Nothing But a Dare Read online

  Nothing But a Dare

  Molly O’Hare

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Epilogue

  Teased by Fire Sneak Peek

  Also by Molly O’Hare

  About the Author

  Copyright 2019 Molly O’Hare

  eBook License Notes

  All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form. Stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means. This includes, but is not limited to, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise. No part of this book may be reproduced or copied without prior consent of the author & publisher. All characters and towns are figments of the author’s imagination and bear no resemblance to any person living or deceased if there is any resemblance it is entirely coincidental.

  Cover art: Wildelake Creative

  Photographer: Furiousfotog: Golden Czermak

  Model: Michael J Scanlon

  Disclaimer: This title is intended for mature audiences due to adult situations and languages.

  Molly O’Hare

  Be You Publishing, LLC

  www.MollyOHareauthor.com

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you! Yes, you. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate every single reader out there. Not just my readers, but all readers. Thank you for exploring new worlds, falling in love multiple times, slaying dragons, and riding them. But what is a storyteller, if we have no one to tell the story to?

  Oh man, this is tough. There are so many people I want to thank. I think with each book this list gets longer and longer. From my ride or die, Richelle (she’s the one that pushes me to publish. If it weren’t for her, none of these books would be here) to my author friends and reader group. I do not know what I would be without any of you. I could list probably a million names here.

  My sprint group: Holy effe me. If it weren’t for you all this book wouldn’t have gotten done. Allysa, Rayanna, Maren, Lesley, everyone. You all kept me on track and I’m forever grateful.

  Angela Verdenius, you are one of my best friends. It still blows my mind how you took me under your wing as a writer when I was only a faithful reader of yours. I am so grateful for you!

  Jody Kaye, girl, thank you for always checking in on me, sending me positive mindset and always believing I can do anything I put my mind to. You are a gem.

  Cassie-Ann who knew a kick ass friendship would form after one commonality between us. Thank you for always, freaking always believing in me. You are sent from the Universe and I am beyond grateful.

  My RomCom groups. Well, shit where do I even start? From my RomCom Authors Network, to RomCom Junkies. All of you are amazing. I wouldn’t be here without you. Laura, Sylvie, Marika, Heather, Brenda, Elizabeth, Julia, Ceri, KL, Stephanie, Susannah, Jami, Cassie-Ann, Nikky all of you. You are so freaking amazing.

  My Reader Group, who’ve become like family to me. Gail, Amy, Rubi, Elizabeth, Jennifer, Kelly, Charlene, Chantal, Jenn. Oh, god I can name a crap ton more. You all mean so freaking much to me. You’ll never understand it.

  To everyone that helped make this book possible, from cover art, editing, photography, proofreading, everything. There is so much that goes into publishing a story and I’m so thankful for the group I get to work alongside with. Every one of them means something to me. Golden, Michael, Karen, Richelle, you all mean so much to me.

  There are so many more people I want to thank, but the announcer is about to shut off my mic. Just know I am so fucking grateful from the bottom of my heart for every single one of you.

  Dedication

  I dedicate this story to you and to anyone who has ever felt less. Remember you are unique, you are special. Try not to forget other people’s opinions of you, are none of your concern. It only matters what you think of you.

  You live your whole life with only one body, one mind, one soul. There is no one in this world that is exactly like you, and that’s a miracle.

  You’re a motherfucking unicorn.

  Own that shit!

  Chapter One

  “I dare you.”

  Hunter James raised his brow at ten-year-old Abbie Collins as she braced herself on the highest tree branch in their neighboring backyards. She quickly moved her eyes from him to reassess her surroundings. From where Abbie balanced, things weren’t looking too good. How in the world had she gotten herself into this mess?

  And again…

  Her eyes moved back to the boy taunting her.

  Oh yeah, how could she forget?

  Hunter freaking James.

  He’s the reason she was now in a tree.

  Since Hunter moved in next door with his dad and stepmom, he was constantly causing trouble. And somehow, Abbie was always involved.

  She closed her eyes as she held onto the tree trunk tightly.

  The day Hunter and his family moved in, Abbie and her mother, Kathleen, brought them over fresh baked cookies. That was the nice thing to do, after all. The neighborly thing.

  Plus, Abbie had been particularly proud of this batch since she spent hours decorating each one with the word ‘welcome’.

  Abbie, along with her mother, had considered herself the welcoming committee of the neighborhood.

  Ehh, what could she say? She got her nurturing side from her mom. Plus, Abbie absolutely adored making new friends. You could never have too many if you asked her.

  The more, the merrier.

  Maybe it was because Abbie didn’t have any brothers or sisters, or maybe it was her need for everyone to feel like they belonged.

  After her father abandoned her and her mom right after Abbie was born there was always something lacking. That could’ve been the reason why her mother always made it a point to welcome anyone that moved in with wide open arms and a plate full of cookies. She needed them to feel wanted since they’d never felt that.

  Well, that plate full of cookies was two years ago and every day since meeting Hunter James, Abbie regretted every freaking second of it.

  “Are you gonna do it or what?” Hunter taunted from below. “You better hurry, I don’t know if that branch will hold you much longer?”

  Jerk. Abbie’s eyes narrowed at him as she held onto the tree trunk a little tighter. If she could go back in time, she would have added salt to the cookies, or better yet, maybe some arsenic.

  “Stop being a baby, Collins.”

  “I’m not being a baby!” Abbie felt the branch bend under her weight.

  Quickly, she closed her eyes as her heart started to pound against her chest. Okay, so she knew she was only about six feet off the ground, and the likelihood of her causing severe damage was slim to none; however, the more she looked at the annoying boy below her, the farther away he seemed.

  Abbie took a deep breath before she opened her eyes and looked back at Hunter.

  That’s when she noticed it.

  Hunter was staring at her with that stupid smug smirk on his face. The same one he always got when he thought he’d won.

  A growl erupted from deep inside her. Not tod
ay!

  If Abbie were on the ground and not a million feet in the air, she’d march right up to him and smack that dang smirk right off his stupid face.

  Stupid Hunter.

  Stupid tree.

  Stupid dare!

  For two years now, Hunter James had made her life a living hell.

  If he wasn’t constantly picking on her, he was daring her to do something she didn’t want to do.

  And that was the exact reason she was up in a tree right now.

  “You’re too scared, Abbie.” Hunter laughed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Am not. I just think it’s dumb to jump out of a tree unless there is a logical reason to do so.”

  “Why do you always do that?” He glared at her.

  “Do what?”

  “Say shit to make you sound all smart and stuff.”

  “I am smart, unlike you dumb-dumb.”

  Hunter’s eyes narrowed before his lips formed into that smirk. “I dare you.”

  A Collins never surrendered.

  A Collins never backed down.

  A Collins never turned down a dare.

  At least that’s what her mother would say. Okay, not so much the dare part, but the never backing down part. Collins’ were strong, and no matter what was thrown at them, they always ended up on top.

  No one will ever knock us down.

  Not her deadbeat father, and certainly not Hunter James.

  And that left Abbie here.

  About to jump to her death.

  She rolled her eyes at herself. Maybe death was a little dramatic. She took another deep breath before looking at the ground. Her breath caught in her throat as Hunter suddenly seemed very far away. Actually, death could be a possibility.

  “You scared?” Hunter shouted.

  “Not as scared as you were when I dared you to jump off the roof into the pool,” she snapped.

  “I did it, didn’t I?”

  “Only after I called you a chicken,” she yelled back. Why couldn’t she have just walked away? Any other normal human being would have, but no. Abbie was now two years deep in some messed up back and forth dare-off.

  “And that’s what you’re being right now. Abbie the chicken!” The corner of his mouth turned up into that stupid smirk again. “That’s your new name.”

  “When I get down there, I’m gonna hit you!”

  “You’d have to catch me first.”

  Abbie’s eyes narrowed in on her target. She hated him. With every ounce of her being, she hated Hunter James.

  Screw it.

  She jumped.

  Thankfully something broke her fall.

  That something being Hunter James.

  “What the hell?” Hunter cried. “You weren’t supposed to jump on me, Collins.”

  “You never specified what I had to do in the dare. If you wanted to make sure I didn’t jump on you, then you needed to disclose those terms upfront.” She huffed as she righted herself making it so she sat on Hunter’s chest. She then pushed her chestnut hair out of her face. “It’s not my fault your dumb brain forgot that part.”

  “Who talks like that?” He squirmed trying to get her off. “Has anyone ever told you, you’re annoying?”

  “Yes, you. Every day.”

  “You’re ten. You’re not some genius.” Hunter pushed her off him, causing her to land on her butt in the dirt.

  From where she landed, Abbie watched as he fixed his clothes before pushing his black hair out of his face, giving her the view of his hunter green eyes that matched his name. “Excuse you, I turn eleven in two days.” Abbie stuck her tongue out at him as she jumped to her feet.

  “Oh, that reminds me…” Hunter pulled a tiny box out of his pocket. “This is for you.”

  Abbie took a step back caught entirely off-guard. Then out of nowhere, her heart did this weird flip thing she couldn’t explain.

  As she stared at him, with her mouth open in disbelief. She quickly tried to scan her body. She was ten, so there was no way she was having a heart attack. Right? When Hunter pushed the box closer to her, her heart did it again.

  What the hell? Am I dying? Oh, God, the jump really did kill me. And, of course, this is now my hell. A hell where Hunter James existed.

  “Take the box, Abbie,” Hunter scoffed annoyed.

  Had he really gotten her a birthday gift? She looked at the box and then back to his face. He seemed sincere. But then again, this was Hunter after all.

  Abbie bit her bottom lip as she took the box. Maybe this is the end of the feud…or, you know, maybe it was a bomb. There was a fifty-fifty shot of either one.

  Screw it. That was Abbie’s motto when it came to Hunter.

  She opened the box.

  “Eww!” Before Abbie knew what was happening, grasshoppers started jumping out causing her to drop the box.

  “Happy Birthday!” Hunter laughed as Abbie danced around trying to get the creatures off. “You’re a jerk, Hunter.”

  “No, I’m not.” He took a step closer to her plucking one of the grasshoppers off her shoulder. “I dare you to eat it.”

  “No way!” Abbie shook her head stepping back from him.

  “You scared, little girl?” He pushed the grasshopper closer to her face.

  “No, I’m not scared.”

  “Abbie the chicken. I knew the name would fit.”

  Screw it!

  Abbie snatched the grasshopper from Hunter’s fingers before shoving the thing into her mouth causing Hunter’s eyes to widen for a split second before his amusement overtook him. “Holy crap. I can’t believe you did it.”

  “Of course, I did,” she said disgusted with herself. “I’m not a chicken.”

  “Abbie Babbie, the one with too much flabby,” Hunter laughed.

  “That’s it.” Abbie launched herself at Hunter tackling him to the ground. “What’s your problem?”

  “I don’t have a problem. You have a problem.” He fought from under her.

  “Oh, that’s really mature.” Abbie kept him pinned to the ground. She’d learned a few things from their past wrestling matches. Like how locking her knees around his chest would prevent him from moving for at least a few seconds.

  “I am a mature person. I’m almost thirteen. That makes me almost a teenager.” Hunter looked at her. The moment her eyes locked with his green ones, that strange feeling in her heart came back. Maybe she was having a heart attack.

  “You’re a jerk.”

  “You always say that.”

  “That’s ‘cause it’s true.”

  Hunter grunted before pushing Abbie off him effectively flipping her onto the ground. “Whatever. Why don’t you run on home and stick your head in one of those stupid books you always have with you?”

  “How is that an insult?” Abbie crossed her arms over her chest. “You make it seem like reading is a bad thing. Maybe if you picked up a book every once in a while, you’d actually learn something.”

  “Oh, like the books you read teach you anything?” He cocked his brow.

  “Duhh. They teach me all kinds of stuff.” Abbie walked to her bag and threw one of her books at him. “I dare you.”

  Hunter caught it with ease. “You dare me to what?”

  “Read a book. Learn something. Stop being such an ass-hat.”

  Ignoring her new insult, Hunter cocked his head to the side. “You want me to read Treasure Island? This isn’t English class, Collins.”

  “What are you scared you might actually learn something?”

  Abbie knew she had him. Hunter never turned down a dare from her. Just like she never turned down a dare from him. “I dare you to read that whole book, Hunter.”

  His eyes shot to hers as they narrowed. “Fine.” He placed the book under his arm as he turned away from her. After walking a few steps, he looked over his shoulder. “A dare’s a dare. Just remember this isn’t over.”

  Would it ever be?

  Chapter Two

  Sixteen Years
Later

  Son of a bitch!

  Abbie tripped as she ran down the corridor towards the elevator. Of all the days to have her alarm not go off, today was not the day.

  Not when she was ten minutes from leading the biggest meeting of her career.

  Abbie clutched her bag closer to her side as she glanced at her watch. Shit! Maybe if she sprinted up the twenty-six flights of stairs, she’d get there with a few minutes to spare?

  As soon as the thought entered her head, it left. She rolled her eyes so hard she almost gave herself a migraine.

  Who the hell was she kidding?

  She’d make it up one set of stairs before she’d be huffing and puffing. By the third set, she’d probably pass out. Plus, who in the hell takes the stairs? It would be six months before someone found her.

  Elevator it was.

  When Abbie rounded the last corner in the hall, she saw her prize. She watched as a sales representative which she believed worked on the tenth floor enter the elevator.

  She looked down at her watch again.

  Fuck it.

  Modesty completely thrown out the window Abbie propelled herself to a full-on sprint towards her target.

  Well, as best of a sprint she could do. Running had never been her strong suit. The only marathons she did were binge-watching shows or marathon reading.

  Shoes to ground, not so much.

  And right now, Abbie didn’t give a rat’s ass how she looked running down through the lobby. Not when the most sought-after client was upstairs waiting for her presentation. If she signed Robert Jefferson, it would go down as one of the biggest accounts in advertising history. That’s all that mattered.