Page 6 of Stepson

He hits the white ball hard, breaking the balls down the table as they all go rolling across the green felt. I walk over to the table and make my shot next, but it’s horrible. I can’t concentrate to save my life.

“So, how did you meet Marcus?”

I cringe, not expecting him to lead withthatquestion for our first real conversation. He also referred to his dad by his first name unlike earlier today when he came out of the dining room to check on me.

“He, um, came into the bar I was at with some friends. He bought us a round of drinks, and he and I hit if ott.” I don’t have much else to say because my nerves are all over the place.

He circles the table slowly, dragging his fingers along the smooth mahogany edge. “And he asked you to marry him just like that?”

I shrug then shake my head. “No, we dated for several months before he asked.”

“And you said yes right away?” The way he looks at me as he continues to come closer makes me gulp.

“Yes,” I whisper.

With a smirk, he stops what he’s doing and turns to make his shot on the table. The way he’s speaking and looking at me makes me almost uncomfortable. He’s trying to fish something out of me, but I can’t put my finger on what exactly that is.

“Your shot,” Gabe rasps.

I move to take my shot but as I lean over the table, Gabe comes right up next to me. The heat of his skin against mine makes me shiver, and my pool cue has a mind of its own when I take my shot. My heart thunders in my chest as I try to control my ragged breathing. Gabe is entirely too close to me, and it seems he isn’t backing up anytime soon.

“You missed,” he whispers.

I stand up and carefully turn my gaze to him. The intense stare off makes the tiny hairs on the back of my neck tingle. These are the eyes I’ve dreamed of for months after our night together. It’s a shame I’ve tried to forget them, but now that he’s back, I recall every restless night I had. Gabe is a force to be reckoned with,and I know in my heart that if Gabe actually remembers who I am, I’d leave with him immediately. But he doesn’t remember, and that’s kind of painful.

His hand comes up toward my arm as alarm bells go off in my head. If he touches me, I know I’ll melt and give myself away. He can’t touch me. I step away from him as his brow rises and his smirk widens. I remember now how much he affected me without even touching me. It’s the same way I felt all those years ago too. When I laid eyes on him that first night in the bar, I knew my attraction for him was immediate. I couldn’t pull my gaze from him all night, much like I can’t right now.

“I should get to bed,” I whisper.

His brow rises higher as he cocks his head at me. “You’re probably right.” The breathy tone in his voice makes me freeze to my spot. I don’t want to go, but I know I should. If I don’t, I won’t be able to control myself. “Let me walk you to your room.”

I want to tell him not to do that, but it would probably make it obvious that he’s affecting me, so I let him walk me back upstairs. After we set our pool cues down, we leave the room and head for the stairs. Gabe is entirely too close to me, and even though his hands aren’t on me, I can still feel his heat. My skin pebbles and my nipples have a mind of their own, nearly popping through the thin material of my cocktail dress.

When we finally reach my door after a long stint of silence, Gabe grabs my arm and turns me toward him. His flesh burns mine as shivers run up my spine. The guy is literally just touching my arm and I’m seconds away from exploding between my legs.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you something all night,” he rasps.

I swallow hard as our gazes lock. My heart has never beat so fast in my life, and I wonder if he’s able to hear it too. He slowly reaches up toward my neck, and I instantly remember our first kiss. Is he going to grab me like he had in the past, and slam hislips onto mine? My lips part with anticipation, but my nerves are making me shake.

His hand stops near my collar bone before he slowly drags his fingers across my flushed skin. I inhale a sharp breath as he pushes my hair from my shoulder. Oh my God, this is happening. Yes. Yes. Yes!

But then he grabs something and tugs as the sound of a snap echoes into my ear. He pulls his hand back and holds up the price tag for my dress. My cheeks redden as I scold myself for thinking he was about to kiss me.

“Oh,”I sigh out before I giggle.

“I’ve seen it all night and wanted to remove it but…” he pauses and flips over the price tag, blowing out a whistle. “Damn. $3,400 for a dress? Were you trying to impress me, Bentley?” His voice lowers to a sandy, seductress tone again, and my pussy throbs.

“I—I was just…” I’m a stuttering mess and my skin is so flushed it seems as though the hallway has become a sauna.

His deep chuckle makes my mouth fall open. “Goodnight, Bentley. Sleep well.” He winks and turns to head back to his own room/

Chapter five

Bentley

When the early morning sun rays beam into my room, I sit up and rub my eyes before I glance at the clock. Shit, I’ve slept in much longer than I intended to. I wanted to see Marcus off even though I know how much he hates me making a fuss over his departures. He’s due to be back in seven days, and when he returns, we’re going to have a long, serious talk.

I slide out of bed and shrug on my silk robe, tying it tightly around my waist before I leave the confines of my bedroom. A strong cup of coffee is needed to get through the day, and I pray Gabe is still in his room. I don’t think I’ll be able to control myself if I see him right now. The evidence of my self-pleasuring is sitting on my nightstand, and without my trusted pink dildo, I wouldn’t have gotten any sleep last night.

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