Page 41 of The Dating Dare

Seth parked a block away from Tara’s house as instructed and hoped that he wouldn’t have to wait long. He didn’t want anyone to report him as a suspicious man parked on their street in the cover of darkness. But more importantly, he couldn’t wait to see Tara. He shifted in his seat but couldn’t get comfortable with so much restless energy coursing through him. Maybe he should sprint back and forth down the street. The neighbors would definitely report him ifhe ran around the street like his pants were on fire. Well, his pantswereon fire, figuratively speaking.

An overnight ski trip with Tara. He was looking forward to spending time with her, skiing and sipping Irish coffee. But tonight… he couldn’t even let himself think about it. The things he wanted to do to her. He was one dirty-minded bastard.

Before he got himself too excited, he spotted Tara walking toward his car with a small duffel bag. He hurried to her and took the bag off her shoulder. Then, because he couldn’t help himself, Seth placed a soft kiss on her lips in a rush of affection. It was so good to see her. When he pulled back, Tara’s eyes were wide with surprise and her lips were curved shyly at the corners.

Impromptu, lust-driven makeout sessions were one thing, but easy affection was somehow more intimate. It was as though they were a couple, who had the right to kiss each other whenever they wanted. He liked the idea of them as a couple, even if only for a few weeks. It felt right.

“Hi,” he whispered. The muted neighborhood, quiet and sleepy in the dark morning, compelled him to make as little noise as possible.

“Hi,” she whispered back.

Seth led her to the passenger’s side and opened the door for her. Once she was settled, he stowed her bag next to his in the trunk and slid into his seat. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” She squirmed in her seat, unable to contain her excitement. “I made us a road-trip playlist.”

“Aww, are you giving me a mixtape, Tara? Does that mean youlikelike me?”

“Be quiet and drive. And behold the mastery of my playlist.” Shesighed and relaxed into her seat as the first strains of Vivaldi’sFour Seasonspermeated the air.

The familiar melody was soothing in the stillness of the early morning. Seth smiled his appreciation at Tara, then turned his attention back to the road as he led them toward the highway.

Their road trip began in earnest with the soulful voice of Ed Sheeran singing to mellow, acoustic music. As Weldon disappeared behind them, they listened in companiable silence as more evocative music filled the car. Soon dawn stained the sky with indigo, purple, and pink, and they cruised down the nearly empty freeway.

“This isn’t just a playlist,” he said. “It’s like the soundtrack to our road trip. If we were in a movie, this song would be playing in the background right now.”

“You understand my genius.” She smiled brightly. “Since you insisted on driving, I wanted to do something to make the long drive more enjoyable.”

“Thank you. That’s very thoughtful of you.”

“You’re welcome,” she said softly. “I’m glad you like it.”

He tucked away the warmth of the moment before consulting his navigator to make sure he’d switched to the right freeway. “Do you ski often?”

“Not really. Just once a year or so. I’m too busy with the brewery, and it’s hard to get away.” She shifted and turned to face him. “How about you? For you to ski so well, you must go often.”

“Yeah, I try to go at least three or four times a season. And when things work out with my schedule, I like to go for a weeklong trip to Utah or Colorado. The snow is pristine out there.”

“I should confess now that I’m a modest intermediate skier. I’m afraid I won’t be joining you on the black diamond courses.”

“On our last date, we let the princesses and goblins interrupt our date. I’m not letting anything split us up today,” he said resolutely. “We’ll warm up on the intermediate courses, and when you feel more confident, we can hit the advanced slopes. You’ll love it.”

“But I’ve never gone on one before.” She sounded uncharacteristically timid.

“Well, today will be perfect for your first time, since I’ll be right by your side if you need help. But I have a feeling you’ll rise to the challenge.”

“Hmm. I’ll think about it,” she said, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“You know you want to.” He grinned widely, because it was true. Now that he’d presented her with a challenge, she wouldn’t be able to rest until she conquered it.

“Maybe,” she said. “Oh, are we going to stop at Bishop? The bakery there has the best bread.”

“I know exactly which one you’re talking about. Let’s grab some sandwiches for lunch there so we could hit the slopes as soon as we can.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Then they had to stop talking because “Bohemian Rhapsody” came on.

They made good time to Mammoth, even with the stopover at Bishop. It was too early to check in, so they dropped their bags off at the hotel and headed outside with their sandwiches.

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