Bastards and Scapegoats (Twisted Legacy Duet #1) - CoraLee June Page 0,51
his outstretched hand before handing him his drink. “I’ll be around if you need anything, Vera,” she said. “Watch your drink around this one. I keep a Glock under the bar, pretty boy.” She squinted at him before moving on to the next customer.
“Did I say something wrong?” Jared asked, his eyes wide. I couldn’t tell if it was shock or amusement.
“No. She just doesn’t like people in general,” I replied with a forced laugh. “You’re lucky she didn’t start interrogating you.”
“Sounds like my kind of woman.”
I took a sip of my drink, happy to enjoy something nonalcoholic. I’d never been out with Jared before and wasn’t sure what to expect. Was he a party hard frat boy? He was driven and smart, but I still wanted to be safe. “We can go sit with your friends if you’d like?” I offered while looking over my shoulder. The table of frat boys were now doing shots and getting a bit rowdy. I had zero desire to sit with them, but I didn’t want to be rude.
“And risk one of them wooing you? Absolutely not,” Jared teased, though his lighthearted tone seemed forced. “I brought you out tonight because I wanted to spend time with you.”
I tipped my head back and laughed. “You’ve spent time with me all week! You practically live at my apartment. I’m going to start making you pay for groceries if I’m going to be cooking for us every night.”
“I’ll happily pay for groceries if it means getting to have dinner and Netflix with you every night.”
I rolled my eyes. “See? We spent all week together.”
“Yeah, but not on a date.”
“Oh, so this is a date?” I asked, brows raised as I looked at Jared. He was handsome, in a classic boy-next-door sort of way. He could probably have anyone he wanted. He came from a good family. His father was a businessman and dabbled in politics. His mother ran one of the largest nonprofits in the world.
He reached out and placed his hand on my thigh. A shiver traveled up my spine. Maybe…
“I would have taken you somewhere nicer, but I had a feeling you would have freaked out and bailed on me. I know you have a hang up for your…” He leaned forward and dropped his voice. “Your fucking uncle. But I think we could be good together. I think you might like me. And if you want to call me Daddy in bed to get your taboo rocks off, I’ll let you. Family strokes isn’t usually my thing, but I’m always willing to try something at least once. There’s a huge market for stepbrother porn.” I giggled at his words as he brushed his lips along my neck.
I turned to face him, and my mouth was barely a breath away from his. I could feel his hot breath. It smelled like whiskey. “I’m not looking for anything serious,” I said in a low voice.
“I’m not a serious guy,” Jared murmured. His blue eyes found my lips, and he stared hungrily at them. My throat became suddenly dry and my breathing more labored. Jared leaned closer, his determination making me grow hot.
This felt like a decision I couldn’t go back from. Once I kissed Jared, shit would be way more complicated. I leaned closer, closer, closer…
“Vera,” Jess’s voice boomed. I jumped back, shaking my head in confusion. Jared cursed. “Someone on the phone for you,” she said as my eyes focused on her. She was smiling mischievously, her head tilted to the side. I took the phone from her outstretched palm and watched as she literally snarled and bared her teeth at Jared like a feral wolf.
I gave Jared an apologetic look before holding the phone up to my ear. “Hello?”
“Petal,” Hamilton rasped, his tone breathy and laced with anger. My heart thundered. “Did you let him kiss you?” I snapped my eyes to Jess who was full-on laughing now.
“Who is on the phone?” Jared asked. I ignored him.
“No,” I replied in a shaky voice. “I was about to, though.” My honesty felt like a lie. I wasn’t telling Hamilton because I wanted to come clean, I was telling him because I wanted to piss him off.
Hamilton let out a long exhale. It was hard to hear him over the crowd. “Excuse yourself to the bathroom and call me, Petal. Now.” Hamilton hung up the phone, and I winced at the abrupt end of our call.