“Go you,” Darcy said, clapping her hands in teasing applause. “So you got the girl.”
“Sure did.” He released a glum breath. “At least until the dance. Halfway through the second Mariah Carey ballad, this kid named Scotty Dawson cut in and whisked Apple away, and they were boyfriend and girlfriend by the time her parents came to pick us up. As you can probably guess, that was one awkward car ride home.”
“Oh, that’s so awful. I can’t believe she did that.” Darcy glowered in defense of the twelve-year-old Reed. “What a bi-otch.”
“Naah, she wasn’t a bi-otch. Just a fickle sixth-grade girl. I actually have her on my Facebook.”
Darcy snorted. “Really?”
“Yup, but she’s Apple Shulman-Schwartz now. Married a nice Jewish boy, popped out five kids, and works as an estate lawyer at a fancy-pants firm in Beacon Hill.”
“Impressive.”
“I know, right? And then there’s me,” he said wryly. “A total bum, not even paying a mortgage because I’m living in the house I inherited from my uncle. And running a night club, which, by the way, is a job Apple would probably consider scandalous.”
Darcy snapped to his defense again. “Hey, you’ve got nothing to be ashamed of. First of all, you’re a business owner, which is just as impressive as being a lawyer, and who cares if you inherited your house instead of buying it? You’re still responsible for all your household bills, and insurance, and all that important stuff. You’re smart, and responsible, and—” She halted, feeling like scolding herself for letting the conversation take such a dangerous turn.
She was supposed to be making an effort not to see him as any of those things. Reed was the bad boy hottie she was sleeping with, the man who was giving her a crash course in passion before she moved on and reverted back to her relationship ways.
“And sexy,” she finished, hastily veering back to safe territory. “Like, ridiculously sexy. Did I tell you how hot you look today?”
“Nope, you didn’t. But I sure would love to hear it.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“Okay, well, that shirt? Just tight enough to outline all those yummy muscles. And the way your butt fills out those jeans? Hubba hubba.”
Reed threw his head back and laughed. “Gee, I had no idea I was talking to Bazooka Joe.”
“I’m serious, you look so good in those jeans I want to rip them off you.” Darcy glanced past his impossibly broad shoulders, catching sight of something that made her raise one brow in challenge. “In fact, why don’t we duck in there so I can do just that?”
He twisted around, chuckling when he spotted the rickety little shed a dozen yards from where they stood. It was tucked behind a row of empty tables, its wooden door gaping open to reveal the stacks of crates inside of it.
“Are you seriously suggesting we get it on in the middle of the farmers market?” Reed drawled.
Darcy had been half joking, but the second he said the words, her thighs clenched so hard she nearly pulled a muscle.
She slowly met Reed’s gaze. “No, I’m suggesting we get it on in a shed in the middle of the farmers market.”
Unmistakable interest lit his vivid blue eyes.
“Well?” she prompted.
“Lead the way, baby.” He answered with no hesitation, and a whole lot of mischief.
Her pulse sped up as she laced her fingers through his and tugged him toward the shed. Reed laughed in surprise, but she noticed that not a single protest left his mouth as the two of them ever so casually approached the small structure. Darcy furtively glanced around to make sure nobody was looking, then pulled Reed inside and closed the door.
Darkness instantly enveloped them, but several sliver-thin gaps in the wooden door allowed for shards of light to slice into the cramped space. She glimpsed dust motes dancing over Reed’s head, and wrinkled her nose at the odor of dirt, oil and sawdust. But at least it didn’t smell like rotting fruits and vegetables, so that was a plus.
There was also no lock, but luckily the door did latch, and Darcy knew it would stay latched, because Reed leaned his back against it as he jerked her toward him.
His mouth met hers, and the urgency of his kiss robbed her of breath. His lips devoured hers, his slick tongue entering her mouth in one sensual glide. He cupped her ass and brought her lower body flush to his, rotating his hips so she could feel every tantalizing inch of his arousal. Heart pounding, Darcy rubbed up against him like an attention-starved cat, moaning when his mouth dropped to her neck to kiss her feverish flesh.
Her hands fumbled for the button of her jeans, and she cursed herself for not wearing a skirt. She really, really needed to start wearing more skirts.
And the notion that she was now basing her fashion decisions on how easily she could grant Reed Miller access to her body didn’t even bother her. She wanted him inside her, now, and damn her stupid pants for getting in the way.
When Reed released a groan of dismay, she realized that her clothing situation was the least of their concerns. “I don’t have a condom,” he told her.
She groaned too. “Neither do I. We used up the stash in my purse when you came over yesterday after school.” She wasn’t on the pill because it gave her terrible migraines, and no way was she risking having sex without birth control.
But she’d also be damned if they went back outside without at least one of them orgasming first.
“You’re not leaving this shed until you come,” she declared. “Undo your pants so I can suck you off.”
He responded with a smirk. “Undo yours so I can finger you.”
They stared at each other in a sexual standoff, until Reed gave her an innocent look and said, “If I finger you first, I’ll be able to lick your juices off my hand, and trust me, I’ll come so fast if I’m tasting you on my lips when you’re blowing me.”
A strangled moan flew out. Darcy hurriedly unzipped her jeans, and a second later Reed’s warm hand slid inside her panties, his skillful fingers seeking out her clit. He rubbed the sensitive nub with his index finger, steady, circular motions that made her tingle.
She was awed by the look of sheer concentration on his face, the steely determination, as if his entire purpose in life was to make her come.
She was too sexed up, too primed, too excited by the fact that they were doing this in a paper-thin structure in the middle of her favorite farmers market. The muffled voices and carefree laughter coming from behind the door only fueled that excitement, and when Reed pushed two fingers inside her she had to bite her lip to stop from crying out.
“Oh baby, this gets you so hot, doesn’t it? Getting fingered while all those people walk around outside that door, totally oblivious.” His voice was raspy. Mocking. Seductive. “What would they think if they knew what I was doing to you right now? What would they do if they saw you biting your lip like that, if they felt how wet you are? My fingers are soaked, baby.”
With a sinful smile, he curled his hand and stroked her G spot, and Darcy exploded in a hot rush. She cut off her own scream by burying her face in Reed’s chest and using his shirt as a gag. She felt his heart pounding against her cheek and realized he was as excited as she was. That getting her off just now had affected him as much as it had her.
The moment she was coherent enough to function, Darcy dropped to her knees and had his cock out of his pants in record speed. Now it was Reed who was biting his lip to keep from making noise. Reed who was trembling from her touch.
His features stretched tight as she wrapped her lips around the head of his cock and sucked.
“Hell in a hand basket,” he burst out. “I’m gonna come.”
Her muffled laughter echoed in the darkness, and she nearly choked on his cock thanks to the giggles that overtook her.
Darcy had never known true feminine power until this very moment. One teasing suck and she’d utterly destroyed him, turned him into a grunting, shuddering mess as he came inside her mouth. If they were having sex, maybe she wouldn’t
have been so pleased with the one-thrust show, but right now, she welcomed the hot pulses that coated her tongue, eagerly drinking in the salty, masculine taste of him. She tightened her suction on his cock so she could suck him dry, swallowing every last drop of his pleasure.
“Christ. Fuck, Darcy. You don’t know how good that feels.”
He groaned softly as he withdrew from her mouth, then hauled her up and kissed her so deeply she swayed on her feet.
When they pulled apart, they were both grinning like idiots.
“That was…fun,” she remarked.
His muffled laughter tickled her forehead. “Uh-huh. Fun.”
She quickly zipped up her pants, then his, because he seemed too dazed to do it himself. But evidently she hadn’t robbed him of all his faculties, because when she reached for the door latch, he intercepted her hand with a knowing look.
“I know what you’re doing,” he said mockingly.
She furrowed her brow. “Huh?”
“You’ve been doing it all morning. You’re trying to keep me at a distance. Avoiding important topics, distracting me with sex when the conversation gets too serious for your liking.”
Darcy’s cheeks grew warm as he called her out on it. Reed had never come off as very perceptive, so either she’d been wrong about that, or she was way more transparent than she’d thought.
Either way, she felt like a total ass. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “You’re right, that’s what I’ve been doing. It’s just…I meant what I said when we started this. I don’t want anything more than a fling.”
“Don’t worry, Darce. It’s still a fling.” The hint of a smile crossed his face. “For now.”
Then he opened the door and strode out of the shed, leaving her staring after him in dismay.
For now? Crap. What did he mean by that? What the heck was that stubborn man up to?
And why did she get the most unsettling feeling she wasn’t going to like it?
Or…an even scarier thought…that maybe she’d like it too much.
Chapter Thirteen
“Did you see that?” Devon was grinning from ear to ear as he turned to check if Reed had witnessed the perfect spiral the kid had just thrown.
Granted, the football hadn’t sailed more than fifteen feet in the air—and landed nowhere close to the target they’d set up—but Reed wasn’t about to point that out. Or complain. Because damn, the kid really had mastered the art of the spiral. And after only two tries, no less.
“That was awesome,” he called out. “A few more throws and you’ll be giving Tom Brady a run for his money.”
The eleven-year-old boy bounded across the grassy field toward Reed, sidling up to him as he went to retrieve the football. This was their second official “outing,” after Darcy’s school had gotten in contact with Reed two weeks ago.
Apparently Devon hadn’t stopped raving to his mother about Reed’s defense workshop, so much so that Monique Pearson had asked the school for Reed’s number and called him up out of the blue.
Devon’s mother had revealed she’d recently enrolled her son in the Big Brother program, but that he’d yet to find anyone he really connected with. When she’d asked Reed if he would consider joining the program and being paired up with Devon, he hadn’t had the heart to say no.
And now he was glad he’d agreed. He absolutely adored the kid and found himself looking forward to these Sunday afternoon outings. Their allotted two hours had flown by today, and Devon looked disappointed as they left the football field behind the high school and walked to the parking lot.
“Are you sure you can’t come for dinner?” Devon asked, his bottom lip sticking out.
Reed shook his head regretfully. “Sorry, kiddo, I really can’t. I start work at seven, and I have a few things to take care of before that.”
Devon sighed loudly. “Fine.”
He ruffled the kid’s curly hair and smiled. “How about next week? If it’s okay with your mom, maybe I’ll stop by for an early dinner before work.”
The boy’s face lit up. “Yes! I’ll ask her the second we get home!”
Chuckling at the kid’s enthusiasm, Reed unlocked the car and opened the passenger door for Devon. Once they’d both settled in and buckled up, he drove in the direction of Devon’s apartment building in Dorchester.
Ten minutes later, Reed walked the boy up to his fifth floor apartment, greeting Devon’s mother with a smile after she’d opened the door.
“Did you boys have fun?” Monique asked.
As usual, the woman looked incredibly frazzled. Reed had learned that she worked two jobs—full-time hours during the week for the first one, and a weekend graveyard shift for the second, which meant that Devon’s grandmother stayed with them when Monique worked the overnighters. Reed didn’t envy the woman, but he sure as hell respected her work ethic, not to mention her determination to provide a good life for her son.
“Reed is gonna come over for dinner next weekend!” Devon told his mother. “Is that okay?”
An indulgent smile lifted her lips. Reed got the feeling that she rarely said no to her son, not if she could help it.
“Sounds good to me.” Her grateful gaze shifted to Reed. “Thank you. You’ve been wonderful with him.”
His cheeks warmed up from the praise. “My pleasure. He’s a great kid.” Reed ruffled Devon’s hair again. “I’ll see you next Sunday, kiddo.”
There was a spring to his step as he left the building. Man, he truly loved spending time with that kid.
And he also loved spending time with Darcy, which he was also about to do.
It had been two weeks since their illicit visit to the farmers market, and in those two weeks, Reed had steadily been making headway with her. All those pesky rules she’d initially tried to enforce were crumbling away one by one.
No sleepovers? They crashed at each other’s places all the time.
No dinners? They’d gone for Italian just the other night.
No heavy conversation? Last week they’d stayed up all night talking about their families.
Oh yeah, he was definitely wearing her down.
Even though Darcy still insisted it was a fling, he knew damn well that it wasn’t. At least not for him. He loved every second he spent with her, and not just the sex part. He loved sending her those cheesy text messages that he knew made her smile. He loved her silly jokes. Her laughter. Snuggling in bed together after they’d rocked each other’s worlds.
Christ, he liked her so damn much.
No, it was more than like. He was falling for her, and he was helpless to stop it.
He didn’t want to stop it.
And he was confident that sooner or later Darcy would admit she was falling for him, too. She had to. He was trying so damn hard to show her that she could count on him, but he’d also promised himself not to push her—he wanted her to reach that conclusion all by herself.
Reed had two hours before he needed to head over to Sin, which gave him and Darcy plenty of time to get into all sorts of wicked trouble, but when he knocked on her door twenty minutes later, his anticipation was instantly snuffed out.
“Oh, crap,” she blurted when she saw him. “Didn’t you get my message? I can’t hang out today.”
He furrowed his brow, then reached into his pocket for his phone. When a black screen greeted him, he cursed under his breath. “It’s dead. I guess I forgot to charge it this morning.” Reed studied her flustered expression. “What’s going on?”
Darcy raked a hand through her hair. She’d worn it loose and it fell over one shoulder, the wavy strands hovering over the V neckline of her white T-shirt. Her dark-blue skinny jeans hugged her shapely legs, and when Reed glanced at her feet, her yellow flip-flops and bright red toenails made him smile. She was so fucking pretty his heart squeezed.
“My dad’s in town.” Her flat tone revealed her precise thoughts on the matter.
During one of their many no-longer-forbidden conversations, Darcy had to
ld him all about her father and how he swept into town a few times a year before disappearing again for months. In Reed’s opinion, the man sounded like a total jackass. A selfish jerk who’d run out on his wife and daughter.
But he hadn’t voiced his opinion to Darcy. No matter how unreliable her old man was, he was still her old man.
“Did you know he was coming?” Reed asked.
She shook her head, her jaw tighter than a drum. “Of course not. I never know when he’s coming.” A buzzing drew her gaze to the phone in her hand. She looked at the screen, then groaned in annoyance. “God, this is insane. He says he wants to see me, but he keeps changing the plans. We were supposed to have lunch at the harbor, but now he wants to meet at the Starbucks around the corner from here.”
“I guess I’ll head out then.” Reed leaned in to brush a kiss over her lips. He was tempted to turn it into a hot make-out session, but he knew now wasn’t the time.
When he pulled back, he found Darcy eyeing him miserably. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
Her next words startled him. “Do you… Will you come with me?”
Reed tried not to gape at her. She was inviting him to meet her father?
Granted, that hadn’t been one of the items on her no list, but that was probably because it hadn’t even occurred to her that it could happen.
“I just think…” She shrugged. “Maybe if I bring someone along it won’t be as awkward as it usually is.”
Or it would be a hundred times more awkward, Reed almost pointed out.
When he hesitated, Darcy’s blue eyes grew resigned. “Sorry, forget it. I guess it’s a stupid idea—”
“Sure,” he interrupted. “I’ll come.”
“You will?”
Reed nodded.
The next thing he knew, Darcy threw her arms around him, stood up on her tiptoes, and kissed him. No tongue, but he tasted the overpowering relief on her lips as their mouths met. His heart clenched again, a wave of emotion floating through him. He was entirely touched that she trusted him enough to introduce him to her dad, to expose him to what he knew was a painful relationship in her life.