Page 3 of Step Daddy

Chapter One

Eight years later…

Gareth flopped back against his leather couch then propped up his feet on the glass and brushed chrome coffee table. Everything in his Las Vegas condo was modern. Sleek and sophisticated. Clean lines, no bullshit. Nothing like the boring, mismatched craptacular surroundings he’d grown up in. It had been eight years and a whole hell of a lot of interesting experiences since he’d escaped Lancaster, California. But now he was finally getting a chance to relax after a long day of racing his bike and trying out a new course.

He ran his palm over his head, his short hair something he’d become accustomed to in the Marines. He’d barely let it grow much more than the high and tight style since then. The only thing that had really changed about his appearance since leaving active duty four years ago was the added facial hair, several tattoos and some piercings here and there. And now that he’d sailed past his twenty-sixth birthday, he was officially free from the service completely.

The time serving had been awesome, he’d actually relished the extreme challenge of Marine training, had experienced a sense of accomplishment he’d never known possible. The time in the military helped to shape him into the man he’d become, helped hone his natural sense of self-worth and ability to set high-reaching goals then achieve them.

Gareth closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of the sofa. The long hot shower he’d taken not only left him relaxed but also a little horny. He picked up his phone lying next to him on the couch cushion and woke it up to check the time.

Hmm.

The day was over, and the evening had begun. He scratched his chin, his late-day stubble rasping against the pads of his fingers.

He hadn’t seen anyone regularly for a while, for at least six months after his boy, Colby, broke it off with him. It’s not as if they’d reached the permanent contract, I love you forever or let’s make this a long-term Daddy/boy gig stage before it was over. But Gareth had held out hope that maybe he’d finally found someone to get serious with. Apparently, Colby hadn’t. That was fine. It was better they’d ended it rather than waste both their time trying to make something work that wasn’t meant to be.

Gareth idly flipped through his contacts, using one thumb to scroll up and down. Man, most of the guys he hooked up with on occasion had gotten into exclusive relationships. And none of them were into adding a third either. He groaned and scrubbed his face with one hand. All showered up with nowhere to go.

Of course, there was always the club. He might meet someone new there. But the Pink Diamond Arcade was his home away from home, his heart. When he went to the kink hang-out, he was in Daddy Dom mode, not hook up mode. The energy needed to interact with boys who might eventually become relationship material wasn’t where his head was at the moment. He just wanted to fuck.

Gareth’s doorbell rang and he froze, drawing his eyebrows together in irritation. Here he was, paying top dollar for an upscale building with security and someone had made it past the gated entrance? On the other hand, it could be someone who’d been legitimately buzzed in and gone to the wrong apartment. He chuckled, then tightened the towel around his waist as he rose from the couch. Once he got rid of whoever was at the door, he’d rub one out, order some pizza and settle in for the night.

Gareth made his way across the expanse of the large living area, zero concern with being half-naked. Hey, it was his home and whoever had shown up unexpectedly could look the other way if they were offended. Besides, it wasn’t as if he didn’t stroll around barely dressed at the club all the time. If anything, the loose towel was modest compared to ass and package hugging leather.

Once he reached the entryway, Gareth didn’t bother asking who was there before he yanked the door wide open. When he came face to face with the mystery doorbell-ringer he froze instead of greeting the hot young brunet hunk standing in the hall like a deer in headlights.

Ask and you shall receive.

Yeah. If he’d ordered a dude for a quickie, this gorgeous specimen with wide brown eyes would’ve been at the top of his list.

“Gareth?” The young man chuckled shakily and blushed. Gareth held onto his soon-to-be tenting towel. The cutie scraped his teeth along his bottom lip and Gareth licked his own. “I mean, of course it’s you. It’s just been so long.”

Gareth snapped his jaw shut.

Oh shit.

“Kit?”

Kit gave Gareth a lopsided smile. “Yeah. It’s me.”

Gareth clutched his towel even tighter, inwardly cursing himself for not at least putting a fucking robe on before answering the door. He blinked a few times, gazing up and down Kit’s frame. Jesus. The kid had grown in all the right places.

They seemed to be frozen in time as Gareth tried to process what the hell was going on. Why was Kit there in the first place and why did Gareth want to slam his stepbrother against the wall and fuck him into oblivion? That would be awkward.

“Wow, kiddo.” Gareth cleared his throat. “You look great.”

He tried not to groan. What he wanted to do was kick his own ass. Already he was coming on to the guy. However, Kit seemed oblivious, so that was one good thing. Straight dudes were like that. Sometimes they missed the subtle cues. Other times, they were inventing ones that weren’t there.

Kit was twisting his fingers, the memory of the nervous habit punching Gareth in the chest. The poor kid was always being tormented by their fuckwad of a father. A stab of guilt sliced through him. He’d left Kit there to face the bastard alone.

Kit peered up at him. He wasn’t short, but still several inches shorter than Gareth. “Sorry. I know this is out of nowhere. I don’t mean to bother you, and I’ll go away if you want me to, but…”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Gareth stood to the side. “Come in.”

Kit broke into a smile. “Are you sure? I don’t want to be a problem.”

“Not a problem, kiddo.”

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