“I’m not going to go out and join some cult, Uncle Paulie. I’m here for a job and to spread my wings a bit. I told you, I wanted to give this job a year trial then decide when my contract comes back up for renewal if I want to stay or not.”
He nodded. “Which is one of the reasons, I let your dad talk me into helping. I want you to sow your wild oats while you’re here. Then when your year is up, I want you to move back home - where you belong.”
The sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach didn’t bode well. She couldn’t promise her Uncle that. She needed something different. Was it here in the big city? She didn’t know and she sure as hell didn’t have a crystal ball to let her see into the future. Instead of promising him anything, she pulled away and pasted a smile on her face. “Why don’t you go down and help Dad before he tries to throw his back out bringing up my mattress?”
Paulie smirked down at her from his six foot height, looking so much like a younger version of her dad she wanted to cringe. Because of the age gap between her and Paulie, only a five years one because of her grandfather’s second marriage to a woman half his age, Paulie was more like an older brother and a confidant than an uncle. Which is probably why he’s so dead set against me moving to Chicago.
“You’re not fooling me, Analise. Just remember I know what men want when they look at you. They see that beautiful white skin, dark hair and gorgeous green eyes, looking so much like that girl from the Mummy and they start thinking with their little head instead of their big one.”
Her cheeks flushed. “Aw come on, I didn’t come all the way up here to just get laid, Paulie. I could’ve done that in Iowa City while I was going to U of I. There were plenty of horny undergrads there for me to pick from.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, he scowled down at her. “Which idiot am I gonna have to hurt? I warned those fools before you started that if anyone touched my niece they’d answer to me.”
Which was exactly the problem. No one wanted to risk the wrath of a former Heisman Trophy nominee to do more than give me a peck on the cheek at the end of a date. Being threatened with removal of their arms was enough to discourage the horniest college boy. “Relax, no one forced me. Your reputation protected me long before I even got out of freshman orientation.”
He eyed her. “You wouldn’t be lying to me would you?”
Rising up on tiptoes, she grabbed his nose. “Now why would I do that?”
Jerking back, he crossed his arm over his chest. “To protect some horndog from my wrath?”
She hid her grin as she heard her father’s voice in the hall. “Maybe. But I think you have something more pressing to worry about.”
“And what’s that?” He raised a brow at her.
Unable to stop it, an impish smile crossed her face. “How about Pops being torqued that he just tried to carry up my mattress by himself?”
“Paulie, get your butt down here and help with this damned thing!” Her dad’s muffled shout, had her uncle sighing.
“I mean it Analise.” He cupped her cheek. “When this is all over, when you’re done exploring, come home.” Then he hollered back her father. “Hold your horses, Erik!”
©Dakota Trace All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All
names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s
imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual
persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No
portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by
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