The Bad Girl and the Baby (Cutting Loose)

by Nina Croft

“Because he told me so.” She gave another shrug. “He doesn’t do marriage, and I don’t do love. We’re safe.”

  “Except you’re more than halfway in love already,” Summer said.

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “I didn’t mean with Matt. I meant with Lulu. You make out you’re such a hard-ass, but we’ve seen you with her. You’d do anything for that little girl.”

  Darcy wasn’t ready to go there. She was still trying to get her feelings about Lulu sorted out. But she knew Summer was right. And that scared the hell out of her. Lulu was so small, so vulnerable. She needed love and stability and a proper home. And Darcy could give her none of that. She hadn’t been able to keep Emma safe. Why would she think she could do any better with Emma’s daughter?

  Luckily, it wasn’t down to Darcy. Matt would do his best for Lulu. Unless something happened to him. He’d all but admitted that his job was dangerous.

  Don’t think about the future.

  That was the best option. For now, at least. This would be a time out.

  “I am a hard-ass. And I don’t need to do anything for Lulu. She’s got Matt.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  A sense of anticipation tingled in his belly as he pushed open the door from the street into the gym. It was Thursday and the third night he’d come to see her.

  Each night, after he came home from work, he’d put Lulu to bed—usually his mom would have given her dinner by then. He’d given Diana some paid leave while his family was here—his mom wanted to spend time with Lulu. Besides, he’d felt a little awkward around Diana after their date. And maybe a little guilty. She was clearly expecting something more from him, and what the hell was he supposed to say? So this, at least, put off an awkward situation.

  Then he’d stick around the house until he was sure Lulu was settled for the night. Tonight, it had taken an age—he suspected Lulu could sense his eagerness to get away. Anyway, it had been eight thirty by the time she was asleep, and it was nearly nine by the time he’d gotten to Darcy’s place.

  He’d thought the excitement of that first night would fade. He’d had no doubt that the sex would continue to be good. Just not that good. But he’d been wrong. It got better. Darcy was wild and inventive and liked to experiment. Just the thought of that caused his dick to jerk in his pants and his blood to pulse in his brain.

  He paused in the action of pushing open the door and took a deep breath.

  Get a grip.

  He was bordering on being out of control, and that scared him. He needed to get a handle on things. Right now, he reckoned Darcy had all the control in this relationship. He needed to change that.

  Donna, the girl on reception, looked up with a smile as the door closed behind him.

  “Hi, Matt. You here to see Darcy?”

  “Yeah. Is she down here?”

  “She just finished a class. She’s in room four.”

  “Thanks.”

  Maybe he needed to prove to himself that he didn’t need sex. Yeah, he wanted it, but it wouldn’t control him. He’d control it.

  He found Darcy packing away equipment. She was wearing her usual workout gear of black leggings and a black tank top that bared her midriff. Black sneakers. She turned around as he entered the room, a smile lighting her face, her gaze wandering over him in a way that made his mind turn instantly to sex. Well, turn back to sex. It was never far from his thoughts where Darcy was concerned. She stalked toward him, coming to a halt only inches away, so close he breathed in the scent of hot woman, fresh sweat, and something sweet.

  Christ, she turned him on like nothing he could remember.

  She looped a hand around his neck, her fingers curling into his hair, sending tingles running through him. She shifted even closer, coming up on tiptoe and pressing her lips to his as she thrust her body into him. His lips parted under her onslaught, and her tongue pushed inside as she took control of the kiss. Fire streaked through his blood, and he fought the urge to shove her up against the wall, to take her right then and there. Her mouth slid from his, biting across his jawline, nipping and licking, sucking his earlobe into her mouth.

  “Hi, soldier,” she murmured. “No hiding what you’re after.” As she whispered the words, she pushed her hips against his, rubbing against his dick, which was already hard.

  Suddenly, he felt the need to exert himself. To prove he was stronger than this. He swallowed then stepped back. She raised an eyebrow, and he cleared his throat. “I thought we might go out for a drink.”

  A little wrinkle formed between her eyes. “A drink?”

  “Maybe to the wine bar down the road.”

  “I have wine upstairs.”

  “Don’t you want to go out with me? Are you ashamed of me, Darcy?”

  The frown deepened, but she considered her answer carefully. “Not ashamed.” She gave him a bright smile. “Any girl would be proud to be seen with you. But let me let you in on a little secret. I’m a sure thing. You don’t need to impress me or buy me drinks or…” She reached out and trailed a hand down over his stomach, lower, her fingers grazing the bulge in his pants. His eyes closed, and he groaned.

  Jesus, what had he been thinking?

  He was stronger than this. He had to prove, if only to himself, that he wasn’t completely at her mercy.

  “I just thought we could…talk.”

  She studied him, her head cocked to one side. “What do we have to talk about? Has something happened? Are things going okay with your parents?”

  Things were actually going great. They all loved Lulu, especially Hannah, who was taking her role as aunt very seriously. And Lulu was loving the attention. He’d have to fit in a trip to Australia next year. Maybe Darcy would like to come. “They’re fine. I think my mom and dad might have finally grown up.” They were as infatuated with each other as ever, but they didn’t seem to strike so many sparks off each other and hadn’t fought once since they’d arrived. “I think they feel bad about Steven. It’s made them think. And Hannah is a sensible child—she keeps them in line.”

  “She sounds like you.”

  “Better than me. She’s the real thing.”

  She smiled. “There, we’ve talked. Now can we fuck?”

  Shit, she was so…direct.

  “In a little while.”

  “Have I worn you out?” She sounded worried. “Are you okay?”

  What was he supposed to say? But he’d sworn to himself that he was going to be honest about this relationship. “Truth?”

  “Why not?”

  “It scares me how much I want you. Tonight was a sort of test. To prove I could control myself, put off the moment, as it were.”

  Her lips twitched. “You did really well.” She considered him for a moment. “I don’t want to go out for a drink. But there is something I love almost as much as fucking.”

  “There is?” He was intrigued.

  “Yeah. Why don’t we fight?”

  “What?” She’d taken him by surprise. She did that a lot.

  “Let’s get physical in a different way. Show me what an SAS guy can do.”

  “Ex-SAS,” he replied. He wasn’t sure he could fight her. He’d back off from causing her pain.

  “Scared I’ll hurt you?” she asked.

  He was terrified. But not physically. “Why not?”

  She waved toward a door at the back of the room. “You’ll find some sweats in there. Go get changed.”

  He went over and found the door led into a small changing room with a shower cubicle at one end. Shelving lined one wall, and there was a pile of clean sweats on it. He rummaged through and found some that looked like they would fit. He shrugged out of his shirt, leaving his white T-shirt on, then kicked off his shoes and dropped his pants.

  “You have a gorgeous ass.”

  He glanced over his shoulder and found her leaning against the open door, watching him. “Thank you.”

  “Sure you want to do this? There’s still time to back out. We can just
go upstairs where there’s a nice, comfortable bed waiting for us.”

  “You think I’m a nice, comfortable kind of guy?”

  She smirked. “Hell, yeah. You want to prove me different?”

  “Hell, yeah.” He pulled on the sweats. She didn’t move as he headed out of the small room, so he brushed against her as he passed, electric shocks shivering across his skin. He walked to the center of the room and turned to face her. She’d followed him and was standing relaxed. His gaze wandered down over her body. Her nipples were hard little peaks pushing against her top.

  “Ready?” she asked, and he dragged his gaze upward to find her watching him with a small smile on her face.

  “For anything.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Then she whirled around and kicked him in the chest. The move took him by surprise, and he swayed but managed to keep his feet. Then she swept his legs out from under him, and he crashed to the floor.

  “Never underestimate your enemy,” she murmured.

  Was she his enemy? He didn’t think so. Not anymore. He just wasn’t sure what she was. He got to his feet. “I was distracted by your nipples.”

  Her gaze immediately lowered to her breasts, and he took advantage of her distraction and side-swiped her legs out from under her. She went down but was up again before he could open his mouth to gloat.

  Then they were fighting.

  He was stronger, but she was faster. Whirling, kicking out, punching… Soon he forgot he didn’t want to hurt her and just concentrated on staying on his feet.

  “I don’t think you’re trying,” she murmured when there was a lull in the movement. And then she was off again. This time he zoned everything out, just focused on his opponent. His heart was racing. Darcy’s skin gleamed with a fine sheen of sweat, and her breasts rose and fell. His momentary distraction was enough, and he found himself once again staring up at the ceiling. He didn’t move.

  “Had enough, soldier?” She stood over him, hands on her hips, the sexiest thing he had ever seen.

  He reached out his hand and she took it. He gave a sharp tug and pulled her down on top of him, so she sprawled across his body, and heat shot through him.

  “Your technique is good, but I’ll always be stronger.”

  “I’ll still end up on top,” she said, coming up onto her elbows.

  “Only if I want you there.” He moved quickly, grabbed her hips, and turned her so she was flat on her back. He grasped her wrists, held them above her head. She licked her lips, and the heat in his belly exploded. He pressed himself down against her, his dick hard, and she opened her legs, so he pushed up against her core.

  “I could get away if I wanted to,” she said.

  “But you don’t want to.”

  She pressed her hips against him, wriggled, and his eyes closed for a second. When he opened them, she was staring back at him. “What do you think?”

  He lowered his head and bit down on her nipple, then worked his way up, kissing along the taut line of her throat, sucking on her earlobe, finally kissing her lips. They parted beneath his, and he pushed inside, kissed her as flames licked along his nerves, kissed her until he ran out of oxygen and had to come up for air.

  Okay, the fighting had been fun. But it was definitely time for the fucking. He released his grip on one wrist and came up on his elbow. They were both wearing far too many clothes. He dragged his gaze from Darcy’s mouth and caught sight of their image in the mirror, then his gaze shifted to something else. A figure stood leaning against the open door, and he went instantly still.

  “Hey, asshole. You forget it’s my birthday?”

  It was Angie, and she had a pissed-off expression on her face.

  Hell, yes, he’d forgotten. Gary was away on maneuvers, and Matt had promised her weeks ago that he’d keep the night free, and they could go out for dinner. “Shit. I’m sorry.”

  “I take it that’s a yes.”

  …

  Darcy’s gaze shifted from the man on top of her to the woman at the door. She had no clue who she was, but she was guessing this was a friend of Matt’s. More than a friend? She didn’t think so. The expression on the woman’s face was a combination of amused and pissed off.

  She sighed. She was hot and wet and… She sighed again. She was going to get locks put on the doors, though she supposed it would take some explaining. So I can shag my fuck-buddy without interruption. She didn’t think that would go down too well. Sam didn’t approve of her relationship with Matt. Neither did Regan and Summer. They all reckoned she was heading for one great big heartbreak.

  Of course she wasn’t.

  She could stop this anytime.

  Matt hadn’t moved, and she shoved at his chest with her free hand. He looked down, his expression so…frustrated…that she almost grinned. Not quite, though, because she was experiencing the same disappointment. “We could just tell her to piss off,” she murmured.

  His expression cleared a little, and he gave her a rueful smile. “I wish.” He took a deep breath. “Just give me a minute.” He closed his eyes, and she could almost see him taking control of himself. His erection no longer prodded her in the belly. How sad was that? Finally, he took another deep breath and pushed himself off her. He stood, running a hand through his hair, glancing from her to the strange woman hovering in the doorway.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce us?” the woman said. It occurred to Darcy that if she’d had any consideration at all, she would have backed out of the room as soon as she had seen what was going on. Obviously, consideration wasn’t high on this woman’s list of priorities. She was attractive, with dark hair in a shoulder length bob and a strong face. Above medium height and athletic-looking.

  “Darcy, this is Angie…an old friend. Angie, this is Darcy, Lulu’s aunt.” He gave a small shrug. “Chat among yourselves. I need a shower.” And without another word, he headed into the changing room, leaving them alone. In silence. A minute later, the water started running.

  Darcy heaved a huge sigh and pushed herself to her feet. Angie had stepped into the room and the door closed behind her. Polite chit-chat had never been her strong point, but Darcy had a sudden urge to know exactly who this woman was and what role she played in Matt’s life.

  “So,” she said. “You’re an old friend?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How old? And how friendly?”

  She stepped closer. “We met our first day in the army. We were both seventeen. We’re best friends—we look out for each other.”

  “Aw, sweet.” Or not. Sweet didn’t seem to apply to either Matt or this woman. She pursed her lips. “And were you more than just friends?”

  “Are you always this direct?”

  “Not always. But usually. So?”

  She shrugged. “No. He’s not my type. But we’ve been friends ever since. Served together overseas.”

  “Are you still in the army?”

  “No.”

  Hmm. She cast a look at the door where Matt had disappeared. The water was still running. She tried again. “Happy birthday.”

  The woman just studied her, eyes narrowed, and Darcy started to feel just the slightest pissed off. But this was her place. She wasn’t going to allow the woman to drive her away. “Feel free to wait outside,” she said, folding her arms across her chest.

  “You should leave him alone,” Angie said.

  “Leave who alone?” As if she didn’t know.

  “Matt.”

  “You see, that’s not really an option. Matt’s the guardian of my only niece.”

  Angie waved a hand at the room. “This had nothing to do with Lulu.”

  There was that pissed-off feeling again. “And this concerns you because…?”

  “Because I care about Matt. And you’re bad for him. He’s an officer, and he needs someone who can support him and help him in his career. Not…”

  Her own eyes narrowed. “Not?”

  “No some ex-convict with tattoos and a whole
lot of attitude. You’ll drag him down.” She shrugged. “I’m sorry, but it had to be said. If you care for him, you’ll let him go.”

  Christ, this was like something out of a sappy movie. “You’re kidding me, right?” No one thought like that anymore. Did they?

  “Image is important in the army. Matt came up from the ranks. There are a lot of people who expect him to fail. Want him to fail. He needs someone who’ll help him with his career, not hinder him.”

  She had the urge to punch the woman on the nose. But that wasn’t who she was. At least, not anymore. So she smiled. “I take it you weren’t considered officer material.”

  That made her mad. Yay. Her eyes narrowed. “I never applied.”

  “Very sensible. It’s best to know your own limitations.” She blew out her breath. “Guess what? I don’t care what you think.” That was sort of a lie, but she’d worry about it later. Right now, she wanted Matt and his “bestie” out of here. Where the hell was he? She headed over to the changing room, opened the door, and shouted inside, “You’d better not be jacking off in there, soldier.”

  Angie made a choking noise.

  But at least Matt appeared in the doorway, his hair wet from the shower, fully clothed and back to his usual immaculate self. He looked between the two of them. “Everything okay?”

  “Positively peachy,” she said with a saccharine smile.

  “Er, good. Look, I promised Angie I’d take her out for dinner. You want to come?”

  She cast him a look, which she hoped conveyed the extent of her disbelief. “And spoil the fun? I don’t think so.”

  Matt obviously realized that the “peachy” comment held more than a hint of sarcasm. He looked at Angie. “Can you just wait outside for a minute?”

  Angie didn’t look too keen on the idea. She opened her mouth, closed it again, cast Darcy a dirty look, and stalked out.

  “Sorry,” he muttered. “But I promised. It’s her birthday and…”

  “I think she likes you.” Actually, she didn’t really. She just wanted to see what Matt’s reaction would be.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know, likes you.”

  His eyes widened. “She likes women.”