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“You look like you just got laid, mate.”

“Fuck off.” He emptied the bottle of wine into his glass. And took a gulp. The rest of his life was falling into place. He just had to get this inconvenient attraction out of his system and order would be restored.

“Who’s the new girlfriend? Not your usual nice-girl type.”

“She’s not my girlfriend. That’s Darcy Butler, Lulu’s aunt.”

“The violent ex-con with a drug problem?”

Suddenly he realized he didn’t want his friend thinking bad things about Darcy, and he had no clue why. “Steven lied about her. She’s nothing like that.”

“Why would he lie?”

“Because he was an abusive bastard who regularly beat up his wife. He was three times over the drink limit on the night he crashed his car and killed her.”

“Bastard. Well, I only met your brother once, and I thought he was an asshole.” He raised his beer and took a deep swallow. “Now Darcy Butler looks like my sort of woman.”

“Keep your hands off.”

Gary gave him a speculative look, under which he tried not to flinch, and then grinned. “Interesting. Very interesting.”

“Fuck off.”

“But while she’s hot, she’s not for you. Have you asked the divine Diana out yet?”

“Not yet.” Gary and Angie had both met Lulu’s nanny and they reckoned he should try to move his relationship onto a more personal footing. He was thinking about it, though that was hard with the recent memory of having Darcy’s mouth on him.

He shook it off. They’d had a narrow escape. Another one.

“I’ll ask her to the regimental dance next week.”

“Good, she’s perfect for you.”

Gary was right. So why didn’t he feel more excited about the prospect?

He knew the answer—he didn’t want perfect. He wanted Darcy.