LOGINBronte’s POV
The question was left in the air like a smoke. How long have you been fucking your stepdad? I sat there frozen on the couch like a chicken, surrounded by three men I barely knew, my face burning with shame. The tattooed one, I think his name was Marcus I really have to stop calling him "the tattooed one" he watched me with an amused eyes. The one with green eyes Damien, leaned back with a smile swirling his drink. The third, the quieter one named Victor, just observed me like I was something rare and fragile. “I.. it’s complicated,” I finally managed, my voice barely above a whisper. “It always is with Rufus.”Marcus chuckled softly Before I could say anything else, the door opened and Rufus stepped back in. His eyes immediately found mine, checking on me. He must have seen the panic on my face because he crossed the room and sat beside me again, pulling me close against his side. “Everything okay upstairs?” I whispered. “Chloe’s asleep,” he murmured, brushing my hair back. “She had a little too much wine. She won’t wake up for a while.” Relief washed all over me, but it was quickly replaced as Rufus’s hand slid back onto my thigh, higher this time. The other men watched with open interest now. Rufus kissed my temple, then my cheek, then the corner of my mouth. “ "You’re safe,” he whispered. “Just feel, let them see how beautiful you are when you let go.” His fingers slipped under my skirt, brushing against my panties. I gasped softly, gripping his arm. The others didn’t move yet they were waiting, letting Rufus lead. Damien spoke first, with his voice low. “She’s nervous. That’s cute.” “She’s learning,” Rufus replied, his fingers stroking me slowly through the fabric. I bit my lip hard to stay quiet. Victor finally spoke, his voice was so calm and deep. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want sweetheart, but from what Rufus has told us I think you want a lot.” I closed my eyes as Rufus pushed my panties aside and touched me directly. I was soaked, the shame of it made tears prick at my eyes, but the pleasure was stronger. My hips moved against his hand before I could stop myself. “That’s it,” Rufus breathed against my ear. “Good girl, show them how wet you get for me.” Marcus stood up and moved closer, kneeling in front of me. His hands rested on my knees spreading them wider. “May I?” Rufus nodded. Marcus kissed the inside of my thigh slowly, then he went higher. When his mouth replaced Rufus’s fingers, I had to bury my face in Rufus’s neck to muffle the moan that tore out of me. The sensations were breathtaking Marcus’s tongue working me like an expert while Rufus kissed me deeply, hands roaming over my boobs. Damien watched with hungry eyes, stroking himself through his pants. I felt like I was drowning in pleasure and guilt at the same time. Chloe was upstairs, my best friend. And I was down here letting this happen. The thought made me cry even as I came hard on Marcus’s tongue, shaking uncontrollably in Rufus’s arms. Rufus held me through it, whispering praises in my ear. “So perfect, so fucking perfect for me.” When I came down, they didn’t stop. Victor took Marcus’s place and then Damien. They took turns tasting me, touching me, while Rufus held me, kissed me and told me how proud he was. I lost track of how many times I came. At some point, I was on my knees in front of Rufus, taking him in my mouth while one of the others fucked me from behind. The room was filled with the sounds of skin and moans and filthy praise. But in the back of my mind, a small voice kept whispering to me "What are you becoming?" Hours later, when they finally let me rest, I lay curled against Rufus’s chest on the couch. The other men were getting dressed, murmuring their thanks and goodbyes. "We should do this again” Marcus said to Rufus "Of course we would" Rufus replied Rufus stroked my hair gently. “You did so well tonight,” he whispered. “I’m so proud of you.” I felt so alive. But as I moved to sleep in his arms, one thought kept circling in my messed up mind Chloe was still upstairs. And I had no idea what I was going to tell her in the morning.Bronte’s POVWe sat in the living room like strangers.Mom was on the couch, back straight, hands clenched in her lap. Rufus sat in the armchair across from her, calm and composed. I stayed standing near the doorway tense to sit, the necklace burning against my skin like a secret about to be exposed.Jake’s name hung in the air between us even though he wasn’t here.Mom spoke first.“Jake sent me photos,” she said, her voice tight. “he sent timestamps, locations. He says Bronte has been going to your apartment when I was away. He says there’s more he wants me to see it.”Rufus didn’t flinch. “Jake is obsessed with Bronte. He’s been trying to get her back since before we got married. This is his way of creating chaos.”Mom’s eyes flicked to me. “Is that true, Bronte? Have you been going to his apartment?”My mouth went dry. The lie sat on my tongue, ready, but the weight of everything, Chloe’s warnings, Jake’s documents, the men, the nights made it hard to speak.“I… went a few time
Bronte’s The days that followed felt like waiting for a storm that refused to break.Mom was quieter than usual. She still smiled at breakfast, still asked about my classes, but there was a distance in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. She watched Rufus more carefully too the way he touched my shoulder when he passed, the way he looked at me when he thought she wasn’t paying attention. Nothing obvious and nothing she could call out but I could feel her noticing.Rufus felt it as well.That Friday night, after Mom had gone to bed, he pulled me into his office and locked the door. He didn’t touch me right away. He just leaned against his desk and studied me for a long time.“She’s getting closer,” he said finally. “Jake is pushing her, Chloe is pushing you. The pressure is building.” I wrapped my arms around myself. “What do we do?”Rufus pushed off the desk and walked over to me. He took my face in both hands, forcing me to look at him.“We stay calm,” he said. “We don’t gi
Bronte’s POVThe tension in the house didn’t leave after Mom’s questions. It just settled into the walls like dust.I spent the next two days moving carefully, watching every word, every look. Mom was still polite, still smiling, but her eyes lingered on me longer than usual. Rufus noticed it too. He became more careful in public. The perfect, distant stepfather and more intense when we were alone.On Thursday night, after Mom had gone to bed early with a headache, Rufus found me in the kitchen. He didn’t speak at first. He just walked up behind me, pressed his body against mine, and rested his hands on the counter on either side of me.“She’s watching,” he murmured against my ear. “Closer than before.”I swallowed. “I know.”His lips brushed the side of my neck. “Then we need to be smarter. No more risks while she’s in the house. Not until things calm down.”I nodded, but the words didn’t settle me. Because the truth was, the more we tried to be careful, the more I felt the press
Bronte’s POVThe next morning felt different.Mom was already in the kitchen when I came downstairs, standing by the window with her coffee. She didn’t turn around right away when I walked in. That small silence made my stomach tighten.“Morning,” I said to her.She finally looked at me, her smile was soft, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.“Morning, honey. Did you sleep okay?”“Yeah.”Rufus walked in a moment later, already dressed for work. He kissed Mom’s cheek, then ruffled my hair like a normal stepfather would. The casual affection made my skin prickle.After he left for the office, Mom stayed quiet for a while. I was about to leave the kitchen when she spoke.“Bronte… can we talk for a second?”I froze and said“Of course.”She set her mug down and turned fully toward me. “I’ve been noticing things, little things. You’ve been distant, quiet and Jake has been calling me.”My heart dropped.“He called you?”Mom nodded. “He’s worried. He said he thinks something is going on b
Bronte’s POVThe coffee shop was empty when I arrived.Jake was already there, sitting in the far corner booth with a folder in front of him. He looked tired with dark circles under his eyes, jaw tight. When he saw me, something soft and relieved crossed his face before it hardened again. Like he didn’t believe I could come.“You came,” he said as I sat down.“I kind of didn’t want to.”He nodded like he expected that.Jake pushed the folder toward me.“I wasn’t lying,” he said quietly. “There are things about Rufus that don’t add up. Shell companies, transfers that look clean on the surface but fall apart when you dig. People who used to work with him and then disappeared from the industry.”I stared at the papers without opening them. My stomach felt tight.“Why are you doing this?” I asked. “Really?”Jake’s eyes locked onto mine. “Because I still care about you, because the way he looks at you isn’t normal. Because I can see you changing, and not in a good way.”His voice crack
Bronte’s POVThe days after that night felt strange.Mom came back from her conference on Monday evening, full of stories about boring meetings and bad hotel coffee. She hugged me tightly at the door, and for a second I almost broke down and told her everything. The words sat on my tongue like poison. Instead, I hugged her back and forced a smile.“Missed you, Mom.”“I missed you too, baby.” She pulled away and looked at me carefully. “You look tired. Everything okay while I was gone?”“Yeah. Just stayed in. Chloe came over for a night.”Rufus appeared behind her then, kissing her cheek like the perfect husband. His eyes met mine over her shoulder looking calm, knowing and possessive. That night, after Mom went to bed, Rufus came to my room. He didn’t say anything at first, he just sat on the edge of my bed and pulled me into his lap, holding me against his chest.“You’re quiet,” he murmured into my hair.“I keep thinking about her,” I admitted. “Chloe. What if she finds out? What







