Page 17 of Dare You to See Me
“I think you may need some more water.” A deep voice has me snapping my head to look at the person whose shadow casts across us.
“Mr. Dare! You’re here?” Dahlia jumps up and throws herself at him.
He catches her with an umph and smiles. His eyes hide behind a pair of dark sunglasses but the rest of him is on display. Behind me I hear Kyle mutter, “Come to mama.” I wave her off behind my back and throw her a subtle finger.
My eyes trail up his body from his toned calves and thighs that disappear under his black swim trunks, to the muscled abs and chest and carved shoulders. His entire body is long and lean and unbelievably gorgeous. I swipe at my mouth to make sure I’m not drooling then stand, brushing the sand off of my butt.
Even though I wear a one piece swimsuit, I feel entirely too exposed. The mustard yellow floral suit ties around my neck and dips low to my belly button, connecting with the vintage style bottoms. The back is completely open and is quite sexy. It’s the whole reason I purchased it. I wanted to feel…something again. I’d been mourning the loss of my life, my husband, and coming to terms with the fact that my marriage was a sham and not the fairytale I thought it was.
“What a surprise finding you here,” Malik says, releasing Dahlia and propping his hands on his trim waist.
“We’re trying to get in the last bit of beach time before the warm weather fades. You must be doing the same,” I reply.
He adjusts his sunglasses, pushing them on top of his head and smiles. “Something like that.”
I hear the clearing of a not so subtle throat. “Mr. Dare. This is my best friend, Kyle.”
“Malik,” he says, winking at me then smiles at Kyle. “Nice to meet you, Kyle.”
She takes his hand and with a voice that makes her sound like a transcontinental actress from the fifties says, “Kyle Peralta. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
I can’t help the eye roll that follows because that woman oozes sexiness like most people breathe. Naturally.
He quickly releases her hand and looks down at Dahlia. “So what are we building today?”
He plops down in the sand next to her and her face immediately glows. “Mommy and me are building a castle but it keeps fallin’.”
“Let me take a look.” Malik crouches down like he’s really studying the poorly built structure from all angles. “Just like I suspected. Your foundation is too dry causing it to crack, sweetheart. How about we get these buckets and go fill them with water. I’ll show you how to make an impenetrable castle.”
Dahlia scrunches up her nose and tilts her head. “What’s impennyerable mean?” she asks, fumbling over the word.
“Im-pen-e-tra-ble. It means nothing can break it. Just a fancy word adults use. C’mon. Let’s go. Or rather,” he turns to me, leaning over and looking like a cover model. “Is that okay with you if we walk down to get water? I don’t want to assume.”
“Of course. That’s no problem. She’d probably rather build a castle with her favorite teacher than her construction-impaired mother.” His smile lights up his face and sends a flurry of little fireworks exploding in my belly.
“Be right back,” he tells us, then takes Dahlia with one hand and a bucket in the other as they walk to the water.
“Oh sister. He wants to erect something with you and it ain’t a sand castle.” My head spins and I kick sand in Kyle’s direction. “Honey, I poured on the charm and he barely glanced in my direction. But you…he was already counting the ways to make you cu–”
“Don’t! Finish that sentence. I swear to the heavens, if you say anything to him and embarrass me, I will tell everyone that is not your real nose.”
She gasps and puts a protective hand over her nose. “You wouldn’t.”
I narrow my gaze at her and harden my features. “Oh, but I would.”
We stand in a silent stare off, eyebrows arching and lips pursing in response. “You’re an evil woman, Soleil Brooks.”
“Guess that’s why we’re such good friends, Kyle Peralta.”
“Touché. So,” she continues and pats the towel that I previously occupied. “What’s the plan?”
I sit slowly and look at her confused. “The plan for what?”
“For getting into that man’s bed. It’s time you get back in the saddle, baby girl. It might take a couple of rides, but it’ll come back to you.”
“Ky. Will you please stop? That man is–”
“Fine.”
