My Stepmother's Secret Affair

her for

icked against marble like she was reminding the walls she was in charge now. Her perfume lingered in rooms l

n't feel like

age. And Celeste?

orkouts, business meetings at my office that

nting fo

fail

under my skin. And her body-wrapped in silk, shadowed in candlelight

On the novelty of temptation.

he already owned me. Like she'd claimed

want to burn the

th day, she

whiskey and a report I had no intentio

pped inside

ss. No bra. Red

ding me," sh

. "Maybe I just

eliberate steps, each one loude

you'd calm down. That you'd understand wha

chen and offered me your body like a bribe?" I looked up,

. "And yet... you didn

ing behind me. "Don't co

t confused. You want me. You h

to

N

ould smell the expensive vanilla on her

ven love him

r said

the hell would

Because I'm very good at pretending.

disgu

ftly. "No. I f

she gasped, her back hittin

ed he

a dangerous ga

t play.

nk you'l

ready

not some irresistible goddess, Celeste. You're

all me whatever you want.

have slammed the door and told my fa

d dropped

a

didn't

adrenaline. That I lost co

truth wa

nted

ted myse

gether that night.

against my mouth like she'd been starving. And when I final

e back," sh

n't a

I

as in the guest h

burner phone. Just a

outh Wing.

have de

I memor

to confront her. To e

lace, barefoot, lying across the velvet chaise

locked

no longer a secret

with m

rned the sound of her moan. I hated the messages she left in my jacket pocket, the whispers at the

ed it

enough

the night ever

charity events, where old money shook hands

arrive

s slit to her thigh. Hair

the room lo

only loo

hrough his third scotch, schmoozing with a judge

h the crowd like she

n she v

ter, I got

414

yself no

nt a

led like her-vanilla

e window, city lights b

e door,"

di

something was di

ust. Not j

eyes I hadn'

this?"

er drink. "T

e endi

, slowly. "I'm givin

I don't

we bot

touched

st about sex anymore. Yo

st, not hard. But

re you

flickering in her gaze. "

s. No more game

hesi

r father for money,

en

like the words c

because I was tryi

nd bl

ha

m. I followed your company. Your pre

re in

ife to find a way to you. I just didn

t her, bre

lanned

odded

er about love

N

lt s

a man just to g

e never deserved you. H

's that?"

as dark

nto hers before I

esperate. Nothing made sense except her mouth, her skin, the

me, it wasn

s obs

't going to

ight, someth

topped pr

ather was in the same room. She wore the perfume I liked. Wh

d to e

ic

ays found a

I le

h was-I wanted t

lize I was the o

my father called

ining room, pale and co

to him, looking d

up the e

said. His voice w

oked

he look

. For Room 414. Your

art s

face did

e. "Do you wan

mouth. Nothi

stepped

ain," she

oked at me-

he'd j