Free One Night of Scandal by Elle Kennedy Page B

lust, and it will pass.”
    “Will it?”
    Reed bit the inside of his cheek so hard he tasted blood in his mouth. “Yes.”
    He decided not to mention that this particular case of lust had been wreaking havoc on him for months. He ran his tongue over the tiny cut in his mouth, stepping even farther back, needing to put as much distance between them as humanly possible.
    “We just need to forget Saturday night ever happened. It’s the only way for us to move forward.”
    Darcy looked upset. “We should tell AJ.”
    “I’ll take care of it,” he said gruffly. “I’ll tell him it was my fault, that I took advantage of you.”
    “But that’s not the truth,” she protested.
    Reed exhaled slowly. “There’s no reason for him to hate both of us, Darce.”
    “No. I can’t let you do that. It’s not right.”
    She sounded so distraught, he couldn’t help but reach for her again. The hug was meant to be gentle and reassuring, but somehow turned into a desperate embrace that resulted in her face buried against his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around her slender body.
    “Hey, it’s okay.” He was unable to resist stroking the small of her back. “We messed up, okay? Turned out there was an attraction there, and we gave in without thinking. I’ll make sure AJ knows it was nothing but a random, stupid mistake, and that it won’t ever happen again. Right?”
    She tipped her head, those gorgeous blue eyes locking with his.
    “Right?” he repeated, firmer this time.
    It felt like forever before she responded with a slight nod. “Right.”

Chapter Six
    A week later, Reed was finally able to fully grasp the concept of irony. He’d been a professional fighter for ten years, won more matches than he could count, kicked more asses than he was proud of, and what did you know—he was actually nothing but a big, fat coward.
    He’d had plenty of opportunities to tell AJ the truth over the past week…and he’d chickened out every damn time.
    On the bright side, he was pretty sure he’d officially gotten over Darcy. Yep, he hadn’t indulged in a single dirty fantasy about her for seven whole days. Hadn’t even jerked off, which he deserved a goddamn medal of achievement for, seeing as how he hadn’t gotten laid in almost three months. Thankfully, Sin had been busier than ever that weekend, and managing the club had distracted him from his unsatisfied libido.
    He was confident that when he saw Darcy at the school, all the filthy, impure thoughts he’d once harbored about the woman wouldn’t resurface.
    He was wrong.
    One look was all it took, one cautious smile from that gorgeous mouth of hers, and not only did he spring a semi, but his mind was once again riddled with a week’s worth of lustful fantasies.
    “Hi.” She greeted him on the front steps of Jefferson Middle School, wearing bright red shorts and a white tank top with the straps of a gray sports bra peeking out. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, giving her a youthful air that made him feel embarrassingly warm and fuzzy inside.
    Reed managed a smile. “Hi.”
    “The kids are waiting in the gym,” she told him. “They’re wearing their Phys. Ed uniforms like you suggested. Oh, and we also set up the mats you asked for.”
    “Will any of the other teachers be joining us?” He held his breath, hoping she’d say yes.
    To his disappointment, she shook her head. “I begged a bunch of them to help out, but it’s amazing how many teachers refuse to be involved in extracurricular activities unless they absolutely have to.”
    They climbed the front steps, keeping three feet of distance between them as they headed into the school. Reed tried to walk at a brisk pace, eager to minimize the amount of time they spent alone, but he had no idea where he was going, so he was forced to match Darcy’s easygoing strides.
    Rather than bring a change of clothes, he’d decided to save time by showing up in boxing shorts and a wife beater, both black.