Don't You Dare

Chapter 1

"Some clothes should have been delivered here this morning. Three garment bags if I'm not mistaken." Dexter was exhausted and the concierge's inefficiency was adding to his irritability. Still, he didn't let his polite smile slip for a second. Having flown all the way from Denver last night, immediately after his latest army stint, he hadn't stopped to even grab a bite in the past 48 hours. 48 hours of non-stop travel certainly took a toll on any man and all Dexter could think about was getting his wedding clothes, his room-keys and crashing out. If the concierge ever located his goddamn clothes. He'd reminded Nina, his sister only around twelve times and with her knack for organisation he knew the clothes should've been here by now.

"You know what? Forget the clothes for now, I'll come back for them. Can you just tell me which room I'm in? Dexter Fields, part of the bridal party."

As the concierge tapped away on his computer, Dexter looked around the resort. It was gorgeous, an ideal spot for a wedding, sophisticated yet relaxed at the same time. And then he saw her. A girl- no, woman- looking as gorgeous, sophisticated and relaxed as her surroundings, spread out on an armchair, laughing loudly at something one of her girlfriends was saying. That laugh lit up the room, travelling right down Dexter's core. His eyes travelled down her open, pink mouth to her small body that was toned yet curvy in an ideal combination. When he looked back at her face that pink mouth had closed and she was staring right at him. He smiled.

He didn't even have the gall to look ashamed. This stranger who had definitely been checking her out- it was impossible not to take notice of his heated stare as it roved her body and made her tingle- only smirked at her when he met her eyes. And what amazing eyes his were. A deep grey, his eyes seemed to pierce through her and stare right into her soul and Dani blamed the intensity of his stare for the sudden flare within her. No chemistry, just intensity.

And then his smirked changed and he nodded at her in a gesture that couldn't be mistaken for anything other than what it was- come here. Dani looked around. Julie was still in the middle of her story and Christine and Regan were hanging onto every word, oblivious that Dani had stopped listening. So, murmuring some nonsense, Dani got up and headed to the concierge desk, resolutely ignoring her better instincts.

"Room 301, sir. And here is your key." As the concierge handed this man a key, he ignored her presence though she knew he knew she was there. And when he finally turned around and smiled at her, her heart skipped a beat, a reaction she hadn't had in a long, long, long time.

"Dexter," as he held out his hand, she blatantly scanned him from head to toe- a liberty he had already taken with her. In a faded, navy-blue cotton T-shirt and rugged jeans, with a military backpack hanging from one shoulder, he was the poster boy for casual. Dani's eyes paused at the military backpack and as she took his hand she jerkily nodded towards it.

"Army?"

He nodded and his hand enveloped hers, large and warm, with callouses that further emphasised his occupation.

"Been in the military for almost eight years now."

Dani flinched imperceptibly, but before she could let her mind wander further and wonder about any implications, she pasted on a smile on her face and introduced herself.

"Are you here for the wedding, then?" she asked, letting go of his hand and then not letting herself wonder why she missed the contact.

"Yeah, I've known Kady since college days. Which side are you on, bride's or groom's?" Dexter shifted his weight from foot to foot and covered his face as he let out a small yawn.

Dani studied him more closely. His dark hair was sticking up here and there, clearly a result of running his hands through it often. He had shadows under his eyes and he let out a second yawn soon after his first. Dani recognized exhaustion easily and she knew that if he was in the army it was possible he had gone without sleep for ages. Denver was the nearest army base and that was a good 48 hours away.

"Bride or groom, Dani?"

"Huh?" She'd been too busy searching his face and finding familiar signs of exhaustion to answer him. She kicked herself. Just because this stranger was in the army didn't give her the right to assume she knew him. He probably wasn't even tired, Dani was just projecting. But the situation was awfully familiar to her and the ramifications of all her feelings slowly started to creep up on her. She was getting tingly; finding the contact of just his hand comforting; and she couldn't stop thinking about his eyes and how they felt on her body. And damn it all to hell, he was an army-officer!

"I've- I've got to go back, sorry." And so she fled.

Dani's gaze on him had been searching, she had studied his face curiously as if he was a science experiment. As if she was documenting and cataloguing. And after her intense appraisal she'd just turned her back on him, not even answering his dumb question. Dexter rubbed his eyes. Either it was his tiredness playing tricks on him or that interaction had not gone normally. He could feel the chemistry between them, hell he was ready to screw his exhaustion and take her to bed with him the second he'd heard that delectable laugh and seen those perky breasts straining against her tank top. But aside from when she'd checked him out in the beginning (and then she'd focused on nothing but his luggage!) she'd shown no signs of interest. And leaving him as abruptly as she had was clearly a sign of the opposite of interest.

Dexter was an expert when it came to women and this one had turned him down before he even had the chance to turn on his charm. Fuck, he couldn't think about this now. He'd take a nice, long nap and then see if he could find Dani later tonight. Because no way was he letting her go so easily.

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