Page 1 of Daring to Love You (Priestly Family #3)

Chapter One

“ W hen are you going to stop running from me?” Lynix asked, his voice a deep rumble, causing goosebumps to skitter over Dorian’s skin.

Chest heaving with her nerves on edge from literally running from him, all she could do was stare at him. He had kissed her near the private lake that was on his parents’ property, and Dorian had run to the pool house with him hot on her heels.

She wasn’t sure what made her run, but…

No, that wasn’t true. She knew exactly why she had taken off.

It had everything to do with her experiencing the most electrifying, soul-stirring, make-you-want-to-drop-your-panties kiss of her life.

He did that. He made her feel things she had never felt, and she wasn’t sure what to do with the sensations still thrumming through her body.

Dorian might’ve wanted a repeat of that lip-lock, but she wasn’t sure what to do with these needy, lust-filled feelings swirling inside of her. All she could think of was that Lynix “frickin” Mathews, Mr. Playboy himself, had kissed her senseless.

The most gorgeous, sexiest, and infuriating man she knew.

A guy who was so far out of her league that this moment, this incredibly arousing, scary moment, didn’t seem real.

More than any of that, though, Lynix was her brother’s best friend.

Meaning, he should be off-limits for that alone.

Yet, her body craved him in a way she had never craved another man.

There was so much wrong with this situation that Dorian wasn’t sure where to start dissecting it to make it make sense.

Lynix currently had her backed against the door with his arms on either side of her, blocking her in, making her escape impossible.

But if she was honest with herself, she didn’t want to escape.

Nor did she want to keep pushing him away.

Except she had to. She had to keep her guard up when it came to Lynix.

He was the epitome of a bad-boy, and no way was she letting him near her heart.

She’d done that with her ex, and she still had the mental and emotional scars to prove that getting involved with a player was a bad idea. A really, really bad idea.

At over six feet tall and built like a linebacker, Lynix towered over her, his presence confident and domineering.

As a Chicago police officer, he probably intimidated the hell out of perps.

Yet, he didn’t scare her. The only reason she was nervous was because of the way he made her feel.

Out of control. Needy. And she wanted more than just to kiss him again.

She was also nervous because it was only a matter of time when someone in her family wondered where she’d gone.

They were on the Mathews’s family estate.

Her brother and his new wife had gotten married on the property, and the reception was currently going on.

Dorian had slipped away to get some air and had ended up at the man-made lake that was quite a ways from the main house.

That’s where Lynix had found her. One thing had led to another, and before she’d known what was going on, he’d kissed her.

Now here they were, a heavy silence filling the space in the small foyer.

Dorian’s hands moved of their own accord and settled on Lynix’s hard chest, then moved to his thick biceps.

He had shed his tuxedo jacket and bowtie, leaving him in a white tuxedo shirt and pants.

The man was hella fine, and from what she could tell, he had a powerful body that felt as if it had been carved from stone.

Between the way he was staring down at her with those smoky brown eyes and the intoxicating scent of his cologne, all she wanted to do was kiss him again. Which again would be a bad idea.

His left eyebrow quirked, as if he could read her mind. “What? Nothing to say?”

Dorian swallowed hard as her breathing slowly went back to normal. “What was the question again?” she asked, trying to buy a little time.

He chuckled. The deep, rich sound was as potent as his scent and settled around her like a cozy blanket.

“I’m sure you remember the question, but just in case, I asked, when are you going to stop running from me?

I know you feel what I feel whenever we’re within a couple of feet of each other. Why keep fighting the inevitable?”

Dorian narrowed her eyes at him. “And what exactly is the inevitable?”

“That you’ll one day be mine.”

After a slight hesitation, a slow smile kicked up the right corner of Dorian’s mouth, and she started to let it make a full appearance. However, he wasn’t smiling. “Wait. You’re serious? You honestly think I’ll one day be yours?”

“There’s no doubt in my mind. You and I are meant to be together, and I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to prove that to you,” he said in all seriousness, as if he were an attorney putting the final touches on his closing argument.

Dorian had known Lynix for years, and she could admit to enjoying their playful banter and lighthearted arguments.

But he was arrogant, too fine for his own good, and more than that, he was a babe magnet.

Whenever he stepped into a room, it was as if he had a silent beacon that lured women to him.

She’d seen it with her own eyes, which had a lot to do with why she’d been able to resist him.

She didn’t need another player in her life.

Nope, she wasn’t going down that road again.

When it came to Lynix, she planned to continue to resist the temptation.

Sure, her body might lust after him, but her brain was protecting her heart.

That’s why she only dated nice, safe guys.

Not sexy, wealthy bad boys who were used to women falling at their feet.

Of course he made her want to walk on the wild side, but doing so was outside of her comfort zone. Yet, their attraction for each other was getting harder to resist.

“Lynix, I like you, but you already know you and I aren’t a good fit. I’m nothing like the women you usually date. I’m looking for forever… and you’re not.”

She lowered her gaze. She had just turned thirty-three, and she was ready to find her special someone and have a family.

Though he and Zion were best friends, Lynix was older than her and her brother.

At thirty-five, from what she knew of his dating life, it didn’t seem like he had any intentions of settling down with one woman. Let alone her.

Lynix gently cupped her chin within his large, calloused hand, forcing her to meet his gaze.

He studied her for the longest, and then his expression softened.

He really was a handsome man with intense eyes and skin the color of cinnamon.

She had never dated anyone with facial hair, but the well-groomed scruff along his jawline made her want to rub her hands over it to see what it felt like.

Stop. I have to stop this . She couldn’t keep looking at him like he was a treat she wanted to devour. No, she had to stay strong and hold on to her resolve.

He released her chin and went back to caging her in. “Dorian, sweetheart, no matter what you’re telling yourself, you and I are perfect for each other. You just have to give me… give us a chance to find out.”

She folded her arms over her chest, and his eyes followed the move. His gaze lingered on the swell of her breasts in the low-cut, gray dress she wore, and she rolled her eyes. He didn’t meet her gaze again until she dropped her arms to her side.

“You have too many women,” she blurted.

He snorted and shook his head. “There are no women in my life. Granted, yes, I’ll admit to being seen with women, but there’s nothing serious between us. Besides, I haven’t been out with anyone in over a month because I’m saving myself for you.”

She stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Yeah, right. I just witnessed one of the catering staff flirting with you.”

He shrugged. “So. If you saw that, you also saw me walk away without a backward glance.”

True, but still. She couldn’t imagine him giving up anyone for her.

“For the record, if you’ve seen me with anyone in the past, that’s exactly what it is, in the past. I’ve never been emotionally available to anyone I’ve gone out with, and they’ve known that going in.”

“And what? That would be different with me? Am I supposed to believe I’m somehow special, somehow different from all the others who came before me?”

His expression turned even more serious than it had been a moment ago. “Yes,” he said simply.

Dorian shook her head and pushed against his chest to move him away, but it was like pushing against a brick wall. He was immovable and didn’t budge.

“Give me a chance to prove to you that I’ve changed, that I want you in my life as more than just my best friend’s sister. And as more than just my verbal sparring partner. You’re the one I want to be with, Dorian. Only you .”

She shook her head. “I can’t,” she said weakly, despite meaning it. This time when she tried pushing him away, he moved easily. She skirted past him, putting a little space between them. “I don’t want to get hurt again, and you, Lynix Mathews, have the ability to crush me.”

“I would never hurt you,” he insisted.

“Maybe not intentionally, but I’m not willing to take the risk. Now, I need to go and rejoin the wedding reception. I’m sure someone in my family is wondering where I’m at.”

He huffed out a loud breath. “Fine. Then I’ll just have to show you that I’m serious about you and me.

I’m going to prove to you that you’re the only woman for me.

” He opened the door and stood back, and as Dorian hurried out of the pool house, she heard him say, “I don’t mind working for what I want. ”

Dorian tucked his words into the back of her mind as she headed to the main house.

She had to be strong when it came to Lynix, but she wasn’t sure how much longer she could resist him.

He made her body hum with need whenever she was around him, and she wanted him.

She wanted him in every way a woman wanted a man, but…

Nope. Not going to happen. Stay strong, girl .