Her Stepfather's Mistress

003

Jewel

"What?!” Reed and I bark. Skylar smiles, glancing between us.

"Come on, let's all sit. No need to draw more attention to us than necessary.” She murmurs.

Reed reluctantly nods. I watch with curiosity as he helps her sit, and then he does the same.

They both turn to face me, expecting me to follow suit.

“I, uh, em…” I stutter, my brain scrambled.

"Just sit," Reed barks, making me jump.

“Oh, for f**k’s sake." He mutters, pushing up. One of his large palms drops on my waist, burning my skin as he steers me to my chair, practically pushing me into it.

None of us speaks for a while, the table heavy with tension. Skylar clears her throat.

“Okay, I know this isn't the most ideal situation, especially because of how we all met. But think of it as fate bringing us all together, you know? And it's a good thing Reed didn't fall for you, right? Now we can all be a family.” She shrugs with a wide grin.

If only she knew.

She reaches out to hold my hand, and I grow tense from the contact.

"I know it won't be a smooth transition, but don't worry, I'll be there to guide you. And we'll have a chance to get to know each other better.”

She squeezes my hands, her electric blue eyes eagerly watching me.

I let myself assess her: her pristine, long blonde hair, her pretty face, her perfect height and curves —everything that contributed to who I am, but somehow I don't feel a single sense of kinship towards her.

This is wrong. This isn't what I envisioned at all when I imagined finally meeting her.

“Come on, what are you waiting for? Say yes. I'm practically offering you ‘your dream come true.’ No more waiting tables or sleeping with men for money. This is your chance to become an heiress. You'd be stupid to say no." She laughs, and I jerk my hand out of her hold.

Reed clears his throat; his jaw is clenched so tight it's a miracle he hasn't popped a vein.

I glance at him, expecting him to say something. Anything. He doesn't.

“Think carefully before you say no.” Skylar tries again. “Think about what you'll be turning your back on: an expensive lifestyle, a new name, a new house, a job, the whole thing. I mean, isn't that why you were stalking me? To measure the goods?” She wiggles her brows meaningfully.

There's no other side to her, is there?

I feel so stupid.

“No," I mutter, standing up.

“To what?" She scoffs.

“Everything," I whisper, my eyes cutting to Reed. He remains rigid, his eyes casually flicking over me as if to say, ‘Are you sure?’

My fists tighten.

“This was a mistake. I never should have looked for you or anything. Sorry if I gave you the wrong idea."

"What is this? You're angry I didn't hug you and cry about missing you all these years, or what? Is that it?” She snaps, pushing up. Her eyes angrily roam my face.

I inhale, biting my lip to collect my thoughts. I sigh.

“You’re just…. you're not the woman I hoped to find. So why waste each other's time?” I shrug, glancing at Reed one last time. He still doesn't say anything.

This is goodbye then.

“You guys can't come back here again." I declare before finally walking away, pushing down the urge to cry.

Neither of them is worth shedding tears over.

I immediately switched tables with Kelly, just in case they decided to stick around, but they didn't.

Throughout the night, the conversation nagged at my mind: the complexity and the irony of it.

It was my desperate need for money at the time that got us all entangled in the first place.

When my shift finally ends, I dash out of the club, already picturing myself in bed.

I need to forget the events of the last twenty-four hours.

As I walk through the almost empty parking lot, I hear what sounds like people arguing from a dark corner, and I quicken my steps, not interested in whatever trouble is brewing.

But I keep looking back as I walk, so that I'll know if I need to run. Suddenly, I feel my body hitting someone out of nowhere.

I gasp, my heart pounding against my ribcage as two strong hands steady me. I look up and I see it's Reed.

“Are you okay?" He asks, his face etched with concern, and it pisses me off immediately.

“You scared me." I snap, walking away. He follows me.

“We need to talk."

“No, we don't."

“Yes, we do." He grabs my hand, forcing me to stop. "You can't tell Skylar the truth when you move in with us.” He says flatly, his face blank.

I glare at him, wondering if he's lost his mind. Based on my experience with him, that won't be far-fetched.

“I'm not moving in with anybody, and you paid me hush money, remember?” I spit. "Besides, nothing significant happened.”

"I beg to differ.” He barks, pulling me into his body. Even with the custom suit gripping his hard and chiselled body, I can feel all of him.

His big thighs encircle mine, his warm palm burns the skin around my hip, and his hot breath fans against my face as he towers over me.

I should hate it but instead my breath seized.

"Let me go,” I wheezed.

"No, it seems like your memory needs some juggling.” He whispers into my ear, grazing the sensitive skin with his teeth. I shiver, the ground shifting beneath me.

I draw in a deep breath, gathering the strength to push him away; I only succeed in placing my palms on his muscled chest.

I suck in a breath as he flexes under my palms. Warmth seeps into my skin, and I fist his jacket.

He straightens up, a taunting smirk on his lips. That does the trick; the lust clears away.

“Get away from me, else I'm going to scream murder", I snapped, pushing against him. He steps back, thrusting his hands in the air.

"Fine. But keep your mouth shut.”

"I already told you, I'm not moving in with anybody.” I huff, walking again.

“Then you don’t know the woman you’re going to be calling mommy soon.” He calls after me, making me stop. I glance back at him. He's still at the same spot I left him, looking sinfully tall and delicious.

“And me… Daddy.” He finished with his mouth slightly curved and his usually cold steel-gray eyes burning with fire.

I stare at him, my throat dry and my pulse racing.

By the time I find my voice, he’s already gone, and I can still feel the heat of his breath against my neck.

I continue to walk away. But I'm unable to get his fiery eyes out of my head.

It dominates my dream that night, taunting and haunting me.

The next morning, when I wake up, I immediately sense something is off.

As I step into the living room, I do a double-take, wondering if I'd entered the wrong house last night.

“What's going on?" I ask Kelly, watching with wide eyes as she directs a moving crew.

She glances at me with a cold sneer.

“I was hoping you would tell me.”

"What are you talking about?" I ask in confusion.

"We've been evicted, Jewel. We have till noon before we get arrested for trespassing.” She snaps, her eyes red.

"What? Why?”