Free Dare Me Forever by Paige Edward

an
hour, and I’ll be ready,” I promised. “If you bring a blueberry
muffin with that coffee, I’ll forgive you for waking me in the
middle of a super hot dream.” I stretched my arm above my head and
yawned loudly into the phone.
    “And who was the star
of said super hot dream?” Cat asked dramatically, but I wasn’t
going to answer her right away—at least not until I saw her in
person.
    “Coffee, muffin,” I
muttered in my best Tarzan impression. I ended the call, and closed
my eyes. A few more minutes of relaxation before I started the day.
Ryan’s face floated to the edge of my mind, and I could see the way
he’d smiled at me as I’d walked toward him on the beach the night
before. I imagined him beside me in this bed, kissing my neck, making
his way down my body with his tongue. I imagined that extraordinary
look in his eye as he pushed himself into me. His chest hard, but
those eyes, tender. Like I was all he needed in the whole world.
    I needed to stop
thinking about him 24/7. But I couldn’t get him off my mind. He was
an arrogant, business-obsessed Brit, but he was also an affectionate,
witty, complicated person—and more than anything I wanted to figure
out the puzzle of who and why he was who he was.
    Maybe the hike with Cat
would give help give my thoughts a rest. We’d better make it a
really hard hike, so that I’d have to concentrate on my breathing,
and knock these somewhat obsessive, X-rated thoughts to the back of
my mind. I really couldn’t remember thinking of anyone this much,
without actually really knowing them. I’d only seen him three
times. But last night was making it impossible for me to push it from
my mind. I remembered feeling infatuated this way with Hunter, but I
had known him for years before we got together, and anyways, I’d
been a teenager.
    I didn’t have any
excuses now. I was twenty-three, I hardly knew Ryan, and yet he was
invading every waking moment. I hated to admit to myself that he was
in my dreams too. And I certainly wasn’t going to dwell on the fact
that I was still wet from the dream, where he had made love to me
like no one else had before. Totally consuming me.
    I heard the doorbell
ring twenty minutes later. I guess Cat couldn’t wait any longer. I
sighed as I opened the door, but the minute I saw the steaming coffee
and smelled the freshly baked goods, I couldn’t even tease her
about being early.
    “Coffee Savior, I bow
down to you,” I announced thankfully. “I was out later than usual
with this new guy, Ryan. I want to tell you about him. I just need to
wake up first.” It was impossible not to be happy looking at Cat
with her pageboy haircut, bright yellow sports top and matching
yellow stretch pants. Throw in her neon green laces on her new Nike
grey kicks and it was undeniable--she looked like the sun on acid.
Thankfully, she was only 5 feet tall, so there wasn’t too much to
look at. I think otherwise I could have been blinded.
    I slurped the coffee
and walked back inside. I already had on my black stretch pants and a
new blue tank with a sports bra sewed in, hugging my curves. I put my
coffee on the kitchen table, and ran into the bathroom. Pulling my
brown hair into a high ponytail, and smoothing down my bangs, I
looked into the mirror. I looked like one happy camper. I couldn’t
remember the last time I’d been so optimistic about life.
    I grabbed my phone and
texted Hunter to come a little later to drop off his present. That
way we wouldn’t have to rush back from the hike. I’m sure he
wasn’t yet awake.
    Slipping on my socks
and hooking my finger around the laces of my shoes, I carried them
and my coffee into Cat’s car. As I tied my laces into tight double
knots, we headed towards the hills, only twenty-five minutes away.
I’d still have time for a quick shower and change in order to open
the store on time. She put on one of our favorite pre work out songs, Will I Am , and we sang along with Nicki. Cat is all