Dangerous by Suzannah Daniels Page B

I would text Jess and see if she wanted to hang out tonight.

    ***

    During the following week, I made a point to avoid Dara at all costs. Other than going over the final plans for the promotion, we hadn’t spoken ten words to each other.
    I had picked up either Jess or one of my other female friends every night to ensure that I wouldn’t screw up and ask Dara out again.
    As Jess and I waited for our check in a booth tucked in the back of Awesome Sauce, Jess nibbled on my earlobe. Her long fingers stroked the back of my neck, and her perfume hung heavy in the air, like a vapor cloud. It had never bothered me before, but now it poisoned the environment, and I had the overwhelming urge to cover my mouth and nose with the palm of my hand. Dara usually wore a delicate fragrance, just enough scent to make my mouth water, and I caught myself closing my eyes and trying to remember the way it smelled.
    I hadn’t received any new notes, so I assumed that Chance was satisfied with the current arrangements and the fact that I hadn’t been out socially with Dara. He certainly had nothing to do with my decision, and it wouldn’t take much for me to stand nose to nose with him and tell him so.
    Jess bit my ear a little too hard, bringing my attention back to her.
    “What is it, Stone?” she asked, cooing softly in my ear.
    “I’m just ready to get out of here.” As if the stars had finally aligned, the server dropped the check on our table, smiled, and thanked us for eating at Awesome Sauce. I snatched it up and helped Jess out of the booth, wanting nothing more than to be cruising on my bike underneath a warm, moonlit sky.
    I paid the check and as I was leaving, I saw Dara at a booth with Chance. He had her full attention, and she was laughing as if she were deliriously happy. Good for her. Maybe I could make her happy, but sooner or later, she’d see the real me, the self-centered me, who watched out only for himself.
    “Come on, Stone. Let’s go back to your place.” Jess tugged on my hand, her dark eyes assessing me, her mouth turned down in a frown. “What are you waitin ’ for?”
    “Nothin’,” I said, motioning her toward the glass door that would lead us out of the crowded building and away from the shimmering-pink lips that were smiling at Chance.
    Twenty minutes later, we were standing on the back patio behind my house, staring down at the valley below. It made me think of the night that Dara was here.
    Jess brushed against me and kissed my lips. When I was with her, there was no one to probe in my past, no questions to answer, no expectations. Jess couldn’t care less. She was exactly what I needed, and I fervently returned her kiss.
    As we made out in the moonlight, I was relieved that I had returned to my senses.
    I vowed never to stray away from bad girls again.

Chapter 5

    Dara

    While relaxing in the shade on my front porch, a gentle breeze jingled the wind chimes, their high-pitched tinkling taking flight like the laughter of a thousand fairies. An ancient, knotted oak spread its branches across the entire yard, making the front of the house a good ten degrees cooler than the backyard. The front porch had always been one of Granny’s favorite places, and like her, I found it to be a comforting place to rest, a safe haven from the rest of the world.
    We were in our usual spots, rocking on each side of the front door, watching tall shoots of grass sway in the wind. Each of us was talking about the guys in our lives, and Granny chattered excitedly about her upcoming luncheon date with Mr. Milton. Her happiness made me smile, and it even offered me a small comfort from the entangled mess my own emotions had created. Stone had been avoiding me, and it was painfully obvious.
    I had no one to blame but myself. I should’ve known to keep my guard up. Stone wasn’t known for being in serious relationships. He and Jess hung out a lot, but it was evident that they had never dated exclusively. It seemed more