A Little Dare. BRENDA JACKSON

feelings years ago. Yet, for some reason she was feeling the same turbulent yearnings she’d always felt for him. And last night in her bed, the memories had been at their worse…or their best, depending on how you looked at it.

      She had awakened in the middle of the night with her breath coming in deep, ragged gasps, and her sheets damp with perspiration after a hot, steamy dream about him.

      Getting up and drinking a glass of ice water, she had made a decision not to beat herself up over her dreams of Dare. She’d decided that the reason for them was understandable. Her body knew Dare as it knew no other man, and it had reminded her of that fact in a not-too-subtle way. It didn’t help that for the past ten years she hadn’t dated much; raising AJ and working at the hospital kept her busy, and the few occasions she had dated had been a complete waste of her time since she’d never experienced the sparks with any of them that she’d grown accustomed to with Dare.

      “Would you like some more coffee, Sheriff?”

      Shelly snatched her head up when she heard the sultry, feminine voice and was just in time to see the slow smile that spread across the young woman’s lips, as well as the look of wanton hunger in her eyes as she looked at Dare. Either he didn’t notice or he was doing a pretty good job of pretending not to.

      “Yes, Lizzie, I’d like another cup.”

      “And what would you like?” Lizzie asked her, and Shelly couldn’t help but notice the cold, unfriendly eyes that were staring at her.

      Evidently the same thing you would like, Shelly thought, trying to downplay the envy she suddenly felt, although she knew there was no legitimate reason to feel that way. What was once between her and Dare had ended years ago and she didn’t intend to go back there, no matter how much he could still arouse her. Sighing, she was about to give the woman her order when Dare spoke. “She would like a cup of coffee with cream and one sugar.”

      The waitress lifted her brow as if wondering how Dare knew what Shelly wanted. “Okay, Sheriff.” Lizzie placed menus in front of them, saying, “I’ll bring your coffee while you take a look at these.”

      When Lizzie had left, Shelly leaned in closer to the center of the booth and whispered, “I don’t appreciate the daggered looks coming from one of your girlfriends.” She decided not to tell him that she’d felt like throwing a few daggered looks of her own.

      Lifting his head from the menu, Dare frowned. “What are you talking about? I’ve never dated Lizzie. She’s just a kid.”

      Shelly shrugged as she straightened in her seat and glanced over to where Lizzie was now taking another order. Her short uniform showed off quite nicely the curves of her body and her long legs. Dare was wrong. Lizzie was no kid. Her body attested to that.

      “Well, kid or no kid, she definitely has the hots for you, Dare Westmoreland.”

      He shrugged. “You’re imagining things.”

      “No, trust me. I know.”

      He rubbed his chin as his mouth tipped up crookedly into a smile. Settling back in his seat, he asked, “And how would you know?”

      She met his gaze. “Because I’m a woman.” And I know all about having the hots for you, she decided not to add.

      Dare nodded. He definitely couldn’t deny that she was a woman. He glanced over at Lizzie and caught her at the exact moment she was looking at him with a flirty smile. He remembered the other times she’d given him that smile, and now it all made sense. He quickly averted his eyes. Clearing his throat, he met Shelly’s gaze. “I’ve never noticed before.”

      Typical man, Shelly thought, but before she could say anything else, Lizzie had returned with their coffee. After taking their order she left, and Shelly smiled and said, “I can’t believe you remembered how I like my coffee after all this time.”

      Dare looked at her. His gaze remained steady when he said. “There are some things a man can’t forget about a woman he considered as his, Shelly.”

      “Oh,” her voice was slightly shaky, and she decided not to touch that one; mainly because what he said was true. He had considered her as his; she had been his in every way a woman could belong to a man.