Page 33 of Indecent Ventures

I can’t help the goofy smirk on my face at her admitting that to me.

“Can I braid your hair, Uncle Collin?”

I nod. “I was planning to braid it before I got here, but I didn’t because I thought you might want to.”

Her face lights up. “Yay!”

She sits on the couch, and I sit on the floor in front of her. She brushes my hair for a long time and then carefully braids it using all kinds of colorful items. While she’s working, she tells me about her friends at school.

At some point, I hear Mac and Liam walk in. Mac stops short when he sees what’s going on in the playroom. “This is what happens when you have girl hair, Collin.”

A bat my eyelashes at him. “I’m secure in my masculinity. It also helps me maintain my favorite uncle status.”

Lucy kicks me. “That was a secret.”

“I won’t tell anyone else except Uncle Braden and Uncle Shane.”

She gasps. “No, you can’t tell them. They’ll be sad.” She holds out her pinkie. “Promise me you won’t tell them.”

“Hmm.” I reluctantly lock my pinkie with hers. “I guess I promise not to tell them.” I cross the fingers of my other hand and wink at Mac.

My brother rolls his eyes. “Lucy, everyone else is only a few minutes behind me. They’ll be here soon. Can you help Liam set the table?”

She finishes my last braid. “Okay, Daddy.”

She leaves the room and Mac sits on the couch. I lift myself up and sit on it too.

He flicks one of my braids. “Your hair is ridiculous. Get it cut.”

“The ladies don’t seem to mind it.”

“I’m sure your bevy of sleazy women don’t mind at all. It’s not your hair they’re after.”

My mind immediately drifts to Jade. She’s not remotely sleazy. Just the opposite. The sex we had this afternoon was out of this world. She’s so damn sexy. Completely uninhibited. So responsive. The things I could do to her. The things I want to do to her.

I got next to no work done the rest of the afternoon today. I kept watching her stretched out by the pool. Jade McGinley in a bikini should be illegal. It probably is in a few states.

I went to the back door to say goodbye when I was leaving, but then stopped myself. I can’t give in to that temptation again. She brushed me off when it was over. That’s probably for the best.

“Earth to Collin.”

I look up. “Sorry. What?”

He examines my face skeptically for a moment. “You drifted. Very unlike you. I don’t suppose it means you’ve met someone?”

I shake my head. “Hell no.”

“You’re lying. You’re terrible at it. You always have been. You scratch your neck when you lie.”

“No, I don’t.” I look down to notice I’m scratching my neck. Shit. Maybe he’s right.

“Who is she?”

“No one.”

“It better not be Reagan. You need to get over her. She’s married to Carter. Your best friend. Our biggest client. She’s pregnant with his child. Time to let her go. Oh god, I hope you didn’t do something we’ll all regret. That would be just like you.”

“Fuck you, Mac. I haven’t done anything, and I never will. And stop fucking referring to my best friend as a client. You know it bothers me. It sounds calculated. I was friends with Carter long before he was our client. If he decides to never again be our client, he’ll still be my best friend.”

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