Or maybe that was just her wanting to see something that wasn’t there?
It didn’t matter, though, because wanting Reese and having him were two totally different things. She couldn’t cross that line, and not just because he was so much older than she was, or because he was Ginny’s brother. It just wasn’t right. He was technically part of the family, by marriage or not.
He was still family.
When Lake got to her room, she grabbed a change of clothes and headed to the bathroom. A hot shower was exactly what she needed, was exactly what would help wash away the day and relax her. As it was she felt kind of dirty, somewhat in a good way, but also in a not so honorable way because of the lewd thoughts she’d been having for Reese.
She knew that thinking about things she wanted with Reese wasn’t necessarily wrong, but it felt like it was. She felt like she was betraying Ginny, tarnishing something that she didn’t really have with Reese, even if that made no sense. She didn’t want to think of him as her step-uncle because she’d known him for such a short time.
But with all those factors bunched together, he’d also just gone through a divorce. Knowing she wanted a man who was older than she was, who might even be emotionally unstable over the shit he had just gone through, made Lake feel like a bad person.
Once in the bathroom she undressed and stared at herself in the mirror. She looked at her body, at the fact she was lumpy where most girls weren’t, saw the way she wasn’t a perfect size four. Back in the day she’d hated herself, hated how she looked. But with time she’d realized she was beautiful in her own way. Those high school years hadn’t been anything but a pothole in her road to life.
She smiled, not feeling any shame in her appearance anymore and hadn’t for some time. She’d outgrown that awkward teenage stage in her life and was feeling more confident in herself.
Once she was showered and dressed again, she finished getting ready for bed, trying to get her mind off Reese. Just yesterday he’d been helping her study once again for a test. He helped her so much, took time out to make sure she understood things.
Even though she knew he probably didn’t see her as anything but this little girl that was his sister’s daughter by marriage, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him, or focus on anything else.
He’d never be with you for probably more than one reason. Stop this. You’ll only end up embarrassing yourself.
The shirt she wore rubbed against her nipples, causing the buds to tighten even more and unbearable pleasure to course through her. She felt like this dirty girl for wanting a man like Reese, as if a man so much older, more experienced, and who probably was attracted to the thin, gorgeous super model types like Brittany had been, would even look at her twice in a sexual way.
She’d lost her virginity to Alex that night at the wedding two years prior. Lake had told herself after that unmemorable night she wouldn’t be with anyone else, not until she felt this all-consuming desire, this breathless need.
So aside from that one night two years ago, she’d not been with another guy. Oh, she’d touched herself, of course, but it certainly wouldn’t be the same as how it felt to be with a guy that actually knew what he was doing. Alex had been drunk, sloppy, and the sex had been gross, in a way.
Her virginity hadn’t been something she thought she’d want to get rid of so badly, but after he’d taken it, then promptly passed out, she realized she’d most definitely made a mistake.
Well, that was the past, and all she could do was move forward, like she’d been doing with her chin up. After washing her hands, Lake opened the door and turned off the light. The house was silent with Ginny and her dad gone for the night. Reese’s car hadn’t been in the driveway when she’d gotten home, so it seemed like Lake was alone in this big house for at least the night.
As she started walking to her room the sound of a car pulling up, and the flash of muted yellow light from headlights coming through the window had her stopping. Then she heard a door opening and closing, and the car driving off. She stood at the railing, looking down at the entryway.
The sound of keys jingling, and then of someone clearly trying to open the front door and failing several times, given the fact his deep curses rang through the front door, told her it was Reese. When the door finally unlocked, Reese came stumbling in, his keys hanging from the lock, and his gait and posture clearly showing he was drunk.