Page 8 of Mistletoe Misconduct

Lea’s lying on the couch with a fuzzy pink blanket draped over her legs as she watches game tape.

“Hey.” She waves at me, but I don’t have the energy to speak, so I just nod, heading back to my room.

I collapse on the bed, closing my eyes and hoping like hell that when I wake up from this day, it’ll all just have been a nightmare.

Unfortunately, that’s not my reality.

What is though? My mother forgetting her meds enough times that she landed herself in jail. Again.

And of course she can’t hold down a job long enough to be able to afford her bail. So here I am, the proud new owner of a massive fucking loan and a newly drained savings account.

It’ll be fine, I try to tell myself.I can just get another job. Some little side gig.

But the longer I lay here sorting through what that would entail, the more I realize what a fucking dick I’d been to Lea last night.

Goddamnit.

My eyes snap open as I have an epiphany, seemingly from hell.

I should call the big guy downstairs and ask him to prepare my rotisserie spit because when Liam finds out about this, I’ll be meeting him sooner than either of us had planned for.I drag myass over to the living room, forcing myself to look Lea in the eyes as she peers up at me.

“If your offer still stands, I’m in,” I tell her.

I watch as her white brows twist in confusion, those pink lips of hers pinching as she processes my words. “What offer?” she finally asks. Apparently, she’s more forgetful than I’d thought.

“Money, goalie hands, camera, creepy dudes,” I huff out, swinging my arms around as I explain.

She stares blankly at me, and the moment she gets it, I know because her expression changes from confusion to shock.

“Oh my god, seriously, Kai? That wasnota real offer!” she shouts at me.

“It sure as shit sounded like one!” I shout back at her.

“Well,” she says, blowing out an exasperated breath. “It wasn’t.” She rolls her pretty green eyes at me just the way I like, and that thought alone should have me taking her denial for the blessing it is. But instead, I plant my ass beside her and get to begging.

“What if itwasan offer though, Lea? Think about it; you were right.” Her brows shoot up to her hairline at that admission, so I trudge on, hoping to avoid admitting that again. “We could make a fuck ton of money, and it wouldn’t even have to be you doing the work. We could set rules,boundaries,” I emphasize. “I could use just my hands to get you off or even just your toys.”

Suspicion is evident in her tone. “Why the sudden change in tune?”

“I’ve had”—I clear my throat—“a change in financial situation that warrants an additional source of income.”

“Uh huh, and this change happened between last night and right now?”

I groan, dropping my head into my hands as I mumble, “Unfortunately, yes.”

“Fine.”

My head snaps up, and I balk at her. “Fine?”

She nods. “Yep. Fine. Only your hands and my vibes. Don't show your face so you don’t end up in the news, and I’m not doing any of the fucking work,” she tells me as she stands, heading to her room. “And Kai?” she asks, looking over her shoulder at me as I remain seated and stunned.

“Yeah?”

“This is on a trial basis. If your meaty hands drive down my viewership, you’re on your own.”

Of course I am.

That’s how it usually feels.

---