Page 15 of Dirty Dare

But my phone’s on DND for work, and only one person’s texts come through.

“Phone?” Trevor asks with a gruff, breathless laugh.

Our brows are still pressed together, our chests rising and falling like we’ve just finished back-to-back 1500 frees.

“Yeah, I— Sorry, my dad.”

He nods without breaking contact.

zzz zzz

The corner of his mouth tips into a crooked slant that has the blood plummeting out of my head so fast I feel dizzy.

“You should check that.” Slowly, he draws the hand that was in my hair down my neck, past my shoulder, over my lats where it rotates so his fingers lead the way, teasing lower to skim the rise of my ass.

My throat goes dry. That crooked smile is too much. Aching for another taste, I lean in, but Trevor matches my movement, drawing back.

“Your dad.” He slides his hand over my hip, and I can almost feel the phantom tug of him fisting my jeans, but instead, he works that big, slow dragging hand into my pocket and withdraws my phone just as it vibrates again.

Eyes still locked with mine, he hands over the device I’m tempted to use as a longbow target. “I should go.”

Terrible idea. “Don’t. Just give me a minute to let him know I’m leaving, and—”

His single-step retreat sinks my hopes of taking things back to my place and spending the next twenty-four hours or maybe twenty-four years in bed with this man.

“The store opened less than an hour ago. What’s it going to look like when I throw you over my shoulder and skate out of here?”

Hot. Insanely so.

And while I’ve got Trevor by about two inches, there’s zero doubt in my mind that he could do it. Easily. Throw me on the bed and be on top of me before I bounce. But the smile that fantasy conjures fades when the rest of his words sink in.

What’s it going to look like…

“Right. Sorry, I wasn’t thinking about people seeing us.” I start my own retreat, only I’m already against the building and there’s nowhere to go.

Trevor laughs, grabbing my hand and pulling me with him over to the bench where our coffees sit. Handing me mine, he leans in and drops a quick kiss at my jaw before stepping back.

“This might sound crazy, but in this moment… the only person I’m worried about knowing is your dad. Part of me will always think he’s the reason I lost you the first time.”

I open my mouth, but he lifts the fingers of one hand in a sort of abbreviated stop signal.

“I know, there were a million more factors than him. And I get that he’s supportive now. Hell, I’m thrilled about it. But I’ve been waiting four years to feel like this again. I don’t want to risk your dad deciding he doesn’t like me for stealing his star employee during work hours.” He bites his lip, looking out from beneath the blond hank that keeps falling into his eyes. “Besides, I was thinking maybe we could hang out later.”

I brush the hair back before I can think about whether it’s really appropriate, loving the softness of the strands between my fingers. “Tonight?”

“Yeah. Like a date, if you’re into it. Or if you’d rather—”

“A date.” I start nodding like a tool, and a nearly blinding grin breaks across his face. He texts himself from my phone and leans in like he’s going to kiss me, but then sways back with a slow shake of his head.

“Better not risk it.”

My phone starts to vibrate again, this time with a call. I pick it up. “Sorry, Dad. I’m on my way back in now.”

6

Trevor

“A date? Like you’re going out in public and holding hands through a candlelit dinner kind of date?”

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