The Dare (The Bet #3)(42)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken

"Please, like he’s cool enough to have a cape." I pointed to Jake and instantly felt judged, and ten years old.

That was what being around the Titus family did to people. One minute you were a sane adult; the next you were arguing over Marvel Comics and yelling at the top of your lungs at an eighty-six-year-old woman while she blotted her red lipstick.

Somehow, I’d lost my manhood. I’d lost my maturity and everything else that went with it. Because I wanted to beat the shit out of both Titus boys for no other reason than they were arguing with me about something stupid like comics and refused to let me be right.

I felt Beth’s hand on my arm.

"So, that settles it." Travis clapped. "Avengers… to the bar!"

"Best idea he’s had all day." Char’s amused smile was lit with humor, making me feel slightly better about the fact that my entire career was in Grandma’s hands, her meddling, terrifying, little hands.

I said a little prayer and followed everyone down the dock toward the bar as Grandma paid one of the bellhops to take the luggage down to the reserved huts.

Reserved. As in, everything was planned; it had been planned a long time.

Hell, when God created heaven and earth, He created Grandma on the final day and said, "I have a plan for those men…"

And I was just unfortunate enough to be included in said plan.

Chapter Twenty-four

"How do you sleep at night?" the agent asked.

"How lovely of you to be concerned." Grandma touched his arm. "A tiny pink pill followed by two large glasses of merlot. Works like a charm. I sleep like the dead, except for when Charles Barkley gets agitated with my snoring."

"Charles Barkley?" the agent repeated. "In your bed?"

"Well, where else would my dog sleep?" Grandma rolled her eyes. "Some people."

Beth

My vacation was over. I couldn’t bring myself to feel sorry for Jace or for anyone else. Grandma was just trying to help, though her motives were so very, very illegal. Still, she loved them, and I loved her for it.

I couldn’t even find it in myself to be angry.

If anything, I was sad.

Because he’d promised me six days.

And they’d been stolen from me on day three. I was owed three more days of romance, three more days of the fairytale. Instead, I was given my sister, her new husband, his brother, and wife.

Now that Jace had people watching — people who knew a heck of a lot more about his past than I did, there was no way we’d have any more stolen kisses, caresses, fights under the stars. I shivered and closed my eyes for a brief moment as I remembered the taste of his lips on mine.

At least I had that memory.

His hands on my body.

His mouth, hot and urgent.

I’d probably retell the story to my cats once I got home and fully gave up on the male species as a whole. Maybe I should count myself lucky that I hadn’t fallen in total irrevocable love with him. Because at this point, walking away would be doable. Hard, but doable. Another four days, and it may have wrecked me to see Jace turn his back on us.

"You look like you need this." Char pushed a shot of tequila toward me. "Pinch your nose and throw it back. I don’t care how vile it tastes, because right now you look like someone just told you Vampire Diaries got canceled."

"Not funny." I glared.

"Take the shot," Char countered.

I took it and winced as the liquid burned down my throat.

"Olé!" Jake shouted, joining us at the table.

The man could try the patience of a saint. He had the most gorgeous hazel eyes and dark hair, both Titus men did.

"Beth, seriously, if you want me to assassinate Mr. Senator, just say the word. Or nod." When I didn’t do anything, he continued, "Or blink. Hell, just breathe. One exhale and I’ll do it."

"I doubt she wants me dead when I can make her feel things I’m doubting you’ve ever made any woman feel in your entire existence," Jace said in a tense voice from behind me. His hands rested on my shoulders and then ran down my arms. I shivered in response and gave Jake a cocky grin.

"So," he returned my grin, "I guess a cheers are in order."

"Cheers?" Jace repeated.

"To the senator who found his heart." He held up his glass.

"Just like the squirrel who found its nuts." Jace winked.

"What?" I looked around the table.

Travis laughed. "Just go with it."

"Seems to be a common theme," I muttered, lifting my rum punch.

"Always is." Kacey clinked her glass with mine. "So what’s the plan for the day?"

"Plan?" Grandma waltzed up to the table like a woman on a mission. "I’ve got everything settled. First a fake bachelorette party, and, Jake, try to keep your pants on this time. We don’t want any more elderly ladies having strokes."

His eyes narrowed. "That was one time."

Grandma ignored him. "Followed by a lovely outing tomorrow morning after group therapy. Of course we’ll later have a rehearsal dinner. Would you believe I already had dresses brought in? Oh, and Javier! Javier!" Grandma yelled, breaking the sound barrier and my ear drums, for that matter. "This is Javier. He’s going to be taking the wedding pictures."

"Fake wedding pictures," Jace corrected. "You’re not pulling a Jake and Char on us."

"Aw, we’re like a verb." Char and Jake bumped fists.

I ignored their cuteness just like I ignored the excitement bubbling around me. What would it be like to be a part of this family? What would it be like to be so in love with someone, so in sync that you were deliriously, hopelessly happy?

Jake and Char shared a kiss and laughed.

"Of course not." Grandma put her hand over her chest and sighed. "I would never. Believe me, I’ve learned my lesson. It’s best that love happen naturally. At any rate, we’ll snap some pictures and lie about the wedding, saying it’s too private to share with the world."

Jace gripped my hand. "So we pretend."

"Of course." Grandma’s keen eyes examined our joined hands. "After all, you have three more days of the fairytale, don’t you, Jace? We wouldn’t want to mess with curses and folklore, now would we?"

I bit down on my lip to keep from laughing.

"Who told you?" He slammed his fist down onto the table.

"Oh, the captain and I go way back," Grandma smirked.

I hoped to God that Jace wouldn’t ask what that meant, because by the looks of the way she was blushing, it probably wasn’t appropriate for the general public, or anyone for that matter.