The Dare

Chapter Twenty-nine

"Do you think that Mr. Brevik felt outside pressure to romance the young girl?"

"Well, of course he did! Leaving that man to his own devices is like giving a child a quad-shot mocha. They run into walls and scream at the top of their lungs."

"So in your mind, Mr. Brevik is a child?"

"He's a man," Grandma said slowly for the agent's benefit.

"Your point?"

"Men, children — there is no difference, only that you change one's diapers while the other just lets loose in public."

"I don't know how to respond to that."

"Like I said, men."

Jace

I was going to need a hell of a lot of Gatorade if I was going to pull everything off. She wanted crazy? I'd give her crazy. There I was, pouring my feelings out all over the place like some Lifetime Christmas movie, and she still wasn't impressed?

Fine. I'd keep romancing the pants off of her until she realized that I was in it; I wanted a second chance. Then again, I didn't blame her. Why give me a second chance when I'd told her to her face that I was walking away from her?

I wouldn't trust me either.

And there was that small problem of my profession.

"Jace," Beth snapped. I was still carrying her; I liked carrying her. I wasn't putting her down anytime soon.

"Shh…" I slapped her ass. "I'm thinking. Don't interrupt a man when he's thinking."

"I want to lick you."

I tripped and almost went sailing into the wall. All thoughts left my mind. All thoughts except her tongue on me, my tongue in her mouth, licking. Lots of licking.

"Why'd we stop walking?" Beth said innocently.

I slapped her ass again. "You'll pay for that."

"Yes, please."

More licking.

"Damn it, Beth!" I huffed. "Stop doing that."

"What?"

"That," I grumbled, setting her on her feet. Now climb.

"Climb?"

I turned her around and pointed to the cliff. "Climb."

"You're kidding, right?"

The cliff was a rocky climb. It led to a ledge that was about thirty feet high. I'd seen locals jumping from the cliff for the past few days and figured if they could do it without dying, we could too. She wanted crazy? This was insane.

"Nope." I crossed my arms. "Not kidding. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Must have left it back at the hut with your feather tea," she said through clenched teeth.

"I'm making a big gesture." I tilted her chin toward me and brushed a soft kiss across her lips. "The least you could do is go along with it."

"Fine, but if I die, I'm going to haunt you for the rest of your days."

I helped her on to the rocky trail and held her hand as we made our way slowly up the cliff. Luckily, the path was lit by a few torches, so it wasn't like it was this creepy abandoned area that was booby-trapped or something.

A warm breeze picked up once we reached the ledge. Waves crashed against the rocks below us. I had to close my eyes.

"What are you doing?" Beth squeezed my hand.

"I forgot to tell you something."

"What?"

Shit, I was sweating. "I'm terrified of heights."

"Then why are we here?"

"You said you wanted crazy. You said my apology wasn't good enough, and let's be honest, you have absolutely no reason to trust me."

"All true." She looked nervously over the edge then back at me. "So what's your point?"

"My point is you need vulnerable."

She bit down on her bottom lip and released my hand.

"You don't need crazy." I sighed. "You want crazy for you."

Beth still refused to look at me.

"Heights terrify me," I continued. "If you had asked me last week what my biggest fear was? I would have said heights. Two days ago, I would have said Frank."

Beth's warm laugh made my stomach flip.

"Ask me what I'm scared of right now."

Beth's gaze flew to my eyes. "What are you scared of now?"

"You," I whispered. "I'm scared I'm not who you think I am. I'm scared that you really have convinced yourself that I'm some sort of hero, when we both know that's the last thing people would call me. I'm terrified that if you give me a second chance, I'm just going to screw it up. I'm afraid that you'll wake up, and not want me. That you'll decide I'm not worth it. Because the truth, Beth? Guys want to be fought for too. We want to be worthy of the women we love. I want to be the Romeo, Mr. Darcy, and Avenger. But those shoes? They're pretty big ones to fill, and although I love difficult situations, I don't like the idea that one day you're going to wake up and realize how damn beautiful you really are. You are worthy of those guys and more. I know where I land on that totem pole, and it's on the very bottom, underneath the dirt and worms and crap. You'll see me waving.

Beth laughed.

"I'm serious." I pulled her into my arms. "I'm serious about you. What would you say if I told you that you were the one that got away?"

"I'd say you're crazy."

"Mission accomplished," I whispered. "And what would you say if I told you I wanted more than a few days?"

"I'd say you're out of your mind."

"What would you say if I told you I burned for you? What would you say if I told you that even before this week, you consumed my dreams?"

Beth shook her head and opened her mouth to say something.

I kissed her roughly across the mouth. "And what would you say if I told you I was going to jump?"

"Jace—"

"I'm jumping. If only to prove to you that I'm going to start conquering fears, starting with jumping and ending with you."

"Jace don't—"

I couldn't hear her words as I jumped; my blood was roaring too loud, and the wind whipping by my face wasn't helping anything. The water slapped against my body as I landed, far away from the rocks and into the warm ocean.

I didn't have time to enjoy my accomplishment, what with Beth throwing herself off the cliff in such a fashion that I was a bit concerned she was going to belly flop.

Three seconds of cursing like a sailor, followed by mind-numbing screaming, and Beth splashed right next to me. She gasped for air, and then her hands were around my neck.

Holy shit. She was going to drown me!

"Beth!" I croaked, unable to actually breathe.

"Don't you dare," she shook me in her tiny hands, "do that to me again! I thought you were going to die!"

"Alive," I wheezed, "until you murder me."

"I want to murder you."

She released me. Thank God.

"But I'm too impressed by your speech and stupid death wish."

"Really?" My chest puffed out.

"Really." Beth swallowed. "So what now?"

"We get married."

"Be serious."

"We pretend to get married."

"Better." She grinned.

"And we get even."

"Oh?"

"I'll give it to Grandma. She knew what she was doing, but I hardly think the couples' therapy and Viagra were necessary to get our attention."

Beth gave me a doubtful look.

"Okay fine. It was probably necessary because I'm a man. Happy?"

"Thrilled."

"Inspired?" I pulled her into my arms.

"Not as much as you are." Beth wrapped her legs around me and jerked my body against hers.

"Three more days."

"Of the fairytale," I whispered. "Guess what happens at the end?"

"What?"

"The prince wins."

"And the princess?"

"She lives happily ever after."

"In a castle?"

"Apartment."

"NO deal."

"Beth…" I growled.

She released her grip on my body and started swimming for shore. "Come on, Thor. We have to sneak back into the hut without Grandma seeing us. You're supposed to be sick, remember?"

"Why would I go back to the hut when everything I want is right here? In my arms?" He reached out and gently caressed my hand, I shivered in response.

"That was a good speech." Beth exhaled.

I could feel her heart race as we swam us back toward the beach. Once we could touch the ground, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her, wrapping her legs around me in the process.

"I could love you," I whispered.

"I could love you too."

I finally gave in. I forgot about my career, forgot about prom, forgot about Kerri — I forgot about everything, purposefully, and focused, purposefully on the curve of her hips as I held her against me, on the softness of her skin as my lips brushed across it. I focused on the sound of her soft pants when my tongue licked the salt water from her neck.

Beth arched her back as I kissed down the front of her chest, causing our bodies to fit together perfectly. She was on fire, and I wanted nothing more than to remember this moment — since we'd somehow screwed it up so badly the first time.

She dug her nails into my head, touching part of the scar from the accident. And for some reason, I froze.

Something felt familiar.

Something wasn't right.

Beth. The accident.

Beth and the accident.

"Bye, Dad!" I called out and ran to the car. "Beth." I smiled. "I'm going to marry her someday."

I jerked back from her as if she'd just burned me.

"Jace?" Beth held my face. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

I shook my head, unable to find my voice. It had been a memory. I'd been dressed in the same tux I'd worn to prom. What the hell?

"Jace?"

"I, uh..." I couldn't catch my breath. "I think I really may be sick."

"It's okay." Beth pulled me in for a hug. "Let's just go back to the hut, alright?"

"But—"

"Jace. It's fine, plus you look really pale."

"Right." I gripped her hand like a lifeline and waded through the water to shore. The memory was still there, I'd said her name, I'd gotten back into my car that night with her name on my lips. Why?