I was doing up my tie, the steam from my shower still clouding the edges of the mirror. I heard the door to the master bedroom open but didn't glance around.
"Kenz?" I called. I cursed softly as my fingers fumbled the tie again. "Damn it." Barbara had always helped me out with this. I'm a grown man, and I could get it done by myself, but it was always a nice little ritual — Barbara would finish my tie, give me a peck on the cheek, and tell me how handsome I looked.
Of course, I'd never looked as handsome as I did tonight.
It was Friday, the night of Aaron Burns's big company party, and I felt like I'd been prepping for weeks. With McKenzie's help, I'd chosen a new haircut, something crisp and dapper. I'd continued working out and my jawline was coming in sharper. My old suits had all been slightly too big, so I'd bought one special for the occasion. It tapered down my sides and gave me a look of masculine elegance, but I was still big enough to have an appearance of burly muscle.
"Yeah, Daddy?" My stepdaughter breezed into the bathroom behind me and I stared, fingers frozen on my tie.
Usually, in her tight shorts and cut-off tops, McKenzie looked stunningly hot. But this evening she looked simply beautiful. The 18-year-old had gone shopping yesterday with several of her friends and returned home with several paper bags from brands I didn't recognize. She'd kept them hidden until tonight.
Her slim figure was draped in a lilac cloth. It fell down her sides and legs in an elegantly sensual curve. And it was open at the broad curve with a neckline that narrowed and dipped between her breasts. She exuded a magnetic aura that came from a mature charm, without trying too hard to disguise her luxurious figure.
"Woah..." I blinked several times, then raised my eyebrows and pursed my lips in a confident smirk. "You clean up nice, angel."
Her eyes flashed teasingly but I thought I could see a slight blush as she bit her lip. Then, she stepped forward and brushed my hands away from the tie. Her hazel eyes glanced up into my darker ones and she smirked back. "You've got to let me fix this," she joked.
I breathed out a short sigh and nodded, lifting my chin. "Alright," I agreed, pleased and a little surprised.
McKenzie deftly tugged free my unfinished knot and began to manipulate the strips of silk.
"I didn't know you could do ties," I commented.
My stepdaughter leaned up without slowing and kissed me on the chin. "I learned just for you," she said. "I spent 45 minutes earlier practicing."
I felt a glow of pleasure radiate in my chest, pushing away at the cold anxiety that tried to nestle there. "Thanks," I said simply, not sure how else to acknowledge such a gesture.
The brunette teenager pulled firmly at the silk tie, straightened it, and then tugged my chin down so my face was near hers. She pecked me on the lips, then laughed softly and said, "You're welcome."
Then, she turned around and I realized that her dress was even more alluring from behind.
"Will you zip me up now, Daddy?" she teased, flashing a quick, sparkling white grin over her shoulder.
A band of cloth rode across the backs of her shoulders and had an undone zipper at the nape of her neck. Then, the cloth curved away, leaving bare the smooth skin of her back all the way to the base of her spine. Just a few inches above the taut hemisphere of her ass, the dress zipped up a bit more.
I paused for a second, eyes tracing down miles of tanned skin. "Yes," I agreed.
McKenzie shifted back closer to me and my hands instinctively fell to her hips. Then they brushed around and drifted over the bouncy globes of her ass. I squeezed gently and my stepdaughter blew out a soft huff of laughter. I tugged up the zipper, keeping it clear of her body. I reached up and did the second zip, then leaned forward to kiss her gently on the side of the neck.
But my mind had fallen back, remembering how many times I'd zipped up Barbara's dress before a fancy party or a date night. I turned away from McKenzie, toward the door into the bedroom. I might be looking good as hell. My own date might be a smoking-hot, 10-out-of-10, barely-legal knockout. And I might be able to channel insane, Alpha Male abilities to make me socially unstoppable.
But I was worried.
Every day since my conversation with Oliver King, Mr. Silver Fox, I'd been struck again by the realization that Aaron Burns had used BDE products to steal my wife away from me. It was an incredible, unbelievable and unfortunate coincidence.
Barbara had been won over by his BDE charm just like McKenzie had been won over by mine. It was hard for me to imagine that Barbara wasn't with him right now. And it was equally hard to imagine Aaron bringing someone other than her to his event tonight. Now, even if I showed up, I didn't know if I could get her back. It was strange how unsettling and troublesome the feeling became.
I rubbed my hand across my face, ran my nails down my jawline thoughtfully. I suppose that I had just been so certain, deep down, that if I
really
wanted to do it I could go out and get Barbara back. But now I wasn't sure. Would I be able to out-Alpha Aaron Burns? Would out-Alpha'ing him even be enough? I had no idea what to expect. No idea what it might take.
Even McKenzie's gorgeous dress could only distract me for a couple brief moments from the doubt that was gnawing away at my confident attitude.
I sat on the edge of the bed and shot a look over at the clock.
Only 6:30. Another hour and a half before we should be arriving.
The bathroom door swung open and McKenzie glided out in her lilac dress. She drifted slowly across to the bed and sat down next to me. One of her small hands reached across and her slim fingers drifted across my forearm.
"What's wrong?" she asked, giving me an encouraging smile. "Everything is going to go so well! By the end of the night, Mom will be back and things will be how they should be."
"Kenz..." I laced my fingers, pressed my palms together and then released them. I let my hands drift apart. "You know how I have these... abilities? These strange, unique traits that started popping up?"
My stepdaughter shrugged, her features forming a 'so what?' expression. "Right," she said. "That's why I first started noticing you."
I nodded. "Yeah. Well," I paused again, then scowled. "Aaron Burns can do the same things."
The teenager hesitated for a moment, considering what that meant. "Huh," she said. "Well..." She shifted, her hands curling together in her lap. "Is that what happened to Mom? Do you think?"
"Yes."
She paused a moment more. "I still believe in you, Dad," she said.
I blew out a soft sigh. "Thanks, angel." Then I added, "I just don't know what's the best thing to do."
McKenzie nodded, then brushed a fallen strand of hair from her eyes. She paused for a few seconds before glancing up at me. "Even if Mom doesn't come back..." Her lips twisted in a half-frown.
I reached out and put my arm around her back, my hand curving easily around her hip and gently landing on her thigh. She didn't have much wiggle room in her dress, but she leaned up against me.
Her slight weight was reassuring.
My stepdaughter turned under my arm and raised her face. Her hands pressed to my chest and her expression was earnest. "This is really nice, isn't it?" she said. "What we have?"
I nodded, slowly. "It's nice," I agreed. "More than nice, angel."
