Dare To Play (Dare Nation #3) - Carly Phillips Page 0,17

thought, okay?” he asked in a rough, sexy voice. “Forget about me, I want to make this right for you.”

She nodded. “I promise, I will.” She wouldn’t be able to think of anything else, and she couldn’t deny she appreciated the fact that he was taking responsibility for her current situation with Lilah.

He reached for the door handle, his head close to hers. Without warning, he straightened and backed her against the warm metal of the car, his face and lips close to hers.

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

“Reminding you of our compatibility,” he said, brushing his lips over hers and lingering there.

The move stunned her, but the second he kissed her, she melted like butter in the hot sun. Her lips parted and he slid his tongue inside. Electricity arced between them and her body came alive. The spark of chemistry between them exploded like it had last weekend, and she wanted nothing more than to plaster herself against him, but before she could do more than think, he pulled back.

“We don’t want to get caught again. Unless we can say we’re engaged. Then any photo is a good photo. But I made my point,” he said, a pleased grin on his face.

“And what was that?”

He tweaked a long strand of her hair. “If we are going to get married, we’re not going to be celibate.”

She blinked. “Whoa. Slow your roll, Mr. Playboy. I didn’t even agree to marry you yet, let alone have it be a real marriage.” She stared at him, surprised by the understanding expression on his face.

“You have a lot to think about. And so do I.”

“Considering changing your mind already?” she asked him, surprised by how panicked she was at the notion.

Maybe she wanted this fake marriage more than she’d thought. Which was another thing for her to consider. He was the playboy; she was the kind of woman who could fall hard and fast. And that scared her more than the proposal she was considering.

* * *

As Macy drove home, her entire body was aware of Jaxon’s kiss and proposal. Having already experienced the magic of Jaxon Prescott in bed, she had to ask herself if she could handle living with him, sleeping with him, and not getting her heart broken in the process when their union came to an end.

Because Jaxon didn’t want to be tied down and she didn’t do casual sex. Her night with him had been an aberration, one she’d needed, but it wasn’t her MO. To Macy, sex meant something or would come to. This marriage would have an expiration date, and she didn’t trust herself to sleep with him and not end up with her heart engaged. But she couldn’t deny that they both needed the results this union could provide.

She pulled into the driveway, surprised to see Lilah’s car, and her stomach churned with dread. Though she’d allowed Lilah to pick Hannah up, school had just ended, and they’d barely had time to get home. Wondering why they weren’t out shopping as planned, Macy headed inside, but Hannah and her mother weren’t in the kitchen, the family room, or anywhere she’d expect them to be downstairs.

As she walked toward Hannah’s room, she heard their voices, giggling and happy. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Hannah to have a relationship with her mother if Lilah could step up as a parent, but she didn’t want Hannah to be happier being with her mother than with Macy. And from the peals of laughter Macy hadn’t heard from Hannah in a while, that was exactly how her sister was feeling.

She stepped into the doorway and immediately saw the suitcase open on Hannah’s bed, Lilah sitting beside the luggage. Hannah must have been in the bathroom in the hall.

Worried, she cleared her throat. “Hi.”

“Well, well, well, isn’t it the star of social media? Or should I say social media slut?” Lilah batted her eyelashes not so innocently.

Macy narrowed her gaze. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“But a judge might.”

Hannah came bouncing past Macy into the room. “Macy! Mom said I could sleep over tonight. She’s staying at the Nobu Hotel on Miami Beach. Oh! I need my toothbrush!” she cried and ran for the bathroom off her bedroom, pushing Macy aside.

Looking pleased, Lilah grinned at Macy before focusing on her iPhone.

Macy’s stomach twisted, both at Lilah’s accusation and at the confrontation to come, because as she looked at Hannah, she saw the loaded cosmetic bag in hand. It looked