prologue

                              PART ONE

                              |  DARE |

                  I Dare You To Kiss Me

It's my boyfriend's birthday.

And I have a nice little surprise for him.

Brandon is my boyfriend of eight years. Most birthdays, we just stay home and eat lots of pizza. Drink lots of liquor. Dance lots of silly dances. Exchange cute little letters. But not this time round.

This time, we are at a work party. Brandon is busy having fun with his friends. And I'm busy staring at the ceiling, wondering how I ended up here.

Sitting on this washroom floor, a glass of champagne dangling in my hand. A glittery purse on my lap. Black heels lying next to me - the heels that my boyfriend bought for me.

I'm actually the one who asked Brandon to buy me the heels. And the expensive purse. And this nice black dress. Yesterday, he took me to the spa. Got a nice massage. Got a nice wax. Got a nice pedicure and manicure. Got a new haircut. He paid for all those self-care services like the nice boyfriend he is. It's all for his birthday surprise. A surprise that he probably won't like....

"Miss?"

The deep voice pulls me from my sea of thoughts and back to reality. I look up at the source of the voice. My heart leaps. My purse drops.

A handsome man with a perfectly-chiseled face and deep dark eyes stands infront of me. His sleek dark hair falls on his face as he looks down at me. His hands are tucked in the pockets of his black pants. That white shirt seems a little too tight for his big biceps and broad chest.

I recognise him immediately.

Damien Hunt.

He's one of the wealthiest tycoons in the country and also happens to be my boyfriend's boss. I've seen him on the TV and magazines before. They clearly don't do any justice to this man's beauty. Maybe that's why my boyfriend hates him so much. He's everything that Brandon will never be. Not even in his wildest dreams.

"Are you lost?"

Yes, lost in his eyes...

Damien offers a hand and helps me stand. Getting up, I knock my head on his chest and end up in the cocoon of his arms. He's a tower of a man. He steps back and stretches his hand to me.

"Damien." He says. "My name is Damien."

"Dani." We shake hands awkwardly.

"My apologies, Dani."

"For what?"

"For throwing a party so boring that you prefer the company of a washroom." He pauses with a little smile. "Gents washrooms."

"No, it's not Gents-"

He smirks as he points at the urinals. I was so immersed in my thoughts that I didn't check the damn door before storming in.

I sigh and face-palm myself.

"This is so embarrassing."

"I'm the one who should be embarrassed." He picks the purse and hands it to me. "My party is so boring that you prefer washrooms."

Damien disappears into one of the stalls for a few seconds before walking out. He looks impressed to see me still standing in the same spot.

He folds the sleeves of his shirt and walks to the sink. The tap is running. He starts scrubbing his hands with soap. The whole time I'm staring at his image in the massive mirror. The network of veins on his arms. His perfect face. His dark eyes. His long pointed nose. His full red lips. His perfect jawline. His nice beard. It's a crime to walk around when you're this hot and handsome.

Damien catches me staring at him. A small smirk touches his lips. I'm sure he's used to this. Ladies shamelessly drooling over him.

"I'm going back to the boring party." He says. "Come with me."

I slide back into my heels and follow him out of the washrooms. As I walk behind him, I can't help but wonder if I have ruined Brandon's surprise.

This is not how Damien Hunt was supposed to meet me...

***

The ballroom is a little louder and crowded when we get back.

Everyone is drinking and dancing and laughing and just having a lot of fun. Since Damien became CEO, he has been throwing the end-month work parties to appreciate his staff and their hard work. Each employee gets free drinks and free food and even free gifts at the end of every month. No wonder my boyfriend never missed a single party.

From a distance, Brandon is laughing loudly with his friends. His brown eyes are sparkling with delight. His mouth is wide open. I was right. My absence doesn't bother him. For some strange reason, it stings a little.

I get so tangled up in my feelings that I almost forget Damien Hunt is standing next to me. The fùcking owner of this company. My boyfriend's fùcking boss.

"Sorry I have to ditch you." He says. "Work stuff."

"Sure." I smile. "Nice meeting you, Damien."

He takes my hands, sending chills all over my body. His hands are rough and big on mine. He squeezes my hands warmly.

"If you're tempted to sit in the washroom again, just call me. I'll bring a bottle of wine." He says with a little smile. "Or maybe something stronger."

I doubt a billionaire like him would be willing to sit barefoot in some public washroom and get drunk with some random boring bìtch...

When Damien walks away, it's suddenly dull again. It's like he takes all the sun with him. I instantly feel alone and out of place in this rich crowd. From a distance, Brandon is still laughing and chatting with his stupid friends. Again, he doesn't seem slightly bothered by my absence. The best part is that he doesn't know what's coming for him...

I grab a drink from one of the waiters. This time, a stronger drink. Tequila. One shot. Followed by two shots. And then three shots. And before you know it, I've had six shots of tequila.

I'm feeling tipsy. Tipsy is better than bored. Tipsy is better than broken-hearted. Tipsy is better than sitting on some washroom floor feeling confused and crashed. It's like the liquor washes away the rage and resentment, just leaving the hunger for revenge...

In the small crowd, I spot Damien talking to a tall built man in a black suit. His eyes dart around before they land on mine. He whispers something in the man's ear before he starts approaching me.

My heart pounds harder as Damien gets closer. Maybe the liquor is to blame for my violent pulse. Or maybe it's his dark eyes and the way they pierce through me. I shiver when he stands next to me, biting his lower lip.

"Still bored?" Damien asks.

"Nope." I giggle. "People watching is actually a fun sport."

"Who's more fun to watch?"

"You."

He stops to stare at me for a second suppressing a laugh.

"You're drunk."

"Just a little." I giggle. "Wanna play a game with me?"

"What game?"

I turn to glance at my dear boyfriend, Brandon. He's not laughing with his friends anymore. He's staring at me. A cold and confused stare. Me flirting with his boss finally caught his attention.

"Truth or Dare." I grin at him.

"Isn't that some teenage game?" Damien scoffs. "I'm too old for such games, don't you think?"

"Well, the game is a thousand times more fun than your boring party, old man."

"Ouch." He frowns. "Okay, let's do it."

"Truth or Dare."

"Can't believe I'm doing this." He shakes his head. "Let's play another -"

"Truth or Dare, Damien."

"Fine." He sighs. "Dare."

Thank God he picked Dare. From a distance, I can see Brandon making quick strides towards us. Time to surprise the birthday boy!

"I dare you to kiss me."

***