of my body. I also fight the urge to writhe uncomfortably in my Adirondack chair. He makes me feel…hell, I don’t know. He just makes me feel.
My God.
I notice a silver chain dipping down beneath the collar of his shirt, and I grab hold of the distraction like a lifeline. I reach out, taking the chain gently in my fingertips, and look up at him.
“May I?
He nods slowly, his gaze boring into mine. Out here in the darkness, where the only light comes from the floodlight on the homes behind us and the moon, his eyes are almost iridescent. The effect is mesmerizing, and I falter as I fall into his eyes.
Then I pull his silver dog tags from beneath his shirt. The metal is warm from his skin, hot really. I turn the metal over in my fingers, and I know that I’m touching something that’s an extension of his body. I know it, and he knows it, and his eyes are so intent on my hands that I can literally feel them burning my skin.
“‘Dare Conners,’” I read. “Wait a second, Dare is your real name ?”
He chuckles. “I’m full of surprises for you tonight, aren’t I? You thought it was a nickname?”
“Well, yeah ! I didn’t think anyone would actually be named after the action of boldness!”
His laughter turns to a full-fledged roar that rivals the sound of wind rushing in your ears during a run. The sound surrounds me.
“What the hell were your parents thinking?”
His laughter doesn’t cut off abruptly, but it trails away, and I’m left wondering what I just said.
“I wouldn’t know,” he answers quietly.
He offers nothing more. I stare at him for another second, then replace his tags under his shirt. My fingers linger on the skin at the top of his chest. “I’m sorry.”
He nods. “Don’t be.”
We let the silence wash over us once again.
I glance at him out of the corner of my eye after a few minutes. I want to know. I want to know the answers to all of the questions lurking behind those beautiful eyes of his. And so I know it’s time for me to go.
“Dare…”
He looks over at me, his hands clasped behind his head. “Berkeley.”
Dammit. Does he somehow know I have trouble continuing to speak when he says my name? Does he know ?
“Thanks for the beer,” I say, sitting up.
He doesn’t. “You’re welcome. Are you leaving me so soon?”
No . “Yep.”
His mouth turns down, and I keep my hands firmly in my lap so that I don’t brush a finger across his full bottom lip.
A low rumble of thunder rolls around us, and I glance up at the sky. A storm is obviously on its way. When I look back at Dare, his gaze hasn’t moved from mine.
“Dare…”
He begins shaking his head before I’ve even begun my letting-him-down-easy speech. Does he read my mind, too?
“This has been a really great night…”
His hand on my chin stills me. It stills my thoughts and it stalls my words. I’m helpless with his hand on me.
“Don’t do that,” he says softly. “Don’t give me your ‘let-him-down-easy’ speech. Let’s pretend we’ve moved past that, okay? You don’t want to do this again, then tell me the real reason. I don’t do bullshit.”
He releases my skin, but there’s a burning in the spot now that wasn’t there before.
It takes me a moment to find my voice, and Dare waits patiently while another rumble of thunder rolls over our heads.
“I’m…I’m super attracted to you, Dare. But I’m not available to date right now. I’ll probably never be available to date. It’s…complicated.”
“You have a boyfriend.” He says it like a fact, not a question.
“I do not have a boyfriend.” It would have been the easy way out. I could have just let him believe that, but I find myself unable to lie to this sharp, sexy, honest man.
He stares at me, his expression unreadable. He rubs his rib again, and I allow my eyes to travel to that spot. He notices, and stops rubbing. When he speaks again, his voice hasn’t changed. It’s still soft, and still like a rough
My God.
I notice a silver chain dipping down beneath the collar of his shirt, and I grab hold of the distraction like a lifeline. I reach out, taking the chain gently in my fingertips, and look up at him.
“May I?
He nods slowly, his gaze boring into mine. Out here in the darkness, where the only light comes from the floodlight on the homes behind us and the moon, his eyes are almost iridescent. The effect is mesmerizing, and I falter as I fall into his eyes.
Then I pull his silver dog tags from beneath his shirt. The metal is warm from his skin, hot really. I turn the metal over in my fingers, and I know that I’m touching something that’s an extension of his body. I know it, and he knows it, and his eyes are so intent on my hands that I can literally feel them burning my skin.
“‘Dare Conners,’” I read. “Wait a second, Dare is your real name ?”
He chuckles. “I’m full of surprises for you tonight, aren’t I? You thought it was a nickname?”
“Well, yeah ! I didn’t think anyone would actually be named after the action of boldness!”
His laughter turns to a full-fledged roar that rivals the sound of wind rushing in your ears during a run. The sound surrounds me.
“What the hell were your parents thinking?”
His laughter doesn’t cut off abruptly, but it trails away, and I’m left wondering what I just said.
“I wouldn’t know,” he answers quietly.
He offers nothing more. I stare at him for another second, then replace his tags under his shirt. My fingers linger on the skin at the top of his chest. “I’m sorry.”
He nods. “Don’t be.”
We let the silence wash over us once again.
I glance at him out of the corner of my eye after a few minutes. I want to know. I want to know the answers to all of the questions lurking behind those beautiful eyes of his. And so I know it’s time for me to go.
“Dare…”
He looks over at me, his hands clasped behind his head. “Berkeley.”
Dammit. Does he somehow know I have trouble continuing to speak when he says my name? Does he know ?
“Thanks for the beer,” I say, sitting up.
He doesn’t. “You’re welcome. Are you leaving me so soon?”
No . “Yep.”
His mouth turns down, and I keep my hands firmly in my lap so that I don’t brush a finger across his full bottom lip.
A low rumble of thunder rolls around us, and I glance up at the sky. A storm is obviously on its way. When I look back at Dare, his gaze hasn’t moved from mine.
“Dare…”
He begins shaking his head before I’ve even begun my letting-him-down-easy speech. Does he read my mind, too?
“This has been a really great night…”
His hand on my chin stills me. It stills my thoughts and it stalls my words. I’m helpless with his hand on me.
“Don’t do that,” he says softly. “Don’t give me your ‘let-him-down-easy’ speech. Let’s pretend we’ve moved past that, okay? You don’t want to do this again, then tell me the real reason. I don’t do bullshit.”
He releases my skin, but there’s a burning in the spot now that wasn’t there before.
It takes me a moment to find my voice, and Dare waits patiently while another rumble of thunder rolls over our heads.
“I’m…I’m super attracted to you, Dare. But I’m not available to date right now. I’ll probably never be available to date. It’s…complicated.”
“You have a boyfriend.” He says it like a fact, not a question.
“I do not have a boyfriend.” It would have been the easy way out. I could have just let him believe that, but I find myself unable to lie to this sharp, sexy, honest man.
He stares at me, his expression unreadable. He rubs his rib again, and I allow my eyes to travel to that spot. He notices, and stops rubbing. When he speaks again, his voice hasn’t changed. It’s still soft, and still like a rough
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