When You Dare
Page 111
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While she had Dare talking, Molly decided to venture into her concerns. “Will Natalie truly be all right?”
“I don’t think anyone wants to bother her, but even if they did, Jett’s going to keep an eye on her. He won’t leave her alone, except for when she’s at school.” He put a warm hand on her thigh. “Try not to worry, okay?”
Resting her head back against the seat, Molly wondered how she could not worry. Especially when she again saw Dare look in the rearview mirror.
Still with a hand on her thigh, Dare asked, “What are you thinking?”
It wasn’t like her to play games, so she gave him an honest answer. “I was going over conversational pieces.”
“Like?”
“Mark Sagan in, and out of, a suit.” She swiveled her head to look at Dare. “It was strange how my stepmother said that, don’t you think? Almost as if she knows him more intimately than we first thought.”
Dare chewed his upper lip, glanced at her, then back to the road. “You picked up on that, huh?”
He had to be kidding. “Didn’t you?”
“Yeah.” He shifted in his seat, put both hands on the steering wheel. “Yeah, I did.”
“Dare?”
His mouth flattened.
“Oh, for crying out loud.” She’d had enough of his macho posturing. “I’m not that fragile, you know. I won’t break.”
“You’ve been through a hell of a lot. That business with your father and his nutty wife…” He shook his head. “Damn, Molly, that was painful for me to watch. I can only imagine how it is for you to live it.”
He’d been distracted in his concern for her? Okay, she could forgive that—as long as it ended right now. “That’s the one good thing to come out of all this. I realize now that I have very real endurance. If what happened to me had happened to someone else I know, I’d expect her to be falling apart. And I’d understand if she did. But…” She shook her head. “I really am going to be okay. I know it, and I can’t tell you what that feels like, but it’s…good.”
“It’s empowering.” Voice low, expression intimate, Dare said, “Your strength is undeniable.”
Such a smooth talker. Somehow Dare made a comment on her fortitude sound like a very sexy compliment. “Then we agree that I’m not the type to crumple into an emotional mess. So, out with it.” She half turned to face him, as far as the seat belt would allow. “Does your silence have to do with that car following us?”
Surprise flashed in his gaze before he masked it.
Molly rolled her eyes. “I’m not a complete dummy, either.”
“I’m aware of your many qualities, honey, you don’t have to keep reminding me.” He checked the rearview mirror again. “I would say that car likely means that we’re on the right track.”
“You think Dad sent people to follow us?”
Dare hedged. “I’m still mulling things over.”
Narrowing her eyes, Molly said, “Mull them over out loud. It’ll help bring clarity.”
His gaze clashed with hers for a heartbeat, and then he looked away with a grin. “You really are getting back to normal, aren’t you?”
Her neck went stiff. “Meaning what?”
Now the grin turned into a laugh. “Nothing insulting, I swear. You were just so damned polite and reserved at first, it made me nuts.” He glanced at her again, all over her. “I like this new…” He thought about it, then shrugged. “Confidence. But more than that, really. You’re self-assured, poised, assertive.” He held out his hand, and when she took it, he lifted her palm for a kiss. “I’m glad that you’re getting back some of your own.”
Molly gave him a stern and direct stare. “I think this is your way to avoid telling me what my dad wanted with you.”
“Wrong.” He let her go to return his hand to the wheel again. “Your dad asked for a little time before I break the big story. That’s all.”
“But you aren’t planning to break a story anyway.”
“We know that. He doesn’t.”
“What was his reasoning?” A horrible thought occurred to her. “Did he offer you something in exchange for your silence?” She wouldn’t put that past her dad. Public humiliation would be hell on earth for him.
“He did.” Dare took an exit off the more rural streets and onto the I-75 highway. “He offered to hand over the one responsible.”
Her stomach lurched, and pain squeezed around her heart. Damn it, she’d thought herself immune to her father’s vitriolic machinations.
Apparently not.
Trying to hide her reaction, Molly nodded. “So he does know who’s responsible?”
“Not exactly, no. But he has a few ideas, and in an effort to exonerate himself, he’s going to do a little checking on his end. At this point, I don’t think his snooping around will hurt anything, so I told him to go ahead. Later in the week, I’ll call him to find out how it’s going.”
“He really believes that you would throw the story out there for the media?”
“I was convincing, wasn’t I?”
“Not to me, but then I know you better than he does.” Molly wasn’t at all sure that she really wanted to know, but neither did she want to hide her head in the sand. “So who does Dad suspect?”
“I don’t think anyone wants to bother her, but even if they did, Jett’s going to keep an eye on her. He won’t leave her alone, except for when she’s at school.” He put a warm hand on her thigh. “Try not to worry, okay?”
Resting her head back against the seat, Molly wondered how she could not worry. Especially when she again saw Dare look in the rearview mirror.
Still with a hand on her thigh, Dare asked, “What are you thinking?”
It wasn’t like her to play games, so she gave him an honest answer. “I was going over conversational pieces.”
“Like?”
“Mark Sagan in, and out of, a suit.” She swiveled her head to look at Dare. “It was strange how my stepmother said that, don’t you think? Almost as if she knows him more intimately than we first thought.”
Dare chewed his upper lip, glanced at her, then back to the road. “You picked up on that, huh?”
He had to be kidding. “Didn’t you?”
“Yeah.” He shifted in his seat, put both hands on the steering wheel. “Yeah, I did.”
“Dare?”
His mouth flattened.
“Oh, for crying out loud.” She’d had enough of his macho posturing. “I’m not that fragile, you know. I won’t break.”
“You’ve been through a hell of a lot. That business with your father and his nutty wife…” He shook his head. “Damn, Molly, that was painful for me to watch. I can only imagine how it is for you to live it.”
He’d been distracted in his concern for her? Okay, she could forgive that—as long as it ended right now. “That’s the one good thing to come out of all this. I realize now that I have very real endurance. If what happened to me had happened to someone else I know, I’d expect her to be falling apart. And I’d understand if she did. But…” She shook her head. “I really am going to be okay. I know it, and I can’t tell you what that feels like, but it’s…good.”
“It’s empowering.” Voice low, expression intimate, Dare said, “Your strength is undeniable.”
Such a smooth talker. Somehow Dare made a comment on her fortitude sound like a very sexy compliment. “Then we agree that I’m not the type to crumple into an emotional mess. So, out with it.” She half turned to face him, as far as the seat belt would allow. “Does your silence have to do with that car following us?”
Surprise flashed in his gaze before he masked it.
Molly rolled her eyes. “I’m not a complete dummy, either.”
“I’m aware of your many qualities, honey, you don’t have to keep reminding me.” He checked the rearview mirror again. “I would say that car likely means that we’re on the right track.”
“You think Dad sent people to follow us?”
Dare hedged. “I’m still mulling things over.”
Narrowing her eyes, Molly said, “Mull them over out loud. It’ll help bring clarity.”
His gaze clashed with hers for a heartbeat, and then he looked away with a grin. “You really are getting back to normal, aren’t you?”
Her neck went stiff. “Meaning what?”
Now the grin turned into a laugh. “Nothing insulting, I swear. You were just so damned polite and reserved at first, it made me nuts.” He glanced at her again, all over her. “I like this new…” He thought about it, then shrugged. “Confidence. But more than that, really. You’re self-assured, poised, assertive.” He held out his hand, and when she took it, he lifted her palm for a kiss. “I’m glad that you’re getting back some of your own.”
Molly gave him a stern and direct stare. “I think this is your way to avoid telling me what my dad wanted with you.”
“Wrong.” He let her go to return his hand to the wheel again. “Your dad asked for a little time before I break the big story. That’s all.”
“But you aren’t planning to break a story anyway.”
“We know that. He doesn’t.”
“What was his reasoning?” A horrible thought occurred to her. “Did he offer you something in exchange for your silence?” She wouldn’t put that past her dad. Public humiliation would be hell on earth for him.
“He did.” Dare took an exit off the more rural streets and onto the I-75 highway. “He offered to hand over the one responsible.”
Her stomach lurched, and pain squeezed around her heart. Damn it, she’d thought herself immune to her father’s vitriolic machinations.
Apparently not.
Trying to hide her reaction, Molly nodded. “So he does know who’s responsible?”
“Not exactly, no. But he has a few ideas, and in an effort to exonerate himself, he’s going to do a little checking on his end. At this point, I don’t think his snooping around will hurt anything, so I told him to go ahead. Later in the week, I’ll call him to find out how it’s going.”
“He really believes that you would throw the story out there for the media?”
“I was convincing, wasn’t I?”
“Not to me, but then I know you better than he does.” Molly wasn’t at all sure that she really wanted to know, but neither did she want to hide her head in the sand. “So who does Dad suspect?”
