Double Dog Dare

By Kameron Claire

"I dare you."

Three little words I can't say no to—they have gotten me into plenty of trouble over the years, but this time I think I'll like the consequences.

 

Mara: This is my first big event planning job—an Animal Rescue Charity Ball—and I'm hosting it in the hotel of the hottest man I've ever met. Of course, he wants nothing to do with me, so when my best friend dares me to pull him onto the dance floor, I'm considering failing my first dare ever.

 

Sebastian: I wasn't ready to meet someone like Mara when she walked into my office many months ago, but now that I'm settled, I'm hoping to get a second chance at making a first impression. But after she pulls me onto the dance floor, I learn her weakness and the key to buying the time to show her who I really am—the perfect guy for her.

 

Now all I have to do is DARE her to give me a chance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Snuggle Whore Press, LLC
• Release date: Sep 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9798215693766

Kameron Claire

USA Today Bestselling Author Kameron Claire loves building worlds where heroes and heroines push, pull, and fight their way to the love and happiness they deserve. She writes full length and short, steamy romance with an emphasis on strong female characters—often in male-dominated roles—and the alpha men who know how to love and support kick-ass, take-charge women.  While she may not need him to save her, she wants him to love, support, and most of all, RAVISH her. ** Get up to date information and freebies as a newsletter subscriber: www.kameronclaire.com/newsletter ** Reach out and chat with her anytime on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kameronclaireauthor

Book preview

1

MARA

Idare you."

I shift my eyes left and pin my best friend Jenny in place. We’ve been friends since third grade and almost every time I’ve been in trouble, it started with her saying I dare you. Unfortunately, neither of us can resist rising to the challenge. Nor has either of us backed down from a dare. I have no choice but to respond with, What are you daring me to do now?

She grins, a hint of mischievous triumph in her eye, and stirs the cocktail in her hand with the thin, short straw. You have to pull the next single guy that walks through the door onto the dance floor and do the routine.

I frown. I’m the event organizer. I can’t grab some random guy, do the routine, and hope to book more jobs after this.

Jenny rolls her eyes. We’re more than halfway through the charity ball and everything has gone off like clockwork. You’re already a success with four future jobs booked, so I don’t think you need to worry about your reputation.

Sighing, I glance at the open ballroom doors. How are we going to determine if a guy is single or not?

She chews on her cheek and taps her nail against the glass. Fair point. Okay, how about the guy that walks in, we watch him for sixty-seconds or so, and if he doesn’t meet up with anyone in that time, he’s fair game.

Groaning, I reluctantly nod. I mean, I can’t say no, even though I desperately want to—and the event is almost over, so the chances of a single guy walking through the door this late in the evening are slim. Fine.

Right on. She giggles, her gaze fixed on the doorway.

Can I get you another round? A server swings by and motions to our half-empty glasses.

Jenny nods. Oh yeah, Mara’s about to need it.

The server smiles, as if she knows what we are up to. She must have bad influences in her life, too. I’ll be back with your drinks.

Here we go. Jenny rubs her palms together like a villain in a silent movie. Give her a long waxed mustache to twirl, and you’d know she was up to no good.

My eyes shoot to the door to find an attractive man in a gray suit. His eyes quickly scan the room until he lands on the person he’s looking for—an equally attractive brunette holding an adorable bowtie wearing Yorkie.

Swing and a miss. I laugh, my heart falling back into place—which is not my throat. At this point in the evening, the fanfare and public interactions are over. The silent auction wrapped up fifteen minutes ago, and we’re now at the part of the evening’s agenda when the DJ plays music until the end of the night. People will spend the next hour drinking, eating, and dancing, while more donations make their way toward the animal rescue.

My job as the event planner is practically done. While the rescue volunteers handle the auction and charitable donations, I’ll finalize the remaining invoices next week, most of which require dealing with the hotel manager, Sebastian Croft.

Physically, the man is fresh from my dreams. He’s tall and built with thick, dark hair, light brown eyes, a rugged jawline framed in a perpetual five o’clock shadow, and cheekbones you could cut glass on. Judging by his bronzed skin and hint of an accent, I’d guess he’s of Mediterranean descent—although where exactly he’s from, I’m not sure.

Although, it doesn’t matter where he’s from, because he’s the most attractive man I’ve