Darcy bit her lip. “But you couldn’t.”
“No, and in the end, he resented me for trying to force him to settle down, and he broke my heart, just like I always knew he would.” Carol moved closer and touched Darcy’s cheek. “So my advice to you is, if you know that this man of yours isn’t long-term material, then you need to make it clear going in. He needs to know what you want out of this affair before you start it.”
“I kinda already made it clear.”
“Kinda won’t cut it, Darce,” her mother said sternly. “There’s no point in starting something you know will result in heartbreak. If you don’t see a future with him, make sure he knows it. Sex can be fun, sex is fun, but it’s not fair to lead him on, and you shouldn’t get involved with him if secretly you have expectations about it leading to something more when you know it can’t.”
“I don’t have any expectations.” She felt herself blush. “I just want a little excitement for once in my life.”
“And there’s nothing wrong with that.” Carol smiled. “If you want a casual affair, then have one. Just be honest about it from the start.”
The microwave beeped, cutting off the discussion that had become more serious than Darcy had intended.
“All right,” her mother said brightly. “Now finish up that salad before the lasagna gets cold.”
…
Reed found AJ in the walk-in cooler behind the bar, unloading a pallet of beer cases. Leaning his shoulder against the doorframe, Reed cleared his throat and said, “You have a minute?”
AJ’s blond head lifted. “Sure. What’s up?”
Reed stepped inside and closed the door, instantly enveloped by the chilly temperature in the cooler.
He’d come to work early just to have this conversation, since AJ had been too busy to meet up the previous night. Which meant that Reed’s second workshop at Darcy’s school earlier today had been pure torture. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t touch her until he spoke to his friend, and by some miracle he’d managed to keep his hands off the woman.
“I need to tell you something,” Reed started. Then he stopped. He took a breath, gathering his courage as AJ’s green eyes watched him expectantly. “I did something pretty bad. Something you’re not going to like.”
AJ stiffened. “Yeah?”
He nodded. “I…” The confession shuddered out on a shaky exhale. “I slept with Darcy.”
Dead silence crashed over the cold room.
Silence that went on and on and on, until Reed released a frustrated expletive.
“Did you hear what I said?”
“I heard you.” AJ’s voice didn’t contain an ounce of emotion. Not even a twinge of anger.
Reed waited, knowing he should probably offer a more detailed explanation, feed his friend excuses, apologies, pleas, but his vocal cords refused to cooperate. He watched AJ’s face, trying to make sense of that shuttered expression, but he truly had no idea what his best friend was thinking.
And he certainly didn’t expect what AJ said next.
“Are you two dating now?”
Discomfort constricted his chest. “Ah…no. Not really. I mean, I…I wanted to talk to you first. “
AJ nodded, then picked up the case of Bud Light he’d set on the floor. He heaved it on the counter and proceeded to pull longnecks out of the crate. Keeping his back to Reed the entire time. “I can’t say I’m very surprised.”
Well, that made one of them. Because Reed was downright shocked.
“That’s it? You’re not going to kick my ass to next week?” He let out an incredulous curse. “I slept with your ex-girlfriend, man. We both know I deserve a beating for that.”
AJ glanced over with a wry look. “We both know you’ve wanted to do it for months. I guess I should commend you for at least waiting until we were broken up before you made a move.”
Bile coated his throat. He choked it down, wondering if the suffocating guilt would ever go away. His friend’s impassive tone was like a knife to the heart. He would have preferred anger or accusations or a deadly right hook to the jaw. He wanted to shout at AJ to put down those damn bottles and come at him. God knew he’d deserve it.
“Jesus, Reed. Stop looking like your dog just died. Darcy and I are over. There’s no reason why the two of you can’t go out.” AJ’s light remark was too confusing to fathom.
And totally misguided, because Darcy didn’t want to go out with him. She wanted a fling and nothing more, which she’d reiterated to him when they’d parted ways at the school earlier.
Reed was no stranger to flings. He knew all about them, knew exactly how to maintain an appropriate distance, how to stop himself from revealing too much to the woman in his bed, how to keep her from thinking they could have something more than good old-fashioned fucking.
But he wasn’t sure he could do any of that with Darcy. Not when he’d been infatuated with her from the moment he’d laid eyes on her.
“I don’t understand why you’re not mad,” he said quietly.
For the first time since Reed had dropped his bomb, AJ conveyed some genuine emotion: annoyance.
“First off, would it make a difference if I was? Won’t change the fact that you slept with her, or that you’re planning on doing it again. So really, all I can do is accept the news like a grown-up.”
He swallowed a lump of self-loathing. “You’re a better man than me, then.”
AJ put down the beer bottle in his hand and shot Reed a resigned look. “Besides, you and Darcy make a lot more sense than she and I did.”
He blinked in surprise. “We do?”
“Yeah.” AJ shrugged. “A woman like her might be good for you. Someone sweet but strong, someone who won’t let you get away with any bullshit.”
Reed was absolutely floored. He’d always known AJ was the greatest person on the planet, but this went beyond that. This was…selflessness personified.
“I honestly don’t know what to say,” he said roughly.
“You don’t have to say anything.” In the next beat, AJ’s eyes took on an ominous light. “But you do need to know something else.”
Reed gulped.
“I still consider Darcy a good friend of mine. She’s an amazing woman, and she deserves a lot more than what you usually give women,” AJ said in a grave tone. “She’s not someone you can fuck and then discard.”
The indictment hurt. Reed couldn’t deny he’d played the field, but Christ, he’d never discarded anyone. The women he’d been with usually shared his mindset. They’d wanted no-strings sex, a temporary arrangement that gave both sides what they wanted before they parted ways.
When AJ noticed Reed’s upset expression, he cursed softly. “Sorry, that came out wrong. I know you’re not like that.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter, anyway,” he muttered. “She’s not interested in anything serious with me. Just a fling.”
AJ wrinkled his brow. “She told you that?”
“Loud and clear.”
“That’s weird. Darcy’s not a fling girl. I wonder why—”
“You know why,” Reed interrupted bitterly. “Because she thinks I’m a screw-up. I’m just a guy to pass the time with between the sheets, not someone she’d actually have a relationship with.” When AJ didn’t answer, Reed couldn’t help but bristle. “I guess you agree with her, then.”
“No. Not entirely. But you can’t deny that you don’t exactly have a good track record with relationships. Or with acting responsibly.”
Familiar feelings of remorse and inadequacy washed over him, triggering another jolt of bitterness. “You know, for someone who keeps saying how much I’ve changed, I’m not sure you really believe it.”
His friend met his hard gaze head on. “No, I’m not sure you believe it. You’re not the same man you were a few years ago—I can totally see it. But I don’t think you see it. Or maybe it’s that you don’t trust it. I don’t know. I’m not going to psychoanalyze you, Reed.” AJ sighed. “If you wa
nt more than a fling with Darcy, then prove to her that you’re not the screw-up she thinks you are. Either way, if you’re going to get involved with her, you need to treat her right. She deserves to be treated like a goddamn princess. She deserves… Everything.”
Hell, just when he thought things couldn’t get any more uncomfortable. Hearing AJ talk about Darcy like that only set off another bout of guilt.
“I won’t see her again. Just say the word.” Utter conviction rang in his voice. He meant what he’d said. He would gladly step aside if AJ asked him to.
But his friend shook his head. “I’m not saying I’m the one who wants to give her everything. Darcy and I are over.”
Reed groaned. “This is fucking ridiculous. We shouldn’t be standing around talking about this. Talking about her like she’s some kind of commodity to be traded between us.” He ran a hand through his hair, feeling like tearing it out by the roots. “I won’t see her again.”
Sighing, AJ went back to the counter. “I’m cool with it, okay? I’m not one of those assholes who subscribe to the whole ‘if I can’t have her, no one else can.’ Like I said, treat her right, and we won’t have a problem.”
Reed was torn. A part of him wanted to be a good friend and promise AJ he wouldn’t start something up with Darcy, but past experience proved that he had no willpower when it came to the woman.
God help him, but he wanted her again. Again and again and again. If he promised not to see her, he wasn’t confident he’d be able to stick to that, and then he and AJ would be having this conversation all over again.
Except next time fists would most definitely be involved.
So he simply nodded and said, “I’ll treat her right.”
“Good.” Without glancing over, AJ reached for another crate. “Just remember, I know where to find you if you don’t.”
Chapter Nine
It was a little past midnight when Darcy opened the door to let Reed into her apartment, and she didn’t have to be a genius to figure out he was upset.
Especially since the first thing he said to her was, “I really shouldn’t have come.”
Darcy already knew he’d told AJ the truth earlier, not just because Reed had given her the heads up, but because AJ had called her himself an hour ago.
To her shock, her ex-boyfriend had actually given her his blessing. They’d even agreed to meet the following evening to talk about it more, an appointment that was made a gazillion times more awkward because Reed had texted right after she’d hung up with AJ, asking if he could come over after work.
She’d never been in a situation like this before. Wanting someone so desperately, while at the same time knowing what a terrible idea it was to open that door. Her conversation with her mother had helped ease some of her concerns, but Reed’s unhappy expression quickly brought all of them back.
“This still feels wrong,” he admitted. “Even though AJ knows, it still feels wrong.”
“I know,” she murmured.
Defeat flickered in his eyes. “I’m just… damn it, I’m gonna go.”
Darcy nodded.
He nodded back.
Their gazes locked.
A split second later, they charged at each other, their mouths meeting in a hungry kiss that summoned simultaneous groans. Darcy clutched the front of his T-shirt to keep from keeling over with pleasure. She’d wanted to kiss him all day. The urge had nearly suffocated her as she’d spent an hour after school watching his powerful body showcase the self-defense moves he was teaching her kids.
Now that she was finally in his arms again, with his wicked tongue in her mouth and his firm body pressed up against her, she didn’t ever want to stop.
“I’m addicted to you,” he hissed into her lips. His hands slipped down to cup her ass, squeezing hard enough to make her gasp. “Tell me to go, damn it.”
“I can’t.” She heard the helpless note in her voice. “I want you too much.”
She grabbed the back of his head to bring his mouth down to hers again. She wasn’t usually so aggressive, but something about Reed unleashed this desperate, starved side of her. Everything about him turned her on.
His kiss set her body on fire, that talented tongue exploring every crevice of her mouth as if he couldn’t get enough of her. She felt feverish and mindless as she wrapped her arms around his neck and shamelessly rubbed her breasts on his chest. Her nipples puckered from the friction, tingling uncontrollably.
“Reed.” His name left her mouth in a breathy rush. “I don’t want you to go.”
“I don’t want me to go, either,” he said huskily.
Not another word was spoken as he scooped her into his arms and marched over to the living room couch. She almost pointed out that her bedroom was less than ten steps away, but at the moment, ten steps felt like a three-mile trek through the Grand Canyon. She needed him now.
Darcy clawed at his T-shirt, peeling it off his torso to reveal his mouth-watering chest. His hands had gone for her shirt too, ripping it off in one frantic move. The rest of their clothes didn’t stay on for long.
Naked, they fell back on the couch, Darcy’s butt bouncing on the plush cushions.
“You’re so beautiful.” Absolute reverence clung to his voice as those blue eyes roamed every inch of her body.
Everywhere he looked, she burned. Her breasts became hot and achy, her clit swelled with need, and the pressure between her legs grew so unbearable she started to squirm.
“So beautiful,” he murmured again. “I want to fuck your brains out, baby.”
She couldn’t fight a wave of laughter. Only Reed would follow up a romantic compliment with something so colorfully crude.
She had to admit, she loved it. Fucking. Loved. It.
The dirty talk, the scruff on his face, the heavy cock that rested on her belly and left a streak of moisture on her skin when he shifted.
His beard growth scraped her skin as he slid lower, his warm mouth zeroing in on one breast. The second his lips closed over her nipple, her hips shot off the couch. A bolt of heat coursed from her breast straight to her clit.
Reed sucked on the distended bud, making the sexiest noise she’d ever heard. “I haven’t paid nearly enough attention to your breasts. They’re so insanely perfect. So damn sexy.”
“Yeah?” She’d never paid much attention to her breasts, either. If she were being honest, she was much prouder of her ass.
“Oh yeah,” he rumbled, flicking his tongue over her nipple. “These breasts deserve to be worshipped.”
“Hmmm. Then maybe you need to quit talking so much and start worshipping.”
His head lifted, one dark eyebrow propping up. “You really want me to shut up, Darce? ‘Cause it seems to me that you totally get off when I talk dirty to you.”
She pretended to think it over. “I guess I don’t mind some conversation. As long as you shut up every now and then and put that filthy mouth to good use.”
“Like this, you mean?” He drew her other nipple in his mouth and sucked so hard she cried out.
“God. Yes. Just like that.”
Darcy clasped the back of his head to keep him in place, wiggling her lower body against his erection. Each soft lick and deep pull on her nipples intensified the ache in her core, and when Reed brought one hand to the juncture of her thighs, she knew he could feel just how wet his torturous ministrations had gotten her.
His lips released her nipple with a pop as he raised his head again. “Is this all for me?” he taunted, sliding two fingers into the moisture pooling at her opening.
She made a breathy sound. “Yes.”
“How bad do you want my tongue down here?” His thumb slipped over her clit, stroking it lightly. “Tell me.”
“So bad,” she choked out. “So frickin’ bad.”
His chuckle was downright evil. “You want me to lick your pussy again? Like I did when you were sprawled on your desk, totally at my mercy?”
“Yes.”
She hadn
’t thought it was possible to be this turned on. Her body actually hurt from the sharp prickles of need piercing her skin and the incessant rush of blood flow to her swollen clit.
“I’ve been thinking about it all day,” Reed drawled, one hand lazily caressing her breasts while the other traced teeny circles over her clit. “Every time I see you I imagine burying my face between your legs. I picture you coming on my tongue.”
“Do it. Please,” Darcy pleaded.
She expected a mocking response, maybe even a denial, just because he seemed to enjoy tormenting her. But he simply hummed in approval and dragged his long, powerful body down to the end of the couch, his face inches from her core.
“Spread your legs wider,” he ordered. “Let me see every inch of you.”
She shamelessly did as he asked, offering him an indecent view. The intensity of his gaze made her pulse kick up a notch. So did the way he licked his lips, as if he were staring at a juicy feast he couldn’t wait to devour.
The first swipe of his tongue was enough to send her eyes rolling to the top of her head. It was so damn good she could already feel the base of her spine tingling from impending orgasm.
Reed gave her another thorough lick, then another, nice and slow and so very sweet. She appreciated that he started off that way. Didn’t apply too much pressure. Drew out her pleasure with the featherlight strokes of his tongue. This was a man who knew what he was doing, who gauged her responses and adjusted his technique based on each soft moan that left her mouth, each delighted gasp and sharp tug of her fingers in his hair.
“I…” Darcy fought for air. “I’m too close. I need…I need your mouth on my clit.”
Groaning, he gave her exactly what she wanted. The moment he sucked, the pressure detonated in an orgasm that rocked her body and fragmented her mind. Darcy cried out when he slipped a finger inside her, pumping it in her wet channel to milk every last bit of pleasure out of her.