Wow. She couldn’t believe the request had come from him and not the other way around. Weren’t women the ones who usually demanded to have the uncomfortable post-hookup talk?
But she knew she couldn’t say no. The memory of fooling around with Reed had haunted her for days, gnawing at her like a dog trying to chew the last bit of marrow out of a bone. The sooner they spoke and put their transgression behind them, the sooner she could stop feeling like the worst human being on the planet.
Trying to be discreet, Darcy typed a short response, letting him know she was out but could see him afterward. They arranged to meet at the front stoop of her building, and after she’d tucked the phone away and lifted her head, she found her friends grinning at her.
“I thought you were taking a break from men,” Skyler chided.
Darcy’s cheeks grew warm, and she felt like strangling her English heritage for cursing her with a blush she could never hide. “Who says I was talking to a man?”
Shannon chortled. “You are the worst liar on the planet.”
“Will you at least tell us his name?” Jayani teased.
Darcy averted her gaze, staring at the crisp white tablecloth as if it was the most fascinating thing she’d ever seen. “It’s nobody. Trust me.”
“Uh-huh,” Shannon said in a singsong voice. “If you say so.”
Fortunately, her friends didn’t press for more details, and Skyler changed the subject to tell them about her first week at work. The younger woman had just finished her Masters and was now practicing under the supervision of a licensed psychologist, thrilled to finally be able to put her skills to good use.
Darcy was grateful for the reprieve, but although she made an effort to participate in the discussion, her mind was elsewhere.
With two short sentences, Reed had succeeded in ruining girls’ night for her. Now, thanks to him, all she’d be able to think about for the next two hours was their impending meeting.
Chapter Five
Reed didn’t get nervous often, but his hands were embarrassingly shaky as he parked his car at the curb a few steps from Darcy’s building. Through the windshield, he saw her sitting on the bottom step of her stoop, the light fixture above her head bringing out the reddish highlights in her wavy hair.
He reluctantly slid out of the car and walked toward her, trying not to dwell on the appealing picture she made. Other than the night at the Krib, he’d never seen her in anything dressy. Usually she wore jeans and colorful tops, and he had to admit he preferred her casual style to the too fancy, too made up women he encountered at Sin on a nightly basis.
It was funny—before he’d met Darcy, he hadn’t been drawn to the girl-next-door type. He’d preferred bold, confident woman who didn’t mind taking a walk on the wild side. A nice rack didn’t hurt, either.
Darcy was confident, sure, but she also radiated goodness. A sweet, compassionate side he tended to shy away from. But although she was sweet, she certainly wasn’t meek. The woman challenged him like nobody ever had, and that only added to her appeal.
“Hey,” he said gruffly, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Thanks for meeting me.”
“Hey.” She rose from her perch, her hands dangling awkwardly at her sides, one of them clutching a folded piece of paper.
“What’s that?” he asked.
She glanced at the sheet as if she’d forgotten she was holding it. “Oh, just a memo from my landlord about some fire alarm and carbon monoxide inspection the building is doing next week. It was stuffed in my mailbox.”
“Ah.”
They both went quiet for a second.
“Um.” Darcy fidgeted. “I’d invite you up, but…”
The smartass in him reared his annoying head. “But you’re afraid if I come upstairs you’ll end up ripping my clothes off?”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, aren’t we arrogant?”
“Am I wrong?” He’d meant to voice the question lightly, just a little tease that meant nothing, but the words came out raspy and dead serious.
She faltered, averting her gaze for a beat before shifting it back to his. She looked utterly resigned. “I want to say yes, but I don’t think you are. I never thought, not in a million years, that I’d be saying this, but…I’ve been picturing you naked ever since…” She trailed off, but they both knew what she was talking about.
Her honesty didn’t surprise him. Darcy had been a straight shooter from the moment he’d met her. He got the feeling she always spoke her mind. Didn’t avoid a single confrontation, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.
Normally he’d appreciate that, but learning that she’d been picturing him naked achieved the opposite result of what he’d come here for. He was supposed to tell her that what happened between them was a mistake. A mistake he didn’t intend on making again. But then she’d gone and said the word naked, and now his mind was overflowing with the dirtiest, filthiest images known to man.