Jo Leigh - One-Click Buy - September Harlequin Blaze

“Who’s that?” Katie nodded her head at the sleek blonde.

“Oh, that’s Lindsay Beckham. She’s the owner of Chassys and founder of our group. She’s quite the businesswoman and so daring. She’s an example for us all. She’s helped empower so many women. Including my best pal, Kim.”

“Which one is Kim?”

“She’s not here tonight.” Giggling, Tanya lowered her voice. “She’s recovering from getting a boob job that was part of her Martini dare.”

“Martini dare?”

“You’ll see. It’s the reason for the club. The group dares you to go beyond your comfort zone and then offers emotional support for you in the process.”

“So let me get this straight. The group dared your friend Kim to get a boob job?”

Tanya shook her head. “No, they dared her to do something she’d always wanted to do, but had been too afraid to take the leap.”

“So what have you dared?” Katie leaned down closer to whisper to Tanya and her gaze strayed to the woman’s ample bosom.

Tanya caught the look, giggled and wiggled proudly. “These are all me. I haven’t done a dare yet.”

“How come?”

“Lindsay doesn’t think I’m ready.”

“Oh, so Lindsay gets to decide who takes a dare and when?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Lindsay sounds like a bit of a control freak.”

Tanya’s eyes widened as she looked around Katie’s shoulder. “Um, Katie…”

“She’s standing right behind me, isn’t she?”

Tanya just giggled.

Oh, gosh, when was she ever going to learn to keep her big trap shut? This certainly wasn’t an auspicious start to her first Martinis and Bikinis meeting.

Cringing, Katie turned to face the woman and sheepishly wiggled her fingertips. “Hi, there.”

“Lindsay Beckham, resident control freak.” A bemused look was in the woman’s eyes, but she wasn’t smiling. Katie couldn’t tell if she was pissed off or amused.

“Katie Winfield.”

Lindsay studied her with an appraising look and she took so long in responding that Katie began to think it might be best if she just slunk out of there.

“I have an invitation.” She held it up. “See?”

Lindsay looked past Katie. “You came alone?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, it’s nice to have you. Please take a seat. The meeting is about to start.”

Tanya plopped down at an empty table and patted the seat next to her. Kate sat down beside her.

The program started with the women who’d completed their dares from the previous month regaling the rest of the audience with the details of their adventures. One woman had gone skydiving, and she rhapsodized about the experience. Another had dared to ask out her handsome new neighbor, only to discover to her disappointment that he was gay.

The group gave them a rousing round of applause and then Lindsay stepped up again. “And now, we’ve reached the part of the evening where two members of our group are chosen to pick a scroll from the sacred Box of Dares.”

A ripple of excitement ran through the crowd as Lindsay made a big production of bringing out a heavy wooden box.

“As always, we recite the rules first.” Lindsay pantomimed unrolling a parchment and held up the invisible rules in front of her. “The members chosen for the dare must be approved by a majority of the membership present. As you swore when you joined Martinis and Bikinis, once you agree to pick a dare, there’s no backing out. Period. Even quitting the group will not exempt you from your most serious obligation.” She looked out over the gathered women. “Hands up if you understand.”

Everyone except Katie raised their hands. She was only visiting.

“Then by the completely nonimportant authority vested in me by the Martinis and Bikinis Organization, I announce that Sherry will take the first dare this month. Everyone agree?”

It was a unanimous vote.

Sherry, a thin but curvaceous blonde with short spiked hair and crimson lipstick, bounced up to the front of the room. Katie noticed her hand shook slightly as she drew out a scrolled piece of parchment wrapped with a red ribbon. These women took their dares seriously.

After untying the ribbon, Sherry rolled down the scroll and read her dare aloud. “Take a ride in an expensive Italian sports car, but do it completely in the nude.”

The women hooted and catcalled and craned forward with interest. “Go, Sherry!” someone shouted.

Pfft, that sounded easy to Katie. She thought of the Babes Gone Braless video she’d appeared in during spring break her sophomore year of college. Now that was a dare.

Remember, you’ve sworn off doing rash things. Maybe this group isn’t for you if they encourage people to do rash things.

“Katie.” Lindsay held up the box and shook it. “Your turn.”

She splayed a hand to her chest. “Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“But…but I’m new.”

Lindsay looked around at the group. “Anyone opposed to Katie picking tonight?”

Katie was the only one who raised her hand.

“Majority rules.” Lindsay wagged the box. “You’re up.”

“I’m not even an official member,” Katie protested.

“You can join tonight.”

Katie shook her head. “I’m not sure I’m ready to make that commitment.”

“What’s the matter? Are you too afraid to empower your life?” Lindsay challenged.

Katie narrowed her eyes. She knew what this was about. Lindsay was getting even with her for that control-freak comment by making her choose a dare on her very first night.

Not one to back down from a challenge, Katie shot to her feet. For a split second, a wave of panic washed over her. Here she was again, jumping headlong into something without considering the consequences. But she wasn’t about to let Lindsay see her hesitate.

With a toss of her head, she marched to the front of the room, stuck her hand in the box and drew her first dare.

She slipped the red velvet ribbon from the crisp parchment scroll, unrolled it and read out loud to the room. “You have drawn a three-part dare. Each of your dares is to be completed within one week’s time. The second and third dares will be mailed to reach you by the Thursday of each week. For this week, your dare is to make love to the man of your dreams in a forbidden place.”

Stunned, Katie turned to gape at Lindsay. It was as if the dare had been tailor-made for her. Correction. Tailor-made for the old Katie. The one who used to do foolish things like make love to strangers in closets.

“Ball’s in your court, Katie.” Lindsay smirked. “Are you all talk? Or do you dare?”

ANTICIPATION.

A heightened sense of expectation had been nipping at his heels for three days. Liam was so stoked about seeing Katie again that he pulled into the secure parking lot three blocks down from Sharper Designs fifteen minutes ahead of their scheduled Friday meeting.

All week long, he’d kept thinking about Tony’s advice.

Seduce Katie Winfield. Have a good time. Sow a few wild oats.

His body tensed with the thought of her. His mouth filled with the remembered taste of her sweet lips as he hopped out of his Lamborghini, briefcase in tow and headed for Sharper Designs.

And then, as if he’d conjured her from thin air, Liam spied Katie standing on the sidewalk, peering into the window of a pet store.

Irresistibly, his eyes were drawn to her. Her sleek blond Boston Brahmin hair was capped off by a bright red beret. She looked incredibly jaunty as she raised a lithe hand, doffed the beret and lightly combed her fingers through her tousled tresses before putting it back on again.

She wore a soft fuzzy sweater the same color as the beret. He had no doubt it was made from the finest cashmere. The hem of her swingy black skirt molded to her slim thighs when she moved, fluid as water. Just watching her caused his muscles to tighten.