…
Reed was dead-ass tired when he got to Darcy’s apartment that night. Or morning. Time lost all meaning when you worked at a nightclub.
The second he saw her beautiful face, though, he snapped into a state of wide awake. As bad as he felt showing up so late, this was his favorite time to see her. When she was sleepy, hair tousled, wearing her pajamas.
Her body was warm and pliant as she sank into his embrace and greeted him with a happy sigh. “You got here just in time. The coffee’s wearing off.”
He chuckled.
“Seriously, I’m going to turn back into a pumpkin in about ten minutes. Kiss me now before it’s too late.”
Like he could ever turn down that offer.
Reed kissed her, hard and deep, until she was gasping against his mouth. When her tongue darted out to swirl over his, he groaned as the sweet flavor of her suffused his taste buds. He could never get his fill of this woman. Never.
“Wait.” She broke off the kiss with a breathy exhale, her blue eyes hazy. “I have to ask you something before my brain totally turns to jelly.”
Reed cocked a brow. “Ask away.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you signed up for the Big Brother program?”
The question caught him off guard, bringing a pang of discomfort to his chest. Darcy didn’t look angry, but he knew from her perplexed face that she was bothered by it.
“I…ah…I don’t know,” he said gruffly. “I just didn’t.”
The half-ass response didn’t satisfy her, just as he’d known it wouldn’t. “You just didn’t?” she echoed, sounding even more confused.
Reed edged toward the living room couch, where he sat and raked a hand through his hair. A moment later, Darcy flopped down beside him and settled in a cross-legged position.
“Stop being mysterious,” she said. “I want to know why you kept it a secret.”
“It wasn’t a secret. I just didn’t mention it.”
She snorted. “That’s still a secret in my book.”
Reed released a sigh. “I guess at first it was because you made it clear you didn’t want to talk about important stuff.” He didn’t miss the guilt that flashed in her eyes. “And then…I dunno…I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want you to think it was something I was doing for you. You know, to impress you, or try to make you like me more.”
Her forehead creased. “Okay…”
He paused, trying to vocalize his messed up rationale. “It was something I was doing for me. I mean, I signed up because Monique Pearson pretty much twisted my arm into it, but after the first day with Devon, I realized I wanted to keep seeing him. I felt like I was doing something important, you know? Something meaningful.”
Darcy nodded. “It is important.”
“I never cared about stuff like this before.” Shame trickled down his spine, steadily, like drops of water from a leaky tap. “I was a selfish bastard when I started fighting pro. Once I started winning, I only cared about myself and doing things that benefited me. And yeah, I’ve grown up a lot since then, but like you said, it’s not like I’m Mr. Community Outreach or anything.” He shrugged. “But I had fun working with your kids, and I love being there for Devon. His dad’s in jail, did you know that?”
“Yeah, I did.”
He suddenly felt uncomfortable again. “I know what it’s like not to have a dad—it sucks. I mean, my uncle did his best, but he wasn’t a very good father figure. He drank like a fish, and he was more interested in chasing tail than playing catch with me, or doing any of that other father-son stuff.” Reed swallowed, shifting his gaze downcast. “Boys need that, though. Devon needs it. So I figured…yeah…maybe I could be the one to give it to him.”
When he glanced over at Darcy, he was startled by the approval shining in her eyes.
“What?” he mumbled.
“Nothing,” she said softly.
Reed knew damn well that whatever was on her mind, it was the farthest thing from nothing, but she didn’t give him the chance to question it. Instead, she slid closer and kissed him, her slender arms looping around his shoulders to hold him tight.
His heart melted as she peppered his face with kisses. That sweet mouth skimmed his cheeks, his jaw, his earlobe. Reed’s cock strained against his zipper, thickening and pulsing when Darcy climbed into his lap and slipped her hot, wet tongue inside his mouth.
As usual, they went from zero to sex. Clothes gone, bodies naked, his dick inside her before he even knew what was happening. Jeez, normally they at least managed to squeeze in some foreplay, but tonight Darcy only spared enough time to cover him with a condom before she sank onto his cock and clutched it with the tight vise of her body.
Reed groaned, his head falling back against the cushion as she began to ride him. “Jesus, baby, give a man some warning before you decide to kill him.”