Carter

Her beautiful blue eyes grow wide. 'You're serious?"


'Yep. If you recall, I was also recently cheated on. I get it. Luckily, I wasn't engaged to my ex, but it's still a blow to the ego and heart. So, let's get out there, have some fun. It's way better than drinking alone."

'Okay." She takes a deep breath. 'Okay."

Half an hour later, she's in a cute black dress and we're speeding toward San Esteban. I'll take her to Vice, where I definitely will not fuck her. One, she's been drinking. Two, she's brokenhearted right now. I'm assuming her fiancé cheated prior to last Friday night when Link and I met her at Vice, but she was doing okay at the time. Now that she's found out he's engaged again, it's probably like being cheated on all over.


'I didn't have time to do my hair," she says, fussing with the loose strands that fall over her shoulders.

'You look fucking incredible," I say. 'Don't doubt it for a second."


It's true. She's just as sexy with minimal make-up as she was all dolled up last weekend.

Loud music spills into the street from the club entrance. The line at the door is shorter because it's only a Wednesday night. I'm a member so I take Evie straight to the front and the bouncer lets us in.

'Drinks," Evie says, even though she's eyeing the dance floor like it's her own personal salvation. 'Something fruity."

'You want to dance?" I ask. 'I can grab drinks while you get out there."

'Will you watch?"

'Oh, doll. You know I love to watch."

A sexy smile plays on her lips, then she spins around and walks out to the dancers with a swing in her hips.

I keep my eyes on her while I wait for a bartender to be free. Her long blond hair is like a beacon, and it ripples while she dances. A guy dances next to her. He takes her hand and twirls her around. Several of the nearby dancers watch as Evie and the stranger try out moves together and seem to work out some choreography that others begin to copy, as well.

She's riveting.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I see two texts from Leonard.

I can't find Evangeline, he wrote.

And then, She's not answering her texts.

I write back, She probably can't hear her phone. She's at Vice with me.

What the fuck? She's off limits. She's family.

Not to me, she isn't.

There's a pause while he writes something else, and then the words pop up on my screen: Tell me you didn't take her to Low Vice or I swear, Swann, I will end you.

I laugh, looking back out at Evie and the rhythmic way her body moves to the music. I hadn't considered taking her to Low Vice, but now that Link brought it up…nah. I meant my promise to myself that I wouldn't fuck her tonight. Besides, Low Vice won't let her in if she's intoxicated.

It's fun messing with Link, though, so I write back, Just being here seems to have unlocked several new kinks for her.

He doesn't respond.

The bartender takes my order and gives me a couple of drinks. A light beer for me, because I'll be driving us back to Mark's, and 'something fruity" as Evie requested.

When the song ends, she thanks her partner and races back to me, a giant grin on her face. 'That was so much fun!"

'Better than drinking by yourself at home?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

She sticks her tongue out at me. 'Maybe."

'Little brat." I laugh.

We finish our drinks. She sets hers down, tugs on my hand. 'Dance with me?"

'I'm not as good at it as Leonard, or that other guy."

'I don't care. Want you to dance with me."

Her eyes are bright—the buzz that must have faded during the car ride over is back, full force.

'Of course, doll."

There's another buzz on my phone, so I look at Link's latest text. If you took her to LV, I'm coming to take her home.

What a fucking killjoy. 'Just a second, Evie," I say.

She waits while I text Leonard back.

We're not at LV, relax. She needed to get drunk and have fun. I'll get her home safely. And untouched.

Good.

Fucking dictator, that's what he is. Frowning, I type, Just so you know, when she's sober, I fully plan on pursuing her, so get used to the idea.

No response, and Evie's waiting for me.

Pocketing my phone again, I say, 'Let's dance, baby doll."

I barely have time to say the words before she's dragging me out to the floor.

Leonard

I barely slept last night—I could only doze until three a.m. when I finally heard Evangeline and Carter return to the house.

And yeah, I checked to make sure he went into the guest room while Evangeline went to her own room. He saw me looking, and he flipped me off without a word.

I don't care. Mark asked me to watch over his girl, and that's what I'm going to do.

Which means I can't let Carter get his hands on her. He and I are depraved. We don't always share partners, but we often do, and I know he's not looking for anything serious after Tess.

He woke up early and headed to the job in San Esteban. Didn't even make enough coffee for me, so I know he's irritated.

I get it. Our time with Evangeline at Club Vice was incredible. Her personality is a perfect blend of innocent and naughty. She was eager to learn, and we were eager to show her some new things. If she were anyone else, I would've arranged a few more hook-ups before allowing the arrangement to fizzle.

But she's not anyone else. And as I sit here wishing for something different, I know just how futile those wishes are.

I'm waiting at the kitchen island for her to wake up. Normally, I would've left an hour ago to get to the job site.

She shuffles down the stairs and appears in the kitchen. When she looks up and sees me, she squeaks and puts a hand to her chest.

'What the fuck, Leonard? Sitting here like a creeper?"

I grin. 'Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

'Yeah, right." She visibly shakes off the fear, and I try so fucking hard not to stare at her tits in that little t-shirt.

But her tits are fantastic, and I know exactly what they look like while she's writhing her way through an orgasm. I wish I'd played with them more that night?—

No. I have to stop thinking about her like this. I gulp down a too-hot sip of coffee, trying to obliterate the memory of how her juices taste.

It doesn't work. No coffee is strong enough to take away that memory. It's like the girl is imprinted on me.

She turns toward the coffee machine and now I'm confronted with her ass in those tiny shorts. There's some name brand stamped on the side. I don't bother reading it because it probably says dick tease, which is what these shorts are.

I need to stop sexualizing my step-niece when she's just doing everyday things. I'm here for a reason, and I need to remember that reason. I take another fortifying sip of my coffee.

'So, Evangeline," I finally say, 'I wanted to talk to you about Carter, and setting some limits."

Slowly, she turns on her heel. Folds her arms across her chest. 'Really. Limits."

'Yeah. Since we're all living here for the moment. We need some house rules."

'And you're gonna lay them out, huh?"

'Exactly."

Huffing out an exasperated breath, she says, 'I am far too cranky to have this conversation, but for the record, Daddy, you aren't my dad so stop acting like it."

Now isn't the time to lecture her about honorifics. Although I'm tempted.

'Sorry for getting off on the wrong foot with this conversation," I say. 'Maybe it's less about limits. I mainly wanted to give you a gentle warning."

Her eyebrows raise. 'What kind of a warning?"

'Carter isn't the kind of guy you want to pursue."

'Everyone's just talking shit about everyone this week," she says quietly, as if to herself.

I immediately feel bad. I don't want to shit-talk Carter.

'Look," I say quietly, 'I think Carter is awesome. He's my best friend. But you're my niece, and it wouldn't be right to let you get your heart broken…even by him."

'That's quite a leap. You're assuming I'd fall for him, that I'm looking for something serious."

'You wouldn't be the first to say that and do the exact opposite."

'Sure, okay. Thanks for the warning."

She sounds anything but grateful.

In fact, she abandons the coffee pot and returns to her room, and the door closes more forcefully than necessary.

I'd love to take the brat in hand and make her behave. But I'm not her dad or her daddy.