Double Dare (4 page)

Lou whistled inwardly. He worked fast.
Puzzled, she frowned. “What kind of paperwork?”

“
A disclaimer of sorts,” Sam
replied, leafing through the sheaf of papers he’d brought along. He
gave her a sheepish look. “In the event you meet an untimely demise
during your, er, adventure.”

“
Ah,” Lou replied, lifting
her chin knowingly. “You wouldn’t want to be held liable for my
folly. Say, if I got eaten by a shark? Or trampled by
Bigfoot?”

He treated her to another of those sexy half
smiles. “Exactly.” Sam plowed a hand through his hair, then reached
back and rubbed his neck. He shot her a sideways glance. “You were
kidding about the shark thing, right?”

Lou laughed. “Oh, definitely.”

Seemingly relieved, he anchored a hand at his
waist and leaned casually against a dining room chair. “Well, in
that case, how do you feel about manatees?”

The smile Lou wore froze on her face as she
listened with feigned interest while Sam briefly outlined the first
part of the adventure. Regret tugged his lips and he shrugged
apologetically. “I know it’s probably not what you had in mind, but
I think that you’ll enjoy them.”

Well, he’d been right, she thought. It wasn’t
exactly what she’d had in mind. Lou had imagined herself in a
postcard-perfect travel fantasy, oohing and ahing over the
brilliant colors of tropical fish—not slogging along behind a
sea-cow. On the plus side, she’d look particularly thin compared to
the aquatic heifer.

“
It sounds lovely,” she told
him, giving him a nod. “A nice start to my adventure. Speaking of
which,” she said, pivoting on her heel,” I made a list of things
I’d like to do over the next couple of weeks.” Lou hurried to her
room, then returned with her notepad. She’d almost reached Sam’s
side when lunch arrived. She thrust the pad at him. “Here. You can
go over it while I take care of lunch.”

When Lou returned, Sam had made himself
comfortable at the table. An ankle hooked over his knee, he’d
pushed the chair back and sat in a casually slouched position she
found inherently sexy. Only a man completely comfortable in his own
skin could appear that relaxed in such a short period of time.

Looking at her notepad, he wore a bemused
smile. He glanced up as she approached. His eyes twinkled with
undisguised laughter and he tapped her notepad. “This is quite an
unusual list.”

Lou drew her shoulders back and fought the
urge to preen under his praise. She’d put a lot of thought into her
adventure—of what he would think of her adventure, specifically.
Smiling, Lou began to set out their lunch onto the table. “Unusual,
huh?” she remarked, shamefully fishing for another compliment. “Is
that good?”

Tongue in cheek, he gave his head a little
shake as he perused the list again. “Oh, yeah.” Sam wanted to
laugh. “Though I have to say, most of these things would have been
simple enough to have done at home.”

At home? She wondered. How the hell was she
supposed to skydive from home? Lou’s head jerked up as panic and
dread rocketed through her veins. 

To Lou’s mounting horror, he
began to read off the items…
from the wrong
list.
“Eat ice cream straight from the
carton. Get drunk. Smoke a cigarette.” He stifled a chuckle. “Give
a traffic copy the single-finger salute—”

Mortified, Lou snatched the notepad from his
hand. Heat climbed her neck and suffused her cheeks. “That, uh, is
the wrong l-list.” Too humiliated to look at him, Lou tore the
personal list from the pad and returned the notepad to him. “That’s
the correct one.”

“
Oh,” Sam said, looking
sheepish. “Er, sorry. I thought—”

“
That’s all right,” she
interrupted quickly, fervently hoping his roving eye hadn’t read
the last item on her list—the one which she’d indicated she’d like
to lose her virginity.

When she’d sat down to plan her adventure, it
had occurred to Lou that the majority of her items on her list were
things she should have experienced as a teenager. But then the
average teenager hadn’t had James Honeycutt for a father. As such,
her opportunities to raise a little hell had been pitifully
lacking. Lou’s cheeks puffed as she exhaled heavily.

So she’d made two adventure lists. One for
Sam to see to, and one for herself.

And she fully planned to check off every item
on both lists before she returned to Atlanta.

Sam tapped the notepad again. “This shouldn’t
be too hard to accommodate. I’ll contact my secretary and get her
to handle the additional arrangements.” He looked up and his gaze
met hers. Something wonderful, something electric, connected them
for an almost unbearable moment. “Well, Lou Honeycutt,” Sam
drawled. “What do you say? Are you ready for the time of your
life?”

Lou gulped and nodded mutely.

So she wanted to get drunk, get laid and
smoke a cigarette, Sam thought later that evening as he leaned
against the headboard of his bed. Hell, why didn’t she just join a
sorority? It would have been considerably less expensive than the
adventure she would be getting from him. 

Legs crossed at the ankles, he chuckled
softly and idly flipped through the local cable channels offered by
Tampa’s West Winds Hotel.

Night had fallen hours ago, and he and the
delightful Lou had long since parted company. Her smile had dimmed
a little when he’d declined her invitation to dinner, but
considering the fact that he’d had a perpetual erection since the
moment she’d jogged up the concourse in that skimpy little dress
she deemed proper flight attire, Sam didn’t think spending the
evening with her a good idea.

Furthermore, Sam thought, mentally adding
another con to the reasons-not-to-seduce-Lou list—she was a virgin.
While Sam found the idea of innocence appealing, he wasn’t in the
habit of seducing virgins. No matter how tempting. A woman who’d
managed to keep her virginity intact for this long, obviously had a
reason. Probably saving herself for her future husband, Sam
concluded, annoyed at the sudden jolt of jealousy which shot
through him. No, Lou Honeycutt was definitely off-limits.

In retrospect, Sam realized he’d been so
blinded by her “additional compensation,” he’d failed to fully
consider the fierce attraction he felt for her. It was a mistake
he’d pay for and one that could only be remedied by not spending
any more time with her than was absolutely necessary. A pang of
something akin to regret struck him.

Frowning, Sam labeled the disquieting
sensation hunger and reached for another Honey-Lu snack cake from
his travel stash.

In all truth, Sam didn’t think he would be
slighting Lou on her adventure. He wasn’t required to be a
companion, just a guide. During the initial consultation with the
client, he always made certain to distinguish the difference. Lou
hadn’t been an exception. Besides, no fraternizing with a client
during off hours had been his own rule and it had never bothered
him. Until now.

Sam blew out a breath. He’d glimpsed
vulnerability behind her bright smile, a combination of neediness
and uncertainty that made something near his heart lurch.

Steeling himself against the notion, Sam
refused to let himself think about Lou Honeycutt as a possible
damsel in distress in need of a hero. She was his client. A means
to an end. The path to his dream. With everything he’d ever wanted
on the line, it was imperative that he keep his perspective, keep
the ultimate goal in sight.

Besides, in addition to the sizable profit
he’d make on this adventure, Lou apparently had some connections in
the advertising business. She’d made off-handed comment on the
fight south about contacting her publicist about some possible
advertising for Double Dare. As a businessman, Sam couldn’t help
but think what a little free advertising could do for his bottom
line.

Vaguely, Sam wondered if Lou Honeycutt had
her own fortune, or if she were delving into someone else’s to
finance her adventure. No husband, he recalled thoughtfully. So
that meant on of two things—either Lou was independently wealthy…or
there was a daddy. He smirked.

Another reason to cross Lou off as a
potential bed partner.

Really, Sam thought, despite all the oddness
surrounding Lou’s impromptu adventure, this expedition should be a
cinch. His flagging confidence perked up. Just as he’d suspected,
her adventure didn’t require anything too bold. Pretty mundane
stuff really. Skydiving, bungee jumping, deep-sea-fishing. He
wouldn’t be bored, but he certainly wouldn’t suffer from adrenaline
shock either. This would be a good vacation for him, Sam decided. A
much needed vacation.

Then, as soon as his two weeks were up with
Lou, he’d return to Atlanta and set everything into motion to
launch his magazine. A confident feeling of well-being and harmony
filled Sam. Lacing his fingers behind his head, he pulled in deep
breath and sighed with supreme satisfaction. All was right with his
world. He reached for another Fudgy-Nutty bar.

Chewing thoughtfully, Sam channel surfed
until he landed on a Braves game. In his opinion, a man needed only
three channels—news, sports and weather, in that order. Speaking of
news, it was ten o’clock. Chipper was up at bat. Wincing
regretfully, Sam flipped the channel. Maybe they’d show a
replay.

“
Good Evening,” a serious
brunette announced to the viewing public. “WBHG has a heartbreaking
story to report. Snack Cake mogul James Honeycutt—” She coughed and
Sam paid attention. “Excuse me. Honeycutt’s daughter, Louisa—I’m
sure we’re all familiar with the little angel on the popular
snack-cake box—”

Sam did a double take as a picture of Lou
Honeycutt was suddenly flashed on screen. His jaw dropped and his
eyes bugged. His gaze flew to the box on the nightstand, then back
to the screen.

“—
was apparently abducted
from her wedding this very morning.”

Abducted? Sam thought. From
her wedding? Oh, God.
The dress, the
pearls…
” Police have no leads at this
time,” the brunette prophet-of-doom confided. “Mr. Honeycutt
received a cryptic message this afternoon, informing him his
daughter was indeed safe, and someone would contact him at a later
time. Via satellite communication, our own Mitch Melville is with
James Honeycutt and Louisa’s distraught groom at this very moment.
Mitch?” the brunette queried.

Sam leaned forward with terrified
fascination. The cake crumbs in his mouth turned to dust.

“
Mitch Melville here,”
another reporter announced. “I’m here with James Honeycutt and Chad
Reedwater, Louisa’s father and groom respectively.” Mitch turned to
the older man and thrust the microphone under his nose. “If this
is, in fact, an abduction, will you cave to the kidnapper’s
demands?”

“
Of course,” Lou’s father
boomed, affronted. Nauseated, Sam repeatedly swallowed while James
Honeycutt pleaded for a safe return of his little girl. The
Fudgy-Nutty cakes he’d just eaten sat like stones in the bottom of
his churning stomach.

“
Please,” her father pleaded
to the unknown abductors. “Don’t hurt my little girl.”

Sam had a mental image of his dreams
evaporating like a puff of smoke. Hell, when her father figured out
what had happened, Sam would be lucky to keep his present business,
much less start a new one. He was ruined. Utterly and completely
ruined.

“
Oh, I’m not gonna hurt
her,” Sam murmured darkly, springing from the bed. He pulled on his
shorts and strode to the door. “I'm going to wring her slender
little neck.”

Lou secured the bikini top, then pulled her hair
up into a loose ponytail. True, it was a little late for a trip to
the pool, but she’d been too wound up to sleep. Being poised on the
brink of her very own adventure had left her nerves stretched to
the breaking point. She couldn’t sit down, much less
sleep.

How could she, when she’d finally gotten her
first taste of freedom?

Getting on that plane had been the most
unbelievably liberating experience. Admittedly, fleeing her wedding
had taken guts, but that had been a quick decision made under
extreme duress. Boarding that plane and telling her father and
fiancé good-bye had been a calculated action designed to please no
one but herself.

And it had been thrilling. Just plain
thrilling.

Of course, she’d had a firm and respectful
hand at her back. Sam’s. And that hand had been attached to one of
the most gorgeous male bodies she’d ever had the sublime pleasure
of gazing upon. A definite perk, Lou decided, her mind instantly
calling up a mental image of the attractive adventure guide.

What better way to start her new life? A
brand new adventure with a heart-stopping handsome guide to lead
her. She had never been this excited about anything, Lou knew. Or
this happy. Lou considered the smiling face in the mirror, the
bright shining eyes and congratulated herself all over again.

Towel in hand, she pivoted and headed to the
adjoining bedroom to get her mesh tote. She’d just added a book to
her bag when a loud knock sounded at the door.

Lou jumped and apprehension momentarily
seized her. Had her father found her already? But how was that
possible? How could he—

“
Lou?” Sam’s voice came
through the door. “Lou I need to speak with you. Now.”

Relief hurtled through her. Sam. Excitement
made her pulse leap. Smiling, she opened the door to find a barely
dressed and oh-so-handsome Sam. “To what do I owe this honor?” she
asked.

Her smile died a swift death at his
thunderous expression.