Page 17 of All For You

“No, no. Don’t worry about that. I wanted to make sure you were safe.”

“It’s my ex. He might be out of his mind, but he’s not a threat.” She shook her head. “Can you believe he’s picked this moment to realize he wants to talk to me? Typical bloody man.” She rolled her eyes and sucked in a breath. “It’ll take a few minutes to get rid of him. I’m sure nothing has changed.”

A door creaked open. Darcy leaned out of his bedroom. “Can I be of any help?”

I made a pushing motion to indicate for him to keep his voice down. Clearly, in a Darcy-centered world, there was no modulating one’s voice even when everyone was sleeping.

His usual slicked-back hair flopped over his forehead. He padded toward us in bare feet, wearing a T-shirt that showed off his muscular shoulders and chest, which tapered to a narrow waist.

And gray sweatpants.

They were a whole story in themselves. Such a simple article of clothing. What was the equivalent in Regency times? Low slung on his hips, draped close over his powerful thighs, hinting at flexed muscles and…he was turning slightly…a taut arse. I shot my eyes up to his face. His handsomeness didn’t dull my irritation. Inwardly, I fumed. Didn’t he have any old, baggy clothes for goodness’ sake? Something less…distracting.

Self-consciously, I crossed my arms over my thin top. “Do you want me to come down with you?” I asked Nala.

“Yes, we’ll be your reinforcements,” Darcy said.

I narrowed my eyes at him. What was thiswe? There was nowe.

“No, I can handle him,” Nala said. “He’s a sweet, nice guy under all that idiocy and stubbornness. He’d never do anything to hurt me.”

She set off down the stairs.

Darcy edged toward me, and I caught a whiff of his sleepy, cottony smell. “Will she really be okay by herself?”

I surveyed his expression. This was the man who’d been rude to me twice tonight. Was he pretending to be concerned for Nala? But he was staring at me with a crumpled forehead, as if he was genuinely worried.

“She says he’s harmless,” I said. “Seems like another arrogant man who doesn’t believe in love.”

Giving him the shoulder, I crept down after Nala in the darkness to be sure her presumption was correct. I paused at the front door, and I peeked out the side window. Darcy parked himself at my back and looked over my shoulder. I could feel him behind me. My annoyance at him changed into something else—first a prickling awareness building into a pull as strong as an electric force field, making me awake to every breath and shift of his body.

The body that was wearing the gray sweatpants.

He touched my lower back. It was a gentle touch, but the sensation shimmied all the way up my spine. Where did that response come from?Lizzy, you don’t like this man.

“Your hair is blocking my view,” he said blankly.

I made an exasperated noise and scrunched my curly mop to one side. See? There. I couldn’t read anything positive into whatever this man did. My feelings were loneliness, fear for Nala, and a strange warping of annoyance. And maybe that dry spell I’d been experiencing since splitting with my dreary ex.

Directing my concentration outside the window, I focused on Nala and Roberto, ready to spring out the front door if needed. They were both visible under the porchlight, but this old house had thick walls, and I couldn’t quite hear their words.

Roberto was pleading with Nala, his hands stretched out to her. She crossed her arms, her face set. He made other declarations, flailing his hands around. She answered. He swiped under an eye.

Oh, he was crying.

Behind me, Darcy made a small sound in the back of his throat. Even he, the man with a stone-cold heart, was moved. Nala and Roberto moved closer to each other and talked for a while longer. Roberto dropped to one knee. Tears pushed at the backs of my eyes.

Given my history, I should probably be hoping for her to be cautious, to think a reunion over, like I would have. But this man was nothing like my ex-fiancé, and my romantic heart yearned for her to say yes.

Nala put her fingers to her lips, and her chest rose and fell. She blinked, as though she was crying now too. Roberto got to his feet and crushed her into a hug, and they both looked at each other, smiley and happy. Then they came together again, this time in a passionate kiss.

Behind me, Darcy cleared his throat.

For a second, I’d forgotten he was there, and now I became overly aware again of how close he was. I turned and almost bumped my nose into his chest. Tipping up my chin, I met his gaze. His eyes shone a deep blue, and he smelled of soap and fresh sheets. Butterflies erupted in my stomach. I felt giddy. What was happening?

He swallowed hard. “They look happy,” he said in a raspy voice. “I think we can go back to bed now.”

We can go back to bed now.A ripple of heat spread through my torso. Had he heard it like I had? His face flickered with discomfort.