The Dare - Elle Kennedy Page 0,116
to everyone else. Don’t they get it? Don’t they see?
“I go in there, make a report—then that’s another dozen people who see the video,” I say desperately, starting to pace. “They file a case, go to court—that’s another dozen, two dozen. Every move I make invites more people to see me like that.”
“So what?” he snaps. “You’ve got to be getting sick of me telling you that you’re hot as hell, Taylor. Some poor suckers get a few seconds of joy watching you do nothing more than kiss a girl.”
“And you don’t care if a bunch of strangers see me practically naked?”
“I fucking care,” he growls. “And if you want me to beat the shit out of every dude in a twenty-mile radius who looks at you funny, I will. But there’s nothing about this that you should be ashamed of. You did nothing wrong. You’re the victim. When Abigail came by and told me and the guys, every one of them was ready to throw down in your honor. Nobody was cracking jokes or grabbing their phones. We’re only concerned for you. You’re all I care about, Taylor.”
My heart is breaking. Not for me, but for everything we almost were. How good it could have been if Jules hadn’t thrown a grenade in the middle of our relationship.
“You don’t know how it feels,” I whisper. “I can’t just get over it.”
“No one’s asking you to. Just to stick up for yourself.”
“And maybe for me, that means waiting for it to blow over and trying to trick myself into forgetting. You don’t know what it’s like to feel like the whole world has seen you naked.”
“You’re right.” He pauses for a beat. “Maybe I should.”
I blink and suddenly Conor is yanking off his shirt.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Empathizing.” He kicks off his shoes.
“Stop it,” I order.
“No.” His socks go next. Then he drops his pants in the middle of my living room and pushes his boxers down his legs.
“Conor, put your fucking pants back on.” And yet my eyes can’t pry themselves from his dick. It’s just so…there.
Without another word, he strides out the front door.
“Get back here, you lunatic.”
When I hear his footsteps on the stairs, I grab his discarded clothing and chase after him. But the jackass is fast. I don’t catch up to him until he’s across the parking lot and standing on the grass that abuts the road.
“Get your phones out, people,” Conor shouts into the air, his muscular arms spread wide. “Don’t see this every day.”
“You’ve lost your damn mind.” I watch him twirling, gorgeous and ridiculous. He has a body you only see in airbrushed fantasies, but it isn’t supposed to be wiggling around on the front lawn. “Oh my God, Conor, stop. Someone’s going to call the cops on you.”
“I’ll plead temporary insanity due to a broken heart,” he says.
Fortunately, this is exclusively a college student-infested street. For at least five blocks in every direction from campus, no townies dare to tread. Families long ago escaped the midweek parties and drunks passed out in the bushes, so that means no traumatized children, either.
Doors start opening up and down the street. Window blinds are separating. He’s got an audience now. Shouts and whistles ring out, an eruption of horny banter.
“Stop encouraging him,” I yell back at the spectators. I refocus my attention on Conor and his amazing, swinging penis and groan in frustration. “Will you please stop!”
“Never. I’ve gone completely mad for you, Taylor Antonia Marsh.”
“That’s not even my middle name!”
“It’s a middle name and I don’t care, if this is what I have to do to take away your embarrassment, I’ll do it. I’ll do anything.”
“You need to be hospitalized,” I declare, all the while smothering the laughter threatening to spill over.
This man is…ridiculous. I’ve never met anyone like Conor Edwards, this sexy crazy handful who’s flashing the entire neighborhood just to prove a point and make me feel not as alone.
“Edwards!” someone thunders.
A car rolls up, and from the driver’s side window Chad Jensen pokes his head out. “What the hell are you doing running around with no pants on? Put your damn cock away!”
Conor glances over at the car, completely unfazed. “Hey Coach,” he drawls. “What’s up?” When he realizes my mother is in the passenger side, he offers a sheepish smile. “Doctor Mom, good to see you again.”
Unbelievable. I shove Conor’s clothes at him. As he covers his junk, I glance over at my mother and see that her