One Night of Scandal (2 page)

Oh, and he was bossy. Who could forget
that
annoying little trait? Certainly not her, because right now that bossiness was throwing a wrench in her plans.

Some women got dolled up for any old occasion, but Darcy wasn’t one of them. Nope, there was a reason she’d donned a short dress and punished her feet with three-inch heels—passion.

Yep, passion. With a capital P and everything. She was twenty-seven years old, and not once had she experienced anything remotely close to the elusive P. Granted, that was probably because she only dated nice, wholesome guys like AJ. She couldn’t deny that her as-of-yesterday ex was smoking hot, but passionate? Not so much.

On the bright side, at least she didn’t have to worry that she’d broken his heart. Despite what his aggravating best friend thought, their break-up really had been mutual.

After more than five months of dating, the two of them could no longer ignore the depressing truth: they were great friends, but terrible lovers.

Darcy had hoped the initial spark between them would eventually ignite into a fiery affair for the ages, but sadly, it had fizzled out faster than a candle in a hurricane. And now, thanks to Reed Miller, her quest for a wild night of passion was equally unattainable.

She swept her gaze over his face, ticked off by how good-looking he was. Actually, correction: he was
gorgeous
. Like be-still-my-heart-and-rip-my-panties-off gorgeous. He had close-cropped black hair and piercing blue eyes, and his features were more rugged than pretty, starkly masculine and incredibly appealing.

And south of the border? Holy moly. He was shredded like lettuce, hard muscles and long limbs and a tight ass you could bounce quarters off.

“Stall as long as you want. I ain’t going anywhere, Darce.”

His deep, razor-sharp voice snapped her from her inappropriate ogling. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to notice she’d been checking him out. His expression displayed a cloud of displeasure mingled with steely determination, leaving no doubt as to how serious he was about cock-blocking her tonight.

Or was it vagina-blocking for girls? She wasn’t sure.

“You’re being totally unreasonable,” she said, raising her voice over the music. “I’m not seeing AJ anymore, which means it’s not considered cheating if I happen to meet someone I like.”

“Don’t care. Won’t be happening on my watch.”

God. He wasn’t going to back down.

Cut your losses, girl. You’re not the one-night-stand type, anyway.

The defeated voice in her head was spot on. Hopping into bed with strangers wasn’t something she indulged in very often. Or
ever
.

Darcy stifled a sigh. Maybe this had been a mistake from the start. A stupid, spur-of-the-moment decision brought on by her break-up with AJ, which, in all honesty, had seriously bummed her out. Not because she’d lost the love of her life or anything, but because their relationship had been so lacking it only highlighted everything she’d been missing. Everything she craved.

Fun. Laughter. Excitement.

Passion.

Yep, full circle, right back to passion.

“C’mon, quit being a brat.”

She felt herself being tugged, blinking to find Reed’s fingers curled over her forearm. His hand was big and warm, and utterly impersonal as he guided her to the dance floor.

Darcy swallowed her anger as they maneuvered through the crowd. Fine, if he wanted to act like a macho jerk and be her
shadow
, then she’d let him. Clearly passion wasn’t on the table anymore, but fun and dancing were still up for grabs, and she might as well get
something
out of this botched evening. Though maybe just the dancing part. After all,
fun
and
Reed Miller
didn’t exactly go together.

The sultry beat pounding out of the DJ’s turntables immediately snaked its way into Darcy’s blood, and her body responded of its own volition. AJ had hated to dance. Poor guy had no moves, either, but his best friend didn’t seem to share that affliction.

To her surprise, Reed wasted no time yanking her toward him. He rested one hand on her hip and began to dance to the pulsing, decadent rhythm as if he’d done it a hundred times before.

His head dipped to her ear, his warm breath fanning over her neck. “Why is your dress so short?” he rasped.

She stiffened at his disapproving tone, glancing down at the silky green dress that nearly reached her knees. “It’s not
that
short. Look around us—half these girls are practically naked.”

“Half these girls aren’t
you
.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” she demanded.

Rather than answer, he brought his other hand into play, running it up and down her back as his hips rotated in a slow, addictive rhythm.

Oh boy. He smelled fantastic. Sandalwood, citrus, and something uniquely male flooded her nostrils, giving her a bit of a head rush. And his chest was rock-hard beneath her palms—she wanted so badly to stroke it that she had to redirect her hands to his shoulders in an attempt to quell the temptation. Except his shoulders were equally enticing, big and broad and rippling with power.

AJ was built the same lean, muscular way
—
she knew it had everything to do with the fact that both men had once been professional fighters—but even though she’d slept with AJ many, many times, her hands had never itched to explore every hard, sinewy inch of his body the way they itched now.

Reed’s palm grazed her hipbone at the same time he thrust a thigh between her legs, turning the dance from vaguely sensual to downright erotic. Heat unfurled in Darcy’s belly and tingled in her sex, triggering a jolt of shock.

Holy crap. She was dirty dancing with AJ’s best friend.

And it was turning her on.

No, wait, that was nuts. She couldn’t
actually
be turned on. The sweltering air and the two shooters she’d drunk must be to blame, because there was no way Reed the Jerk Miller was getting her motor running.

When she felt his gaze on her, she tipped her head and was floored by what she found. Blue eyes burning with…jeez, was that desire?

Anger?

Defeat?

It sure as hell looked like all three, but only the anger part made any sort of sense. Reed always seemed pissed off when she was around, which was actually kind of insulting since she prided herself on being a very likable person.

“How long are we going to keep doing this?” he said in a strangled voice.

She frowned. “Doing what?”

“Dancing.” Sounding even more tormented, he eased away so their lower bodies were no longer touching, but kept his hands on her hips.

If she didn’t know any better, she’d have thought he’d inched back so she wouldn’t feel the evidence of his arousal pressing into her belly.

But of course Reed wasn’t sporting a stiffy in her presence. The only response she’d ever evoked in him was visible irritation and mild indifference.

The memory of his past behavior was like a splash of cold water to the face, propelling her to release his shoulders and take a hasty step back.

What the hell were they doing, grinding to the music like two people who were actually into each other? They weren’t even
friends
.

“You’re the one who forced me on the dance floor,” she snapped at him. “And you’re the one who decided not to let me have fun tonight, remember? So if you don’t want to dance with me, then don’t. Frankly, I’m not interested, either.”

She tossed her hair over her shoulder and flounced off, but she should’ve known better than to think he wouldn’t follow her. He did, hot on her heels as she pushed her way through the crowd toward the exit.

“Darcy—”

“Go away, Reed. You win, okay? You’ve officially ruined my night and put me in a shitty mood, so now I’m going home just like you wanted. Congratulations.”

Shooting him one last glare, she spun on her heel and marched out the door.

Chapter Two

“Darcy, wait. Seriously. Come on, wait up.”

She kept up the brisk pace, ignoring Reed’s increasingly annoyed shouts from behind her. Her heels snapped on the pavement in an angry
click-clack
as she barreled down the sidewalk. She’d taken five more steps when a heavy hand clapped on her shoulder.

“Must you always be so damn difficult?” His aggravated rumble heated the back of her neck.

Darcy twirled around to face him. “Dude, just go away.”

His lips twitched. “Can I at least apologize first,
dude
?”

“No.”

He grasped her arm before she could walk away. “What do you mean,
no
?”

“Should I say it in a different language so you can understand? Fine.
Non
.
Nein
.
Niet
.
Nej
.
Nai
. Um—”

“
Nai
?”

“That’s Japanese,” she said haughtily. “Duh.”

“Do I even want to ask why you can say the word
no
in so many languages?”

She blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. “I’m a teacher, Reed. I
know
things.”

His deep chuckle sent an unexpected—and extremely unwelcome—shiver scurrying through her. Before tonight, she’d never felt anything even close to warmth or awareness toward this man, but somehow her system had short-circuited, and now she couldn’t stop staring at his mouth. His firm and surprisingly sensual mouth.

And all that dark stubble sweeping across his strong jaw… She wanted to run her fingertips over it and feel those bristles scratching her skin.

No, you don’t.

Right. Of course she didn’t.

God, what on earth did the Krib’s bartenders put in their drinks? Those shooters were obviously messing with her head.

“
Look,” Reed said, “I really am sorry for acting like such an ass. I had no idea you and AJ broke up. I honestly thought you were messing around on him.”

He looked befittingly repentant, and Darcy supposed she understood how it could have looked to an outsider who didn’t know that she and AJ were kaput.

“Fine.” She sighed dramatically. “I forgive you, Reedford.”

He made a rumbling sound. “Why do you always call me that? I’m not an English prince.”

Darcy laughed. “It makes you sound like you have manners. I like you better that way.” She reached into her purse and rummaged around for her tiny can of mace. “Okay, now that everything is all sunshine and rainbows between us, I can go home and not have to lie awake all night plotting your death.”

Reed’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Did you call a cab already?”

“No need. I only live six blocks from here.”

“You’re planning on walking? At
this
time of night?”

She snickered. “It’s barely ten o’clock. I think I’ll be just fine.”

“There’s no way I’m letting you walk home alone.” He set his jaw and spoke in a stern tone. “Come on, let’s go.”

Although she was tempted to argue, she couldn’t deny that she’d feel safer having someone along. This part of Boston was by no means sketchy, but as Darcy constantly harped to her students, better safe than sorry.

As they took off walking, Reed was quick with the sarcasm. “Wow,” he cracked. “You’re not going to rip my head off for having the audacity to walk you home?”

She shrugged. “Naah. I know when to pick my battles.”

Since it was the end of August, the temperature was still hot even at night, and the humid breeze felt nice against Darcy’s face. The lampposts lining the sidewalk shone down on them and highlighted Reed’s rugged features, yet again drawing her attention to his lips. According to AJ, Reed was a major player, and she suddenly had to wonder how many women had had the pleasure of kissing those lips.

Though was pleasure the right word? She got the feeling that he might not be the greatest of kissers. He came off as so cocky and selfish, she wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that those qualities extended to the way he kissed.

“Did AJ ever tell you how the two of us met?”

The question caught her by surprise. “No, he didn’t. All he said was that he’s known you forever.”

“He has.” Reed’s voice contained a faraway note. “I’ve known him since the first grade, but we didn’t officially become friends until we were about nine years old. This one day after school, I was walking home and bumped into a group of older guys. Ninth graders, I think. Somehow I picked a fight with them—”

“
Somehow.”
Darcy snorted.

He shot her an evil look. “Anyway, they pounded on me real good in an alley on 4
th
Street, around the corner from the school. I was doing my damnedest to fight back, but I was just a scrawny kid back then. Next thing I know, this other skinny kid comes barreling into the alley.”

“AJ?”

“Yup.” Reed chuckled. “That crazy mofo threw himself into the fray without a single thought to his own safety, and in a total fluke shot, he knocked the group’s leader unconscious. The other guys scrambled to help their friend, and the two of us ran off and ended up in the little park near my house. We were riding the adrenaline high, spent a good hour recapping the entire fight, and after that day, we were the best of friends.”

Darcy laughed as she pictured the two young boys bonding over a street brawl. “Of course you were.” She paused. “You know, it’s still so weird to me that AJ used to be a professional fighter. I mean, he’s so laidback and calm all the time. If I hadn’t seen footage of his MMA fights with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

Reed shoved his hands in the front pockets of his black jeans. “Yeah, most people can’t picture it because he’s so chill on the surface. Underneath it, though? Trust me when I say he can be pretty damn deadly.”

They reached a crosswalk and obediently stopped in deference to the red
don’t-walk
sign flashing at them. Darcy couldn’t help but shoot Reed a sidelong look, noting in surprise that this was the most relaxed she’d ever seen him.

“Do you ever miss your fighting days?” she asked curiously.

He took a moment to think it over. “Sometimes. But I definitely don’t miss the intense training. Besides, whenever I’m in the mood to beat the crap outta someone, all I have to do is call Gage. He’s always up for a fight.”

The mention of Reed and AJ’s friend caused a sliver of worry to prick Darcy’s chest. “He’s not still fighting for that thug, is he?”

“Naah,” Reed answered, “Gage is free and clear now, and spending every free moment with his girl.”

Must be nice.

Darcy couldn’t stop the rush of envy that washed over her. She’d seen the way Gage looked at his girlfriend. Pure adoration, unadulterated passion.

God, she desperately wanted someone to look at
her
like that.

“This is me.” She came to a stop in front of her low-rise building.

With its ivy–covered brick exterior and endless expanse of gleaming windows, her place was a lot nicer on the outside than it was on the inside. Her apartment was so tiny, she could barely take a step without bumping into a wall or piece of furniture, but it was all she could afford on her meager teacher’s salary. Maybe, if she ever got tenure and the raise that came with it, she’d finally be able to upgrade to a nicer place.

When she glanced at Reed, she was startled to find his blue eyes glued to her mouth.

He looked as fascinated by her lips as she was by his.

Darcy’s heart skipped a beat. Holy moly. The man was staring at her as if he wanted to…kiss her.

But no. She had to be misreading the moment. Reed Miller, thinking about kissing
her
? That was just nuts.

And even more nuts?

She didn’t think she’d push him away if he tried.

Wasn’t that all sorts of messed up. Not only was he AJ’s best friend, but he also happened to be the furthest thing from her type. Reed Miller was a bad boy to the core—oh, she’d heard plenty of stories about him from AJ. Apparently the guy possessed an anything-goes attitude when it came to sex. He also smoked cigarettes, cursed like a sailor, and drove way too fast in that black Camaro of his.

Sure, he was a business owner, too. And he had his own house, so she imagined he must be somewhat responsible since he was able to pay the bills. But she was leery of men like Reed, with their unpredictable nature and innate arrogance and those seductive grins that made a woman forget all the reasons why she shouldn’t get involved with him.

On the other hand, nobody said she had to
date
a bad boy. But hooking up with one would definitely be a surefire way to inject some passion into her life.

Though preferably, she needed a bad boy that
wasn’t
AJ’s friend.

Reed cleared his throat, jerking her from her thoughts. He shifted awkwardly as he said, “I’ll wait out here to make sure you get inside okay.”

Darcy blinked. His sudden preoccupation with her safety made absolutely no sense to her, and it was what prompted her to finally address the enormous pink elephant that seemed to stomp through every room they were in.

“Why don’t you like me?” she blurted out.

Surprise flooded his expression, accompanied by a crease of visible discomfort that cut into his forehead.

“I…” He cleared his throat again. “Who says I don’t like you?”

“Your
behavior
says it
,”
she retorted. “Before tonight, you’ve barely said a single word to me. You don’t look me in the eye, you don’t laugh at my jokes—when I know for a fact that I am
hilarious
—and every time I come to the club, you run away faster than my friend Shannon’s husband does whenever
American Idol
is on. Ergo, I’m pretty sure you don’t like me.”

“That’s not true. I, ah, I like you just fine.”

Gee, how encouraging. She’d never heard a more lackluster response in her life.

“Okay. Whatever,” Darcy muttered. “I guess it was too much to hope that you would give me a straight answer. It’s good to know you like me ‘just fine.’”

Gritting her teeth, she climbed the first step to the stoop, but Reed grabbed hold of her hand and tugged her back. “Darcy…” His voice came out raspy. “Look…I really do like you.”

She shifted her head, locking her gaze with his. “You do?”

“Yeah. I think you’re pretty damn awesome, actually. But…”

It suddenly became hard to breathe. “But what?”

His hand was warm against her skin, his thumb sweeping a light caress over her wrist. “But I…” Torment creased his face. “I have to act the way I do, okay? It’s the only way for me to—” A strangled noise popped out of his mouth. “Forget it.”

“Reed—”

“I’ve gotta go,” he interrupted, keeping his gaze downcast. “Make sure to lock your door the second you get upstairs.”

Before she could open her mouth to protest, he was gone.

Darcy stared at his retreating back in disbelief, tempted to run after him and demand he finish that cryptic sentence.

It’s the only way for me to…

To what, damn it?

She watched as his long strides briskly ate up the sidewalk, and once he’d fully disappeared from view, she just stared at the empty street, unable to control the pounding of her heart.

What had just happened? If Reed were anyone else, she might think he’d almost admitted to having a thing for her, except the man had never shown even a smidgen of interest in her in the past.

The logical part of her insisted that she’d misinterpreted this whole night from start to finish, but Reed’s enigmatic behavior lingered in her mind and followed her all the way up to her apartment.

And haunted her for the rest of the night.

…

Reed showed up at the club earlier than usual the next evening. Sin opened at seven o’clock, but he was in his office by six, hoping that the mountain of paperwork on his desk would distract him from thoughts of Darcy.

Christ, he’d come so close last night to telling her how he felt about her. Standing outside her building, with those big blue eyes focused earnestly on his face, he’d nearly spilled his guts. Blurted out just how badly he wanted to kiss her. Confessed to all those nights he’d lain awake thinking about her. Admitted that seeing her with AJ triggered a burst of crushing jealousy he’d never experienced before.

But at the last second, he’d swallowed the confession, knowing it was one he could never, ever voice.

A man didn’t hit on his friend’s girl—or his friend’s ex. Period.

And AJ’s friendship meant way too much to Reed to risk throwing away.

“Hey, you’re here early.” Gage Holt appeared in the doorway, his eyes flickering in surprise to find Reed at his desk.

Reed cocked a brow. “So are you.”

“Yeah, I called a staff meeting for all the bouncers,” Gage answered as he entered the office and headed for the sole armchair across from the desk.

“How’s Jeff working out, by the way?” Reed asked, referring to the bouncer he’d sent Gage’s way a few months back. Jeff was an old buddy of his from the fighting circuit, tough enough to handle the security duties required of him, but not a loose cannon like some of the other MMA folks Reed had crossed paths with in the past.

Gage lowered into the chair, leaning his head back. “He’s doing great, actually. One of the best guys we have.” His expression clouded over. “I want Jeff and the other boys to watch everyone on the floor tonight like hawks.”

“Are we any closer to finding the asshole who’s dealing in the club?”

Gage was usually hard to read, but tonight his expression clearly broadcast his feelings on the matter. Anger and annoyance shone there, his mouth set in a tight line as he shook his head in response.

“Oh, and I ran into Vinnie this morning,” Gage said flatly. “He told me that the cops are starting to crack down on the club district. They want to stop the flow of drugs in the city, and they’re planning on using a heavier hand with all the club owners.”

“Vinnie knows we’re not dealers,” Reed grumbled. “We grew up with the guy, for fuck’s sake.” In fact, Vinnie was the reason Sin didn’t receive a lot of attention from local law enforcement. He’d vouched for Reed and the guys, assuring his superiors that everything the three men did was aboveboard.