Page 36 of Stepson

“He was kind to me,” I finally reply with a shrug.

“Bullshit.” He laughs. “Tell me the truth, Bentley.” He turns and pins me with his gaze. “There’s no reason to keep secrets from each other after everything we’ve shared.”

My cheeks blush, but he isn’t wrong.

“Fine, I married Marcus because the guy I really wanted to be with seemed to disappear off the face of the planet. I was broke, homeless, and hungry. He was like a distorted knight in shining armor if that makes sense.”

He nods, nibbling on his bottom lip. “Tell me about this guy who disappeared off the face of the planet. I want to know who I’m competing with.”

Fuck, I totally put myself into a corner, didn’t I? But then I come back with a jab that hurts me, too.

“Competing with? You’ve forgotten that I’m already married.”

The look on his face sucker punches me right in the gut. Why do I always put my foot in my mouth?

“I didn’t mean it like—”

“It’s cool,” he cuts me off. “You’re married, and I’m fucking my father’s wife.”

When he says it like that it sounds dirty and wrong, but it doesn’t feel like either of those things. There’s something magical between the two of us when we—how did he put it? —fucked. Married or not, it doesn’t change how I feel about him. It never will.

“We should probably go, it’s getting late.”

“And your master isn’t home to tell you when to be home. Besides, I pinged your phone to the house. He won’t know when you get home, and I’m not done with you yet.” He leans over the center console and grabs my jaw, pulling me toward him. “I’m keeping you out all night, Bentley.”

I gulp, feeling the excitement race through my veins as I stared into his gaze. “All night? But won’t—”

“Shh, no more thinking. What doyouwant to do, Bentley?”

“I- I want… I want to stay with you,” I whisper.

“Good choice.” He pulls me toward him, lightly kissing my lips before he sits back and starts the Mercedes back up.

I look down at my jacket and blush. “I’m still in my lingerie. Where do you plan on taking me?”

He smirks over at me. “Some place where you won’t need to worry about clothes.”

Driving away from the park, I grin from ear to ear, wondering what Gabe has in mind for tonight. To say I’m nervous is an understatement, but I trust him.

Chapter nineteen

Gabe

Where I’m taking Bentley will either scare her or excite her. She needs to know exactly what I’m about without knowing I remember our past together. If she’s ever going to make her own decision to leave my father and come with me, she needs to see all of me. I want her to choose me without any past feelings blurring the situation.

As I drive us back toward downtown, she isn't saying a word and keeps nibbling on her bottom lip. If she keeps doing that, I’m bound to pull over and put her mouth to good use.

"Are we going back to Redd's?" She asks nervously?

I shake my head, not wanting to give away my surprise. I have a good feeling Bentley’s never been to a sex club before, and I can't wait to share it with her. It’s something I've always wantedto try but never got the chance before I was locked up. The club I’m taking her to is a place I worked at once upon a time. Being a bouncer, I only ever really got to see the members come and go; I never got to see the action.

Pulling into the underground parking lot a block down from the club, I don't want the truck to be seen near it. Marcus is an influential man, and I don't need some loud mouth leaking to the press that he sees his truck parked at a sex club. He'd surely blame me but will take it out on Bentley.

"You ready?" I ask when I shut the truck off.

She nervously twirls a strand of her long brunette hair as she peers over at me. Yeah, she’s nervous as hell.

I turn to her, grabbing her hand from her hair. "Do you trust me, Bentley?"

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