Page 2 of Daddy in Disguise

Carter St. James is my brother’s best friend, and he’s normally a staple around our house along with their other friend, Hunter Maxwell. I’m embarrassed to admit I miss Carter’s near constant presence in our house. When you practically raise yourself because your parents are never around, having someone stable like Carter around is comforting. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s handsome.

“Why do you care anyway?” Thatcher asks. “I didn’t think you liked him.”

Carter might be the strong, silent type but there’s a lot about him to like. Dark hair, dark eyes, angular jaw, he could pass for one of Hollywood’s stars instead of a video game designer. My feelings for him go beyond a crush but that’s not something I’m going to admit to my brother.

“I was just curious,” I respond.

We talk for a little while longer about the grand opening of Thatcher’s club. He’s been working on it for so long, and I’m incredibly proud of him. When I notice the time, I sigh while glancing at the stairs. “Well, I guess it’s time to transform myself into Little Bo Peep.”

My brother laughs. “Just don’t go looking for Little Boy Blue. He might want you to blow more than his horn.”

“That’s disgusting.”

I stomp up the stairs to the bedroom and the costume waiting for me. I pick it up and inspect it a little more closely. There’s a corset, and the skirt is shorter than I expect. With a groan, I undress and try it on.

I’m surprised by how well it fits and by its subtle sexiness. The tight bodice hugs my waist and pushes my boobs up. The full skirt stops mid-thigh and I know if I bed over, I’ll give everyone at the party quite the view. There’s a pair of ruffled panties with the rest of the garment but the thought of wearing someone else’s underwear makes me gag. Thankfully, I own a black pair that will work perfectly.

I’m putting the finishing touches on my make-up when I catch sight of Thatcher’s reflection in my bathroom mirror. He looks amazing with his black satin cape tied around his shoulders and his dark hair slicked back. He places a white half-mask over his face and says, “What do you think?”

I smile. “You look great.” I turn to face him, my skirt swishing along my thighs. “Do I look okay?”

His jaw drops slightly. “I think I’m going to have to keep a close eye on you tonight because more than a few lost sheep might find you.”

I grin. “Let’s hope so!”

His expression turns serious, and I catch the faintest tick of his jaw. “What if this ends up being a huge failure, Sparrow?”

I step toward him and slip my arms around his waist, careful not to rest my face against his chest so he doesn’t end up covered in blush and powder. I squeeze him tight and say, “Tonight is going to be amazing and you’re going to succeed.”

He returns my embrace, holding me close. “How do you know?”

“You’ve never failed at anything in your life, Thatcher.”

“There’s a first time for everything.”

I look at him, my eyes meeting his. “You’ve worked so hard to get this club open. Just remember what Uncle Lou used to say: hard work is always rewarded.”

He tugs on a coiled lock of my hair and smiles. “Thanks. I needed to hear that.”

I pop up onto my tiptoes and kiss his cheek. “You’re welcome.”

He starts to turn but stops and looks back at me. “Whatever you’re looking for tonight, I hope you find it.”

He turns away, leaving me with my thoughts. What am I looking for? A hot one-night stand would be fun, but I’ve moved on from those. I want something beyond just a night. An image of Carter flashes through my mind and I wonder if I’ll be able to pick him out from among the sea of costumed attendees. Fingers crossed.

2

Carter

Ilook ridiculous. I cannot believe I’m even wearing this, but Thatcher let it slip his sister Sparrow planned to dress as Marie Antoinette. I’ve been in love with her for years, and tonight, I’m going to make my move. But first, I needed a little help. It didn’t take much, just a couple hundred bucks, to convince the owner of the costume shop to send Sparrow the wrong outfit.

I place the cartoon mask over my face and put a brown cowboy hat on my head, giving my reflection another once over before removing them both. The black town car I hired for the evening arrives and the moment I step out of my house, I know there’s no going back.

Sparrow is worth every ounce of humiliation I might suffer. She’s worth every bit of effort it took to create such an elaborate scheme. I only hope it doesn’t blow up in my face.

Every guy knows dating your best friend’s little sister is forbidden, unless you get explicit permission. But when it comes to Sparrow, I’m just going to take what I want, and ask for Thatcher’s forgiveness later.

Tonight, I’m going to leave with the woman of my dreams even if I must drag her kicking and screaming.