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CHAPTERONE
Clara
“Thank you for letting me stay with you again,” I murmur while washing the dishes. “I really appreciate it, Carl.”
The man of the house merely nods.
“No, it’s fine sweetheart,” he rasps. “I’m glad I could be of help. And tell me - how is the new job going?”
I smile shyly at my stepdad because Carl’s been a rock to lean on lately. After falling unexpectedly pregnant, I didn’t have a place to go. I’d been working as a flight attendant for a year or so and the fact is that I was working so much that I gave up my apartment. Between shifts, I was basically staying with other flight attendants or sometimes just getting a cheap AirBnB in whatever city I happened to be stationed in. It was always temporary, and honestly, I was saving on rent.
But all that changed after I got pregnant because now I need a stable place to raise my child, but the fact is that I don’t know who the father of my baby is. Of course, I haven’t admitted this to many people, but I actually went a little wild working as a flight attendant. I was sleeping with multiple men in first-class, not to mention some of the pilots during our days off. It was incredibly sensual, not to mention exciting, but now I’m pregnant and I have no idea who the babydaddy is.
I haven’t told my stepfather though. I just gave Carl a spiel about how a boy I hooked up with took off after he found out about the pregnancy, and my stepfather has been sympathetic. He offered me a place to crash, and as a result, I’m growing bigger every day under his watchful eye.
But Carl’s really gone the extra mile because not only am I living at his house, but he also managed to wrangle a job for me where he works, Herald Enterprises. It’s just a temp job but I don’t mind. I’m not so far along with my pregnancy yet, and I quite like my co-workers. Of course, we’re just doing admin work but it’s fine. I’m happy to be productive, and I plan on temping as long as I’m physically able to.
But yes, Carl and I have settled into a comfortable routine. We get home from Herald at around the same time every day, and I whip us up a nice dinner. It’s usually very simple because I’m hardly a gourmet chef, but Carl seems to appreciate it. He loves my spaghetti and meatballs, not to mention my special recipe for eggplant parmesan, and even goes out of his way to buy the ingredients that I need during our weekend shopping trips. As a result, we’re very comfortable together, and I’m really enjoying our time together as my pregnancy progresses.
But things aren’toverlycomfortable because Carl’s gorgeous, and although I’m ashamed to admit it, I’m kind of attracted to my stepfather. Okay, a little. Okay, I admit it. I’mreallyattracted to him. After all, he’s tall and handsome, with night-black hair, piercing blue eyes, and the body of a gladiator. I don’t know how he does it, but Carl gets up at six every morning and works out like a fiend in his basement gym. Me on the other hand? I snooze until the last possible moment, rousing myself only for a hurried shower before we carpool to Herald Enterprises together.
But what this means is that my stepfather is insanely fit with the physique of a gladiator, and I can’t help but stare at him sometimes when I think he doesn’t notice. His shoulders are incredibly broad, and that chest wide and covered with heavy slabs of pure muscle. His arms are thick, and those long, powerful legs look like they could pull an ox cart. Not only that, but I’ve seen his cock by accident before, and this is no average-sized tool. No, when he was getting out of the Jacuzzi the other day, the fabric of his swim trunks basically outlined that massive shaft, and it was so huge that my mouth went dry. I could see how the anaconda wrapped around his waist, it was so enormous, and I squirmed hotly in my seat at the window, pressing my thighs together as need pooled in my lower stomach.
But this is so wrong because Carl used to be married to my mom. He and Vivian got married after I’d already left for school, so I’ve actually never really observed them together as a married couple. But in a horrific tragedy, Vivian was in a car accident a couple years ago, and she passed away after a short stay in intensive care. Then, it was only me and Carl, and we drifted apart a bit. I took a job as a flight attendant, traveling the world, while he stayed here in Allentown. Of course, we’d talk every now and then, but never about anything important. We didn’t even get together for holidays because flight attendants get extra pay when we work holidays, and as a result I was often gone for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
So I know it was a surprise when I called him out of the blue, telling him about my pregnancy, but Carl handled it with grace. He said I could stay with him, no problem, seeing that he has a nice-sized house in Allentown, and further, that the burbs would be good for my baby. After all, who wants to live in the crowded city when you’re expecting? The streets are too narrow for a stroller, and there are cabs and delivery boys who will run you over. Not only that, but the air’s polluted from all the congestion and no one wants to expose their fetus to high levels of carbon monoxide. As a result, I was relieved when Carl offered me his spare bedroom.
But yes, now we’ve settled into a nice domestic routine. We’ve just finished our meal, and Carl’s sipping at an after-dinner drink as I clean up a bit around the kitchen. His big form looms as he sits at the breakfast bar, those blue eyes trailing over my curvy form. I’m only showing a little bit at this point, but is it my imagination, or does Carl actually like my poochy belly? I’ll sometimes catch him looking at the soft bulge, or else my jiggly thighs, or big breasts. Or maybe he likes my bottom because it’s definitely got a lot of padding. Whatever it is, my stepdad is a man who appreciates a full-figured female, and I’m definitely on the voluptuous side.
But we both act like nothing’s the matter. Our conversation is generally casual and doesn’t go too much beyond our days at work, and maybe some groceries that we need. Occasionally, we’ll talk about a movie or maybe a book that I’m reading, but otherwise, we stick to the lighter topics because it’s just easier that way. I definitely don’t want to rehash my mother’s death, and I don’t think Carl does either. Nor does he have a girlfriend, as far as I can tell, and I like it that way. I know I shouldn’t, but I do.
So I smile prettily while glancing at him over one narrow shoulder.
“The job’s going fine, thanks. I really like Herald, and I’ve made a new friend there, Elle. She also works as an admin.”
Carl frowns.
“Can’t say I know her. Where does she sit?”
“Oh, with me in the temp area. She’s a temp too, and she just started last month, so it makes sense that you don’t know her. But Elle is great. I’m glad I have someone to talk with during the day, and she’s around my age too, so we’re interested in a lot of the same things.”
Carl grins.
“So what do you guys talk about? TikTok and the latest fashion trends? Or the news?”
I giggle.
“We do talk about the news sometimes,” I say in an arch tone. “We’re not just airheaded bimbos who can’t think past the next reality TV episode of Housewives in Wherever. So yes, I do know that we have a Black woman on the Supreme Court now, and I also know that Elon Musk is disrupting Twitter, or whatever that means.”
Carl merely shakes his head while swirling his drink.
“That guy is an insanely rich dude who’s doing whatever he wants.”
I shoot Carl a look.
“Butyou’rea rich dude who’s doing whatever you want too, Carl,” I say in a playful tone. “I mean, you’re loaded, single, and ready to mingle, right? So there must be tons of women throwing themselves at you for a date.”
My heart thumps in my chest because of course, I want Carl to deny it. I want my stepfather all to myself, even if even the mere thought is totally ridiculous.
