Dare You to Run by Dawn Ryder Read Free Book Online Page B

something different though. If he wasn’t her biological father, she’d swear he was jealous.
    Even knowing that, she still battled to swallow her distaste. She was pulling on her arm, the pain increasing to the point of agony.
    â€œAh, Carl.” Her sire suddenly switched tracks, becoming the good-natured man he presented to the public.
    It made her skin crawl.
    â€œEvening Jeb.” Carl Davis reached out and shook her father’s hand.
    If possible, her misgivings doubled, because the two men struck her as reflections of each other. Both of them as fake as hundred-dollar diamonds.
    â€œI want you to know Jeb, I am just bold enough to challenge you for this lovely creature you are keeping to yourself,” Carl declared as he held out a hand to Damascus. “Just because you’re her father, don’t go thinking you can monopolize her. I intend to get a slice of her time.”
    â€œYou do tend to get what you go after,” her sire joked good-naturedly.
    Although it wasn’t really a joke. There was true admiration in her sire’s tone, something that could so easily translate into disaster for her.
    Carl was grinning as he captured her hand and pulled her toward him. The musicians had struck up again, and he turned her into a waltz. But his hand slipped too low on her back, his little finger teasing the swell of her bottom.
    â€œYou are stunning tonight, Damascus.”
    The compliment unnerved her, sending a warning through her brain. There was a flicker in Carl’s eyes that hinted at possessiveness. Something she wasn’t at all interested in.
    â€œI had a wonderful lunch with your father last week.” Carl’s hand ventured lower. She stiffened and watched his lips curve with satisfaction. “I think you and I should retire to some place more private to discuss the outcome of that meeting.”
    â€œExcuse me.” She raised her voice enough so Carl was forced to release her or risk judgment from those close enough to hear. His grin faded but only for a moment. He flashed her a look that made it clear he was enjoying the chase.
    â€œI need to go to the ladies room.” She ducked through an arch and down a hallway, feeling like someone had just tried to stick her head through a noose.
    Well, in a way that was exactly what had happened. Carl Davis was slated for the next presidential nomination in three years. His wife had passed away from cancer very suddenly the year before, and bachelors didn’t make for solid campaigns. Her sire had been shoving her toward the man ever since the diagnosis went public. What chilled her blood was the interest flickering in Carl’s eyes. All she saw was the difference between the way Carl looked at her and the way Vitus had.
    It was a stark comparison, one that left her slightly nauseated because there was no way she was going to settle for what she saw in Carl’s eyes.
    But that left her dodging him, and the only place to go was the garden. At least the night was nice. She slipped through another hallway and out into the garden. There were whispers and a few breathless sounds from behind some of the immaculately kept plants. She steered clear of them and made her way along one of the paths.
    â€œExactly what I was going to suggest.” Carl caught her hand and pulled her to a stop.
    Damascus recoiled, her heels wobbling on the cobblestones. Carl used it as an excuse to reach out and cup her elbow.
    â€œReally, Mr. Davis—”
    â€œCarl,” he insisted in a low tone. “Now that I have your father’s blessing, let’s dispense with formality.”
    She moved her hand in a wide circle and lowered it on the other side of his arm. Even though she’d only learned it from a book and practiced it alone in her room, the self-defense technique worked beautifully. Surprise flashed through Carl’s eyes as she withdrew a few paces.
    â€œI am focused on completing my doctorate,”