The Bad Girl and the Baby (Cutting Loose)

by Nina Croft

Her nipples tightened and heat pooled between her thighs. She finally managed to raise her gaze from where she’d been admiring the growing bulge in his jeans. He was leaning back against the counter, watching her through half-closed eyes. He hadn’t shaved, no doubt that was next on his list, and his jawline was shadowed. It just made him look sexier. He could even pass for a bad boy with his stubble and his tattoo. She stopped in front of him then ran a finger over the ink. “Is this some Army thing?”

  “Special Air Services.”

  “The SAS? You were in the SAS?” Wow. They were the ultimate badasses.

  “I left when Steven died.”

  “It’s cool.” She took a step closer. “You did the cleaning. You should have waited. I would have done it.”

  “I was awake anyway. But I have to ask—what did you do in here last night? There was food everywhere.”

  She shrugged. “We had this whole power thing going. Ended up in a bit of a fight.”

  “A food fight?”

  “Yeah. You never had one of those?”

  “Not that I remember.”

  “You haven’t lived. And I meant to clean up, really I did, but I thought I had all night. You did rather hint that you might not come back… And I was tired and…” She trailed off.

  “I told you, it’s no problem. I’m just grateful you gave up your Saturday night.”

  “My pleasure.” Well, the later part anyway. “So how did the party go? How come you didn’t spend the night in the arms of the perfect Diana?”

  His lips twitched. “Maybe perfect doesn’t turn me on.”

  She traced the line of silky hair that ran down the middle of his stomach, disappearing into the waistband of his jeans. “What does turn you on, Captain Matt?”

  “Last night I had a hankering for a bad girl.”

  “Is that how you see me?”

  He shrugged. “Isn’t it how you see yourself?” He raised one hand, lightly touched the nose stud, and then trailed down the curve of her cheeks, leaving tingles in his wake, down her throat, pausing on the rapid pulse point, then lower, down her chest to where the V of her robe hindered his progress.

  With his other hand, he loosened the belt, and the oversized robe fell open.

  “Christ, you are beautiful.” His hand cupped one breast, sending tingles along her nerves to settle in her belly. Then he moved lower. He toyed with the small ring in her belly button, tugging on the tiny diamond. “I never thought I’d have a thing for body piercing, but for some reason, this is as hot as hell.”

  “Maybe you should get your nipples pierced,” she suggested. “Or maybe a ring in the end of your cock.”

  He winced. “Ouch. I don’t think so.” Then he looked thoughtful. “Would it make it better for you? Have you ever been with anyone…you know…?”

  “No.” She giggled. “Maybe it’s not such a good idea. I’d be too scared of you getting it caught on something. Or ripping the condom…or. No, definitely not. Anyway, your cock needs no adornment—it’s perfect as it is.”

  “Good. I think.”

  Darcy moved closer, so she pressed up against him, feeling the hard length of his perfect erection, and she melted inside. Raising her head as Matt lowered his, their mouths met in a kiss that robbed her of the ability to think. Her arm came up without thought, her hand curling around the back of his neck as his slid beneath the robe to cup her ass and pull her closer.

  When the kiss ended, she was gasping for air. Matt stared down at her. “I told myself I was going to be cool this morning, take it slow. But somehow, slow doesn’t work with us.” His hands shifted to her hips, and he lifted her, placing her on the counter behind her. She parted her thighs, and he stepped into the V, lowered his head, and kissed one nipple, then the next. His dark head against her breast was the most erotic thing she’d ever seen.

  “I want to take you here, right now, in the goddamned kitchen,” he murmured against her skin, then straightened, with a rueful expression on his face.

  “Have you never done it in the kitchen, Captain Matt?”

  A smile curled the corners of his lips. “Before last night, I’d never done it in this house, never mind the kitchen.”

  “Really?”

  “Lulu has had a dampening effect on my libido.”

  “Not that I noticed.”

  He stared down at her, his hot gaze roaming over her body. “God, you make me feel like a man. But the kitchen will have to be another time. The condoms are upstairs.”

  She waved a hand to where her bag sat on the counter. “I might be able to help with that. In my bag.”

  “You carry condoms in your bag?”

  Did he sound censorial? She’d let him get away with it this once. “Doesn’t every sensible girl?” Then she gave a shrug. “Actually, they were a present from Regan. She took me out Friday night. She reckoned I needed to get laid.”

  “So she’ll be happy, then.”

  “Not really. She reckoned I needed to get laid to stop thinking about getting laid by you.”

  “Oh. You were thinking about us?”

  “Maybe.”

  He frowned but reached across and slid the bag over to her. She rummaged inside and tossed him a condom. “And did you get laid on Friday night?”

  “Hell, no. Regan said I was giving off ‘fuck you’ vibes when I should have been giving off ‘fuck me’ ones.”

  He chuckled. “I’m glad. Not that I’m going to get possessive or anything.”

  “Me neither.” But she’d had enough of talking. She pushed her fingers into the waistband of his jeans, then flicked open the button, and rolled down the zipper. Underneath, he was naked. His cock sprang free, and she melted just a little bit more. As she wrapped one hand around him, he groaned.

  He tore open the condom with his teeth, handed it to her…and the phone rang.

  “Shit,” he muttered.

  “Ignore it.” She reached for him, but he stepped back. She should have known he was the sort of person who couldn’t ignore a ringing phone.

  “It’s six o’clock in the morning,” he said. “No one rings at six unless it’s important.”

  He turned away, zipping his fly with difficulty, and crossed to the phone. He glanced at the caller ID and shook his head, but he picked up the phone. “Mom. It’s six o’clock in the morning.”

  Darcy jumped down from the counter and fastened her robe. It didn’t seem right being naked while he talked to his mother.

  She tuned out the call and wandered around the spotlessly clean kitchen, switching on the coffee pot, getting milk out of the fridge, a mug from the cupboard. By the time Matt ended the call, she was seated at the table, sipping her coffee.

  “That was my mom,” he said, taking the seat opposite her and running a hand through his hair. He appeared a little hassled.

  “Don’t you get on with your mother?”

  He leaned back in his chair and considered his answer, so it clearly wasn’t a simple one. He got up, poured himself a mug of black coffee, then came back and sat down.

  “Truth? I love her like crazy, but she drives me nuts. Always did. And Dad’s just the same.”

  “Why?”

  “They’re just the most unorganized, impulsive people I’ve ever come across.”

  “Were you swapped in the hospital?”

  “Hah. Probably. But they’re so volatile. Either up in the air or down in the dumps. Madly in love or hating each other. By the time I was seventeen, they’d split up and got back together again five times. I always felt I had to be the responsible one.”

  “That’s how come you turned out so…”

  He raised a brow.

  “Organized?” she suggested.

  “Someone had to be,” he grumbled. “The last time they got back together, they decided a new start was what they needed, and so they headed off halfway around the world.”

  “That’s when they immigrated to Australia?”

  “Yeah. Took Steven with them, but I’d just
joined the army, so I stayed.”

  “Have they not been back?”

  “Dad came back for Steven’s funeral, but otherwise, no. They don’t have a lot of spare money, and it’s an expensive trip. But I’ve been out there a few times. Otherwise I would never have met my sister.”

  “How old is she?”

  “Ten. She’s a lot like me—”

  “Boring and stuffy and too tidy and—”

  “Yeah. She’s a cool ten going on seventy. And she keeps them in order. Though they seem to have calmed down a little now. Anyway, that was my mother phoning to say they decided to come over. They’ve never met Lulu.”

  “Why didn’t Steven ask them to take Lulu?” It was something she’d wondered ever since she’d heard that Matt had been made Lulu’s guardian.

  “Steven was estranged from them when he died. He hadn’t seen them in years. Anyway, they’re getting on a plane tonight. And they’ll be here tomorrow.”

  “Wow. Impulsive.”

  “Guilt, I think. I was a little pissed off with them. I called Mom after you told me about Steven. Apparently, he’d been in trouble over there, and they hadn’t thought to mention it to me.”

  “Would it have made a difference?”

  “Who knows now? But I haven’t spoken to them since. My mother doesn’t like feeling in the wrong, so she’s flying over here for a bit of delayed maternal affection.”

  “That’s nice.”

  “Hmm. I’ve actually gotten on well with them since they moved. They haven’t pissed me off nearly as frequently.”

  “A few thousand miles apart will do that.” She thought about her own parents. How she missed them. “Enjoy them. You never know when your family will be taken from you.”

  His expression turned serious. “I’m sorry. I know you lost your parents and then your sister. It was insensitive of me.”

  “Not really. And I’m glad Lulu has one set of grandparents to spoil her.”

  “And Hannah will be another aunt.”

  “Are they staying for long?”

  “I have no clue. But fingers crossed they fly back before we all drive each other crazy.” He leaned back in his chair. “So where were we, before my mother so inconveniently interrupted?”

  She pulled the condom out of her pocket and held it up. “Just about to christen your kitchen.”

  And the telephone rang again. She raised a brow as he got up to answer. Then she threw the condom. It hit him in the chest and fell to the floor.

  This time she listened. She gathered it was work of some kind, and it ended with, “I’ll be there in half an hour.”

  As he put the phone down, she got to her feet. “I guess the kitchen will have to wait.”

  He lifted one shoulder. “Sorry. Work. I don’t suppose you could look after Lulu?”

  “No problem.” At least if she couldn’t have Matt, she could have Lulu, the next best thing.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Matt grinned as he unlocked the door.

  He’d been gone longer than expected, but for once, he didn’t have to worry about the babysitter complaining, because it was Darcy.

  Things were working out great. The sex had been the best ever. His dick twitched just thinking about it. And he wanted her again already. Maybe Lulu would be tired and they could put her to bed and…

  Christ, they were like an old married couple. Except for the married part.

  And that was another good thing. Darcy didn’t want to get married any more than he did.

  But as he stepped into the hallway, the house was quiet. No squealing Lulu running to meet him. He peered into the lounge, but it was empty. A few toys were strewn across the floor. A coloring book lay open on the table.

  Where were they? Had something happened? But Darcy would have called him. She had a number where she could reach him in case of emergencies.

  He headed to the kitchen. The breakfast dishes were piled in the sink, but otherwise the place was tidy. He smiled.

  Then he noticed the note on the table. He crossed the room and picked it up.

  I have an eleven o’clock class. Taken Lulu with me. Darcy.

  She’d taken Lulu with her to the gym. Without asking him? Obviously. And he would have said no. Because it was no place for a two-year-old child. Besides, if Darcy was taking a class, then who was looking after Lulu?

  He turned around and headed out of the house and back to his car. Fifteen minutes later, he’d worked himself up into a temper. He’d thought he could trust her, and the moment he turned his back… He pulled up in a no-parking zone across from the gym.

  A blond woman was on reception. “Good morning. How can—?”

  “Where’s Darcy?” he asked, cutting her off.

  “She’s teaching a class, but—”

  He didn’t wait any longer, just headed through the door at the back that led to the training rooms.

  He opened a couple of doors before he found the right one. It was a large bare room with mirrors along one wall. There were about ten people, a mix of men and women, doing some sort of martial art—Taekwondo probably. Darcy was at the front, performing some complicated movement that the others were following.

  Where the hell was Lulu?

  Then he saw her. She was at the end of the line in the front row. Dressed in the outfit Darcy had bought her that first day. Her back was to him, but he could see her in the mirror, her face an image of concentration as she tried to follow the moves. Then she looked straight into the mirror and her little face lit up.

  “Matt!” she squealed.

  Everyone stopped. Darcy straightened. She caught sight of him in the doorway, and a smile nearly broke but turned into a frown before she could complete the expression. She glanced at her watch and her frown deepened.

  Lulu turned and ran straight at him. He reached down and picked her up, but when he turned to take her out of there, she screamed.

  “No. No. No. No.” Then she punched him on the shoulder and wriggled.

  What the hell?

  “Lulu stay. Learn to fight. Like Darcy.”

  They were the center of attention now, all eyes on them. Including Darcy’s. She was looking…pissed. What did she have to be pissed about?

  “Sorry, folks,” she said. “I guess we’ll be cutting this session short. I’ll make it up next time. Promise.”

  He held onto a wriggling Lulu until the last person had left and the door closed, then he lowered her to the floor. “I got back and you weren’t there.”

  “I left you a note.”

  “You said you’d look after her. If you couldn’t do it, you should have said so.”

  “You were late.”

  “It took longer than I expected.” Was he defending himself? He tried to hold on to his righteous anger, but it was slipping away. And maybe it hadn’t been all that righteous, after all. He rallied his argument. “You could have phoned. I left my number.”

  “You said that was for emergencies. This wasn’t an emergency.” She came to stand in front of him, hands on her hips, looking totally badass and sexy as hell. He had a sudden flashback to being deep inside her. He had a strange feeling that he might have fucked up his chances of that happening again anytime soon. “You shouldn’t have brought her here. This is no place for a child.”

  Her nostrils flared, her eyes narrowed. “Why? Because it’s full of horrible, violent, drug-addicted people like me?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “You implied it. There’s nothing wrong with this place. She was having fun. Weren’t you, Lulu?”

  He tore his gaze away to look at his niece. She was standing in exactly the same position as Darcy—hands on her hips, looking back at him. “Yes.”

  God, he was going to be in trouble in a few years. Lulu was a mini Darcy in the making. He looked back at Darcy. He had a weird feeling that he was totally in the wrong here. But he’d expected her to be there, and when she wasn’t, he’d been…disappointed. T
hat was an understatement, and maybe it had scared him a little, maybe making him…overreact? He was trying to work out how to make it right when Darcy spoke again.

  “Hey, Lulu baby. You want to see how that last move works?”

  “Yes!”

  “Should I show you on Uncle Matt?”

  “Matt, Matt, Matt.” Lulu jumped up and down, clearly liking the idea.

  He had an inkling of what was coming next. He saw it in the tenseness of her muscles as she prepared to move. He could have avoided it. Hell, he was trained in unarmed combat—he could have taken her down. But maybe he deserved this. So he gave a mental shrug, relaxed his muscles, and let her go ahead and give him a little payback.

  She whirled around super-fast, with one leg raised, and kicked him firmly in the chest. He hadn’t expected the force, and he toppled over backward, landing with a crash, the air whooshing out of his lungs.

  He lay there for a moment, staring up at the ceiling.

  He heard a giggle. “More. More.” He turned his head. Lulu was bouncing up and down. Sadistic little monster.

  “No more for now,” Darcy said. Praise the Lord. “Let’s go get a cold drink and cool down. Uncle Matt will join us when he’s had time to think about what he wants to say next.”

  Sorry?

  He watched as she took Lulu’s hand and led her from the room, passing his audience as she went. He hadn’t even heard the others come in. Two women, a blonde and a brunette—who he recognized as the woman who had interrupted him when he’d been about to screw Darcy over her desk. Regan. And a man, tall, with overlong blond hair and an amused grin on his face. At least he was providing someone with entertainment. The blonde he recognized from the first night he’d seen Darcy in the club.

  He waited until Darcy and Lulu were gone and then he sat up and ran a hand through his hair.

  “Well, that went well,” Regan murmured.

  “I thought Darcy said he was in the SAS,” the blonde said. “That’s a little worrying.”

  “Actually, I’m pretty sure he let her knock him down.”

  “He did? Why?”

  “Probably because he realized he was being a total prick.”

  Yeah. That about summed it up. But Darcy had that effect on him. She messed up his nice, organized life and fucked with his nice, organized brain.