Dare to Love (A Man of the Month Club #11)

Prologue

LILIAN

“You’re shutting up the shop early today,”

Paisley, my best friend shouted at me from across the street, her blonde locks swaying in the slight wind as she reached for her shades as I fought to suppress the groan that I desperately wanted to expel from my throat.

I flicked my wrist up and glanced at the time after I finished securing the shop’s door closed and took my key out, sliding it back into my pocket as the fluffy pink Pom Pom with a chocolate bar hung out the side.

A quarter to the hour.

So, yeah, she was correct a whole forty-five minutes earlier than normal.

I had a valid reason though.

I had hoped to escape her; my best friend.

I turned on my heel and schooled my features as Paisley grinned widely, checking the street was clear before she skipped across to greet me.

The eccentric mis-matched clothes she wore on her curvy form always made me want to beam at her confidence she exhibited.

I just had to stay cool and collected today—well over this holiday.

Then I could go back to being me—happy, smiley and the bouncy chocolatier owner that the residents and guests of Starlight Bay had grown to love.

“You weren’t trying to escape me, were you? I mean we’d agreed to meet at the end of the day.

You know what day it is tomorrow and?—”

“I had something come up and I was going to message you—”

I began to ramble out as Paisley raised her shades, blinking twice as she scrunched up her freckled nose and gave me the once over from top to toe.

Shit I forgot my bag and light jacket.

I instantly felt my cheeks start to heat under her gaze and my fair complexion would mean I was certain to look like I was a strawberry now.

I nervously fidgeted on the spot placing all my weight between each foot before I sucked in a large breath and met her beckoning, bright green shimmering gaze of mischief.

“Fine, you caught me out.

I was hoping to escape the talk that I knew was coming with you.”

“Aiden even asked if I’d sprung it on you yet.

Plus, I had a great conversation with your new apprentice, Cal.”

Paisley excitedly uttered to me as I took in the bright red cherries on her skirt and pineapples caked across her T-shirt.

At least she’d picked the same group of objects this time .

I don’t know how she managed to hold her head high attending those lectures with college students especially that day last week when she went in wearing her hair in buns, a banana print top and bright fluorescent pink feathers on the trousers. I mean talking with her step-brother I can understand but my newly hired apprentice and helper in the chocolatier shop was news to my ears. He was surprising me with how quickly he was picking up all the skills he was learning from me just not how well he fitted in with the gossip and locals—especially the one and only Paisley. “I haven’t ever been able to set you a dare for National Dare Day, Lilian. This is the year girl. You know how much I love it.”

She squealed with joy as my ears ringed from the high-pitched tone. “It’s my favourite holiday… like ever.”

“I know but it’s the worst for me. How can you find setting dares fun?”

I joked to her, leaning against the door of my chocolate shop, Lil’s Sweet Treats. “It’s why I always make sure I plan my vacation to visit my mom and my cousin. It’s the perfect timing.”

“Except this year it’s not.”

Paisley chuckled to herself. “This year they’re going away and you are here with me which means?—”

“I’d considered just taking the forfeit. I mean what’s the worst that could happen?”

I feigned to her, like it didn’t matter in the slightest.

The thing was I know deep down Paisley took this dare dead seriously and she’d make sure I had something that would stick with not only me but the whole of Starlight Bay.

In the past she’d made Alec dress up in a dinosaur outfit and be the star in the latest performance shown and Jenni be the sole person running the kissing booth whilst singing—trust me many people avoided that stand that year with how bad the pitch and tone of the singing was.

The worst of it was everything was public and in plain sight—you couldn’t try and fake or state you’d undertaken the forfeit like the original founders did.

It’s why this clause came into effect.

I’d be then known as the girl who wouldn’t play ball and instead quivered at the thought of a little dare rather than the successful business woman who owned a chocolatier shop that had customers traveling from out of town to visit her.

“Why not introduce National Dare Day back at Rosewood Pines, I’m sure Aiden would love to initiate a style of the day with the fire crew back there. You could make a visit and ensure everyone abides by the rules and doesn’t break any of them, instantly setting themselves up for a forfeit too.”

“I’m not going anywhere and don’t think about mentioning me going back to Rosewood Pines and missing the event. I think they do enough dangerous activities without wanting to endure something like National Dare Day anyway. They are heroes and train for the most intense of a situation—they’d probably pick a forfeit if it was to have some fun and laughter over the seriousness of their everyday lives. It’s just not going to happen, okay?”

She stated, placing her hands on her curvy hips and straightening her spine as she stood in her red kitten heels.

My feet ached just to look at the picture knowing she’d been walking and strutting her stuff wearing those contraptions all day without a single flinch.

“I have everything mapped out. It’s the perfect plan—if I say so myself.”

“And when am I going to find out about this plan…”

I asked her knowing there’s no point fighting the issue any longer. I might as well embrace what I can.

“Well…”

She began as she flicked her gaze across to the street corner to the grumbling growl and frustration echoing from a deep masculine voice, pinpointing her gaze instantly to that direction and diverting her attention away from me.

“Paisley…”

I asked her. “You were saying?”

I questioned her as her smile widened and she glanced at me with a glimmer of mischief in her gaze.

Reid Belgrave was rounding the bend with his hair messed up, prim suit and briefcase in hand, a fear instantly creeping up my spine.

“Paisley, please tell me that you aren’t going to declare anything to do with that man for National Dare Day?”

I confirmed in shock reaching for my chest hoping that I could continue to push the air into my lungs and that this was just my tired mind playing tricks on me. I took a step backwards, grateful for the door behind me taking my weight in this moment knowing otherwise I’d have been flat on my ass and Reid would have been over here straight away looking at some regulation I’d have broken to cheer his grumpy ass up. “Paisley…”

“I’ve got to go.”

Paisley cheerily said as my eye twitched. “I need to check in with Reid about something. Until tomorrow.”

She waved at me as I instantly wished the world would make me disappear.

I know Paisley loved to have fun with National Dare Day but really could she actually think of a dare involving the two of us pushing me straight out of my comfort zone and into a territory that I’d hate and despise.

I’ve got to be wrong, haven’t I? She’s my best friend after all and that takes precedence over a holiday, doesn’t it?