Dare Me: A Small Town Second-Chance Standalone Romance (The Donovans Book 1) Read online

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  Who will be the next Donovan to fall in Love?

  Chapter 1

  Also by Samantha Chase

  About Samantha Chase

  Copyright 2022 Samantha Chase

  All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this book, with the exception of brief quotations for book reviews or critical articles, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Design: Kari March Designs

  Edits: Jillian Rivera

  Praise for Samantha Chase

  “If you can’t get enough of stories that get inside your heart and soul and stay there long after you’ve read the last page, then Samantha Chase is for you!”

  -NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Melanie Shawn

  “A fun, flirty, sweet romance filled with romance and character growth and a perfect happily ever after.”

  -NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips

  “Samantha Chase writes my kind of happily ever after!”

  -NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Erin Nicholas

  “The openness between the lovers is refreshing, and their interactions are a balanced blend of sweet and spice. The planets may not have aligned, but the elements of this winning romance are definitely in sync.”

  - Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

  “A true romantic delight, A Sky Full of Stars is one of the top gems of romance this year.”

  - Night Owl Reviews, TOP PICK

  “Great writing, a winsome ensemble, and the perfect blend of heart and sass.”

  - Publishers Weekly

  “Recommend Chase to fans of Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Well-written and uniquely appealing.”

  - Booklist

  Prologue

  One year ago…

  Life was unfair.

  That was all Arianna Donovan kept telling herself.

  She spent the world’s most perfect day with an amazing man and that was all they were going to have–one day. How could she have been in San Francisco for three whole months without meeting any guy who even piqued her interest, only to find the perfect one twenty-four hours before she was flying home to Laurel Bay?

  She’d cried all the way to the airport and was convinced she would probably continue to do so all the way back to the East Coast when fate intervened.

  He was on her flight.

  And not only that, but she was sitting next to him!

  “You want to know something wild?” she whispered to him.

  “Sure.”

  “My original ticket had me sitting practically in the back of the plane. When I arrived at the airport this morning, I took a chance and asked if there were any upgrades available, and there were! I mean…I just can’t believe we’re here together.” She knew she was rambling, and yet she couldn’t help it. Part of her wanted to jump up and tell everyone on the plane just how amazing this all was.

  Of course, she wouldn’t do that, but in her head, she was shouting it from the tallest rooftop.

  They sat in companionable silence as people continued to board and listened to all the preflight safety instructions. It wasn’t until they were taxiing to the runway that Will reached for her hand and held it in his.

  “How do you feel about flying?” she asked him.

  “It’s almost second nature to me. I travel a lot for my job, but this is the first time I’m traveling with a beautiful girl whose hand I could hold during takeoff.”

  Arianna felt herself blush. Seriously, this man was almost too good to be true.

  How did I get so lucky?

  “I’ve never had a strong, handsome man to hold my hand during takeoff, so this is a first for me too,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that all through takeoff, and as soon as their flight attendant came over to ask about a beverage, they both eagerly ordered coffee.

  All day yesterday, Arianna told herself to keep things casual and that she shouldn’t ask anything overly personal because…well…it was only supposed to be one day.

  But now, here they were, and while she had no idea how a long-distance relationship would work, it was obvious that the universe wanted them to be together. He was in D.C. and she was in North Carolina. The drive was just a little under four hours, so while it wasn’t ideal, it wasn’t impossible.

  It wasn’t until they each took their first sip of coffee that she broached the subject.

  “Hey, Will?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Truth or dare?”

  Beside her, he chuckled. “Considering the confines of the airplane, I’m gonna go with truth.”

  Smiling, she asked, “Would you want to see me again after we land?”

  His eyes went a little wide, but he immediately reached for her hand again. “Arianna, you have no idea how much I want to say yes, but…I’m going to be traveling a lot over the next year. It wouldn’t be fair of me to start something. I wouldn’t ask that of you.”

  “But you’re not asking,” she quickly corrected. “I am. And I’m starting a new job, and my life will be hectic and chaotic, and I’m not going to have a lot of free time for a while either. All I’m saying is maybe we keep in touch. Even if you’re traveling, we can video chat or text or…you know…anything.”

  Will looked down at their hands and she didn’t take it as a good sign.

  With a small sigh, she went to pull her hand away. “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that. I mean…we both knew we only had one day. It just felt like we were getting another chance by ending up on the same flight like this, so…I’m sorry.”

  “You don’t have to apologize. And I didn’t say I didn’t want to try.” Pausing, he brushed his thumb softly over her knuckles. “There’s just a lot about me that you don’t know. My life’s kind of up in the air right now, and it’s hard enough for me to try to figure things out when I just have myself to consider. If there was you…”

  “I get it,” she said before he went any further. The last thing she wanted was to be a complication for someone, especially Will. “I just hate the thought of this being all there is.” Her eyes met his and she saw the same defeat she felt there.

  “Me too.” With a weary sigh, he rested his head back against his seat.

  Several things hit her at once. First, she was someone who thrived on a challenge. She rarely took no for an answer and always went after what she wanted. So why was she backing down?

  Taking a sip of her coffee, she twisted slightly in her seat to face him. “Okay, here’s the thing. I think we’re worth it,” she said earnestly. “I think we owe it to ourselves to at least try. I’m not asking you for a big commitment or to profess our l
ove to each other; I’m just asking that we try. We can start with a once-a-week video chat or a quick text just saying hello.” Her shoulders sagged a little. “I feel like there’s a reason we ended up sitting here together today.”

  Looking over at her, Will gave her a lopsided grin, and her heart practically soared. “I’m not usually someone who believes in fate or anything like that, but with you…it’s hard not to.”

  It was hard not to jump out of her seat and crawl into his lap, but that’s what she wanted to do. Instead, she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him as if her life depended on it. When they broke apart and momentarily caught their breath, Arianna felt like she could finally ask him all the things she’d been dying to know since yesterday.

  They’d talked the entire flight and made plans to see each other again. Will had one more year left in the Marines, but they were going to give the long-distance thing a try. It wouldn’t be perfect, but it meant this didn’t have to end. In a perfect world, they’d get at least another full day together where they’d get to make plans and really figure out how things were going to work going forward.

  Sadly, it wasn’t a perfect world.

  They were going their separate ways in Atlanta. Will had a flight to D.C. and Arianna’s flight would take her to North Carolina.

  “Listen, um…I have a super short layover here,” he told her as they taxied to their gate. She hated how their time together was coming to an end. “Like only twenty minutes to get to the other concourse. There’s a train I need to catch to get to it and…” He sighed. “I’m going to have to make a run for it.”

  She nodded but didn’t say anything. Instead, she held both his hands in hers.

  “Arianna…”

  Holding up a hand to stop him, she said, “Let me have your phone.”

  “Um…what?”

  Nodding, she said, “Yeah. Your phone.” Then she reached for her purse, pulled hers out, and handed it to him. “Put your number in here and I’ll put mine in yours. Then you can text me when you get on the plane so I’ll know you made it.”

  He did as she asked while she took a picture of herself with his phone. “Now you’ll have something to put as my contact picture. I would have made it a little sexier if we had more time.”

  They each took their phones and were soon at the gate waiting to deplane. “I hate that I have to run—literally—from here,” he said gruffly. “I wish it didn’t have to be like this.”

  “I know, Will. Me too,” she whispered. “I need you to do one last thing for me.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Kiss me.”

  Reaching up, he cupped her cheek and rested his forehead against hers. “You didn’t say truth or dare,” he teased, even though there was nothing funny about this situation.

  “Will…”

  He closed the distance between them and kissed her, and she felt everything he was—the passion, the happiness, the sadness, the frustration—everything.

  This was it.

  This was their goodbye.

  When he broke the kiss, he breathlessly looked at her. “Take care of yourself, Arianna,” he said. “And thank you for two of the best days of my life.”

  She looked at him oddly. “Will…we’re going to talk later. And you can call me anytime. You sound as if…”

  All around them, people got to their feet and began collecting their carry-ons. “I need to go,” he told her as he carefully got to his feet. Beside him, she did the same and stepped out into the aisle to give him room. He took one step before turning and kissing her again. This time it was brutal and she clung to him for dear life.

  This time when he broke the kiss, he didn’t stop and look at her or say a word.

  And he never looked back.

  Chapter One

  Present Day…

  It sucked sleeping on a bouncy house.

  Technically it was just the crappy mattress in her brother’s guest room, but to Arianna Donovan, that’s what it felt like.

  “Ugh…”

  She tossed and turned and bounced, all the while cursing the fact that she now had to sleep in the guest room after a year of having the main bedroom to herself. But Liam was finally coming home for good—his contract with the US Marine Corps was over—and that meant he was going to want to sleep in his own bed. And really, she couldn’t blame him. It was glorious—king sized, memory foam with cooling gel. Seriously, it was perfect.

  This coiled twenty-year-old nightmare of a mattress? Not so much.

  With a huff, she flipped onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Liam wouldn’t be home for another few days, so…technically…she could still sleep in the main bedroom. She had thought transitioning to the guest room would be a good thing and hoped if she were settled in there, that her brother wouldn’t be too eager for her to move out. But if the choice came down to having to move back in with their parents and sleeping on their couch or sleeping on this thing, she would almost rather move back in with her folks.

  Liar.

  Okay, yeah, it was the last thing she wanted to do.

  When she came home from her internship in San Francisco a year ago, she had figured she’d be sleeping in her old room and it would be a temporary thing.

  But they’d turned it into a home gym.

  After that, she’d crashed on her sister Ryleigh’s couch, but that couldn’t work long-term, and her other two brothers never offered her a place to sleep, so…she’d decided to crash at Liam’s. It was sitting there empty. Well…not right away. Her brother had let a friend of his stay there after his time in the Marines was up but as soon as he moved out, Arianna had moved in.

  And when Liam got home, she’d be sure to thank him.

  Technically, he had no idea she was staying there, but she knew he wouldn’t mind. After all, she was his favorite. There were five Donovan children—Liam, Patrick, Ryleigh, Jamie, and Arianna—but she knew Liam loved her the most. As the baby of the family, how could he not?

  Rolling onto her side, she punched the pillow with a loud sigh and was almost comfortable when her phone chimed with an incoming text. Groaning, she snatched it off the bedside table and tapped the screen.

  Mark: Had a really great time tonight. Hope we can get together next weekend.

  She contemplated replying, but…didn’t.

  Mark was a really nice guy, but there were no sparks there. Just like there weren’t any with John, Eric, Matt, and Greg. They were all great guys and they were perfectly fine to go out with. Once. Arianna knew exactly what she was looking for in a man. Hell, she’d even found the perfect man.

  Sadly, he’d completely ghosted her a year ago and she’d been in a dating funk ever since.

  And, because she was clearly a glutton for punishment and her phone was in her hands, she tapped on her photos app and scrolled to her San Francisco album. Dozens of photos of her and Will popped up. She looked at his handsome face, his incredible smile, and wondered how he couldn’t have felt the same way she did.

  Although, to be fair, they’d only had one day together.

  One glorious day.

  Sighing, she slowly scrolled through the pictures. There was a time when looking at them made her cry, but…she’d gotten past that stage.

  Almost.

  Her friends had dared her to introduce herself to him after their last brunch together. She was flying home the next day and they encouraged her to have a fling before coming back to Laurel Bay. So, being the sassy, confident woman she was, Arianna had walked right over to Will as he was eating alone, introduced herself, and joined him. Brunch had turned to walking all over San Francisco together, going on a sunset cruise around the Bay, dinner in Chinatown, and then staying up all night up on Twin Peaks and watching the sunrise. They had kissed until they were breathless, but Will had been a total gentleman and told her he wouldn’t sleep with her, knowing that was their only night together.

  Plus, they were in the middle of a public park, so…


  She was devastated when he dropped her off at her apartment the next morning, but then she thought fate had lent them a hand when they ended up on the same flight to Atlanta.

  Even that had been perfect. They’d talked and kissed and napped together and she was certain they were going to try having a long-distance relationship. After exchanging phone numbers, Will had left to catch his flight to D.C. and Arianna had gone to her gate for her flight to Wilmington, North Carolina. He’d promised to text her when he got on the plane.

  But he didn’t.

  He’d promised to keep in touch.

  But he hadn’t.

  For weeks she’d tried reaching out to him but never got a response and there had been no listing for a Will Jameson in Washington D.C.

  Or anywhere.

  At least, not her Will.

  Chasing after a guy who clearly didn’t want her wasn’t her thing, but every now and again, she wondered just what had gone wrong. How could someone fake that kind of connection?

  Why didn’t he want me?

  Yeah, that question had been messing with her the most. If it weren’t for her family—minus Liam—Arianna didn’t know how she would have gotten through the last year.

  True, no one knew about Will—except her sister—and there was no way she was going to share with anyone that she’d met this great guy who just disappeared off the face of the planet after spending twenty-four hours with her.

  Being part of a large Irish-Catholic family meant that you were supposed to find someone to love and marry and have a bunch of kids with. For most of her life, Arianna had gotten around anyone pushing that tradition on her. She’d gone away to college and then took an internship on the other side of the country and thoroughly enjoyed having her privacy and independence. But ever since she’d come home to Laurel Bay? The hints and not-so-gentle nudges for her to find a nice guy to settle down with had been constant.