Man of the House: A Dark Bad Boy Romance(5)

And I liked it that way. I didn’t want to see Carter Green and really wanted to just pretend that I was living in some lavish hotel for the summer. I didn’t want to be reminded that the man was my stepfather, even though he was the age of a man I’d consider dating. Not that I’d ever date Carter, of course, but it just made no sense for him to be my stepfather. There was no real relationship there anyway, since he was just using my mother for the good press, and she was using him for money.

I came down a flight of stairs, wondering briefly where my mother was, when I saw a sign for the gym. Curious, I decided to go check it out and see what sort of facilities were available, since maybe I’d start jogging or something. If there were treadmills, I just might use them, since I had nothing else to do.

As I came around the corner and pushed through the frosted glass door, I nearly stumbled directly into someone. I stepped backwards, surprised, and put my hands up in apology.

“I’m so sorry,” I blurted out.

“It’s very okay.”

I stopped moving and got a good look at the man I had almost directly smashed into. Carter grinned back at me, dripping with sweat, shirtless and with earbuds in his ears.

He cocked his head and took the buds from his ears. He wore only a pair of gray running shorts and had his shirt casually tossed onto a nearby bench. His ripped body was covered in tattoos and dripping with sweat, and he was breathing heavily like he just finished a workout. I tired not to stare at him but I couldn’t help myself. There was a reason that Carter was such a notorious playboy: the man was absolutely gorgeous.

I felt excitement pooling between my legs the second I got a good look at his chiseled chest, and I hated myself for it. I didn’t want to be some vapid, boring girl that got all wet at the first glimpse of some half-naked, sweaty bad boy, but my god, he was too gorgeous. I couldn’t help myself.

“There you are,” he said. “I’m glad I almost bumped into you.”

“I was just looking around,” I said.

“How’s the room?”

“It’s not a room. It’s an entire house.”

He grinned at me. “I told you I’d give you an entire wing.”

“I didn’t think you’d actually do it.”

“I want you to be comfortable.” He shrugged. “I know you hate this arrangement, so I want to do my best to ease that for you.”

“That’s actually nice of you,” I said, surprised.

“Despite what you may think, I am very fond of your mother. I want her to be happy, and you to be happy, even if this marriage thing isn’t for real.”

“Well, thanks, Carter.”

“How are you finding the place so far?”

“It’s big.”

“Huge, right?”

“Absolutely huge.”

He nodded, smiling devilishly. “I know it’s a little absurd. I just can’t help it. Do you think it’s too big?”

“I guess there’s no such thing as too big.”

The smile got larger and I was starting to think we weren’t talking about his home anymore.

“I’d love to show you around if you’re not busy,” he said.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Sure I do. Come on.”

He walked down the hall and I lingered there a second, holding the door open, wanting to run the other way. Instead, I managed to pull myself after him, trying not to stare at the muscles in his back. I heard the gym door swing closed as I hurried to catch up to him.

“That was the gym, obviously,” he said. “Up here is the robotics lab.”

“You build robots?”

“Sometimes. Mostly they don’t work.”

“Sounds really exciting.”

“We’ve made some cool shit in there.”

“Voltron? Megazord?”

He laughed. “Not quite yet.”

“Then I’m not impressed.”

He grinned at me. “Okay then. What will impress you?”

“I don’t know,” I said, teasing. “But you’re not there yet.”

“Oh, I know what’ll do it.” He took me by the arm and steered me down a side hallway. For a second, I felt my heart flutter being so close to him, breathing in his musky scent, but that quickly passed. I had to remind myself that this man was my stepfather, even if it wasn’t real. I had to treat him that way.

He took me down a few hallways and through a little door marked “Exit.” We stepped outside onto plush green grass, the sunlight falling in through thick oak trees, and I gasped at what I saw.

Sculptures were everywhere in all shapes and sizes. Some there tiny, garden gnome-sized things, and one was as large as a giraffe. Some were of people and some were more abstract and colorful.

“Okay,” I said. “This is impressive.”

“Thanks,” he said. “It’s my sculpture garden. I’ve been buying these things for years, I don’t even know why anymore. I guess I think they’re beautiful.”

“Carter Green, the playboy billionaire that likes sculptures.”

He grinned at me. “You can like chasing women and fine art, you know.”

“I guess they’re not mutually exclusive.”