“These are really all yours?” she asks and I nod again.
“Sure are.”
She smiles sunnily.
“I’ve just never seen so many books in a private library before. This is insane. Have you read them all?”
It’s a fair question, but it makes me laugh anyways. “No, of course not. There are far too many for that, and you won’t find me perusing the Bible on a day to day basis either, although I have read quite a few gospels,” I say, pointing to the display in the center of the room.
Selena nods and giggles. “Yeah, you’ve really knocked it out of the park when it comes to high culture. A Bible? Wow, that’s impressive.” Then she shoots me a rueful glance. “To be honest, I only have a few books and most of them are just dumb mysteries. As well as romances. I read romances with Fabio on the cover,” she adds with a mischievous smile.
Aw, I think. That’s almost cute.
“Well, there are lots of books in here, although no romances I’m afraid. Feel free to browse, and to borrow whatever you like. Just don’t spoil the ending for me because I plan to get around to reading them all. Eventually, that is,” I jest.
She grins. “I’ll set the best ones aside for you, Mr. Quinn, and I promise: no spoilers,” she says with a mischievous grin, miming zipping up her lips and then throwing away the key.
And there you have it. The gorgeous Selena is back in my life, and although I don’t know it yet, both of us will be changed forever.
2
Clancy
* * *
What the fuck is going on? I’m supposed to be working, and indeed, I’m sitting in my home office with my laptop in front of me, pretending to read documents. But instead, I can’t stop looking out the window where Selena’s sunning herself on the terrace. She’s gorgeous, lush, and clad in the tiniest bikini. She’s any man’s wet dream, and unfortunately, that includes me.
But when did my stepdaughter become such an exhibitionist? Granted, she’s doing nothing wrong. She’s merely catching rays on a beautiful, gloriously bright day, but still. What the fuck! Doesn’t she know I’m trying to work? Even more, what happened to that shy, reserved girl who appeared on my doorstep a week ago? It seems the real Selena has burst free, and now I have this lush, nearly-nude woman on my hands. Fuck me.
My cock twitches and I curse myself before reaching down to adjust my pants. Damnit, if Rochelle knew I was staring at her daughter like this, she’d turn over in her grave. It’s inappropriate to say the least. After all, Selena only turned to me because she had nowhere else to go, and she’s trusting me the way a daughter trusts her father. I feel as if I should be more paternal, but I don’t have a paternal gene in my body. Fuck, I barely knew her when she was young, and we never got a chance to get to know one another. Maybe it was my fault for packing her off to school for so long, but that doesn’t solve my problem now. She’s my stepdaughter, for God’s sake.
Well, my ex-stepdaughter, more accurately. Is that even a thing? What do you call a girl whose mother is your deceased wife? Rochelle and I are no longer married, so I guess ex-stepdaughter’s the closest term there is for it.
Trying to sort out that whole convoluted mess makes me feel irritated, so I shake my head to clear the frustration. All I know is that I would have to be a blind man not to be attracted to Selena, so I try not to beat myself up too much about it. Furtively, I glance out onto the terrace again from the corner of my eye. The sassy woman’s long legs are splayed out over the poolside chair, and the little yellow bikini she’s wearing barely covers her large breasts. I can see those creamy orbs leaking from the sides and bottom of the fabric, and my cock grows hard again as I groan.
Damn it. I need to get her out of my apartment as soon as possible.
I decide that the best way to expedite her departure is to help her find a job, so slamming my laptop shut, I stand before adjusting my jeans once more. Good thing the denim is loose because my boner’s only at half mast, but it could probably kill an alligator anyways. Then, with a disgusted sigh, I open the glass door to the terrace and stride out.
Selena hears the door close and turns her head to gaze at me through big, dark sunglasses.
“Hi Clancy,” she says in a startled voice, lifting her hand in a slight wave. “I didn’t even realize you were home.”
That’s true because we’ve barely run into each other the past week. I’ve been working late nights, so the pretty woman’s had the penthouse to herself. I hope she’s been sending her resume out.