Thank you to neuroparenthetical for helping to edit this piece.
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The following morning, David woke earlier than usual, still feeling anxious. He showered and got dressed before anyone else was up, wanting to avoid any awkward encounters with his stepdaughter. He grabbed a banana, a pastry, and his morning coffee, then locked himself away in his office.
He spent the morning immersed in his work, but every so often he would catch himself staring out the window and replaying the events of the previous night in his mind. He wished more than anything that he could go back in time and erase them.
He cringed at the thought of Jessie telling Meredith everything that had transpired, although he had gotten the impression she was more amused by the situation than angered or offended. Aside from Meredith coming into his office for a kiss before work, he spent the morning alone, his focus steadily flagging. It wasn't long before he was staring mindlessly at his computer screen, not really accomplishing much of anything. He was stuck in his own head, tormented by guilt, fear, humiliation, and -- eclipsing all the rest -- arousal.
By late morning, he knew the house was empty. Jessie was at classes and Meredith was at work. He considered returning to his stepdaughter's bedroom to see what other tantalizing things he could find and jerk off to, but finally thought better of it.
Absolutely not,
he told himself.
By early afternoon, his stomach was rumbling, so he finally left the relative safety of his office and headed for the kitchen. After rummaging through the refrigerator, he retrieved some ingredients to make a sandwich, but was startled by an unexpected sound from upstairs. He paused, waiting for it to repeat itself, but there was nothing but a deafening quiet ringing in his ears.
David slowly walked through the house, his hunger momentarily forgotten. He checked the living room, which he found empty. Then he heard a scraping noise from the floor above him. He slowly climbed the steps, his heart pounding in his chest. He reached the landing and listened again, straining his ears for any sound. His eyes scanned the hallway. Jessie's bedroom door was slightly ajar. David could hear the faint sound of music coming from inside.
He softly knocked, careful not to look inside. He wasn't afraid of what he might see, but he was terribly afraid of getting caught seeing it. "Jessie?" he called out.
"What?" she replied.
"Uh... what are you doing home? Why aren't you in class? I thought you had a full day."
"I was bored, so I decided to take the rest of the day off."
"Jessie, you can't skip your college classes," he said, trying to sound stern. "Do you know how much your mother is paying for you to attend?"
There was silence for a moment before the door swung open. Jessie stood in front of him, wearing a skin tight halter-top and a pair of denim short shorts that barely covered her ass. The sight of her took his breath away.
"You won't tell, will you?" she asked.
Dumb silence was the only answer he could give. Jessie let it hang between them for more than a few moments. David swallowed hard, trying not to stare -- but also not retreating, which would have been the wiser course. Her ample breasts were almost spilling out of her top and her flat stomach looked perfectly tanned and toned. He could see the hem of her thong sticking out above her shorts. His cock began to stiffen.
"Did you want something?" she finally asked.
"I-uh-just heard something," David murmured, "so I came to check."
"Relax, I'm not missing anything. And besides, my professors all seem to really like me, for some reason." Jessie winked, stepping closer and putting her hand on his chest.
David wanted to step back -- to distance himself from her -- but his body felt paralyzed.
"You aren't going to tell on me, are you?" she asked, biting her lip. "We can trust each other to keep a secret, right?" She moved her index finger over David's mouth in a shushing gesture. Before he could respond, she placed her hand back on his chest and gave him a soft shove backwards, then slammed her door closed with a bang.
David stood in the hallway, his heart racing. Any shred of any inclination he'd had to discipline his stepdaughter was a distant memory. He let out a long sigh and returned downstairs.
If Meredith finds out, she can deal with it. I'm not getting involved.
He made himself a sandwich and retreated to his office once more, closing the door behind him to lock out the distractions and temptations that lay on the other side. He actually managed to get some work done as the afternoon went on despite stopping to listen for every little sound he heard in the house. Every little creak or bump caught his attention, and he would strain to listen, trying to imagine what Jessie might be doing.
At 3 p.m. he strolled into the kitchen to refill his coffee and found Jessie bent over with the fridge door open. Her ass was round and tight, her cheeks poking beneath her skimpy shorts. The sight filled him with an overwhelming urge to just grab her and bend her over the counter.
He shook his head and cursed under his breath.
Get a hold of yourself!
he thought.
It's your step-daughter.
He cleared his throat, hoping to alert her to his presence in the room. "Hey," he said, trying to sound nonchalant.
Jessie glanced over her shoulder at him, then returned to rummaging through the fridge. David went to the counter and poured himself another cup of coffee from the morning pot. He put it in the microwave and stood waiting for what felt like the longest thirty seconds of his life. As he opened the microwave door and took out his coffee, Jessie closed the fridge and turned to him, holding a can of beer.
"I'm going to sit out on the patio and get some fresh air," she said. She cracked the seal and took a long swig. Then she opened the sliding door and stepped out into the warm sun. "Want to join me?"
David hesitated for a moment, staring after her. He stepped out onto the patio and took a seat across from her. She took another swig of beer, then set the can down on the glass patio table between them.
"Jessie, you know you aren't allowed to drink," David said, but he already knew he wasn't going to win that battle. She smiled back at him, but her gaze was cold and determined. The contrast alone unnerved him. She leaned back in her chair, her arms spread wide.
"It's just one beer," she said. "Besides, I'm eighteen; you can't tell me what to do anymore."
David cringed at the bratty teenage defiance in her voice. He shook his head and rolled his eyes.
Jessie reached into her pocket and fish out a pack of cigarettes. He was shocked that they fit into such tight shorts. She placed one between her lips and flicked it to life with her lighter. She took a quick drag, the ember flaring up as she did, and held it in her lungs for a moment before exhaling from the corner of her mouth.
"You don't mind, do you?" Jessie asked, arching an eyebrow as she held the cigarette between her long, slender fingers. Her glossy pink fingernails glinted in the sunlight. David was entranced by the way she held herself so confidently at such a young age.
