My Stepmom's Boyfriend Page 8

  “What the fuck did you do?” I growl.

  “Nothing!” she protests. “I just told her the truth. That you and I are in a sexual relationship, but that I had to step away for a bit. So I gave you permission to use my stepdaughter’s body to satisfy your physical needs. After all, a virile man like you can’t be celibate for too long. Sating yourself in my daughter was the best solution while I was unavailable.”

  I stare at her, gaping. Where the fuck is this coming from? But at Fiona’s words, Cait lets out another wail, burying her head in her arms. I turn to the whippet-thin woman with fury in my eyes.

  “No Fiona, that’s not true at all. We slept together once! That was ages ago! We’re nothing to one another!”

  “Nothing?” Fiona pretends innocence. “Then why are you making a fifty thousand-dollar investment in my business? Where is that money coming from?”

  “Fifty thousand dollars?” Cait whispers from my left. “Oh my god, you’ve been with her all this time? You believe in her business, and not in mine?”

  With that, she collapses on the floor, and I rush over to pick up the curvy girl. After all, she’s been tossed into a bed of lies, and it’s time to make things right.

  I place Cait gently on the sitting room couch where she slowly revives. Meanwhile, Fiona is scrutinizing my interior décor, frowning at a vase here while gently running her thumb and forefinger over the mantelpiece.

  “There’s dust,” she says matter of factly. “I’ll have to speak with the housekeeper.”

  I glare at her.

  “I’ll speak with the housekeeper because I’m in charge. You don’t live here, Fiona. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

  Cait sits up a bit, still groggy from passing out.

  “Oh,” she says in a low tone, pressing a hand to her head. “It hurts.”

  “Caity,” I say, rushing over to take her hand in my own. “Don’t believe a word this woman says. Yes, I met Fiona a while back at some business event. Yes, we had a drunken interlude and I slept with her. It wasn’t my proudest moment, and I couldn’t even remember her name afterwards. It was only until she called me out of the blue, begging for an investment in her company that I sort of remembered who she was.”

  Caity bows her head.

  “But why does she think you’re her boyfriend?” is her agonized whisper.

  I shake my head.

  “For no reason! I’ve done nothing, absolutely nothing, to make her think that.”

  “Except buy me this dress,” Fiona sings from over by the mantelpiece while fingering the pink material. I shoot her a harsh look.

  “Fine. Your stepmother was attempting to blackmail me,” I say in a tight voice. “She was going to raise a ruckus about that night we spent together, and report me to my company’s board for mixing business with pleasure. But you know what? Fuck you, Fiona. You’re a grown woman. We weren’t on company time, and I owe you nothing. Your blackmail claims were bullshit, and always have been. I gave you that money to make you go away more than anything. But that stops now.”

  “You gave her money?” Cait whispers, her face going white.

  “Yep, fifty thousand dollars!” Fiona sings merrily. “That’s not nothing by a long shot!”

  My beautiful girl’s face falls.

  ‘That’s why you didn’t make the investment in my company, isn’t it? Because you gave the money to my stepmother instead,” she says in a slow voice.

  At this, I sit back on my heels for a moment.

  “Cait, the fifty thousand I’m going to invest in Get Pressed has nothing to do with the fifty thousand I gave to your stepmother. These two things are unrelated.”

  “But it’s for the same amount,” she says, her face resolute. She won’t look me in the eye, and there are two spots of red on her cheeks.

  “Yes, but that’s just a coincidence!” I say. “Honey, fifty thousand is nothing to me. I could write you a check right now for fifty thou and it would clear just fine. I could write ten checks for fifty thousand each, and it wouldn’t matter. The money is nothing to me.”

  At that, Fiona chimes in again.

  “Except you’re using the money to pay for her body,” she smirks. “Let’s not leave that out.”

  With that, I lose it. I stand up in anger, and begin to advance on the scrawny woman.

  “Get out!” I roar. “Get the fuck out, and never come back, bitch!”

  Fiona laughs merrily, not at all bothered, but at least she sashays towards the exit.

  “Bye you two!” she sings merrily. “Mommy loves you, Caity! Just call me after this is over. I’m sure you understand that you were nothing but dust under my heel all along!”

  Then she disappears in a waft of sour-smelling perfume, and Cait and I look at one another. My beautiful girl is pale, and her hand is pressed to her belly, as if protecting it.

  “Cait,” I say, getting down on one knee again. “You have to believe me. This is not a scheme hatched by me and Fiona, no matter what you think. Yes, I slept with your stepmother that once, but that was before I even met you. Please, sweetheart. You have to believe me.”

  Cait is silent, looking fixedly at her hands. Then she lifts her head and stares at me with expressionless eyes.

  “Did Fiona tell you to come out with Buster that day? Did she tell you that I was wandering around your neighborhood?”

  Oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit. I decide I have to be honest because I love this woman, and the more lies I tell, the less likely I’ll be able to save this relationship.

  “Yes, she did,” I admit. “I decided to go for a walk with Buster to find you.”

  “But how did Fiona know I was there?”

  “I don’t know,” I say slowly. “It was likely just a good guess. She might have been spying on you from afar. But Buster and I wandered around for a good forty minutes in the neighborhood before we stumbled upon you.”

  Cait is silent, her eyes bright even though she still refuses to meet my gaze.

  “But why did you go out to find me that day?”

  Oh shit. This is where the story gets even worse.

  “Because sweetheart, Fiona was already in the middle of her blackmail scheme. I was only listening with half an ear as she ranted and raved about how “I owed her,” but when she mentioned that a luscious, gorgeous, teenage girl was wandering around my neighborhood homeless, I took the bait. I came out to find you without having a plan, and then this happened,” I say. “I have no excuse. I wasn’t thinking straight, and that’s on me. Because after our first meeting, suddenly Fiona’s bullshit didn’t matter anymore. I just wanted you, and if I had to pay her some fake hush money, it was no skin off my nose.”

  The gorgeous girl shakes her head.

  “I’m so confused by this turn of events. Was there blackmail or not?”

  I take a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady.

  “There was, but it wasn’t real,” I say. “It’s hard to explain the chain of events in any coherent way. But suffice to say, a woman I slept with came calling. She wanted to blackmail me, and she wanted to entrap me too. She happened to mention that a very beautiful girl was in my neighborhood, and I went out to investigate. Then, all bets were off. I met you, and suddenly, I didn’t even care about the blackmail anymore. Let Fiona get her rocks off. Let her have her fifty thousand dollars because it’s nothing to me. You are what matters.”

  Cait goes pale.

  “Am I, Travis? Are you sure?”

  “Yes,” I say fervently, taking her hands in my own. “I love you more than anything, Caity. I’ve been such a fucking fool all this time, emphasizing how this is nothing but a transaction, but in fact, that’s not true at all,” I say fiercely. “I’ve fallen in love with you, and only you.”

  She begins to cry.

  “So I’m not going to be pregnant and homeless?”

  “Of course not. Wait, what did you say?”

  Caity cries harder because emotions have gotten the better of both of us n
ow.

  “I’m pregnant, Travis. I’m expecting your child. I just found out, and you know we used protection every time, but contraception is imperfect.”

  I gather her close to me, one big hand resting on the small swell of her belly.

  “You’re pregnant, Caitlin? I’m going to be a daddy?” I ask in a stunned voice.

  “Yes Travis,” she sobs into my throat. “And I love you too.”

  Suddenly, my heart shudders and I claim Cait’s mouth with my own. After all, this is what I needed to hear. After this incredible clusterfuck, now the clouds have cleared and suddenly nothing matters anymore. I love this woman, she loves me, and we’re expecting a baby together.

  “I’ll make this right,” I promise in a hoarse voice. “I’m sorry this ever happened. I adore you, Caity. More than life itself, and I adore this child too.”

  With that, she throws her arms around my neck, sobbing with laughter and tears because my words have hit the mark. I love this woman more than I’ve ever loved anybody, and with her and the baby, I’ll be happy for life.

  Epilogue

  Caitlin

  * * *

  Two years later.

  Travis kisses the top of my head.

  “Stop fussing over the cake. Peony’s two. She won’t notice if the cake isn’t perfect.”

  I laugh. Travis is right, of course, but I can’t help it. The perfectionist in me wants our daughter’s second birthday cake to be amazing because what if Peony remembers this day? What if she remembers having an awful cake that was lopsided with gunky frosting? I could never live with myself.

  Meanwhile, my little girl reaches for the pastry from her daddy’s arms.

  “Not yet, sweet pea. We have to wait for Auntie Cammie to get here.”

  “Cam!” she mouths happily. “Cam-Cam!” We both laugh because Peony loves her godmother, even if she can’t speak yet. Our daughter’s face always goes bright upon seeing Cammie, eager for attention. Plus, Peony has been developing her vocabulary a lot over the last few months. She can almost make full sentences, although she prefers to randomly shout out whichever word she likes best.

  Then, my daughter buries her face in Travis’s shirt. He’s wearing one of my designs today, and it looks flawless. It’s made from upcycled denim, and the material is a worn-in, faded blue, emphasizing his hard chest and bulging muscles. I’m glad Get Pressed has been doing well because I consider it my second baby, after Peony.

  But the path hasn’t been easy. After the confrontation with Fiona, Travis had a restraining order taken out against my ex-stepmother. She is no longer permitted to be within a hundred feet of me, Travis, or our child. He let her keep the fifty thousand he’d already paid, but wouldn’t fork over any more cash. After all, it was never hush money to begin with. He just wanted her out of his hair as he got to know me.

  But now, Travis and I are together, and he has our daughter too. As a result, Fiona’s been banished from our life, and we never see her anymore. Last I heard, my stepmother’s flitting about New York City, living on the last of the money Travis gave her. Once that runs out, I have no idea what will happen. Hopefully, she doesn’t come around here again.

  The doorbell rings and I practically run to answer it. As soon as I open the door, Cammie tackles me with a hug.

  “Hey lady, I’ve missed you!”

  “Me too! How are you? How is your graphic design business?”

  Cammie grins. “It’s going really well, actually. This never would have happened without your help. Thank you again for hiring me to make business cards and promotional materials for Get Pressed. I hope you’re getting a lot of customers as a result.”

  I hug her again. “Yes, we have been, and you are uber-talented. Thank you, Cams.”

  Then, I drag her into the living room and my friend looks around with awe.

  “Oh, wow, you’ve redecorated since I was last here! It’s gorgeous!” she compliments.

  “Yes, it is, isn’t it? Oh by the way, Travis is here, and so is his brother. Troy’s visiting for just a bit to say hello to his favorite niece.”

  My friend spins around because she didn’t see the two men upon entering. Both Travis and Troy get up from the couch, but Cammie only has eyes for one of the alpha males. I get it. Troy looks just like his brother, except he’s a tiny bit taller with huge shoulders. Whereas Travis is more toned and athletic, Troy is downright huge.

  “Heyyyy,” my friend sings with interest in her eyes.

  I laugh.

  “Cammie, meet Troy. Troy, Cammie.”

  That’s all I have to say, and they’re off to the races. Soon, Cammie and Troy are talking animatedly in the corner about something or other. I drag my boyfriend to the kitchen to give them some privacy.

  “Oh my God, my matchmaking worked!” I squeal under my breath. “This is so great!”

  Travis merely laughs.

  “I have to warn you though, Troy is no gentleman. He’s a hound dog, so tell your friend to be careful.”

  I scoff.

  “Oh Cammie can handle herself, don’t you worry. Besides, she grew up in a houseful of boys. If anything, Troy should watch out.”

  We laugh together, but in the next moment, Travis is on one knee in front of me.

  “Wait, what are you doing?” I ask, although my heart’s already beginning to thump. To my surprise, my handsome boyfriend has tears in his eyes as he holds forth a velvet box.

  “Caitlin, I have waited far too long to tell you this. You have been with me through thick and thin, through some of the most soap opera-ish moments of my life. Yet we made it through and every moment of every day, I am reminded of how lucky I am to have someone so incredible. Will you marry me, sweetheart? With you make this poor wretch a happy man?”

  I open and close my mouth a few times, tears glimmering in my eyes. At that moment, baby Peony squeals from her high chair, jolting me back to the present.

  “Yes! Of course, I’ll marry you! I’d love to.”

  I kiss Travis with my heart full and our daughter claps her hands with excitement, even though she has no idea what just happened.

  Travis slips the ring on my finger and I sigh with contentment. It’s a gorgeous princess-cut diamond on a silver band, so big that the rock almost reaches my first knuckle. I can’t believe I get to wear it for the rest of my life.

  “Travis, it’s huge,” I whisper.

  “No,” he growls in my ear while pulling me close. “It’s perfect, just like you.”

  But then, I pull back and shoot him a watery smile.

  “You know, I have a surprise too,” I begin.

  He leans forward, nibbling at my earlobe.

  “Is it to tell me where I can put that diamond later tonight? You know I love playing with toys in bed.”

  I swat at him, shocked yet scandalized too.

  “Get your mind out of the gutter! No, Travis. I’m pregnant again. You’re going to be a daddy to Baby Number Two.”

  This time, he pulls back with shock, his blue eyes astonished.

  “Are you serious?”

  I nod.

  “Oh yes. We have so much fun in the sack, it was just a matter of time. You keep me pumped full,” I say wickedly. And it’s true because even though I started out as a vagabond living on this man’s dime, our story has come full circle. I’m no longer a homeless wretch; I’m no longer living on his charity; and in fact, I’ve already given Travis a child and I’m giving him another one soon. It seems that the little girl lost has made something of herself, and with my husband and our children, I will be happy forever.

  * * *

  THE END

  Next in the series

  * * *

  If you’re intrigued by the sparks between Cammie and Troy, then you’ll love The Baddest Bad Boy, available here!

  * * *

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  Mandy

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  * * *

  “Does this dress make my ass look fat?” Yolanda asks, looking at her backside in the mirror with a worried expression.

  I glance over and see a very snug, form-fitting blue cocktail dress hugging my roommate’s curves. Her long, curly brown hair falls down her back and her face is so beautifully made up that she looks like a supermodel.

  “No, you look great,” I reassure my friend with a wink. “The guys are going to want a bite of that.”

  Giggling in the mirror, she adds one last coat of gloss to her plump lips. “Can you hurry up and finish getting ready? I don’t want the bad seat in the limo,” Yolanda says, critically eyeing her reflection. “You know how Lindsey Lockheart can be. That girl almost pushed me out of the way that one time there was a billionaire in the room.”

  “I know, I know. One second because I’m almost done!” With a smile, I look myself over in the mirror. The school let us choose our outfits from a catalog, and it sounds bad, but in fact, the selection was stupendous. My sequined gold dress is slinky, sexy and everything a girl could ask for. The bustier top is strapless, and my huge breasts are squeezed together with a tantalizing, shadowy bee in between. The hem is scandalously short, cutting off right below the bottom of my cheeks, so one sneeze, and my goodies are out for the world to see.

  But this is how we like it, and Yolanda is similarly dressed. Her violet number is actually a two-piece, and I’d say her outfit is even scantier than mine. She basically has two purple pasties on her nipples, connected by a golden chain, which then links to a tiny purple mini-skirt. That thing shouldn’t even be called a dress. It’s what a harem dancer might wear for a performance before the sultan.