Bastards and Scapegoats (Twisted Legacy Duet #1) - CoraLee June Page 0,28

crop top.

“A bottle of Pepsi and a scotch on ice, please,” he ordered. I arched my brow, unamused that he’d ordered for me. I absolutely wasn’t going to be drinking tonight; I could barely control myself when I was sober, let alone with some alcohol in my veins. It made me think back to our conversation in his kitchen.

“I’m way too young for you,” I murmured when the bartender slid the vintage glass bottle of Pepsi my way. I clutched it in my palm and took a long, slow sip. The carbonation bubbled down my throat.

“That you are,” Hamilton agreed while taking his glass. “Too young. Too innocent. Too off-limits. I suppose that’s part of the appeal,” he then admitted.

“Here I thought it was my winning personality that had you all in a tizzy,” I replied before crossing my arms over my chest, the cool bottle clutched between my thumb and index finger.

Hamilton slammed some cash on the bar top and guided me toward a far wall with dozens of tiny paintings on it. The eclectic vibe was warm, inviting, and sensual. Soft jazz music was playing through the speakers, and it looked like Jess managed to pull off getting no more than fifteen people into the small space. I people watched for a moment while mulling over Hamilton’s words.

I suppose that’s part of the appeal…

I felt like a fetish, not a date.

Not that I wanted this to be a date. Hamilton didn’t even ask me, he just assumed that this was what we were doing. He leaned over me, his whiskey breath feathering down my neck as he exhaled. “What are you thinking about?”

“This isn’t a kink thing, right? No shame, but if you get off on the idea of fucking your younger niece, then I want no part of it.”

The words left my mouth before I had a chance to filter them. Thank fuck I was only drinking Pepsi. “Oh,” Hamilton replied, a wicked grin on his beautiful face. “So, we’ve graduated to fucking now. Back at your apartment, you didn’t even want a kiss. And I’m pretty sure you’re against the idea of this being a date.” I opened my mouth to argue, but he placed his index finger against my lips, silently quieting my protests. “But now you’re accusing me of fetishizing our dynamic. How interesting.”

I inhaled deeply, wishing the world would swallow me up so I wouldn’t have to see the smug expression on his stupidly perfect face. “I didn’t mean—”

“Of course you meant it. You don’t say anything you don’t mean, do you, Vera? You’re particular about the things you say. About the things you do. The things you want.” He licked his lips and took a sip of his drink. “Tell me, Vera. Did you develop your sense of self-preservation over time, or did you inherit this fear from your mother?”

“Don’t talk about my mother,” I snapped.

Hamilton grinned, as if he were pleased with himself for pushing my buttons. “No,” he finally relented. “You aren’t some kink. I haven’t been jacking off to incestual videos on Pornhub while thinking of you. In fact, I don’t even consider us family. Your poor mother married my asshole brother, yeah. But it’s not like we grew up together. You’re just the beautiful woman that watched me violently fuck someone at my brother’s wedding.” I swallowed at his words, my heart racing with lust and need. “I don’t get off on knowing that you’re ten fucking years younger than me. You’re hot, Vera. I don’t need a reason to want you. It’s not a kink. It’s an attraction that could ruin us both. So, shut up and enjoy the evening before I remember that I’m not supposed to do anything that will harm our family’s precious reputation.”

I needed to say something—anything. Hell, I wanted to lift up on my toes and slam my hungry lips to his. He was right, it was only a matter of time before shit hit the fan. At the end of the day, I made a promise to myself to never do anything that would hurt my mother. One touch could ruin us. One kiss could end our happy little family.

Lilah Beauregard deserved better, and I had worked far too hard to let everything get fucked up over one pretty boy.

One pretty, dangerous boy.

One pretty, dangerous, twisted, tempting man.

“Hamilton?” a small voice said. “Have you seen Jess?”

I turned to look at the woman walking up to us. She had long green hair,