The Boy Next Door

by Jessica Jarman

  Oh. “That’s true.”

  “We were going to tell them anyway. They’re getting the picture, and now all we have to do is confirm it.”

  “Makes it easy, doesn’t it?”

  “Yep. Wanna go do it now? Put them out of their misery?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

  “Okay, but let them sweat a few more minutes. I have to go the ladies’ room.”

  Leaning up, she pressed her lips to his. He sucked in a startled breath, but recovered quickly enough to return the kiss properly. His tongue traced her lips before delving into her mouth. A quick dance of the tongues and he pulled away.

  “I’ll be right back,” she promised before dashing off.

  Once in the hall, she slowed down. She didn’t really have to go, but she wanted just a moment to collect her thoughts. They swirled a bit too much around sex to go talk to her mother right at that moment. Patting her hands against her warm cheeks, she walked toward the bathrooms. A makeup check was probably in order.

  “Darcy!”

  She froze. No, no, no. It couldn’t be. Not him.

  “Darcy, honey, I’m so glad I found you. This place is so crowded.”

  Oh God, it was him. She slowly turned toward the voice as her heart stuttered.

  “What in hell are you doing here?”

  Richard Norton rushed forward to grasp her hands. She yanked them away and backed up a step.

  “Answer me! What do you think you’re doing? You cannot be here. Leave.”

  “Honey, you have to listen to me. How many times to I have to say I’m sorry? I made a mistake. It’ll never happen again. Come home.”

  She would not cry. Dammit, he would not make her break down. Not again.

  “You couldn’t say sorry enough times to make me come back. We’re finished. Done. Over.” She controlled herself enough not to shout, barely.

  “Please give it another shot. You don’t know what hell it’s been since you left. I’m lost without you, honey.”

  “You should have thought about that before you put your dick into other women, Richard,” she hissed.

  She thought she saw anger flash in his brown eyes before it was swept away by earnestness.

  “There’s been no one else since you left. I’ve changed, really. I need you, Darcy. I love you. Please, it’ll be better, I promise. We’ll get married, and I’ll make you full partner at the gallery. We’ll reopen with a special showing for you. It’ll—”

  “Reopen?” she repeated weakly.

  He waved the question away. “I’ve had to close temporarily. Some minor problems with sales, but once you’re home, I’ll take care of that.”

  “You son of a bitch.” Anger surged up within her. Hands fisted at her sides, she stepped forward. “It’s not me you want. It’s my money and my work.”

  He shook his head. “That’s not true.”

  “Shut up! Do you think I’m stupid?” She didn’t hold back the shout this time. Her voice rang through the hallway. She reached to her neck and yanked the choker off, breaking the clasp. It hit him in the chest. “Don’t call me. Don’t send me gifts. I’m not going to tie myself or my work to a lying, cheating—”

  He grabbed her by the arms and shook hard. “Now listen, you cold bitch, you owe me! I made your fucking career. Without me, you’re nothing. I’ll ruin you.”

  Fear spread through her. He wouldn’t hurt her, would he? She’d never considered the fact he might physically harm her. Her hands shook as she tried to push him away.

  “Just leave, Richard. Go away. It’s over.” She struggled to keep her voice steady. And failed miserably.

  “It’s not over. It can’t be—”

  “Get your hands off her.”

  Mac’s voice, low and furious, had instant results. Richard released her and spun around.

  “Mac, go back in. Richard was just leaving. It’s over,” she repeated to Richard as she stepped between the two men.

  “The hell it is,” Mac hissed.

  “Go away, MacAllister, this is between me and my fiancée.”

  “Doesn’t look like she wants to be with you, Norton. So leave.” Mac stepped forward.

  A crowd gathered around, curiosity written on every face. Darcy’s stomach clenched. The last thing she wanted right now was a big scene.

  “What if I don’t? You gonna make me, tough man?”

  “Stop, both of you. Richard, I think I made it clear it’s over. Leave.” She turned toward Mac and lowered her voice. “Please, just drop this. He’s not worth it. Come back inside with me. Please.”

  She looked around and saw her mother standing on the edge of the group, eyes wide, mouth gaping. Desperate to put an end to the little scene, Darcy took a step towards the banquet room and looked around the group of people. “Come on, everyone. Party’s in here.”

  Richard seized the opportunity to move closer to Mac. “You don’t have the balls. You didn’t have the balls to get Darcy all these years, and you sure as hell don’t have them now to keep us apart.”

  Darcy froze, her gaze on Mac’s face. His jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed.

  “Screw you.”

  Mac lunged forward. His fist shot forward, connected with his rival’s nose. Blood spurted profusely on both men’s shirts. Darcy tried to rush to them, but a hand held her back. She spun around. Her father gripped her arm, but his eyes were on the two men now grappling on the floor. Why wasn’t he trying to stop them?

  With little effort, Mac flipped Richard on his back, straddled his chest and pounded his fists into his face. The other man didn’t even have a chance to return any of the hits.

  “Mac, please!” Darcy cried out, pulling against her father’s grip.

  He stopped and glanced at her. She met his gaze for a moment, silently begging him stop. She held her breath as he grabbed Richard by the front of the shirt and pulled until their faces were inches apart.

  “Get out and stay the fuck away from her. She’s mine.”

  Darcy’s eyes widened at Mac’s claim. Two men, she thought they were cousins, yanked Richard up by the arms and dragged him from the building. Mac watched, bleeding and breathing heavy.

  Her father released her arm, stepped forward and addressed the crowd, “Well, that was entertaining! Let’s all go have a drink.”

  Darcy observed, open mouthed, as he walked up to Mac, patted him on the arm and said, “Way to go, son.”

  With that, the older man took his wife’s hand and walked back into the banquet hall.

  Way to go? That was it? Darcy glanced around at the lingering group. She felt her checks heat under all the stares. More than a few people spoke in hushed tones and gestured toward her.

  Mac turned toward her, hand held out.

  She crossed her arms over her chest. More than happy to focus on the anger, rather than the fear Richard had caused and the embarrassment as people continued to watch. “What the hell was that?”

  Confusion mingled with the pain clouding his eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “I asked you to let it go. To walk away. Why couldn’t you just do that? I was handling it.”

  “Oh yeah, it sure looked that way to me.”

  “There wasn’t a need to make a big scene, Mac. I was handling it. I’m not a little girl who needs a man to claim her. I can take care of myself. I don’t need you.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I can see that.”

  Darcy spun around and walked the length of the corridor. She stopped abruptly. God, what was she doing? Why was she letting Richard get to her like this? She wasn’t mad at Mac. He wasn’t the one who had caused a scene. Richard was. And she did need Mac. Not to take care of her, but to be with her. She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes and took a deep breath.

  “Look, I’m sor—”

  Her words died in her throat as she turned back.

  He was gone.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Why didn’t you tell me you and Thomas were seeing each other?”

&n
bsp; Darcy looked up from her coffee as her mother entered the kitchen and commandeered the seat next to her.

  “We planned to last night, but… Well, you know. Now we’re not.”

  She battled the tears back. Since Mac had walked out of the party, she hadn’t seen or talked to him. She just couldn’t work up the nerve to call him, and she didn’t expect him to call anytime soon.

  How could he just walk away? Because you treated him like shit when he just trying to protect you. She couldn’t even blame him for leaving. She overreacted and lashed out at him. But damn, it hurt. Worse than when she had found Richard with the bimbos.

  “Did you call him?” her mother inquired.

  “No. It’s over, Mom.” She shrugged.

  “Are you trying to see where he was coming from?”

  “Yes. I understand his side. It doesn’t change anything, though.”

  “Really, Darcy. How would you feel if you walked in on one of his exes all over him, being pushy?” she persisted.

  “I said I get it, okay? But if he had asked me to step back, I would have.”

  Her mother arched a brow. “You would, huh?”

  Probably not, but that hardly mattered now. “I’m not calling him. At least not yet. Heck, I don’t know if ever. I’ve been thinking about it. Maybe it isn’t meant to be. And it isn’t just about last night, Mom. I explained earlier, we fight all the time.”

  “From what you told me, Thomas was upset about the young men I brought home. Imagine what you would have felt like if you thought he was out on a date.”

  “Look, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but it’s over. I messed things up, and he walked away… And I don’t blame him,” she added when her mother opened her mouth. “But it doesn’t bode well for the whole working things out. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go work on my lesson plans, and if I’m not mistaken, you need to get ready to head to the airport.” She stood, kissed her mother’s cheek and headed for the door. “Have a wonderful time on your cruise. Don’t worry, I’ll hold down the fort.”

  Several hours later, after hugs and kisses goodbye, Darcy strode into her room. Her easel was set up in the corner holding a nearly finished painting. She approached it and studied it for a moment before preparing her palette and brushes. She was glutton for punishment, that much was clear. It was of her and Mac. She couldn’t get the images Mac had described that day on the beach out of her head, so here she was obsessing over a painting she had no intention of ever seeing the light of day.

  Her bare toes curled into the tarp that protected the carpet and she began to attack the canvas. Mac lay on the bed with her straddling his hips. His hands on her breasts, hers covering them. She captured the look of pleasure on his face, but she was unsure about hers. She went from the memory of her reflection the night before. The kiss-swollen lips, heavy eyes, flushed cheeks. Her head tilted back and her hair trailing down her body, brushing the tops of Mac’s thighs.

  She fussed with the painting for over an hour before being satisfied with it. Tears trailed down her face as she stared at the finished image. Dammit all, why’d she have to be such a bitch to him? Why did she have to fall in love with him? Trying to drive him out of her mind, she cleaned up her supplies and took a hot shower. After dressing, she sat on her bed and focused her gaze on the passionate picture.

  She didn’t even know what she was going to do with it.

  “Idiot,” she whispered, unsure whether she referred to Mac or herself.

  Curling into a ball, she pulled the covers up to her chin. Losing the man she loved and her best friend gutted her. She felt so damned empty. Even in those years they hadn’t seen each other, she’d always felt safe and comforted by the fact that she could turn to him if she needed to. Now she didn’t even have that. Squeezing her eyes shut, she finally allowed the good cry she’d been denying herself to consume her.

  ———

  The next day, Darcy walked around in a daze. She’d barely slept the night before, plagued with questions of what to do. After hours of soul searching, she didn’t have any more answers than when she’d started.

  She wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a soda before heading downstairs. Sitting on the sofa, she stared at the table in front of her. Her lesson plans and tentative syllabus cluttered the surface, still to be worked on. She couldn’t seem to concentrate. Exhaustion swept over her. Maybe she was tired enough to sleep now. A nap might revive her enough to actually get some work done.

  She settled back into the couch cushions and closed her eyes. Pushing thoughts of Mac away, she forced herself to relax. Floating in the hazy calm between sleep and awake, she thought she might actually fall asleep. Suddenly a roar filled her ears.

  What was that? She sat up and had to rub her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. It was the lawnmower—more specifically it was Mac pushing the lawnmower.

  Damn it, that’s what started this whole mess to begin with, him pushing that stinking thing, getting all hot and sweating.

  She jumped up and walked outside. Standing in the path of the mower, she forced him to stop. He just stared at her.

  “Turn it off,” she yelled over the noise.

  “What?”

  He cupped a hand around his ear. Like he didn’t hear her. Right.

  “Turn the thing off!” She motioned to the handle he held with one hand. “Off!”

  Silence surrounded them until they both spoke.

  “What is—”

  “What are—”

  “Go ahead,” he said.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Taking care of the lawn like I do every week. Got a problem with that?”

  “Yeah. I’m here, so I’ll do it. Go away, Mac.” Her voice cracked.

  “Go inside, Darc. I’m going to finish what I started.”

  “Well, that’d be a first,” she muttered and spun on her heel. Turn around and talk to him, you idiot. Tears blurred her vision.

  She was halfway to the house when he grabbed her arm. Turning her to face him, he leaned down until his nose almost touched hers. “Explain that remark, please.”

  With a shrug, she stated, “Well, you started a relationship with me. Or at least I thought we decided to start one.”

  “I’m not done with you, Darc. Or our relationship.”

  She didn’t dare give in to the spark of hope. “Oh, really? Well, you walked away.”

  With a jerk, he released her arm. He strode a couple steps away before turning back towards her, eyes blazing. “Damn it, I’m not going to grovel. Not even for you.”

  “I never asked you to.”

  “Not in words. What was I supposed to do, Darc? He was getting physically aggressive. Who’s to say what he would have done if I hadn’t come in.”

  Her eyes stung. “Mac, I…” Her throat tightened, cutting of her words. She could only stare at him.

  “I won’t apologize for going after him. If I had to do it again, I’d do the same thing. I love you. I’d beat the shit out of any man who hurt you. Though I won’t deny it felt good to kick the snuff out of that creep.”

  She couldn’t breathe. Her head spun. He hadn’t really said that, had he? “What did you say?”

  He looked puzzled. “I’d do it again?”

  “No, after that. You…you said you loved me.” It felt like the bottom of her stomach had fallen out. “D-d-did you mean it?”

  “Of course I mean it. How could you doubt that?”

  She couldn’t form a complete thought, let alone a sentence. He stepped directly in front of her, cupped her face.

  “I never told you, did I? God, baby, I’m sorry. I love you.” He leaned forward and kissed her gently, a whisper over her lips, teasing her senses.

  “You love me? Then why did you leave like that?”

  He closed his eyes for a moment. “That was stupid, but I just needed some time. I should have stayed. I’m sorry. I was going to call today, then your mom called about the lawn.” He s
hrugged. “I figured it’d be easier to persuade you in person.”

  “Persuade me to what?”

  “To not give up on us.”

  He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against him. His mouth covered hers as his hands roamed her back. His tongue slid inside, silkily caressing.

  She curled her hands in his hair and pulled his head away from her. She waited until his gaze met hers before saying, “I love you, and I’m sorry.”

  Emotion clouded his eyes. “Sorry for what?”

  “Overreacting. I was pissed at Richard and embarrassed. I shouldn’t’ve taken it out on you. Though I can take care of myself, ya know?” she teased.

  He laughed. “Yeah, but I like doing it. As for overreacting, we’re even, I guess.”

  “Guess so. Now kiss me again, Mac.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  He scooped her up in his arms. His pace quick, he walked inside the house to her bedroom. He released her onto the bed, letting her bounce on the mattress. Darcy watched as he yanked his T-shirt over his head. He froze as he stared across the room. The shirt slid from his fingers onto the floor.

  “God, would you look at that.”

  He strode around the bed and stood directly in front of the painting of the two of them. Darcy bit her lip and got off of the bed. Coming up behind him, she touched him on the shoulder.

  “Do you like it?”

  He turned to her, a wide grin on his face. “Like it? Darc, I love it. It’s perfect. Just as I imagined it. You have such a gift. It amazes me every time I see your work.”

  “I had a wonderful source of inspiration.”

  “Even when you were pissed at me?” he teased.

  “Even then,” she quipped. “Didn’t mean I stopped loving you.”

  Her grabbed and pulled her into his arms. “I’ll never get tired of hearing you say that.”

  “Good.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.”

  “Now,” he reached between them for the button of her shorts, “I believe you requested a kiss. Where do you want me to kiss you, love?”

  She laughed. “I have to pick? Everywhere.”

  “Done.”

  He backed her up until her knees hit the mattress and she fell back with a laugh. He lifted her shirt and lowered his mouth to her stomach, caressing with his lips and tongue as he slid the shorts then her panties down her legs. He paused in his assault to pull her shirt up and over her head. When she lay naked before him, he grinned wickedly and ran his hands up from her ankles to her thighs. Fire ignited inside her, sparking between her legs and spreading rapidly. Consumed, she undid his jeans and pushed them and his shorts down. He shifted and kicked them off.