frame.
âThat was a long time ago,â her mom said, ripping her from her thoughts. âHeâs changed.â
Not for the better, as far as Darcy was concerned. She gulped down her coffee and stood. âTime to get this over with.â
Now if she could only quell the excited butterflies in her stomach at the thought of seeing him.
âI have faith in you.â
Darcy didnât. Sheâd talked to her lawyer friend last night and Roger told her it wasnât looking very good. She didnât want her momâs hopes up. âMom, you know thereâs probably nothing I can do, donât you?â
Tammy offered an angelic smile. âWeâll see.â
Darcy sighed and climbed into her momâs old Chevy Camaro ready to take on town hall.
Ten minutes later she was standing at the mayorâs receptionistâs desk, eye to eye with her fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Weller. She hadnât been a fan of Darcyâs and didnât appear to be a fan now. She looked at Darcy over her reading glasses, her lips pursed before she clucked. âLook whoâs finally come home. Itâs about time.â
Darcy frowned. What business of it was hers if she didnât come home to Revival? Sheâd think everyone was glad to be rid of her. Darcy inclined her head. âMrs. Weller, Iâm here to see Griffin.â
The old woman harrumphed. âLet me see if the mayorâs available. Heâs a busy man, you know.â
âI know,â Darcy said patiently. âHowever, I am invited.â She pointed to the closed door. âAsk him and youâll see.â
Mrs. Weller fluffed her steel gray curls. âDonât you go flashing that sweater and getting him all distracted, young lady. He needs a nice girl.â
Darcy admitted there were only a few things she knew really well in life. She knew how to use a flat iron, how to do perfect smoky cat eyes, where to get the best martinis in New York, and sex.
Sex was her specialty. She had a masterâs degree in human sexuality. And she knew, beyond a reasonable doubt, the last thing Griffin Strong needed was a nice girl.
Griffin would die with a nice girl.
Not that it was any of her business. Because it certainly wasnât.
Darcy was here for one reason and one reason only. To save her momâs house.
She was about to open her mouth and say something sheâd probably regret, but Griffin opened the door and all thought dumped out of her head.
Oh dear God.
A black pullover that stretched over his flat abs and highlighted his broad shoulders. And he was in jeans. Heâd always worn a pair of jeans like theyâd been created especially for him.
Darcy dug her nails into the palms of her hands.
He had a five oâclock shadow along his jaw.
He was reading papers and looked up, his expression flashing as he caught sight of her. âDarcy.â
âGriffin,â she said, her voice cool.
He handed a stack of papers to Mrs. Weller. âCould you file these for the next council meeting?â
âOf course,â the old woman said, beaming at him like he was a god or something.
He held open the door and stood against it. âAre you coming?â
Oh God, sheâd like to.
She shook her head. No. Wrong thought.
âOf course,â she said, and started to stroll toward the office.
He grinned at her. âYou always did.â
She narrowed her eyes and flipped her hair. âStill do.â
Mrs. Weller tsked.
Griffin chuckled and Darcy held her breath as she passed him, not wanting to suck in his scent.
âHold my calls,â Griffin said in a low tone that sent a shiver straight through her.
She walked into the large office. It had a round table with chairs for working meetings. One wall was covered in floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and there were two leather chairs in front of the most magnificent desk. It was large, stately, and she wanted to do filthy things on top of