One Night of Scandal

  The instant they were gone, Darcy spun around and waved her hand in an attempt to get Reed’s attention.

  When he noticed her frantic movements, a slight frown marred his lips.

  “Get over here!” she called.

  Without an ounce of enthusiasm, he made his way over, wiping his hands on a red-and-white-checkered dishrag. “Hey, I know I’m taking a while, but I can’t leave until my relief shows up. It’s insanely busy tonight.” He looked frazzled. “Normally we don’t get a rush this big until closer to ten.”

  She spoke in an urgent tone. “I think I just found your drug dealer.”

  Confusion filled his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  “AJ told me there’s some guy dealing drugs at Sin. Well, I just spoke to two girls who know him.” Darcy beamed at him. “They gave me his phone number.”

  He gave a sharp intake of breath. “You’re shitting me.”

  “Nope. It’s right here on my phone. Should I text him?”

  Reed’s expression went deadly serious. “Yeah. Do it now. Tell him you’re interested in buying a few party favors and you’ve got the cash.”

  Darcy started to key in the message, then stopped and shot Reed a blank look. “How do I phrase it? What does Ecstasy even come in? Hits? Pills? Fingers, you know, like whiskey?”

  A laugh burst out of his mouth. “Yes, Darcy, ask for two fingers of E. Makes you sound like a real pro.”

  She scowled. “Excuuuuuse me for not being super knowledgeable about drugs and all the forms they come in.”

  “I thought you knew stuff,” he said smugly.

  Her scowl deepened. “Yeah, normal, everyday stuff. I’m not part of a drug cartel!” She pressed send, then set her phone down on the counter. “There. I kept it vague, so we should be good. Hopefully he texts me ba—”

  Her iPhone buzzed before she could finish the sentence. Wow. That was one on-the-ball drug dealer. The kids in her eighth grade class could take a lesson or two from him about punctuality.

  She quickly read the message, then relayed it to Reed. “He says thirty bucks for two pills—is that a reasonable price or should I try to barter with him?”

  Reed rumbled with laughter again. “Tell him it’s fine.”

  With a nod, Darcy sent an answering message, and just like before, a response came in right away, instructing her to go to one of the curtained-off alcoves situated throughout the club in exactly thirty minutes. She shot back a quick “KK” before grinning at Reed. “This is so exciting. I feel like a narc.”

  He snickered. “You watch too many cop shows.”

  “Yeah, well, you don’t watch enough cop shows, otherwise you’d find this as exciting as I do.”

  A stern look sharpened his features. “It’s not supposed to be exciting, Darce. Drugs are serious shit.”

  An annoyed shout sliced through the trance beat blasting from the DJ platform. “Yo, dude! Quit getting your mack on and bring us our beers!”

  “I’ll be right back.” Looking unenthused, Reed hurried off to take care of the waiting patrons.

  He didn’t end up coming back for another twenty minutes, and Darcy was thoroughly impressed as she watched him move up and down the bar with ease, filling endless orders and flashing that cocky grin to every customer, male or female. At one point, he clicked on his earpiece and muttered something she couldn’t make out, and then he was suddenly heading back to her.

  He lifted up the wooden barrier that blocked off the bar area, opening his mouth to address her just as a tall, bulky man with a shaved head stalked up to them. Darcy recognized him as one of the bouncers, but she couldn’t remember his name.

  “What’s up, boss?” the behemoth said brusquely.

  “Jeff. Hey. You tended bar back in the day, right?”

  The bouncer nodded. “Yeah…”

  “Good. I need you to man the fort until Henry or Sue get here,” Reed replied. “I’ve got something I need to take care of.”

  The bouncer’s dark eyes shifted from Reed to Darcy, then back to Reed. “Everything okay?”

  Reed leaned in and murmured something in the other man’s ear. Darcy wasn’t certain, but she thought she heard the words “our little problem” and “keep an eye out, seven o’clock” but Reed ushered her away before she could ask him what he’d said.

  “So how are we doing this?” She had to bring her lips close to his ear, and his intoxicating scent immediately grabbed hold of her senses and stole her ability to think properly. She held her breath so she wouldn’t have to breathe him in, once again reminding herself that she had no business thinking about how good he smelled. Or how yummy his ass looked in his black trousers.

  “Not sure yet. We’ll just wing it.”

  His cavalier response didn’t surprise her. Reed had always come off as the kind of man who didn’t put much thought behind his actions.

  They traveled along the edge of the dance floor toward the other side of the cavernous room. Sin had an open-concept design—exposed beams all around the main floor, a bar spanning one side and tables lining the other walls, and a spiral staircase leading to the second-floor VIP lounge that overlooked the club. Tucked in various points of the club were little alcoves sectioned off with blood-red velvet curtains. Some of them contained plush loveseats for customers who wanted to take a breather in privacy, but according to AJ, most people ducked into those hidden nooks to fool around.

  The alcove where the dealer had directed her didn’t have any furniture. It was nothing but a dark, cramped space. Standing room only, which placed her in perilously close proximity to Reed.

  There were ten minutes left in their allotted thirty, but Darcy wasn’t ready to raise the subject she’d come here to discuss. Her hands had gone clammy, her pulse racing as she and Reed squeezed into the tight space. She wondered if a few of the walls in there were sound-proofed, because the music from the club sounded muffled in the alcove, making it much easier to hear each other.

  “What are you going to do when he shows up?” she asked.

  The flashes of light streaming in from the slight gap in the curtain highlighted the deadly expression on Reed’s face. “I don’t know yet.”

  “Bullshit. You’re totally planning on roughing him up, aren’t you?”

  When he shrugged, his shoulder jostled hers, and the heat of his body seared her bare skin. Her heart beat even faster.

  “Maybe,” Reed said in a vague tone. “Depends on how agreeable he is.” He paused. “But if I ask you to leave, please don’t argue with me, okay?”

  She wasn’t sure she liked the idea of Reed getting violent with anyone, even a lowly drug dealer, but she was discovering that arguing with Reed was about as effective as trying to teach a dog to speak French. Total waste of time.

  “So…school starts soon, huh?” His expression was tinged with awkwardness, as if making small talk wasn’t his forte.

  Darcy nodded. “Next week.”

  “Are you looking forward to it?”

  “Definitely. I already started all my prep work last week. Setting up my classroom, going over the curriculum. Plus a lot of boring meetings, but I’ve gotten pretty good at secretly playing Candy Crush while Principal Donnelly babbles on about budgets and rules of conduct.”

  Reed chuckled.

  “I’m dying to see my students again.” She glanced over with a smile. “I teach eighth-grade homeroom and English for grades six to eight, so a lot of my seventh graders from history last year will be in my homeroom this year. I’m excited.”

  “AJ said you’re really good with kids.” His voice turned gruff. “That’s a damn good skill to have. A lot of folks don’t know how to relate to kids.”

  “Oh, I love them.” She grinned. “It helps that most of the girls watch all the same shows I do. Last year we held a weekly American Idol discussion group after school.”

  He cringed. “You’re into all that reality show crap? I’m disappointed in you, Darce.”

  She was qu
ick to voice a defensive protest. “I have a thing for Keith Urban, okay? So sue me.”

  Reed’s head tipped to the side. “Keith Urban, huh? Is that your type then, Australian cowboys?”

  “Naah, he’s just pretty to look at.”

  He made a disapproving noise with his tongue. “Ha, and people accuse men of objectifying women. But you ladies are way worse, and you know it.”

  “Yeah, we’re pretty terrible,” she confessed. “I can’t deny that.”

  Chuckling again, Reed checked the black tactical watch strapped to his wrist. He was one of the only men she knew who still wore a watch. Most people, herself included, just checked their phones these days.

  “It’s been thirty minutes,” Reed told her.

  Darcy shifted her gaze to the curtain, half expecting the dealer to pop through it at that exact moment. His text replies had come so fast, she figured he’d arrive at the proposed time on the dot, but it quickly became obvious that Mr. Drugs wasn’t as reliable as she’d thought.

  She and Reed chatted about nothing in particular for the next five minutes, but the dealer still hadn’t appeared. When another five minutes passed, Reed cursed under his breath.

  “I don’t think he’s going to show.”

  Darcy chewed on her bottom lip. “Why not?”

  Rather than answer, Reed clicked his earpiece on. “Jeff,” he barked. “Is anyone heading in this direction?”

  She couldn’t hear the bouncer’s reply, but whatever it was, Reed didn’t like it. He touched his ear, then glanced at Darcy and swore again. “I bet he was watching us the whole time and saw me come in here with you. He must know I own this place.”

  “That’s kind of a leap. Maybe something just came up.”

  “From what I’ve gleaned, he’s a sharp businessman. I don’t think he would bail on a deal.” Reed sighed. “I think this is a bust. Come on, let’s go.”

  He reached for the curtain, but Darcy grasped his arm to stop him. And boy, touching him was a big mistake. His biceps were perfectly sculpted, his flesh hot and smooth beneath her palm. Her pulse instantly sped up, mouth going so dry it felt like someone had stuffed it with sand.

  “Right,” Reed mumbled. “You wanted to talk.” His lack of enthusiasm didn’t do much for her ego.

  Darcy swallowed to bring moisture to her arid mouth. “Actually, I wanted you to talk. Last night…” She gulped again. “Last night you said that you have to act like a jerk towards me because it’s the only way for you to…” She eyed him sternly. “Finish that sentence, Reed. To what?”

  Reluctance dug a deep groove into his forehead. “It’s nothing. Forget I ever said it.”

  “I can’t forget. It’s been bugging me all day. I need to know what you meant by that.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Sounding frustrated, he gently uncurled her fingers from his arm. “Nothing good can come out of this conversation, baby.”

  Darcy frowned. “Don’t baby me. And PS? I never took you for a coward. You’ve always struck me as a man who says exactly what’s on his mind.”

  Something hot and dangerous moved through his eyes. “Why are you pushing this?”

  “Because I’m curious.”

  “Curious? No, I don’t think that’s it.” His voice was silky now, deep and mocking. He eased closer, his arm brushing hers as he shifted so they were facing each other. “This is more than curiosity. You’re blushing. You know what that tells me?”

  Her breathing went shallow. “What?”

  “It tells me you know exactly what I meant last night.”

  “I…” Her next words were barely over a whisper. “I need to hear you say it.”

  Her body grew tight and achy as she searched his face, waiting for an answer. God, why was she pushing him? He was right, nothing good could come of this. Nothing good at all.

  “Don’t do this.” A warning note crept into his husky voice. “Don’t make me say it.”

  Darcy’s heart was no longer beating at double time. It had skipped right over triple and was now veering into cardiac arrest territory. The air in the alcove became stifling, rippling with the tension she’d only begun to notice last night. And now it was impossible to ignore.

  Reed was standing so damn close to her. Close enough that his addictive scent was once again wreaking havoc on her senses. Close enough that all she had to do was lean in slightly and their lips would be touching.

  “You’re right,” she stammered. “You shouldn’t say it.”

  “I shouldn’t.” Yet even as he voiced his agreement, his hand had risen to her face, his thumb delicately sweeping over her bottom lip.

  Her breath hitched. God. Her entire world had reduced to this one moment, this one man. Her lips were actually trembling from the crazy urge to kiss him.

  “Fuck.” The expletive tore out of Reed’s throat, his frustration thick between them. “I want you, Darcy. I. Fucking. Want. You.”

  Shock slammed into her, along with a burst of arousal that seized her core. Oh God. She couldn’t believe he’d said it. Couldn’t believe she’d pushed him to.

  Because now there was no way to unhear those blunt words. No turning back from them.

  “Is that what you wanted to hear?” he said angrily. “I’ve wanted you forever. Every goddamn time I see you, I’ve had to force myself not to blurt it out. I can barely even look at you, for chrissake, because I’m scared you’ll see it in my eyes. Is that what you want to hear?”

  The confession sizzled through her body like merciless flames ravaging a dry forest. Her thighs clenched, breasts tingled, heart stopped. She wanted to dive through the curtain and pretend she’d never seen the raw lust in his eyes, never heard those gruff, honest words tumble out of his mouth.

  But she was rooted in place.

  They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, neither one speaking. Darcy had stopped breathing a while ago, and now her lungs burned, almost as painfully as the desire burning in her blood. Reed’s hand was still on her face, his calloused fingertips tracing the edge of her jaw. Her skin felt tight and prickly, the flames traveling south and tingling between her legs.

  Reed’s blue eyes blazed with accusation. “Why are you still here?” he burst out. “Go, Darcy. Just go.”

  “No,” she whispered.

  He took another step closer, crowding her, his broad body dominating every inch of the tiny space. Their mouths were so close she could feel his warm breath fanning over her lips, mingling with the sudden rush of air that seeped out of her lungs.

  “You have to go.”

  She swallowed. “No.”

  “This is wrong.” Half mumble, half moan. The anguish in his voice matching her own.

  He cupped her cheeks with both hands, groaning when their eyes locked again. “Just once,” he muttered. “I just need to know.”

  Her voice wobbled. “Know what?”

  “What it would feel like.” A determined glint lit his gorgeous eyes. “Maybe it won’t be as good as I imagined.”

  A laugh shook out. “It might be awful,” she said helpfully.

  He groaned again. “Worse than awful.”

  “We’ll probably hate it so much that—”

  Reed’s mouth crashed down on hers before she could finish.

  And there was nothing awful about it.

  She moaned the moment their lips touched, but Reed swallowed the desperate sound with his mouth. His hands landed on her hips to pull her closer, and he didn’t even try to hide his erection. He simply thrust it against her pelvis and rotated his hips so she could feel every hard inch of him.

  Darcy parted her lips, but his tongue didn’t seek entrance. His lips teased hers with soft, sweet kisses that made her head spin and her body ache. He didn’t seem interested in driving the kiss to a whole new level, and when she pressed her palms against his chest and felt the tension seizing his muscles, she realized he was purposely holding back.

  With an agonized whimper, she sank her teeth into h
is lower lip, making her frustration clear. He cursed in pain, and she took advantage of his parted lips by slipping her tongue into his mouth.

  It was all the impetus he needed. Gone were the feather-light kisses. Gone was the restraint. Darcy gasped as he devoured her like a starving man, his hungry tongue turning the kiss from exploratory to downright dominating.

  “Oh God,” she moaned. “Don’t ever stop kissing me.”

  Reed rumbled out a noise that was more animal than man, a deep growl that vibrated in her bones. There was something predatory about the way he backed her into the wall, his mouth glued to hers as he lifted one of her legs to his trim hips and ground his lower body against hers.

  Darcy wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. Lord, what was happening to her? A tornado of sensation swirled through her body, traveling from erogenous zone to erogenous zone, eliciting shivers, tingles, a deep ache that made her clit swell. She’d never felt anything like it.

  “Goddammit, Darcy,” he hissed out.

  He rubbed up against her, each stroke of his impressive erection causing the seam of her jeans to press into her throbbing sex. The telltale signs of orgasm were already beginning to surface, startling the hell out of her. Holy shit. She might actually come. From dry humping.

  The fact that there wasn’t even a door separating them from the masses in the club only thrilled her more. She felt hot and dizzy, helpless to control the unfamiliar sensations. The lightning bolts of lust, the painful throbbing of her clit.

  What was this? How was this happening?

  Reed’s tongue slicked over hers in another greedy kiss as he thrust against her, his hips pistoning erratically. The baseline pulsating in the club served as a soundtrack for their frenzied grinding, their greedy kisses, their desperate moans.

  And that’s when it dawned on her. She knew what this was.

  It was passion.

  Darcy squeezed her eyes shut and lost herself in sensation. God, she wanted to come. She needed to come. Her hips rocked into Reed, frantically seeking relief.

  But just as the pleasure mounted and her sex clenched in anticipation, the delicious friction disappeared.

  In the blink of an eye, Reed had stopped moving, abruptly tearing his mouth from hers.