Liar

“Of course, it does.” Julia stood to grab Olivia a plate and utensils and set them up next to her—right across from me.

Olivia sat slowly, barely taking her eyes off me like I had a gun pointed to her head, and if she moved too fast, I’d shoot her.

“Hey, pumpkin,” David greeted her.

“Hey, Daddy.”

Each greeting was like a punch to the gut. In the moment of that night, our age difference and the fact that she was my best friend’s niece had seemed inconsequential. Hearing her be called pumpkin and her using the word daddy—not for me—had me feeling like an old man, preying on the innocence of the world.

“Olivia,” Daniel said. “I hope you don’t mind, I brought a friend for dinner?”

Her eyes finally jerked away from me, probably realizing Daniel’s hesitant tone was due to her reaction since she saw me upon walking in. “Of course, not,” she said perkier than seemed natural.

“Where are my manners?” Julia admonished herself. “You two haven’t even met yet. Olivia, this is Alexander. Alexander, this is Olivia, our baby girl.”

Olivia’s lips pinched a little. “Alexander?” she asked slowly.

I gave the most neutral smile I could conjure and gave a slight nod. “Alexander Kent.”

3 Olivia

Holy. Freaking. Shit.

Ohmysweetmothermaryjosephgodalmightyfuck.

Those were the only words rolling through my head, and I had to clamp my jaw shut to keep them from tumbling out. What did I say? Acknowledge we’d met? No, that wouldn’t work because then they’d want to know where. What did he want me to say? Did he want me to pretend we’d never met?

When my mom nudged me under the table, I realized I’d been silent for too long and went with the easiest response I could muster.

“It’s nice to meet you, Alexander.” I couldn’t stop myself if I wanted to from enunciating his name.

He’d told me his name was Kent. He’d told me a lot of things that night.

Suck my cock.

Swallow my cum.

Bend over.

Take more.

Scream for me.

But not once did he say his name was Alexander.

“Please,” he said, his deep voice rippling over my skin. “Call me, Kent.”

I could barely meet his dark eyes without my body trembling with remembered pleasure. But somehow, I managed to hold them, I managed to remain calm under them, despite the intense heat. I swallowed, becoming lost in memories of staring up at him as he moved inside me. The moment stretched and tightened, and I was sure it screamed at everyone in the room.

“Oh.” Way to sound eloquent, Olivia. “Uncle Daniel, you never mentioned him.” How the hell had I missed this connection.

“Sure, I did. He’s the business partner I always talk about—maybe I never actually said his name. Kent owns the other half of Voyeur. Your mom usually shuts down all conversation before I can get very far.”

A manic laugh bubbled up my throat, but I choked it down. “Huh.” More eloquence spewing from my lips.

“That’s enough of that talk,” Mom stepped in as usual. She tried to shield me from Daniel’s illicit club as much as possible. It was a hollow effort at best since I already knew everything there was to know.

“I started calling him Kent in college, and it stuck,” Daniel said.

I blinked a few times, coming out of my stupor.

“I was sure it was because you just forgot my first name, and I was too lazy to correct you,” Kent joked.

Daniel gave him a doubtful look and shook his head. “I was the best thing that happened to you in college.”

“I remember you in college,” Mom said with her eyebrows raised. “I’m not sure how good you were for anyone with your wild ways.”

Daniel shrugged unapologetically and turned to me with the sincerity I always saw from him. Sometimes my parents got caught up in their lives, friends, and appearances, leaving our relationship nice but superficial. Daniel, however, had always been there. He’d guided me through the hardest parts of life, answered all the questions no matter how uncomfortable they were. He saw the real me, and that was a rare occurrence the older I got. “Speaking of crazy college students, are you keeping out of trouble?”

I fought to keep my eyes from flicking to Kent’s. “Of course, I’m an angel.”

Dad snorted, and Mom laughed. Then I did look at Kent, who had an eyebrow raised, and gave me a look that said he knew better. Everyone else was making a joke, knowing I kept my life pretty uninteresting. But Kent…Kent knew I was anything but an angel.

I copied Daniel’s movement and shrugged. “I keep good grades.”

“Speaking of good grades,” my mom said. I fought my eyes rolling back in my head. Here came the interrogation and suggestions for more. “Did you get the email I sent about the Honor Society. You’d be a shoo-in.”

My eyes met Daniel’s across the table, and I almost laughed at his eye-roll.