Dare I? Read Online Free PDF Page A

but truth hit her and wiped
away everything. She would have slept with him, if he had had
fangs, for no better reason than his being a vampire. It was as
silly—as foolish—as he made it sound. Shame burned her cheeks and
tears stung her eyes.
    “Hey.” The blade in Chase’s voice disappeared
in a blink, and a glint of surprise sparked in his eyes. Strangely
enough, he almost looked guilty. “Don’t cry. I just wanted you to
realize… please. I didn’t mean—”
    “ Yes, you did mean it. And you’re
right. I’m an
idiot.”
    She tried to smile, as difficult as it was.
When she blinked, a tear rolled down her cheek, and Chase reached
out to wipe it with his thumb.
    “Misguided, perhaps, but not an idiot.” He
returned her smile hesitantly. “Unless you’re going to try again to
find a vamp?”
    “No. I don’t think so.” She laughed
nervously. “The hell with what the girls may think. I’m not that
desperate.”
    It was Chase’s turn to laugh. “Not sure what
it says that you’d need to be desperate to hit on me.”
    “I didn’t mean it like that.” She took a
small sip of her drink and started relaxing again. “And if I made a
habit of it, I’d have hit on you without hesitation.”
    She realized when Chase’s eyebrows shot up
that she had put her foot in her mouth—again. Mortified, she
covered her face with her hands, peeking out only when she heard
him laugh.
    “I think,” he said with a chuckle, “that I’ll
take that as a compliment. As long as you don’t amend it
anymore.”
    Smiling, Anna shook her head rather than risk
opening her mouth again. For a few minutes, they sat there in
silence, music, voices and laughter drifting into the booth from
the club around them. Anna would have thought she would feel
uncomfortable, sitting here with him after what had happened—and
failed to happen. And yet, it wasn’t bad at all.
    “It’s getting late,” Chase said after he had
finished his drink, but he didn’t move or otherwise say
goodbye.
    “You’re right. I should go home.”
    Despite her words, Anna didn’t move either.
She should have called a cab. She should have excused herself and
put all this adventure behind her, chalk it up as a stroke of
madness to be forgotten with morning. She should have, but she
couldn’t manage to leave so fast. She couldn’t help but hope that
Chase—
    “I feel silly offering this after I scolded
you for taking risks, but do you need a ride?”
    “It must be a night for silliness.”
    They shared a smile.
    “And I do need a ride, if it’s not too much
trouble.”
    “I wouldn’t have offered if it was.”
    He slid out of the booth and stood, holding
his hand out to Anna. She did not hesitate before following his
lead, pressing her fingers to his palm for him to help her up. She
could feel, now, that it was cool, but not cold, or at least not as
cold as a vampire’s skin probably was. She had no desire anymore to
find out for herself.
    It was difficult to understand how so much
had changed in the matter of an hour. She had come to On The Edge
ready to be wild, had realized exactly how much risk she was
taking, and was now leaving with the same man who had warned her
about playing with her life. She couldn’t have explained why, but
she trusted him to be a perfect gentleman.
    He led her to a parking lot just a block down
from the club. He opened the door for her, then closed it gently
when she was in; she couldn’t remember the last time when someone
had held a door for her. She looked around while he walked around
the car, and when he sat behind the wheel she was chuckling.
    “What’s so funny?” he asked as he started the
car.
    “I thought you were a vampire.” She touched
the wooden crucifix hanging from the rearview mirror with a light
finger before ostensibly glancing back at the backseat. Two
crossbows sat there, and a dozen stakes. “And you’re a vampire
hunter instead.”
    Even in the darkened car, she could see his
slight