“What?”
Archer shifted so his body was facing mine completely. “I think what you picked up on over the years was there, and it had to have hurt to watch your siblings get praised differently for their accomplishments, but I don’t think they did it intentionally. I think they parented you differently from your siblings because youaredifferent. Garrett and Linnea are free-spirited, bubbly, rays of sunshine that are extroverted people-pleasers.”
I snorted. “I’m telling Garrett you called him bubbly.”
He rolled his eyes, something I’ve never once seen him do, and slid closer to me. Grabbing my chin between his thumb and forefinger, he tilted my head back so that I was forced to look athim. “Youon the other hand, are headstrong, and independent. You’re outspoken and competitive, and you can take care of yourself. I think they saw that you didn’t need their approval or encouragement to thrive.”
I let that all settle briefly. “Maybe, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t want it.”
“I’m not saying they didn’t drop the ball there, but I think they dropped the ball because they sensed you could catch it.”
“Wow, okay, Dr. Phil.” I giggled. “Look at you getting all deep with me, Mr. No-Feelings.”
His eyes roamed over my face, and he still hadn’t let go of my chin. “I have feelings. I’m just not great at showing them,” he murmured.
My gaze dropped to his mouth, the sharp cupid’s bow of his upper lip, the fullness of the bottom, and flashes of our night at The Crooked Quill flashed through my mind. The way his mouth devoured mine as he pressed me against the wall. How he’d nipped and licked at my throat, my breasts, my pussy. I knew exactly what those lips could do, and I wanted more of it. “Practice makes perfect, or so I’ve heard.” I breathed. Did I really say that?
“That’s what I’ve heard too.” There was no trace of amusement or mockery on his face.
“Archer?” I didn’t know if he felt the all-consuming pull between us, or whatever else I was starting to feel for him, but I didn’t have it in me to care right then. All I wanted was to feel his lips against mine—for him to crush my body to his and light me up like he had the first time I’d kissed him.
“Darcy?”
“I know it’s against one of my stipulations, but—”
His hand darted from my chin to the back of my head and then he dragged my mouth to his. It was fast, and scorching, almost like he’d been thinking about it too, but had been holdinghimself back. Pressing myself closer to him, I was inches away from crawling into his lap when a rap at the passenger window had us quickly separating.
Cory’s face filled the window as I rolled it down, a knowing smirk toying at her lips. “Yeah, so, um, they sent me out here to retrieve you two. If, you know, you’re almost finished.” She started walking away, calling over her shoulder as she went, “No rush though! It’s a great spot!”
I looked around as if I’d find evidence of what Cory was insinuating lying around. “That was more than I needed to know about those two.”
Archer’s throaty laugh brought me back to him, and I couldn’t keep the goofy grin off my face.
“Should we—” I started, but Archer cut me off.
“Do that again?”
My grin deepened. “I was going to ask if we should talk about that?”
“Right, yeah. We should probably talk about that,” he said, staring at my lips.
I ducked my head so that my eyes took the place of my mouth, snapping him back to the present. “Do you want that to be a one-time thing?” I asked, suddenly nervous about his response.
He opened his mouth to respond when Garrett stuck his head out the front door. “Stop wasting my gas and get your asses in here!”
Damn it, Garrett.
“Later?” I asked.
Archer nodded. “Later.”
I hadn’t finished taking my coat off when my parents asked to speak with me for a minute. Archer nodded and wandered off toward the kitchen with my siblings and Cory, while my parents and I sat in the living room.
“We’re so sorry, Darcy. We should’ve congratulated you instead of bombarding you with questions. We were just so—” my dad started before my mom jumped in.
“We were shocked. Out of all our kids, you were the one most reluctant on the kid front. Plus, we didn’t even know about Archer until Thanksgiving. The idea of a baby being your big news was the last thing I would’ve suspected. It blindsided us is all, but wearehappy for you. Truly. All we want is for you—for all of you—to be happy.”
I gave them a soft smile, thinking about what Archer had said in the car about them parenting me differently because Iwasdifferent. The Darcy they’d known hadn’t wanted kids, and wasn’t in a relationship, so of course the news would be a bit curveball out of left field. “I know you do, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
