Chapter Four

Steven

I'm leaning against my truck outside the library, waiting for Joy's shift to end and I can't stop thinking about that kiss.

It was just a quick peck on the cheek, but it felt like a lightning bolt hit me. Hell, it's all I've been able to think about since it happened. My skin still tingles where her lips touched and the memory plays on a loop in my head, making it impossible to focus on anything else.

This is bad. Really bad.

She's Theo's daughter. Theo's grown, independent daughter, but still.

The doors to the library swing open, snapping me out of my thoughts. Joy walks out, looking tired but smiling when she sees me. I pull open the door for her, trying to keep things casual. Friendly. That's all this can be. Friendly.

"Hey, you survive the day?" I ask as she slides into the passenger seat.

"Barely," she says with a sigh, sinking into the seat. "I think I answered the same question about ten times for different people. If I hear ‘Where's the bathroom?' one more time, I'm going to lose it."

"Sounds like a real party."

"Yeah, well, somebody's got to do it." With a chuckle, I close the door behind her and jog over to the driver's seat. As I start the engine, she smiles at me, but there's something different in her expression—something that makes my chest tighten in a way I'm trying really hard to ignore.

As I pull out of the parking lot, my phone rings. Glancing at the screen, I see it's the shop. Perfect timing.

"Sorry, I've got to take this," I say, answering the call with one hand on the wheel. "Hey, what's up?"

"Boss, we've got a situation here," comes Eddie's voice on the other end. "That Mustang you were working on? The owner's here and he's raising hell about the paint job. Says it's not what he wanted."

I pinch the bridge of my nose. Of course. "Did you tell him I can come in tomorrow and take a look?"

"I did, but he's not hearing it. He says he wants you to handle it right now."

I glance over at Joy, who's watching me with curious eyes. "Alright, alright. I'll be there in a bit."

I hang up and let out a sigh. "I need swing by the shop and deal with something. I can drop you off at home first, though."

Joy waves a hand dismissively. "My house is in the opposite direction and I don't mind going with you. I can hang out in your office and get some studying done."

I raise an eyebrow. "You sure? It might take a while."

"I'm sure," she says, smiling softly. "I've got plenty of work for nursing school to keep me busy."

"Alright then," I say, unable to hide the small smile that creeps onto my face. "Let's get you set up in the office."

We head toward the shop and I keep telling myself this is fine. Completely fine. It's just a quick stop and she'll be in my office while I deal with this jerk of a customer. No big deal. But the memory of that kiss lingers in the back of my mind, making it harder to concentrate than it should be.

When we pull up to the shop, I unlock the front door and lead Joy into the small office in the back. It's not much—just a desk, a couple of chairs, and shelves full of old car manuals—but it's quiet and it'll give her the space she needs to work.

"There's coffee in the breakroom if you want some," I tell her as I set her bag down on the desk. "Make yourself at home."

"Thanks, Steven." She gives me that soft smile again. "I'll be fine here."

I nod, trying not to linger as I leave the office and head to the main garage. Eddie's waiting for me, looking stressed and the Mustang owner is pacing near the car, clearly agitated.

It takes me about an hour to calm the guy down, explain the situation, and assure him we'll get the paint job fixed to his liking. It's nothing I haven't dealt with before, but the whole time, my mind is half-focused on the office. On Joy.

When I finally finish up and head back, I find her sitting at the desk, her laptop open. She's just staring at the screen, tapping her pen against her notebook.

The second she looks up and sees me, the air in the room shifts. There's a tension between us, thick and heavy, and I don't know how to break it. I don't know if I want to or if I even should. I lean against the doorframe, watching her, and for a moment, neither of us says anything.

"Everything go okay out there?" she asks, her voice soft, almost hesitant.

"Yeah," I say, my throat feeling suddenly dry. "All sorted."

She nods, but there's something in her eyes that wasn't there before. Something that matches the turmoil I've been feeling for the last two years.

"I, uh…" She bites her lip, looking down at her hands. "I wanted to apologize. For earlier. The kiss, I mean."

My heart skips a beat. She's bringing it up. I wasn't prepared for this.

"It was stupid," she continues, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what I was thinking. I just, well, I've had these feelings for you since that night two years ago. And I know it's wrong, but—"

Before she can finish, something inside me snaps. Every bit of restraint I've been holding onto shatters and I close the distance between us in a few quick steps.

I don't think. I just act.

My hand finds the back of her neck, pulling her up from her seat and to me, and I kiss her—hard, like I've been dying to do for the past two years. She gasps against my lips but doesn't pull away. Instead, she leans into me, her hands clutching the front of my shirt as if she's afraid I'll let her go.

But I'm not letting go. Not now. Not after this.

The kiss deepens, growing more intense with each passing second, and all the reasons this shouldn't be happening disappear from my mind. It's just her. Just Joy. The girl I've tried so hard to resist, but who's now completely wrapped around my thoughts and my heart.

I pull back just enough to catch my breath, my forehead resting against hers. Her eyes are wide, her cheeks flushed, and I can see the same desire burning in her that's raging through me.

"I've wanted you too," I confess, my voice rough. "Since that night. Before if I'm honest. You have no idea how hard it's been to stay away from you."

She looks up at me, her eyes searching mine. "Then why did you?"

I shake my head, my hand still cradling her face. "Because you're Theo's daughter and I didn't want to ruin everything."

A small, mischievous smile tugs at the corner of her lips. "Well, considering my dad's dating my best friend, I'd say we're even."

I can't help but laugh at that. Leave it to Joy to make a joke in the middle of all this. But the laughter dies quickly as the reality of the situation sets in again. This is dangerous territory. For both of us.

"Are you sure about this?" I ask, my voice low, my thumb brushing against her cheek.

Her answer comes without hesitation. "I've never been more sure about anything."

And that's all it takes for me to give in completely.

Joy deserves more than a quick orgasm in the office of my shop, but I don't think either of us are willing to wait. Now that we both know what we want, that our intentions are out in the open, there's no stopping what's about to happen.

Our next kiss is intense, hot and desperate, both of us needing each other like we've never needed another person. My hands tangle in her hair, angling her head up so I can explore her mouth better. She makes delightful little sounds into my mouth, the noises unintentional and borne of pure pleasure. It's like she just can't get enough of me. I feel the same way.

I hoist her up onto the desk, never breaking my lips from hers. Keeping one hand firmly in her hair, I allow my touch to drift down her body. Joy's responsive to my whims, apparently glad to be guided by my experienced hands.

With her seated now, I shove the edge of her dress up to expose her cotton panties. She gasps, causing me to pull back and look down at her curiously. I tilt my head, asking a question without speaking.

"Sorry," she murmurs, a gorgeous blush settling over her cheeks. "I just wasn't expecting it."

"But you wanted it." I smirk at the way she ducks her head. It's not a question because her body is telling me how much she's enjoying this.

I plant another kiss on her lips before I slide down the length of her body. Spreading her legs open, I stare at the wet spot on the soft pink fabric of her underwear. All we've done is kiss and she's already wet for me. The sight goes straight to my cock, already starting to stiffen from the noises she made in response to my kisses.

With a growl, I press my fingertips into the supple flesh of her inner thighs, pulling a gasp out of her. She twitches her hips forward slightly and I can tell it's completely out of her control. She wants more, but I doubt she even knows what she's asking for.

Unable to help myself anymore, I lean forward and nip at the soft skin of her inner thigh making her draw in a sharp breath. Her reaction is immediate, a loud gasp that she quickly stifles with her fist. Encouraged by her enjoyment, I press my open mouth against her clothed center.

I mime eating her out through the fabric, enjoying the way she responds. It makes me even more eager to give her proper attention. So, after a few seconds of teasing, I reluctantly pull away, hooking my fingers in the waistband of her panties and yanking them down.

I'm greeted by the sight of her glistening sex. She's absolutely beautiful, untouched and laid bare just for me. My cock thickens at the sight and the thought of what she's going to taste like.

Gently, I run a knuckle through her folds, making her moan behind her hand. I'd love to give her more attention with my fingers, but time is not on our side right now. There will be a next time, though. I'm sure of that. I won't let this be our only time. I want this to be our forever.

"God, Joy. You're so pretty like this." She whimpers shyly and I chuckle before I kiss my way up the inside of her thighs.

With each touch of my lips, she mewls and twitches. By the time I get to her center, she's panting, watching me with lust-blown eyes. I hold her gaze as I dive in, running the flat of my tongue through her folds, letting the tip of my tongue dip into her pussy.

"Oh!" she gasps, high-pitched and needy.

Her hips buck forward as I find her clit, circling around the bundle of nerves and pulling another string of sounds from her mouth. I groan against her, my eyes falling closed. She tastes sweet and tangy, like honey and something earthy and uniquely her. It's addictive, something I would be happy to taste in the morning, at noon, and at night.

My dick is rock hard, aching as she thrusts against my face. I can't get enough of her sounds, of her taste, of her clear need for what I'm giving her. I wish I could give her even more, that we were in private.

"Steven," she groans, reaching down and grabbing my hair. She tangles it in her fingers, tugging gently like she's afraid of hurting me. Apparently, she's using the last bit of her cognition to keep herself under control.

I'm determined to take her last little bit of restraint. I need her to be completely at my mercy. I want her to be nothing but a being ruled by pleasure, controlled only by the flicks of my tongue and the touch of my hands.

My mouth closes over her clit and I suck hard. Her hand tightens in my hair and she tugs hard. I can tell that I'm taking the last bits of her mindfulness with my mouth. It emboldens me, making my cock twitch. God, I wish we could go further.

"I think—" she starts, her urgent voice getting cut off by a guttural moan.

She's close. She doesn't have to finish that statement for me to know what she means. I can tell by the way she's pulling my hair and grinding against my tongue. She's chasing her release without any shame. The only thing on her mind must be getting off.

I keep doing what I'm doing, stimulating her clit while I massage her outer thighs. It doesn't take long until she's screaming. I open my eyes, enjoying the sight of her open-mouthed and in the throes of pleasure. Her orgasm slams into her and she calls my name.

I work her through it, not letting up until she tugs me away. When I come up, I don't bother with saying anything. Instead, I just surge forward, connecting our mouths in a filthy kiss. She makes a noise of surprise before licking into my mouth, apparently chasing her own taste on my tongue. I can't help but groan in response.

I should stop. I know I should. But there's no going back now. Not after this.

When we finally break apart, both of us breathing hard, her lips are swollen, her eyes half-lidded with a dazed look that just about wrecks me. My forehead presses against hers again and for a moment, all I can do is breathe her in, feel her in my arms. I know that I've crossed a line that I can't uncross.

But I also know I'm not sorry. Not one bit.

"Joy…" I start, but she cuts me off with a soft laugh.

"I know," she says, her voice still thick with emotion. "We'll figure it out later. Just—" She looks up at me, her eyes dark and full of something I recognize all too well. "For now, let's just be here. Together."

I nod, unable to argue with that. My thumb brushes across her jawline and I give in to one last kiss—slow this time, full of everything we're both too afraid to say out loud yet.

We'll deal with the consequences later. But for now, in this moment, there's only us.