Chapter Two

Melissa 

I woke up to a dull throb between my legs. Blinking against the early morning light pouring through the heavy curtains, I sat up and rubbed at my eyes. The room was still unfamiliar - it took me a minute to adjust to my surroundings. Then it hit me. This was my stepfather's house. My mom’s death was no longer just a tragic dream I could wake up from. It was real. She was gone.

Then I remembered the mystery man and the events of last night came flooding back to me. I was beyond horrified. 

“Shit,” I whispered, my hand slipping beneath the covers, between my legs. I froze. I was still damp and my thighs ached. My whole body felt raw and sore in the most maddening way.

“What the hell did I do?” Stumbling out of bed, I nearly tripped over my own feet as I made my way to the bathroom. I flicked the light on and caught my reflection—hair tousled, lips slightly swollen, a redness lingering along the side of my neck where his lips had sucked on so hard. My stomach twisted.

The hot water from the shower didn’t do much to wash away the shame. It rolled over my skin like a confession I couldn’t hide from. I leaned against the cold tile wall, letting the steam cloud the mirror and my thoughts. My mom would be disappointed. No, fucking furious. She wasn't even buried yet and here I was, sleeping with some older man I’d just met. A stranger. A silver fox type of stranger who probably had no business looking that good or making me feel like that.

Thank God for birth control. The last thing I needed was to be pregnant with some handsome old stranger’s baby. That would be the cherry on this train-wreck sundae.

I stayed under the water until the sting between my thighs dulled and my legs stopped shaking. After drying off, I wrapped myself in one of the oversized towels and padded back to the room to find my phone. I needed to talk to my best friend. 

Chrissie picked up on the second ring.

“Bitch, where have you been?” she screeched. “Are you okay? How’s your stepdad? Is he a total ogre?”

I winced and pulled the phone away from my ear. “Jesus, Chrissie. Turn it down a notch.”

She gasped. “Wait, you’re laughing. That means something happened. Spill, now.”

I sighed and sank into the edge of the bed. “Michael is not an ogre, actually. He’s... surprisingly decent and kind to me. And not bad to look at if you ignore the stress lines.”

“Oooh,” she crooned. “So he’s hot. Noted.”

“Can we not go down that road?” I muttered, massaging my temples. “Anyway, that’s not even the wild part.”

“Oh God. What happened? Tell me. Did something go wrong? Did you burn the house down?”

“Worse,” I groaned.

She paused. “Worse than arson?”

“I slept with someone. Last night.”

“Wait - what? With who?”

I hesitated for a second too long.

“Melissa.”

“My step dad's best friend,” I said all in one breath. “He’s also the co-founder of Michael’s company.”

There was silence.

Then a blood-curdling scream burst through the phone speaker. “YOU DID WHAT?!”

“Chrissie, for the love of God, my ears…..”

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?! You just got there, Melissa! Like, literally just stepped into that place and boom—new town, new D!”

“Please never say that again.”

“Was he hot at least? Please tell me he was hot.”

“He was...older. Way older. But yeah. Really fucking hot,” I admitted with a sigh.

She let out a long, dramatic gasp. “You’re officially living my dream. Tell me everything.”

“I can’t talk about this over the phone, okay?” I said, glancing at the closed door. “This place has ears.”

“Then text me the address. I’m coming over.”

“Chrissie…”

“No. This is non-negotiable. I’m already packing my bag. You can’t drop a bomb like that and expect me to wait around for updates like some common civilian.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll ask Michael first. But I’ve gotta go for now. I’ll call you later.”

“You better. If I don’t hear from you in six hours, I’m calling the FBI.”

“Love you, Chrissie” I laughed 

“Love you too, bitch.”

---

I wandered downstairs and found Carolina in the kitchen with the chef, discussing breakfast. The smell of sizzling bacon and fresh coffee made my stomach flip, but I wasn’t in the mood for real food.

“Morning,” I greeted them quietly.

Carolina smiled warmly. “Good morning, Miss Melissa. Did you sleep well?”

I gave her a slight nod. “Could I just have some cereal?”

“Of course.”

She went to the fridge and grabbed a box of cereal and a bottle of milk, then poured it into a bowl for me and handed it over. I offered a faint smile in return and sat down at the counter. I picked at the cereal, barely tasting it as my mind spun.

“Um, Carolina? Do you know where Michael is?”

“In his study, dear. And Jamal left last night. He hasn’t come back yet.”

My heart jumped at the sound of his name. Jamal. Even hearing it sent a current of something electric through me, down to my very core. What the hell was that? I hated how my body reacted to anything related to him.

I thanked her and made my way upstairs, winding through the hallways until I found the double doors of Michael’s study. I knocked gently.

“Come in,” came his voice.

I stepped in and found him seated behind an elegant mahogany desk, papers spread before him in neat stacks. He looked up and smiled, his face softening in a way that reminded me so much of Mom it almost hurt.

“Good morning, Melissa. How did you sleep?”

“Alright,” I said, then hesitated. “Actually, I was thinking… I’d like to see the town a bit today. I don’t want to just mope around the house.”

He leaned back in his chair, considering me with thoughtful eyes. “That sounds like a good idea. I’ll have the driver bring one of the cars around. And here….” he opened a drawer and pulled out a sleek black credit card, “....take this. Go shopping. Get whatever you need.”

I shook my head. “Michael, really, that’s too much.”

“Nonsense,” he said, standing and walking around the desk. “You’re family. I want you to feel comfortable here. That’s what your mom would have wanted.”

My throat tightened at the mention of her. “Thank you,” I said softly.

We walked outside together to the garage. He handed me the keys to one of the slickest cars I’d ever seen—a low, gleaming black machine that looked like it belonged in a music video.

“Have fun, Melissa,” he said with a warm smile, then turned back toward the house.

I stood there for a moment, staring at the car, the keys in my hand, the morning sun warming my skin.

A ridiculous grin broke across my face.

—---------------------------------------------------

I let one hand rest on the steering wheel, the other dangling freely out the driver’s side window. It was a small town, cozy, sleepy, even and I drove aimlessly, trying to think. I needed to make sense of everything that’s happened. Trying not to replay Jamal’s hands on me last night, which proved an even harder task. 

Eventually, I found myself wandering into the town’s park. The quiet helped, or at least I hoped it would. I parked near a gazebo, seated on a bench and stared at the empty playground, taking deep breaths. Hoping to clear my head. I sat next to two women with babies in strollers. I managed a small smile and they returned it. I was grateful for the silence. 

Then… thwack… a sharp pain. A ball had just bounced off my skull. Disoriented, I pressed a hand to my temple. My pulse sped up. I looked toward the playground to see a boy, around my age, jogging toward me, worry etched on his face.

“Shit.. are you okay?” He scooped up the ball. “I’m so sorry. I'm babysitting a kid and he tossed it way too hard.”

He had dark blond hair, and grey stormy eyes, almost exactly like Jamal's, and stood slightly taller than me - lean, athletic. I blinked, trying to orient myself.

“It’s alright. Just a little knock,” I said, peeling myself off the seat and dusting invisible dirt off my pants.

He flashed a relieved smile. “I’m Alex. Are you new around here? You don’t look familiar.”

I arched an eyebrow. “You know everyone who lives in town?”

He shrugged. “It’s quite a small town. Word gets around.”

I frowned. “I’m Melissa. I'm new here. My mom recently passed away, and I’m here for the funeral.”

Alex’s expression fell. “Wait… are you Annabelle Whitmoore’s daughter?” He looked shocked and then in another second, he looked like he wanted to run and it disappeared as soon as it appeared. 

What was that expression? I thought to myself. 

He glanced at the playground behind him. “I should get back before he - before the kid disappears.” He hesitated, phone already in hand. “Can I get your number?”

I swallowed, surprised - but I typed it in and passed his phone back. He called himself, and I saved the contact.

“Thanks, Melissa. Nice meeting you.” Without waiting for a reply, he jogged back toward the playground.

I watched him go, stomach fluttering in a way my tangled thoughts hadn’t managed all day. If my body hadn’t been utterly wrecked by one smoking‑hot grandpa, I’d probably have been drooling.

I sat back down, shaking my head and trying to clear my thoughts, when I heard the two women besides me start to whisper. Small town and gossip I thought, when I heard one of them say, “Poor girl, she's stuck with Michael and that friend, Jamal. Anabelle was a good woman, I'm really sad she passed.” 

I pretended not to hear or notice their conversation, until one of them said something that struck me, “Did you know Jamal's wife disappeared without a trace, almost like Anabelle did?”

“Oh my God. I really had a bad feeling about that man. He's such a creep.”

They kept looking at me and passing glances but I didn't hear most of it anymore. 

Jamal's wife disappeared? What do they mean disappeared?

They talked about it like he had something to do with her disappearance. I didn't want to think much of it but I couldn't help but wonder. I had questions with no means of getting answers. I had to get home, I could feel a headache coming in. 

One tour of the town was enough for me today. 

---

I pulled into the driveway just as Jamal stepped out of his car. He looked incredible in dirty jeans that hugged his hips, a black tee shirt clung to his muscles, tattoos sprawling across his arms, then I remembered what just happened in the park and my pulse thumped.

I jumped out and hurried inside, determined to avoid him, even though I could feel his eyes on me. Michael was upstairs and I needed to talk to him. I reached the elevator, and the doors slid shut. Just before they closed completely, a hand shot in, and I recognized it instantly: inked knuckles, skinny wrist, strong grip.

Jamal stepped in beside me and punched the top-floor button.

What did he want now?

 Before I could gather my thoughts, he pinned me against the wall, his hot breath close to my ear.

“Don’t ever ignore me like that,” he murmured, voice low and rough. “You’ve been a very naughty girl, I should punish you, but I missed your pussy so much.” His fingers brushed my hip. “I want to fill it up again.”

I wanted to protest but my body already betrayed me as a moan escaped my lips. 

“Hmmmm…..I know you missed me”

His hand slipped into my pants and his fingers found my clit and he stroked me fast and hard. My moans were becoming louder, then without warning, he turned me around and pulled down my pants along with my underwear in an instant, then he slammed into me with such force, but his hand was already over my mouth so my screams were just muffled moans. He slammed into me with one goal in mind, to find release. 

I was on the edge and I knew he was too. He slipped his tongue into my ear lobe and sucked, still banging my pussy so good, chasing that sweet release I knew he craved for. I couldn't help it, as his name escaped my lips, he exploded. With an animalistic grunt, he bathed by walls with his seed. I felt his hot cum flood my insides, I couldn't hold it anymore as an intense orgasm sliced through me, leaving me a complete, hot and satiated wreck. 

He pulled back, and withdrew his semi hard cock from my pussy, then pulled my pants and underwear back into place. He quickly buttoned his fly, just in time for the elevator doors to open.

He stepped out first, and I followed. Michael stood in the hallway, looking surprised to see us.

“Melissa," he said, smiling softly. "You're back already.”

“Yeah… I had something to ask.” I steadied my voice. “My best friend wants to come stay with me for the funeral. I wanted to ask if that's okay?”

Michael’s smile was gentle. “Of course. You need all the support you can get.”

“Thanks, Michael.” I gave him a grateful look and headed toward my room. Behind me, I heard them both enter into Michael's study and shut the door. 

I paused at my bedroom door, stomach twisting at what Michael would think if he knew I’d just fucked his best friend and fucking enjoyed it. But the way he’d just walk up and fuck me, I felt like a toy. This was so messed up. I let the door close behind me and leaned against it, sliding to the floor.