Page 35 of The Tangle of Awful

Her face burns bright red and she absently strokes her hair down one side of her neck as though to hide something.

“If he hurt you,” I growl, “I’ll—”

“He didn’t,” she rushes out breathily, rising to her feet. “He just annoys me sometimes.”

She’s being purposefully evasive, but I let it slide for now. Gently, I tug her into my arms, embracing her as if I can make everything better with a hug. A relieved sigh escapes her and she melts in my arms, nuzzling her cheek against my chest.

Fuck, it feels so damn right having her like this.

I can almost imagine Neena isn’t my wife and isn’t missing. That Aubrey is just some young, beautiful girl interested in a man in his forties. If she were truly mine, I’d take great pleasure in spoiling her. Shopping and spending time with her today was a testament to that. It stroked my ego knowing I could provide things for her and make her smile. I want to lavish her with praise and adoration, gifts, and my cock.

My thoughts drift away from simple caretaking to something far more sinister and forbidden. Her naked and writhing on my bed. Her tight pussy raw and red, leaking with my cum. Her sweet whimpers as I take her again and again until she loses her mind.

My dick is hard now, pressing into her. I clear my throat and pull away so I don’t make a damn fool of myself.

“Let’s get these clothes put away,” I instruct, my voice gruff and commanding.

Her gaze drops to my cock, still straining behind the denim, and then she bites on her bottom lip. My cock jolts at that action and lust shoots through me like a lightning bolt.

“Aubrey,” I growl. “Get to it.”

Thank fuck she finally turns her attention to hanging clothes. I’m able to focus on the task as well, ignoring my dick long enough that it settles down, no longer a distraction for either of us.

I’m playing a dangerous game with Aubrey.

All this secret look-but-don’t-touch shit I’m doing isn’t going to last long. It’d be one thing if what I was feeling was one-sided and a simple attraction to a younger woman. But it’s not. I’m somehow affecting her just as much as she is me. If we cross a line, there’s no going back.

What happens when Neena finally decides to come back home?

Will she find me coupled up with her teenage daughter?

Furthermore, if I somehow convinced myself I could take a taste of what I wanted, it wouldn’t be enough. I’d have to make her completely mine. That would be catastrophic to my entire world.

Neena would divorce me, which could look bad on my campaign.

Spencer might murder her since he clearly hates her.

Dad would have a fucking meltdown at me being the center of town gossip.

Cheating on my wife by fucking my teenage stepdaughter would define me for the rest of my life. I’d wear that scarlet letter until the day I died. It simply can’t happen.

“All done,” Aubrey says, a genuine smile gracing her lips. “Thanks for helping me.”

I stupidly take her hand in mine and bring it to my lips, kissing one of her knuckles. “I like helping you, Love. It feels good.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

So much for keeping my distance and avoiding tempting situations. Her grin is breathtakingly beautiful, which lights my soul on fire. Whatever discomfort she had moments before because of my son has been chased away. It’s me who makes her happy—me who will continue to keep her happy.

I can keep my dick in my pants.

I have to.

Squeezing her hand in mine, I guide her out of her room and down the hall to the theater room. The faint scent of popcorn hangs in the air, making my mouth water. Aubrey lets go of my hand to busy herself making popcorn like when she was younger, and I set to getting a movie queued up on the screen.

Since I know she likes horror movies, I settle on something we’ve seen before and that feels familiar. Maybe that’ll remind me she’s my stepdaughter, not some woman I can fuck.

“Grab me a water too?” I ask, settling onto the sectional couch and grabbing a throw blanket.

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