Untamed (Untamed #1) by Victoria Green, Jinsey Reese

again, that’s not what I meant!” Still, I couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s just that no one has ever offered to cook for me.” I’d been on countless dates to fancy restaurants with world famous chefs, but cooking at home? Never . “Honestly, I’ve never even had mac and cheese.”
    “What?” he said. “ Never? ”
    “Nope.” My parents had fed me foie gras when most kids got mac and cheese.
    “Then it’s decided. You’re coming over. I’m going to change your life.”
    He already had. A thrill ran through me.
    Fuck .
    “I’ll try to make it,” I said, even though I knew I shouldn’t. I needed to run while I still could. “Dare, I have to—oh, wait! I have a quick question about some artwork in your apartment.”
    “Shoot,” he said.
    “There are a couple of nudes by someone named Wilde.”
    “Oh, those.”
    “I’d really like to find out more about the artist.”
    Dare was quiet for a moment. “Tell you what, if you find a way to make it to dinner, I’ll ensure he comes by.”
    “You’d really do that?”
    “Sure. It’s a deal. I’ll even push the dinner to nine o’clock, so you have some time to go to your important political meeting, Princess.” He cleared his throat, then said, “See you tomorrow, Ree.”
    “Tomorrow,” I said. Tomorrow I would be one step closer to Wilde.
    And Dare.
    Again.

fifteen

    S unday evening was abnormally hot for September—the kind of night that inspired bad decisions. I finished my homework, but as soon as I put on my Mother-Approved Oscar de la Renta pencil dress, I suddenly couldn’t breathe. The wool was too itchy and hot against my skin, my Jimmy Choos made me feel like I wasn’t standing on solid ground, and the red lipstick my mother had insisted I wear was too dark, too much.
    I looked like I was going to a funeral.
    I felt like it, too.
    Without really thinking it through, I made the decision right then. I washed my face and ripped off the dress, then put on jean shorts, a cropped, sleeveless top, and flats. SO much better. I pulled out my phone, thanked the gods my mother’s voicemail picked up, and begged off, claiming I’d pulled an all-nighter and had been up for thirty-six hours straight. I told her I’d be turning off my phone and just sleeping so I’d be in good shape for class tomorrow morning, and that I knew she’d understand because of how important my classes were to my future.
    By the time my cab pulled up in front of Dare’s apartment complex, I felt more like myself than I had in a long time, and didn’t feel even remotely bad for ducking out on my parents. Screw mayoral debates and codes of conduct and video trackers. Screw perfect, little Reagan.
    Wait. I did want to get screwed.
    Just not by Marcus and Eleanor.
    Although, as I walked up the three flights of stairs, I realized that I wasn’t coming here just for the sex. My heart pounded with excitement at seeing Dare. Yeah, just seeing him. I wanted to know everything about him. And I wanted to meet Wilde. The thought of getting my hands on some of his art made me giddy.
    This was so much better than politics.
    Dare didn’t answer right away, and I realized that I was way early. I tried calling his number and could hear the phone ring unanswered inside. It had been stupid of me to show up unannounced. He might still be at work or at the store. Or maybe he’d gone out for drinks.
    Just as I was about to turn around and go, the door swung open and my breath hitched as my gaze met his bare, wet torso.
    Helloooo , muscles. And tattoos.
    Dark, damp hair clung to his forehead, going in a mess of directions that made me want to run my fingers through it. His skin glistened as water droplets trailed down his chest and over the peaks and valleys of his abs, disappearing into the waistband of his low-riding jeans. The top few buttons of his pants were undone as if he’d just stepped into them, revealing a sexy triangle of muscle and making it very clear he was going