When Darcy said she felt unworthy, needles ran up my spine in a way I hadn’t felt since the day I overheard Annabelle’s phone conversation to my stepfather. Not feeling worthy was a line Annabelle trotted out regularly, along with other platitudes along the lines of: I was too good for her; she didn’t deserve me—all the little phrases designed to make me think she appreciated the little things I did for her. I wondered if it was a quirk of her nature or simply something my stepfather had schooled her in. A way to make her appear grateful and genuine.

It was all I could do to stay in the room to help Darcy out of her dress as those words echoed in my head. I was behaving like an idiot. It was a common enough line and I really wanted to believe that when it came from Darcy’s mouth, it was genuine. Still, it rattled me. Minutes after I walked out I heard the bath being filled and I decided to leave her to it. Earlier I’d have joined her but I was rattled. This wasn’t how Auckland was meant to go. Darcy was the one with issues here and my role was to help her get past them.

Darcy was not Annabelle.

No matter how Luther tried to convince me Darcy was my stepfather’s new attack using old tactics, I refused to believe it. For starters, I was certain Ant Alberini understood the adage about doing the same thing and expecting different results.

No. Any little coincidence with Darcy was just that—a coincidence.

I’d requested the fridge to be stocked so I filled an ice bucket, grabbed a bottle of champagne and a couple of flutes and headed toward the bathroom. Joining Darcy in the bath was out of the question now, but we might as well enjoy the Krug. If I didn’t get in there and restore things this trip to Auckland was going to be a bust.

With my hands full I had to use my elbow to open the bathroom door. Inside was a fragrant humid atmosphere of the particular bath salts I liked and, thankfully, Darcy hadn’t felt too unworthy to use them. Luther knew a woman in the Waitakere ranges who formulated them with a special blend of New Zealand bush flowers and essences. It wasn’t like either of us to be all New Age and crystals but this stuff was magic. A relaxant, energizer and aphrodisiac all rolled into one. If the producer wanted to market it she could name it Paradox.

And then there was Darcy.

She’d already washed her hair and it was pinned up on her head so that rivulets of water trickled across her temples, making me want to catch them with my tongue.

I ached to be in there soaking with her, but I still suffered from that niggling feeling about what she’d said, and if I climbed into that bath I’d be dismissing it. Since Annabelle, I’d promised myself not to dismiss anything that felt out of kilter. Anyway, if I bathed with Darcy, we’d be late. Very late.

I opened the champagne and poured two glasses. She took one and thanked me. I loved that for the moment, anyway, she took nothing for granted.

“Is everything okay?”

Her voice was soft, her skin flushed from the water.

“Sure, it is.” I tilted my glass in her direction. “Here’s to banishing your Auckland monsters.”

She almost grimaced as she acknowledged the toast. She sipped her bubbles, and smiled. “Nice choice, Sackville. You’re spoiling me.”

“Let me spoil you more. Sit forward and I’ll wash your back.” I took my time, lathering my hands and running them over the curve of her shoulders, down the ridges of her spine and finally slipping them around to glide over her delicious breasts. Her nipples were hard and I thumbed them until her breathing changed, her mouth dropping open just that little bit that told me she was becoming very turned on.

She lay back, her legs bent, knees falling open. It was a blatant invitation.

“How you going here, princess?”

She responded with a breathy voice. “Good.”

Fuck, I loved the way she breathed her words when she was aroused, however I ignored the request of her lifting hips and continued squeezing her nipples. She eased her hand across her hip, down toward the trimmed line of pubic hair.

“Don’t touch.”

“Oliver.”

“Whining doesn’t suit you. I want you as hot and bothered tonight as I’m going to be watching you in that dress. Save it. It’ll make later so much better.”

I stood and placed my drink on the vanity, and stripped off for a shower. “The car will be here in half an hour.”

“Hell, I better get moving.”

I held up a bath towel for her, and she stepped toward me. We were both naked with only the towel between us and continuing to resist her calmed me in that I was back in control. I wrapped her tight in the towel, tucking the end in between her breasts before turning her and sending her from the bathroom “No touching, remember?”

She turned her head and poked her tongue out and somehow I resisted stealing a kiss. Self-control would do us both good.

The function was at an events center on the Viaduct not too far from the apartment. The taxi ride was short, and when Darcy complained that we could have walked rather than wasting money on a cab fare, I had to remind her of the color of her dress, the length, the heels she wore and the state she’d be in after a fifteen-minute stroll along the waterfront pavements. Her habits were certainly frugal—especially when compared with Annabelle who always had to keep pace with her entertainment industry buddies—and I hoped it wasn’t an act. I was tired of questioning her motives because she was special. The only thing I wanted propelling our relationship was our mutual attraction.

At the venue we were whisked to the less-crowded award nominees’ entranceway. I hadn’t been entirely honest with Darcy about the evening and she had no idea that we were attending the Trade and Enterprise Business Awards. I didn’t enjoy these functions and was worried Darcy might hate them more. Having her with me was intended to make the evening more than bearable.

We didn’t make it far through the entrance before we were stopped by people wanting to congratulate me on being nominated. It was a pretty big deal being from a small town and beating out some of the Auckland boatyards. Darcy, thankfully, waited until we reached our table before she questioned me.

“Business Awards, Oliver? Not exactly some dull T&E schmoozing function now, is it?”

“Forgive me. I didn’t think you’d agree to come if you knew what it was really about.”

“I’d go with you to the opening of a parking lot if it meant I was allowed to wear this dress.”

Her move, leaning close to my ear was innocent enough. She looked as though she was making herself heard over the background noise. But I’d make her pay for sticking her tongue in my ear before she backed off. I pulled at my mouth with my hand to stop myself grabbing her for a kiss.

“I love you in that dress, Darcy, but I intend to love you even more out of it.”

Our table was filling with other boating industry people. Being such a small country we simultaneously competed with each other, and helped each other out. Sometimes one boatyard was awarded a contract, the scale of which meant other boatyards contracted various skills to help. In the end, any time a large boat left the country after a successful and quality build did the entire industry a favor.

Darcy shone among the other women, not only because of her beauty but her ease in these situations. She understood perfectly how to handle the men, even the sleazy ones I’d have preferred to handle with a right hook. And she was perfect with the women, complimenting them, never trying to outclass them or worse, appear bored the way Annabelle used to.

Every day there were more things I discovered about Darcy that drove her closer to ideal in my eyes. In that sense, she terrified me.

“Darcy! What a surprise to see you here.”

Darcy spun to look at the woman who’d spoken from behind me and I turned, too. This was my first opportunity to see her in action with somebody from her past. I’d never seen anyone’s face turn to stone before but when Darcy offered a fake smile, the mortar holding her expression together almost cracked apart.