HazardsDare (18 page)

“About time for you to get serious about someone,” Sawyer
responded.

“Avery’s great. She’s changed my mind in many ways about
relationships.”

Avery spoke up for herself. “And Hazard changed mine.”

Sawyer focused on Avery. His eyes were intense, studying.
“How long have you known each other?”

“My brother, Alexander, is his agent. Hazard and I met when
my father was in the hospital for kidney failure. But he’s always been my
favorite football player. I was hoping he’d come to Alexander and Ryan’s
wedding so I could get to know him better.”

“Thank you, baby,” Hazard said. “You know why I couldn’t
come. I was camping with the men you see here.”

“You mentioned the camping trip.”

“That’s right, Trevor told us Alexander Grant donated a
kidney to save your father’s life,” Sawyer added. “It was very brave of him.”

“My brother’s a hero. I’ve looked up to him my whole life.
Just don’t let him know. It’ll go to his fat head.”

“Alex Grant’s a powerful man,” Gabriel said. “Even I’ve
heard of him in my circles. He’s not one to cross. You concerned that might be
a problem when he finds out you’re hooking up with his sister?”

“I’ll admit it, he can make a grown man nervous, but I’m not
worried. When Avery’s ready, we’ll talk to him like reasonable adults. The one
thing I won’t let him do is intimidate me with his friends or his husband.”

It was possibly the nicest thing he’d said to her thus far.
“Whoa, gentlemen, I think I’ve got a huge crush on my guy here. If we don’t
start eating dessert, I might eat him.”

Four sets of eyes homed in on her, Hazard’s the hottest.

“Go right ahead, Red,” Jaxon tempted. “We’ll cover for you.”

“There’s nothing hotter than watching a hot couple having
sex,” Gabriel claimed.

“Come on now, you guys are joking,” Avery said, not sure if
they were.

“I’ve a long coat,” Sawyer joined in, winking at her. “We
can always use it as a veil or something.”

“And here I thought you were the nice guy among the four of
you,” Avery said, chuckling despite her embarrassment.

“Don’t let his quiet demeanor fool you,” Gabriel supplied.
“He’s the one you should watch out for.”

“Should I remind you that it’s me who keeps the vultures at
bay when you want privacy in this town?” Sawyer asked. “That it’s me who calls
you up to let you know some news van is staking out your lake house to find out
if you want me to run them off or give them a story?”

“No need,” Gabriel said. “I know you keep the peace in Dare.
You’re a good cop. The FBI must regret letting you leave to start up a town.”

“Ah ha,” Avery exclaimed. “I figured it out. Gabriel, Sawyer
and Jaxon are three of investors in Dare, Nevada.”

“Astute as always,” Hazard complimented.

“But who’s the fourth investor?” she asked, extremely
curious and at ease with the men now.

“My grandfather,” Sawyer admitted while twirling a Rice
Krispies treat in the chocolate. “He was a direct descendant of Darius
Hamilton, the founding father of the Dare silver mine and boomtown.”

“Amazing,” Avery said. “What happened to your grandfather,
Sawyer?”

“He passed away from natural causes about last year. Old
buzzard was cranky at times, but he was a decent man who loved horses, the
Sierra Nevada Mountains and his ranch. That’s where I live when I’m not at the
station house.”

“I’m so very sorry. I hope you’ll tell me more about him and
the history of Dare.”

“Be glad to, Avery,” Sawyer agreed, sending her a warm smile
that made Hazard lean forward and glower at his friend.

“Careful with the flirting, cop,” Hazard reminded.

“Jealous much?” Sawyer countered.

“Not when I know I’m the one Avery’s going home with
tonight.”

“There is that to consider,” Sawyer granted. “Fine, no
flirting.”

“You’ll bring a date Wednesday night, won’t you, Sawyer?”
Jaxon asked. “Last I heard, you went to the movies with Lily Carver.”

“Lily’s a sweetheart, but we’re primarily friends. I might
see if she’s free or ask someone else,” Sawyer said, thinking on it. “The
problem with small towns, Avery, is the gossip. Two people go on a date and
everyone speculates when we’ll be getting married.”

“And I thought this place prided itself on a code of
silence,” she responded.

“It does. But we’ve our gossips, our nosy neighbors, our
troublemakers and our high school students itching to move on to bigger and
grander cities.”

“There’s nothing like feeling at home in a small town,
though.”

“True,” Sawyer agreed. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere
else. Sometimes, however, the days get long and the nights get lonely when I’m
out on that ranch.”

“What kind of ranch?” she questioned.

“My grandfather raised Appaloosas and quarter horses. When I
left the FBI, I needed to retreat from a lot of things that I can’t name.
Learning to take care of the horses and running the ranch became my outlet.”

Sawyer didn’t say the ranch saved his life. He didn’t have
to. He had a certain look in his eyes that said he’d come face-to-face with the
worst of humanity more times than any person should have to endure.

“How did you all decide to buy a town?” she asked, wanting
to change the subject.

“On a camping trip, Jaxon told us that the town was going up
for auction and faced demolition,” Sawyer answered. “We agreed to buy it and
rebuild it into what it is today.”

“That’s incredible,” Avery told him. “My brother has bought
or invested into several businesses. The one thing he’s never done is buy a
whole town and turn it into a mini-mecca like Dare.”

“I have the feeling you’ll become a regular in this town.
You should bring your brother sometime,” Sawyer admitted.

“I certainly hope to return and plan to tell Alexander and
my brother-in-law all about my stay.”

“You can count on coming back, baby,” Hazard promised,
offering a chocolate-dipped strawberry on a two-pronged fork. She bit into the
fruit. It was almost as delicious as his kisses.

“A toast then,” Jaxon suggested, lifting his wineglass.

The waiter had left a soda for Sawyer, who raised the glass
along with everyone else.

“What are we toasting to?” Gabriel asked.

“To Red and new friendships,” Jaxon answered.

“I like that,” she said. “Toast to good friends and great
men.”

They tapped glasses, drank and continued feasting on
delicious chocolate fondue and tasty fruit and treats. After the platters were
empty, Sawyer and Gabriel excused themselves.

Hazard stood up, looked at Avery and grinned. “Baby, I’m
going to escort them out and stop in the men’s room. Be back in a few, okay?”

“I’ll be fine with Jaxon.”

“Yes, you will,” Jaxon promised, scooting in close enough to
Avery for their thighs to touch.

She wore a classic little black dress and black pumps. Her
hair was still smooth after running her flatiron through it for a little
touchup and she felt particularly pretty tonight.

“Be sure to keep your hands to yourself, Jax,” Hazard warned
before leaving.

“I’ll be good.” Jaxon proved his hands were on the table and
Hazard walked off to say goodbye to his other friends. “At last, we can talk
privately.”

“I’m not going to do anything that would hurt Hazard,” Avery
told him.

“I can see that. I like you, Red. Does Trevor know how you
feel?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re in love with him.”

“I’ve a crush. He knows that. We’re new together as a
couple, if we can be called that yet. If I rush into this, it’ll scare him
off.”

“For an intelligent woman, I’d think you’d have figured out
by now that you’re special to him. He sees you as more than a friend and way
more than a lover. You’re his girl.”

“The two of you talked while washing the windows, didn’t
you?”

“Don’t get mad at him. Sometimes men need to iron things out
and I’ve known him since grade school. He’s been my champion when most kids
would have turned their backs. There’s little I wouldn’t do for him.”

“He mentioned the two of you grew up together.”

“You know about Marianne?”

“Yes,” she said, hearing the venom in her own voice. “It’s a
sure bet that if I ever meet her, she’ll find out that Grants don’t let anyone
get away with hurting our family.”

“Ouch, glad I’m not in your sights.”

“You’re a friend. I’d defend you just as much.”

“Since we are friends, listen to me when I tell you Trevor
hasn’t committed himself to a woman since his divorce. And he already has with
you.”

“Don’t you think it’s a little too soon to talk about
commitment?”

“He’s warning us off you. He’s committed. He might let
Gabriel, Sawyer and I flirt or dance with you. Anything further we might want,
he’s going to call a halt.”

“By further you mean sex,” she concluded.

“None of us are immune to the temptation of three-ways,”
Jaxon answered.

“I know, he told me about his.”

“That’s important. Somehow, you changed my best friend when
it comes to his dating life. He doesn’t look at you like a man who’s willing to
share his lovers anymore.”

“How does he look at me?”

“Like he loves you and is afraid you’ll use it against him.”

“I’d never do that. I care about him, Jaxon. He deserves to
love and be loved without fear or reservation.”

“One thing, Red, don’t lie. Don’t smother him. Above all,
don’t two-time him. That’s a sure trip to broken hearts-ville for both of you.”

“There’s no danger of either. His ex-wife cheated on him,
I’m sure of it.”

“She did. He didn’t. Some would say he was loyal to a fault,
but it’s a trait he’s never shaken. Before Marianne, he was a horn-dog, after
he started up with her, he didn’t look at another girl. He went away to
college, stayed faithful.”

“That’s what I thought. No need to worry. Hazard’s my guy. I
intend to keep him and protect him from women like Marianne.”

“You do that, you’ll have him for a long time,” Jaxon
assured. “So tell me, how badly will your brother trounce Trevor when he finds
out about you two?”

“Alexander will not lay one hand on him, I swear it.”

“What about the Maddox brothers and Alex’s husband?”

“They look out for me like they would a sister. Doc is
family now. I adore him and love how he takes care of Alexander. Only if I
needed them would they interfere.”

“That’s a relief. I don’t have to round up my friends to
kick their collective asses if they threatened to do bodily harm to my friend.
We understand each other?”

“We do.”

Hazard returned to the table. “How about we head on over to
the club so Jax can play mixologist? I need to meet up with the house band for
tonight’s set. After the set, we’ll head to the theater. Sound good?”

“Sounds great,” Avery agreed.

Jaxon stood up to let Avery scoot out of the booth. Hazard’s
arm quickly settled at her waist to escort her next door. Jaxon brought up the
rear…and she refused to laugh when he teasingly commented about the way her ass
looked tonight.

Flirtatious as he could be, Jaxon Wynter was also Hazard’s
best friend. No matter what, Jaxon would be there for him and vice versa. If
the Dare investors ever came to Massachusetts, she suspected they’d actually
get along very well with her friends there.

After she and Ryan worked on Alexander and taught him that
she was capable of having a normal, healthy sex life with the man she loved,
she hoped there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings between her friends in Dare
and in New England.

Oh dear, she’d gone and done it. She’d fallen in love.

Hazard entertained a packed Truth or Dare Club with a
surprising rock-and-roll set and ended with some current country hits that
really made his voice resonate with the crowd.

Avery took a seat at the bar, where she was certain Jaxon
kept an eye out for her. It was really nice to know she had friends looking out
for her, since she was new to Dare.

But she was no longer concerned about John Redman. She was
curious as to why he’d taken an interest in her when all the signs pointed to
John being gay. For certain, she was glad that whatever her intentions had been
when arriving in Dare had swiftly turned to Hazard.

With him, she was safe. And even though the two of them had
jumped in bed so quickly, she would not have taken such a drastic step with a
stranger.

The moment Hazard’s eyes landed on her, she’d known he was
singing to her, that he wanted her. She could only hope she hadn’t come across
as too desperate or caused him to feel as if she was pushing him into a
relationship too quickly.

Rather than drinking too much tonight, Avery chose soda
water with lime. By the time the set was over, she was anxious to move on to
the magic show. Jaxon told her Gabriel’s shows were an hour long and he did two
a night.

Hazard came up after helping the band clear the stage. “Mind
if I have some of that?” he asked, pointing to her water. Tonight he’d chosen
to wear a pair of dark-charcoal slacks, a gray shirt and a black suit coat.

Though he’d performed onstage with the band, he’d dressed
nicely because they were on a date. She absolutely loved the way he looked
tonight, classically handsome, clean-shaven, his hair pulled back so she could
appreciate his features.

“Please do, you were amazing,” she complimented, handing
over the glass.

“Thanks,” he said, taking a long drink. “Now I can kiss you
properly.”

He placed the glass on the counter, focused completely on
her and took her face in his hands. In front of everyone, he leaned in nice and
close, kissing her.

If she weren’t sitting, she’d have melted right to the
floor. His tenderness swept her away, taking her heart by storm. Rather than
fighting against the storm, she went with it by wrapping her arms around his
waist and hanging on to him until he was finished.

He didn’t draw back for several wonderful minutes. It wasn’t
until his best friend coughed nearby that Hazard dropped first one then his
second hand and nibbled on her bottom lip before breaking apart.

“Missed you, baby,” he whispered.

“I missed you too,” she said, her heart still pounding and
knees still melting.

“You two need a room,” Jaxon interrupted. “Oh, wait, you
have a room, which you’ve been locked away in for the better part of a day and
a half and I wasn’t invited for one little peek.”

“We’re not going to apologize,” Avery said. “You’d want to
do more than watch.”

“No use denying it. There’s nothing better than making a sex
sandwich, especially if you’re the filling in the middle,” he admitted without
qualm, though he did lower his voice.

“You’d have better odds at winning big on roulette,” Hazard
said.

“How about we play strip poker then?” Jaxon suggested.

“I’d play if you’re the one who ends up naked,” Avery
admitted. She’d like to see Jaxon Wynter naked. “Believe it or not, I happen to
be a good poker player.”

She’d bet house odds that underneath his metrosexual clothes
was a body women and men would want to feast on equally. There was something
sexually magnetic about Jaxon with his pale blond and black-streaked hair and
violet eyes that were as beautiful as a starlet’s.

“Red, all you ever need to do to see me naked is ask.”
Jaxon’s manner was so strong and dominant, she immediately imagined him wielding
a whip or paddle or chaining a submissive or several of them to his will.

Jaxon Wynter wasn’t just an alpha male, he was a Master.

She knew it then as strongly as she knew the Maddox brothers
embraced the dominant role in the BDSM lifestyle. The same could be said of her
brother and brother-in-law, as neither tried to hide their collars when they
were relaxing at home and off work.

Then again, it was best not to go there. What Alexander and
Doc did in the privacy of their home was between them.

Of course, she did have the knowledge that Jaxon’s mountain
house possessed rooms reminiscent of Druid Creek Castle during members-only
weekends or Celtic holidays. Alexander would never permit her to stay at the
castle for any other purpose than a relaxing stay in the B&B or an
exquisite meal in the five-star restaurant or trendy English pub.

She understood that it was best for her not to press her
brother on that issue. He would not bend. But he’d never have to find out if
she were to let Hazard help her scratch off another fantasy from her bucket
list, being bound and spanked by her alpha lover for being naughty.

The only man she’d trust to do that was Hazard. She’d
learned enough since moving to New England about BDSM to know that there was a
very real difference between a Dominant and an alpha male and she had no
interest in embracing a D/s relationship in all facets of her sex life.

But once in a while, when passions rose and Hazard wanted to
play, she was willing to defer to his strong, confident nature. Anyone else
would hurt her or scare her too much.

She also sensed that as alpha as Hazard was, he had a
compassionate streak that made him an excellent lover and kept him from being
too arrogant or bullying.

“Jax, the only way Avery can see you naked is with my permission,”
Hazard stated after Avery stopped gaping and came back to her senses. “That’s
not going to happen. We clear on that?”

“You used to be good at sharing, Trev,” Jaxon countered.

Hazard’s arm went around her shoulders, hugging her close to
his body. “My sharing days are over.”

Jaxon bowed low at the waist. “I concede, but if either of
you change your mind or get bored, don’t forget me.”

Avery couldn’t fight the smile that came to her face. She’d
already wiped ménage off her list. For those who enjoyed triads or
unconventional sex lives, she applauded them. If their relationships were
mutually acceptable and all parties were onboard, she was all for it.

“Congratulations, Red, you’ve earned a spot on my best
friends list.”

“Thank you. As have you,” she said, pleased. “What did I do
to deserve the honor?”

“Got Trevor to look to a future he could have with you
instead of a past that was done a long time ago,” Jaxon answered honestly.

“Perhaps you should follow my lead, Jax,” Hazard commented,
not looking panicked or angry by Jaxon’s statement. “If I can look forward, you
can.”

“My case is different. Call it a cruel twist of Fate, bad
karma, whatever, I fucked up big and my future was taken from me. Nothing short
of inventing time travel can change the past,” Jaxon said, briefly looking lost
and sad.

Avery’s heart broke for him. Sadness dulled his violet eyes.

“It wasn’t your fault, Jax,” Hazard stated, speaking softly
and directly at his friend. “You weren’t home, how could it have been your
fault?”

“If I hadn’t been traveling and promoting myself, everything
would have been fine.”

“Bullshit, if you’d have been home, you may not be here
anymore. Ever think that?” Hazard argued.

“That’s the thing. Why did I deserve mercy and they didn’t?”

Refusing to interrupt or interfere in the conversation,
Avery followed as best that she could, but understood that Jaxon and Hazard
needed to work this out their way. For reasons she could only surmise, Jaxon
had a serious case of survivor’s guilt.

It was difficult to lose a loved one. A few times he’d said
they, meaning more than one person. Jaxon had an affinity for threesomes.
Tragically, he must have lost two loved ones.

“If I can find a way to forgive myself for some of the
stupid-ass things I’ve done before, during and since Marianne, you can do the
same for being human.”

“Can we change the subject? We’re bringing Red down.”

“I’m not going to pry, Jaxon, but I’m a good listener should
you need to talk,” Avery offered. “No matter their mistakes, everyone has the
right to love and to be loved. You’re not the exception.”

“Yeah, I am, Red.”

“Fuck that, Jax. You did nothing wrong,
nothing
.
We’re about to head on over to the theater and get settled in for Gabriel’s
show. Come with us if you’d like?” Hazard asked. “I don’t want to leave you
alone.”

“Can’t, I gave Brock the night off to take his girlfriend
out. Think he’s going to propose.” Jaxon grabbed up a bar towel and wiped off
the countertop.

“Save me a dance for when we come back, Jaxon,” Avery said.

“You bet,” he agreed, smiling and flirting back as was his
nature.

Jaxon went back to bartending and Hazard helped Avery out of
her barstool. Taking her hand, he guided her through the back of the club to a
door that opened up to a side street. It was a bit chilly and they’d stored
their coats when they entered the club.

“Do you think Jaxon will ever tell me why he’s closed
himself off from love?”

“I don’t know, baby. It’s not like he doesn’t have
relationships. It’s that they tend to be temporary and are always on his
terms.”

“His house in the mountains has a dungeon. He’s a Dom,” she
said confidently.

“He has multiple dungeons and playrooms. Four are meant for
hardcore practitioners of BDSM. Some are more about sex fantasies and bondage
and meant for the curious or those looking for a jolt in their sex lives.”

“I’ve the feeling my brother’s castle is the same way.
Jaxon’s a complicated man.”

“True. What Jaxon won’t hide from you is the fact that he’s
a Master who trains submissives for their Dominants or Dommes or gives them the
attention their vanilla partners can’t.”

“Ryan Hathaway is a Dominant. But I get the impression there
are times he and Alexander switch.”

“That’s one thing Jaxon is not.”

“He’s not a switch.”

“No, but Doms tend to switch for him because he’s that good
at what he does. There’s no one better at handling a sub’s needs than Jaxon.
With him, they are safe.”

“How do you know so much about what goes on in his mountain
house?”

“He’s my best friend,” Hazard stated. “And I’ve researched
the lifestyle when I was younger. Certain parts, bondage, yeah, I’m up for
that. Spanking, I could get off on it. The rest, no, it wasn’t for me.”

“Jaxon looks out for you, you know?”

“Sure, I try to do the same for him.”

“Guess it’s safe to say we’re no longer fuck buddies.”

“It’s safe to say we’re lovers, Avery. I’d like to be your
friend too. Talking with you the last few days has been as easy as talking to
Jax.”

“One of the things I’ve learned about my parents was that
they fell in love late in life because they became friends.”

“That’s nice. I’ve got to tell you, baby, I’m glad we’re no
longer fuck buddies. I hated that term.”

Avery laughed. “Chalk it up to tequila.”

“I loved every moment of tequila night. Hope we have a ton
more.”

“I’d like that,” she said.

They walked on. Only then did she notice the air was brisk,
hinting of the winter still to come.

She loved the way Hazard tucked her under his shoulder as if
she were precious. His body heat warmed her instantly. A Hazard blanket was all
she’d ever need on a long cold winter night.

Unfortunately, after a few more days, they had to go back to
their lives. They’d have to figure out a way to be together, but he had the
playoffs and she was confident the Griffins were poised to win their first
league championship. First up were the divisional playoffs, practice, team
events, media coverage.

She was due home Friday, where she’d move ahead with
planning a spa-like atmosphere for Ryan Hathaway’s patients. Teaming PT,
therapeutic massage and homeopathic remedies with Ryan’s superior surgical
skills was exciting.

Yet the idea that she’d be in Massachusetts and Hazard would
come back to Dare after football season made her wonder what frequent flier
plans they should enroll in. To make it work, they’d have to keep communication
open and honest.

Until Thursday morning, she wouldn’t let worry impact all
the things she hoped to do with Hazard while they were together. There was
still time to have fun.

Keeping that in mind, she cuddled closer as they went around
to the other side of the gigantic building that housed the Truth or Dare Club
and Casino and theater.

A marquis billboard across the top of the glass and brass
entranceway read,
Performing Tonight, Master Illusionist and Home-Town Hero,
Gabriel Krystiyan
.

“It was kind of Gabriel to give us passes to his special
box,” Avery said, watching Hazard reach beneath the collar of his blue shirt to
withdraw two hanging passes hooked to a lanyard.

“He gave them to me when I walked him and Sawyer out of the
restaurant,” he replied. “Gabriel’s box is usually set aside for VIPs or his
revolving dates.”

“Then we should consider ourselves lucky to have this
opportunity.”

“Yeah, I didn’t meet him until Jaxon invited me to visit
Dare and proposed a partnership in the Truth or Dare Club. I’m real glad to
call Gabriel a friend now. He’s a good guy.”

“Gabriel, Sawyer and Jaxon were all on that camping trip
you’d mentioned.”

“Yes, they were. It’s a guy thing.”

“I totally support that. After our vacation is over, I’m
going to need some ladies’ nights out. I’m going to miss you terribly.”

“Keep your schedule open for me. That’s all I ask.”

“Without a doubt, I will.”

“After football season, we could come back here and figure
things out. After Dallas and Grace McKay got married, I moved into the
apartment she’d been renting from Kyran and Anna in Virginia. It’s a seasonal
lease and they don’t mind when I need to come home to Nevada.”