Page 45 of The Bad Girl and the Baby

Chapter Twelve

The room was in darkness when Darcy woke up.

Her whole body tingled with the memory of more orgasms than she’d ever considered possible in a single night. Or was it just a dream? Maybe she was still sleeping on the sofa,waiting for Matt to come home, while believing he wouldn’t. He’d be spending the night in the arms of the perfect Diana.

She stretched, the cotton sheets chafing her sensitive skin.

Even in the dark, she was quite aware that this wasn’t the guest room Matt had shown her the previous day. She’d never been in here before.

And she guessed that would make it Captain Matt’s room.

Her body felt great, all sated and relaxed and just a little bit sore. They’d made love over and over, then they’d fallen asleep, and he’d awoken her and they’d made love again. She didn’t think she’d ever forget the feel of his mouth on her sex. She’d had oral sex before, but past boyfriends had always acted like they were doing her some sort of favor, whereas Matt… He’d seemed to enjoy himself as much as she did. Okay, maybe not quite as much.

She wriggled then stretched out her hands under the sheets, but she’d already sensed she was alone. And the feeling of loss worried at some deep, dark part of her mind. The clock on the bedside table glowed in the dark. It was early, before six. She should have guessed that Matt was an early riser.

She thought about pulling the sheets over her head and going back to sleep—because left to her own devices, she enjoyed sleeping in. She was a late night, late morning sort of person. But she also had a need to get up, go hunt Matt down, and get that first awkward, “oh my God, we slept together” moment over with.

Best sex ever.

Like ever, ever.

No need to share that with Matt, though. No point in making him big-headed.

There had been a bit of a power struggle going on, but she had to concede that once he’d taken control, she’d loved it. Most of her boyfriends in the past had let her take charge; maybe that’s why she’d picked them, so she wouldn’t have to give up that little piece of herself. And she’d fought it last night, but when she’d finally given in, it had been mind-blowing, a whole new level.

She stretched out across to Matt’s side of the bed and switched on the lamp, then pulled herself up. She hadn’t taken in much of the room last night. But it was pretty much as she’d expected Matt’s room to be. Decorated in beige and gray, with a big bed. Everything was in its place, the top of the dresser clear of clutter. He’d even picked up their clothes from last night. Hers were folded neatly on the chair by her side of the bed.

If she ever needed proof that they were not meant to have more than sex between them, this was it, because the neatness set her teeth on edge. It drove her crazy, made her want to toss things around.

She pushed the sheet down. She was naked. Had he found her too skinny? Her breasts were small, but they were a nice shape. He’d certainly seemed to appreciate them. And her ass had been a great hit.

Was this a one-off?

Part of her suspected that would be the best idea. That they should just move on, try to find a way to be—what had he said?—friends. It seemed strange to even contemplate.

But most of her knew she’d be jumping Captain Matt’s bones at the next opportunity. He’d been right last night. Neither of them was looking for anything permanent. She wasn’t the homemaker type. Neither was he. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy each other. Eventually the desire would fade, and they could get on with their lives. They’d keep seeing each other because of Lulu, and they’d be friends and…

She didn’t know. She’d never had sex with a friend before.

She needed a shower, but first she wanted to find Matt. A dressing gown hung on the door. It was gray to match the décor, and she pulled it on. It fell almost to the floor. Outside, the hall was in darkness. She felt her way along to Lulu’s door and pushed it open, just a little. The night light was on, and she could see Lulu sleeping, her thumb in her mouth, the doll Darcy had brought her that first visit tucked in her arms. She was so goddamn cute when she was asleep, and a sweet ache squeezed at Darcy’s heart. She saw so much of her younger self in her niece. How she had been before life had gotten so hard. But had she ever been that cute? Somehow she doubted it.

She backed out and pulled the door closed, then headed down the stairs. She peered into the living room. Empty. And spotlessly tidy. Either the cleaners had been in or Matt had been busy. She heard sounds from the kitchen and headed there. He was just wiping the last of the dishes. The room was as spotless as the living room, with everything back in its place. She’d meant to clean up last night, really she had. But after an afternoon running after Lulu, and an evening trying to get her to eat and then settle down, she’d just crashed.

And she really hadn’t expected Matt to come back.

Couldn’t he have waited to tidy? She would have done it once she’d woken up. He had a way of making her feel inadequate. She’d bet Diana never left a dish unwashed.

He put the last plate away and turned to face her.

And in that second, she forgave him his unnatural proclivity for tidiness, because he was naked except for a pair of faded jeans. His chest was bare, his feet were bare. And nearly-naked Matt had the power to leave her breathless.

She stepped into the kitchen and stalked toward him.

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.

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