The Dare Collection: August 2018. Avril Tremayne

hacking?”

      She looked a little trapped by my question, but she answered, “Thirteen.”

      “I’m guessing it was your stepfather who made you feel...less?”

      A shadow crossed her face and she remained silent for a long time before she nodded. “He was saddled with me after my mom left. Every now and then he would let me feel his displeasure.”

      My fist tightened. “Did he hurt you?”

      “Physically? No. In other ways...yes.”

      I took a sip of bourbon just for something to do so I didn’t drive my fist through the wall behind me. “Tell me what he did.”

      Her nostrils quivered as she sucked in a breath. “I don’t have all night.”

      “Then tell me exactly how you got involved with Chance.”

      “When I was fourteen, I hacked him. I was good back then, but I wasn’t great. He hired another hacker to find me, and turned up at my house with the cops. He gave me a choice, work for him or go to jail.”

      “Your stepfather didn’t tell him to get lost, I take it.”

      She gave a bitter laugh. “Not when Chance started throwing money his way, he didn’t.”

      She flinched at my tight curse. I reached across the counter and placed my hand on hers. She stared at it with a sad smile before she inhaled long and deep.

      “Anyway, between them they hammered out a deal that he’d pay my stepfather a monthly fee for my maintenance, then my college tuition fees on condition that when I left MIT I’d devote all my time to developing something big for him.”

      “The algorithm?” I asked, my chest and throat tight with the effort it took to keep my fury inside.

      She nodded. “I had the beginnings of the idea back then.”

      “Why didn’t you walk away when you turned eighteen or even twenty-one?”

      Her lips tightened and she shrugged. “I gave him my word I wouldn’t.”

      A simple answer, but such a powerful statement as to the true depths of Lily Gracen. I would’ve thought it impossible, but I grew even more attracted to her in that moment.

      “And the Scott thing? How did you find out?”

      She smiled unapologetically. “I hacked his phone records and confronted him.”

      “How did Chance take it?” I realized I was searching for another reason to punch the guy’s lights out when I met him tomorrow.

      “He claimed he was looking out for me. I called bullshit and threatened to walk then. He promised it would never happen again.” The information was coming out in charged little bites.

      “Lily—”

      She shook her head. “No more. You’re ruining the mood.”

      I cupped her cheek, my thumb caressing her lower lip until she had herself back under control. “Don’t feel bad about letting me in. I know a little about how that feels like.”

      Wide green eyes locked on mine. “Really?”

      I heard the throb of pain in my voice and inwardly grimaced. I could’ve answered differently, thrown her off with a shrug or said nothing at all. Instead, the last word I expected to say surged from my throat. “Yes.”

      She waited. Then a breath huffed out. “That’s all you’re going to give me?”

      Curiosity swirled in her eyes, making my chest pound for a different reason. “Yes. I don’t want to ruin the mood, either.”

      Her breath grew shaky. As did her hand when she raised her glass to take a healthy gulp. She stared at me for several heartbeats. Then, visibly shaking it off, she grabbed the remote and aimed it at the screen.

      “Lowlights.” Her command activated the lights, dimming the overhead lights and leaving only a set of lowlights running along the floor.

      Onscreen, the system had grouped her entertainment into genres and then favorites. She clicked favorites. A long list rolled down the screen.

      “These are all your favorites?” I asked skeptically.

      “Uh-huh.”

      The title she clicked on caught my eye, and another raw memory spiked through me. “The English Patient?”

      She glared at me. “It’s a classic.”

      “If you want to weep into your martini glass the whole time then fall into a coma from boredom, sure.”

      “You’ve seen it?”

      My teeth clenched as I toyed with evading. “Yeah, I’ve seen it. It was my mother’s favorite, too.”

      Naked, hesitant curiosity lit her eyes. “Was?”

      I threw back the remaining bourbon. What the hell... “She died. Fifteen years ago.” Because she fell through the cracks. Over and over again until she hit rock bottom and never rose. I swallowed my bitterness as Lily leaned closer.

      “When you were fourteen?”

      I jerked out a nod. Silence throbbed between us, then I indicated the screen. “Are we gonna watch this movie or what?”

      Her head swiveled to the screen, then back at me. She held out the remote. “The deal was you could help me pick. You’ve vetoed my first choice. Show me what you got.”

      I accepted it, allowing my fingers to graze hers. She exhaled sharply.

      God, I wanted to feel that puff of breath on my face. Reluctantly, I turned to the screen. Surprisingly, only half of the movies were chick flicks. Top-notch detective movies and psychological thrillers had made the cut.

      I frowned as the list kept going. “There are over a hundred here. How can they all be your favorite?”

      She stared at me. “Is it too difficult? I can help you out if you want?” I caught a hint of teasing challenge.

      I snorted and selected one.

      She grimaced. “Uh, no. I love Bruce Lee but not tonight. The sound effects alone will give me a headache.”

      I scrolled some more until she laid her hand over mine. “This one,” she breathed.

      “Revenge?” It was the original movie with Anthony Quinn, Kevin Costner and Madeleine Stowe. I couldn’t remember the plot line but I’d probably seen it. Movies had been a huge escape for Mom the few times depression released her from its merciless talons. To be honest, they’d been an escape for me, too, because for a blessed stretch of two or three hours, I could stop worrying about her. She’d even summoned a laugh when we watched a comedy.

      “Yes. It doesn’t have a high rating but I love it. Unless you want to find something else?”

      I tore myself from the past. “This will do.” I hit Play and pointed to her empty glass. “Do you want another?”

      She stared wistfully at the martini glass. “No, I better not. I’ll take a soda, though.”

      I grabbed a soda for her and bottled water for myself. She broke the tab, curled her lip over the top and drank half the contents, while I forced myself not to stare at her throat.

      The movie’s plot became clear within twenty minutes. Sex. Corruption. Forbidden lust. Betrayal.

      I settled in and tried to give it my full attention. Lily set the cup of candy between us and stretched out her legs. She ate another marshmallow, then held out a jelly bean to me. I took it, chewed, and steeled myself not to stare at her exposed thighs. Or her flat belly beneath the mesh top. Or the slight mound of her pussy.

      Jesus.

      A few minutes later she shifted again,