Brooke and Sawyer had stayed home and had a pleasant first day. Brooke had been able to get her fact, the little girl wanted to show him every corner of the house, her room and the garden. In the early evening, Brooke had dinner with Mia and Julie in the kitchen. Lucas and Peyton still hadn't returned.
SAWYER : Mmmmmmmh! Our pancakes are so good, huh Julie?
GOVERNESS : Exactly, my dear! You and Brooke really cooked well!
BROOKE : Sorry again for the mess and the filth we left behind, Julie.
GOVERNESS : What are you apologizing for!? You've almost tidied up and cleaned everything... I just got used to it! Mrs. Peyton is a demanding boss when it comes to cleanliness and order in her house, that's all!
SAWYER : Mom doesn't like mess or dust, but the most incredible thing is that she doesn't like pancakes either!
The little girl had a slightly sad expression on her face, Brooke tried to divert her attention.
BROOKE : Oh really!? And what does your mom like then?
SAWYER : She doesn't like anything I like actually, except cucumbers! We both love cucumbers!
BROOKE : Oh yeah!? Well you see, I hate cucumbers!
Appreciating the fact that Brooke was managing to keep Sawyer in a good mood, Julie gave him a warm look.
SAWYER : Can I leave the table and go pick out a book already?
Still a little hesitant in her new role, Brooke looked at Julie as if to ask her opinion.
GOVERNESS : Since you've finished your plate, you can already go brush your teeth and pick out your book. Brooke will join you.
SAWYER : Great, I already know which one I want! Good night, Julie!
Julie leaned over to receive Sawyer's kiss, who immediately ran to his room.
GOVERNESS : Mr. Lucas reads Sawyer a story every night, when he's here... Otherwise, it's your job.
BROOKE : Okay, I see... Thanks for the info! What if Peyton is there, but Lucas isn't?
GOVERNESS : Oh Mrs. Peyton never reads a story to Sawyer! Since she never eats pancakes...
Julie's answer seemed full of innuendos to Brooke, she showed her interest in knowing the reasons.
GOVERNESS : Let's just say that Mrs. Peyton takes an interest in Sawyer when she's done taking an interest in a lot of other things before... In other words, she has very little time for him! And she likes pancakes, I'm sure... It's just that they're bad for her figure so she denies herself almost all the little guilty pleasures! On the other hand, you're going to make someone happy with the leftover pancakes... Mr. Lucas, he loves them !
The mention of Lucas and his gluttony did not leave Brooke indifferent. But she did not let it show.
BROOKE : So much the better, with all that is left it would be a shame to waste it all.
Brooke was reading her bedtime story to Sawyer who was lying comfortably under her blanket. Also lying down, Brooke had remained above the blanket. Her dress had ridden up to her thighs.
BROOKE : Offer your beautiful scales, Octopus advised him. You may not be the most beautiful fish in the oceans... But you will be happy. So the little Rainbow fish finally agreed to offer a scale to the blue fish... And Rainbow began to scatter all his sparkling scales and soon he only had one left...
LUCAS : Yet, Rainbow is happy, very happy among his new friends...
Sawyer instantly recognized her father's deep voice, she smiled as she looked towards the door.
LUCAS : Good evening princess!
Lucas had smiled briefly at Brooke, trying not to linger in her gaze. Brooke straightened up a little on the bed.
LUCAS : You never get tired of the " most beautiful fish in all the oceans " ! We already read it yesterday!
SAWYER : Yes but I wanted to see if Brooke read it as well as you!
LUCAS : So, what's your verdict?
SAWYER : My what?
Lucas smiles frankly at his daughter's incomprehension, Brooke too. A glance is exchanged between them, still furtive.
LUCAS : I'm asking you if Brooke reads your favorite story as well as I do?
The little girl also straightened up and looked at each of them alternately, she seemed a little embarrassed.
SAWYER : It's a tie!
Sawyer scrutinized her father's reaction more, not wanting to hurt his heart. He approached her.
LUCAS : I'm glad, sweetie. It means I won't be sad when I don't have time to read you one.
SAWYER : Like tonight, for example?
LUCAS : Yes, like tonight... Except that I actually came home before you fell asleep, which means that...
SAWYER : That you're going to read me a story, too!?
LUCAS : Exactly! A princess deserves two stories from time to time before going to sleep.
SAWYER : That's so cool! But dad...?
Sawyer went from joy to a new question, demonstrating once again that she had a lot of ideas.
SAWYER : Huh, is it true that you always say that all girls are princesses?
Lucas blushed at his daughter's question, he looked at Brooke again... A little too long.
LUCAS : Indeed. Why?
SAWYER : Because that means that Brooke too, she gets a second story, then!
There, the discomfort became more explicit. Brooke understood that she was going to have to stay too. Lucas exhaled softly.
LUCAS : Okay. What story do you want, darling?
SAWYER : I would like the story of Mole and Squirrel, you go see Brooke, it's great!
Lucas grabbed the book near the nightstand and came to lie down next to his daughter on the bed. Brooke shifted a little. Although cramped, all three of them fit in the bed. Facing the book, Brooke couldn't see Lucas' face. While she was about to listen to the story to please Sawyer, Lucas remained mute for a few seconds. Sawyer and Brooke leaned their heads towards him and Brooke noticed that the father of the family had his eyes fixed on her bare legs. Troubled, she didn't react. Sawyer took care of it by giving Lucas a little nudge to get him out of his reverie.
LUCAS : Sorry, sweetie, here we go.
Brooke realized that her position gave her an unobstructed view of halfway up her thighs. Despite the fact that she was also very troubled and that a shiver of adrenaline was running down her spine, she stuck to her good resolutions and casually pulled the fabric down to her knees.
Stimulated by this charming yet not very explicit view of Brooke's anatomy, Lucas was getting harder and harder. His voice that choked while he read the words written on the glossy paper of the book also excited Brooke. Irresistibly, she decided to cross her legs to Lucas's great pleasure ... But also to his great dismay.
LUCAS'S THOUGHT : Focus, damn it! It's just a pair of legs... Beautifully smooth and sensual legs... They look so soft, neat, and most importantly they lead to other parts of her body... I dream of touching them.
Suddenly, Lucas stopped reading and Brooke heard his voice sounding fake dry and detached...
LUCAS : Brooke, can you leave Sawyer and me alone for the rest of the story?
Even though she knew exactly why, Brooke couldn't help but feel a little offended by his tone. She decided to play it as casual as possible and kissed Sawyer on his little cheek.
BROOKE : Sure, I'll be in my room if you need me. Good night Sawyer, see you tomorrow.
LUCAS' THOUGHT : I certainly don't need you, I'm a big boy unfortunately... Wanting you, on the other hand, that's for sure!
Sawyer said goodnight to Brooke and Lucas cleared his throat.
LUCAS : Thank you , Brooke and have a good evening!
Brooke went back to her room and took the opportunity to call her mother, as promised. Once the conversation was over she noticed that Sawyer's plush was still on her bed. She hesitated to go back there. She finally decided to keep the door open and wait for Lucas to come out of the room to give it to him.
Meanwhile, she checked her Facebook messages. She had received a message from Julian, her ex.
JULIAN'S MESSAGE : Hi Brooke, it's been a while... How are you? And your exams? See you soon I hope... I miss you.
Brooke hallucinated... She reread his message several times to convince herself. It was definitely him and she missed her too! Her first instinct was to want to call Haley or Rachel to tell them about it. The guy had dumped her several months ago supposedly because he didn't know where he was anymore and he wanted a break. Except that he had forgotten to tell her that sleeping with other people was allowed during this period of time! Brooke had only learned of this clause several weeks later when she saw him on the arm of a blonde.
No more time to think about Julian because she heard a doorknob open and then close, she quickly went out.
BROOKE : Lucas, wait...
By arriving a little too abruptly in the hallway and him turning a little too quickly, Brooke bumped into him. For half a second, Lucas didn't react. Then, he grabbed both of Brooke's elbows to push her away from him.
LUCAS : What are you doing!?
BROOKE : I... Listen, I just wanted to...
LUCAS : You're the one who's going to listen to me, Brooke. I don't know what game you're playing, but I don't like it at all.
His gaze was a mixture of anger and desire, as if he was trying to convince himself of what he was about to tell her.
LUCAS : The other night at the bar, it was stupid of me to give you my number... I shouldn't have, that's all. But I want to get this straight now because I think you're imagining things... I'm happily married. And you're here to take care of Sawyer, and that's all, okay?
Brooke also had a hard time hiding the mixture of anger and surprise that was surely visible in her eyes.
BROOKE'S THOUGHT : What an asshole!
Brooke showed him the stuffed animal that she brought up to her face. Lucas turned pale and mechanically held out his hand. Brooke let go of the stuffed animal nonchalantly, taking care to remain silent but to display an ironic grin. She turned on her heels and left without adding anything. Lucas remained there, in the hallway, with his daughter's stuffed animal.
LUCAS'S THOUGHT : What an idiot! She just wanted to give me back Sawyer's plush... And I'm telling her this! This girl has such an effect on me that when she touched me, I thought I was going to jump on her! I would have pinned her against that wall and made her mine in less time than it takes to say it... She excites me so much, it makes me so itchy, I'm so horny when she's , now I'm sure I'm labeled as the hypocritical bastard that I am! Maybe that's all for the best... It's better that she, and incidentally her magnificent little ass, hate me rather than the opposite! It will be easier to manage... Well, I hope so!