Page 52 of The Bad Girl and the Baby

“Yeah, me too,” Nate said. “Though I’m not sure I want to take on the SAS.”

“Ex-SAS.” Matt blew out his breath. “I’m glad she’s got friends like you. But I think Darcy can look after herself.”

“Maybe. But she’s lost so much, and she tries to hide it because she thinks she has to be tough.”

Did she? He’d believed the toughness went all the way through. Did he have the power to hurt her? That twisted something inside him. He’d thought her invulnerable. He’d liked that about her.

“I’d love to come to your wedding,” he said. “Now I’d better go convince Darcy that she actually wants me there.”

“She’s in the apartment. Along the corridor, up the stairs. The blue door.”

“Thank you.” He could feel their gazes on him as he walked away

He took the stairs two at a time, then hesitated at the top. He wasn’t used to apologizing. Hell, it took Darcy to make him act in a way that needed apologizing for. He tapped on the door but decided not to wait for her to open it—in case she didn’t. The door opened into a lounge area with a big window overlooking the street, but Darcy wasn’t anywhere in sight. He looked around. The room was large, with five doors leading off it. Darcy owned the gym and this place. Together, they must be worth millions. He remembered her offering to help out with Lulu—he’d thought she was just being polite, but she was a wealthy woman.

He could hear her voice intermingled with Lulu’s, and he followed the sound. He found them both in the big kitchen. Lulu glanced up as he appeared in the doorway and squealed. She ran to him, and he scooped her up and gave her a hug.

At least Lulu wasn’t mad at him—she had a short memory.

Darcy, he wasn’t so sure of. She’d changed into jeans and a red shirt that made her skin look white. A wary expression crossed her face.

“I’m sorry,” he said over Lulu’s shoulder.

She raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t going to make this easy for him.

“I overreacted,” he continued. Still nothing. He could do this. “I got home and you weren’t there. And I was…disappointed.”

That got a reaction. Shock flashed in her eyes. “You were?”

“I was deep in this fantasy, where Lulu was tired and actually went to sleep in the middle of the day. And you and I could finish what we started this morning.”

“Lulu not tired,” she murmured against his neck, then gave a huge yawn.

“I know, sweetheart. It was a daydream.” He rubbed her back. “Only you weren’t there. I panicked, and then I found your note and…as I said, I was disappointed. And I didn’t like that, so I got angry.”

“Why didn’t you like it?”

Jesus, she wanted her pound of flesh. But maybe he deserved this. He shrugged. “Give me a second.” He carried Lulu back into the lounge and laid her down on the sofa. “Don’t go to sleep,” he ordered.

“I won’t.” She shoved a fist in her mouth and her eyes closed. “Woof.”

Darcy hadn’t moved when he got back, and he took the seat opposite her, tracing a pattern on the table while he contemplated how much of himself he wanted to reveal. But maybe it was best to stick to the truth.

“I wanted you from the moment I met you. When I had no clue who you were. Then I found out. That didn’t go down well.”

“Hey, I get that. I was a mentally unstable, violent woman.” She got up and went to the refrigerator, then pulled out two bottles of beer, flipped the tops off, and handed him one. He hoped that was a sign that she was going to forgive him.

“Yes. Then you weren’t, but I still knew it would be a mistake. I don’t do relationships.”

She sipped her beer and gave him a not-very-friendly look over the top of the bottle. “I never asked you for one.”

“I know that. And even if you were looking, I’d probably be the last person on your list. We didn’t get off to a good start, and no doubt I’ll always remind you of Steven.”

“Maybe in the beginning. Not anymore.”

“And everyone was telling me I needed a good woman in my life. That I should stop being selfish. Get married for Lulu’s sake.”

“And even if I wasn’t unstable, no one would ever take me for a good woman.”

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