Free Double Dare by Rhonda Nelson Page A

the instant the feeling grabbed her.
She’d stopped that incessant braying to the Almighty and opened her
arms and tilted her head back in sublime satisfaction. Her ponytail
stood on end, whipped by the night breeze as she hurtled happily to
the ground, and he could see her grin from here. Illogical pride
swamped him. Lou appeared to be an natural-born thrill-seeker.
    That, or just certifiably crazy. What on
earth had possessed her to kiss him like that? Better still, why
had he responded? He’d been practically bowled over from the impact
of her ardent behavior. Geez, when she’d grabbed his shirt and
dragged him to her… Sam couldn’t recall ever being so aroused.
    And truthfully, there hadn’t been a moment’s
hesitation as far as his body had been concerned. As soon as it had
recognized her intent, he’d had his lips parted and his tongue
ready, as though kissing Lou were as natural as breathing. Worse,
he feared should they do it anymore, it would become as necessary
as that. The thought didn’t bode well for the remainder of this
trip.
    Lou’s joyous whoop drew his attention and Sam
instantly hurried to her side.
    Her eyes sparkled, her body
vibrated excitement. “That was amazing! I wanna do it again! Can I
go again? My Lord, that was the most exhilarating, thrilling…” She
shrugged, at a loss for words. But Sam knew how she felt. “At first
I was utterly terrified because I hadn’t expected to fall so fast,
but—” She sighed and her gaze turned inward. “—then I just became the fall and…and I
was flying and…it was wonderful.”
    He couldn’t have put it more eloquently
himself. Lou’s cheeks were flushed with excitement, her hair
delightfully mussed and windblown. Her sweet lips were curved into
a radiant smile, one that tugged at something deep inside him.
    Warning bells in his head, signaling imminent
danger. This woman enchanted him beyond reason and past good sense.
He chanced another glance at her and some unnamed emotion seized in
his chest.
    It suddenly occurred to Sam that resisting
her would most likely be an effort in futility.
    But he had to try nonetheless.
    After all, this was Lou’s adventure. Nothing
more. When it ended, what would she do? Say to hell with her
fortune, to her father and her heritage? Sam inwardly humphed. Not
likely.
    Though he hated to admit it, most likely
she’d go back to Atlanta and do her father’s bidding. She’d marry
Chat—a red rage settled in his brain at the thought, but Sam forced
it away. She’d secure the merger and go on with her merry life,
thrilled that she’d taken a couple of weeks in her life to do with
what she pleased. She’d look back on this hiatus from her life for
what it was—an adventure. And, regretfully, all adventures came to
an end.
    Given the way his heart kept trying to
engage, Sam didn’t think he’d fare as easily were he to let himself
go and truly enjoy this time with Lou.
    Lou was special; he’d recognized that from
the beginning. He would simply have try harder to keep his
perspective.
    Lou threaded her small fingers through his
and tugged him toward the lift. “Come on, let’s do it again!”
    Perspective? Yeah. Right.
     
***
     
    Lou felt exhausted by the time they returned
to the hotel. She had been too hyped up from the jumps to eat, so
it didn’t bother her when Sam failed to ask if she were hungry.
    Regretfully, it appeared to be taking him
longer to come around to the idea of being with her. Lou knew she’d
thrown him for a loop with that kiss on the platform, but she
hadn’t been able to help herself. Besides, Sam had kept her
unsettled from the get-go. The time had come for him to be a little
off balance.
    “ Thanks again, Sam,” she
told him as they walked through the deserted corridor to their
rooms. “I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed that.”
    Sam chuckled. “Oh, I think I’ve got an idea.
You jumped four times. That’s a record for me. None of my clients
have ever done four