Chapter 23. Wife Gets Home (Brain Control Enterprises)

I pounded around the corner of the park on my third lap and pushed myself into the fourth.

I was sweating. My heart pounded against my ribs and my shirt stuck to my back, but that was what I wanted. I was feeling stronger every day, faster, more energized. My head throbbed as my pulse roared in my ears, but I kept going. There was a lot on my mind, and I'd found that my morning run was the perfect time to stop thinking about it and just go.

It was Monday morning, and this evening Barbara would be returning home from her conference. I wasn't looking forward to the conversation we'd have to have — where she admitted that she'd been sleeping with her boss and I would tell her that I knew all about it. I still didn't know where that conversation would go. I just knew that my plans for transforming her from the dismissive, cheating woman she used to be into my devoted, loving wife would either fail spectacularly or succeed in an equally thrilling fashion.

I wobbled back down the street on weak legs and stumbled up onto the porch. Collapsing into the rocking chair, I groaned. Damn... I surprised myself. Already, I was stronger than I'd been just two weeks ago. Sweat poured down my face and I wiped it away with the hem of my tank top, considering the darkened fabric pensively.

It was an experiment. One that I was running to see if I could discover the extent of the changes that Brain Development Enterprises was having on my body, as well as my mind.

And speaking of changes...

"Good morning, Daddy."

I turned my head. McKenzie was standing in the open front door. Her dark hair was still mussed from sleep, and all she wore was an oversized tee shirt — one of mine — and a red pair of boy shorts. She looked sexy as hell.

"Morning, Kenz," I said, smiling.

She jerked her head, gesturing deeper into the house. "Join me inside?"

I blew out a sigh. "Must I move, right now?" I groaned.

She just grinned and rolled her eyes. "There's coffee waiting for you, if you do." She turned, tossing her hair over her shoulder, and sashayed back inside on her long, slim legs.

With a grunt, I pushed myself out of the rocking chair and followed her.

As I walked through the living room and into the kitchen doorway, she emerged with a steaming mug held carefully in her hands. She offered it to me.

"You didn't have to make this for me," I told her, raising my eyebrows but accepting the proffered cup. I took an appreciative sip. Ahhh... My morning cup of coffee was the reward I gave myself for completing my daily jog.

The teenager just grinned. "You're right," she said, leaning up to give me a swift peck on the cheek. "But I wanted my Daddy to know that his little angel noticed how hard he's been working..." Her fingers trailed down my chest. "And that she thinks he deserves a reward for being so good."

Oh... Between my legs, I felt a pulse of lustful anticipation as her slim hands slid under my shorts and gently stroked my cock awake.

"And since Mom is coming home tonight," McKenzie murmured. "We won't be able to do this anymore..."

She gently slid to her knees, hazel eyes gazing innocently up into mine. Her lips were parted in a soft gasp as she leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on my rapidly-swelling length through the fabric. "You don't mind, do you, Daddy?" she asked softly.

I groaned. "Not at all, angel..."

"Good." My stepdaughter tugged, yanking my shorts and boxer briefs down to my knees and leaning in. I could feel her breath, hot on my sensitive skin. "Because I'm going to make you cum as many times as I can before Mom gets home."

"Fuck..." I moaned as McKenzie wrapped her lips around the throbbing, mushroom head of my cock and gently swirled her tongue. I was beginning to think she was an expert, the best, hottest cocksucker I'd ever been lucky enough to meet.

"Hey, Kenz?" I grunted as she moaned softly and slid her lips up my shaft, swallowing me deeper and deeper with each bob of her head.

"Mmm?" she murmured back, her tongue lavishing my rod with attention.

"When we're... ahhh... done here, can I ask you a quick favor?" My eyelids fluttered down and my hands clenched into fists at my sides. "Just trying to figure something out about what I was able to do with Adrianna."

"Mhmm..." she agreed, eyes rolling back with pleasure as she enjoyed the feeling of my thick, throbbing meat sliding into her throat.

I grunted as she started to deepthroat me, but as hot as it was my mind started to drift. Even as turned on as I was, I'd gotten enough blowjobs in the past two weeks to where I could multitask. My thoughts wandered back to the Adrianna problem. In the past two days, the gorgeous, curvy Latina had spent the bulk of her time with me and McKenzie. And in that time, I had learned that for some reason I had the power to turn her into a completely thoughtless, obedient toy anytime I wanted.

I hadn't tried it out on McKenzie yet, I wasn't sure I even wanted to, but I wondered if it was just another side effect of the BDE recordings and the cologne I'd been using liberally almost daily.

Yeah, I thought. I can add "pseudo-hypnotic mind control powers" to my "overwhelming masculine aura", and "scent that turns women into horny, bubbly nymphomaniacs." Which brought me back to today's experiment.

"Oh god..." I moved my hips fractionally, thrusting gently between my stepdaughter's pillowy lips. My balls were heavy with this morning's unspent load, and I could feel them roiling and tightening.

McKenzie's eyes were closed, a look of bliss on her rapturous features as she took me deep with each plunging movement.

"Sweetheart," I murmured, "I'm gonna cum..."

The 18-year-old's eyes flashed open and she grinned. "Mhmmm..." she moaned, and sped up, her tongue flickering and tasting the beading precum on the tip of my length.

My toes curled and I could feel the tight confines of her throat with every bob of her head, her cheeks hollowing as she sucked me deep and begged me to explode. "Fuuuuuck..." I groaned, and my hands clenched and my head fell back as I came.

McKenzie slurped happily, her lips sliding all the way down my shaft and back up as she milked me for every drop of my seed. She swallowed as my load filled her mouth, and then again, slowly draining my balls and then letting the very tip of my length remain between those pouty, perfect lips.

I stared down into her hazel eyes, which were shining with devotion and pleasure. "That was so fucking good, angel..." I told her. "Wow..."

She grinned at the praise and leaned back, my slowly wilting cock hanging between my thighs. She swallowed greedily, a final time, and then shivered with bliss. "Mmm..." she murmured. "Wow, Daddy. You taste really good today..." Her eyes were a little bit glazed as she said it, and as I reached out a hand to help her to her feet she actually stumbled against me, her hands clenching in my tee shirt as she swayed drunkenly. "Woah, Daddy... I feel... good..."

A furrow appeared between my brows. "Are you okay, Kenz?"

She looked dazedly up at me. Then, she shook her head slightly and focused on my face. "I'm very good, Daddy. Very happy to pleasure you with my slutty little mouth..." She kissed my chin. "And..." she took one of my hands and pulled it around until it was resting on her firm, bubble butt. "To turn you on with the rest of me..."

I groaned softly, my fingers sinking into her ass and pulling her up against me. "I'm about to go shower," I murmured, leaning down and kissing her temple. "Join me?"

The teenager bit her lip and smiled up at me. "I'd love to..."

* * *

I scrubbed at my hair with the towel as I stepped from the shower, moving in front of the mirror and wiping droplets of water from my face. Steam was working its way across the mirror from the outside inward, but I took a second to admire myself.

Not bad, John... I thought, turning my body left and right. My daily running routine, combined with McKenzie's workouts and her attention to my diet, was showing results. My arms were looking bigger, my chest muscles were tighter and no longer sagging, and even though I still had a bit of a belly I could already tell that my waistline was shrinking.

My stepdaughter appeared behind me in the glass, pressing her lithe figure up against my back. Her hands slid up under my arms and her fingers pressed into my skin, sliding across my chest. "Looking good," she grinned.

The glazed, drugged expression had disappeared a few minutes after we'd come upstairs, and she looked as chipper and cheerful as ever.

I still wasn't sure what had caused it, but I was beginning to have a sneaking suspicion. "Hey, how about helping me out with that favor I mentioned?" I asked.

"Sure thing," she said, kissing my shoulder and spinning lightly around to snatch up a towel.

We dried off and went back into the master bedroom. McKenzie had been sleeping here with me every night Barbara had been gone, and I suddenly realized how strange it would be to have her move back to the room at the end of the hall.

As I thought about it, a twinge of discomfort in my stomach reminded me of the conversation Barbara and I would be having tonight. Not now, I told myself sternly. You're figuring some other things out right now.

"Alright, sweetheart," I ordered as my stepdaughter plopped down on the end of the bed. "I want you to close your eyes for me."

McKenzie obeyed, her lips turning up at the corners. "Do you have a surprise for me?" she asked teasingly.

I huffed out a soft laugh. "Not really, Kenz. I just want you to do a smell test for me." Crumpled atop the sheets on my side of the bed was the sweat-drenched workout tee from my run. As my stepdaughter waited, I went to my dresser, took out the bottle of BDE cologne, and sprayed a generous amount onto a small hand towel.

"Alright," I ordered, picking up the shirt and holding one piece of cloth in each fist. "I want you to smell both of these and tell me... tell me if there's a difference."

McKenzie's brow furrowed in confusion, but she held out her hands. This was the experiment. And, strange as it seemed, I thought I already knew her answer. I placed the shirt and the towel in her hands.

The teenager lifted the towel first to her nose, and as she breathed in I could see her shoulders relax. "Mmm..." she murmured softly, lashes fluttering. "You know how much your cologne turns me on, Daddy..." Her thighs were rubbing together subtly, her body reacting to whatever chemical cocktail the BDE company had blended into their formula.

"And the other...?" I asked hesitantly.

McKenzie bit her lip thoughtfully and raised the shirt to her nose. Her perky tits rose as she took a long whiff. I saw her nipples start to harden, and the smile widened. "Yesss..." she said softly. "It smells even better... Like you, Daddy. Like a real Man, the man of the house..."

She opened her eyes, and I could see that they were a little clouded. Then she shook her head and her hazel gaze cleared. She looked down into her hands, and raised her eyebrows. "What was that about?" she asked, glancing up at me.

"Huh..." I said in answer. I pursed my lips. Apparently, my sweat smelled just as good as the BDE cologne. If not better... Weird... "I'm not sure, angel," I told her honestly. "But apparently there isn't any real difference in the smell between my cologne and..." I gestured at the balled up tee shirt in her small hand. "My sweat."

McKenzie looked confused. "What... that doesn't make any sense..."

I nodded. "Yeah. I know..." I wasn't sure how much I wanted to go into details about BDE with my stepdaughter, especially considering the BDE purchases were how she'd ended up with me in the first place, but it was an odd conundrum and I'd needed her help for the experiment.

I glanced at the clock. It was just past 8, so I had around an hour to get to work, and I had one more test to try before then. "There's just one other thing I wanted your help with."

McKenzie leaned back on the mattress, arching her back and stretching. It was a casual movement, but it made my brain spin with all the things I wanted to do to her fit young body. "Of course," she smiled. "What is it?"

I gently settled on the mattress next to her, one knee tucked beneath me. I stared into her hazel eyes, my own dark gaze thoughtful. I took a slow, deep breath, searching for the sensation of power and command deep in my chest.

"Daddy?" she asked.

"Obey..." The single word was resonant and low, my voice rumbling up from a primal part of me.

McKenzie blinked, her pupils dilating. "What...?" she said softly.

"Obey." I repeated, my voice thrumming with power.

My stepdaughter swayed, like my voice was a strong wind blowing through grass.

"Obey."

I was staring into her eyes, and as I commanded her for the third time I saw the light go out behind them. Her lips parted in a soft sigh and her face went smooth and relaxed. The furrows of confusion in her forehead smoothed.

"Yes..." she murmured softly. She sat up slowly, like she was moving through water, her eyes never leaving mine. "Yes, Master..."

The power that resonated through my tone was surging through my own body, as well, my inner Alpha Male pressing against the back of my mind like a dull headache. I could feel him urging me to use my inner strength, the dominance that I now controlled, to take the young woman before me. To use her however I wished. To pin her to the bed, to make her mine.

I blew out a soft breath between my lips, struggling for control. I guess that answers that question, I thought. I had been wondering whether the BDE recordings had changed something in me. Apparently, they had.

"McKenzie..." I said gently.

The teenager blinked several times, her glazed eyes refocusing. "Woah..." she murmured.

"You good?" I asked, stroking her shoulder.

"Wow..." she simply said again. "Adrianna was right..."

"What do you mean?" I frowned, but she smiled in return.

"One of the times we were hanging out this weekend and you were off doing something, I asked her about when you do... that... to her."

I nodded. "What is it like?" I asked, curious in spite of myself.

My stepdaughter bit her lip. "It's like... I'm floating. Everything is warm and relaxed and comfortable, and I don't have to worry about anything... I don't have to worry about being in control, being wound up so tight and nervous about anything. And it's just easy to relax... To relax and do whatever you tell me to do."

I nodded again, slowly. So... I thought. I wasn't quite sure what it meant, but something in those recordings had unlocked an inner ability to... Hypnotize people? I wondered. It seemed that way. I'm really going to need to talk to those BDE people, I thought. I'd sent them an email a couple days ago, but I didn't really expect a response on the weekend. I hoped they would get back to me today, and I could set up a call to get some real information about what their products were doing to me.

Another idea struck me. I wonder who else my... power... might work on... But I pushed the thought aside for a moment, standing. I held out my hands and pulled McKenzie to her feet. Bending down, I kissed her softly on the lips. "Thank you, sweetheart," I told her. "I'm grateful I can trust you to help me. There are a lot of changes happening right now, and it means a lot that I can rely on you to go through them with me."

McKenzie nodded, her expression thoughtful. It was a pensive look I'd seen before, and it reminded me that my stepdaughter wasn't just a pretty face. She'd demonstrated more than once that she was a smart, insightful woman. "I've got your back," she said. Then she grinned and threw her arms around me impulsively.

I kissed her hair, breathing in the scent of her coconut shampoo. It was a smell I'd never really noticed before she and I had grown closer, but now it sent desire shivering up my spine like a tiny, electric shock. I could feel her body against me, her soft breasts against my chest, her thumping heart against my ribs.

"I know Mom is coming home today," she said softly, pulling back and looking up at me. "Are you going to be okay? You said she wanted to talk."

I nodded, slowly. "I'll be good," I said. The nervousness I'd felt about the conversation had melted away. All I felt now was confidence. Thank god for BDE... I mused.

"Good," McKenzie nodded. She glanced at the clock then back up into my face. She bit her lip and her eyes shone. "I know you've got to go to work, but...?" Her hands pressed against my chest, fingers making small circles in my skin.

"I think I have a bit of time..." I said, feeling a wave of arousal roll through my body. Between my legs, my length began to harden against her thigh.

"Mmm..." she murmured, her hands slowly reaching down and beginning to stroke.

"I definitely have time," I corrected, sighing with pleasure as she wrapped her fingers around my shaft.

McKenzie laughed softly as I guided her down onto the bed. Whatever happened when Barbara came home, I went to work satisfied.

* * *

"John!" Allison's sharp, strident voice grated against my eardrums, piercing through the soothing classical music that I listen to when I code.

I shook my head slightly and tugged one earbud free. I blinked, unfocusing from the lines of script in front of me, and then glanced up past the monitor to the door of my office. "What?" I asked.

Allison was standing there, leaning against the doorway, a frustrated look on her lovely face. In spite of myself, I had to control the urge glance down her body, taking in whatever form-fitting, barely-in-dress code outfit she'd chosen for work today.

The woman crossed her arms under her hefty tits, frowning. "How's your team doing on the Morrison project?"

I glanced back at the code. "Well," I said. "We hit a few roadblocks, but—"

She interrupted me, shaking her head dismissively. Shoulder-length blonde hair tumbled in waves around her face. "I didn't come here for excuses," she told me. "I'm here because the client asked us to move up the deadline and I said we would."

I frowned. "What? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Allison shrugged. "I'm telling you now." She clicked further into the room on her high heels, obviously enjoying the uncertainty written across my face. "So, you have until the end of the week to wrap up the project."

What? I shook my head, the suddenness of her intrusion still had me on the back foot. "But—"

"No buts." Allison smirked, her ruby red lips curling unpleasantly. "This is why I'm now in charge of you. Because when I say things will get done, they get done. And if you can't handle that then we'll put someone in charge of your team who can actually accomplish the projects we give them."

I sighed, my hands falling into my lap. My fingers clenched and released. Then, not quite sure why I was doing it, I asked something that had been on my mind for a long time. "Why don't you like me, Allison?"

My recently-promoted colleague pulled up short, her carefully-sculpted eyebrows coming together in a frown of uncertainty. "What?"

I shrugged. "I mean, if I were anyone else, I doubt you'd be coming in so fast with a threat. You'd probably try encouragement first, and then seduction if that wasn't good enough."

There was a sharp intake of breath as I steamrolled on.

"And then, as a last resort, you'd used a veiled threat as motivation. But instead, you come into my office and decide to use negative reinforcement right out of the gate." I stared into her bright blue eyes. "So I'm asking: what did I do to piss you off?"

Allison stood there stunned for a moment, the curvaceous blonde obviously not expecting my outburst.

I shook my head. "I can do what you're asking me... probably. But if I can't, then you're not going to demote me for it. Because I'm working from a reasonable deadline and the fact that you pushed it up doesn't just mean that me and my team can do an unreasonable amount of work to make up for it."

I had never been this assertive in the office before, and now I had Allison on the back foot. It felt good.

The woman stood there for another moment, halfway between my desk and the door. Then, with a snort of disbelief, she turned and strutted from the room.

As she left, I let my eyes slide down her back and rest on the gray pencil skirt she wore. It molded itself to her ass, giving me a fantastic view before she turned the corner and strode away down the hall.

I took a deep breath and blew it out. What was that for? I asked myself. You didn't need to antagonize her like that... Then, I frowned.

"No," I muttered to myself. "But she's been an uppity bitch ever since she got promoted, and you don't have to stand for it anymore." I was good at my job, one of the best in the company, and even if I didn't have the social graces to win a promotion, I still deserved respect. Making Allison an even worse enemy than she already was could come back to haunt me, but there was too much on my mind today for me to care.

Shaking my head, I went back to work.

* * *

Barbara had texted me when she'd landed, so I was waiting in the living room when she arrived. I had a cold bottle of beer in my hand and was sipping it pensively, waiting.

The front door opened and closed with a gentle thud, and then I heard the sound of her rolling luggage in the front hallway.

"Hey, honey!" I said, standing and smiling as she walked into the front room.

My wife looked as stunning as ever, even after a day of travel, her long blonde hair back in a golden braid and her lush curves calling to me under a light blue blouse and navy skirt.

"Hey," she said, not meeting my eyes as she came to a halt. "Do you mind if I put my stuff upstairs? I know I said I wanted to talk, but it's been a long day..."

"Sure," I said. I had been about to walk across the room to give her a welcome-home kiss, but I hesitated. "Is everything okay?"

Barbara sighed. "It's been a long weekend. I just..." She shook her head. "I don't want to start anything right now."

I nodded understandingly and continued across the carpet.

She looked up at me as I approached, but I didn't go for a kiss, just pulled the bag from her hand gently and started toward the stairs. "Let's put your stuff away and let you unwind a bit. Then we can talk."

Barbara looked uncertain, but she followed as I led the way up to the bedroom and slid the luggage to a halt by her side of the bed.

McKenzie had done the laundry while I was at work, so the sheets were crisp and clean. No evidence remained of the wild weekend I'd had in here with two barely-legal coeds.

"Home sweet home," I said, smiling easily at my wife. I wondered why my heart wasn't racing, why I hadn't broken out in a sweat. In the past, relationship drama with my wife had terrified me. Now, the most I could muster was a hint of concern.

"Thanks, honey," Barbara said, then sank down on the bed with a sigh. She fell back onto the pillows with a groan of relief. "Nice to lay down in my own bed."

I nodded and sat at the end of the mattress. Gently, I reached out and stroked her calf. "Sounds like you had a full plate."

My wife had stopped moving when I touched her, then pushed herself back into a sitting position, moving up the bed and out of reach.

"I'm..." she hesitated, glancing again at my hand. She took a deep breath. "I know I said we needed to talk. And I want to. And I was ready to. But now that I'm here..." She shook her head. "It seems so much harder."

I nodded sympathetically, wondering what was going through her mind. She's probably worried as hell, I thought. That's how I'd feel if I were about to tell my spouse I cheated on them with my boss. A slight correction drifted across my brain. Well, how I'd have felt in the past... "Is there anything I can do to make it easier?" My voice was low and soothing, my face set in what I hoped was a reassuring expression.

Barbara shook her head again, her blue eyes drifting away from mine. She took a deep breath and I tried not to stare at the way her full, round tits filled out the tight blouse. Then, she took another deep breath and I knew she was ready to speak. Her jaw tightened, and when she looked up at me I was surprised at the steel in her bright blue gaze.

It's okay, I told myself. You know what she's going to say. You know what you're going to say...

Then, my wife asked me a short, simple question.

I froze. This wasn't what I had expected.

"How long have you been sleeping with my daughter?"

* * *

I was stunned. My face twisted into a frown of confusion, and I shook my head. "What?"

Barbara looked at me, and her face was a mask of frustration and pain. "How long," she repeated. "Have you been sleeping with my daughter?"

I raised my hands defensively. "That's what you wanted to talk to me about?" I was off-kilter, and now my heart did start to race. I didn't have anything planned for this. I hadn't even seen this coming.

Barbara's fingers gripped tight in the sheets and her breath was fast between her lips. "I knew it..." she gasped. "You aren't even trying to deny it..."

I tried to speak, but she cut me off with an angry gesture and her voice rolled over mine. Now that she'd started, it seemed, she wouldn't be stopped.

"I didn't suspect anything until this weekend," she started. "When you asked if I was okay with you guys hosting a party while I was gone. And even then it just seemed like you were doing it to be nice, to grow closer to your stepdaughter. But then I started thinking. It was so out of character... Hosting a party for McKenzie? That's not you. You're antisocial. You don't know how to interact with people your own age, much less teenagers..."

What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck? My brain couldn't seem to wrap around what I was hearing, couldn't seem to comprehend the situation. What could I do? For the first time in days, I didn't have my cocky, confident self to fall back on. My Inner Alpha Male was as stunned as I was.

"Still, I didn't have any idea what was actually going on." The words were spilling from Barbara's lips in a rushing torrent, like a waterfall of condemnation. "And then I got your texts. You weren't just chaperoning, you were hanging out with the kids. But that was fine... You were just breaking out of your shell. You were trying to be the 'cool stepdad,' and I could believe that. Sort of. Only then I got a text from someone else. Lucas, McKenzie's boyfriend. He said that she was having a party and that he hadn't been invited, because she hadn't been speaking to him for more than a week. She'd been ignoring his texts, ducking his calls, and when he asked her friends they said she'd told them she'd moved on to someone else... someone more mature. He asked me what was going on..."

Wait... What? That stopped my brain in its tracks, short circuited the entire system. McKenzie has a boyfriend?! I'd never met the guy, and my stepdaughter had never even mentioned him to me.

But Barbara wasn't slowing down. "And I was wondering what that could mean. Why would my little girl break a guy's heart like that? What had changed? And then I remembered... That was around that time that you started telling me about those bullshit self-hypnosis recordings. You started running, started working out, started spending more and more time with McKenzie, with your stepdaughter... I had thought that it was a good sign. I thought you were finally starting to grow out of your shell, becoming a real man who wanted to connect with his family. But really you were just trying to impress my innocent, 18-year-old daughter who is still too young to realize that you were manipulating her, trying to use her in some perverted, controlling, fucked-up..."

My wife was gasping, shaking her head, trembling with emotion.

But that was when I stopped her. As she'd described my relationship with McKenzie, something else had risen up in my chest. It wasn't anxiety, it wasn't concern, and it certainly wasn't fear. It was anger. For the second time in only a few days, someone had called our relationship fucked up and had called me perverted, and I wasn't going to stand for it.

I am the Man of the House. The Man of the House provides, and he takes what he wants. I deserve everything I want. I deserve to be in control. I deserve it all.

"Stop." My voice was a low growl, sharper than I intended.

Barbara froze and met my eyes, saw something there that surprised her. But she was still angry, still upset. "Don't think that you can—"

"Stop." I felt the word reverberate in the air between us. It was a primal sensation, the kind of feeling you get when someone powerful enters the room. You don't know how you know, and you don't know why, but you know that they are someone to be followed. Someone to be obeyed.

My wife froze, the words dying on her lips.

"I know about Aaron Burns," I said.

I hadn't meant to tell her. I hadn't even been thinking about it. But as her eyes widened and she sucked in a gasp of breath I knew that McKenzie had been telling the truth. I hadn't doubted my stepdaughter. But there was something different about knowing, without a doubt, that my wife had been cheating on me.

I guess that makes two of us, I thought ironically.

"But..." Barbara was trying to resist my command, her voice weak. "But how...? McKenzie promised..."

"Quiet." I stared into her blue eyes with my dark ones. In that moment, I wasn't angry anymore. The flash of anger had been what I needed to kickstart my brain, but now I was calm, controlled.

There was a moment of silence in the bedroom. Then, I leaned forward. "Whatever my faults," I said. "I always loved you. I loved you and I married you, but over time you drifted away. You drifted away until it seemed like I was just a second paycheck coming in every month and it was only you and McKenzie living in this house. You were dismissive, you were rude and, eventually, you decided that you would sleep with your boss."

Barbara shook her head, but she couldn't deny it. I wasn't lying, now. I was cold, certainly, but I wasn't lying.

"I didn't know," I continued. "I thought that if I became a better man, a more confident man, a man who took charge of his life, then maybe I could win you back. That's why I started listening to those self-hypnosis recordings in the first place." I sighed. "And then... well, once I started listening I realized that I didn't need to win you back. I didn't need anyone's approval anymore. I just needed to live my life. To be my own man. To take control of what I wanted and," I chuckled softly, and it was a surprisingly lighthearted sound in the heavy air of the room. "Who I wanted."

I smiled at Barbara. "Yes, I'm sleeping with your daughter."

Her blue eyes flared and she started to force herself to speak but I held up a gentle hand and she stopped, waiting.

"But what really matters," I continued. "Is that she wants it just as much as I do."

Barbara shook her head, confusion in her face. But she still couldn't speak, the most primal part of her mind still obeying the commands of the Alpha.

"You can speak," I said.

My wife didn't believe what she was hearing. "No..." she muttered. "She can't want it. She's just... confused."

It was my turn to shake my head. "You're wrong, Barb," I said. "And I don't have to try very hard to prove it."

"What do you mean...?" Barbara's voice was soft.

I paused for a moment, considering. "I may have been a weak man," I said. "But I'm not anymore. And I don't need you to want me. You can leave if you so choose. And I don't need you to approve of whatever relationship I have with your daughter. But before you go, if you want to go, I want you to know what I've become. And what you'll be missing if you leave."

"John..." My wife's blue eyes were uncertain. "What are you going to do?"

I shrugged and then I smiled. It wasn't a harsh, vindictive, or even a gloating expression. I just knew, for certain, that in that moment I didn't need to worry about anything anymore.

I was in control of my life.

Then, I looked my wife in the face and uttered a short, sweet word.

"Obey..."

Barbara shook her head slightly, blinking. "What...?" she muttered, looking at me like I was crazy.

"Obey..." I sat calmly on the edge of the bed, not moving.

My wife swayed back, her eyes widened and I could see her pupils dilating. "What are you—?"

"Obey." I repeated.

She relaxed, her fingers uncurling in the sheets. "Why do I feel... so strange?"

I spread my hands. "This is the new me, Barb," I said. My voice was low and smooth. "The Man of the House. And it's time for you to relax and obey..."

Her lips parted in a soft sigh. "The Man of the... what...?"

"Let it all go... Just relax..."

Her expression smoothed. "Relax...?" she whispered.

I nodded. "Relax and obey..."

"Relax..." the buxom blonde muttered. "Obey..."

"Just relaxing more and more," I murmured. "No worries, no thoughts, no mind..." I could see her eyes beginning to glaze over and I moved closer, my gaze piercing into hers. "Very good, honey," I told her.

She licked her lips nervously. "No worries..." Her breath was slowing to an even, relaxed pace.

"No thoughts."

"No thoughts..."

"No mind..."

"No... No mind..."

"Very good."

A slight smile as her eyes went vacant under my commanding stare. "Good..."

"Now..." I murmured. "I want you to relax and listen, because this is what's going to happen..."

* * *

I stuck my head out into the hall and called softly down towards the door at the far end. "Sweetheart! Your Mom and I are done talking. Come join us?"

I heard some movement, and then McKenzie was in the doorway to her bedroom. She wore a pair of red yoga pants and a tank top, with an earbud in one ear. The cord wound down to the phone in her hand. "Everything all good, John?" she asked, not certain if her mother could hear her.

I nodded and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about anything, Kenz. Your Mom and I are going to be fine."

"Okay." She unhooked the earbud and set her phone on her desk by the door before padding quietly down the hall.

I stood back and let her walk into the bedroom, closing the door behind her as she stopped stock still and stared at the scene before her.

"John...?" McKenzie's voice was uncertain. "What did you do?"

Barbara was sitting on the edge of the bed, back straight and her blue eyes wide and blank. Her hands were folded in her lap and she was staring straight ahead.

"John...?" My stepdaughter turned to me, her expression confused and worried.

I raised my hands calmingly. "I didn't do anything. Just listen, and then you can make up your mind, okay?"

McKenzie took a deep breath, eyes darting between her mother and me. For a moment, I wondered about that Lucas guy Barbara had mentioned, but then I focused on the task at hand. One issue at a time.

Then, the teenager took a deep breath and nodded. "Did you talk to her about... you know... her boss?"

I shook my head. "Not really. I told her I knew, but... She knew about us."

McKenzie's expression furrowed with surprise. "What? How?"

"Not important right now... What's important is that I told her I wasn't going to let her decide whether or not you and I had any sort of relationship. And I told her that I was going to bring you in, and you were going to tell her what you wanted."

My stepdaughter shook her head. "I don't understand."

I took a step away. I'd made up my mind. I might have the power to do whatever I wanted with these women. But I wasn't going to be that man. The BDE recordings had tried to convince me that I could do whatever I want, with whoever I wanted, and maybe I could. But... I was a better man than that. I might be the Man of the House. But I wanted to be something more. I wanted to be a good man, too. And to me, that meant I would give them the power to choose.

"McKenzie," I said. "You have a choice now. It's a rough one, I get it. But I want you to tell your mother what you want. If you want me, tell her. If you don't, tell her. She just needs to know that whatever you and I do going forward, it wasn't just my decision alone."

My stepdaughter's lips were pressed together tight and her hazel eyes were uncertain. "But..." she shook her head. "I don't want to choose between the two of you. It's not fair..."

I nodded. "You're right," I said simply. "It's not fair. And I hope that your mother, with some encouragement, will be willing to accept things as they are. But the first step is explaining to her that you and I aren't in some messed-up relationship where I'm taking advantage of you." I spread my hands. "I don't care what other people think. But she's your mother, and she wants to protect you."

The dark-haired teen took a deep breath. She glanced once again between me and her mother, the blonde beauty on the bed staring straight ahead at nothing.

"Can you wake her up, please?" McKenzie asked, licking her lips. "I feel weird talking to a statue."

"Yeah," I nodded. Turning to my wife, I said softly, "Barbara..."

Barbara's golden braid swayed as she shook her head and blinked, her eyes coming back into focus. The blue orbs darted around the room, from McKenzie to me and then back again. Her expression hardened. "Young lady!" she started, but I interrupted.

"Quiet," I ordered.

She shut her mouth quickly, and then looked confused as her eyes flicked to me.

"You're going to listen to what your daughter has to say, Barb," I told her. "Do you understand?"

My wife nodded, slowly, and I gestured for McKenzie to begin.

The 18-year-old took a deep breath, glancing back at me a final time before saying. "Hey, Mom." She smiled uncomfortably. "I hope you had a good trip, and stuff. Um... Well, here's the thing. I used to hate John. Or, I guess that's not right, I used to think he was boring and rude and he acted like he deserved me to treat him with all this respect even though he wouldn't respect me back.

"But something changed when he started listening to his self-hypnosis recordings."

Barbara didn't speak, couldn't speak, but she rolled her eyes at the mention of the recordings.

McKenzie plowed on, regardless. "He started paying attention to me, started asking for my help on things that mattered to him. Like working out and eating better and problems he was thinking about.

"And..." A blush crept up my stepdaughter's cheeks. "We started sleeping together."

Barbara frowned fiercely.

"I promise, Mom," McKenzie hastened to add, "he never did anything to force me. Everything we've done we did because we both wanted it. And Mom..." she hesitated. "I don't want to stop."

There was a moment of silence as the teenager finished. Barbara looked utterly unconvinced, but I knew I couldn't hold her hostage forever.

"Barbara," I said. "You can speak now... Anything you want to say?"

My wife turned a furious gaze on me. "You're crazy," she said. Her braid whipped around as she turned sharply back to McKenzie. "And you're naive and foolish if you think you want to be with him." Her hands clenched into fists and she rose to her feet. "I'm glad I haven't unpacked my bags because I'm not staying in this house a second longer." She turned and grabbed the handle of her rolling luggage in a white-knuckled grip.

"McKenzie?" she ordered. "Go to your room and grab an overnight bag. We're going to a hotel while I figure out what we're going to do."

But the teenager just stood there, glanced at me.

"Kenz?" I said gently. "I'd like it if you stayed." My voice was low and calm.

"McKenzie. Go to your room. And pack a bag." Barbara's tone was higher now, almost shrill.

But, after a moment of hesitation, my stepdaughter shook her head firmly. "Sorry, Mom," she said. "I'm staying here with John."

"No!" My wife frowned furiously. "You're coming with me. I don't know what kind of... weird, messed up control he has over you. But I'm getting you as far away from him as possible. Then, I'm going to go to the authorities and—"

"You aren't going to do that." I was stern now, a grim expression settling on my face.

Barbara whirled to face me. Her stance was angry but her eyes were uncertain.

"You can go," I continued. "No one is stopping you. But you will go to no one and you will tell no one." I was growing more used to my strange ability, channeling the primal voice of my inner Alpha Male.

My wife opened her mouth, shot one more furious glance at McKenzie, and then closed it. She shook her head. "You're both making a terrible mistake," she declared. Then, yanking her luggage behind her, she stormed between us and out of the room.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Her bag clunked down the stairs and then we heard it rolling through the living room and down the front hall.

Slam.

The front door closed with the finality of an exclamation point.

I breathed in deeply and turned to face my stepdaughter. "I'm sorry, Kenz," I started to say, but before I could finish McKenzie had dashed across the space between us and buried her face in my chest. She hugged me tightly and I grunted softly as she squeezed her arms around my ribs.

I sighed and kissed the top of her head gently. "I'm sorry," I said again. "I didn't want to make you choose between your mom and me."

I felt the teenager's head shake back and forth. "It's okay," she said, and when she leaned back and looked up into my face there was an unexpected light of hope in her eyes. "It's going to be okay."

I frowned. This was unexpected. "What do you mean?"

McKenzie bit her lip and glanced away. "Mom is mad right now. And surprised and upset. But... Well." She shrugged her slim shoulders. "I don't think you realize how much power you really have..."

"How so...?" I cocked my head to one side, my hands sliding down her sides to her hips.

"That voice you use," she said. "When you command someone to do as you say. It... touches something. Something deep down inside. And it doesn't just make us obey." She glanced up, and her eyes were hot. "It's one of the sexiest things I've ever heard..."

"Are you saying she'll come back?" I asked.

McKenzie nodded. "Maybe not right away. But it's going to get to her. Wherever she's going tonight, she'll start to think about it. And once she starts to think about it she won't be able to stop. She'll dream about it... About you telling her what to do, about her obeying your every command... She won't be able to stop thinking about it."

I shook my head. "How do you know?"

The teenager bit her lip again and looked away. "Because," she said. "Your voice is all I've been able to think about since you used it on Adrianna, and then when you used it on me today... I wanted you to do it again and again and again..."

My mind whirled. I considered what McKenzie was saying, and I remembered how Adrianna had left Friday night only to return Saturday morning. I recalled her begging me to tell her what to do, how desperately horny and turned on the gorgeous Latina had been, just waiting for my commands. I wondered if it would be the same for Barbara.

And at that moment, a wicked idea sprang into my mind. "McKenzie?" I said softly, tilting my stepdaughter's head back.

She glanced up into my gaze, hazel eyes widening. "Yes...?" Her breath quickened when she saw heat, the smoky arousal in my face, her soft lips parted and gasping.

"Obey..."

* * *

If I had felt a rush of power using my newfound abilities on Adrianna, it was nothing compared to the lust that flowed through me as I watched them work on McKenzie.

My stepdaughter sighed, a soft smile curving across her mouth. "Yesss..." she murmured. Her body relaxed, her eyes growing cloudy as they met mine.

"That's a good girl," I whispered, taking her by the hips and guiding her back towards the bed. My cock was growing hard against my zipper, lengthening and pulsing with desire. "Just relax and obey..."

"Obey..." she repeated, hazel eyes glazing over as she stared up into my face.

"Just let go of all of your thoughts and worries now. Your mind is mine..."

"Yes, Master..." she murmured, and the word Master on her lips was a beckoning sigh of pure arousal. "My mind is yours..."

My thoughts were racing as I ran my fingers up her sides and over her shoulders, gently pushing her down onto the mattress. "Your thoughts belong to me."

"My thoughts belong to you..."

"Your will belongs to me."

"My will belongs to you..."

Zippp. My rising manhood was free of my pants and boxer briefs in an instant, the offending garments kicked aside without a thought. "All you want is to obey..."

My stepdaughter shivered, licking her lips as her glazed eyes slowly dropped to my swaying shaft. "All I want..." she murmured. "Is to obey..."

"You're going to suck my cock now," I commanded, stepping closer. "And you love to suck my cock, don't you?"

"Yes, Master... I love to suck your cock..." McKenzie's pink lips parted in an 'O' and she leaned forward.

"And as you... ahhh..." I groaned softly as her mouth closed over the red, throbbing mushroom head, her tongue moving in lazy circles. "As you suck my cock, your mind is opening more and more, unable to resist my commands."

"Mmm..." the teenager murmured, the vibrations of her assent running up my length and into my core. "Ysss, Msstr..." One of her small hands rose up and began to stroke my girth, up and down, my hardening cock standing straight out between my legs.

My mouth curled into a smirk. "Very good," I told her. "Now, because your mind belongs to me, you're going to agree with what I'm about to tell you..."

"Mhmmm..."

God she's hot... My eyes wandered from McKenzie's wavy chestnut hair to her blank hazel eyes to her soft lips sucking and sucking on my thick meat. Her mouth was hot and wet as ever, a welcoming, relaxing sensation. "You want to obey me," I started.

"Mhmmm..."

Suck. Stroke.

"It feels good to obey me."

"Mhmmm..."

Suck. Stroke.

"And you want other people to obey me."

"Mhmmm..."

Suck. Stroke.

I nodded to myself and took a soft, short breath. Here we go. "You want your mother to obey me." I expected there to be some slight resistance, but McKenzie's cheeks hollowed and she leaned forward, taking me all the way into her throat as she moaned.

She drew back, and her mouth came off my cock with a soft pop. "Yes, Master..." she murmured breathlessly. "I want my mother to obey you..."

I drove on. "You want your mother to fuck me."

"I want my mother to fuck you..." The words sounded naughty and wrong on McKenzie's soft, pink lips, but that just made them even sweeter as they breathlessly drifted up to my ears.

"You want your mother to be a hot little mindless slut for me, just like you."

"Ohfuck..." McKenzie's thighs pressed together as she struggled, pleasure racing through her at my words. "Yes, Master... ahhh... I want my mother to be a mindless slut for you..."

"Just like you," I told her.

"Yesss... Just like me..."

"You want to fuck me, and you want your mother to fuck me."

"Yes, Master... I want to fuck you... And... I want my mother to fuck you..." McKenzie wrapped her lips around the head of my cock, sucking gently, and the sensation drove me up the wall.

The wicked plan that had sprung into my mind was ready. Now... Let's see just how powerful I am. "You want both of you to fuck me... And you also want to fuck each other." I practically held my breath as I waited for her response. This was the ultimate test of my dominance, of my control. Would I be able to get McKenzie to—?

My stepdaughter leaned forward again and slurped my manhood between her lips, her eyes wide and thoughtless as she bobbed up and down. "Mhmm..." she hummed in agreement, coming up for air. "I want us to fuck each other..."

I practically pumped my fist in the air. "Very good, angel," I murmured, resting my hand on top of her head as she sucked.

"Thnk ouuu, Msstr..." she moaned around my girth.

Now all I had to do was repeat this performance with her mother and I would have the perfect little family, the ideal trio of one Alpha Male and two gorgeous babes to serve him whenever he wished. I glanced down at my stepdaughter.

That can wait.

I leaned down and gently cupped McKenzie's face, sliding her back off my cock with a low moan.

"McKenzie..." I murmured, and her eyes fluttered as she blinked, her eyes refocusing.

"Ohgod..." she moaned, staring up at me. She didn't seem to be thinking about what she'd just said — that, if I wanted her to, she would fuck her own mother. Instead she was practically panting with arousal. "I'm so wet, Daddy... Please, tell me what to do...?"

"Up on the bed, angel," I ordered. "And strip off those clothes for me."

"Yes, Daddy..." McKenzie's tank top was sliding over her head before she was even fully on the mattress, crumpled into a ball and tossed to the floor. She turned around on her knees, thighs spread wide, and reached behind her back to undo the clasp of her beige bra.

She stared into my eyes as it hit the sheets. "Anything you want, Daddy..." Her hazel eyes twinkled with glee as I stared.

No matter how many times I saw her, I was always impressed by my stepdaughter's lithe body, from her flat, smooth abs to her perky, round breasts. My cock swayed and straightened like a flagpole, and McKenzie's tongue unconsciously wet her lips in anticipation.

I wanted her, more than ever, but for just for a second I hesitated. "You sure you want this, Kenz?" I asked.

My stepdaughter bit her lip and glanced up from my rock hard length. She raised her eyebrows. "Don't you?" she asked.

I quirked my lips in a rueful grin. "You're incredibly sexy, angel. And yes... I want you. Right now. But your mom just left, and..."

I trailed off as McKenzie fell onto her hands and slowly crawled forward across the bed, slinking like a jungle cat stalking its prey. "Daddy..." she murmured. One slim hand slowly slid up my thigh. "Your little girl is sooo wet right now..." Her fingers encircled my length. She stroked.

"Ahhh..." I gasped softly.

"Sooo turned on..." She gently kissed up my shaft, and then up my stomach. "So desperate for your big..." Stroke. "Hard..." Stroke. "Cock..." She was kneeling before me know, one hand on my chest and the other moving up and down on my throbbing manhood.

I could barely think straight, the burning need clouding my vision so all I could focus on were those big hazel eyes, wide open and staring into my face. "Fuck it," I grunted. I leaned down and kissed her, my hands grabbing her face and pulling her into it.

The teenager moaned and melted into me, her nipples hard against my chest. I bore her down under my weight, her slim body covered by mine. My fingers slid down her sides, caught in the waistline of her red leggings and pulled.

"Yesss Daddy..." McKenzie murmured, her eyes flashing as she wriggled her hips beneath me and the yoga pants rolled down her legs. She tucked one knee up to her chest and her hands left my cock just long enough to pull the fabric away from her body, then they were back and she was guiding me down toward her smoldering entrance. "I want you..." she moaned. "Please..."

I didn't hesitate now, fire roaring in my chest. I was so hard I couldn't think, my body reverting to a primal state of being. I grunted as my thick rod parted her outer folds and slid inside her, her hot wetness slick and easy around me.

"Ohmygod..." my stepdaughter murmured.

I pulled back and thrust slowly in again, reveling in the volcanic, wanton sensation.

"Thank you, Daddy..." she groaned. She tossed her head back and her hair splayed across the pillows beneath her.

I grinned, baring my teeth as I started to move. My cock was sheathed in her tight grip, her inner muscles milking and massaging my shaft. "Fuckkk that's good, angel."

"You like that, Daddy?" McKenzie murmured. She leaned up and kissed me hard, her teeth tugging at my lower lip. She fell back with a gasp as I plunged inside of her again, and again. "You like using my hot little body however you want?"

"Yesss," I grunted, my muscles clenching. My hands were on her hips, pressing her down into the mattress.

She wriggled and couldn't move, her eyes flashing with heat. "You like knowing that I'm always hot, always ready, always begging for you to take me...?" She moaned as I sped up, pushing against her deepest inner walls.

"You like that I belong to you..." McKenzie's lips were parted in a gasp and I covered them with my mouth, feeling her breath in my throat.

"Mmm..." The lithe teenager murmured. I pulled back and stared down into her face, her lovely features twisted in a look of desperate need and glowing bliss. "That I'm yours... All yours..."

A name flashed across my mind — Lucas — but I ignored it. I lowered my head and kissed down McKenzie's jaw, my lips on her throat and then over one breast. Her nipple was hard between my lips and then my tongue flickered across it, eliciting another gasp. My hand rose up her stomach and covered the other one, squeezing her round, soft breast under my fingers.

"Ohgod Daddy..." McKenzie's voice was high and breathless, her body writhing beneath me. She was close, I could tell, her tight tunnel even more wet and slick around my pounding shaft.

"Cum for me, Kenz," I grunted, and at my words her taut body clenched around me.

She writhed with pleasure, eyes rolling back as her arms curled around my chest and her fingers clawed at my broad back. She couldn't speak, her body arcing up against mine and begging me to continue my desperate rhythm.

My cock pistoned in and out of her like a jackhammer, my core tightening and my arms tight as they held me over her. My fingers gripped the sheets and I could feel her pussy gushing with wetness. Hold on... I ordered myself. Not just yet... My balls were heavy, my thoughts wiped away so that the only thing on my mind was the pulsing lust, the throbbing desire filling my body.

The slim teen clutched at my body, her hands pressed to my skin. I felt the sheen of sweat beginning to rise, the scent of her shampoo and the scent of my sweat mixing in a powerful cocktail that wound its way straight into my brain. My vision narrowed so all I could focus on were her parted lips, the strand of hair that fell across her face, the desperate need in her flashing hazel eyes.

"Cum for me, Daddy..." she begged. "Cum for your naughty little stepslut..."

I buried myself to the hilt in her core, feeling my cock pulsing as I held myself back, right on the edge.

"Fill me up with your seed..."

Faster and faster, my body a blur.

"Show me who owns me..."

I grunted, thrust, and came. I plunged inside of her and groaned, the air rushing from my lungs as all the muscles in my body tightened at once. My toes curled, my vision going white and hot for a split second as electric release surged through me. My cock spasmed and erupted, hot strands of sticky spunk painting her womb.

"Yesss..." McKenzie moaned, her body shuddering with aftershocks of bliss. "Yesss, Daddy..."

I fell on top of her, feeling her globular tits flattened against my chest, her hard nipples poking into my skin. My manhood twitched and I groaned, her inner muscles milking my shaft and draining my balls of the last few drops of my seed.

I lay there for a moment, heart racing and breath a ragged gasp in my throat. Then I slowly pulled my wilting length free and rolled over onto my back. "Fuck, angel..." I gasped, my chest rising and falling. "Wow..."

"Mmm..." my stepdaughter murmured, shifting onto her side so she could face me. Her face was framed by the wild mane of dark hair, her lips wet and curled into a grin of satisfaction. "Feeling a little better, Daddy?" she asked softly.

"Huh..." I breathed, my body thrumming with bliss. "Yeah..."

"Good," McKenzie leaned forward and kissed me gently, her lips soft and easy on mine.

I pulled back after just a moment, closing my eyes and relaxing into the mattress. We lay still for a moment, McKenzie watching me as my breath slowed and my heart stopped racing.

When I opened my eyes, she was still watching me, light brown eyes thoughtful. "What is it, Kenz?" I asked.

She glanced away, a hint of color rising to her cheeks. "Nothing," she said. "Just... happy, I guess."

I sighed and raised one arm, my forearm falling across my face. "I'm glad," I said. I didn't want to ruin the moment, but as I lay there I couldn't stop thinking about the piece of information Barbara had dropped on me before she stormed out.

"Hey..." The teenager snuggled closer and kissed my elbow, then gently pushed my arm away from my face. "What's up?" she asked. "Is it about Mom? Because it's going to work out..."

My fingers curled into fists and I shook my head, not sure what to say. "I don't know, angel," I answered. "I guess I'm just... wondering if we're doing something wrong."

My stepdaughter gave me a concerned look.

"My wife," I continued, "your mother, walked out on us... People have been telling me over and over that I'm some messed up, manipulating asshole..." I shrugged. "I'm just tired of fighting. I don't want to fight anymore."

McKenzie rolled over onto her stomach and pushed herself up onto her elbows. "Huh..." she said, and she gave me a pensive look.

"What?"

"That's not all..." she said, biting her lip. "Cause we've already talked about this. And I know Adrianna brought up the same issues but when you talked to her... You convinced her that what we're doing isn't wrong. And I thought you'd convinced yourself, but now I there's something you aren't telling me."

I couldn't help but smile at that, shaking my head. "You're too smart, angel," I snorted.

The teenager rolled her eyes. "We already knew that, didn't we?" she teased. "So are you going to tell me what it is?"

Now I was the one chewing at the inside of my cheek. Then, "Barbara told me about your boyfriend. Lucas..." I looked away as I said it, but I heard McKenzie sigh.

"I get it," she said, not denying a thing. "And what we talked about last week, about how you didn't want to turn into Aaron Burns. And now you feel like you are turning into him. Messing up someone's relationship just to get what you want..."

"Aren't I?" My face was turning into a frown as I rolled over to face her. I didn't raise my voice, but there was frustration in my tone. "Barbara said this Lucas kid tried reaching out to her because you stopped talking to him. Right around the same time that things started happening between us. Are you going to deny that?"

McKenzie held my gaze. "No," she said softly. "I'm not."

I huffed. "Then what? I said I didn't want to fight anymore, but I also don't want to be the type of man that I can't stand."

My stepdaughter didn't speak for a few seconds, just looking at me and thinking.

"What?" I finally asked.

She paused, then nodded. "You're right."

I blinked. I wasn't used to women agreeing with me when I was upset with them. "About what?"

"I was wrong to treat Lucas like I did." She said it simply. "But I wanted to be with you and I didn't want to have to explain to him what was going on because I didn't want to deal with all the drama."

I frowned, but she continued before I could speak.

"I was wrong. And I want to fix it."

"How?" I asked.

"I'll talk to him. I'll break up with him properly, like an adult, and then you and I can move on. Because you're right, and I don't want to fight either. Not with my ex, not with my mom, and not with you..." She reached out and touched my arm, brushing her fingers gently across my skin. "I should have known that keeping secrets hurts relationships. I should have known it better than most people, really. And I don't want to hurt my relationship with you by keeping things from you." She paused and took a slow breath. "Will you forgive me? For not telling you?"

I rubbed my hand across my face, but when I looked back over at her I couldn't help but quirk a small smile. "Once again, you prove that you're a wiser woman than I expected. And I can't stay mad at you after you say stuff like that."

I blew out a breath. "I said I didn't want to fight anymore, and I don't. But if we're going to deal with your mom leaving, and with all the changes that are happening, we need to be smarter and stronger than whatever problems get thrown at us. And that means we face them together."

McKenzie's lips turned up in a smile of her own. "Together, huh?"

I nodded.

My stepdaughter leaned forward and kissed me softly. "Well then, Mr. Together," she murmured. "How about we go downstairs, make some food, and make plans for the future."

I snorted. "After everything that just happened? I need more than some food. I'm having a drink."

McKenzie laughed softly. "Make it two drinks, and I'll help with the plans. Keep you from fucking it up." She grinned cheekily.

I shook my head, chuckling. "You know you're underage, right?"

"Hmmm..." McKenzie murmured, kissing my back as I rolled to my feet. "Only for some things."

I rolled my eyes as I turned and smiled down at her.

I'd thought that things were changing. But I was wrong. Things had already changed. My wife had left, maybe even gone straight into the arms of another man. I had strange powers and abilities I was only just starting to control, but still barely understood. And my stepdaughter and I were closer than we'd ever been, in a relationship I would never have predicted just a few short weeks ago.

"Two drinks it is," I said, chuckling again. "But don't go thinking you can make all sorts of outrageous demands."

McKenzie winked mischievously up at me as she stood and headed, naked, for the bedroom door. "I wouldn't dream of it... Daddy..."