Dare to Tease: A Dare Nation Novella, Carly Phillips [well read books TXT] 📗

a fight, and he bolted after her, coming to a stop in the living room, where half her family stood. “Where’s Bri?”

“She came out of the office upset, asked for a set of car keys, and I gave her ours.” Macy walked up to him, anger etching her features. “I don’t know what you did but fix it,” she said, then turned her back on him and walked away.

* * * *

Bri knew she’d escaped in the nick of time before Hudson or her brother came after her. It wasn’t in her nature to run, but this was different. Hudson was supposed to have been different. The one man who fell in love with her, no strings, nothing she could do for his career or his future, and she’d told him as much. No wonder he hadn’t revealed what his father’s stipulation for the money had been. It was much easier to guide her into marriage to save his dream, and she’d made it so easy by saying I love you first.

When in the world would she learn?

Driving Macy and Jaxon’s car, she pulled into her driveway. Someone would give them a ride here to pick up the car later, and she appreciated the fact that her friend hadn’t asked any questions. One look at the tears in Bri’s eyes had been enough for her to hand them over.

She left the keys under the floor mat for whoever picked up the vehicle, walked into her house, locked her doors, and set the alarm. Too bad she’d given Hudson a key and her code, but hopefully he’d be smarter than to show up here without her okay.

She dragged herself into her bathroom and washed off her makeup, then changed into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt before heading to the kitchen. Because what did any normal woman do after being betrayed? She pulled out her favorite mint chip ice cream, grabbed a spoon, and made her way back to her bed, where she turned the television on to some mindless show and proceeded to down the entire pint.

When her phone began to buzz, she allowed herself to look at the screen. Noting it was Hudson, she powered off her cell. She didn’t want to hear what he had to say.

The next morning, she turned on her phone to find he’d blown it up with calls and texts. Most of her family had done the same. Bitch that she felt like being, she refused to read the messages or listen to the voicemails. Thanks to lack of sleep and maybe some crying, she looked awful. She had circles under her eyes, and her face remained blotchy, so she did what she could with makeup. Which wasn’t much because her mood showed in her expression. She’d never been good at hiding her emotions when hurt.

And her heart felt like it had shattered.

Since it was Sunday, she didn’t have to go to the office. The Thunder weren’t playing until four p.m., and she didn’t plan on watching the game in case she caught a quick glimpse of Hudson working on the sidelines. No matter what she put on television, the conversation between Hudson and Braden repeated itself over and over in her head.

“He’ll give me the money if I get married and provide him and my mother an heir,” Hudson said, stopping Bri cold in the doorway.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. What century is this?” Her brother had sounded pissed.

“That’s what I asked, but he’s not backing down.”

“So how badly do you want the money? Enough to get married and get your wife to pop out a kid?” Braden asked.

Her twin knew Bri was involved with Hudson, so she had no doubt he’d been joking. But Hudson’s next words had devastated her.

“It wouldn’t hurt.”

It wouldn’t hurt for him to get married and pop out a kid, as her brother had so crudely put it, and they all knew who the candidate for the role would be. What she couldn’t reconcile was how her brother could have sided with him. He said she’d taken Hudson’s words out of context, but what other conclusion should she have drawn?

She pulled out her phone and ordered in more ice cream, enough to fill her freezer, from the supermarket, and spent the day watching comedies that didn’t make her laugh.

Around two, her phone rang, and a glance told her it was Austin. She frowned but took the call just in case it was about her family. “Hello?” she asked warily.

“Hey. There’s a situation in the locker room with your client Dion Davis. He had a fistfight with an attendant because his towels were still damp and he took a swing. The guy set Dion up because he had a camera going, but it’s a problem, and you need to get down here and do damage control. You know how Dion gets when he’s pissed off, and with the media involved…”

He trailed off, but Bri was already out of her pity party seat on the couch and pulling on clothes in her bedroom. Not long after, she sat in the office of Ian Dare, owner of the Miami Thunder and also her cousin, along with Austin, Dion’s agent. Ian was reading her hair-trigger, prima-donna PR client the riot act. Why a grown man couldn’t keep his temper in check for a two-million-dollar paycheck with his contract coming up and an even bigger payday ahead was beyond her.

Finally, they’d calmed the beast, and Dion headed back down to his teammates. She and Austin walked out of the room to find Ian waiting in the hall, suit on, arms folded across his chest.

“Well?”

“He’ll calm down,” Austin promised.

“And I’ll see if I can get the attendant not to press assault charges. After all, he lost his job, and the whole thing was a setup. He’s after money he’s not going to get. Not when I have his phone with the evidence.” Ian patted his jacket pocket.

Bri nodded in