Double Dog Dare

  “And miss dinner and dancing?”

  He searched her face, wondering if the little blend of disappointment and anticipation was real. But he knew the answer. Everything about Darcy Kilcannon was real. “I bet you like to dance.”

  “As much as I like to breathe. And dinner’s always good, too.”

  He relented with a tip of his head. “We can stay if you’re having fun.”

  “What if you’re not?”

  “I won’t.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “You know what my dad would say? ‘Not with that attitude, you won’t.’”

  He laughed. “Mine would have said that, too.” He let his gaze slip down. “Okay, maybe I will have a little fun.”

  That made her smile, which was like flipping an electrical switch. “It’s not against the rules to have a little fun at a party, Josh, no matter where it is or what they’re celebrating. If you start to slip into a family funk, just tell me you like my shoes and then kiss me.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. It’s like a secret code. I have those with Ella all the time for when we’re out and need each other’s help.”

  He frowned. “You like her shoes and kiss?”

  Poking his shoulder. “We have an escape. A code word or line, which means ‘get me out of this situation, fast.’ You say ‘nice shoes,’ and then we’ll kiss.” She punctuated that by sticking out her foot to show off another pair of insanely high shoes better suited for a stripper than a dog groomer.

  “Oh. Nice shoes. Very nice shoes.”

  She gave a low, sexy laugh while he let his gaze take another slow trip down her body, from the blood-pumping shoes, over long legs and the outlines of taut thighs, along narrow hips and a slender waist, pausing at the rise of her breasts, the achingly sweet cleavage, sliding over her collarbones, up her throat, and settling on a mouth he wanted to kiss more than he’d wanted anything, ever.

  “Don’t forget the save,” she teased. “A kiss.”

  He forced himself to wait, savoring the anticipation of that first kiss.

  “You want to, don’t you?” she teased.

  “Want? You are the queen of the understatement.”

  She inched ever so slightly forward. “I double-dog dare you, Hot Landlord.”

  Leaning closer, he placed his hand under her chin and lifted her face. “I’m pretty sure that means you have to go first.”

  She rose on her tiptoes, slid her arms around his neck, and leaned into him. “Let’s do it together,” she murmured. “Because we’re a team, remember?”

  He laughed softly, closing the space between their lips and sipping his first taste of her mouth. It was warm, sweet, and as delicious as he’d known it would be. He could feel her whole body soften against his and hear the softest whimper escape her throat.

  Heat and need clawed at his lower half, making him embrace her tighter, so there was nothing but beating hearts and clothes between them.

  “Uh, am I interrupting something?”

  He froze, released his hold, and swore he hated this family more than anything in the world.

  Brea Bucking stood in the doorway with one hand on her hip, swathed in pure white from head to toe, her black hair coasting over shoulders toned by a private trainer. Without waiting for an invitation, his stepsister strode into the room, pinned her ebony gaze on Darcy, and nodded slowly.

  “Definite upgrade, sweet brother of mine.”

  Unfazed by the interruption, Darcy let her lips curl up and extended her hand, but Brea brushed it aside and put both arms around her to squeeze. “Oh, no. I’m a hugger. Welcome. Darcy, is it? Christine said you were a knockout, and she wasn’t kidding.”

  “Darcy, let me introduce my stepsister, Brea Bucking, who has zero filter and an infinite amount of opinions.”

  Brea laughed, a quick and easy laugh that Josh knew could morph into a dagger-sharp insult without a second’s notice. “I speak the truth, that’s all.” She pointed her finger at him. “And I heard you are on the hunt to have Savannah sign something. Don’t tell me she robbed you blind, too, Josh.”

  Worse, he thought. Much worse. “No, she…” He caught Darcy’s look and understood it as clearly as if she’d spoken out loud. Tell the truth. It’s family. Communicate. Except…

  He replied with an infinitesimal nod. “I’m watching her dog, who is very much alive, despite what she told you and my mother.”

  Brea’s jaw dropped wide open. “What?”

  “She’s staying with Josh,” Darcy added, the light in her eyes telling him that his honesty pleased her. Which only made him want to offer more of it.

  “And Darcy’s father is a vet who’s hooked us up with a researcher at a local college who is doing experimental research to restore blindness in cases like Stella’s. That’s why I need Savannah’s signature.”

  Brea almost couldn’t lift that jaw yet. “Savannah gave the dog to you?”

  She sounded surprised enough that he wondered if Savannah had confided the truth to Brea about the breakup. “Only while she’s gone with…”

  “She’s not with Gideon,” Brea said when he didn’t finish. “Christine told me you made that insane leap of logic.”

  So Savannah hadn’t confided. Well, Josh wasn’t going to be that honest with her, despite what Darcy thought.

  “And we can help Stella see again,” Darcy insisted, almost as if she sensed that Brea wasn’t excited enough about that. Probably because Brea didn’t like dogs, if he remembered correctly. Refused to have one in the house, and being the spoiled baby of the family, she got what she wanted.

  Brea nodded slowly, as if still she couldn’t quite process the fact that Josh had Stella. “I’m so… Oh my God. That’s…yes. Wonderful. But why did she lie about everything?” Her voice rose, and she caught herself. “I’m sorry. I get emotional about Savannah. She was my friend, too,” she explained to Darcy. “She was like a sister to me, but she was using us. All of us.” She underscored that with a sharp look at Josh.

  “Do you have any way to reach her?” Darcy asked. “Another number? A working email address? I can’t believe she’d go off on an extended vacation and leave her dog with someone and no way to reach her and no medical waiver in case something happened to Stella.”

  Brea’s brows shot up. “She probably thinks we’ll sic the police on her, so, no, I don’t have any way of reaching her. And, honestly, she doesn’t care about that dog.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m being petty. Savannah was my friend, but she struggled with some issues. We all have something to hide, right?”

  Darcy looked right at her. “I don’t,” she said.

  Brea’s smile was a little sly. “Oh, I bet if I gave you enough champagne and dug deep enough, I’d find something.” She draped an arm around Darcy’s shoulders. “Can I try?”

  Darcy laughed. “All you want.” She and Brea shared a long look and a smile, and Josh could practically hear them connecting in that way women did. Over dresses, men, life, and wine.

  The three of them headed down the hall while Josh tried to shake off the feeling that the walls of Buckingsham were already closing in on him.

  * * *

  Josh rarely let go of Darcy’s hand. If he did, it was only to touch her back or waist or skim his fingers over her shoulder, sending chills over her skin despite the summer heat on the veranda.

  The sexy contact enhanced an already magical cocktail hour, livened up with a glass of the most expensive champagne Darcy had ever tasted at one of the poshest parties she’d ever attended.

  A dressed-to-the-nines crowd of well over a hundred people gathered on a massive patio bathed in the golden streaks of light as the sun set over Lake Norman. Waiters weaved among guests offering drinks and hors d’oeuvres, while a small jazz band played from an alcove that looked like it was built for the sole purpose of housing live music.

  The truth was, Darcy didn’t even want to think about leaving early. Not that she lon
ged to live in this galaxy glittering with diamonds and dropped names and designer everything. But it was a little like traveling to an exotic locale—an experience she’d never had and wanted to enjoy. Josh surprised her, too, working the crowd and introducing Darcy to friends, distant relatives from Malcolm’s extended family, lakeside neighbors, and oodles of Bucking Properties executives and their spouses.

  They didn’t take a break until it seemed he’d introduced her to twenty people, but when they did stop for another glass of champagne, she spotted someone she hadn’t yet met—a man whose face was familiar to her.

  “Actor? Newscaster?” She studied the handsome fortysomething man, trying to place the familiar angles of his strong features and slightly roguish long hair with a bit of salt strewn through the pepper. “That’s somebody, right?”

  “Clay Slater, the NASCAR driver, and his wife, Lisa,” Josh told her. “And I actually like that guy a lot.”

  “Oh, of course. My brothers are racing fans. He drove the car with the logo of the Kincaid Toy clown on the side, right?”

  “That’s him. He and Lisa live on Lake Norman, too. Want to meet him?”

  “Yes! Is it gauche to ask for an autograph?”

  “Completely, but if anyone could carry it off, it would be you.” He tugged her closer. “I don’t know how you fit in in this place, but you do.”

  “I like people and new adventures, that’s how. Come on. Let’s meet a celebrity.”

  They headed over to the couple, who might have been in a room full of people but held each other’s gaze like there was no one else on earth but the two of them. The man lowered his head, whispered in his wife’s ear, and she tipped her head back to laugh like they’d shared the sweetest, most secret joke.

  Something deep inside Darcy stirred, a little awe, a little envy. She’d spotted that kind of intimacy around her brothers and sister and their new loves so frequently in the past year, and she remembered it from her own parents. Was she denying herself that kind of joy by clinging so steadfastly to independence?

  After greeting Josh with a friendly man-hug, Clay Slater shook Darcy’s hand and introduced Lisa, a beautiful blonde with warm blue eyes.

  “Shouldn’t you be on a racetrack somewhere in the middle of summer?” Josh asked Clay.

  “I’m taking this year off with an eye to retirement now that our son Keith is ready to take over the racing reins.” He nodded to someone behind Clay. “In fact, he’s right over there, schmoozing potential sponsors.”

  Darcy turned to see a tall, handsome young man who looked like he was in his mid-twenties chatting easily with Malcolm and Christine Bucking.

  “Good heavens,” Darcy said, looking at Lisa. “You don’t look old enough to have a son his age.”

  “Keith’s nineteen going on thirty,” she said. “He’s always been mature for his age, probably because I was single until he was nine, so he became a young man early. We also have a sixteen-year-old who keeps us busy.”

  “In the best possible way,” Clay added, then angled his head. “Love those kids.”

  “Aww.” Lisa slipped her hand through her husband’s arm. “In the ten years we’ve been married, Clay’s been the most amazing dad to my boys.”

  “It’s been easy,” Clay said. “Especially considering I married you before we ever had a date.”

  Darcy gave them a confused frown. “How did that happen?”

  They both cracked up, shaking their heads. “It’s kind of a funny story,” Lisa said. “He hired me to be his wife, and a year later, we made it official.”

  “He hired you?” Darcy asked, not hiding her disbelief. “That’s a new one.”

  “It was what we in racing call the Silly Season,” Clay said on a laugh. “And it sure was.” He turned to his wife and kissed her cheek. “Best hire I ever made.”

  “I was the one who lucked out,” Lisa told them. “I was a single mom, struggling to pay the rent with the world’s worst boss hitting on me, and in walks my own personal Santa Claus.” She tightened her grip, leaning closer.

  “Right into the arms of Lisa the Opinionated Waitress,” Clay said, his eyes gleaming with affection when he looked at her.

  “Your story sounds wonderful,” Darcy said, then whispered to Josh, “My dad would love that one.”

  “It’s been an extraordinary eleven years together,” Lisa agreed, but her gaze moved past them. “And by the way Malcolm is shaking Keith’s hand, it looks like Thunder Racing just got a new sponsor.”

  “That’s my boy,” Clay said with a little fist pump. “Let’s go congratulate him, hon. Great to see you, Josh. And good to meet you, Darcy.”

  When they left, Josh turned to her. “No autograph?”

  “Better. I got all the insider scoop I needed from that conversation,” she said. “When I throw that personal tidbit around while my brothers are watching a race, I’ll win the day.”

  “He’s a good guy who never let the money and fame go to his head.” He glanced around the room. “Can’t say that about most of these people.”

  “Is it really that bad?”

  He looked down at her, his eyes dark, deep, and focused on her so intently, it made her dizzy. “I feel the need to talk about your shoes.”

  She laughed, getting a shiver of chills at the thought of another kiss, even here in front of all these people. “Anytime.”

  He got a millimeter closer, then instantly straightened. “There he is.”

  For a moment, she thought he meant Gideon, and she turned to brace for the evil stepbrother, half wondering if she’d like him as much as she liked Brea. But something told her the bald man walking side-by-side with Christine Bucking was much too old to be Gideon.

  “The lawyer?” she guessed.

  “Yes.” His voice was taut, and Darcy peered up at him.

  “You worried that this is breaking a rule? Maybe even a law?”

  He didn’t answer, but he didn’t have to.

  “Josh, you heard Brea. Savannah doesn’t care about Stella, and even if that’s wrong, and she does, then she surely wants her to be able to see. You already went into her apartment and—”

  He put his finger on her lips. “I know. You’re right. It’s for Stella. Let’s do this.”

  Christine and William Mitchell approached them, and after a flurry of introductions, Christine easily guided them all to a quiet study off the massive patio. “You men can chat in here privately,” she said. “I’ll take Darcy with me to refill our champagnes.”

  With a quick look and silent agreement, Darcy left Josh and the attorney and headed back to the party with Christine.

  “Joshua is so happy,” his mother whispered as she guided Darcy toward the crowd. “I can’t remember ever seeing him look at a woman like he looks at you.”

  She wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that, but couldn’t help smiling. “He’s…special.” Yeah, maybe she was the queen of the understatement tonight.

  “It’s rare to see him happy here,” she admitted. “He’s never forgiven me for taking him away from Charlotte and the memories of his father.”

  The surprisingly personal confession touched Darcy, making her lean closer to the other woman. “I lost my mother a few years ago,” she confided. “It’s very hard to adjust to that change, no matter your age.”

  Christine’s expression softened. “I’ve spent twenty years torn between two men,” she said. “I love Malcolm and I love Joshua who, by the way, is the spitting image of his handsome father.”

  Darcy tucked that little tidbit away, very happy to have an idea what Josh’s father looked like. “He often says that remarriages aren’t between two people, but two families.”

  “He’s right,” she said. “But I do think some blend better than others.”

  “There you are.” Brea floated up to join them, her dark eyes dancing as if she had a secret. “What are you two gossiping about?” She put an arm around each of them. “How deliriously happy our Joshua seems to be?”


  Our Joshua. How would he feel if he heard that?

  “That’s exactly what I was telling Darcy,” Christine said, beaming at her. “And seeing him like that is all I’ve ever wanted.”

  “So don’t be a stranger,” Brea said to Darcy. “Come back again. How about next weekend? We can go out on the boat and shopping. I’m a world-class shopper, you know.”

  Darcy laughed, a familiar warmth rolling over her. This was family. Josh had one, and they weren’t that bad, at least not on the surface. No, she hadn’t met Gideon and people were different behind closed doors, but—

  A man’s hand slid around her waist and pulled her back against his front, and instantly she recognized the feel and scent that was becoming more and more familiar.

  “I got what we need,” he whispered.

  Slowly, she turned and looked up at him. “You did? How?”

  “He has Savannah’s power of attorney, although I’m not sure she realized she gave it to him for anything except Bucking-related business. Still, he was able to sign the paper on her behalf and we’re good to go.” He glanced around quickly. “Now, if you’d like.”

  She didn’t hesitate. “Actually, I’d like to stay, Josh. I’m having a blast.”

  He searched her face, considering the request, and then responded with a smile. “Then we will.” He gave her a hug, and over his shoulder she caught the looks of complete satisfaction on his mother’s and stepsister’s faces.

  This man was loved—he just didn’t know it.

  Chapter Fifteen

  They stayed until the last dance. Until almost every guest had left. Long after Josh’s mother and Malcolm retired and the music changed to something younger and louder and more upbeat. Well later than Josh had ever dreamed he’d stay at a party in this house.

  But he’d never had so much fun at a party here. He wrapped his arm around Darcy and finally walked up the wide curved stairs and down a long hall to the western wing where their rooms were.

  She was much shorter again, her sexy shoes dangling from her fingers, long ago discarded for comfort on the dance floor. She’d had a few glasses of champagne, though he hadn’t finished one. Didn’t need a drop around her.