The Dating Dare

Jayci Lee

Contents (24)

Begin Reading

Table of Contents

About the Author

Thank you for buying this

St. Martin’s Press ebook.

To receive special offers, bonus content,

and info on new releases and other great reads,

Or visit us online at

us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup

For email updates on the author, click here.

The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the author’s copyright, please notify the publisher at: us.macmillanusa.com/piracy.

To Lulu: it all began with you.

CHAPTER ONE

The wedding was picture-perfect. The spring garden outside the groom’s restaurant overlooked the Kern River, and was drenched with the soft hues of sunset. Just being there made Tara Park sigh dreamily. She couldn’t imagine a more romantic venue. Celebrity chef Aria Santini, the couple’s close friend, had prepared the locally sourced gourmet dinner. It was exquisitely presented, and tasted even more delicious than it looked. Add to that the abundantly flowing California wines. The reception rocked the night.

Tara scanned the warm, happy scene from a quiet corner in the bustling garden and smiled, briefly ignoring the distraction that marred the glorious evening. Aubrey and Landon—the bride and groom—existed only for each other, every look and whispered word a declaration of their love. The guests chatted and laughed, basking in the happily-ever-after glow of the beautiful couple.

Myriad contradicting emotions threatened to overwhelm Tara. She scattered them with a resolute shake of her head, reminding herself that Aubrey would always be her best friend. But it was more than that. Stop it, Tara. You have no time to sulk. It was time to deal with the gorgeous man who’d been staring at her all night. His undivided attention made her want to fidget or maybe preen a little. She couldn’t decide which. Either way, ignoring him had taken some major willpower.

Well, her dear friend’s new brother-in-law or not, enough was enough. She’d been irritatingly aware of his whereabouts the entire evening, so it wasn’t difficult to locate him now. Seth Kim stood by a bar on the other side of the garden, sipping from a clear glass beaded with condensation. He looked enticingly elegant in his classic tuxedo, and her eyes eagerly perused his body until she caught herself. Cut it out. She hiked up her floor-length dress, marched over, and stopped in front of him. It was time to put the best man in his place.

“You need to stop staring at my ass,” she said with her fists planted on her hips.

He smiled and turned to face her squarely, sliding a hand into his pants pocket. “On the contrary, I was studying all of you. Not just your stunning backside.”