"Ca.s.sy Masters invited me to her party on Friday night. Can I go?"

Neri sat beside me in the front while Sam sat in the back, entertaining himself with his iPod.

"Who is Ca.s.sy Masters?" I asked, reaching over to turn the radio on. Neri waved my hand away and flicked through the stations.

"Focus on the road." She said. I rolled my eyes. "Ca.s.sy is a girl in my cla.s.s. She's been nice to me. Helping me get to know my way around, and stuff."

"Sure." I shrugged. A party sounded like a great idea for Neri. "Maybe we should take you shopping for something to wear." I added. Neri grinned. I smiled back, her happiness infectious. It was the first time I'd seen more than a smile off her since she got here, so it was good to see her relax for more than a second.

"Thanks Kait. Jeremy's going to take me." She added excitedly.

"How old is Jeremy exactly?" I asked suspiciously, not sure I was going to like the answer. If he was going to take her, he had to be older than sixteen. What if she said he was twenty? Or older?

"He is seventeen. Almost eighteen." Neri replied. Not so bad, but still...what kind of guardian was I not to point out the problems with this? I couldn't be her sister all the time.

"Neri, that's a pretty big age gap for someone so young."

"I'm not young." Neri said hotly.

Okay.

Wrong choice of words. The first rule of parenting was not to make the teenager feel like a child.

"Have you two...been intimate?" I asked. Neri blushed bright red.

"Kait!" She exclaimed, covering her face with her hands. I glanced in the rear view mirror at Sam, who was busy with his iPod.

"Neri I just want to make sure if you are being s.e.xually active, you're being safe about it." This conversations was uncomfortable to her? How would she feel about a kid? Or chlamydia?

"I am safe." She said through gritted teeth. "I'm on the pill, and we use condoms." She shook her head and covered her face again in embarra.s.sment. "I am so not having this conversation, Kait."

Whoa. Shut down by a fifteen year old.

"How about if we don't have this conversation, you're not going out?" I shot back. Neri glared at me, anger flashing in her eyes.

"You're not my mother, Kaitlin, so stop acting like it!"

"I'm not trying to be your mother." I sighed and gripped the steering wheel. This had gone much more smoothly in my mind. "Look, I know it's been hard for you, coming here, and with mom going missing, but you have to help me out here, Neri."

"You don't know anything, Kait." Cried Neri. "Where the h.e.l.l have you been the past four years? You think you can just waltz back into our lives and everything will be fine?"

"I didn't waltz back into your lives. It's not like I had a choice-"I stopped, realizing what I had just said. Neri shook her head. s.h.i.t.

"Right. Well sorry to stuff up your perfect little life." She glared out of the window. All the progress I'd made with her had just untraveled in a matter of minutes. The Beatles track blaring out of the speakers failed to cut through the tension.

"What's condoms?" A voice from the back piped up.

Oh s.h.i.t! Sam! I cringed internally. Suddenly my fight with Neri was not the worst event of the day. How was I going to talk my way out of this one?

"Aren't you going to answer him?" Neri said sweetly. I shot her a look.

"Nothing Sam. That's boring stuff for adults. Go back to your music." I ignored Neri's sn.i.g.g.e.rs beside me.

That went well.

Chapter Eleven.

Ara laughed hysterically as I repeated the story to her. She wiped away the tears from her eyes, before breaking out into another fit.

"Oh Kait, you are a cla.s.sic, honey." She sputtered.

"It's not funny. It was hard enough going through that with Neri. I do not want to have to answer questions from a five year old." I couldn't help grinning at the situation though. Neri hadn't spoken to me since we had gotten home. We were going to finish our conversation at some point. "I ran into Devon again, too."

"Wow, you and this cop are heating things up, aren't you?" Ara whistled.

I felt myself blush. If only she knew.

"He is a nice guy." I admitted, shaking my head as Ara did some kind of hand dance thing. "But there is so much going on right now, I think getting involved with him would be a bad, bad idea."

"So just have some fun then." Ara's cheeky grin had me giggling. When was I supposed to fit in this fun? Before or after my work at the brothel? h.e.l.l, maybe I could just invite him down on my coffee break. Ha, I'm sure that would make a good impression.

"Maybe." I couldn't lie, the idea of something happening with Devon was appealing. More than appealing actually. It was downright hot.

"Neri! Sam! Dinner." I set the last of the plates on the table as the kids came scrambling in.

"Smells awesome, Kait." Sam grabbed a plate and piled it high with hotdogs and coleslaw. Only a four year old could liken pre-packaged hotdogs to a gourmet meal.

"Thanks Sam. Take some salad too." Sam rolled his eyes, but obliged, placing two lettuce leaves on his plate. Neri giggled behind her hand, but still refused to look at me. The doorbell rang, causing Sam to bolt out of his seat and run to the door.

"How's Jeremy getting down on Friday?" I asked Neri.

"He has a car." Neri responded, an edge to her voice. I raised my eyebrows as I watched her slice her roll open and place a hotdog in the center. She delicately picked it up and took a bite.

"I'd like to meet him first." Neri shrugged and nodded. "Maybe see if he wants to come to dinner?" I suggested.

"Only if you're not going to cook." She muttered, picking up a hot dog with a burnt end. I blushed. How did I manage to burn a hotdog?

"Hey!" I tossed a lettuce leaf at Neri as we both giggled. I caught her eye and smiled. The last thing I wanted was for things to be awkward between us.

Sam wandered back into the kitchen with Devon in tow.

"Twice in one day? I might get the wrong idea if you don't watch yourself." I smirked at him. He raised his eyebrows, amused by my little dig. I pointed to the table. "Hot dog?" Devon nodded and sat down next to me.

"Thanks." I could feel him staring at me as I bit into my hotdog.

"Hey guys." Ara barreled into the kitchen. "What's for dinner?" She stopped in her tracks, her mouth dropping open as she stared at Devon. "h.e.l.lo." She said slowly, turning to me, eyes wide.

"Ara, Devon. Devon, this is my bestie, Ara." I shot her a look that clearly said *behave'.

"Lovely to meet you." Ara's eyes lit up. She winked at me and mouthed *he is hot'. Devon c.o.c.ked his head, amused. Both Ara and I blushed. G.o.d, now he probably thought I'd been telling Ara how hot I thought he was. Which I had, but that wasn't the point.

"Devon," Sam began slowly, as if lost in thought. I silently thanked Sam for redirecting the conversation.

"Yes Sam?"

"What's condom?" He asked innocently. My eyes widened in disbelief.

No, no, no!

Please let him not have just said that. Devon burst out laughing and looked at me expectantly. Even Neri and Ara were trying to suppress their laughter. Poor Sam looked bewildered, not sure why everyone was laughing.

Me, I was just plain speechless.

"Where did you hear about that?" Devon managed to stutter in between his uncontrollable laughter. Of course, Sam pointed at me.

"Okay Sam, Neri, time for homework." I was sure my face was as red as the bottle of tomato ketchup in front of me. Neri shuffled Sam out of the kitchen, ignoring his pleas for an explanation. Ara winked at me and left with her plate. I buried my face in my hands on top of the table.

"That looked much worse than what it was." I said, my voice m.u.f.fled against the table, there was no way was I going to look at him. I could hear him chuckling.

"Really?" Devon said, amused. "So I shouldn't be calling child services just yet, then?" He quipped.

"I was telling Neri to be...safe. I forgot he was in the car." I moaned. I turned my head slightly and peeked out at him from above my elbow. "I am a terrible, terrible person." He laughed again.

Sure, he could laugh, but what if Sam went to school tomorrow asking all his teachers what condoms were? How would I talk my way out of that one?

Then I felt it. His hand on my leg. He gently tickled the exposed skin above my knee, and below my skirt. My skin tingled from his touch. There was no way I could read this wrong.

Him touching my hand earlier I'd put down to him trying to comfort me, but his was full blown flirting. I glanced up at him. His dark eyes twinkled as he c.o.c.ked his head to the side, his hand not leaving my leg.

"Do you have any idea how much I want to kiss you right now, Kait?"

My eyes widened. Was this really happening?

Before I could respond, he pulled my chair so close to him my knees were almost touching his crotch. He rested one hand on my leg, and placed the other around my neck.

"Can I kiss you, Kait? Would you like that?" He teased me with his lips, coming oh so close, then pulling away, leaving me wanting him even more.

"Yes." I breathed.

"Yes what?" His teeth grazed my lip.

"Kiss me." I whispered. He pulled me toward him, meeting my lips in a pa.s.sionate kiss. His lips brushing past mine repeatedly, each touch causing a hurricane of l.u.s.t rolling through my body. He kissed his way down my neck, I closed my eyes, imagining his lips everywhere, all over my body.

"Oh Devon. " I gasped. My eyes caught a glimpse of the large clock that hung above the dishwasher. "Oh s.h.i.t." I cursed, breaking myself away from him, my tone completely changing. He glanced up at me, confused.

"I have to go to work." I apologized. "As in right now." Devon shook his head, running his hands through his thick hair. A smile played on his lips.

"You wind me up, make me need you, and then kick me out?" He smiled, his brown eyes twinkling, as he regained his composure. My eyes travelled from his face down to his groin, where his very obvious erection showed no signs of going anywhere.

"What did you think was going to happen?" I laughed. "My brother, sister and housemate are in the next room." I blushed as I thought about what really may have happened right here on this table if I hadn't had to go to work. If anyone had the ability to make me lose control, it was him.

"Can I see you later?" I asked shyly.

"Kait, I'd love to, but I have to work at six." He grabbed hold of my wrist as I stood up, swinging me back into his lap. "Can I at least drive you to work?" His tongue flicked my ear lobe, as his hand groped my thigh under my skirt. His hardening erection under me was an unbelievable turn on.

"Unless you're planning to pick me up at three in the morning, then no, you can't drive me to work." I raised my eyebrows waiting for a response. Thank G.o.d for his six o'clock start. I wasn't sure how I would've gotten myself out of that one, otherwise. I cringed at the thought of him driving me to work, walking me inside. Meeting Barry. There was no way in h.e.l.l I was going to let that happen.

"Okay." He grumbled. "Can I come past tomorrow?" I nodded, already excited at the prospect of seeing him again. He hadn't even left yet and I was antic.i.p.ating the next time I'd see him. With no kids around. Or Ara. Who knew what would happen. I giggled to myself, I had a pretty good idea.

Chapter Twelve.

My body was still worked up from Devon's attention when I arrived at work.

"Hi Emily." I smiled as I set my bag down behind the desk. Emily looked up and me and grinned.

"Kait. Hey! I wasn't sure if you'd show up again." She admitted. From her happy expression, to her big sparkling eyes, I'd say she was pretty happy to see me.

"Honestly? Not showing up didn't even enter my mind. I enjoyed myself much more than I expected to, yesterday."

"Good to hear. So tonight, think you can handle things? I'm working on the floor, but you can call anytime if you need help." I gaped at her in surprise. She worked the floor? Emily was stunning, friendly, and a great person, but I didn't think that she was the type of person to do...that.

"You're surprised." She observed, grinning. "I love how shocked people are when they hear that." She giggled.

I loved her confidence. If I was doing what she was doing, I wouldn't be telling everyone. That was for sure.

"I started out like you, determined not to get into the other side of things. But once you get to know all the regulars, it's really hard to walk past that money. Really hard." She said, her eyes growing wider.

Would that happen to me too?