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The Dare Chapter One | page 1 | page 2 | page 3 | excerpts
This was definitely her lucky day! Rory Gibbs barely kept herself from dancing a little jig. One of the two men at the registration desk had to be Jared Slade. She was sure of it. But which one? Taking two quick steps to her right, she ducked behind a potted palm tree and peered through the branches.
Was it the handsome, preppy looking blond? Or was it the shorter, tougher looking dark haired man who stood next to him? Nerves simmering, Rory blew out a small bubble, then used her teeth and tongue to draw the gum back into her mouth. The dark haired man had given the name Jared Slade to the reception clerk, but the blond was the one signing the registration from. Rory was betting on the blond. Maybe it was the shorter, darker one wearing horned-rimmed glasses, even thought he looked more like an accountant than a man who ran a company. Rory blew another bubble. The way she’d pictured him in her mind, Jared Slade had been larger and drop dead gorgeous. And in spite of the almost picture perfect good looks, he had an aura of danger about him. In fact, he’d looked quite a bit like her fantasy man. Neither of the two men standing at the desk looked particularly dangerous. Rory licked another bubble off her lips. If there was one thing that twenty-six years and five career changes had taught her, it was the huge chasm that existed between fantasy and reality. The studious looking accountant was probably the real Jared Slade. As she dug in her bag for her camera, she took a quick glance around the lobby. A third man had come through the revolving doors with Jared Slade. She’d been too intent on watching the other two at the desk to pay him much heed, but she did so now. He was a large man with dark hair, wearing black jeans, a leather jacket and dark glasses. He definitely had fantasy man possibilities. Later, she would recall that she’d had time for that one quick thought before he lifted the dark glasses and shot a quick look in her direction. She felt her heart skip a beat and her mouth go dry. Then as those dark eyes locked on hers, she felt a little punch of something hot right in her gut and her mind simply emptied. It was only when he turned back to talk to the bell captain that Rory remembered to breathe. And it was only as she drew in a second breath that the oxygen reached her brain and she began to think again. Well. She’d never reacted that way to any other man. But then, this one was so much like the fantasy man she’d created in her head – tall, dark, and handsome in a rough edged sort of way. She began to chew on her bubble gum again. Time for a reality check, she reminded herself. Mr. Danger was probably a bodyguard with valet duties, since he seemed to be sorting out the luggage with the bell captain. When he glanced over in the direction of the registration desk, Rory scrunched herself further down behind the palm tree. The last thing she needed was a run in with Jared Slade’s bodyguard. She should have worn something green, camouflage fatigues. For one long moment – even through the palm fronds – Rory felt the large man’s eyes on her again. It felt like a mild sort of electrical shock along her nerve endings. She averted her own gaze and willed herself invisible. Her red boots would be hidden, but not the red cap. Her sisters constantly teased her about being a slave to fashion. Was she about to pay the price? Hunter Marks frowned as he watched the woman in the red hat and boots squat down behind a tall potted palm. Who was she and what in hell was she doing? His eyes had been drawn to her from the moment he’d walked into Les Printemps. One glance had him thinking of pixies and elves. And that was not the usual turn his mind took when he looked at a woman. He prided himself on being practical rather than fanciful when it came to the female of the species. This particular specimen had been seated on one of the settees, not sipping tea or a cocktail as the other occupants of the lobby were. Instead, she’d been scanning the crowd while she blew a huge bubble. When the bubble burst, he’d watched in amusement as she pulled it off her cheeks and nose and poked it back into her mouth. (continued...) |
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