Lake nibbled on her lip and pouted.
He waited.
“I miss my mommy,” Lake said.
He pulled her in close and hugged her tightly to his chest. “I know you do, sweetheart.” He stroked her head.
Max should have known this would happen. His sister loved Halloween when she was alive. He had no doubt Lake would have some memories that would haunt her. “What did your mother do with you last year?” he asked.
Lake sniffled. “She took me trick or treating, and then we went home. She had lots of candy to give out. When it was late and no more kids were around, we watched television.”
“That sounds awesome.” It really didn’t. His idea of Halloween was working at one of the clubs he and Dylan owned to make sure nothing bad happened. “So, how about we go and knock on some doors? You’ve got your bag there. We gather candy, head home, help Dylan and Raine, and then watch a bunch of scary movies?”
“You’re not mad?”
“How can I be mad at you? You don’t want to go to the party, you don’t go.”
“But it might be fun.”
He chuckled. “But what do you want to do, Lake?”
She nibbled on her lip and smiled. “What you said.”
“That’s the spirit. Come on, let’s go and see what people have to offer.” Max unbuckled her seatbelt and helped her out of the car.
He noticed several parents were walking the streets. Some were dressed up, and others were like him, clearly taking their kid around.
Lake held his hand tightly.
This was … huge to him.
He’d promised himself when he was old enough, he’d never do this, and yet, with his niece, he was breaking all his own rules.
Lake needed him a lot more than he needed to stick with his own feelings about this night.
Standing behind her, he allowed her to ring doorbell after doorbell. People opened their doors, and candy was on offer.
It didn’t take them long before the bag was way too heavy for Lake to carry. He waited until she was ready to go home.
Helping her into the backseat, he gave her a piece of candy for the journey home. As he pulled out his cell phone, he saw he’d gotten a couple of missed calls from Dylan. Rather than answer, he drove home. He entered the grounds to see Raine dressed in a sexy witch’s outfit. The corset was done tight, squeezing her breasts right up. It cinched in at the waist, and the skirts flared out over the hips, showing an underskirt and some of her calf through the lace. She had on a hat and her face had some makeup as well, complete with a fake wort. To Max, she still looked sexy.
“What happened?” Raine asked, coming toward them after she handed out candy bars.
“Lake wanted to hang out with us tonight.”
“Are you mad?” Lake asked.
Raine groaned and held her arms open.
His niece rushed into her arms.
“I’m never, ever, going to be mad at you, pumpkin.”
****
Later that night, Raine removed her costume and placed it in the laundry basket. It was the first costume she had ever taken her time in making herself. She and Lake had made their costumes together. By together, Raine had done all the sewing on the machine while Lake helped to sew the jewels to the costume.
Turning on the shower, she placed her hand beneath the spray of the water and waited for it to heat up. She stepped beneath it as soon as it was at the right temperature. Tilting her head back, she closed her eyes and let the water run over her face and body, removing the makeup she’d put on.
She grabbed the soap and began to massage it onto her face, cleaning herself.
“Can I join you?” Max asked, startling her.
She put a hand to her chest because she’d been so lost in her thoughts about Lake, she hadn’t heard him enter. “You scared me.”
“I didn’t mean to.” He was already naked, and he didn’t wait for an invite before he stepped into the stall with her.
She moved back so that she touched the cold tile wall, and she gasped the moment her ass hit it. Staring from his head and moving down toward his hard length, she felt an answering spike inside her own body.
“Do you like what you see?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He handed her the soap. “Then why don’t you wash me?”
She took the soap and went to grab the loofah, but he stopped her. “No, just your hands.”
Licking her lips, she nodded. After lathering up her hands, she was careful as she put her hands on his chest. He was nowhere near the water, and she started to touch him, feeling the hard muscle ripple beneath her touch.
She worked her hands down his chest, going between his legs and not touching his length, but making sure to tease him.