured, belatedly realizing she’d spoken out loud.

  “Right here.”

  And he was. Although she’d started out on the very far side of the king-size bed, she’d rolled toward the center in the middle of the night. She opened her eyes and found herself looking into his navy blue eyes.

  “Hey,” she said, embarrassed.

  “Hey yourself.” His voice sounded gruffer in the morning.

  And she liked it.

  “How do you feel?” he asked.

  “Better.”

  “Good. That’s good.”

  She nodded, incredibly aware of his big body so close to hers, the warmth of his skin, and the full lips just begging to be kissed. All she had to do was lean a centimeter closer and her mouth would be on his. He wasn’t shifting away, just staring at her with those sexy eyes.

  She moaned, the soft sound escaping without intent. Then she couldn’t say who moved first, only that finally, blessedly, his mouth took possession of hers. His lips were firm as he pushed inside and devoured her like he’d been starving and just given a feast. She kissed him back just as eagerly, savoring every stroke of his masterful tongue. He was masculine and in control, able to awaken her senses with just a kiss, and her body responded. Her back arched, her breasts brushed against his bare chest, and her already tight nipples puckered into harder peaks.

  His strong hands came to rest on her waist, and as his fingers splayed over her stomach, he maneuvered her closer, his hot, hard erection cushioned in the heat of her sex. Waves of unexpected desire shot through her, and she gripped his hair in her hands, kissing him harder, her hips circling back and forth over his straining shaft. Only her barely there panties kept her from the insanity of his cock thrusting into her willing body.

  Warning bells went off in her head, but she was too far gone to heed them. Until his fingers slid up her sides, gliding over her skin, reaching beneath her shirt, and coming to rest beneath her breasts.

  She wanted to ignore the continued worry creeping in behind the arousal, but when his fingers glided over her nipples, she jerked back, memories of his reaction after he’d pushed her away much stronger than the sensual feelings he aroused in the present. She’d been so lost in being with him then, not even the pain of her first time had mattered, until the sharp snap of his angry tone had burst her fantasy.

  She hadn’t been enough for him then, no matter what he claimed today, and no way could she be enough for him now. She was, and always would be, a girl who was good enough to be used—by her father for bone marrow to save her stepmother and by Tyler for sex and nothing after. Both men had defined her expectations. Nobody would protect her. Nobody would look after her, except herself.

  “I … can’t. This isn’t a good idea.”

  He stared at her for a silent while, until finally he spoke. “I respect what you’re saying. I even agree. But—and let me be crystal clear this time—not for the reasons you’re thinking. I want you, Ella. I’ve always wanted you.”

  She blinked in surprise.

  Yesterday he’d explained that his anger hadn’t been at her, it had been at himself. But that didn’t change her insecurities or the fact that during all her sexual encounters since, she’d had Tyler’s disgust ringing in her brain. She could never make herself enjoy the physical act, because the one man she’d wanted had rejected her so harshly and at such a vulnerable age and time.

  She ran her tongue over her dry lips. “So you were serious? You weren’t just trying to make me feel better?” The sex hadn’t sucked for him?

  “No, sweet girl, the sex definitely didn’t suck.”

  A full-body shiver took hold, a result of the endearment and heartfelt words.

  “And if … or when it happens again,” he continued, “it definitely won’t suck then either.”

  Her eyes opened so wide she imagined they were saucers in her face. “Okay then.” She scrambled for the far side of the bed and rose to her feet. Shaking, she said, “I need to get dressed.”

  An amused grin pulled at his lips, and she glanced away, unable to face what he was insinuating.

  At least not yet.

  “I’ll check on the weather and flight plan. Then we can get the hotel to let you back into your room so you can pack up your things. I don’t give a shit if the cops are too busy to check things out. We’re going home.”

  She nodded, all too happy to get out of here. To real life, where she didn’t have to deal with Tyler Dare, his tousled hair, sexy bedroom eyes, and hot kisses.

  Chapter Three

  With his blood still running hot in his veins, Tyler accompanied Ella to her trashed hotel room. It hurt him to see the pained look in her eyes when she took in how carelessly her clothing and possessions had been tossed around. But to her credit, she straightened her shoulders and forged ahead.

  What had he been thinking, insinuating he could sleep with her again? She deserved so much more than a guy whose past consisted of fucking up when things got tough.

  Memories of Jack, his best friend in the Army, resurfaced, and with Avery busy, he couldn’t hold them back. Tyler appreciated his time in the Army for what it was, teaching him to become tougher, stronger, the man his father had told him to be. But he’d hated every minute of the reality. The gritty sand in the Middle East, the ridiculously hot temperatures while they carried too many pounds of clothing and equipment on their sweating bodies. And death. Everywhere. Men, women, children. The sound of gunfire, bombs, IEDs …

  Jack hadn’t been able to handle the thought of those. He’d wanted out and said so over and over again. But hell, they’d all wanted out. Tyler, too, hadn’t been able to wait till their tour was over. Six months and counting, he’d known he could pull through. His mistake had been in thinking Jack could too. His friend had gone AWOL and fucking gotten himself killed, leaving a wife and a baby at home. And once again, Tyler was left feeling like, if he’d only said something, he might have saved his friend.

  Like he could have warned his mother. And the same way he could have spared Ella the humiliation and pain she’d clearly suffered all these years if only he’d stuck around afterwards and faced her like a man.
/>   Jack’s death had put a mirror to Tyler’s flaws. It’d brought him home knowing he had to do better but uncertain if he had it in him. So he had no business getting involved with Ella physically when emotionally he could still decimate her.

  Realizing he’d been lost in thought, he glanced over, only to find she, too, was lost in the devastation of her room. He took in the mess. Her suitcase was already open and had obviously been searched. With trembling hands, she threw her clothes into the luggage, taking time to examine each piece as if she could find answers. Unable to stand it a second longer, he stepped up behind her and grasped her shoulders, turning her to face him.

  He wasn’t surprised to see tears in her eyes. “It’s just stuff. Things that can be replaced.”

  She nodded. “I know but I feel so violated.” She sniffed and glanced around the room. “Someone touched my things.” She stared at the tee shirt in her hand and dropped it as if it were contaminated.

  In his line of business, Tyler had seen similar reactions before. It was worse when someone’s home had been broken into, leaving them forced to come to terms with the fact that their sanctuary, a place they returned to day in and day out, would never feel safe again.

  He pushed the suitcase away. “Leave everything that doesn’t have special meaning. You can replace it at home.”

  She blinked up at him. “But it’s expensive.”

  He shrugged, aware she wasn’t the type of woman to waste money, that she hadn’t come from a world of privilege. He knew he was being extreme, but he’d seen her strength, and he knew what she’d do.

  “Will you wear any of this again knowing someone touched it? If so, I’m more than happy to pack it up for you. But if you’re that upset, take what you want, and then we’ll grab your stuff from the hotel safe and get the hell out of Dodge.”

  She straightened her shoulders and began to toss everything into the suitcase with more determination than before. “No way am I going to let some asshole beat me down,” she muttered, adding the last item of clothing she could find from the floor.