One Night of Scandal

Reed groaned. “This is f**king 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 ass**les 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 br**sts on his chest. Her ni**les 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 br**sts 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 f**k 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 c**k 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 br**sts. They’re so insanely perfect. So damn sexy.”