Page 11 of Sexy Dare (The Sexy 1)

A forensic analyst arrived to dust for prints and bag the brick for evidence, while another officer took Faith’s statement. She debated telling them about Colton’s attack and threats, but that could only lead to them contacting the police department at home to question him, and she didn’t want to alert him to where she was on the very off chance this was a coincidence. If they found his prints, they’d have proof. He had a record, after all. But if they didn’t, they couldn’t accuse him anyway.

Finally they left her alone with the mess of her shop. Luckily for her, the man who owned the clothing store on one side came by and called a few friends, who boarded up the door until she could get someone in to fix it during the week. And there was nothing she could do about the graffiti until the window washers could fit her in.

She refused to let her brother frighten her out of her own shop, so despite the boarded window and mess outside, she prepared her candy for the day and opened for business.

* * *

Three days passed before Jason was able to give his undivided attention to Faith. He didn’t want to approach her with something heavy on his mind, and with his mother’s divorce going on in Florida, her sudden spate of phone calls to Jason, his brother Alex’s follow-ups, and Sienna’s added distress, combined with the business issues, Jason had had his hands full. When he saw Faith again, he wanted to be wholly focused on more than just asking her to contact Izzy about Noah’s birthday party favors.

He wanted a game plan about them.

Gabe’s comment about Jason’s actions when it came to Faith stayed with him. Letting her go easily doesn’t sound like the Dare way. Jason was well aware that Gabe had waited a long time for Izzy, and when he’d finally gotten his chance, he’d had to let her go find herself before she could truly become his. However, Gabe had kept a silent eye on her the entire time.

With Faith’s face and sexy body in his dreams and firmly entrenched in his mind, Jason had been fighting his instinct not to get involved when everything inside him screamed out for him to check on her. See her again. Make sure the tire was a fluke and she was safe and okay. Now, he finally had a reason to seek her out, and he’d decided to push harder to see what could be between them.

He might not want to add someone else to the list of people he had to worry about, but in one short night, she’d gotten under his skin, giving him no choice.

He headed for his car and typed her store name into Waze, ready to put his plan into motion. Except when he approached the shop, located on the left, as his direction-voice told him, he saw graffiti covering the windows and the door to her store boarded up.

“Fuck.” Stomach churning, protective instincts growing inside him, he drove around, searching for a parking spot, finally settling on a lot a few blocks away. He gave his car to an attendant and rushed down the street and over to Sweet Treats.

He opened the door, which still worked, and stepped inside. The sweet smell immediately assaulted him, a delicious, welcoming scent that reminded him of his candy girl. Inside, there was no hint of vandalism, thank goodness, but he didn’t see Faith.

“Hello?” he called out.

She immediately popped up from where she must have been kneeling down by the counter. “Jason!” she said, obviously surprised to see him.

“What the hell happened here?” he asked, knowing he sounded pissed because he was. Who would terrorize a woman this way?

She sighed. “The store was vandalized on Sunday and nobody’s been willing to come out and fix it until sometime next week.”

“Sunday? Why the hell didn’t you call me?” Guilt for ignoring his gut instinct immediately filled him.

Hadn’t he worried about the slashed tire? Didn’t he know better than to disregard what his instinct told him was important? He tamped down on thoughts of Levi. Faith was here in front of him, safe at least right now, and he intended to make sure she stayed that way.

“Seriously?” She strode out from behind the counter, hands settled on her hips, and glared at him. “I barely know you. Why would I bother you with my problems?”

He stepped closer, placing his hand beneath her chin, their gazes locked in a war of wills. “Because there was a connection between us and you know it. And because I can help you and clearly” – he swept his arm toward the door – “you need that help and support. Where is Kelsey?” he asked more gently, stroking a hand over Faith’s cheek before stepping back and giving her space.

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