Page 51 of Impossible Thrills

After he spent some more time with Darcy. Hopefully Paul was comfortable lying in the back of the vehicle. He smiled to himself. He’d hear about leaving his friend there for too long.

Finally, the last door was closed behind a sleepy little one. Darcy turned and leaned against the wall, peering up at him. “I’m exhausted, and I didn’t go three rounds with the vicious Jagger to win a million dollars before lunch.”

He grinned and pressed his hands on either side of her shoulders, leaning in. “I’ve got much more stamina than the average human.”

“Do you now?” She arched an eyebrow.

“Yes, ma’am.” He lifted one hand and cupped her soft cheek.

“You aren’t bruised and broken from that fight? I don’t want to hurt you.” She peered at his nose.

He chuckled and pumped his eyebrows. Luckily, his nose hadn’t been broken, just bloodied. “Nothing you could do would hurt me, beautiful Darcy.”

“We’ll see.” She grabbed his shirt and pulled herself up closer to him, fusing her lips with his.

Nick pressed her into the wall and took full advantage of her lovely mouth.

A door closed down the hallway. He should’ve stepped back, but he didn’t know how much time he’d have here. If the guards ‘staying’ in the basement were running a drug ring through Darcy’s house, he would blow the operation wide open, and things might get a little sticky after that.

A throat cleared, and Darcy pulled back, straightening his shirt and patting his chest. “Sorry,” she said.

“You’re not.” He winked at her.

“I’ll do it again in a minute,” she reassured him.

“Darcy.” The older lady, May, was close by. “I think Gary and I need a very long story out of you two. Herbal tea, in the kitchen, now.”

Nick turned to May and nodded. “Yes, ma’am. We’re right behind you.”

“No, you two walk in front of me. Gary’s already down there and I can just see you slipping away to kiss some more.”

Darcy laughed, so Nick joined her. The lady was teasing. He took Darcy’s hand and gestured. “Ladies before gentlemen. Please.”

“Oh. I see.” She gave him a sassy swat on the arm, right on the spot a bruise was forming.

She took off down the hall, and they followed. They descended the stairs and went through two smaller living areas to the large kitchen in the back. The house was old and, except for the kitchen, mostly chopped up rooms. It looked like they’d redone what they could.

Gary was indeed waiting. He shook Nick’s hand and asked, “Does the other guy look worse?”

“Oh, definitely.” Nick grinned.

“He earned those bruises and scrapes winning me the million dollars.” Darcy punched her fists in the air but kept her voice down—to not wake the little ones, he was sure.

“Yes!” May threw her arms around Darcy, and they danced and cheered quietly.

They settled down to tell Gary and May the story of their week, winning the money, and then Gary and May grilled him about his past and what he did for work. He could tell they wanted to ask his intentions toward Darcy. If only he knew. Could he give up his security ops to be with her? Did he have to? Could he cut down the missions he went on and come back to her as often as possible? It hardly mattered. Until Johnny Trattori was taken out, they couldn’t be together.

Finally, Gary and May admitted exhaustion and headed to bed.

Nick looked at Darcy. “We’d better get you to bed as well. Am I sleeping on the couch?” He’d noticed how full every space was in this house. There was a lady that slept in the room with the babies and one with the smaller toddlers as well. Some of the helpers had gone home for the night.

“Or my room.”

She was teasing. He hoped.

“Sorry, not happening.”

“I was teasing.” She pulled him in and kissed him. It was a good thing he’d promised Papa Pete when he was fourteen that he’d never sleep with a woman until he was married to her. This kiss alone made him want to never let Darcy out of his arms.

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