Darcy swallowed the lump in her throat. A child’s laughter was the sweetest noise, and by the looks of Colin’s little game, he thought so, too..
The day was too beautiful for them to eat inside so Darcy had decided to set up lunch in the outside eating area. The father-daughter duo was having so much fun, they hadn’t spotted her yet and Darcy was enjoying the view. Colin epitomized what fatherhood was all about. Spending time with his child, putting work on hold and not caring if he was getting texts or emails.
Exactly what Darcy would want for the father of her child if she could’ve had children. But she had to wonder what profession allowed him to have such flexibility. He’d mentioned that he managed a large group back home. Maybe he delegated most of his tasks. She could totally see him in a position of power and authority.
After pouring fresh iced tea into two glasses and placing a sippy cup of juice on the table, Darcy stood back and double-checked to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. She was trying out a new recipe on Colin and she hoped he’d like it. Finding healthy dishes that weren’t an all-day task to prepare was proving to be more difficult than she’d thought.
Smoothing her hands down her new mint-green shorts, Darcy headed out into the yard. Blades of grass tickled her bare feet as she crossed the lawn. Shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun with her hand, she continued to take in the beautiful image of the sexiest man she’d ever met playing with the sweetest little girl she’d ever cared for.
To look at them right now, one would never know a piece of their life had been ripped away when his wife passed. On a positive note, Iris wouldn’t remember the pain of losing her mother. But she wouldn’t have any mother-daughter memories to cherish. Darcy’s mother hadn’t died, but she had abandoned her at a young age. Still, Darcy’s grandmother had always been there and was an amazing role model.
Colin glanced up, catching her gaze and pulling her from her thoughts. “You come out to play?” he asked.
“I set up lunch on the patio,” she replied, rushing to play on Iris’s side. Darcy kicked the ball back to Colin. “I figured we could eat out here today.”
Iris clapped as Colin sent the ball back. “Deedee kick it.”
For the next couple minutes, Darcy and Colin carried on a game. Before she knew it, the competition had turned serious and she was all over the yard, rounding him with the ball, dodging any attempt he tried to get back control. Colin thought he could outmaneuver her. Wasn’t he in for a surprise? She was no stranger to kicking a ball around.
Finally, Darcy had mercy on him and she kicked the ball hard, sending it soaring through the air. Colin jumped, his arms extended above his head, and caught it with his hands.
“I’m raising the white flag,” he panted.
Darcy resisted the urge to bend at the waist and draw in some much-needed air. She’d gotten in her second workout of the day, but she wasn’t about to admit she was still out of shape and thrilled he’d called a halt to their impromptu game.
“How about we eat?” she suggested, reaching down to take Iris’s hand. “I have fresh tea and I desperately need a drink.”
Once they were all settled, Darcy sat next to Iris to help her with her food if necessary. Colin took a look at his plate and smiled.
“This looks great.”
His verbal approval shouldn’t have had her so excited. She’d only grilled some pineapple and chicken and put a homemade glaze over it. Nothing too fancy.
“Were you an athlete in school?”
Darcy sipped her glass of tea, welcoming the cold, refreshing drink. “I played soccer, actually. My school was big, so we had our own girls’ team.”
“You were pretty quick out there.”
Darcy shrugged, even though a bit of pride burst through her at his statement. “Not as quick as I used to be. After graduating and helping Gram full time, I lost most of my stamina. As I’ve said before, I’m pretty out of shape now.”
“I’ve already told you, your shape is just fine.”
Darcy expected to look up and find him staring at her, but he was cutting into his chicken. Apparently the comment he kept throwing her way didn’t affect him the way it did her. He tossed the words out so matter-of-factly, yet they meant so much to her. More than he could ever know.
“Your new clothes look nice on you.”
Iris kicked her little feet in the highchair, causing the whole thing to wiggle, sending her sippy cup to the ground. Darcy retrieved it and set it back on the tray.
“For what you spent, they better,” she joked.
Silence settled in for a bit before Iris started gibbering. Darcy didn’t mind the quiet meal. There was no awkwardness surrounding them, only the peaceful, bright sunshine and the beauty of the lush backyard. It was times like this that Darcy could imagine slipping into the role of something so much more than a nanny.
“Did you play any sports in school?” she asked, trying to distract herself from her wayward thoughts.
Colin’s fork froze halfway to his mouth, a naughty smile flirted around his lips. “I pretty much concentrated on girls and defying my father.”
Darcy could easily see that. “What about your mother?”
“She was killed in an auto accident when I was younger.”
Darcy’s heart ached for him. He’d lost his mother and his wife? How much could a man take in one lifetime? So much heartache, yet he still smiled, still pushed forward and created a wonderful life for his own daughter.
“I shouldn’t have asked,” Darcy stated, slicing into her pineapple. “That was rude.”
“You can ask me anything you want,” he told her. “There’s no need to be sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“No, but I don’t want to bring up bad memories.”
With a slight shrug, Colin reached for his tea. “The memories are always there. Not talking about them won’t make them disappear.”
Once Iris was finished, Darcy tidied her up and wiped off the tray. After taking a load of dishes into the kitchen, she came back out. Colin had pretty much cleaned up the rest and had his own stack of dishes in hand.
“I would’ve gotten those,” she told him. “Just set them inside and I’ll clean up later.”
He didn’t say a word as he passed. Darcy pulled Iris from her highchair and took her back out into the yard to continue the game of ball before the toddler went in for her nap.
Running in the grass, laughing and playing with a little one may have been something Darcy had dodged for years, but honestly this was exactly what she needed.
But the way they’d settled in almost like a family terrified Darcy because falling for a baby was one thing, but falling for the baby’s father was another problem altogether. Yet the more time she spent with Colin, the more she saw what an amazing, giving man he was and the more she wanted him.
She was done denying herself.
Twelve
For the past week, Darcy had spoken to Colin on the phone every night before bed. There was something soothing about hearing that low, sultry voice without having to look him in the eyes or be distracted by that hard body. She loved their talks, which ranged from joking to flirting to borderline naughty.
They’d also had some serious moments. Moments that probably wouldn’t have happened in the light of day or face-to-face. For some reason saying personal things on the phone was relaxing—almost therapeutic. She’d shared memories of her grandmother and he’d shared stories about how he and his brother used to rock climb together.
Darcy shifted against the sheets, the satin of her chemise sliding over her heated skin. Her gaze traveled to the phone on her nightstand. They’d already hung up for the night, but she needed more.
Before she lost her nerve, Darcy picked up her phone and called him back.
“For
get something?” he answered.
Oh, the replies she could throw back.
“I wasn’t ready for bed.” At least not alone. “Mind talking a bit more?”
“Not at all. You’re a welcome distraction from this office work.”
Darcy slid from bed and padded down the hall, careful not to speak when she passed Iris’s door. For once she was going to be spontaneous, she was going to take what she wanted and live for the moment because there was no way she would walk out of here with regrets when her term ended.
There was only so much a woman could take.
“Something specific on your mind?”
Easing down the stairs, guided by only the soft glow of the dimmed chandelier in the foyer, Darcy smiled. “Too many things to list.”
Some shuffling and cursing in his native language had Darcy pausing, her hand on the banister at the base of the steps. “Everything okay?” she asked.
Colin laughed. “Yeah, just making a mess here.”
Darcy knew that as soon as she hit the hallway he’d hear her talking, so she took a seat on the bottom step, curled her feet up onto the step below and looped her arms around her knees.
“If you wanted something more than anything in the world, but there were obstacles in your way, what would you do?”
“Are we going to pretend we aren’t talking about you?” he asked.
“I’m pretending,” she said with a smile, even though he couldn’t see her. “You don’t have to.”
“Then pretend it’s me,” he told her. “When I want something, I find a way to claim it at any cost. I may not get it in the time frame I want, but eventually with enough patience, I make it mine.”
Closing her eyes, Darcy let his strong words push through that wall of fear she’d tried so hard to hide behind.
“What if time isn’t on your side?” she whispered.
“What is it you want, Darcy?”
His question, nearly a whisper, too, told her he knew exactly what she wanted...or whom she wanted.
“I started to come to you.” She gripped the phone tighter as if she could somehow pull strength from him. “I’m afraid.”
Admitting that really humbled her because she didn’t want to be seen as weak or vulnerable. Colin was neither of those things and she didn’t figure he’d find a woman who was so indecisive and fearful attractive.
“You think I’m not?”
That voice was in full surround sound. Darcy jerked her head up to see Colin standing before her, phone still to his ear. The glow from the light illuminated him, making him seem even larger than life.
Darcy laid her phone beside her on the step. “You’re not scared,” she countered, unsure of what else to say at this point.
Crouching down with a slight wince, Colin placed his phone next to hers before laying his hands over the arm that was still wrapped around her knee. “Just because I’m scared doesn’t mean I’ll let the fear control my emotions. I want you, and the second you said you were coming to me I had to meet you halfway.”
The man truly didn’t let anything get in his way, not fear, not worry for the unknown...absolutely nothing.
“Maybe—”
He cut her off as he claimed her mouth beneath his. His hands instantly cupped the side of her face and tipped her head for better access. Colin’s body eased forward and Darcy realized he’d placed his knees on the bottom step, so she spread her legs to accommodate him.
The moment her bare thighs slid against the side of his ribs, she groaned into his mouth. She’d never been this turned on, this ready for a man, and he’d only started kissing her. Granted, she’d only been with one man in her life, but there was absolutely no comparison between this passionate moment and anything she’d experienced before.
Breaking away, Colin peered down, stroked her bottom lip with his thumb and held her gaze. “Never hold back with me. I want it all.”
At that firm command, he took her lips again. Shivers coursed through her as Colin trailed his hands down her bare arms then slid them around her waist. With only the silk of her chemise providing a barrier, the warmth of his hands seared her skin. Arching into him, she wanted more and she wanted it now.
In one swift move, Colin picked her up and changed their positions so he sat on the step and she straddled his thighs.
His eyes roamed over her body. “You really do sleep in a black chemise.”
Without comment, Darcy did what she’d wanted to do since day one. She leaned forward and trailed her tongue across that ink scrolling over his shoulder and down to his pec. The muscles clenched beneath her touch and a low growl erupted from Colin. His hands came around to cup her backside, jerking her closer against his arousal.
Darcy trembled, clutching his shoulders. An ache even fiercer than before spread through her. There was nothing outside this moment. Not her financial issues, not her infertility, not the mystery surrounding Colin, because if she were honest, that only added to his allure. They were both taking what they wanted.
Colin moved one hand around, splaying it over her upper thigh. His thumb teased just beneath the edge of the lacy trim on her panties, each stroke coming closer to the spot where she needed him the most.
Forgetting the torture of tasting his inked skin and chiseled muscles, Darcy dropped her head to his shoulder as he finally slid his thumb inside the material. Those slow strokes over her heated center were going to be the death of her. Darcy tipped her hips, silently demanding more. She’d denied herself this pleasure for so long, she simply couldn’t take much more.
Her breath hitched as he eased inside her, her fingertips curled into his skin. He continued to torture her slowly, yet with so much control and power, Darcy was having a hard time getting her mind around the emotions tugging her in all different directions. But what if she wasn’t enough for him? What if she disappointed him once they really got down to it?
She froze, not wanting this moment of blissful perfection to end, because it felt too good, too perfect. Too right.
“I told you not to hold back with me again,” he growled in her ear. “Stop tensing up and let go.”
With one hand still stroking her, he used the other to jerk down the top of her chemise. The strap snapped apart as his mouth settled over her breast. Darcy arched back, crying out as the full-on sexual encounter washed over her, sending her spiraling into the most intense climax of her entire life.
Before her tremors could cease, Colin was shifting beneath her and she realized he was working his shorts from side to side to get them down. Quickly she assisted him and found herself hovering right above a very naked, very aroused Colin. Then he slid his other hand between them and gave her chemise a tug, tearing apart the seam in the middle.
“I owe you another shopping trip,” he muttered against her lips. “This time I’ll be in the dressing room.”
Oh, mercy. Shopping for lingerie with this man would be...heaven. They’d never make it out alive.
“I have protection in my office and in my room.”
Darcy held his gaze, her mind trying to process the words because she was still in a euphoric state.
“I’ve been anticipating this moment so I was prepared.” He nipped her lips, shifted his hips so his erection nudged her. “You have about two seconds to decide where this will happen.”
“Whichever one we get to fastest.”
Colin came to his feet, causing Darcy to stand on her not-so-steady legs. She didn’t have to worry, though, because Colin lifted her once more, not in the romantic scoop she’d always read about or seen in movies, but hooking her legs around his waist, forcing her to wrap her entire body around him. Oh, yeah. This was the experience she wanted. Nothing mushy here, but full-out want, need and the snapping of the control they’d both been barely holding onto.
He moved down the wide, darkened hall toward his office. Only a small bronze desk lamp cast any light on the room. Still, with her wrapped all around him, Colin jerked open a drawer and tossed a foil package onto the glossy surface of the desk. Darcy nipped at his shoulder, earlobe and jawline. With protection taken care of, she wanted him. Now.
When he sat her on top of his desk, he eased back, taking her face in his hands. “You’re sure?”
Darcy nodded. The intensity of his gaze and the way he held his lips firm told her he may have more to say, but instead he tore open the wrapper and covered himself before pulling her to the edge of the desk.
Darcy leaned back on her elbows, staring up at him and watching as he gazed back down at her. Colin’s hands gripped her hips as he slid into her. When he caught her gaze, a tick visible in his jaw, she smiled. “Don’t worry about going slow.”
Something must have snapped because the next thing she knew he wasn’t holding back...in any way.
Darcy’s head fell back as pleasure engulfed her, as Colin claimed her. She’d never experienced anything so perfect, so all-consuming in her entire life.
Their frantic pace sent something from the desk crashing to the floor, but she didn’t care and the commotion didn’t slow Colin down, either. She barely noticed papers shifting beneath her. With the way Colin’s eyes were locked on hers, the way he held her waist with his strong hands and took her as if he owned her, Darcy didn’t think she’d ever care about anything else again. He was completely ruining her for any other man.
Another wave crested over her and Darcy cried out, her legs tightening around Colin’s waist. He jerked once more and stilled, his fingertips bruising her sides.
After they stopped trembling, Colin leaned over, his forehead resting against her shoulder.
“I haven’t done that since before my accident,” he muttered. “I was afraid I’d hurt you if I carried you and fell, but I had to try. I wanted you in my arms. I want to be the man you need.”
He was that man and so much more. Darcy had wondered if her heart would get swept away with Colin because of his single-father status, but what she felt for him had nothing to do with his child, his finances or anything other than the fact that he alone turned her inside out and made her feel things she’d only ever fantasized about. He made her come alive in ways she never had before.
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