Chapter Four Dare
A s I stared up at the club ceiling, I blinked my eyes in a stupor. What the fuck had just happened? One minute I was vertical and the next horizontal on the floor. But as a stacked brunette smirked down at me, it all came rushing back.
With a cheeky little smile, she said, “Like I said, sweetheart , I didn’t need your help.”
I was a sick fuck because those words coupled with the glorious shot up her dress got me rock hard. Just as I was about to open my mouth to demand her name and number, Niall and Thomas came barreling through the crowd. “Whoa, wait!” I commanded.
But they didn’t hear me over the music. When their hands roughly grasped the woman’s upper arms, she shrieked in pain. “Get your hands off me!” she bellowed.
“ Lig di dul! ” I shouted. They froze before staring at me in surprise. “I said, let her go!”
“But she–” Niall started to protest
“Is hardly a threat,” I replied.
The woman huffed as Niall and Thomas released her. As her trembling hand smoothed back her long dark hair, she countered, “I beg to differ about being a threat. I took you down, didn’t I?”
I chuckled at her cheek. “Aye. But only because I was distracted by your rapturous beauty.”
Jerking her chin up, “If you keep letting your dick distract you, it’ll happen again. I hope for your sake your friends are close by.”
With a grin, I couldn’t help asking, “Are you Sicilian by any chance?”
Her brows creased in confusion. “Excuse me?”
“Are you from Sicily?”
“What does that have to do with me being manhandled?”
“Your temper. It reminds me of my sister-in-law who is Sicilian.”
With a shake of her head, she replied, “I’m Greek.”
“I was close.”
“Hardly considering a vast sea separates them.”
“So what’s your name, my Grecian goddess?”
She had the unmitigated gall to roll her eyes at me. “Seriously, does that kinda line work on women?”
Flashing her a grin, I replied, “Always.”
“Looks like your odds are changing.”
When she started to walk off, I said, “Give me your name so both I and my men can probably apologize.”
She stared at me a moment before rolling her eyes. “Fine. It’s Ava.”
Tilting my head at her, I said, “Ava isn’t a Greek name.”
“Are you calling me a liar about my own name?”
“Just stating facts.”
“You’re right, Ace. It’s Hebrew for life. And before you ask, the last name is Carras.”
“Very Greek.”
“And since you sound like a leprechaun, I guess you’re an O’Malley or a McDonald?”
Niall and Thomas had the audacity to snicker behind their hands at me being called a wee man. With a wink, I said, “McDonald is Scottish.”
“Whatever.”
Extending my hand, I said, “I’m Dare Kavanaugh.”
“Please tell me that’s a nickname and not part of some Bond-like persona.”
I laughed. “It is. I’m Darragh, but since I was a pretty rowdy kid, everybody shortened it to Dare.”
“Makes sense.”
After eyeing my hand, she finally slid hers in for a shake. I tried ignoring the electricity that shot through me at her touch. “Nice to meet you Ava Carras.”
With a sickening sweet grin, she said, “It was nice knocking you on your ass, Dare.” Cocking her brows, she said, “Or should I say arse?”
Her verbal lashing sent my cock throbbing. “You can do anything you’d like with my arse.”
“I think I’m good,” she shot back.
With the electricity between us fizzling, I turned back to Niall and Thomas, “Apologize to Ms. Carras for your manhandling.”
From their expressions, you would’ve thought I asked them to grovel on their knees. In unison, they grumbled, “I’m sorry.”
To my surprise, she smiled at them. “While I thank you, your apologies aren’t necessary. You guys were just doing your job since I got physical with your friend.”
“ My men tend to be a little overzealous at times.”
Tilting her head, her cornflower blue eyes appraised me curiously. “ Your men?” Glancing between the three of us, she asked, “Are you guys in some sort of throuple?”
I snorted. “You think we’re dating?”
When I uttered the words, Thomas’s eyes bulged in horror while Niall merely chuckled.
Ava shrugged. “You said they were yours.”
“As in they work for me.” When she still didn’t look convinced, I added, “As my bodyguards.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh. Wow.”
“Ava Carras, this is Thomas, and this is Niall,” I introduced.
“Nice meeting you,” Ava said as she held out her hand.
Before they would shake her hand, they checked with me to make sure it was okay. If Ava noticed, she didn’t let on. When the introductions were over, I said, “I think Ms. Carras, and I are good now. You two can go.”
“Yes, sir,” they answered.
As they started off, I leaned in to whisper in Niall’s ear. “Get one of the IT people to run a background check on Ava. I need to know if she has any ties to the Greek mafia families.”
He nodded and then hurried off the floor. Although it was the Italians and the Bratva that gave us the most trouble, we had experienced run-ins with certain Greek families over shipping territories.
Once we were alone, I turned back to Ava. “Was it my imagination or were you more surprised Thomas and Niall were my bodyguards rather than my boyfriends?” I teased.
“It’s just you look so young to have bodyguards..”
I chuckled. “The babyface gets me every time.”
Peering curiously at me, Ava asked, “Just how old are you?”
“Don’t worry. I’m legal should you want to take advantage of me.”
Although she rolled her eyes, she laughed. “I’m very aware you’re legal. I want to know your number.” Tilting her chin at me, she suggested, “Twenty-five?”
“Close. Twenty-seven.”
“Right. I’m thirty, so we’re good.”
“Three years barely qualifies you as a cougar.”
“Funny. But I’m looking for an older man who has the experience.”
“Trust me. I can fuck any older man under the table.”
“Is that right?”
“While he can get hard maybe once a night, I can go three rounds.”
“Let me guess. As cocky as you are, you must be an athlete or celebrity?”
“I own this club.”
Ava gasped. “ You do?”
“My brothers and I do.”
Instead of being impressed, horror swept over her face. “Oh God, I assaulted a club owner,” she murmured while sweeping her hand to her forehead.
“From your reaction, I assume you’re not usually a ninja assassin.”
A nervous giggle burst from her lips. “Me? God no. I mean, I’ve used my moves from time to time with handsy men.”
“They’re pretty impressive.”
“Thanks. Two intermediate self-defense classes from the YMCA.”
“The YMCA? I never would’ve guessed it.”
“Don’t tell me you thought I was an ex-marine or something?” Ava countered.
“As much of a ball-buster as you are, it wouldn’t surprise me.”
Ava laughed, and fuck me, did I like the sound of it. “Surely, it isn’t part of your job to save damsels in distress?”
“Some nights.” With a wink, I added, “But you would argue you weren’t in distress.”
“That’s right.”
“Why don’t you let me show you how sorry I am by buying you a drink?”
“You just don’t stop with the pick-up lines, do you?’
I laughed. “Like I mentioned before, I have great stamina.”
“Spare me.”
“Truth is, I usually don’t have any lines. Women just throw themselves at me.”
“I’m sure owning a club, along with your good looks, doesn't hurt.”
“They help, but the charm seals the deal.”
With a wry smile, she replied, “Listen, thanks for getting rid of that guy and in turn not having your men throw me out.”
“Come on now, I’m serious. Let me at least buy you a drink.”
“I think I’ve had enough excitement for one evening.”
“Having a douchebag hump all over you is unfortunate and degrading, not exciting.”
Flicking a lock of her dark hair over her shoulder, she stated, “I’d argue taking your ass down was.”
Fuck. Where had this woman been all my life? “If I can promise you no more lines directed at getting up your dress and into what I imagine is your sexy thong, would you have a drink?”
Pursing her lips, she sized me up again. “I suppose one drink wouldn’t hurt.”
If I had anything to do with it, there would be multiple drinks, some hot and sweaty dancing, and maybe dinner, which would be followed by an all-night fuckfest.
Flashing her a smile, I motioned to the bar. “Then let’s go.”