One Night of Scandal (15 page)

He opened his mouth.

Closed it.

Kept rubbing her back.

Man up already
.

Reed stifled a groan and ordered the mocking voice in his head to shut the hell up.

He was totally going to do it. He was going to tell her. He just needed a few seconds to gather up his courage.

Finally, he opened his mouth again. Drew a deep breath and exhaled in an unsteady rush.

Then he murmured her name—and realized that she’d fallen asleep in his arms.

Chapter Fifteen

“You’re seriously doing this?” Reed sank into the armchair in front of Gage’s desk and eyed the other man warily.

His friend nodded. “Yep.”

“You’re moving in with Skyler.”

“Yep.”

“After three months of dating.”

“Yep.”

Reed shook his head in amazement. If the news had come from anyone else, he’d still be shocked, but coming from Gage? Multiply the shock by a million. Gage had avoided commitment for as long as Reed had known him, and now he was moving in with a woman he’d only recently started dating?

“Isn’t it a little sudden?” he asked carefully. “I mean, living together is a huge step, bro.”

“I know.” Gage looked a tad smug as he perched his hip on the edge of the desk and folded his arms over his broad chest. “But it’s happening.” He shrugged. “Hell, if it were up to me, we’d be walking down the aisle already, but Skyler laughed in my face when I suggested it. She thinks we should try living together before we jump into marriage.”

“
Marriage
?” Reed gaped at his friend. “Dude. Were you abducted by aliens? Who are you and what did those bastard aliens do to Gage Holt?”

The other man just chuckled. “I already told you, this is forever. Skyler’s the one.”

“But…” Reed found himself sputtering. “How are you so sure of that?”

“She’s the one,” Gage repeated.

His conviction was downright beautiful.

As Reed unhinged his jaw from the floor, Gage moved away from the desk. “Anyway, I just wanted to share that little bit of good news. Gotta find Jesse now and go over the security assignments for tonight.”

With that, Gage slid out the door, leaving Reed to shake his head to himself. Wow. Well. Gage had always been an intense motherfucker, so maybe it made sense that the man extended that same intensity to his relationships.

But to be
that
confident about the future? To know without a shred of doubt that Skyler Thompson was the woman for him?

As Reed rose from the chair, thoughts of Darcy crept into his head. It had been two days since he’d almost told her he’d loved her, and in those two days, he’d nearly blurted it out a hundred more times. Fear and insecurities had stopped him each time, but now, as he stood in Gage’s office and replayed his friend’s words in his head—
she’s the one
—he realized he needed to quit being such a coward.

Because he was Gage. And Darcy was Skyler.

And she was the goddamn
one
.

A smile stretched across his face. Darcy was the only woman for him. He’d known it from the moment he’d met her. So why the hell was he so scared to tell her?

She hadn’t uttered the word
fling
in a long, long time. And the other night, when she’d looked at him with honest-to-God love in her eyes…yeah, he didn’t think he had a damn thing to be scared about. Darcy might not have said it out loud, but he
knew
she felt the same way he did.

Being the first one to show vulnerability was a terrifying notion for him, but he realized it needed to be done. If he opened himself up and told her how he felt, he was confident she’d find the strength to do the same.

Fueled by that confidence, Reed left the office and headed out to the parking lot. The club didn’t open for another hour, which gave him plenty of time to drive over to Darcy’s, tell her he loved the shit out of her, and make it back in time for opening hour.

Twenty minutes later, his heart pounded as he climbed the front stoop of her building. Rather than wait to be buzzed in, he punched in the code she’d given him and strode through the door, making a beeline for the elevator. When the doors dinged open on the fourth floor, shaky legs carried him all the way to her apartment.

Okay, he could totally do this. So what if he’d never professed his love to a woman? He was thirty years old. It was about time he introduced three new words into his vocabulary.

He reached her door, frowning when he heard Darcy’s voice drifting from the apartment. Figuring she was on the phone, he quietly let himself in, not wanting to interrupt her. He’d taken two steps when another voice wafted out of the living room.

“Yes, it’s an impulsive move, but I love him, and this feels right.”

Shit. It was Skyler.

Reed suppressed an aggravated groan and hesitated in the front hall. No way in hell was he going to do this in front of an audience. His palms were already clammy enough without the added torture of seeing Skyler smirk at him while he dropped an L-bomb.

“Hey, don’t knock it ‘til you try it,” Skyler teased after Darcy murmured something Reed couldn’t make out. “I bet it won’t be long at all before you’re the one moving in with
your
boyfriend.”

He edged back to the door, then froze when Darcy’s protest echoed through the apartment.

“Reed’s not my boyfriend.”

The pain that ripped through his chest was strong enough to shred his heart to pieces.

Reed’s not my boyfriend
.

His body went colder than a glacier, little pinpricks of agony digging into his skin. No, of course he wasn’t her boyfriend. He was nothing but her goddamn fling.

How could he have forgotten that?

There was a long pause, and then Darcy spoke again. “He’s just…”

Another pause.

This time Reed didn’t wait for her to go on, because he was perfectly capable of finishing that sentence all by himself.

He’s just a fuck.

He’s just the bad boy I’m killing time with until I find my
real
boyfriend.

The jagged pieces of his heart tore up his chest, leaving him bloody and destroyed as he ducked out of the apartment and gingerly latched the door behind him.

In the corridor, he sagged against the wall and dragged both hands over his scalp. Lord, he was such an idiot. He must have misinterpreted all those tender looks she’d given him, all the unspoken words that he’d assumed meant she felt the same way.

ASS. U. ME.

Yup, what a perfect fucking phrase, but luckily the universe had stepped in before he’d made an even bigger ass of himself by confessing his love to a woman who thought he was…“just…”—he wasn’t even going to bother filling in that heartbreaking blank again.

Setting his jaw, Reed stalked to the elevator and punched the
down
button, then waited for the doors to open and marched right through them.

All without a backward glance.

…

Darcy bit her lip as Skyler’s knowing blue eyes twinkled from the other end of the couch.

“He’s just what?” the other woman teased.

“He’s just…” Darcy gasped. “…my
boyfriend
.” Her eyes widened. “Holy shit, he’s my boyfriend.”

“And?” Skyler prompted.

“And I love him.” Her pulse quickened. “Damn it, Skyler, I love him.”

“Hey, why are you angry at
me
? Actually, why are you angry
at all
?”

“I’m not angry. I’m…”

She shook her head a couple times, hoping it would knock her jumbled thoughts into balance.

She was in love with Reed. When on earth had
that
happened?

But no, she knew exactly when it happened—when he’d shown her the true meaning of passion. When he’d opened up to her about the loneliness of childhood and how hard it had been to grow up without parents. When he’d taken a little boy under his wing and given him the father figure he’d craved.

When those deep blue eyes locked with hers.

When their lips met.

When…God, whenever she was with him.

Reed Miller might not have looked like her ideal mate on the surface, but Darcy knew without a doubt that he was perfect for her. He challenged her, he thrilled her, he made her feel alive in a way no other man ever had.

“Do you think he loves me back?” she blurted out.

Skyler responded with a soft laugh. “Oh, Darce, you better believe it. Trust me, I saw the way Reed looked at you when you were dating AJ. He had it bad. And he has it even worse now. That man is infatuated with you.”

Her teeth worried her lower lip again. “Yeah, but does he
love
me?”

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Skyler hopped off the sofa with a burst of energy. “I was just about to visit Gage at the club. Why don’t you come with me and talk to Reed?”

Darcy’s legs felt weak as her friend tugged her onto her feet. Talk to Reed? And say what? That she
loved
him?

What if he didn’t say it back?

“I don’t know,” she said uneasily. “Maybe I should think about it some more before I talk to him.”

“Think about what?” Skyler tipped her head. “You told me that he hinted he wanted more, right?”

“Yeah, he
hinted
. I reminded him that it was a fling, and he said
for now
.” She swallowed. “That doesn’t mean he wants a relationship.”

“Darce, that’s
totally
what it means.” Skyler gave a stern clap of her hands. “Stop being a wuss. You’re coming with me to Sin, and you’re going to talk to Reed.”

It was obvious the other woman wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Skyler all but dragged Darcy out the door and pushed her into the elevator, and then she did the same in the parking lot when she shoved Darcy into the passenger seat of the car.

A moment later, Skyler sat behind the wheel, smiling happily as she drove toward the club, while Darcy wrung her hands together with growing anxiety.

This was precisely what she’d been so afraid of. Getting attached. Falling in love. But those fears had been based on her old opinion of Reed, when she’d believed he was shallow, reckless, and temporary. Being with him had shown her a whole different side to the man, and he
had
been hinting that he was interested in more than a casual affair. She’d been the one holding back, but the insufferable man had broken all of her ground rules and bulldozed through her defenses, until her guard was down and her heart was wide open.

Darcy didn’t say much during the drive, but it didn’t matter, because Skyler chatted about her plans to move into Gage’s townhouse and all the preparations she had to make. By the time they arrived at Sin, Darcy’s nerves had begun to ebb. The fact that they were in the parking lot didn’t hurt, either—it only reminded her of the night Reed had ravished her in the backseat of her car, and the thrilling memory brought a grin to her lips.

Yeah, life with Reed was nothing if not thrilling. She couldn’t believe she’d even considered
not
keeping him around.

“Ha, look who’s in a good mood now,” Skyler teased as they strode through the club’s back door. “You’re totally thinking about all the lovey dovey sex you guys are going to have tonight, huh?”

She grinned. “Guilty as charged.”

Since Reed could usually be found in his office pouring over invoices and timesheets while Gage worked security on the floor, the two women parted ways in the hallway. Skyler ducked into the club through a staff door in the hall, Darcy headed for the stairs at the end of it, but before she could climb the first step, AJ appeared at the top of the staircase.

“Hey,” he greeted her, bounding down the stairs to plant a warm and totally platonic kiss on her cheek. “If you’re looking for Reed, he’s serving tonight.”

She furrowed her brow. “How come?”

AJ shrugged. “No clue. He just said he was feeling too antsy to be stuck at his desk and announced that I was gonna have company behind the bar.” He touched her arm. “I need to duck outside and help the guys unload a liquor delivery. Go on ahead. Reed’ll be happy to see you.”

She sure hoped so.

And she also hoped he’d be able to take a break so they could speak in private. The last thing Darcy wanted to do was tell him how she felt by screaming over a deafening dance beat.

The club had only been open for ten minutes, so it wasn’t at all crowded when Darcy emerged into the shadowy space. She immediately spotted Reed at the bar, her heart beating faster at the sight of him.

And then not beating at all when she saw what he was doing.

His roped arms rested on the sleek counter as he leaned in to whisper something in the ear of a very pretty, very busty brunette in a skimpy halter top. Miss Thang was sitting on a stool with her legs crossed and her indecently short miniskirt riding up her thighs, a throaty giggle piercing the air as she responded to whatever Reed had said.

Darcy’s body went cold. Was he seriously flirting with another woman? Right in front of her?

Granted, he hadn’t seen her yet. But
still
.

Gritting her teeth in anger, she marched up to the bar, halting two feet from the brunette.

Reed’s expression didn’t change when he noticed her. His rogue grin stayed in place, and he tipped his head in greeting. “Hey, Darce.” Then, to her staggering shock, he turned right back to the brunette and said, “Anyway, I want to know more about this modeling agency of yours.”

Darcy’s mouth fell open. “Are you
kidding
me?”

The rage simmering in her stomach only burned hotter when she glimpsed the irritation in his eyes. “Hold that thought, baby girl,” he drawled to the other woman. “I’ve gotta take care of something.”

Baby girl?

Darcy had never been more insulted in her life as Reed drifted to the far edge of the bar, gesturing for her to follow. Her hands trembled and her throat closed up, hurt and anger forming a lethal cocktail inside her.

“What the hell is going on?” she demanded once they were out of the brunette’s earshot.

He had the nerve to look confused. “I’m just talking to a customer.”

“Talking?” she echoed in disbelief. “You’re hitting on that woman!”

Reed paused. Then he twisted the knife harder. “Yeah. I guess I am.”

A volatile wave of emotion slammed into her chest. She was horrified and humiliated to feel tears stinging her eyes, and she blinked wildly to keep them at bay. “What’s going on, Reed?” she whispered. “What is this?”

It was early enough in the night that the music was at a normal level, and she knew he heard her anguished plea.