Nauti Temptress (Nauti Girls 1)

“You did excellent,” Eve assured her as she caressed the baby’s soft, rounded head before turning to the father. “You didn’t do too bad yourself, Sheriff.”

Zeke chuckled at the compliment. “At least you acknowledge that I might have had a hand in him. Your brother and cousins seem to believe immaculate conception occurred.”

“Eh, that’s because they think Rogue’s a sister, too,” she assured him. “And you know all their sisters are pure, sweet, and completely innocent.”

Zeke turned to his wife in surprise. “Has anyone told his sisters that yet? If they have, they’ve completely ignored the concept.”

Eve couldn’t help but laugh at the playful mockery as she handed the baby back to his mother. “He’s gorgeous. He’s going to break hearts right and left when he grows up.”

Rogue beamed in pride, while Zeke’s chest must have puffed out two feet.

As Eve turned to skirt the main part of the yard, she heard her name called out again.

“Auntie Evie. Auntie Evie.” Erin Jansen, Natches’s niece, was running through the yard, a smile covering her face as her long dark hair flew out behind her.

That child was going to have the boys worshiping at her feet, Eve thought as the six-year-old ran to her. Bending, Eve caught her, lifting her as Erin wrapped her arms around her neck for a tight hug.

“I missed you.” Erin beamed as Eve set her back on her feet, then bent down in front of her.

“I missed you too, baby.” Eve grinned as the little girl stared back at her with eyes an odd mix of green and gray. The world would label the color hazel, but there was no way such a tame description could describe it. At any time, there were at least two shades of green playing with the unusually dark gray color.

“I’m gonna go play with Bliss now.” She jumped around like a little Mexican jumping bean on caffeine. “Love you, Auntie Eve.”

“Love you, baby.” Eve smiled back at her, watching as she skipped off, the pretty summer dress she wore bouncing around her.

At that second, the possibility of being pregnant slammed into her so hard, Eve lost her breath.

Pressing her hand to her stomach, she looked around wildly, desperate to escape now, to find someplace to think, to ache in peace.

Someplace where so many people weren’t around her and possibly watching her.

Entering the quiet house, Eve moved through the kitchen, remembering the years that the reunion had been held in the house, and the kitchen had been brimming with people, laughter, and food.

It had quickly outgrown the house, though—so much so that Grandpa Ray and his “boys” had gone in together and built the backyard kitchen, with its huge grill, gas stove, and a sink so big Eve had teased them that it could double as a tub.

The whole thing was built under a massive gazebo-style shelter with a fireplace at one end and sliding windows that allowed the whole interior to be open to the yard in the summer to catch the breeze that rolled out of the mountains. In the winter it could be enclosed and, with the warmth of the fireplace, made a wonderful gathering area.

Moving to the living room and sitting on the sofa, she slipped her sandals from her feet and curled her legs beside her. Resting her head in the corner of the furniture Eve stared into the shadowed room as she closed her eyes and fought her tears.

She’d been crying for a week and she was tired of it. She hated it.

Not that fighting the tears often did her any good. Just as they did now, there were those tears that escaped her control and eased down her cheek.

“I’ll have to kill him if he’s the reason you’ve been crying for a week.?

? Dawg’s declaration had her eyes flying open as she quickly swiped the tears from her cheek.

“I can’t talk to you yet,” she whispered, refusing to look at him.

She couldn’t look at him. She felt too guilty. She’d made a promise, and no matter what he’d done, that didn’t change the fact that she had broken her word to him.

Dawg let out a hard breath and a second later she felt him sit down beside her.

Leaning forward, his big hands clasped between his spread legs, he stared at the floor thoughtfully.

“Do you hate me now, little sister?”

Swinging her head around, she stared at him in surprise. “Hate you? For what? Caring enough for me that you tried to protect me?” She sniffed back more tears. “Wouldn’t that just make me more awful than I already feel I am?”