Page 15 of Devious Temptation
She’s eighteen-fucking-years-old, Lawson. You have to stop.
Yet, here I am again, wondering about her and where she’s at. Why is she not here? Why is my son flirting with another girl so openly?
Did they break up, and he just didn’t tell me?
Is that why the girls from Lucy’s cheerleading team are sneering at Rhys and whoever the blonde is?
It’s none of my business. I keep repeating it over and over, even though my son’s actions are reminiscent of his mother’s, and his girlfriend deserves a hell of a lot better than that.
“Thanks for hosting the party tonight, Mr. Morgan!” Clarissa’s—one of Lucy’s teammates—bubbly voice cuts through my thoughts.
“No problem. Hey, where is Lucy tonight? And who’s the girl with Rhys?” I try to ask as casually as I can.
Clarissa’s eyes slide to the pool as her brows furrow. “Some chick from Fairmont. She’s been showing up at all the parties. No idea who keeps inviting her.” Her eyes slowly glide back to mine. “Lucy should be here later. She’s celebrating with her family right now. Gonna be real interesting if she walks in on that.” The raven-haired girl jerks her head toward my son before smiling mischievously as she picks up a skewer of fruit. “Where is Mrs. Morgan tonight?”
Probably drunk off her ass by now and getting fucked by the guy who cuts our grass.
“Went to check on the house in Florida. There was a… landscaping emergency,” I lie, glaring at the blonde who hangs onto Rhys’ shoulders in the pool as she attempts to climb on for a game of chicken against another couple.
“Oh. Well, we women must take care of thoselandscapingemergencies. Maybe you could help me out sometime? Your lawn always looks trimmed,” Clarissa suggests with a saccharine lilt. My head swings back her way at the obvious innuendo in her voice, alarm bells going off like big red flags. Her blue eyes sparkle with intent, causing my insides to churn uncomfortably.
Ignoring her, I turn away to go back into the house. “Rhys, I’ll be inside! You guys make sure not to get into any trouble. I’ll be checking in sporadically throughout the night.”
“Got it, Dad.” He doesn’t even spare me a glance as the girl falls off his shoulders, and they begin to play fight. Everything about it sits wrong with me. I almost pull out my phone to ask Lucy when she’ll be arriving so I can save her from having to ‘walk in on that’ as Clarissa put it.
It’snoneof my fucking business.
The music and rambunctious teenagers are giving me a headache that only something stronger than beer will fix. When they were younger, Rhys and Lucy broke into our liquor cabinet and stole a bottle, so I relocated all of the good shit to a place no one is allowed in if I’m not there. So, instead of relaxing in my room—where I can finally go because Charlotte is gone, and I can exist in my own space again—I head to my office. I can have the drink I so desperately need and work on some files for the coming week. Plus, the windows overlook the pool, making it easier for me to keep an eye on what’s happening.
You have to keep an eye on everyone, Lawson. It’s not so you can see when Lucy shows up.
Lucy
“Hot damn, Lucy! Rhys is gonna come the second he sees you!”
“I’ll give you a ride if he can’t get the job done, Luce!”
With a snort and a roll of my eyes, I wave off the guys from the football team and make my way through the Morgans’ house in search of my boyfriend. There are still a lot of people hanging around, even though the party is winding down, but these guys have literally seen me in a bathing suit. If I’d known showing up in Rhys’ jersey would have caused such a commotion… well, I still would have done it.
The guys are completely harmless, so their comments don’t offend me. If I were blackout drunk, I know that any one of them would put me in a room to pass out safely and lock the door so no one could get in.
“Baaaabe! You’re hereee.Finally!Ugh, I tried waiting, buuut you took toooo long. I might be a liiiittle drunk,” Clarissa slurs as Nathan Whaters slings her over his shoulder and heads for the backyard, no doubt taking her to the pool house.
“Don’t put her on a top bunk, Nate! She rolls in her sleep!” I follow him to see if my boyfriend is in the pool. “Have you seen Rhys?”
“Not for a while!” he yells over his shoulder.
Clarissa picks her head up and grumbles, “You deserve better, Lucyyyyyy!”
Deserve better? What’s that supposed to mean?
“Keg is gone!” someone yells from further in the house. A round of boos reverberates around the room, and people start calling their designated drivers to come get them.
“Hey, Lucy,” Bethany, one of the football players’ girlfriends, greets quietly as she sidles up to me while I grab a hard seltzer from the fridge.
“Hey, Beth. Looks like I missed the party.”
She looks over her shoulder, scanning the room as she tucks her short blonde hair behind one ear. “Listen, I’m not trying to cause drama, but that girl from Fairmont who’s been showing up at all our parties was here earlier. She was kinda all over Rhys in the pool.”
