Chapter 2

DENVER

I use my hand to slam the door once she is out of the house. She’s already seen me naked, and I couldn’t stand to watch her see me getting hard.

I shouldn’t get turned on because it was an incident. She came to find Bennett but happened not to see him.

I shouldn’t even give it a second thought about what just happened a while ago, but the way she stared at me got me fucking turned on, and I started to imagine things that I was supposed not to ever think of.

She is my son’s girlfriend, and that isn’t even much trouble. I am twenty years older than her, which should be the trouble.

Why didn’t I know when she arrived? I didn’t know, and that was my fault. Plus, I ought to have stopped walking around the house naked all the time.

It’s a bad habit for me. I do this when I’m alone and enjoying my music. It’s a sign of peace of mind when Bennett and his mom are away from home.

I charge into the shower to take a bath, but I can’t get rid of her words from my head and the way she kept staring. She wasn’t even afraid, and that too was another turn-on.

I come out of the bathroom, drying up my wet brown, short, curly hair, when my phone buzzes up on my reading table.

The caller is Drake Harper, my half brother. Drake and I own a law firm together, and we are equal partners.

He is a busy man and always calls when we have an urgent meeting or whenever he wants to take some time off from the company and go on vacation with his wife.

“Dumbass, why are you ringing my phone this early?” That’s how we call each other's names. Even though we had different mothers, we have been close since we were children.

Though we used to be enemies at some point, we were always betting on a fight, and we were the only ones who could engage in a fight. No outsider could dare challenge us because we were known as fighters.

We were the only ones who could beat each other up and play once the bruises were healed.

“Is that how you speak to your elder?” He teased. Drake and I were born in the same month; he was only older than me by 24 hours, and I don’t regard that as anything. He’s not a senior to me, and I’m not fucking a junior to him.

“Speak up already. I’m too busy to argue with you for the millionth time.” We were always arguing about this age thing, but this morning isn’t the right time for it because I had a strange encounter with a girl, and I’ve never experienced that before.

Anytime I slightly think about it, it drives me crazy. I’m glad I sent her home immediately because I don’t know what would have happened next when she became so bold.

“There are going to be some internship students, and I want you to organize them. I won’t be around in the meantime. But don’t flinch because there’s already a list of the students, and they have been assigned to other junior attorneys as well. You all have a student to guide during this program, and I want you to coordinate it. Thank you in advance, Denver.” The phone just hangs around my ear, waiting for him to get done. He always does this whenever he is going on vacation, and he makes me act as the complete owner while he’s away.

“Where is the damn list?” I breathed out, running my hand through my wet hair.

“It will be sent to your email in no time by Juliet.” A tic spread through my jawline as I heard Juliet's name. She is a lady Drake is more fond of, but with no strings attached; he just likes her around, and I hate her being around, but I don’t seem to have anything to do about it.

“Now get the hell out of my phone.” I command after getting enough information I need about the file of the list of the intern students.

“Make sure you prepare for your vacation with Sandra. You two need to work on your marriage. I will make sure you go with her once I’m back from mine.” He speaks too much; I hang up the call before he says more than that.

Speaking of Sandra, she is the woman who gave birth to Bennett. I wouldn’t say she is my wife because we’ve never been married, but I’ve always loved her.

But I’ve been doubting if she has ever loved me too, and I have been suspicious about some things lately. I will need some proofs to make them valid.

I return to dressing up when I hear footsteps from the alley. I wear my clothes and burst out of my room.

I found Bennett staggering into his room. Did he get himself drunk or what?

“Where the heck have you been, Bennett?” I demand as he throws himself into his neatly arranged bed.

“Out with my friends. Why?” He asks, taking off his buttons and tossing the shirt to the ground. He’s never been organized anyway. He looks so much like me including his brown, short, curly hair and height but his eyes are blue like Sandra's.

“Anastasia came to look for you.” I mumble, watching as he spreads across the bed and shuts his eyes.

“To hell with her, dad. I don’t care about that girl anymore, and she should stop bothering me. Doesn’t she understand that I don’t love her anymore? Do I have to fucking say it?” He shouts and goes suddenly quiet as he falls into a deep sleep.

I walk away from the door and sit next to him on the bed as I take the strand of hair away from his face.

“Anastasia doesn’t look like someone you can easily get over, Bennett. She’s way too gorgeous for that, and forgive me, son, in advance. In case I do something that could hurt you, I don’t know what yet, but I feel the urge to apologize in advance.” I get off the bed and head out, slamming the door behind me.