Not Quite Right (Indigo Love Spectrum)

by Tammy Williams

  His warm, supple lips shushed her. His arms so strong, yet so gentle, tightened around her, holding her against his stirring manhood. His tongue danced with hers, showing it all the things she wanted his body to show hers. “I want, too, Darci. I want so many things.” He took a couple of steps back. “Right now, I want you to go into that room and enjoy yourself.”

  Darci brushed her tongue against her lips, savoring Steed’s kisses. “I think I’d enjoy myself more with some company.”

  Steed whimpered. “Please, Darci.” He handed over the box.

  “Okay, okay. I’ll see you in thirty minutes.”

  “At least thirty minutes.”

  “Right.” Darci made her way to the room, taking slow deliberate strides, adding a bit more sway to her hips with the feel of Steed’s eyes on her and his deep grunts of appreciation. She turned back with a wide grin. “You sure…”

  “Yes, I’m sure. I’m sure.”

  She laughed. “Just checking.”

  CHAPTER 27

  Twenty-eight minutes later, Steed took a final look around the room. Thanks to the very capable hotel staff, everything had come together to his exact specifications. He had never wanted to take advantage of his unlimited access to money, but today provided an exception. Many years before, Nana insisted he have a little something set aside for a rainy day, but from the many numbers in his bank balance, the rainy day was more like a monsoon. There was no question money made things happen, as did love, and he’d finally arrived at a point in his life where those two things came together.

  Steed moved to the mirror and adjusted his bow tie. Generally, he wouldn’t be caught dead in a monkey suit. The only other time he’d worn one was when he gave his mother away at her wedding. Yet, here he was, willingly dressed like a penguin, counting the minutes before he would propose marriage to the woman of his dreams.

  The woman of his dreams. He could scarcely believe it. Many women had crossed his path and warmed his bed, but none of them left a lasting impression. Darci Clarke was another story. His body craved her for sure, but his heart and mind needed her like he needed air to breathe.

  No woman had ever affected him like Darci. She knew him, pushed him, stood toe to toe with him and didn’t step back. She loved him even when he made it impossible, and she’d offered her whole self to him, the man she’d called an ass on several occasions. They had come such a long way, and he’d come even further to decline the offer of her virginity. Was he crazy?

  “Steed, I can’t believe this dress. You’ve…Wow!”

  The sound of Darci’s beautiful voice answered Steed’s question. He wasn’t crazy, just in love. And he wanted her to have everything her heart desired. Hopefully her heart would desire him in her life for the rest of his life. He turned to her with a smile, and in the instant he saw her, every word he wanted to say disappeared from his mind.

  “Steed McGraw speechless? It must be a first.” Darci grinned. “Like you in a tuxedo.”

  He shook his head and put up two fingers. “Second time for the tux.” He reached out and stroked her cheek. The black dress exceeded his expectations, and with her thick, dark hair piled high atop her head, she personified a dream walking. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”

  “If the look on your face is any indication, I think I have a clue.” Her gaze darted about the room. “I still can’t believe what you’ve done.” She took his hand, eyeing him from head to toe. “You’re in a tuxedo. If I wasn’t already impressed with the dress and its complementing accessories, the sight of you right now would definitely do it.”

  Steed couldn’t keep his eyes off her. “You look stunning, Darci.” The backless dress hugged her body like a second skin. Silver sequins trailed the spaghetti straps along her shoulders to the dark fabric along the fullness of her breasts, and a high split midway up her left thigh gave him a wonderful eyeful of a luscious, long leg.

  “Steed, what is all of this?”

  He extended a single, thorn-free, long-stemmed red rose. “This, lovely lady, is all for you.” Steed escorted her to the table and poured two glasses of champagne. “A toast,” he said, handing her a glass. “To new beginnings.”

  Darci clicked his glass and smiled. “To new beginnings,” she said, taking a drink.

  Steed reached for her hand. “Let’s dance.”

  Taking to the floor, they swayed to the soft music. Steed drew Darci close, breathing in her sweet scent, and enjoying her soft, womanly curves. Like any red-blooded male, he couldn’t help responding to the gyrations of their bodies.

  Darci lifted her head from the crook of his neck, and with a knowing smile met his lips in a kiss. She opened herself to him as his tongue sought hers. Steed moaned deeply as he pulled her tongue further into his mouth, suckling her, enjoying the taste of her. Darci’s soft sighs, the motion of her fingers threading his hair, and the sway of her hips against his fueled the white-hot need burning through his body. If this continued much longer, his every hope for this evening would go up in smoke. He couldn’t let that happen, no matter how much his flesh wanted him to.

  Finding strength he didn’t know he had, Steed broke the kiss. Darci blinked, her face a picture of confusion, but one he had to ignore. “I bet you’re hungry,” he said, escorting her back to the table.

  “Actually, I am starving, but…”

  “Great. It’s your favorite—filet mignon. Prepared just how you like it.”

  Darci’s eyes narrowed. “What’s going on with you?”

  Steed shrugged as he sat. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “You don’t?”

  “No.” He cut a small piece of the slightly pink meat and brought it to her lips. “I’m just trying to feed you.”

  Her unblinking eyes stayed on him as she chewed.

  “What?”

  Darci dabbed her lips with the linen napkin. “You’re making me nervous, Steed.”

  “Nervous?”

  “Something’s going on behind those sparkling blue eyes.”

  “A feast of fancy. They’re dining on you.”

  “I’d like to be dining on you, but you keep diverting me.”

  Steed drank some champagne. “You know why,” he said.

  “No, I don’t.”

  “I remember our close call at your house, and what you said that night. I never forgot.”

  “Neither have I.” Darci dropped the napkin to the table and moved over to his lap. The barely settled stirring in his loins flared up with a vengeance. She snaked her arms around his neck. Her smooth cheek brushed against his freshly shaven one. A deep moan rumbled in Steed’s throat. Darci was making this way too difficult. “I also said things could change.” She brushed her lips against his neck. “Things have changed.”

  “Darci…”

  She pressed her finger to his lips. “I said I wanted to wait because I didn’t want regrets. I won’t have a single regret about making love to you, about giving you the greatest gift I have. I love you, Steed.”

  “And I love you.” A precious love that now drove him crazy with need, and had brought him to this crucial moment in his life. “Will you marry me, Darci?”

  She blinked. “What?”

  “Will you marry me?” he repeated, his gaze unflinching, but his heart pounding like a jackhammer in his chest. Darci looked surprised, but he couldn’t read any other emotion in those gorgeous dark eyes. Would she make him the happiest man in the world, or cause him to crash and burn. “Are you going to give me an answer?”

  “Uh, this is a bit extreme to get to home base, don’t you think? Steed, I want to be with you, and you don’t have to…”

  “I want to.” Steed settled her on the chair, and dropped to one knee. “I know this seems sudden and unexpected, but I’ve never been more sure of anything. Darci, I love you. I want a houseful of beautiful little girls who look just like you, and to be honest, a little boy, too. I want to wake up every morning with you by my side. I want to grow old and toothle
ss with a woman I know will be the hottest granny in the world. I want to spend my life with you. I want to be your husband. Please, tell me you want me to be. Say yes.”

  She smiled. “Yes.”

  His eyes widened. “Yes? Really?”

  Darci shrugged. “Why not? Keep in mind I can only spare about sixty years or so, okay? I’m a busy woman.” She grinned.

  Steed laughed. “Of course.” He pulled the ring out of his pocket and slipped it on her finger. “I hope you like it.”

  Darci held out her hand, admiring the sparking jewel. “Steed, it’s beautiful. It looks like an heirloom.”

  “It is. Passed down through four generations of McGraw men to the ladies of their hearts.” His knuckles gently grazed her cheek. “I’ve been in love with you longer than I think I want to admit to myself, but last night I knew without question I wanted you in my life forever. Soon after I left your room, I ran into Mom, and she gave me this ring. She knew what was in my heart, too.” Steed kissed her adorned finger and stood. “It’s a perfect fit. Meant to be.”

  Darci leapt into his arms, squealing like a teen at a rock concert. “I can’t believe we’re getting married!”

  Steed laughed. “I take it you’re happy about this.”

  “Ecstatic!” She curled her arms around his neck. “After the way we got started, it’s a miracle we’re together.”

  “Darci, you are my miracle. When you walked into that office, my world changed. Love was something I never entertained, but you—you were a force of nature. A beautiful, dynamic, exaspe…”

  Darci stifled his words with a kiss that immediately took on a mind of its own. Steed clasped his hands around her waist and lowered them to her bottom as her hips rolled against his. Steed’s skin was on fire, and Darci lowering his jacket to the floor as her tongue left a trail of tingling chills along his neck did little to squelch the flame.

  Moans of pleasure rumbled in his throat while renewed memories of Darci’s confession rattled in his head. “I’m a virgin, Steed, and I plan to stay one until I’m married.” They couldn’t make love yet. He silently screamed an expletive. Trying to do the right thing would be his death. “Darci, sweetheart—”

  “Let’s take this to the bedroom,” she murmured against his lips. Active fingers worked on his bow tie, studs from his shirt flew here and there. “I want you as much as I know you want me.” Her hand moved down his torso, stopping at the bulge in his pants. “I know you want me, Steed.” Her fingers caressed the mound in his slacks while fiery hot kisses dusted his chest. “I can feel how much you do.”

  Steed moaned. “I do,” he answered, reveling in her amazing touch. “I really do. But…” He closed his eyes. Even with his pants between them, the power of her caress defied all description. He enjoyed another moment of pleasure and then said the words he truly meant, but could barely force off his tongue. “Darci, I want us to wait.”

  Darci’s fingers and lips stopped moving. He opened his eyes to see her pull back, staring in wide-eyed amazement. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes, Darci, I am very serious.” He gave her shoulder a little pat, not trusting himself to touch her more intimately. “We’re going to wait.”

  “Steed, I don’t even want to wait anymore.”

  He nodded. “Yes, you do. See, you’re a virgin, so what you’re feeling now is something you’re not used to. It’s blind lust, unbridled passion. I promise, it’ll pass.” He eased into the chair and drew a cleansing breath. “Let’s eat.”

  Darci stayed still as a statue, continuing her stare.

  Steed took a bite of steak. “Your food is getting cold.”

  “And I’m getting hot!” Darci pulled the pins from her hair and slid the straps of her evening dress off her shoulders. Her dark tresses tumbled to her shoulders and her gown to the floor.

  Steed nearly choked as she stood before him in a lacy black bra and panty set. He thought his zipper would break from the force of his arousal. “You’re not playing fair,” he said, hungrily drinking in every glorious inch of this provocative side of her.

  “And you’re not playing at all. We’re alone in a beautiful hotel room, engaged, and madly in love. We don’t have to wait, Steed. You’re not really going to make me wait, are you?” she cooed, closing the short distance between them.

  “Darci, don’t take another step closer,” Steed said in a desperate rush. Her lips turned into a seductive smile. He grabbed his glass of champagne and drained it in one swallow. It didn’t help. Snatching his glass of water, he doused the icy drink over his face. The shock of the chill startled his senses and gratefully took some of the edge off the fire down below. “Making love to you is something I want to do so much, but as much as we want each other right now, think of how much better it will be when we’re husband and wife.”

  “Steed?”

  “I have been with more than my share of women, and it’s always just been sex. A warm body in my bed. When we finally come together, it won’t only be your first time making love, but it will be mine, too. Yes, we could be together tonight, and it would be incredible, but on our wedding night it will be even more special. You can’t disagree with that, can you?”

  Darci sighed. “No.” She walked over to her dress. “When did you become such a romantic?”

  “When I fell in love with you,” he answered with a smile.

  “You know, that’s all well and good, but I sure hope you don’t believe in long engagements.” She slipped back into the dress. “I think I might die from anticipation.”

  Steed laughed. “In our case, I don’t. I want Santa to bring me a wife.” He made his way over and enfolded her in his arms. “How does December twenty-fourth sound to you?”

  “If you mean the one eight days from now, it sounds great.”

  “Then we’d better get cracking.” He kissed her nose. “We’ve got a wedding to plan.”

  CHAPTER 28

  “Finally, a moment alone with Mrs. Steed McGraw.” Kenny slid into Steed’s empty chair at the bridal party table and took Darci’s hand. “Tell me, friend, are you as happy as you look?”

  “Kenny, I don’t think my outside can show how happy I feel on the inside,” Darci answered. Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much, but she couldn’t stop. “This day has been even more incredible than I ever imagined it could be. I’m married. Married to a guy whose neck I wanted to break a few months ago.” She looked onto the dance floor where Steed boogied with Nana and Miss Sophie. “A guy I couldn’t love more if I tried. He’s everything to me, Kenny. He makes me crazy, he makes angry, and he makes me so incredibly happy. My life with Steed will definitely not be boring.”

  “If your wedding is any clue of what’s to come, it will be very interesting. You guys get engaged one week and married the next. His grandma is the best person, and the gorgeous moi is the person of honor.” Kenny chuckled. “I can safely say I’ve never been to a wedding quite like this.”

  “And that’s really funny considering Steed and I are both so traditional. We had a beautiful church wedding, I’m wearing my mother’s dress, he gave me his great-grandmother’s engagement ring, and you know about my status. This dress isn’t white for nothing.”

  “No doubt.” He nudged her shoulder. “When I first heard you were seeing McGraw, I couldn’t believe it. Then I saw how miserable you were without him, and I couldn’t believe that. He completes you, Darci, and I’m very happy for you. Even though I am a little sad for myself.”

  “Sad? Why? You and Steed are getting along better.”

  “Yeah, he’s a cool guy, but things aren’t going to be the same for us. I won’t be able to talk to you and see you like I used to. Everything’s gonna be different.”

  “Kenny, my being married won’t change us.” She paused for a moment. Devilish thoughts of what tonight promised brought a smile to her lips. “Okay, maybe you won’t be able to call me at all hours of the night anymore, because I’ll probably be otherwise engaged, but aside from that…”
She laughed.

  Kenny rolled his eyes in exaggerated annoyance. “Good grief,” he grumbled.

  Darci laughed. “Seriously, we’re going to be anchoring the news together, so we’ll see each other every day. And even without that, you are my closest friend in the world, and you’ll never be rid of me. If it wasn’t for your ‘death,’ I wouldn’t have met Steed.”

  “You’ll find the rainbow in a bad situation, won’t you?”

  “What happened to you was bad, but a lot of good came from it. Steed finally freed himself of the weight he’d been carrying around since he lost his father, he got his promotion, and Fritz is finally behind bars where he belongs.”

  “Along with my sister,” Kenny added.

  “Eva is getting the help she needs in prison. In a few years, she’ll be out and ready to have a better life. She called me the other day, and she sounded good. Clear and contrite.”

  Kenny nodded. “I told her about your wedding. She’s been clean for over a month, and my parents and I are supporting her. Who knew there was such a good drug treatment program in prison? She’s already stronger, and she’ll make it this time.”

  “See, there is a lot of good. My folks are moving back to Sterling, and look at Jackson on the dance floor with his wife.” Darci giggled as the young officer and his sweetheart tried to keep up with Steed and his dance partners. “Steed told me Lucas could make detective in a couple more years.”

  “Looks like my ‘death’ was a good thing.”

  “The best thing is you’re alive, and you’ll be alive for a very long time, keeping me abreast of your latest conquests.”

  Kenny bobbed his head. “Yeah, there is that,” he agreed. “Just don’t go returning the favor, okay? Blech!” He shuddered as they broke into more laughter.