Page 106 of Indecent Ventures

Carter’s eyes widen. “Wasn’t she a minor then?”

Reagan rubs his back. “No, babe. It was right after we met Jade. She had just turned eighteen. I remember wishing her a happy birthday in my speech that night. We even had a cake for her later in the evening and sang to her.”

Carter looks back at me as realization hits him. “Did you sleep with her that night? Tell me you didn’t.”

“Hear me out.”

Carter now starts pulling his hair. “Oh my god, Collin. She was just a child.”

“Technically, she wasn’t. Anyway, she approached me at the bar that night. She came on to me. All I knew was that her name was Jade, and she was your co-worker. She never mentioned her age or being related to you. Just that she worked with you guys. I assumed she was around Reagan’s age, maybe a little younger. Certainly not as young as she was. Why would any eighteen-year-old be your co-worker? Why would she be at the bar ordering a drink?”

Reagan lifts an eyebrow. “You didn’t notice a resemblance? It’s pretty strong between her and me.”

“Not that I remember thinking. She wasn’t as…curvaceous as you then, like she is now. You two look more alike now than you did then.”

Carter has a look of pure disgust on his face. I’m going to lose my best friend over this.

I continue, “She was a six-foot, knockout blonde coming on to me. Strongly. I didn’t think beyond that. We found a room and things happened.”

Carter raises his voice, “What things?”

“We had sex.”

Carter places his hand over his mouth. “The way you have sex?”

I shrug. “A little bit.”

“Oh my god.”

“She was into it. Trust me.”

Carter holds his stomach. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

Reagan intertwines her fingers with his. I know she’s trying to soothe him.

“Anyway, we got back into the ballroom just as your speech started, Reagan. When you called Jade up to stand with you, that was the first I heard of her being your cousin. When you then mentioned her age, I almost passed out.”

Carter asks, “What did you do?”

I pause for a brief moment. “Like a coward, I ran and ignored her for four years.”

Reagan whispers, “Collin, how could you do that to her? She was so young.”

I close my eyes. “I know. I’m ashamed of my behavior. I wish I could do it over again. I wish I could do that whole night over again.” I open them. “I did my best to avoid her for four years. I can count on one hand how many times our paths crossed at your events. I didn’t speak to her at all.”

Carter shakes his head. “So when did you start back up again? How?”

“That night at Hole in the Wall. It was the first time we spoke.” I rub my face. “I can’t explain it. The chemistry and the connection were still there. The mutual attraction was so strong. She had her hands on me under the table, but I put a stop to it. She was pushing, but I told her it wasn’t happening.”

Carter shouts, “So then how did it happen?”

I hold up my hands. “Relax. I’m getting there. The day I was working in the nursery, and she was there using the pool. You guys weren’t around. She came upstairs and approached me. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since the night we were all out, and things happened.”

Reagan shakes her head. “Please tell me you didn’t have sex in my unborn child’s nursery.”

I scrunch my nose. “It was on my workbench if that makes you feel better. Hmm, maybe the wall too, but that was before the wallpaper went up.”

Carter looks like he’s going to puke. “She’s a child.”

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