Desired By My Alpha Stepfather

Take out

Nina

I blinked, momentarily blinded, before my eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness.  But Vince was gone. The doorway, just moments ago occupied by his imposing figure, was now empty. Had I imagined the whole thing?

My breath hitched, shaky and uneven. What was going on?  Vince showing up unannounced, shrouded in darkness... it was all so strange, so unnerving.

Then, another voice sliced through the silence.  It wasn't Vince's voice.  This was different, deeper, a voice I didn't recognize.  It sent a cold fear through me.  "You shouldn't even think about being with anyone else, Nina. Much less that guy from the store."

My hand flew to my mouth, stifling a gasp.  The voice sent chills... cold chills through me.  This was different, deeper, a voice I didn't recognize.  My eyes darted around the room, searching for the source, but there was no one there.  Just me, alone in the room..

My legs felt like jelly, threatening to buckle beneath me.  Terror coiled in my gut, a cold, slithering serpent.  Was I losing my mind?  Were these hallucinations?  Or was something far more dangerous at play?  Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision.

I stumbled backwards, desperate to put some distance between myself and the unseen voice.  My back hit the wall with a thud, the coolness seeping through the towel a grounding sensation in the face of the mounting terror.  Taking a shuddering breath, I forced myself to focus.  Think, Nina, think!  I had to get out of here, away from whatever unseen spirit was toying with me.  With trembling hands, I fumbled for my phone on the nightstand, my eyes scanning the room for any sign of a threat.

But the absence of sound didn't lessen the fear that was feeding on me.  Finally, my fingers grasped the cool metal of my phone.  With shaking hands, I dialed the first number that came to mind – Mom.  The phone rang, once, twice... then voicemail picked up.

"Hey, this is Sarah. Leave a message and I'll get back to you soon..."  My voice cracked on the last word.  I needed help.  And I needed it fast.


****

I ended up not calling mom.

The whoosh of the ceiling fan mocked my attempts to find peace. My head spun in my head like a runaway washing machine. Sleep, when it finally came, wasn't an escape, but torture itself.

I found myself back in my childhood bedroom, the walls plastered with faded unicorn posters that somehow felt comforting. My mom was strangely absent. A note scrawled in her loopy handwriting on the fridge explained a weekend getaway with a "friend." Kai was on a school field trip. The house was strangely quiet.

Suddenly, a knock on my door startled me awake within the dream. Sitting up, I saw the familiar face of Vince through the frosted glass. He wasn't in his usual leather jacket, but a simple white t-shirt that clung to his broad frame.

"Nina," his voice came through the door, a low murmur. "Can I come in?"

I was warred by the pull towards him. It was something I couldn't explain. "Why?" I whispered, my voice barely above a squeak.

The knob turned, the door creaking open a bit. Vince peeked in, his eyes searching mine. "Just... talking," he mumbled, the words lacking conviction even in this escape.

Hesitantly, I nodded. The door swung open wider, revealing Vince in all his brooding glory. He stepped inside, closing the door softly behind him.

"What's going on, Vince?" I managed, my voice barely a whisper.

He took a step closer, the space between us shrinking. I found myself unable to look away.

"Nina," he started, his voice husky, "this can't happen."

"Can't happen?" I echoed, confused.

He reached out, his hand gently cupping my cheek. The touch sent a shiver down my spine. "This," he breathed, his thumb tracing the curve of my cheekbone.  "We can't do this."

My heart slammed against my ribs. "Do what?" I stammered, barely a breath.

He leaned in closer, the gap between our lips closing with agonizing slowness. "This," he murmured again, his lips brushing against mine in a feather-light touch.

The kiss was every bit of forbidden. Logic fled my mind, and all I wanted was to be under him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer.  The kiss deepened, desperate and hungry.

This was more than just a simple kiss.

I felt the pressure of his knee against my thigh. Goddess knew that I tried to ignore the gesture, but it was almost too impossible.

I had exhausted every atom of restraint in me, and so I relented, my fingers tangling in his hair as I drew him closer. I grazed my teeth against his lower lip before slipping my tongue into his mouth.

His response was almost too quick, his body coming alive under my touch. I pressed against him, his back meeting the bed.

I felt his hands grip my thighs, holding me close as I lost myself our kiss.

His his touch traveled down my body, I couldn't help but whimper, my hips moving eagerly to meet his. He slipped his finger inside me. I followed his movements, syncing our actions together.

The pressure grew even higher. He cupped his hand to stimulate my pearl, and I moaned in response, pressing into his touch. As I rolled my hips faster, my own rhythm faltered for the first time.

"Like this," he instructed, guiding my hand along his length. We moved together in a steady rhythm, our eyes locked. The pleasure  my eyelids fluttered closed.

"Vince," I gasped. His head fell back on the pillow as he increased the pace, driving us both towards climax. With a cry, I reached the peak of pleasure, my muscles clenching around his finger. And in that moment, his own release washed over him, sending waves of bliss coursing through us both.

He didn't hesitate, quickly moving between my legs and spreading them wide. By the time he positioned himself at my entrance, I yearned to be filled.

"You're so wet," he groaned as he pushed forward. "So wet and so tight."

It was overwhelming, a bit of pleasure and pain that left me breathless. His body pressed against me, his chest firm against my breasts.

As our clothes began to disappear, a voice echoed in the room. "Nina! What are you doing?"

I jolted upright in bed, gasping for breath.  Sweat slicked my skin, the sheets tangled around my legs.  My heart pounded against my ribs, the dream scene still vivid in my mind.  It was just a dream, a stupid, confusing dream.  But the heat on my skin and the taste of Vince's kiss felt all too real.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I wrapped my arms around my knees, trying to make sense of the jumble of thoughts churning inside me.  I barely knew Vince, and yet, in my dream, we had been all over each other, even inside each other.

But before I could process the jumble in my head, a knock on my door jolted me back to reality.  "Nina? You awake?" It was Kai's voice.

My cheeks burned with a heat that had nothing to do with sleep. I felt ashamed. How could I have dreamt of... Vince?  And of all places, in my childhood bedroom?  I scrambled to clear the remnants of the dream from my mind, the memory of my leaving me flustered.

"Yeah, come in," I called out, my voice hoarse. 

The door creaked open and Kai peeked in, his brow furrowed. "Mom needs you downstairs. Something about a leak in the basement."

"Y-yeah," I stammered, my voice hoarse.  How much time had passed?  Had the entire dream unfolded while Kai was standing outside my door?  The thought made me want to crawl under the bed and hide until the next full moon.

The doorknob rattled, and Kai pushed the door open.  He peeked in, a mischievous glint in his eyes.  "Woah, seems like someone had a wild night," he said, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

"What? No!" I sputtered, my cheeks burning brighter than a Lagos sunset.  "I... I just had a bad dream, that's all."  The lie tasted like ashes in my mouth, but I couldn't bring myself to confess to the bizarre, and frankly, inappropriate nature of the dream, especially not to Kai.

Kai raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.  "Uh-huh," he said, dragging out the sound.  "Sure you did. Because moaning in your sleep like a lovesick kitten usually screams nightmare, right?"

My jaw clenched.  There it was – the telltale evidence.  The one sound that confirmed my worst fears – Kai had heard me.  Shame threatened to drown me whole.

"Kai! It wasn't like that!" I protested, my voice rising a notch higher.

He chuckled, a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine – not in a good way this time.  "Relax, I'm just messing with you," he said, holding up his hands in surrender.  "Though, if you ever need someone to, you know, take care of that..."  He trailed off, his gaze flickering down my body in a way that made my skin crawl.  "Just saying, your brother's always happy to help out a damsel in distress... especially one who sounds so enthusiastic about it."

My mouth fell open in a silent scream.  The audacity of the boy!  Here I was, mortified beyond belief, and he was using the whole thing as a twisted pick-up line? 

The scene that followed played out exactly as it had in the dream – Kai's teasing, my embarrassing protests, his infuriating suggestion that he could "take care of" my needs.  Finally, with smoke practically pouring from my ears, I roared at him to get out.

"Get out, Kai!" I roared.  "Now!"

A slow smile spread across his face.  "Alright, alright," he said, raising his hands in surrender once more.  "Just thought I'd offer. You never know, maybe your dream wasn't entirely a dream."  With a wink that did little to improve my mood, he turned and sauntered away, leaving me fuming in my bed.

I threw on some clothes, the image of Vince in my dream clinging to me like a bad smell. 

I strutted downstairs. Downstairs, I expected to find Mom freaking out about a basement leak, but the house was strangely quiet.  Kai was sprawled on the couch, a half-eaten bag of chips abandoned on the coffee table.

"Where's Mom?" I demanded, my eyes narrowing.

Kai didn't even bother to look up.  He flicked a stray chip at me with a flick of his wrist.

"Dunno, kiddo.  Probably drowning her sorrows in some overpriced wine bar, just like she always does after one of your little tantrums."

My blood ran cold.  The "leak" was a lie. It was a joke designed to manipulate me. 

"Don't play dumb, Kai," I hissed, the anger threatening to boil over.  "What do you want?"

A slow, predatory smile spread across his face, sending shivers down my spine.  "Well, well, well," he drawled,  "Look who decided to finally crawl out of bed.  Seems like someone's stomach finally remembered it needs feeding."

He gestured towards the empty space beside him with a chipped, painted nail.  "Come on, little sis.  Surely you wouldn't leave your dear old brother to fend for himself, would you?  A king deserves a proper breakfast, wouldn't you agree?"

He used me for everything – cooking, cleaning, his own twisted entertainment.  And Mom?  Leaving me at his mercy, probably relieved.  The whole situation felt like a carefully constructed web, suffocating me with its lies.

I started to turn back towards the stairs, a plan forming in my mind. 

"Actually," I said, my voice surprisingly calm compared to the anger raging inside, "I think I'll pass on breakfast duty today.  Fresh air sounds much more appealing right now."

Kai's eyes narrowed, the amusement in them replaced by something dangerous.  "Fresh air? Don't be ridiculous, Nina.  The only thing out there at this hour is trouble, and trust me, you wouldn't know how to handle it."

I met his gaze head-on. 

"Maybe I am, Kai," I said, my voice tight.  "Maybe I'm tired of being your pathetic little servant.  Maybe I want something more than this miserable routine you've trapped me in."

He scoffed a derisive sound. "More?  Like what?  Running away into the night like some lost puppy?  Grow up, Nina.  The world isn't some magical wonderland waiting to welcome you with open arms.  You're nothing but a burden, just like mom says."

The words struck me like a blow, the air itself seeming to thin around me. 

"Maybe not," I conceded, my voice a low growl.  "But at least it's not this suffocating cage you've built for me.  Look, Kai," I continued, "I'm not going skydiving or anything.  But a walk wouldn't hurt.  Besides," I added, a dangerous glint in my eyes as I glanced towards the stairs, "if you're so desperate for breakfast, you could always tag along.  Maybe the fresh air will clear your head... of all the lies you've been feeding me."

"Lies?  Don't you dare turn this on me!  You're the weak one, Nina.  The one who can't handle reality!"

"Maybe," I said.  "But honestly, the thought of another cereal breakfast with you is enough to make anyone crazy.  So, are you coming or not, Kai?"

Finally, with a defeated snarl, Kai pushed himself up from the couch.

"Fine," he spat.  "But I'm only helping with the eggs. Then, I'm out. You do the rest. And you're on dish duty for a month.  And don't even think about trying any more of your pathetic little escapes."

That wasn't such a fair bargain, but at least he offered to help with something.

"Deal," I agreed, grabbing a carton of eggs from the fridge.

****

The acrid tang of burnt something – no, not something, everything – filled the air as I slammed a lopsided plate down in front of Kai.

"Voila!" I declared, a sickly amount of cheer in my voice that couldn't quite mask the monstrosity I'd created.  This "scrambled egg surprise" resembled a curdled alien life form more than a breakfast dish.

Kai was sprawled on the couch with his phone glued to his hand. He didn't even look up. "What's this supposed to be, some kind of science experiment gone wrong?"

"Breakfast!" I chirped, the forced enthusiasm in my voice cracking slightly. "I found this amazing new recipe online. It's, uh, supposed to be a protein powerhouse."

"Looks more like a protein graveyard," he muttered, finally flicking his gaze to the plate. "Did you, by any chance, follow the recipe? Or did you just wing it with whatever questionable ingredients you found in the back of the cupboard?"

My cheeks burned. The "questionable ingredients" were spices.

"Maybe a little of both," I mumbled, avoiding his gaze that seemed to burn holes right through the questionable dish.

Kai threw his head back and let out a barking laugh,
. "A little of both, huh? Looks more like you dumped the entire spice rack in there, and then forgot about it on the stove for an hour."  He shoved the plate back towards me with a grimace.  "Honestly, Nina, even a week-old gas station burrito would be more appealing than this... hell hole of a dish."

That's it! I was starting to get furious. Starting? I was full-blown furious.

"Maybe if you're such a gourmet garbage, you can just order takeout for yourself, like you always do!" I spat.  Maybe a little too loudly, because his words had hurt me that much.

A slow, malicious smile spread across Kai's face. "Maybe I will," he drawled, "At least then I wouldn't have to worry about gagging down some mystery concoction cooked by a kitchen barbarian." 
His eyes flicked to his phone.  "Besides, Sue might be bringing me something delicious for breakfast. Unlike some people around here. And who knows, I might just choose to have her for breakfast." He huffed.

Sue. Of course, it had to be Sue. I had spent my time cooking, trying to prove myself, to show him I wasn't just some helpless little girl, and he was probably already planning his next meal with his precious darling Sue. 

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, blurring the already unappetizing image of the "scrambled egg surprise."  This whole "cooking for Kai" idea had been a colossal disaster.  I shoved the plate away, the smell of burnt spices suddenly suffocating. 

Maybe takeout wasn't such a bad idea after all. At least then I wouldn't have to deal with Kai's scathing comment.