He wanted to make a quip that if she wanted to stick to the topic, standing there in that sweater wasn’t the way to do it, but he thought better of it. Better to keep things civilized. He cleared his throat and reached behind to pick up a folder on his desk. “I made copies of all the documentation. I figured you’d want to run it by a lawyer.”
She took the packet and their fingers brushed, causing a jolt of heat. Their eyes locked. She licked her lips. “Aren’t you a regular Boy Scout now?”
His attention drifted to her mouth, and he forgot about being prudent. “In all ways but one.”
Her gaze flashed. “And what would that be?”
He smirked. “That information is classified.”
She laughed and spun around, calling out over her shoulder, “I’ve got all the information I need.”
God, she was fun. He’d forgotten how much. He’d had more fun with her in the last five minutes than he had in the last year of dates.
Impulse took hold and he stood. Ready to cross the room. To stop her, to pin her against the door and remind her just how good it was between them. He took one step and froze.
He was the mayor.
He lived in a small town where everyone knew everyone else’s business.
Next year was an election year.
And Darcy ran a sex blog.
His life was here, and her life was in New York.
He had no business doing anything with her. No business touching her. Darcy Miller was off-limits. A memory of his past that had to stay that way.
So instead of the comeback he wanted to say—something dirty and explicit—he settled for pleasant. “Have a good day, Darce. Let me know if you need any more information.”
She turned back, her dark hair a sleek contrast against her white sweater. Her blue eyes piercing and mischievous. “Oh, this isn’t over.”
He let his gaze roam over her. “You’re not going to be able to win this one.”
“We’ll see,” she said.
“That we will.” He’d win, just not in the way he wanted.
Chapter Eight
After forty-eight hours of being cooped up in her mom’s tiny shack of a house, Darcy hadn’t written a single word. Between her mom’s constant chatter and Darcy’s nonstop obsessing about what Griffin would look like naked, it was impossible to get anything done.
Desperate for productive normalcy, she grabbed her laptop and went to Earl’s Diner on Main Street, right in the heart of downtown Revival. She’d always worked well in coffee shops and restaurants, the din of conversation and dishes creating a type of white noise she could zone out to.
She walked into the diner and there were about twenty people in the place. Every single one of them turned to look at her, growing still. For a fraction of a second a hush fell over the Revival institution before returning to normal.
She steeled her spine. She was not the bad girl from the wrong side of the tracks anymore.
They should envy her life now.
But her childhood memories ran deep. And even though the patrons had returned to the coffee and omelets, it was hard to push past the sharpness of those feelings she remembered so well. Of being poor. Of being “trash.” Of not belonging.
Oh, she understood now with her psychology degrees she’d acted out all those years ago because she’d been overcompensating for her insecurities. She knew her past didn’t define her. And she’d worked damn hard to turn her life into something she was proud of.
She wasn’t going to let Revival wipe that away.
With her head held high she went to an empty booth and pulled her computer out of her bag. Just as she opened her latest article, a female voice said, “Oh my God, it’s you!”
Darcy looked up into Gracie Roberts’s gorgeous face. Growing up, Gracie had been like a goddess, and Darcy had always adored her. “Gracie!”
“I heard you were back in town but somehow I missed you at the party.” Gracie held out her arms and squealed. “It’s so fantastic to see you.”
Darcy stood and hugged the blond woman, who wrapped her up in a big bear hug. “You too.”
That’s when she saw two women behind Gracie. A pregnant redhead and a pretty little pixie princess, neither of whom Darcy had ever seen before. Darcy released Gracie and smiled at them.
The two women looked at Gracie who said, “This is Darcy Miller, she grew up here but moved to New York right after graduation.” She waved at the redhead. “These are my friends, Maddie Riley”—she pointed at the woman with black hair—“and Harmony Jones. They both moved here after you left, which is why they don’t look familiar.”
They all shook hands, and Darcy gestured at her booth. She should be working, but what the hell. Besides, Griffin would probably invade her thoughts anyway. It was hard to write about sex and not think of him. “Do you want to join me?”
Gracie tucked a lock of curly hair behind her ear and glanced at Darcy’s laptop. “Are you sure we’re not interrupting?”
“Not at all!” Darcy slid into the booth. “I’d much rather catch up than work.”
Gracie sat next to her, and the other two women took up residence on the opposite side of the booth. Gracie picked up a menu and an engagement ring flashed on her finger. Darcy grabbed her hand. “You’re getting married?”
Gracie laughed. “Yep, in a couple months.”
“Well, tell me, who’s the lucky guy?”
Gracie grinned and waved at the redhead, Maddie. “Her brother, actually. He’s a professor from Chicago. We kind of live in both places.”
“My mom told me you opened a bakery in Chicago, how’s it going?”
Gracie huffed in apparent exasperation. “Rewarding and exhausting.”
“I can imagine.” Darcy flashed a grin at the women across from her. “And how did you end up in Revival?”
Maddie laughed, beaming at Gracie. “Here’s the short version. I grew up in Chicago, and I climbed out the church window on my wedding day and ran away from home. My car broke down just up the road and I ran into her next-door neighbor and ended up married to him. That started a chain reaction. I have three brothers. My oldest brother is married to my husband Mitch’s sister. After eighteen months of being at each other’s throats Gracie and my middle brother, James, finally figured out that they were in love, and now they’re engaged.”
That was confusing. Darcy took a sip of her terrible coffee and longed for Starbucks. “So you only have one brother left.”
Maddie shook her head. “Nope. It turns out my youngest brother and my best friend had a secret affair behind my back when we were teenagers, and now they’re getting married too.” She shrugged. “But they live in Chicago, so you probably won’t meet them.”
Harmony gave Darcy a serene smile. “Don’t even try to figure it out. I gave up a while ago.”
Darcy laughed. The name sounded familiar, and she remembered the card Griffin gave her. “Wait, did you say your last name is Riley? And your husband’s name is Mitch?”
“Yes.” She rubbed her big belly, stroking her hands lovingly over the very cute bump.
“Is he a lawyer?” Darcy hadn’t lived in a small town for a long time, and she’d forgotten how everyone was connected.
“Yes, that’s him,” Maddie said, her expression turned questioning. “Why?”
Darcy dug the card Griffin had given her out of her purse and showed it to Maddie. “Griffin Strong gave me his card. The city is trying to steal my mom’s house from her, and Griffin told me to contact Mitch so he could explain to me how it’s perfectly legal.”
Gracie, Harmony, and Maddie all glanced at one another.
Maddie picked up a napkin and twisted the paper around her finger. “I’m sure he’d be happy to talk to you.”
“I’m sorry your mom is suffering.” Gracie cleared her throat. “But it will be good for the town.”
Darcy could tell by the women’s expressions that they weren’t sympathetic to her plight, but she attempted to appe
al to their obvious sense of family. “I know it’s not much, but my mom’s family has lived there for generations. She doesn’t want to sell.”
Maddie frowned. “I heard she’s the last holdout.”
“She is.” Darcy straightened her shoulders. “She asked me for help, and I’m going to help her. And Griffin Strong is not going to stop me.”
The three women looked at one another again, and then Gracie nibbled her bottom lip. “You guys were pretty serious back in high school.”
“That was a long time ago,” Darcy said, waving her hand in dismissal even as her heart sped at the thought of him. “We’ve moved on. And I’m not letting him steal my mother’s house.”
Gracie went to speak again, but Maddie stopped her with a slight touch on the hand, before beaming at Darcy. “How about this? It’s poker night. Why don’t you join us? Mitch is with the state’s attorney’s office now, but he knows everything about the law, and will be happy to fill you in and tell you if you have any options.”
Gracie’s expression brightened. “That’s a great idea.”
“Totally.” Harmony glanced back and forth between Maddie and Gracie. “Although, it’s going to be a bit crowded for poker.”
“It will be fine,” Maddie assured her.
The fine hairs on the back of Darcy’s neck rose, and suspicion settled into the pit of her stomach. “Who will be there?”
Maddie beamed. “Just us.”
That revealed nothing. Darcy pressed. “Who’s us?”
Gracie shrugged, her expression far too innocent. “The usual, and you can meet my fiancé, James, and see Sam. It will be fun, like old times.”
“There will be food and lots of liquor.” Maddie pointed at her belly. “You can drink for me, and I promise Mitch will answer any questions you have.”
They were all a bit too eager, and that could only mean one thing. Darcy narrowed her eyes. “Will Griffin be there?”
Harmony covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.
Gracie waved a hand. “Maybe, who knows, it’s an open invite so we never quite know who will show up.”
Maddie put her hands together in prayer. “Oh, please, please, please come.”
“It will be fun,” Harmony said, her voice light and lyrical. “I promise.”
Darcy chewed on her inner cheek. She could get the information she needed tonight from Mitch Riley, which meant she could start a full-blown investigation as early as tomorrow morning. If she didn’t talk to Mitch now, she’d have to wait to get on his schedule next week. Who knew how long that would take? And the sooner she learned her options, the faster she could get out of this godforsaken town.
The price being a night with Griffin. Because she was positive he’d be there. Which was fine. She could handle him. Her heart gave a hard thump.
Really, she could.
Chapter Nine
The last person Griffin expected to see when he walked into Mitch and Maddie’s farmhouse was Darcy.
His gut tightened, and he experienced a flush of pleasure at the sight of her. Which was wrong. He needed to stop thinking about her; being in close proximity to her would not help matters.
She gave him a dark frown, glaring at him as though he’d orchestrated the whole evening to be close to her.
The rest of the group was also there: Mitch and Maddie; Harmony; James and Gracie; Sam; and the local sheriff, Charlie Radcliffe.
And Darcy.
Gorgeous, fuckable Darcy.
She kicked back against the counter, and he had no choice but to let his gaze roam inappropriately all over her body.
Tonight her hair was shiny and straight. She wore formfitting faded jeans and a black top that scooped low on her chest, tight against her body, showing off every curve.
“Hey Griff,” Gracie said, her voice amused.
“Hey,” Griffin said, but he didn’t take his gaze off Darcy.
She rolled her eyes and huffed. “Stop staring at me.”
Charlie chuckled and said in his low drawl with just a hint of Southern, “You are kind of giving off a creepy vibe.”
Griff shrugged. “I didn’t expect to see you, Darce.”
Darcy licked her glossy red lips. “I’m like a bad penny, I’ll keep showing up until you give my house back.”
“That’s not going to happen.” He spoke in his most reasonable tone.
Irritation flashed across her features. “We’ll see!”
Sam picked up a bottle of beer. “This should be real fun.” His words slow and amused.
Maddie pointed to the fridge. “What can I get you to drink, Griff?”
Shots. About six of them to dull his senses. Because right now, he couldn’t really think of anything but when he could get his mouth and hands on Darcy.
And he needed to stop thinking about that.
Because she didn’t live here. But even if she did, it wouldn’t matter.
She was wild and he was reformed.
She wanted to stop the project he’d been working on tirelessly for two years.
She was never going to forgive him for taking her mom’s house.
He was the mayor and had to be above reproach. She wrote a fucking sex blog.
He blew out a long breath. The list was endless. And they all made perfect, logical sense.
But then he looked at her mouth. Did her lips still taste as sweet? He had to at least kiss her. Just to appease his curiosity.
“Griffin?” Maddie asked again, and he jerked out of his thoughts, realizing everyone looked at him with big goofy grins on their faces.
Except for Darcy. Who scowled at him as though he were a bug she couldn’t wait to squash under those high-heeled boots of hers.
He cleared his throat. “Whiskey, neat.”
The Rileys always had whiskey.
And he was going to need it if he wanted to make it through the night.
A few seconds later a drink was pushed into his hand.
Maddie clapped. “Pizza will be here soon, and now that everyone is here we can get this game started.”
Gracie sidled up to her soon-to-be-husband, and he put his arm around her, brushing his lips across her temple. She beamed up at him. “Don’t let Maddie take all our money again.”
Mitch grinned at his wife. “Pregnancy makes her bloodthirsty.”
Maddie gave Gracie a little pout. “We need it for the baby.”
Mitch laughed, and James and Gracie rolled their eyes in unison.
At least the subject of the city project was off the table for the moment, although he didn’t have any delusions that it would stay dead for long.
Everyone seemed to start talking at once, and Griffin took a sip of his whiskey, his eyes meeting Darcy’s over the rim of the glass.
He slowly lowered the drink and swallowed, his gaze roaming all over her face. He wanted her more than he’d wanted anyone for a long time.
Before she came back to town he’d been sure he’d put her behind him. He’d blocked out the night she’d left town and him without even a backward glance. Up until she’d shown up he’d believed he was completely over her.
He wasn’t. He needed to taste her again.
She met his gaze, cool and steady, her lips curving into a smirk. One dark brow rose.
She didn’t fool him. No matter how composed she appeared, she wasn’t unaffected by their chemistry. It sparked between them, filling the room.
“Everyone ready?” Maddie asked, then filed out of the kitchen without waiting for an answer.
He stayed in place, and everyone fled from the kitchen, except for Darcy who wouldn’t back down from a challenge.
She shot him an exasperated glare and straightened, turning toward the swinging door, but, before she could leave, he snagged her wrist and tugged.
“Can I help you?” Her voice was haughty, but her expression flashed.
“Yeah,” he said, tightening his grip. Pleased when she took a sharp, almost imperceptible breath. “Did you use the
Mac Daddy today?”
Her eyes darkened. “Is that a proper question for a mayor and accountant to ask?”
“Did you?” He didn’t divert. The images of her sliding a huge cock in and out of her pussy almost brought him to his knees.
“Why should I tell you?” She smiled, and he caught it, that look. Flirty, defiant, challenging.
It made him hard, just like it had back then.
He slid a hand around her waist and pulled her close.
She gasped, flattening her palms against his chest. “What do you think you’re doing?”
He lowered his head and whispered in her ear, “Did you come thinking about me?”
“My, someone has a healthy ego.” Her voice was low and smoky.
He nipped at her earlobe. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“You would.” Her fingers tightened on his shirt.
His grip around her waist increased and he pressed an openmouth kiss to her neck, stroking his tongue along her pounding pulse. “You know it’s just a matter of time before I fuck the hell out of you.”
“You think I’d have sex with you, after all you’ve done?” Despite her words she was already melting into him and her body felt exactly right against him. A perfect fit.
He laughed, low and deep. “Yeah, I do.”
“You’re wrong.” Her body angled, sliding into a closer fit.
“Time will tell.”
She tilted her head back. “Aren’t you going to convince me? The Griffin I knew would have.”
“That was the old Griffin.” He slid his hand through the silky strands of her hair. “The more mature Griffin knows not to waste his breath on ridiculous, false statements.”
Her expression flashed with fire. “You think it’s that easy? Steal my mom’s house and I’ll just fall into your open arms?”
He let her go, stepping back. She couldn’t quite hide the regret in the press of her lips. He crossed his arms over his chest to keep from reaching for her again. “I know you’re mad at me. I understand. I’d be mad at me too. I also know you want me as much as I want you. I don’t believe they are mutually exclusive.”
She curled her hands into fists. “Don’t be reasonable.”
He took a deep breath and blew it out. He’d learned a long time ago that temper solved nothing. Even when the other person was intentionally provoking him. He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t pretend you actually care about your mom’s house. Don’t pretend you don’t hate it and wish she’d sell. Because I know the truth, Darce.”
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