take your mother and sister back to the hotel and then out to the house, then he’ll come back and get you.” Zack looks around, then points somewhere over my shoulder. I turn and see Jai standing there, sitting on the bench that I was going to sit on before he accosted me. “My son and I are going to drive out together—have a little father son bonding time. So don’t you worry about it, Emma, okay? Your mother’s told me what a considerate young lady you can be, and while that’s a notable quality, I want you to just relax and enjoy the festivities over the next few days. Sound like a good deal?”
Everyone in our little group, it seems, has stopped and is watching this exchange. I feel like I’m in school and the teacher has just called on me and I don’t know the answer to the question.
“Sure,” I mumble. “But I’ll take a cab back to my apartment. It’s really no big deal.”
“Okay, suit yourself,” Zack says. From behind him, I see Jai watching me. He catches my eye, but I turn away. I just want this night to be over with.
Chapter Ten
Jai
Ah, isn’t life funny? What are the chances that I’d meet a girl online—in L.A., of all places—hook up with her, have some of the best sex of my life—and that is actually saying something—only to find out a mere twelve hours later that she is going to be my stepsister.
This is what I’m thinking about as we drive out to the lake house, Dad yammering away about something that I’m not really paying any attention to. Because I’ve now found myself in somewhat of a predicament, though really, I could give a toss about labels, about taboos. So what if she’s going to be my stepsister? It’s not like we were raised together from young childhood—we’re two adults, whose two parents happen to be fucking and have decided to officiate it by getting married. Big fucking deal.
But Emma cares, I can tell. These sorts of things usually bother girls more. They can’t help but think about what their friends or family are going to say, what other people are going to think about them, what this says about their character and moral compass and all that shit. A guy—so long as the girl’s hot enough to get his dick hard, none of that other shit really matters.
And Emma’s definitely hot enough to get my dick hard. I think about pressing my mouth against her neck, how hot her skin felt against my lips, the tantalizing way she smelled. The way her body stiffened against me, and I could feel the sizzling energy, how part of her wanted it so badly, how another part of her was vehement that she flat out reject me.
That latter part won out this time, but I have my doubts as to whether it will win out next time.
If there is a next time.
It’s been a while since I was last at Dad’s lake house, and to be coming here with his wedding entourage is a bit surreal. The place is big enough that if Emma wanted to avoid me, she could. Even when the wedding entourage leaves and it’s just the “family,” relaxing and getting to know each other, as Dad put it, if Emma really wants to keep the distance between us, she’ll be able to.
“I’ve got something of a surprise for you,” Dad says as we zoom down the freeway.
“Oh boy,” I say. “The last time you started a sentence off with that, you informed me you were getting married.”
He chuckles. “Is that how I started it off? Well, this surprise isn’t quite as big as that one, but I think you’ll like it.”
“Is it something at the house?”
“Well . . . yes. But not yet. Give it a few
Tim Powers
Travis Thrasher
Jacqueline Carey
L. Sprague deCamp
S.K. Benton
Cassandra Clare
Sabrina Paige
James Swain
Chris Lynch
Travis Simmons