She peered over his shoulder at his clock and settled back onto his chest. “My mother was so busy all the time with work and of course I was left to my own devices.”
“
So she dumped you in the Girl Scouts?”
Darcy poked him in the gut. “No. I lived in Boston.”
“That should definitely make you swear.”
“Exactly. I hung out with some rough kids. When I started talking like them my mom proceeded to parrot back to me all the same things I’d said all night long until I couldn’t stand to hear it.”
He winced. “I’ll try to curb the swearing.”
“It doesn’t bother me to hear others say it, but me? Yeah, she beat it out of me without laying a single hand on me.” She snuggled into his side, her husky voice a rumble against his neck. “Then we figured out all sorts of dorky ways not to swear. Kinda became our thing.”
He kissed her forehead. “Do you get to see your mom much?”
“No. She got married recently and her new husband likes to spoil her with cruises and trips.”
He trailed the backs of his fingers down her spine then back up. She felt good against him. Her soft breasts and belly, her cheek back in its rightful place on his chest. “That’s a good thing, right?”
“My mom deserves not to have to work every day.”
He tucked her bangs away from her eyes. “Do you not like this guy?”
“What? No. Jerry’s fine. Amazing actually.”
“What about your dad?”
“He’s not important.” She slid away, dragging the sheet with her.
He rolled onto his side. “Darcy.”
She flicked a glance over her shoulder. “I have to get ready for work.”
He sighed and rolled back into the middle of his bed. It was a big day for her, but he didn’t like the way she shut down. He had to remember they were still getting to know each other. He didn’t talk about his own deadbeat dad, and she was probably the same.
She scooped her shirt off the floor. “Will you come in this afternoon?”
Lacing his fingers behind his head, he forced himself not to go to her. “Yeah, I have to go in and check on the shop, but I’ll be in.”
“They’re coming at—”
“Yeah, darlin’, one o’clock. I know.”
She pulled her shirt down and let the sheet fall back on the bed. “Right. I just wanted to make sure you remember. She wiggled into her jeans, stuffing her panties into her pocket.
He already missed the freckles.
She rushed out of the room, then back in and leaned down to press a quick kiss to his mouth. “I’ll see you later.”
He grinned. Not quite running. He’d take it.
Chapter Nine
Darcy tugged on the cuffs of her blouse. Where the heck had she put her blazer? The Blackstones were in the store and she had Ben on standby in the break room in case there was a meltdown with the software. The lights had been on all day, but they hadn’t turned on Ben’s options yet.
They wanted to surprise the owners. Even though Miriam had told her not to come in before one, Darcy had walked through the door at ten. She had to make sure everything was ready in her department as well as the front displays.