I smirk. “Let me guess, you send red roses, and buy them fancy lingerie, too?”

“You say it like it’s a bad thing.” Dash gives me a smoldering look that makes my stomach twist.

I look away, flustered. “Not bad. Just cliché.”

I head upstairs, and Dash follows. “For someone who’s single, you sure have a lot of opinions about what makes the perfect boyfriend,” Dash comments, teasing.

“And for someone who claims to be such a success with women, it’s interesting you have to pay one to put up with you for the whole weekend,” I shoot back.

“Well, you know my reason for that,” Dash says, coming to a stop by my bedroom door. He fixes me with a smirk. “There’s no danger of you falling head over heels for me.”

“None at all,” I vow, trying to block the memory of his mouth on mine.

“Glad to hear it, honeybun,” he says, and leans in to kiss me on my cheek.

At least, that’s what I realize he’s doing—a moment too late. I jolt in surprise, turning towards him…

… So his lips brush against my mouth, instead.

We both pull back at the unexpected contact, but only for a second.

Our eyes lock. Heat sizzles.

And even though I’ve only sipped a half glass of wine with dinner, there must have been a hell of a lot of liquor in that chocolate sauce, because I have no other excuse for what happens next.

Dash reaches for me—and I reach right back. Suddenly, we’re kissing.

Again.

Yes.

If my kiss out in the party was playful, this one is downright smoldering. My back slams against the wall, as Dash’s mouth is on me, devouring and delicious. I reach up, pulling him closer, running my hands through his hair as I revel in the feel of him, all heat and urgency and hard, taut muscle.

Somewhere, a little voice is telling me that this is a bad idea, but it’s immediately drowned out by the thunder of heat in my veins, and the gasp I inhale as Dash tears his mouth from mine and kisses a blazing trail down my neck. I shudder with pleasure under his expert hands, roving over my curves, as his teeth finds one sundress strap and tugs, pulling the tie undone—

Reality suddenly crashes through my haze of desire.

What am I doing?

“Stop!” I blurt, pulling away. Dash immediately steps back, looking about as flustered as I feel. “I don’t… I mean, we can’t… Ground rules!” I manage to cry, before diving into my room and slamming the door in his face.

Real smooth, Callie.

I sink back against the door, still reeling. My mouth is tingling, and as for the rest of my body…

I let out a groan of frustration—and despair. Dash was literally undressing me in the hallway of his grandmother’s house. Dash, the rogue playboy I swore would have zero effect on me, inches from second base.

While I loved every minute of it.