Page 1 of Sexy Dare (The Sexy 1)

Chapter One

With happy hour being celebrated loudly around him, Jason Dare stood on a balcony above the bar area and surveyed his domain, Club TEN29, a nightclub in Tribeca, an ode to the past and a reminder that the future wasn’t guaranteed. Despite the fact that his two partners were here, as were members of his actual family, he still felt very much alone.

Although solitary was a state of being he chose for reasons only he and his partners – men he considered his brothers – understood, sometimes it wasn’t easy, especially since they were very much in demand. As owners, they were becoming well known here and had had extremely positive press, and that made him a target – for those who wanted an in with the occasional high-brow guest, and for women with dollar signs in their eyes and hopes to snag a wealthy man. Jason didn’t engage. He was ultra-selective with the females he brought to his bed.

His life was the club, his partners, and his large family. He kept his circle close and minimized his risk of loss as best he could. That mantra defined him, extending into his love life, as well. After his father had blown his family sky-high, after he’d almost lost his sister to cancer when she was a child, after losing his partner Landon’s twin and Jason’s best friend back in college, he didn’t, couldn’t get close to people and risk more loss.

He didn’t get emotionally involved. Ever. A woman couldn’t expect anything more than the occasional hookup when it was convenient, but he enjoyed those moments of connection with the females he did allow into his bed. He had enough darkness in his life that when he let go, he wanted to enjoy and have fun.

“Jason, this has been an amazing night!” his sister, Sienna, said, throwing her arms around his neck and planting a kiss on his cheek.

He chuckled and smiled at her glowing face.

Her husband, Ethan Knight, grinned as he pulled her off him and into his arms. “She’s been liberal with the alcohol.” Ethan explained her exuberant enthusiasm. “Her first time out since having the baby.” He held his wife tight against him.

“I had fun! And now we’re going home to f–” Ethan placed a hand over Sienna’s mouth, sparing Jason from hearing about his sister’s love life. Jesus.

He shot the man a grateful look.

“And on that note, we’re leaving. We just wanted to say goodbye,” Ethan said with a smug grin on his face.

“Thanks for coming.” Jason extended his arm and shook Ethan’s hand. “And give that little bundle a kiss from her uncle Jase.”

Accepting this man as his sister’s husband had been an adjustment, one Jason was still making, considering Ethan had knocked up Sienna before anyone even knew they were together. They now had a baby girl named Lizzy, who Jason adored, and Ethan was a member of the family. More people for Jason to worry about. He watched them leave, acknowledging his sister was in good hands with the other man.

His gaze turned to his closest friends since their time together in college, now equal partners in Club TEN29. They stood huddled together around the bar with some of their repeat customers. Tanner Grayson was the night manager, and Landon Bennett was the head of Entertainment and Appearances, Brand Deals, and Promotions. After Landon’s twin died, he’d pulled into himself, while Tanner had spiraled, and it was only by sheer determination that he’d dragged himself out of the angry place he’d gone to and the trouble he’d gotten himself into.

Jason held the position of CEO. Together they were a solid mix of personalities and work ethic in a club that was merely two years old but becoming prominent in the night scene. They made sure Club TEN29 provided a memorable experience for everyone who stepped inside. There was no task too menial they wouldn’t handle personally if the need arose.

But Jason wanted more for their singular club. They had a stage on which customers danced but it wasn’t fully utilized, and although they’d put a lot of money into ads and promotions, they weren’t growing as fast as he would like. He just hadn’t figured out in which direction they needed to go in order to break out the way he wanted. Since Tanner and Landon thought things were fine as they were, Jason needed a fully fleshed-out plan before presenting it to them for a vote. Which was why he was meeting his cousin Gabe later on tonight. To hash out some ideas.

Gabriel Dare owned Elite, also a nightclub but one that operated on a scale Jason couldn’t imagine, one where people paid over five figures for a table and A-list celebrities visited often. They had clubs all over the world, including on the island of Eden, an exclusive invitation-only resort near the Bermuda Triangle.

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