Rachel Dyken - The Dare

"She likes wine. I like wine. She likes hiking. I like hiking." He rolled his eyes. "Oh look!" He laughed dryly. "It just so happens I have a priest waiting to marry you. And a special license! Well, I'll be damned." His eyes narrowed. "You belong in a home."

Grandma's icy glare could have single-handedly ended global warming. "The only home I'm going to is the White House, and it's to be sure to secure your failure should ever try to run for office."

"Try me."

"Already have."

"Guys." I placed my hand on Jace's chest and let it shamefully stay there an extra few seconds while I gently pulled Grandma's talons out of my arm.

Jace's face broke out into one of those creepy politician smiles, you know the ones I'm talking about, where you see too many teeth and the eyes get all small. "You're right. Where are my manners? Let's try this again." He cleared his throat, "I don't do relationships. I refuse to be played by a woman who eats blood-pressure pills like candy and cheats at Bridge."

"Why I never—"

"I won't play your games, and now Beth knows that as well."

"We all know that," the lady from the seat in front of us chirped in an irritated voice.

"Drink your damn happy juice," Jace fired back under his breath then crossed his arms. "Grandma, stop meddling. Yes, we'll do dinner, and then this," he pointed at me and her, "is done."

For some reason, I felt like crying. I wasn't really sure why. I mean, I agreed with every single thing he'd said, but that didn't lessen the sting or make me feel the rejection any less.

But the thing about women and how we think? Regardless of what a guy said about not wanting commitment or the stability of a relationship, deep down, every girl imagined that if he just found the right one, he'd change his ways. So hearing that he'd met me, kissed me, slept with me and still wasn't willing to change his ways? Yeah, it stung.

Maybe Jace wasn't trying to reject me, but that was what it felt like. It felt like the final nail in my relationship coffin. If I couldn't perk a politician's interest, really what did I have going for me? I swallowed thickly and gazed up at Grandma.

"Beth? Do you agree?"

Her eyes held magical powers. I could have sworn I felt her reach into my brain and touch the truth with one of her bright red nails. So I looked away for a brief moment before nodding, giving her my best fake smile. "You know me, Grandma. I'm all about my career. Settling down really isn't in my future."

"Well." Grandma slumped. "If you're both sure."

Jace reached for my hand. "We are. And we appreciate the effort."

Okay, suddenly I wanted to punch him in the face.

"Jace," I said in a sickly sweet voice.

"Yeah?"

"If you don't stop speaking on my behalf, I'm going to use your body as my own personal Frankenstein experiment when you're sleeping, got it?"

He pulled back and smirked. "Got it."

"Well," Grandma sighed loud enough to wake up every single child under eight in the back of the plane, "I guess what's done is done. And again, I'm so very sorry for the inconvenience. We'll be landing around dinnertime. I've already apologized to the kids for crashing their honeymoon. They've agreed to take your bags back with them to the hotel while we go have our peaceful dinner, then we can meet them there for a nightcap."

"Fine." I smiled tensely.

"Ta-ta." Grandma waved and walked back down the aisle.

With a sigh I slumped back against my chair, trying to look at the positive side of things. Just because Jace didn't want me didn't mean I was a loser. It just meant I was… single. Still single. Did it mean I was bad in bed? Possibly. It also meant that I was probably a terrible kisser. Who could blame me when my practice had been with Vampire Lover and McDonalds' Employee of the Month?

"She's up to something."

"Jace," I swore, "stop being so…"

"So what?"

"So… suspicious. She apologized. We get a free vacation. Leave it at that."

"But—"

"I'm going to sleep."

"Okay." He sounded disappointed.

I wanted to see the look on his face. I wanted to dissect every single look, every touch, every sigh, but I knew in the end the equation would still equal out to be zero. No matter how many tallies I put in his favor, he still wouldn't want what I had to offer.

Because in the end, I wasn't even sure what I had to offer, except for my heart. And for thirty years — even that hadn't been enough.

"You mean to tell me he wanted to be kidnapped?"

Grandma nodded. "Yes, that's correct."

"And he wanted to be rufied?"

"Of course."

"And he asked you to give him some time before you revealed his location?"

"That's what I'm saying."

"Did you murder Senator Brevik?"

"Oh honey, if I'd had murdered him. I wouldn't have gotten caught — that's why I'm here."

"You're here because you got caught."

"I let you catch me. To give him time."

"Fine. I'll bite. Time for what?"

"Love."

Jace

Once the plane dropped down in Honolulu, I was beyond ready to lose my cool. The little girl in front of us had, for the past hour, chattered about school, life, her mom, her gas — really anything that she'd thought might interest us. But the real kicker had been when Beth had started coloring with her.

And I'd been left to watch.

I'd watched her hands glide over the paper.

I'd watched her delicate fingers as they held the color blue.

I'd watched when her face lit up from the praise the little girl gave her.

And then I'd ruined it by scowling when the little girl gave her a high five, and I'd been left out.

Irritation pierced me in the chest. And I was ready to lose my damn mind over it. Every time I tried to imagine a reason for me to be upset that Beth wasn't giving me attention, the more upset with myself I became.

I probably should have apologized for my bluntness, but things were better that way. She needed to know it had been a one-time thing. Yeah, she was beautiful, but that didn't mean I was ready to hand my balls to her on a silver platter.

Been there done that. Never again.

So what if that made me insensitive? I had my job. I loved my job, and I intended to do anything to keep it.

I turned on my phone and looked down at the screen.

Rick: Call as soon as you land.

I texted him back instead, knowing I didn't want to be that annoying guy who started talking loudly when everyone was trying to grab his bag and make it down the narrow aisle.

Me: Landed. Can't talk. Everything okay?

Rick: Define okay.

Me: Did the problem go away?

Rick: If the problem you're referring to is an attractive thirty year old that works for the company whose bill you just rejected because you said it wasn't soundly written, then yeah. Sure. Peachy.

Me: What?!

Rick: Like I said, call me when you have time. We need to make this go away. Approval ratings can drop overnight. Good news? People think you're getting married, and the news is loving it. So stay put.

Cursing, I put the phone back in my pocket and rubbed my temples.

"Bad news?" Beth blinked her green eyes innocently.

"Thanks to you, yes." I was trapped. I couldn't leave, and if I stayed, I stayed next to Beth, and the longer I was in her presence, the more I wanted to attack her — in a totally sexually pent-up frustrated way. One where there was biting and fighting and—"

"Me?" Her eyebrows shot up.

I tried to look pissed instead of aroused.

"Any chance I can pay you an obscene amount of money to kick me in the balls on national television and say you're mentally insane?"

Beth's eyes narrowed into tiny slits. "Tell you what, I'll kick you in the balls for free. As for the rest of it, go screw yourself."

"Ha," I said dryly. "Chemist's got some personality after all." I was being an ass. I knew I was being an ass, but I was pissed. I'd specifically asked her if she had a past. I'd specifically asked about any sort of drama in her past and she hadn't even thought to tell me she worked for GreenCom? Technically, it had been my fault. I hadn't looked at her work history, just her title. And honestly it didn't matter that much. I was more upset over the fact that I could smell her damn perfume, and it was choking the bachelor out of me.

"You're an ass," she hissed, pushing past me and walking down the aisle. By then, people had basically vacated the plan.

With a curse, I got up and walked slowly down the aisle.

I'd been drugged by an eighty-six-year-old woman.

Couldn't remember my one-night stand.

Had been accused of sleeping with a prostitute.

On a last-minute vacation where I felt slightly manipulated and possibly kidnapped.

And my approval ratings were going to hell.

Things couldn't get worse.

I finally reached the gate where Travis, Kacey, Char, Jake, and Beth were waiting.

Clearly something was wrong because they were frantically dialing their phones, and Kacey looked like she was ready to cry.

"What?" I asked stupidly. "Did someone die?"

All eyes turned to me.

"We can't find Grandma." Beth's voice was strained. "She said she had to use the powder room and just disappeared."

"I'm sure she's fine," I soothed. "After all, this is Grandma Nadine we're talking about. I'd feel sorry for her attacker. Hell, I'd probably watch the entire episode and order popcorn."

The group seemed to relax a bit.

That is, until we heard honking.

And then a splash of leopard flew by me at top speed.

"I think I found her." I pointed.

Grandma parked the airport cart, giving herself whiplash in the process, and stepped out. "Sorry, dears, it took me the longest time to find one of these things."

I winced. "Grandma, I think it's illegal for you to drive that without assistance from the airport staff."

My body gave an involuntary shudder as Grandma's pointed stare met mine. "I am the law."

Ho-o-oly shit. What had I gotten myself into?

"Get in." Grandma put the cart in reverse, nearly killing two elderly people in the process, then pulled out her lipstick and began applying in the rearview mirror.

Great, so she used mirrors for lipstick application and not driving. We were in such good hands.

The last thing I wanted to do was go to dinner. Sleep. That's what I wanted. Sleep. And to hear from Rick that everything was fine.

I picked up my bag and made my way to the cart, eying Beth as she leaned on Char. Was she crying? Had I done that? Feeling like a jackass, I moved toward her, only to be stopped by Jake and Travis, both of them looking like they'd rather shoot me in the face than let me even near their family.

"Listen, punk," Jake started.

I laughed. I couldn't help it. Punk? Really? That's what he was going to go with? And then he punched me in the stomach. I doubled over, not a proud moment. Travis pulled me by the shirt and leaned me against the wall so it looked like I hadn't just gotten the wind forced out of me.

"Listening." I glared.

"We will end you." Travis smiled, as if he was excited about the idea of killing a state senator and going to federal prison. "Leave her alone."

"Her?" I repeated. "You mean Grandma?"

"Grandma?" Jake snorted. "That woman could run circles around you in her sleep. Hell, I don't even feel sorry for you. We're talking about Beth."

"Hey," I held up my hands, "I didn't do anything wrong."

"You slept with her."

"I'm not sure," I answered honestly. "I can't exactly… remember the details."

Travis nudged Jake. "Performance anxiety?"

"Hell no," I growled. "I think I was too drunk or—"

Wrong thing to say.

I got punched in the stomach again.

My stomach had dropped to my balls — well, at least I wasn't hungry anymore!

Travis swore. "Don't play games with her. Leave her alone. Let her have a relaxing time in Hawaii and be nice."

"I'm nice," I defended myself.