Hard Bastard(197)
I wanted him so bad. Even in the early morning, hours after I had last touched him, I could still feel his lips lingering against mine and hear his dirty grunts in my ear. He was filthy and borderline insulting, but it only made me so much wetter every time he opened his mouth.
I sighed again, stretched, and climbed out of bed. I went into the bathroom and brushed my teeth and washed my face. I paused outside Cole’s room on the way downstairs but didn’t hear a sound.
It was Sunday morning, and so my father was sitting at the kitchen table drinking black coffee and reading the newspaper.
“Morning,” I said as I poured myself a mug.
“Morning, sweetie,” he said. “How’s it going?”
“Fine.” I sat down at the table across from him and folded my legs underneath me. How would he have felt if he knew about me and Cole? Would he be disappointed, angry?
“What are your plans for today?”
I shrugged, not sure. “Maybe go for a walk or something. Maybe see Lacey.”
“That’s a good idea. Nice day for it.”
“Yeah.” I sipped my coffee.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you . . .” He trailed off and looked away.
“What’s up, Dad?” I asked. He wasn’t usually so bashful.
“Well, I was wondering how things are going between you and Cindy and Cole.”
“Fine, I guess,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “I can’t say I see much of Cindy.”
“And what about Cole?”
“He’s okay. He’s always working out.”
“You were a big advocate for letting him stay.”
“Just didn’t seem right to throw him out,” I mumbled.
“That’s pretty good of you.”
“I guess. He’s family now, right?”
Dad nodded thoughtfully and looked at me for a quiet second before speaking. “I do want this to be a family, you know?”
I felt my heart begin to beat heavy in my chest. Dad wasn’t normally so sentimental or direct about this sort of thing; typically, he just didn’t talk about it. Did he somehow know something about me and Cole? There was no way he’d be so calm about it, but then again, things had been pretty weird lately.
“I understand,” I said slowly.
“Good. So I’d like it if you could do something for me.”
“Sure, Dad. What is it?”
“Have lunch with Cindy.”
I felt a huge weight fall from my shoulders.
“I know you don’t see her much,” he said, continuing, “but I’d love it if you got to know her, just a little bit.”
“Of course,” I said, laughing. “When?”
“Tomorrow?”
“Okay.”
“Great.” He grinned hugely. “That’s a relief.”
I stood up, sipping my coffee. “You know that I want this to work too, right, Dad?”
“Of course I do.”
“Good. Let me know the details later then.”
“Okay.”
I waved and walked off, back toward my room.
For some reason, I felt like I had dodged a bullet even though it was clear that he didn’t know anything about Cole and me. Even better, getting lunch tomorrow with Cindy meant that I’d have an opportunity to snoop around her office.
And an opportunity to confront Madison.
For a second, I considered calling up Lacey and inviting her in on the little scam. But Lacey was busy with her new bartender boyfriend, the same bartender from that Republic thing she had crashed for us. Besides, it might look a little weird if I bought her with me to a lunch with my stepmother.
I stopped outside Cole’s room and knocked. I heard a vague grunt from inside, and so I pushed open the door.
“Morning, Co—” I stopped short.
I stared at him as he turned around and grinned at me. “What’s up?”
He was standing by the window in nothing but a pair of tight black boxer briefs. I could see every bit of his muscles, every bulging spot, and his cock stood outlined by the tight fabric. I quickly looked away, embarrassed, though I wasn’t sure why. He had fucked me just the day before, and yet I felt strange walking in on him.
“Uh, just wanted to talk,” I mumbled.
“So talk,” he said.
“Can you put some clothes on?”
“No, thanks. Why don’t you undress, too?”
“My dad is downstairs.”
“Shut the door then.”
“Come to my room when you’re dressed,” I said and quickly shut the door, walking back to my own room.
I didn’t know why my heart was pounding or why I felt so nervous. Things should have been so much simpler, so much better. I should have gotten him out of my system.
Of course, it didn’t work that way.