Calvin pulled into the driveway of his suburban home, the garage door rumbling open as his sleek black Mustang purred to a stop. The scent of fresh cut grass from the lawn mingled with the faint smell of gasoline from his car. He killed the engine and sat there for a moment, taking a deep breath as he tried to calm the anticipation coursing through his veins. MaryAnne was gone for the next three weeks, off on some yoga retreat in Bali. And while that would usually fill him with dread at the thought of being alone with his own thoughts for so long, today it filled him with a different kind of anticipation entirely.

He thought of nothing but his stepkid ever since MaryAnne had convinced them both to move in with him nearly a year ago. At first, it had been innocent enough - the occasional lingering glance, a brush of hands as he reached for the same dish at dinner, a "joke" about there being no one good enough for them to date. But as the months went on, Calvin found himself increasingly consumed by thoughts of them in ways that went far beyond the purview of a stepfather.

Shaking his head to dislodge the inappropriate thoughts, Calvin exited the car and made his way into the house through the garage. The cool air conditioning hit him as he entered, a welcome relief from the summer heat outside. His expensive leather shoes clicked against the tiled floor, echoing slightly in the quiet house.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps descending the stairs, and his heart skipped a beat as they came into view. God, they were stunning, somehow even more attractive than the last time he'd seen them. The way their hips swayed with each step, the curve of their lips as they smiled at him, it was enough to make his mouth go dry. He quickly looked away, mentally chastising himself for having such inappropriate thoughts about his own stepchild.

"Hey there, kiddo," Calvin said, forcing a casual tone as he set his briefcase down by the door. The leather case made a dull thud against the hardwood floor. "What did you do today?" he asked, trying to keep his voice casual and light. "I was thinking we could order some pizza and have a movie night. What do you say?" He watched them closely, gauging their reaction as they considered his suggestion.

Internally, he was waging a war with himself, desperately trying to suppress the desire that threatened to consume him every time he looked at them.

Fuck, the way I could give them everything they've ever wanted, if only they'd let me in, he thought before cutting off the dangerous train of thought. They're your stepchild, you can't think like that. MaryAnne trusts you with them.

They were off-limits, untouchable, and he knew he had to keep reminding himself of that fact.

No, focus on the pizza. On the movies. On being a good stepfather. Don't be a fucking creep.

But fuck, it was getting harder and harder to resist the temptation that they presented.