Page 2 of Hot Stepbrother Daddy

“I’m good,” I promise her, giving her a grin that I hope is convincing. I’m the spitting image of my mom, except she’s two inches shorter and her bright blond hair has a few streaks of gray that she meticulously has covered at the salon. I start to step away, leaving her behind, desperate to know if I really saw Adam.

For a second, I can’t find him in the crowd. But then I catch sight of him, and I quickly avert my eyes, trying not to be too obvious. Of course, he’s staring right at me, and my efforts of trying to be discreet are pointless. His eyes, forest green and calculating, narrow slightly as if he can read my thoughts from across the room.

Trying not to do my best deer-in-the-headlights impression, I duck my head and try to fade back into the crowd. I know I can’t avoid him for the entire night, but I just need a damn second to catch my breath and collect my thoughts.

Unfortunately, my mother has other plans. Before I can bolt, I feel her hand on my elbow, Craig beside her. “Not so fast, sweetie. We need to introduce you to Adam!”

“I–wait, what?” My eyes snap back to Adam Lawson. “Why?”

Craig laughs. Tall with a lined but handsome face and salt-and-pepper hair, Craig has been good to my mother so far. He was also wealthy and from old money, so we knew he wasn’t trying to use her, but I could count on one hand how many times I’d spoken to the man. “We figured you’d want to meet your stepbrother finally.”

The words take a second to work into my brain, but when they hit, I feel my ankles starting to go weak, and it’s all I can do not to tip over in my heels. A wave of cold hits me, from my fingertips to my toes.

“Adam! Come over here!” My mother’s voice is warm and inviting, so strange considering I’m in a living nightmare right now.

Stepbrother, the word rings in my skull over and over,stepbrother, stepbrother.

Every fiber of me is aware of him, aware of that pull that’s still there, despite the time and distance. Despite the fact that I’ve done everything I can to forget the way he kissed me, the way he made me feel, and the way I vanished from his life.

And now he’s walking towards us. Any inkling of hope I had left that maybe there was another Adam nearby disappears.

I don't know how I’m supposed to act. I glance at Mom and Craig, who are both smiling like this is just a casual dinner party. Like my world isn’t going up in flames right now.Just act normal,I tell myself.Just act like you don’t know him. Like he’s some guy you’ve never slept with before.

But the second Adam steps closer, his presence hits me like a wave. His cologne—a mix of woodsy and citrus, comforting and dangerous—makes my heart race before my brain even catches up. His eyes meet mine briefly, and it’s as if everything around us fades into the background, leaving just the two of us standing in the quietest kind of silence.

"Laurie, darling, this is Adam, Craig's son,” my mom says, her voice too bright. I know she wants us to get along, but little does she know we’ve already gotten to know each othervery, very well.

She doesn’t know how much I wish I could forget Adam Lawson.

I nod, forcing a smile. “Hello.” I try to keep my voice steady, like I’m not remembering every moment that Adam touched my body and made me cry out in pleasure.

Adam’s expression doesn’t change, but there’s a flicker in his eyes—something that’s definitely not as chill as he’s pretending. The way he looks at me like he’s searching for something—answers, maybe. Or maybe he’s just as stunned as I am by the fact that we’re standing here, pretending to be strangers. I don’t know which of us is more unsettled by the fact that our past isn’t in the past.

I haven’t even begun to process the fact that he’s technically my stepbrothernow. The idea is so insane that it makes me want to dissolve into hysterics.

“Nice to meet you, Laurie,” Adam says, his voice smooth, his gaze lingering on my mouth just a moment too long. His smile is tight, but his eyes...they give him away. God, no. He’s holding onto the secret between us, like there’s an unspoken understanding passing between us, one that only the two of us share.

I extend my hand, even though my body feels like it’s caught in a web of heat and tension. "Nice to meet you, too." I try to sound normal, like I’ve never thought about him every time I saw someone with dark hair or a sharp jawline or a laugh that could melt a room.

All hopes of normal fly out the window when his hand touches mine. The feeling of his skin, warm against mine, hits me with a flash of heat that has me aching between my legs, my nipples pebbling beneath the satin dress before I even realize what’s happening. I know he’s affected too by the way his pupils blow wide as he sucks in a shocked breath, taking a moment too long to let go of me.

He still wants me. Holy shit. Even after I ghosted him? Now he’s here in my house, not just because he’s some random acquaintance but because he’s my fucking stepbrother. That’s a line I can’t cross.

“Well, I’m going to go and mingle…” I try to make it sound lighthearted, like I’m not secretly devastated by the fact that Adam is completely off-limits now. I need some space away from him, and I need it now.

“Now wait just one moment, dear.” Mom grabs my elbow again. “I wanted to talk to you about the time I’m going to be gone. I know you’ve never really stayed in the house alone, so we figured since you’re family now, Adam can stay in the house with you!”

“Wait a m—” Adam sputters.

“Uh, what?” I snap, shock rolling through me. “No way! We, uh, just met!”

“Adam already agreed when I asked him last week,” Craig chimes in as if this were some brilliant stroke of genius. “It’s the best thing for you, Laurie. You know, with us being gone for so long and all. It’s a big house, I bet you won’t even run into each other all that often. Adam can keep an eye on things, make sure you’re okay.”

What in the hell is happening?

Adam, for his part, looks just as stunned as I feel. His mouth opens slightly, then shuts.

“But I can handle it,” I protest quickly, my voice shaky as I try to fight the rising panic inside me. “I don’t need someone to babysit me. I’m perfectly fine on my own.”

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