Page 4

4

ADAM

L iving under the same roof as Laurie Cartwright is a special kind of hell.

It's been three days, and I already feel like I'm losing my mind. I haven't shared space with anyone in years, and now all of a sudden I'm supposed to coexist with her. The woman I was so sure I connected with on some otherworldly level before she bolted from my hotel room. The same woman who has been haunting me ever since.

And let me tell you, Laurie is everywhere. I'm positive there has never been a more radiant, alluring creature, and it's just my fucking luck that she's totally off-limits to me now.

Yesterday, for example, I went out back to check the pool filter and there she was—stretched out on one of the lounge chairs in a tiny white bikini that should be illegal.

Then she spotted me, one brow quirking like she knew exactly what I’d been staring at. “Didn’t know the pool guy made house calls this early,” she teased, her voice all sweet and smug.

I turned around and went right back inside, filter be damned.

She's making me come apart at the seams. I've jerked off thinking about her so many times that I shouldn't be able to get hard for a year, yet every time she moves a muscle, my cock stands at attention in seconds.

And the worst part is, Laurie doesn’t even seem to notice. She’s just living. Painting her nails on the back porch, wandering around in those tiny pajama shorts she wears at night, sprawled across the couch sketching with her iPad.

Meanwhile, I'm losing sleep, losing focus, losing my fucking mind. If I don't get a handle on this obsession, I'm going to do something stupid, I just know it.

By day five, something shifts in Laurie again. Gone is the casual breeziness she's been treating me with up until this point, and now she's sticking herself in my orbit like she belongs there. Even when I’m doing something as simple as watching soccer, she’s there, radiant with her hair down and not a shred of makeup on, offering me a sweating glass of sweet tea like a peace offering.

I accept it warily. "You like soccer?"

"Not really," she admits, sitting on the opposite side of the couch. "But I figured I'd give it a try. Got to expand my horizons, right? Try new things, make risky decisions."

Her voice is light, but when she turns her gaze on me, lids low and eyes heated, I'm hit with such a wave of desire that I'm dumbfounded. She stays there for the entire game, asking the occasional question and making it damn near impossible to pay the match any attention.

As the match wraps up, she stands, announcing that she’s going to bed, but not before stopping next to me. She leans over, her hand brushing my shoulder and her voice low and soft in my ear. "Did you ever play soccer?"

For one wild second, I almost turn my head to kiss her, but I clench my jaw. "No."

"Too bad," she sighs, standing up straight again. "That would have been fun to watch.”

She's doing all of this on purpose. She has to be. No woman on the planet can be this seductive by accident.

* * *

I hear the crash first, and then Laurie's yelp coming from upstairs.

I practically vault over the back of the couch to rush up the stairs. When I throw open her door, heart hammering in my chest, I find her next to a toppled-over step ladder, paintbrush in hand.

"I'm okay," she says, her voice breathless. "I slipped off the first step and knocked it over."

Christ. She’s just painting, that’s all. She’s not hurt.

One wall is finished, a rich, golden hue that glows under the lights. The rest of the walls are pale pink, decorated with awards, pictures, posters, and other teenage treasures.

"What is this?"

She blinks, a little color staining her cheeks as she gestures to the finished wall. "Just...something I thought would look nice."

"It does," I say, stepping closer. "But why?"

She shrugs, picking at the dried paint on her brush. "If I'm going to be an adult living with my mom, I at least want to be an adult with an adult room. Not...this."

She waves her hand around the space, and I know what she means. It was a typical teenager's room, a shrine to her youth. All the things that had once been important to her were on display, but now she’s different. A woman, not a little girl.

Laurie looks self-conscious for the first time since I'd met her, and I hate it. "It's a good color. Really." And then, despite my better judgment, I add, "Do you want me to do the edges for you, so you don't have to get on the ladder again?"

She gives me a surprised look. "Really?"

"I'm already up here. Might as well."

The work is simple, but the company is something else. I feel her eyes on me the entire time and the electricity sparking from where her fingers brush mine as she hands me brushes and cups of paint.

"I think you should paint your room like this," she says, watching me climb down the ladder, "You could use a little color."

"I'm not painting my room gold," I snort.

"Gold is too bold," she agrees. "But maybe a nice muted yellow? With gray sheets and some houseplants to bring in a little green…” She trails off before her expression becomes completely earnest. "But anyway. Thank you, Adam, for helping me. I really appreciate it."

"Sure," I say, trying to keep my tone light.

Laurie's tone goes teasing. "You know, you're the only man I've ever had in here."

I'm buried under a barrage of questions I want to ask her, but I manage to push most of them down. I know that Laurie was a virgin the night we slept together, but she's never had anyone in her room? She's fucking stunning. But I can't say that, so instead I just motion to the massive amounts of cheerleading awards hung on the walls.

"I'm surprised you didn't have some cliche football-playing boyfriend."

Laurie looks offended. "Uh, no! I took cheerleading so seriously. You don't win awards by dating football players. You win awards by practicing."

She sounds so prim and proper, and I laugh. "So you're saying you didn't date?"

She looks away. "I didn't have time for boys, okay? Plus, my dad ditching my mom as soon as he found out she was pregnant didn’t exactly make me in any hurry to find love.”

I cringe. Fuck. I'm going to hell. There's no doubt about that, but I can't stop myself from pushing forward, getting closer, wanting to know more about her. "None of them were good enough for you?"

She slaps her hands on the bed, annoyed. "That wasn't it! I did well at school, and I dedicated my free time to cheer. That's all." Relaxing once more, she looks me over from head to toe, and I swear I can feel her eyes like a physical touch. "You're...you know, in good shape. I bet you played a sport seriously, too."

My obsession with her is broken for a beat, and a familiar feeling of awkwardness creeps in. "Ah, no. Not really."

"Come on." Laurie is like a bloodhound on a scent. She knows I’m hiding something, and she isn't going to let me get away with it. "Spill it."

I consider just leaving the room, but something about the way she's looking at me makes me feel ... lighter. It's my desire to see her smile that has me telling her, "I was actually in choir."

She blinks, eyes wide. "Oh!"

"Yeah." I scrub a hand down my face. "I was a baritone, and I took it seriously."

"Why did you stop?"

I'm already fighting back a grin. "I was just too talented. It wasn't fair to the other kids."

Her lips part and then she bursts into laughter, throwing herself back on her bed. I join in, surprised at how nice it feels to just laugh with her.

She sits up after a moment, looking more relaxed than I've seen her since she got here. "Thanks for sharing with me."

And there it is again—that crackle of heat between us that makes me want to kiss her. Makes me want to pull her against me and feel her body pressed to mine. But I can't, so instead I say, "It really was a tragedy, how wasted I was."

"I just don't know if I believe you. How about you sing me something?"

I shake my head. "Hell, no. Unless...you do something for me first."

Laurie's expression wavers between amused and hesitant, but she takes the bait. "Okay, sure."

"All right, Cartwright," I say, leaning against the edge of her desk with my arms crossed. "If you were such a hotshot cheerleader, let’s see it. Show me what you’ve got.”

Laurie arches one perfectly shaped brow. “You think I won’t?”

I smirk, trying to keep my cool. “I know you won’t. No way you’ll risk embarrassing yourself like that.”

She narrows her eyes at me, the glint of determination in them unmistakable. “You’re on, Lawson.”

Before I can backpedal or reconsider, Laurie steps into the middle of the room. With an exaggerated stretch, she raises her arms above her head. Then, to my absolute shock, she launches into a cheer with flawless precision.

“Two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar! All for the team, stand up and holler!”

She claps, spins, and finishes with a toe touch that leaves me speechless. The movement is fluid, confident, and completely unexpected, and the matching crop top and bike shorts she's wearing show me all sorts of delicious skin.

When she lands, her hair falls around her shoulders like a golden halo, her cheeks flushed from the exertion. I blink, trying not to let my jaw drop. Hot as hell doesn’t even cover it. I'm so hard I could fuck through steel, and I lean forward in an attempt to hide it.

Laurie grins, clearly reveling in my stunned silence. “What’s the matter, Adam? Cat got your tongue?”

I recover quickly. “Not bad. A little rusty, but not bad.”

She laughs, shaking her head. “Fair is fair, though. Your turn, Mister choir boy.”

Damn. I walked right into that one.

“Fine,” I say, straightening up. “But don’t blame me if this blows your mind.”

Laurie perches on the edge of her bed, crossing her arms and watching. I rake a hand through my hair and rack my brain for something, anything, I can still remember. Finally, it comes to me. Clearing my throat, I launch into a shaky rendition of “Seasons of Love” from Rent.

Laurie’s face immediately splits into a grin, and by the second line, she’s laughing so hard she’s clutching her sides. I ham it up even more, throwing in dramatic gestures and a heartfelt vibrato until she’s gasping for air.

“You’re terrible!” she manages between giggles.

I stop mid-verse, pretending to be offended. “Terrible? That was Broadway-worthy!"

Laurie shakes her head. "Oh, Mister. No, it wasn't."

I laugh, sitting on the bed next to her, before I can second-guess myself. "I should have known you were an elitist.”

She's still laughing, and before I know it, so am I. But then the laughter fades, and the air shifts. I turn my head to find Laurie already looking at me, her blue eyes soft and searching. The space between us feels electric, charged with something neither of us is willing to name. Her lips are parted just slightly, and I swear I can feel the pull of them, like gravity.

Then she's moving, leaning in, scooting closer until our legs touch. This is it. I’m sure of it. She’s going to kiss me?—

But just as I start to close the distance, she pulls away abruptly, breaking the spell.

“Whew!” Laurie says, scooting away from me and running a hand through her hair. “That was…fun.”

For a second, I consider just letting her go. It's what I should do. It's the only decision I can make that will keep the distance between us. But again, Laurie and the lack of self-control I have when I'm around her make me a fool.

As she goes to stand, I grab her wrist. "Wait."

Her eyes go wide, and I almost laugh out loud. She's been pushing herself into my space for days, and now that I'm finally giving in, she's about to chicken out. My Laurie talks a big game, but freezes when she wins.

But that's okay. I can be bold enough for both of us.

"What?"

In one smooth motion, I pull her down and into my lap.

She gasps, her hands coming to rest on my shoulders for balance. She's frozen, wide-eyed, and surprised. I wonder what she's thinking, if she's considering pulling away, or if she's going to finally give in to what we both want.

"Adam—"

"Tell me you haven't been trying to get a reaction out of me for days. Come on, Laurie, tell me you haven't been waiting for me to break."

I watch as she swallows. "I, well ... yeah, I was, but..."

She's still not pulling away, she's still sitting in my lap, her hands warm and solid against my shoulders. "But what, Laurie?"

Her hands tighten against me. "I guess I didn't plan past this point, and now I don't know what to do."

It's hard to keep hold of my sanity with Laurie so close, but I manage. "Well, let's see. We could just sit here." I thrust up until she could feel my erection. "Or we could do something else."

She sucks in a breath, her nails digging into my skin through my shirt. "Like what?"

"Do you trust me?"

She meets my gaze, and I see the truth there. "Yes."

I'm already pushing my luck, but I can't help myself. I lean forward, bringing my lips to her ear and nipping at her earlobe. Laurie gasps, her hips shifting against mine. "Let me show you what you've been missing."

I hold my breath, waiting for her answer. Waiting for her to run again. But she doesn't.

She nods.

Then I'm kissing her, pouring all of the want and furious need I've been feeling into it. Laurie groans into my mouth, her hands going under my shirt and stroking over my bare chest. Her touch is like fire, and I want to burn.

I've never wanted anything or anyone this badly in my life. But even now, even with Laurie in my lap and her tongue in my mouth, I'm wary. Because no matter how good she feels, I can't risk fucking this up.

The decision to make her come and then give her time to think is easy. I've been stroking my cock to the memory of eating her pussy for a year now, and I want to show her that I'm more than willing to put in the work.

I flip our positions, letting her sit on the edge of the bed while I go to my knees on the carpeted floor. She's breathing hard, eyes glassy as she looks down at me. "What are you doing?"

I tug at her shorts, pulling them down her legs and tossing them aside. "I'm going to make you come," I say simply.

"But what about you?" she protests, but happily lifts her hips for me to pull her panties off, throwing them aside with her shorts.

A thought is pounding in my head, a word I'm dying to hear from her lips, but it might be too much, too fast. "All I want is to make you feel good, baby.”

Laurie threads her fingers through my hair and holds me back from my prize between her legs. "You're holding back. What is it?"

I lick my lips, knowing I'm about to make a stupid mistake, but we've gotten this far. If Laurie wants me, it's got to be all of me. "I want something from you, Laurie, but it's not just to fuck you. Which, believe me, I really want to fuck you. But when we're like this" —I rest my hands on her knees, moving them slowly upwards— "I want you to call me Daddy."

Her eyes go wide, and she freezes. I'm braced for rejection, but instead, I see the flush spread across her cheeks. Her expression isn't one of concern but of surprise and...intrigue? "Yeah? Why?"

"Because I'm going to take care of you, Laurie. Fuck, I've held back, but I take care of what is mine. And if we're crossing this line, you're going to be mine."

She swallows hard, her gaze dropping to where my hands still rest against her knees. Slowly, she spreads them, giving me access to what I crave. "I think I can do that...Daddy."

I groan, my cock so hard it aches. I want to fuck her so bad, but this first time will have to be different. So instead of taking off my pants, I press a kiss to her knee, dragging my lips higher until I can nuzzle at the crease of her thigh. I take a second to look at her beautiful pussy, her swollen clit peeking out and begging to be kissed.

I slip my tongue between her lips, dragging it slowly up and over her clit. I love the sounds she makes, love how sensitive she is. I wonder if I'll ever get tired of the way she smells, the way she tastes, the way she feels.

She's already wet and hot, her hips bucking toward my mouth as I start to suckle the swollen nub. "God, Daddy. More, please."

I don't make her beg. I'm too desperate for her to draw things out. I want her to know what it means to be mine. Want to make her come so hard she'll never want another man but me.

I slip two fingers into her pussy, curling them upward until I find that spot that makes her cry out. Her legs shake, her grip on my hair painful as she tries to get closer. "Oh God, oh God. Please don't stop, please?—"

I pull back for a moment, looking up at her. "Not stopping, baby. Just come for Daddy."

She nods, one hand in my hair and the other braced behind her. I stroke her from the inside with my fingers, alternating between licking and sucking at her clit and savoring the taste of her on my tongue. I can feel her thighs quivering, and I move my hand upwards to push her shirt up, exposing her perfect tits so I can pinch her rosy nipples.

That's all it takes. She comes apart with a wail, her hips bucking against my mouth, riding my tongue until she's done. When she finally slumps backwards, spent, I pull back, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

Laurie is flushed and panting, her eyes closed. There’s never been a more beautiful sight.

I watch her for a moment, then push myself up onto my feet. I can't help but smile down at her as she recovers, enjoying the look of bliss on her face. I wish I could stay and hold her, but I need to give her some space.

And I'd be lying if I said I don't need a moment, too. It'd be all too easy to crawl into the bed with her and fuck her until she's screaming in pleasure, but one step at a time. My cock is hard as steel, but I'm a grown fucking man. I can wait.

"Laurie," I start, before I lose my grip on my self-control. "I'm going for a run, okay? I'll see you when I get back."

She pushes herself up, still shaky. "You won't stay?"

"We both need some time, I think." I drag my hand through my hair. "This isn't simple."

"I guess you're right," she says, looking away.

"It doesn't change anything. We'll talk when I get back." I grab my discarded shirt off the floor and tug it on as I head for the door. "Have a good afternoon, baby. I'll see you soon."

"Yeah," Laurie murmurs, still not meeting my gaze. "You too."

I step into the hall, shutting the door behind me. My mind is reeling as I try to make sense of what just happened.

Laurie is a woman I've obsessed over for months, but now, she's also my stepsister. And I just ate her pussy.

The thing is, there is a hell of a lot more I want to do to her. I just have to make sure she's on the same page with me about how messy this can possibly get.

I should have been better, should have resisted more, but now that I've had a taste of Laurie Cartwright, I've fallen right back into full-blown addiction.