Dare Me by Ella Frank
Bash
WITH A HEAVY sigh, I slid deeper into my oversized tub until my chin hit the water, my eyes closed behind a couple of slices of cucumber. Puffy bags did nothing but make me look the miserable way I felt inside, and looking bad made me feel worse, a vicious cycle that was doing nothing to take my mind off a certain someone I was trying to stop thinking about. So by God, I was going to stay in this tub relaxing until I looked twenty-five again.
The sound of ocean waves played lightly in the background, something I’d had to settle on, since all the sappy love songs playing on the relaxation station had made me want to smash the damn speaker. And probably cry into a bottle of wine.
It was so unlike me to sulk this hard over someone, especially someone I’d just met, but here we were. I couldn’t seem to rationalize why Kieran had affected me to the point of leaving town, and it was that thought that had kept me up all night. What was so different about him? With all of the millions of eligible men in the world, why had I gravitated toward one I couldn’t have?
Because he was beautiful. A protector. Sexier than he had any right to be. And a genuinely good human being when he wasn’t forcing me on top of tall buildings made of glass.
I snorted. It struck me as funny that my offices and my own house were made up of the very glass walls that had been so terrifying at such a ridiculous height.
Just thinking about that now made me remember the way he laughed when I refused to step out onto the ledge—because, hello, I wasn’t a crazy person. I also didn’t go running headfirst into warehouse fires—
Ugh.
I tilted my head back, resting it against the lip of the tub, and cursed. Things had changed on a dime, hadn’t they? Going from being worried and stressed from knowing he was injured to heartbroken in about two seconds flat.
But I was still worried and stressed. Kieran hadn’t escaped unharmed, and when would be the next time that happened? Would it be worse? The thought made me sick to my stomach, something else I was trying to avoid.
Yep, that was me, queen of avoidance right now, which included skipping out on going out with the guys last night.
Maybe I was playing this wrong. Maybe I should call Kieran back. Make it casual and light and not at all the way I felt, but it would cut down on the twinge of guilt I felt at leaving him high and dry.
No, he wasn’t thinking about me the same way I was trying and failing not to think of him. He was probably relieved to get back to his life.
The doorbell rang, the loud chimes cutting through the quiet and making me jump.
Go away,I thought, settling back into the tub, but then it rang again…and again…and again.
“Oh, for the love of Lucille,” I muttered, lifting the cucumber slices from my eyes and tossing them away before getting to my feet. I wrapped myself in a fluffy, oversized amethyst-colored robe and made my way to the grand staircase, taking my sweet time as the doorbell continued to chime.
I should’ve known the person on the other side of the door would be a six-five, tattooed monster of a man with a peeved look on his face. Handsome, but peeved.
“Shaw, darling, you have a key.”
“I do, but that wouldn’t make you get out of bed.” He stepped inside and moved past me, looking around as if inspecting the place.
“Please do come in. And I was in the bath, not the bed.”
“Same thing,” he said, turning back around and crossing his massive arms over his chest. To anyone else, he might’ve looked intimidating, with biceps bigger than my head, a chest that strained the confines of his shirt, and tattoos covering almost every inch of skin you could see. But though he had his wild tendencies, Shaw was one of the best people I’d ever met, and more responsible than most, considering he owned a hugely popular tattoo shop downtown. “We missed you last night. I thought you’d want to celebrate being back.”
I waved a hand as I flitted by him toward the kitchen. “Oh, you know. Jet lag and all.”
Shaw scoffed. “Otherwise known as moping.”
“I don’t mope.”
“Like hell you don’t. And what the hell is this Fraggle Rock shit you’re wearing?”
“Something that came in my moping kit, I suppose.” I shot him a glare before opening my fridge and taking out a filtered water jug my housekeeper had thrown a variety of fruit into yesterday. “Thirsty? I’m sure you boys had a wild night of gossiping about me while I was gone.”
Shaw rolled his eyes, but took the glass I filled. “Actually, we were talking about how Trent’s gonna do a surprise set at Argos next weekend. Test out a couple of new songs for the home crowd.” He arched a brow. “Kev’s looking for an emcee…”
“Is that why you’re here? Your brother sent you to ask me?”
He shrugged. “You up for it? I know it’d mean a lot to Trent, too.”
Hmm. Maybe I’d be out of my funk by then. It was a good excuse to wear one of the new outfits I’d picked up in Chicago, and I knew that at least here it would be appreciated. Not to mention it wasn’t exactly a small thing that Trent Knox, Shaw’s boyfriend and one of the biggest rock stars in the world, wanted me to introduce him at our li’l island spot. Who was I to turn down such a proposition?
“I could never say no to Trent, darling, you know that. I’ll be there.”
“Good.” Shaw sniffed the glass of water and took a small sip. “Jesus, Bash. This is some rich-people shit right here.”
“It is not.”
“It is. Filtered water isn’t enough—you’ve got to infuse it with pineapple-mango-whatever this is.”
“If you’d rather have a glass of salty ocean water from the tap instead, that can be arranged.”
“Not opposed to salty, but that’s pushin’ it.” Shaw chuckled and took another swallow of the fruity stuff. “So.”
“So…what?”
“You tell me.”
“Tell you what?”
“Whatever it is you aren’t telling Jackson or the rest of us.”
I rolled my eyes and tightened the belt on my robe. “Aren’t you the all-seeing one? You probably know more than I do in any given situation.”
“I’m not psychic, for fuck’s sake, but probably,” he said, moving to the edge of the kitchen island and perching on the edge of a stool. “I’d rather hear it directly from you, though.”
“It’s really not a big deal. I’m practically over it.”
“Over what?”
“You know what.”
“Bash.”
“Shaw.”
He narrowed his eyes and waited, and when I didn’t say anything, he brought up the last thing I ever wanted to talk about. “This isn’t the first time you’ve tried to hide something. And while this time it isn’t your life at fucking risk, it’s still dangerous to keep so much inside. So either you can start talking, or I can sit here all day and wait you out.”
“You have to work today.”
“Perks of being the owner. I can do what I want.”
Ugh. Why did the man have to be so damn intuitive? He always saw through the bullshit, which was usually a good thing—until it was something I didn’t want to talk about.
Still and silent and staring at me as though he had all the time in the world, Shaw Jennings was a veritable pain in the ass, one who really would sit here all day if I didn’t get to talking.
“Such threats,” I murmured as I took the seat beside him, fluffing my robe out around me. “How about this? I wallow in sadness for the rest of the day and don’t have to say a word.”
“No—”
“I wasn’t finished. I’ll let you drag me to brunch tomorrow, and I’ll tell you all the whole sordid story then. Fair enough?”
“We have to drag you to brunch now? Since when?”
“Since tomorrow, when I’ll need a ride so I can get properly intoxicated enough to tell you how utterly dense your best friend is.”
A line formed between Shaw’s brows as he thought over the offer, and then he nodded. “I guess I can give you another twenty-four hours to sulk. But that’s it, Bash. I mean it.”
“Yes, sir,” I said, giving him a mock-salute before breaking into a grin. “I’ll be back to my phenomenal self in no time.”
“Mhmm.” Shaw didn’t sound quite so convinced, but I wasn’t one to be kept down for long, so why would this be any different?
Beat yourself up for a few more hours and then delete Kieran from your phone. Your life. Your memory. It’s better this way. Really.
When my eyes grew unexpectedly wet, I quickly downed some of my water and inwardly cursed.
Oh God. I was going to need more cucumber slices.
