The Dare (The Bet #3)(21)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken

"No, that’s not what I’m saying." I put my hands on my hips. "What I’m saying is I can handle staying here. I have balls of steel. What do you have?"

"Balls. Normal ones. Ones I’d like to keep intact, and if I stay here much longer, they’re going to pull back up into my body and render me a eunuch. You want that to happen? You want that on your conscience?"

"Three minutes!" Dr. Z shouted.

Beth threw a set of white clothes at me. "You’re ball-less, just like I’m chargeless!"

"Excuse me?" he shouted, reaching for his pants.

Was he going to show me? Was this a pissing contest? Seriously?

"You heard me!" I peeled off my shirt and threw it onto the floor. "You don’t want to stay because you know you couldn’t take it!"

"Is that a challenge?" He took two steps toward me. "Hmm, Beth?"

"It’s only a challenge if the other person stands a chance."

"What do I get if I stay?" His eyes roamed greedily over my chest.

I crossed my arms and glared.

"Not that."

"Like I’d have to ask."

"You’re an ass!" I hissed, pulling the white linen shirt over my body and following with the white linen pants.

"I’m a politician, sweetheart. I’ve been called worse."

"Time’s up!" Dr. Z said, knocking on the door again.

"So what do you say?" I held out my hand. "We have a bet?"

"Wager."

"Dare."

"Deal," we said in unison.

"You stay for six days, and I help you with the whole I’m a prostitute situation. I’ll say whatever I need to say to those nice little cameras. I’ll even kiss you on national television."

"And I’ll…" Jace frowned.

"You’ll give me six days." I licked my lips out of nervousness. I hadn’t meant to ask for that, but the more I thought about it, the better the idea became. After all, it was his kiss I hadn’t been able to get out of my head for twelve years; his touch I’d been thinking about every single time another man put his arm around me. If anyone in that godforsaken hut was cursed, it was me. Cursed with memories of a man that made me wish for the fairytale. I’d been feeling sorry for myself for too long. And Jace was probably right. Maybe the fairytale wasn’t real, but I wanted to experience it just for a little while. And he was going to be the one to deliver it.

"Pardon?"

"A real six days. No strings attached. Six-day vacation with food, drinks, fun, and…" I felt heat rising to my cheeks, "just six days. Six days of being a normal girl in a normal relationship with a normal guy." If the normal guy happened to look like you could break boulders off his abs.

"Stop saying six." Jace swore. "It sounds like sex, and I just watched you take off your shirt."

I felt my cheeks heat.

"And it makes me want to slam you against the wall and rip it from your body, so when you ask for six days, know that you’re asking for a real six days. I’m not going to keep my hands to myself."

"Fine." My lower lip trembled. "I just want to be romanced."

"You want the fairytale," he said in a low voice.

"Yeah. I do."

"I can do six days," Jace whispered. "Just don’t hate me on day seven, because I will walk away."

I snorted. "Easy, Jace. You aren’t that irresistible. It’s a risk worth taking. I want to put Boring Beth away for a while." Besides, he’d walked away before. What’s one more time?

"Beth." Jace sighed. "You’re not boring. Look maybe this isn’t—"

A whistle sounded, and then Dr. Z opened the door. "Ready?"

Jace held out his hand to shake mine. I touched it, feeling the sizzle all the way down to my toes.

"Ready."

Chapter Twelve

"This ship captain, did you pay him to curse the senator?"

"Of course not!" Grandma shook her head. "No money exchanged hands."

The agent took a long sip of coffee.

"However," Grandma paused, "there are other ways for payment."

The agent choked. "Ma’am, prostitution is illegal."

"I would never sell my body." Grandma shook her head vehemently "Besides, the captain’s already tasted the goods. Past lover, you understand. He was only too happy to… aid me in my quest."

"Your quest for love?" The agent’s eyebrows narrowed.

"Yes. Let’s call it that. It has a certain ring to it!"

Jace

I’d just made a deal with the devil. I’d signed the contract in blood, and now all I had to do was live through the next six days. The good news? I could save my career. And Beth was right. She was the answer. I’d send a text to Rick as soon as I could.

As for giving her six days of a fairytale? I imagined it would be like babysitting, more or less. Lavish her with gifts, feed her, give her enormous amounts of wine, and wait for her to fall asleep at night. Okay, so maybe if I wanted to get arrested, it would be like babysitting. I just needed to keep her happy, repeat for six days, and home free. How hard could it be? To woo a woman? I wooed people on a twenty-four-seven basis. Then again, most people I wooed weren’t ones I’d been pining for since I’d gone to my first dance.

The other issue would be that damn curse. I wasn’t an idiot. I didn’t believe in curses, but the man had been right. Thirty-two minutes ago we’d gotten to the island. And for thirty-two minutes, I’d done nothing but stare at Beth’s mouth, watched her hands as she gripped her silverware, and closed my eyes when the breeze carried her scent into my personal space.

Shit.

Six days.

Less than a week.

I could do anything for a week.

"Jace." Beth’s soft voice carried across the table. At least she didn’t sound pissed anymore. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

"Sure." I sipped my wine.

"So you agree?"

"Absolutely."

"On the neck, don’t you think?"

"Uh…" Well hell, that’s where daydreaming got a person. "The neck is perfect."

"How long should it be?"

"Long enough." I was the king of vague. I could field questions all day long without actually giving an answer. Point, Jace.

"And color?"

"I think bright colors are the best." I nodded. "They seem to… attract attention." I gave her my best politician smile.

"Hmm, maybe you’re right." She looked down at the paper in her hands and started scribbling. "Tomorrow good?"