Naughty Nights: A Bad Boy Romance (8 page)

I held him like that for a long time while we both came down. Finally, Luke slid out of me, and reached down to take care of the condom. I watched his face, searching for signs that he might feel differently about me now.
 

But he revealed no clues as he reached up and freed my other wrist which was somehow still trapped in the belt. The silence was beginning to make me uncomfortable, so I said, “Was that a regulation boy scout knot?”
 

“Apparently not. Guess I’ll lose my merit badge,” he said. “But I didn’t want to make it too tight. No offense, but it was pretty obvious that was your first time being bound.”
 

Still in the throes of post-orgasmic bliss, I didn’t even blush. It may have been my first time, but hopefully it wasn’t my last. I hoped I’d be spending a lot of time with him in the future. I hoped we’d build a relationship that lasted once we weren’t trapped in a room and I wasn’t living at his workplace.
 

Hopefully.

Chapter Seven

THE NEXT KNOCK on the door wasn’t much of a surprise by this point. I’d figured it was only a matter of time before the Barracuda tried again. I grabbed my robe, ignoring my belt since it was still tied to the bedpost. I wrapped the robe around me tightly. Luke sat up, his satisfied expression fading as the reality of the situation sank in again. He grabbed his jeans and headed into the bathroom. I took a long moment to enjoy the view, and once he was out of sight, I opened the door, leaving the chain engaged.
 

It was Barbara. “Ms. Squires. Are you feeling any better?”
 

“A little. It’s so kind of you to ask,” I said, trying not to let any sarcasm leak through.
 

“Well, I’m concerned, dear. You’re our guest, and I want you to be comfortable. That’s why I’m here. I wanted to let you know that the White Street Diner makes the world’s best chicken soup. It’s less than a block away.”
 

“I’m fine, but thanks for thinking of me.” I gave her a weak smile and shut the door. I watched through the peephole as she moved away, then I turned the deadbolt.
 

Luke reappeared, wearing his jeans. “That diner sucks. I’d never send anyone there. Too bad we can’t get something from one of my takeout places.”
 

“I still don’t see how you can consider yourself a takeout connoisseur when you don’t even know a good Lithuanian place,” I said in a teasing voice, expecting to get a smile out of him. But he seemed lost in thought. “We have the leftover pizza,” I reminded him, touching his arm lightly.
 

“Yeah, okay.”
 

Even given the situation, he seemed extra glum—especially considering he had been quite the happy camper a few minutes ago. “What’s wrong?” I asked, as I took the pizza box out of the half-sized refrigerator.
 

Luke held up his phone and then set in on the counter. “She left me a message about an hour ago. I guess we didn’t hear the phone vibrate because … well, you know. She said that though she was sympathetic about my car trouble—and you could practically hear her using air quotes—if I don’t show up for my shift tonight, I’ll be fired.”
 

My lips tightened as I pried two huge slices out of the box. That meant he couldn’t try to call in sick or anything like that. She was such a hypocrite. She couldn’t have him for herself, so she wanted to make sure he didn’t meet anyone else. If anybody should be fired, it should be her for sexual harassment. It wasn’t fair. I put the pizza in the microwave. “We’ll figure something out.”
 

He was silent for a minute, staring at the cheese starting to ooze inside the microwave. “Yeah, we will.” Then he smiled, but it seemed more for my benefit rather than genuine optimism on his part. “We’ll get me out of here, and I’ll keep my job, and you’ll get a great apartment, and next time we’ll have a real date.” The microwave dinged, and he pulled out the plate of molten cheese.
 

I was thrilled he was making plans for us for the future though I supposed it was a little backward. Never before had I had sex with someone and then started dating them, but this had been an usual day. Still, it made me so happy to hear that he was thinking about our next date.

“Ouch,” Luke said, setting the plate rapidly on the table. “It’s really hot.”
 

Wait a minute.
Date
.
Hot.
I mentally rearranged those two words, suddenly picturing John leaning out of the shuttle, asking me if I had a hot date. The beginning of an idea blossomed.
 

Luke handed me a glass of soda, but I walked past him, thinking, pacing.
 

“What?” he said.
 

I held up my hand, still thinking rapidly. We’d need someone to … and we’d have to make sure that … and then Luke would have to … but it just might work. It really might work.
 

I picked up my phone and listened to it ring, one, two, three times. John wouldn’t answer if he was driving, but finally his rich voice came on the line. “Hello?”

“It’s Darcy. Remember how you’re always telling me to get a hot date? Well, I finally got one. But now I’ve got a little problem.”
 

* * *
 

After talking to John, I dressed quickly while filling Luke in on the parts of the plan he hadn’t already figured out from hearing my side of the call.
 

“You,” he said, “are amazing. I’ll call my brother. And you’ll contact our secret agent?”
 

“Yes,” I said. “I’m sure she’ll help out.”
 

Ten minutes later, I was less sure. “Please, Mrs. T. He’s going to be fired. You know how the Barracuda is.” I listened a minute. “I know. I know. But come on. I thought you’d be pleased to hear that we’d gotten together.” This elicited more sauciness from her. “It is
not
just a hook-up.” I lowered my voice, even though Luke was still on his phone. “He wants to see me again.”
 

Mrs. T. was being unexpectedly prudish. She wasn’t usually like that. But after another few minutes of arguing, I discovered the real reason she was balking. “I promise, Mrs. T, he is truly stuck. He really will be fired if you don’t help us out. I swear this is
not
a plan to put you in a home.”
 

I raised pleading eyes to Luke, who had just finished his call. He took the phone. “Please Mrs. T., I really need your help. Darcy is an incredible girl, and if I get fired, I won’t have any money to take her nice places.”
 

I smiled in spite of myself. He was laying it on thick, and he’d made his voice go all low and charming. His triumphant smile told me that Mrs. T. couldn’t resist him any more than I could.
 

* * *

I was at the window, peering around the edge of the blinds when the honking started. “I can’t see,” Luke complained.
 

“You stay back,” I said, elbowing him. “You’ll be able to hear what’s going on.” The honking continued, and we could hear it twice over—once from where the shuttle was idling in front of the building and once through the phone in my hand.
 

“No sign of anyone yet.” John’s voice was tinny through the speaker. He honked the horn again.
 

Luke chuckled quietly. “I can just picture Barbara at the front desk, wondering why on earth the damn driver doesn’t come in.”
 

A dozen or so horn blasts later, and John reported in. “I think I see someone on the other side of the glass door.”
 

I looked up at Luke. Was that good enough? He glanced at my raised eyebrows and shook his head. “We’d better wait until she goes out, just to be sure.”
 

Anxiously, I peeked out the window. All I could see was the large blue van. With the tinted windows, I couldn’t even see John in the driver’s seat. A minute more passed, and then finally, I heard John’s voice. “She’s coming out.”
 

Yes! I turned to Luke. “Go!”
 

“Darcy, thank you … for everything … ”
 

I looked out the window and could see a very angry-looking Barbara approaching the shuttle. “Go!” I urged again. He planted a quick kiss on the corner of my mouth and took off at a run. In a second, he was out the door, and I couldn’t even hear his light footfalls as he ran for the exit at the end of the hall.
 

Part of me ached inside, wondering when I’d see him next, and if things would be the same when I did. But then I heard Barbara’s raised voice.
 

“Stop that honking at once!”
 

John lowered the window and squinted out at her.
 

“I’m here to pick up one of your guests, Ma’am.” His voice sounded slow and a little confused. He was trying to make Barbara think he was some clueless senior. That made me laugh. He was worth five of her.
 

“Why didn’t you call? You can’t make this kind of racket at a peaceful place of business.”
 

“Sorry, Ma’am, I tried. I must’ve got the number wrong.”
 

“Then you should have come in!”
 

John shook his head. “Can’t do that. There are passengers in the back on oxygen. I’m not allowed to leave them.”
 

I smiled to myself. The van was completely empty—thank god for the tinted windows.
 

Barbara was still clearly pissed at him, but when John gave her the name of the resident he was here to get, she went back inside.
 

It was the moment of truth. If our ace in the hole backed out now, it would look really suspicious. But a minute or two later, Barbara reemerged, followed by Mrs. T. I held my breath as the older woman climbed into the van. I didn’t relax until John pulled away.
 

“Thank you so much,” I breathed into the phone.
 

“You’re welcome,” John said. A moment later the call ended.
 

I looked through the blinds one more time, and Barbara was a few steps closer, looking off toward the side of the building. I grinned. I bet I knew what had caught her attention.
 

I didn’t want to miss the grand finale, so I grabbed my key and stepped out into the hallway. I hurried down the hall and crept to the glass door. It was under the stairwell—I didn’t think that anyone would be able to see me, but I still kept a few feet back.
 

The Barracuda rounded the side of the building a moment later. She headed right toward the two cars with their hoods up. Even from inside, I could hear the engine revving from the dark black Buick connected by jumper cables to Luke’s Honda. The man standing between the vehicles must’ve been Luke’s brother. But where was Luke?
 

Barbara must’ve been wondering the same thing, but then the Honda sputtered, turned over, and roared to life. Luke himself climbed out of the driver’s seat. He was even wearing different clothes—khaki shorts and an olive green t-shirt. When and where had he changed? But it was a nice touch. He certainly didn’t look as if he’d been wearing yesterday’s clothes a few minutes ago.
 

Luke high-fived his brother, who started removing the jumper cables. Only then did they appear to notice Barbara. Luke said a few words, and then Barbara reluctantly shook hands with his brother. That was my cue to leave before she headed back my way. I hurried back down the hall, happy that Luke was safe. We’d done it.

Chapter Eight

“CAN I SEE you tonight?”
 

Hearing Luke’s voice made my heart leap. It had been nearly a week since I’d seen him. After his great escape, the hotel hosted members of a conference, and every room was booked. The conference attendees kept Luke super busy, and though I’d tried, I never managed to speak with him alone. I’d been half hoping that he’d stop by to see me after his shift ended some night, but I could understand why he’d be reluctant to do that after all we’d gone through with Barbara.
 

And then on Wednesday morning, someone from that apartment complex I’d really liked called. A slightly smaller, and therefore more affordable, unit had opened up, and it was available immediately.
 

Things happened quickly after that. My manager at Hampton Acres offered to pay for movers as a bonus for my hard work. He was particularly impressed that I’d managed to find a new resident. So on Friday, hours before Luke’s shift even started, I checked out of Luke’s hotel. The movers took everything from my room and my storage unit, and just like that, I had my own place. My new apartment complex was nice, but it was sorely lacking a friendly, funny, sexy night manager.
 

“That would be great,” I said, possibly a little too enthusiastically.
 

“I’m really sorry about before. With conference it was just so busy. And we’ve been short-handed. Reynaldo quit, did I tell you that? It’s been nuts.”

“It sounds like it,” I said, truthfully. But I also knew how much I’d missed him. It had been disappointing not to be able to spend time with him since last weekend. Part of that was my abrupt departure, I knew. I hated telling him I’d checked out by text message. Things were going to be different now that I wasn’t staying at his hotel. But we could make it work. At least I hoped we could. “Do you want to come over here? There are boxes everywhere, but I could clear a path.”
 

“That’s okay,” he said with a chuckle. “There’s some place I want to take you, so why don’t you just meet me here after my shift is done? Park in the back by the fence, but wait in your car until I get there.”

“Why? Barbara won’t be there that late, will she?”
 

“No, but I meant, keep your doors locked until I get there. I want you to be safe.”
 

“Oh. Okay.” The fact that he was thinking about my safety did a lot to ease the apprehension I felt about not seeing him this week.