Double Dog Dare

Three little words I can't say no to—they have gotten me into plenty of trouble over the years, but this time I think I'll like the consequences.

Mara: This is my first big event planning job—an Animal Rescue Charity Ball—and I'm hosting it in the hotel of the hottest man I've ever met. Of course, he wants nothing to do with me, so when my best friend dares me to pull him onto the dance floor, I'm considering failing my first dare ever.

Sebastian: I wasn't ready to meet someone like Mara when she walked into my office many months ago, but now that I'm settled, I'm hoping to get a second chance at making a first impression. But after she pulls me onto the dance floor, I learn her weakness and the key to buying the time to show her who I really am—the perfect guy for her.

Now all I have to do is DARE her to give me a chance.

"I dare you.”

I shift my eyes left and pin my best friend Jenny in place. We’ve been friends since third grade and almost every time I’ve been in trouble, it started with her saying I dare you. Unfortunately, neither of us can resist rising to the challenge. Nor has either of us backed down from a dare. I have no choice but to respond with, “What are you daring me to do now?”

She grins, a hint of mischievous triumph in her eye, and stirs the cocktail in her hand with the thin, short straw. “You have to pull the next single guy that walks through the door onto the dance floor and do the routine.”

I frown. “I’m the event organizer. I can’t grab some random guy, do the routine, and hope to book more jobs after this.”

Jenny rolls her eyes. “We’re more than halfway through the charity ball and everything has gone off like clockwork. You’re already a success with four future jobs booked, so I don’t think you need to worry about your reputation.”

Sighing, I glance at the open ballroom doors. “How are we going to determine if a guy is single or not?”

She chews on her cheek and taps her nail against the glass. “Fair point. Okay, how about the guy that walks in, we watch him for sixty-seconds or so, and if he doesn’t meet up with anyone in that time, he’s fair game.”

Groaning, I reluctantly nod. I mean, I can’t say no, even though I desperately want to—and the event is almost over, so the chances of a single guy walking through the door this late in the evening are slim. “Fine.”

“Right on.” She giggles, her gaze fixed on the doorway.

“Can I get you another round?” A server swings by and motions to our half-empty glasses.

Jenny nods. “Oh yeah, Mara’s about to need it.”

The server smiles, as if she knows what we are up to. She must have bad influences in her life, too. “I’ll be back with your drinks.” 

“Here we go.” Jenny rubs her palms together like a villain in a silent movie. Give her a long waxed mustache to twirl, and you’d know she was up to no good. 

My eyes shoot to the door to find an attractive man in a gray suit. His eyes quickly scan the room until he lands on the person he’s looking for—an equally attractive brunette holding an adorable bowtie wearing Yorkie.

“Swing and a miss.” I laugh, my heart falling back into place—which is not my throat. At this point in the evening, the fanfare and public interactions are over. The silent auction wrapped up fifteen minutes ago, and we’re now at the part of the evening’s agenda when the DJ plays music until the end of the night. People will spend the next hour drinking, eating, and dancing, while more donations make their way toward the animal rescue. 

My job as the event planner is practically done. While the rescue volunteers handle the auction and charitable donations, I’ll finalize the remaining invoices next week, most of which require dealing with the hotel manager, Sebastian Croft. 

Physically, the man is fresh from my dreams. He’s tall and built with thick, dark hair, light brown eyes, a rugged jawline framed in a perpetual five o’clock shadow, and cheekbones you could cut glass on. Judging by his bronzed skin and hint of an accent, I’d guess he’s of Mediterranean descent—although where exactly he’s from, I’m not sure.

Although, it doesn’t matter where he’s from, because he’s the most attractive man I’ve ever met. 

Unfortunately, he’s also a giant jerk face who barely made eye contact with me, the one and only time we met in person, only to call several times over the last few months with the most inane questions. He worried about his carpets, the dance floor, the chairs, and the curtains. He fixated on having animals and food in the ballroom, which makes no sense considering the hotel is famous for being pet friendly. 

Seriously. This place is rated amongst the top ten best pet friendly hotels in the United States per travel and leisure magazine, Travelocity, and hotels.com. 

I’ve never been more attracted to and annoyed by someone at the same time.

I accept my fresh drink from the server. “Thanks.”

“What are you two up to?” My mom sidles up beside me. After twenty years of shenanigans, my mother can tell when Jenny and I are up to no good.

“Nothing.” I say at the same time Jenny says, “We’re waiting for a single man to walk through the door.”

My mom shakes her head. “And what are you going to do to this poor man?”

“Nothing.” I say again at the same time Jenny blurts, “Mara has to do the routine.”

“Oh, Mara.” Mom’s lips purse into a disapproving frown. “How are you ever going to find a man if you pull childish antics all the time?”

“Don’t blame me, Jenny dared me to do it.”

“So? If she dared you to jump off a bridge, would you do that too?”

Jenny and I nod and say, “Probably.”

“Oh, you two!” My mother tosses her hands in the air, like she has for most of our childhood, and then bends forward to rub the face of my twenty-week-old Labrador-Retriever. “Do you still want me to take Baxter home?” 

I don't know why she's asking, considering it’s been the plan for the last two weeks. As the event planner of the animal rescue charity ball, it seemed wrong not to bring my fur baby with me, and yet I knew it would be a lot of responsibility to manage him while running around and taking care of problems as they arose. 

“Yes, please. I’ll pick him up in the morning.”

“Okay, well, your father and I are done for the evening, so we’ll take him home now.”

I stand up and give my mother a quick hug before handing her Baxter’s leash. Baxter stands up from his nap, going from calm to controlled spazz in the span of two-seconds. But my mom will have none of it, and he’s learned not to test her, considering she has the best treats.

“Batter up!” Jenny giggles at the same time I release my mom. 

The three of us turn and face the door. This is a semi-formal event, but it’s also dog friendly, so most people opted for business suits and cocktail dresses.

Jenny and I are wearing ridiculous full length bridesmaid dresses because we are those types of people. 

This guy also opted for over the top formal. He’s wearing a tuxedo that James Bond would envy—and judging by the perfect fit, it’s not a rental. Then I zero in on his handsome face, recognition smacking me across the cheek. 

I shake my head. “No. Not him.”

“What do you mean, not him?” Jenny glances at me before her eyes go back to him. “He’s hot.”

“I agree—” my mom nods, never taking her eyes off him “—he is sexy.”

“I thought you and dad were leaving?” I quip, not wanting to go into why not him with my mother. 

“Oh, I think we can stay for a few more minutes.” She smiles, and not in a friendly way. My mother might chastise me for being immature, but she’s got a devious streak a mile long. Where do you think Jenny and I get it from?

“Who is he?” Jenny asks.

“That’s Sebastian, the hotel manager I told you about.”

“The hot, infuriating guy who hates animals?” 

I bite my lip. “Well, to be honest, I don’t know that he hates animals, but he gave me a bunch of shit about hosting a dog friendly party in his hotel, so I just assumed—”

“He’s staring at you.” My mom hums.

And I’m staring back. I feel like Sebastian is used to getting his way—and therefore I’ve felt an incessant need to be difficult and unyielding. Or maybe it’s because upon our first meeting, I thought he was the sexiest man I’d ever met, and his all-business intensity made me feel like a mere schoolgirl with a crush. I don’t care if he is mad-dogging me from across the room. I refuse to look away or cower in his presence. 

Yes, I am a brat.

I’m also curious why he is here. It’s probably to check up on the event and make sure the animals aren’t trashing his ballroom. I tried to explain to him that the only people who would bring their four-legged companions would be responsible dog owners. Plus, he has an amazing dog park attached to the back of the hotel, so it’s not like the place isn’t equipped to handle the extra guests. We aren’t having a sit-down meal, and I posted signs at the buffet line asking people to keep animals at least ten feet away from the food for health reasons. Maybe a third of the people actually brought their fur kids, and most of them are purse-sized pooches who sleep more than they play. Baxter’s one of the largest animals here and he’s a puppy. 

“He’s coming this way.” Jenny’s excitement makes her voice pitch higher with each word.

“What do you think he wants?” I say out loud, even though I don’t expect an answer. 

Mom laughs. “The way he’s got his eyes glued to you, Mara, I’m going to say—You.”

I’m holding my breath as I shake my head. “No, he probably came to complain about something.”

Although I dread whatever rant is poised on the tip of his tongue, I have to admit that seeing him again gets all my juices flowing. There’s something about him that sends tingles down low, and even though I groaned every time his number popped up on my phone or his name appeared in my inbox, I was secretly thrilled, too. 

How twisted is that?