Chapter 1
Kayla lounged on the couch, scrolling through her phone as she idly chewed on one of her braids. The door creaked open, announcing her stepdad’s return. His eyes found hers and she offered a mock-innocent glance before muttering just loud enough for him to hear—
“Ugh… Dad energy.”
A beat passed where the air between them crackled like a live wire—too charged for indifference now. He froze in place: tie loosened at his throat, sleeves rolled up to reveal forearms still dusted with leftover office tension from work hours gone by already too long without seeing her.
Then he took one slow step forward; not angry yet but edged into territory that made pulse jump behind ribs anyway... “Problem?” That deep voice sent heat pooling low in stomach despite herself because why did it always sound like warning wrapped around command?
She kicked off another shoe defiantly (*thud*) while stretching out further across cushions until thigh brushed against knee if moved wrong—or right depending how you looked at things lately-- *“Nope.“* Liar liar pants were burning now even though words came easy once started down this path they both knew led nowhere good but oh god did part of brain scream keep going?!
He set aside his jacket slowly, each motion so deliberate it felt designed to send adrenaline spiking higher. His gaze darkened as he crossed to the couch and sat close enough that breath ghosted over skin, body heat radiating like open flame.
“I don’t need that smart mouth when all I’ve done is come home,” he said, tone low enough that heat flooded her chest anyway.
She shifted to face him directly, trying to keep expression neutral and not show effect. “Maybe it was a compliment,” Kayla replied evenly.
He raised one eyebrow again, clearly not buying into her act. “Oh, so now I’m supposed to believe you were *complimenting* me?”
She leaned back nonchalantly, trying for nonchalance that didn’t quite reach eyes: *God, why did he have to be so damn good-looking?* “Just stating the obvious.”
The tension in the room was so thick it was almost suffocating, yet neither of them looked away from the other. They were locked in this unspoken game as surely as any staring contest.
His eyes flickered downward for a moment, then back up more slowly—a silent challenge to break silence first. Her pulse skipped in throat. “You gonna keep staring at me?” she blurted out without thinking.
An amused smirk tugged the corners of his mouth. “And what if I do?”
Those three words sent another thrill down spine. Suddenly it was about who blinked first all over again: she *refused* to be the one to look away.
She shrugged one shoulder nonchalantly. “Wouldn’t bother me.” Lie.
His chuckle rumbled in chest, low and dark. “Liar.”
His tone alone was enough to send heat licking up spine, pooling too low for comfort despite herself. She shifted slightly, trying to ignore the way pulse leaped in throat. *Was it that obvious?*
“Don’t.” His hand landed suddenly against the side of her neck, not enough force to be threatening, just enough pressure to hold her in place. Kayla froze—partly from surprise, partly because her body seemed determined to respond to his touch in all wrong ways.
The sound of her labored breaths echoed between them like a traitorous confession.
“You’re not very good at lying,” he murmured, thumb tracing her pulse point.
Her breath hitched in throat as calloused thumb brushed skin, setting nerve endings alight. It took every bit of self-control not to arch into touch, to give in too easily to urges she couldn’t allow herself to want.
“I’m great at lying,” she protested weakly, hating how voice cracked at the end.
“Your heart rate is giving you away.” His mouth curved in slight smirk—the kind that said he knew exactly what his touch did to her.
Her pulse fluttered beneath his touch like a trapped bird trying desperately to escape. She could feel heat radiating off her cheeks now too. Damnit. She hated how easily her body betrayed her every time he was near...
“See?” He moved his hand to cup jaw instead, tipping her chin up to meet his gaze directly. Her heart rate spiked as their eyes met again, his expression filled with a mix of intensity and something she couldn’t quite place.
“You’re terrible at hiding how you react.”
Her breath came faster now, shallow. “And what if I am?”
A beat passed—too long for comfort before his smirk deepened and thumb pressed harder against her bottom lip in silent warning: *Careful.*
“You’ll find out exactly how bad of an idea that is.”
She should’ve pulled away.
Instead, Kayla bit down on his thumb—just hard enough to sting but not truly hurt—and watched with satisfaction as his eyes darkened further. The air between them crackled like live wire now; one wrong move and there’d be no going back from whatever this was becoming...
He didn’t flinch though just held her tighter for a second before growling low in throat: “You really wanna play that game?”
A thrill went through her at his tone. Part fear, part... something else.
She shrugged one shoulder nonchalantly, trying not to betray nerves even as pulse skipped in throat again. “You started it,” Kayla said casually.
His lip curled up in slight sneer. “And now I’m going to finish it,” he replied, grip tightening around her jaw.
