CARMEN POV
His phone rang, cutting through the heavy silence in the car.
He exhaled, pulled his hand away from my thigh, and answered the call. The tension in the car remained—like a storm waiting to break.
He didn't speak at first, just listened. Then:
"Okay," he said simply, glancing at me before ending the call.
"That was your mom," he added. "She's not coming home tonight."
I nodded. "Yeah. She called earlier," I murmured, eyes glued to the window. The city lights blurred into streaks of gold and red. My body still trembled. My thoughts raced.
What the hell just happened?
The moment we pulled into the driveway, I practically bolted out of the car. My feet hit the floor hard as I ran upstairs and slammed the door shut behind me.
My heart thundered in my chest.
I snatched up my phone and called Gigi. She answered on the first ring.
"Hey, Gigi," I breathed.
"Babes. Wassup?" she asked, her tone immediately suspicious. "Wait. Don't tell me you did it with him again."
"Almost," I confessed. "He's driving me crazy, G. I can't think straight around him. I keep reliving that night—even in his class."
"Wait, what?" she gasped. "Did you just say class?"
"Yeah… bummer. He's my professor. And he's supposed to drive me to school every morning," I muttered bitterly.
"Carmen, girl… you're stuck," she mumbled.
"I'm thinking of coming back. I can't keep living like this."
"Babe, how will you manage rent, food, everything? Just push through till the semester ends, then move out. Okay?"
I hesitated. "He almost… touched me. In the car."
"Damn, he's bold," she said. Then added with a laugh, "Maybe you two should just sleep together again and get it out of your system."
"Gigi!" I groaned. "He's my stepdad!"
"Technically," she said with a shrug I could practically hear. "Look, I'm not saying it's normal. I'm just saying, clearly, you both want it. Maybe once it happens again, the tension will die down."
"My mom's not coming home tonight."
"Perfect," she teased. "Just kidding. I'm a horrible friend."
I laughed. "No, I needed this talk. I feel better already. I'll call you later, okay?"
"Alright. Love you, slut," she said playfully.
"Love you too, whore," I joked back before hanging up.
I sat in silence for a moment, heart pounding again—but not from panic this time.
What if I did seduce him?
Would he break again?
He was bound to call me for dinner soon, so I quickly headed to the bathroom for a long, hot shower. I toweled off, feeling my skin still tingling from earlier, then pulled out the one thing I shouldn't wear: a sheer, barely-there lingerie set buried in the bottom of my box.
Was it wrong? Probably.
Was I going to wear it anyway?
Absolutely.
I opened my bedroom door just slightly—enough to give a glimpse from the hallway—then lay down on my bed, arching my back and letting one leg fall carelessly off the side, the soft lamplight catching on the fabric.
My fingers trailed down my body, slow, teasing, sinful.
Just thinking of his hands instead of mine…
I bit my lip and closed my eyes. I didn't even realize I was whispering his name until I heard it.
"Carmen."
His voice. Low. Rough. Unmistakable.
I jolted up, my hand flying out from under the lace. My cheeks flamed as I looked up—and saw him standing in my doorway, eyes burning like he could devour me whole.
"H-Hunter," I breathed, heart pounding like a war drum.
He stepped inside and kicked the door shut behind him.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he growled, stalking toward me.
My mouth parted, but no sound came.
"Answer me," he demanded, towering over me now, his body radiating heat and fury.
"I… I was just…"
"Just what?" he snapped. "Touching yourself while thinking about your stepdad?"
His words landed like lightning—hot, dangerous, and impossible to ignore. My breath caught.
He leaned down, so close I could smell the clean spice of his skin, feel his heat sinking into mine.
"You like teasing me, little one?"
I nodded slightly, swallowing the lump in my throat.
He tilted my chin up with one finger. "You're playing with fire."
"Then burn me," I whispered.
The tension cracked—his control snapping.
He was on the bed in an instant, knee sinking into the mattress, grabbing my wrists and pinning them above my head. I gasped as he pressed against me, letting me feel how hard I'd made him.
"You wanted me to see this?" he snarled. "You left the door open on purpose."
"No—I didn't mean—"
"Don't lie to me, Carmen," he cut in, grip tightening. "You were putting on a show."
I shivered. My eyelids fluttered.
"You think you can play games with me?" His lips brushed my neck, then my collarbone, leaving sparks in their wake. "You think I won't ruin you?"
"Then do it," I whispered.
And he did.
He released my wrists only to trail a hot, possessive hand down my chest, over the sheer lace covering my breasts. My nipples throbbed under the fabric, begging for his touch.
"I told you not to test me," he murmured, cupping me, squeezing hard enough to make my hips buck. "Now you'll learn what happens when you disobey."
I moaned as my thighs parted on instinct, aching for more. My body was shameless—needy.
His fingers slid between my legs, stroking me through the soaked lace, slow and punishing.
"Dripping for your stepdad, huh?" he growled. "You're filthier than I thought."
"Hunter—please," I gasped, nearly delirious.
He didn't respond with words.
He tore the lingerie apart—ripped it right down the middle like it was tissue paper.
"You won't need this again," he muttered, throwing the scraps to the floor.
He spread my legs wide and lowered his mouth.
"You want to play with fire, little one?" he whispered, his breath teasing over my core. "Let me show you what it means to burn."
Then I felt his fingers—two of them sliding inside me, curling, hitting all the right places.
My back arched as pleasure crashed over me like a tidal wave.
"Hunter!" I cried out, clutching the sheets.
"You'll take everything I give you," he growled, voice rough and unforgiving. "And when I'm done, you'll still beg for my cock.