Prologue
In the dark, Douglas had me pinned against the wall. His breath hit my skin, hot and heavy.
His hand found the hem of my dress and slid upward.
"Douglas, don't — stop…"
"Uncle Douglas…"
He pressed his body into mine, his lips brushing my earlobe as he whispered.
"Lacey… you haven't been a good girl."
Chapter 1
In the VIP booth, liquid courage running through me, I climbed right onto Douglas's lap.
It had taken me forever to talk him into bringing me to a bar for my eighteenth birthday.
"Lacey. Get down."
I didn't move.
I wrapped both arms around his neck, leaned in fast, and pressed my lips to his.
His whole body went rigid. He didn't move. Didn't even breathe.
After a long silence, he exhaled — that tired, helpless tone I knew too well. "Lacey, I'm fifteen years older than you."
I didn't care.
I thought about the scenes I'd watched in movies. I reached for the buttons on his shirt.
The third time I snuck my hand under his clothes, Douglas caught my wrist.
"Be good. Stop this."
I hated when he talked to me like that. Like I was still some clueless little kid.
But I was eighteen now.
I looked up at him. The light in the booth was too dim to read his face.
"Douglas, I'm in love with you."
The air went still for a long time. Then he grabbed me and lifted me off him in one motion.
He put me back in the car. "You've had too much to drink. I'm taking you home."
I sat in the passenger seat, turned my head, and looked straight at him. "Douglas, whatever your secretary does for you — I can do that too."
He slammed the brakes. The car jerked to a stop. He turned to look at me, his expression unreadable, something dark flickering behind his eyes. "Lacey. Do you have any idea what you're saying?"
I clenched my jaw. I reached over and pressed my hand flat against his stomach. "Douglas…"
"We can do it right here. In the car."
