Free Dare to Touch by Carly Phillips

passengers,” the disjointed voice said over the sound system just as Dylan rejoined her.
    “Ready?”
    “Can’t wait.” Her anticipation and excitement returned.
    He bent and picked up the handle of his carry-on just as his cell phone rang.
    “I’ll grab this as we head over to the gate.”
    She shrugged and started to walk beside him as he put the phone to his ear.
    “Hey, Meg. Just getting ready to board. Anything important?”
    His ex-girlfriend, calling him as he boarded a plane to leave town? Seriously? That quickly, her good mood evaporated. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe men and women could be just friends … or maybe she didn’t believe it, after all. Especially a man and a woman who’d once been in an intimate relationship. Didn’t Meg have any girlfriends she could call with her problems?
    “Okay, look, you can either pack up his shit or wait till he decides to get his lazy ass home from Vegas and have him do it himself, but it’s time.”
    Great, so he was encouraging her to break up with her boyfriend. Olivia hated where her thoughts were going at the moment, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.
    When they reached the attendant in charge of boarding, he said, “I’ll talk to you from Phoenix.” Pause. “Yeah. Take care. Bye.”
    Olivia gritted her teeth and handed the woman her boarding pass, had it scanned, and marched down the gateway.
    “Liv, wait up!” Dylan called after her.
    She slowed and he caught up to her. “Sorry about that. Meg’s having some problems with her boyfriend.”
    She raised her eyebrows. “And she turns to you to solve them? That’s sweet.” She stepped onto the plane, hurt and annoyed for no good reason—and for every good reason. She couldn’t decide which.
    So she settled herself into her seat, aware of Dylan’s worried stare as he took his seat beside her. But she had nothing to offer him, no response. Instead, she asked an attendant for a pillow, accepted a blanket, curled up, and went to sleep.

Chapter Five
    D ylan knew he’d fucked up the minute he’d said Meg’s name out loud. He knew his feelings for Meg were purely platonic, but he was beginning to wonder if Olivia believed what he’d told her.
    He frowned. He didn’t like to think she didn’t take him at his word. Then again, if she’d gotten a phone call from an ex right before boarding, not long after he’d smelled the other man’s cologne on her shirt, he wouldn’t be a bundle of sane understanding either.
    “Shit.”
    They’d ascended a little while ago, and Olivia had slept through takeoff. He had a feeling she was avoiding him and any conversation about Meg.
    He ran a hand through his hair and glanced over at his sleeping beauty. Olivia’s profile had softened. Her long, loose braid fell over one shoulder, and occasionally, soft little sounds escaped her throat, making him smile.
    He had no doubt his feelings for her were different than any he’d ever had before. From the moment they’d been introduced and he’d shaken her hand, he’d felt as if he’d been sucker-punched. When he’d discovered she could talk football plays, he’d fallen even more under her spell. She’d been involved with someone back then, and he’d kept a respectful distance.
    He was finished with distance now.
    *     *     *
    Olivia awoke with a stiff neck, her head tipped to one side, the pillow beneath her hard. She opened her eyes, took in the backs of the seats in front of her, and realized she was on the plane and she’d laid her head on Dylan’s shoulder in her sleep.
    She wanted to jump up, but the crick in her neck prevented quick movement. “Oww,” she said as she slowly straightened her head.
    “Hey,” Dylan said. “Are you okay?”
    “My neck hurts. Awkward sleeping position.” She forced herself to turn and face him. “I’m sorry I ended up sleeping on you.”
    “I’m not.”
    She blew out a long breath. “Dylan—”
    “Livvy, I’m going to tell you