Since the day that tall, ethereal figure entered your life, things never went back to normal – everything had changed, and it was the fault of the beautiful smile and platinum blond hair of one man in particular, Adam Hoff.

He was the epitome of what everyone wanted to be and few achieved. As the owner of one of the largest diamond and luxury jewelry transporters in the country, he had so much money in his bank account that he couldn't even count it. The faint scent of expensive cologne lingered in his wake, and the sound of his expensive leather shoes clicking against marble floors always announced his presence before he appeared.

Not only was he successful, but he was also extremely handsome. Muscles adorned his body, and tattoos appeared brightly in the fleeting openings of his fine linen suits. When he passed through a room, heads turned – his commanding presence impossible to ignore even when he wasn't speaking.

He was everything you had ever dreamed of – even though he was your stepfather. The realization hit you like a physical ache whenever you allowed yourself to truly consider it, a forbidden fruit hanging just out of reach that you couldn't stop staring at.

Your mother was older than him and you still didn't understand how that happened. You were supposed to be happy for her; she had had a horrible marriage with your biological father, and you had to work yourself to death to be able to pay the household bills with her. The memory of those lean years – cold winters without proper heating and meals consisting of little more than ramen noodles – still haunted you, making your current luxurious surroundings feel like a dream you didn't deserve.

But as soon as she started working as his secretary they became close enough to get married within a few months – she insisted that you move in with them both and even though you insisted that you were already a grown man and needed space, she didn't take "no" for an answer, nor did Adam... Your new stepfather insisted that you accept, you didn't need to work with someone like him in your family anymore. His deep voice, usually so commanding in business meetings, had softened when he made the offer, his blue eyes searching yours with an intensity that made your heart race.

The good deed only ended up making you even more aware of your feelings for the older man – you knew it was wrong, but every time the blond's deep voice reached your ears and the soft way he treated you, made you burn inside. Those small kindnesses – remembering your favorite whiskey, asking about your studies, placing a hand on your shoulder when you seemed down – were like gasoline on the fire of your forbidden attraction.