Page 12 of Wicked Love

Fury boiled inside me.

I glared at her, ready to explode.

Reality had a sour taste.

I had fucked the daughter of my father’s girlfriend last night. Not only had I fucked the daughter, but I had fucked a girl who was clearly not in college.

Disgust rolled inside my stomach, and for a second, I thought I’d be sick.

The girl from the bar, the one I’d shared an instant connection with, the best kiss of my life, the hottest night of my existence, lived under the same roof as my father and was a fucking high schooler.

“You okay?” my father asked, breaking the staring contest between Isla—Grace or whatever her name was—and me. Had anything she told me last night been true?

Growing up, I was used to putting myself in uncomfortable situations. Yeah, too often my dick led my actions when I became a horny teenager at fifteen, but this—this was a new low for me.

“Joe, this is Clarissa’s daughter, Grace. Grace, this is my son, Joe. I hope you two get along. Now go and drop your baggage in your room and freshen up. We’re leaving at six. I made a reservation at your favorite bistro in town.” His arms wrapped around me once more. “I’m glad you’re home, son.” He grabbed Clarissa’s hand, stopping her from berating her daughter. “Come on, let’s give the kids time to get acquainted. There’s something I wanna show you.”

Picking up my bag, I climbed the steps two at a time, stopping in front of a silent Grace. “You,” I said through gritted teeth, my jaw hurting under the pressure. “Isla? Really? Was everything you told me last night a lie?”

Her face flushed.

“Anything to say in your defense?” Could she feel the anger pouring out from me?

“What do you want me to say?” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t look so surprised, Joe. You had time to deal with it already.”

“Are you kidding me right now?” My molars would turn to dust soon if I didn’t relax my jaw. I clamped her elbow and pulled her upstairs. She said nothing as I motioned her into my bedroom and kicked the door shut behind us. “What were you thinking?”

She nibbled on her bottom lip, avoiding my gaze. “Joe, I’m sorry. It wasn’t how it was supposed to go down. I thought we’d never see each other again.”

“Shit. That plan of yours sucks balls.”

For a second, I saw the girl she pretended to be the night before. “It wasn’t a plan. I just thought you were hot and nice. And I don’t regret our night together. That’s the truth. And I won’t tell my mom. Or your dad.”

“You better not. This stays between us. For the rest of time.”

Moisture welled in her eyes. And a part of me, the one who fell under her spell last night, wished I could pull her into a hug, kiss her, and make it all go away. I hated seeing her upset. But I knew better now. How could I have been so stupid?

“Joe, we shared something real last night. Don’t try to convince me we didn’t or act as if it didn’t mean anything to you too. That I didn’t mean anything to you. For a few hours, all I wanted was to be someone else. I’m tired of being the odd one. All I craved for was a reprieve from my own life. Yesterday, I got into an argument with my mother after dinner. She said things I would rather forget. Her words hurt me. I went to that bar to drink my sorrows. You were a nice surprise in my shitty night. You made me feel beautiful. And desired. So much that I forgot I was sad. For what it’s worth, I really did like you. A lot.”

A tug-of-war raged inside me.

The whole situation was so confusing.

I let go of her and paced the room, about to rip my hair out, trying to calm down. “I fucked a kid. I slept with the daughter of my dad’s plastic girlfriend.” I sprang around, pointing an accusing finger at her. “How old are you? No bullshit. No lie.” I threw my arms over my head. My father said she was seventeen earlier, but I had to hear the truth coming out of her mouth. “Your name is not even Isla, for God’s sake.”

Grace swallowed, tucking her hair behind her ear, a sheepish look painting her face. “I’ll be eighteen. In December. I didn’t lie about my birthday. I’m a Christmas baby.”

“Wow. No matter what you say, you lied about your age. Big time. You tricked me.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Yes, you did.” Was she acting stupid on purpose?

“No. You were a stranger, so why would I have given you information about me? I’m not stupid. And for the record, you were the one who kissed me first, remember?”

“You were chugging booze in a bar. I asked you twice if you were old enough to drink. You said you were. Want me to refresh your memory? You also said you were taking some time off from school. I asked you if you were in college.”

“It wasn’t a lie. I just omitted to specify that it was high school.”