“I’ve always thought the flower girl and ring bearer had more responsibility than anybody else in the wedding party. All those petals to scatter and trying to keep the rings on the pillow. Tough jobs for a couple kids. Especially with a church full of people watching.”
“Maybe, but all of a sudden, Maddie’s been totally into dressing up and worrying about hair and clothes and makeup.”
“All of a sudden?” she prompted.
“I thought her interests changed after her last visit to see Carol...but you think Maddie’s only interested in that stuff because of the wedding?”
“It’s possible.”
Nick’s chest expanded on a huge sigh, and the grin on his face had the power to light her world. “You don’t know what a relief it is to find out that’s at least part of what’s been bugging her lately. I wish she’d said something sooner.”
“Your whole family is so excited, I think it took someone not in the wedding party to realize she’s having a hard time admitting she’s nervous.”
“Not just someone,” he murmured.
You.
The unspoken compliment sent bubbles of happiness fizzing inside, but she tried to downplay her reaction. “Maddie also said she’s worried about tripping on her way down the aisle and ‘ruining everything.’ I told her after your mother alters the dress, she should practice walking around, picturing herself tossing rose petals down the aisle. Hopefully once she’s comfortable in the dress, she won’t be so nervous about the wedding.”
“That’s a great idea. Thank you, Darcy.”
“Hey, don’t be thanking me yet. It’s not like you’re getting off scot-free. This is only a temporary reprieve. It won’t be too long before Maddie’s not only interested in hair and makeup and clothes, but boys and dating, too.”
Nick closed his eyes and groaned. “Don’t remind me. Forget gray hair, I’ll be stark white by the time she’s a teenager.”
“I doubt that.” Not when his hair was still so thick and dark she itched to sink her fingers into the silky strands. “And besides, that time is still years away. Certainly not something you have to worry about tonight.”
“No,” he agreed, his voice dipping slightly. “Not tonight.”
Tonight Maddie was still a little girl. A little girl who was spending the night at her grandparents’.
Awareness of a night to themselves had colored the entire evening. It had been there every time their eyes met over the pepperoni pizza they’d shared with Maddie. Every time they cheered Maddie on as she played one video game after another. Every time Nick hit another amazing shot against one of his brothers.
Every moment had been leading to this one when they were finally alone.
“We said we’d take things slow,” he said. Was it a reminder to her or to himself?
Either way, Darcy reached up on tiptoe and brushed her lips against his. “We will,” she promised. “We have all night.”
“That’s not—”
Deepening the kiss, she cut off his words, and his groan of surrender signaled a triumph for them both. His arms pulled her tightly against him, and Darcy did what she’d been longing to do. She sank her hands into his dark hair, anchoring herself to his kiss as the world tilted beneath her feet.
Was she setting herself up for another fall? A harder fall as her feelings for Nick had grown even stronger over the past week? Maybe. But this chance to be with Nick was one she couldn’t walk away from. Not when she...loved him?
Wings of panic beat against her chest, but there was no denying the overwhelming emotion. She loved Nick. Likely had from the first moment they stood together on this porch.
His devotion to his daughter, his dedication to his family, even his reluctance to open his heart and give love another shot. Because just like that little spot on Main Street had been empty and abandoned for so long so the space would be available for her, Darcy felt the same was true for Nick’s heart. He may not have known it, he might still not know it, but he’d simply been waiting for her. The same way she’d been waiting her whole life to fall totally and completely in love with him.
She fumbled in her purse for her keys, drawing a deep laugh from Nick that vibrated from her lips to her toes and all points in between. “What?” she breathed against his lips.
“City girl.”
“Huh?”
Lifting his head long enough to take the keys from her hand and unlock the door, he said, “No one locks their houses around here.”
“Really?” she asked as she backed into the darkened living room. She heard the clatter of the key ring Nick tossed aside and let her purse fall to the floor as the door swung shut behind them.
“Really.”
“Wish I’d known. We would have been inside that much faster.”
“Slow, Darcy. We’re going slow.”
“Right. Slow...” Like the slow trail of his lips down her throat. The slow fall of her blouse from her shoulders. The slow glide of his palms down her thighs as he stripped away her slacks.
“Too slow,” she protested, her breath catching at the lingering journey his hands made back up her body to curve his fingers around her breasts. The silk and lace of her bra was in the way, and she wanted it gone. Now. Along with all of Nick’s clothes. But he made her wait as they inched down the narrow hallway to her bedroom until finally, finally he tipped her back onto the cool mattress and kissed her again.
His body was a warm, solid weight above her, but too many clothes were a barrier to the firm muscle and heated skin she wanted to feel against her own. She tugged his shirt from his jeans, running her hands from his hips to his shoulder blades. His body arched beneath her touch, and Darcy reveled in the heady rush of knowing he was as affected by this passion between them as she was. But now if she could only break through his control...
“Darcy,” he groaned her name in a low warning as she ran her fingers around to the front of his body, down his chest with its covering of dark hair and the ribbed muscles of his stomach. He sucked in a breath at the teasing stroke, unintentionally giving her extra room to work on the button of his jeans.
He whispered her name again, pulling back far enough to meet her gaze. This time, her frantic movements not only slowed but stopped, spellbound by the heat and hunger in his eyes. She watched as he stripped away his clothes. Goose bumps rose as she waited, every nerve ending alive and aching for his touch. Her heart thundered as he stretched out over her. She gasped when he stripped away her bra and cupped her breast, his thumb brushing over her nipple. Her legs shifted restlessly against his as the heat of his mouth followed. She sank her hands into his dark hair and held him tightly as pleasure threatened to spin her out of control.
Her hips rose as he slipped off her panties, his heated, slightly rough hands an arousing contrast to the cool silk and satin whispering against her skin. Tremors racked her body as he stroked the heart of her, need building inside until she cried out his name. Answering her desperation, he caught her mouth with his as he slid between her thighs and stilled.
Moonlight spilled through the open curtains, giving enough pale glow for Darcy to make out Nick’s rugged features in the intimate moment—the wide forehead, straight nose, strong, stubborn jaw and sensual mouth. But it was his expression she wished she could read better. Was the tenderness and emotion she saw no more than a reflection of her own feelings—or could Nick be falling for her, too?
The words pressed against her breastbone, but she held them back. It was too soon, wasn’t it? Too much of a risk when she couldn’t take them back if Nick didn’t feel the same. So she kissed him instead only to realize it was already too late. All the words she didn’t say, all the love she felt, poured into that kiss and into every touch.
I love you...I love you...I love you...
Her pulse pounded a new three-beat rhythm, one she feared he was sure to feel for himself as he pressed his lips to the side of her neck and began to move. Each thrust matched the tempo of her rising emotions
until she couldn’t hold back any longer. The pleasure broke over her, pulling Nick with her into a final pulsating shudder.
Once their heartbeats and breathing slowed, Nick rolled to his back and brought Darcy to settle at his side. “Next time,” he murmured, “we’ll go slow.”
The promise of a next time made Darcy smile, and as she drifted off to sleep, she knew this was what she’d been looking for. In the safety and comfort of Nick’s arms, she’d finally found what it meant to be home.
* * *
If a more perfect morning was possible, Nick couldn’t imagine it. Waking up with a beautiful woman... Waking up and making love to a beautiful woman...
What could be better? he wondered as he slipped from the bed. Darcy murmured a protest, her hand smoothing over the now empty sheets, but she didn’t wake. He smiled, watching her as he pulled on the jeans he’d discarded the night before. Her red hair spread out over the pillow, a deep, rich contrast to the white cotton and her own fair skin.
He itched to run his hands through the tempting locks one more time, but if he did, all that gorgeous hair and gorgeous skin would have him back in that bed again, and he’d already made the decision to let Darcy sleep.
She’d had a long week followed by a long night. Granted, they’d spent most of that time in bed, but neither of them had gotten much rest. And with her grand opening the following day, he figured she’d be too wired to sleep tonight.
So, cold shower and hot coffee for him and sleep for Darcy.
Twenty minutes later, he’d showered, taken care of the mama dog and her puppies, and had a pot brewing in the coffeemaker. His question from earlier that morning drifted through his thoughts. What could be better than waking up with a warm, wonderful, loving woman in his arms in the morning?
Waking up with Darcy in his arms every morning.
The answer should have hit him like a freight train out of the blue and yet it felt so...right. As perfect as that morning. He loved her. He was in love with Darcy Dawson. This wasn’t about having a fling or diving into the fire until the flame burned out. It was so much deeper than that, so much purer and more permanent.
This was love. He swallowed hard. This was forever.
The sudden ring of his phone jarred Nick from his thoughts—a sharp, shrill sound he instantly recognized. He swore at the intrusion, tempted to let the call go to his voice mail. He let the phone ring a few times more as he slipped outside. Already knowing he was going to regret it, he hit a button on the phone and said, “Hello, Carol.”
“Nick. How have you been?” His ex-wife’s voice was as smooth as glass and, at times, her words were just as sharp. “Did you get the pictures I sent from Maddie’s visit?”
“I did.” Nick had already heard from Maddie what a great time she’d had. He hadn’t really needed the visual proof. But because his daughter enjoyed looking through the photos, he added, “Thanks for sending them.”
“She had a really great time. I hope you could see that.”
“It was a good trip. A good vacation,” he stressed because that’s all it was. All Maddie’s relationship with Carol ever would be.
His bad-luck feeling that his ex was up to something reared its ugly head again, but Nick was ready. He’d sensed Carol was up to something for weeks now. He hadn’t pressed because time was on his side. Once Maddie was back in school, he could legitimately turn down any extra visits Carol requested. It would be too late for another trip, and Carol would have to wait until fall and Maddie’s next scheduled visit.
“She’s getting older, Nick. She—she needs me more now.”
She needed you when she was three and afraid of the dark and crying for her mother! The accusations beat inside his skull, raging to get out, but Nick kept his mouth shut. He’d struggled through those first painful months when his daughter’s unanswered cries had torn out his heart, but they’d gotten through it.
“She’s gotten older each year. It happens. Maddie will be fine.”
“You’re so sure of that, aren’t you? So sure you know best?”
“I’m not doing this again, Carol. I’m not extending Maddie’s next visit.”
“That’s not why I called. This— This isn’t about me, Nick.”
Not about Carol. Yeah, right.
A long silence filled the line before his ex spoke again. “Besides, I would have thought you might want to send Maddie to me again. That way, you could have more time to be with your new girlfriend.”
He should have seen it coming, but somehow the blow was one hundred percent unexpected.
“Not exactly keeping up with your end of the bargain, are you, Nick? Didn’t we both decide to keep Maddie away from our casual affairs?”
“Darcy’s not—”
He cut the words off before he could argue that what he had with Darcy was anything but a casual fling. There was nothing casual about his feelings for her, but did he really have any idea of her feelings?
For all the time they’d spent together—talking, laughing, making love—none of their plans ever crept beyond a day or two ahead. Why was that? Because they were still taking advantage of the present, as Darcy had talked about that night in her kitchen? Or because she didn’t see them having a future?
Nick hated the doubts and uncertainty that clawed at him, tearing apart the fragile connections he and Darcy had made. He’d been so certain once. Confident and without a single doubt that his dreams could become Carol’s dreams. And he’d been so wrong.
“Darcy’s not what, Nick?”
“She’s none of your business.”
“You made her my business when you brought her around our daughter.”
You made her my business...
A chill raked down his spine at the unspoken threat behind those words. “What do you want, Carol?”
“I have a job opportunity. A chance to fill in for another manager who’s taken a four-month medical leave. The hotel is in Paris.”
Déjà vu sucked him into the past—Carol informing him of the transfer that would have taken her to New Orleans. His nearly desperate attempts to convince her to stay.
“Paris... Well, congratulations.”
“I haven’t accepted the job yet.”
“Why not?”
“Why not?” Righteous indignation clipped her words. “Because of Maddie, Nick.”
“I guess you have another choice to make—stay or go.” Carol could pretend to debate her options all she wanted, but he already knew how this story ended. “But there’s no way I’m putting Maddie on a plane to visit you in Paris.”
“I wasn’t thinking about having her visit. This is a tremendous opportunity for her, Nick.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Living in Europe! I could hire a tutor for her. It would be a chance for her to see the world—”
“No way.”
“You won’t even think about it?”
Think about his daughter living thousands of miles away for four months? Cold sweat broke out on the back of his neck. “Forget it, Carol.”
“Just because you want to limit your life to a five-mile radius from where you were born doesn’t mean Maddie should be stuck there, too! There’s more to life than small-town Clearville, Nick.” Carol took a deep breath, a sure sign she was pulling out the big guns. “Why not ask Maddie what she wants?”
* * *
By the time Darcy opened her eyes, morning sunlight streamed through the windows and across the bed. The sheets beside her were empty, but the scent of coffee drifted down the hall.
Nick was still there.
The warmth and brightness outside matched how she felt inside, and as she met her expression in the mirror ten minutes later, she was still smiling. A quick, hot shower had brought a flush to her skin, but the spark in her eyes was solely thanks to the man in her kitchen. She dressed quickly, layering green and white tank tops over a white peasant-style skirt and pulling back her hair into a high ponytail.
&nb
sp; Nick was standing at the sink with his back to her as she walked in the kitchen. Just the sight of his dark hair, broad shoulders and long, jean-clad legs had her heartbeat picking up speed—that same beat from the night before still going strong.
I love you, she thought, but before she had a chance to show him, to wrap her arms around his waist and lean in for a good-morning kiss, he turned. Rising up on tiptoe, she brushed her lips against his.
“Good morning.” When he didn’t respond, she sank back on her heels as a feeling of dread slid down her spine and pooled in her stomach.
He gestured to the pot on the counter. “Seems like it’s my turn to offer you a cup of coffee,” he said, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“Thanks.” She took the mug he poured only to set it aside, knowing the hot liquid would never get past the lump in her throat.
“I, um, need to get going. I have to go pick up Maddie.”
Something flashed in his eyes at his daughter’s name, a combination of pain and panic, and Darcy quickly offered, “I could go with you.”
But he was already shaking his head. “I don’t— I can’t—”
Desperation pushed at her and she started talking over the words she feared he was going to say. “I thought we could come back here, and she could see the puppies again. It’s been a few days, and you know how fast they’re growing.”
“Darcy, stop! Please.” Nick closed his eyes for a second, exhaling a breath that left his shoulders bowed beneath a weight heavy enough to break him.
She swallowed. “Don’t. Don’t do this, Nick. Don’t shut me out again. Can’t you see I’m not trying to take any part of Maddie from you?”
Turning away from her, he gripped the edge of the sink, the muscles in his arms standing out in sharp relief. “I know that.”
Her heart ached and each word she spoke scraped against the growing knot of tears. “I just want to be a part of your life—yours and Maddie’s. I thought that was what you wanted, too.”
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