Still the One Read online

  “Now, I’m going to ask you to answer some questions,” the emcee said. “To start, keep in mind that not everyone will have to answer every question—it’s just the luck of the draw. Hope you’re feeling lucky. Oh, and one final thing: The winning pair gets a thousand bucks.”

  The room ooh’d and aah’d—Darcy included. Her half of a thousand bucks would make a nice chunk that she could use to buy service dogs and also help Zoe get ahead of the house expenses for a change.

  “Ready to get going?” the emcee asked. “Good. You’re already facing your partner, right? Reach out to put your palms to your partner’s.”

  AJ held up his hands and Darcy set hers against them. His were much bigger than hers, warm and callused, and gave her a little shiver.

  Okay, maybe not so little.

  “Lean toward each other,” the emcee said.

  They both leaned in, their faces close enough that she could see the gold flecks in those hazel eyes dance. Close enough that if she wanted to, she could press her jaw to his scruffy one. Close enough to catch the scent of his skin, which somehow made her … ache.

  She decided to attribute this stupid phenomenon to sleeping with him, which, FYI, had felt more intimate than … sex. But being in bed with a man all night long had most definitely brought back memories of sex. Granted, they were distant memories. In any case, she told herself this was all just a simple biological response, nothing more.

  If only he hadn’t kissed her.

  But the truth was, she couldn’t one hundred percent blame him for that. And them being here, doing this, that was all on her.

  “Lean even closer,” the emcee said. He paused while everyone did this. “Move your feet farther back. A little farther … Good. Now even more.”

  Some groaning from the room. Some laughing. Definite discussion.

  AJ didn’t speak, just moved his feet farther away and leaned into Darcy.

  She did the same, perfectly aware that he was taking on all of her weight and yet—clearly in deference to her disabilities—keeping most of his own on himself. “I can do this,” she whispered.

  “You are doing this,” he said, refusing to admit he was handicapping her.

  Next to them Summer was laughing as she and Trent worked on their balance. On the other side of them, two guys leaned on each other, laughing a bit, goofing off. One of them fell and hit the floor, much to the delight of his partner.

  “Someone’s thinking about his hot date this weekend,” the emcee said. “Concentrate, people. There’s a thousand bucks on the line here. Now everyone move a little bit farther back, and … hold it. Good.”

  Good? Darcy was on the balls of her feet, balanced only because AJ had her balanced. She was breathing heavy, sweating, and he stood there looking utterly at ease.

  “Stare into each other’s eyes,” the emcee said, “and know that the person you’re looking at is all that’s keeping you from face-planting.” He paused and chuckled, the diabolical bastard. “Now’s probably not a good time to air out any dirty laundry, like who left the printer out of paper, or the toilet seat up, or who’s a bed hog.”

  AJ arched a brow at Darcy, silently reminding her which of them was the bed hog. She couldn’t help it; she laughed.

  His gaze dropped to her mouth, which suddenly had trouble dragging air into her lungs.

  “So of course that’s why we’re going to do exactly that,” the emcee said. “While you’re dependent on each other for not hitting your face on the floor, one of you is going to admit your deepest fear.”

  Everyone stared at their partners. No one spoke. Darcy’s heart pounded. “I don’t have fears,” she said.

  AJ smiled.

  The emcee said, “If you’re having problems figuring out who’s going to answer this round, let me help. Most people’s gut reaction is that they don’t have any fears to admit.”

  AJ smirked at Darcy.

  She rolled her eyes.

  “So … youngest first,” the emcee said, and half the people in the room protested.

  Darcy included. “Age racist,” she muttered. AJ just waited.

  “Fine,” she said. “I’m afraid of spiders.”

  He shook his head. “No, you’re not. I caught you just last week saving Ariana from one in her locker and I watched you carry the thing outside rather than kill it.”

  “Because hello,” she said. “I’m afraid of them.”

  “Seriously. You are such a liar.”

  “Hey, maybe I’m afraid of killing them.”

  “Try again.”

  “Whatever,” she muttered and sighed. “Fine. Maybe I’m afraid of everything, you ever think of that? Maybe I’m just one big coward.”

  AJ tipped his head back and laughed, his white teeth flashing against that dark jaw, his eyes lit, all the while keeping his balance with annoying ease.

  “I don’t know why that’s so funny,” she griped, looking away because looking right at him laughing was like being in a candy shop. So tempting.

  And so bad for you.

  “I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to laugh at my fears,” she said.

  When his fingers gently squeezed hers, she looked up and was startled to find his expression now serious, eyes warm. “You’re not afraid of much,” he said. “But there is one thing and it’s not spiders.”

  Again her heart pounded. “You don’t know.”

  “I do.”

  “You don’t.”

  “Alright, then tell me,” he said.

  “Oh, no. I don’t need half of a thousand bucks that much.”

  “I’ll double it if you tell me,” he said.

  She narrowed her eyes. “You’d pay me a second grand just to hear me say my biggest fear?”

  “Think about it,” he said. “More dogs.”

  She stared at him. “That’s hard to resist.”

  “I am,” he agreed.

  This made her smile but it faded quick. “I don’t like that I can be bought,” she said quietly.

  “For a cause,” he said just as quietly. “And we can all be bought for our cause, Darcy.”

  “You admitting your fears, Youngest?” the emcee called out. “Because you’ve got two minutes left.”

  Darcy only needed two seconds. She closed her eyes. “My biggest fear is …” Her lips tightened, not allowing the words to escape. Which was silly; they were just words.

  “You’re afraid of love,” AJ said.

  Her eyes flew open and she stared at him.

  His gaze dared her to contradict him.

  She blew out a breath. “Well, that’s not true at all,” she said. “I love plenty. I love Wyatt, for instance. Zoe. Xander. Oreo.”

  “If you’re not afraid of love, then what?” he asked, his eyes daring her to say it.

  She’d known him for years, though not like she had the past eleven months. Since then he’d had his hands all over her in a healing capacity, and as of yesterday in an elevator in a not healing capacity. He knew her better than just about anyone else, and she didn’t call his bluff because she’d bet he did know the truth about her deepest fear. “Okay, so it’s not love I’m afraid of,” she admitted. “I can love, just like anyone else.” She paused, her gaze caught in his. “I’m afraid of what happens once you do love. And when that person stops loving you back.”

  “Abandonment,” he said.

  She shrugged, looking away.

  “Neglect. Being discarded.”

  “I didn’t ask for synonyms,” she said, getting pissy.

  He squeezed her fingers again until she tipped her head back to meet his gaze. He was utterly serious, so much so that it stole her breath.

  “You’re right, Darcy. You have people in your life who you love and who love you. But you should also know that those people would never stop loving you back.”

  “Never say never,” she said as lightly as she could.

  He opened his mouth to say something but she’d never know what, because the emcee spo