Crave

- FOUR -

Kurt P.O.V.

For the millionth time that day, I thought of Stacy. I'd had to force myself to leave her this morning. It was supposed to be a one-night thing, after all, so she wasn't looking for anything more, right? Shit, I couldn't really offer her anything more anyway. I lived seven hours from Petersridge. There is no way we could make that work, even if we'd wanted to. I had an established business. I couldn't just up and move. I wasn't sure what she did for a living, as we hadn't even discussed last names, let alone professions. Whatever she did, she had a life here and I couldn't ask her to leave it. What the hell was I even saying? We had sex. Period.

"What the hell is your problem, man? You're acting weird." My cousin Lucas clapped me on the shoulder, startling me.

I sighed, "Nothing, man, what's up?"

Lucas shook his head, "Mom just finished lecturing me for the twentieth time for getting drunk last night. My soon-to-be step-father and step-sister should be arriving shortly and mom wants me to make a good first impression."

"Did you at least shower after your night with, what was her name?" I asked, already knowing that he didn't know her name.

Lucas nodded, grinning, "I showered and I have no idea what her name was. I just called her Red all night. You should have taken a page out of my book and found you some entertainment last night. Maybe you wouldn't be so uptight this morning."

I forced a chuckle and said, "Yea, maybe."

I thought about confiding in Lucas, but decided against it. My horn-ball cousin would cheapen what happened between Stacy and me last night. I couldn't bear the thought. Whether she thought so or not, what happened between us was special. I knew that I was being a sentiment fool, but no matter how many times I tried to convince myself that it wasn't anything special, my heart kicked up speed, in protest.

The doorbell rang, making Aunt Sheila jump. I shook my head and grinned at her, "Relax. We aren't ogres. We won't try to eat them."

Sheila gave me a wobbly smile, "What if she doesn't like me?"

"She'll love you." I tell her reassuringly. I didn't know anything about this soon-to-be step-daughter of Sheila's, but if she didn't instantly love my Aunt, then there was something wrong with her. I did find it odd that Sheila was marrying this guy tomorrow and she still hadn't met his daughter and he hadn't met her son.

Lucas rolled his eyes, "Is anyone going to get the door, so that we can get this over with?"

"Be nice!" Sheila pointed at him, as she headed for the door. You'd think he was twelve instead of twenty-three. Although to be fair, Lucas had the maturity level of a twelve year old sometimes, I thought with amusement. I prodded Lucas toward the front door, with a smile on my face. My smile froze in confusion when Stacy...my Stacy...stepped through the door, with an older gentleman. What...no! Stacy was Sheila's soon-to-be step-daughter. Stacy...my Stacy...was Lucas's soon-to-be step-sister. That meant that Stacy...did I mention, my Stacy...was my soon-to-be step-cousin.

Stacy had a fake smile plastered on her face, as she greeted Sheila. I knew it was fake, because it was nothing like the carefree smiles she'd given me the night before. Why was she being fake? Was she just nervous or did she resent Sheila for some reason? I couldn't imagine the Stacy I got to know last night instantly disliking someone, but we didn't really talk a ton either. What did I really know about her? It was while I was pondering that, when she lifted her eyes and saw me. She froze. Her fake smile slipped and several different emotions passed across her face. Some of it I couldn't read, but I sensed first confusion, then hurt, then anger, maybe a little surprise, and back to confusion. Wait, hurt? What did she have to be hurt about and why was she angry? Did I dare to hope that last night actually meant something to her and she was mad that I had slipped out before she woke up?

"Hal and Stacy Moore, this is my son Lucas Strong and my nephew Kurt Strong." Sheila announced.

Stacy blinked and the fake smile returned. She stepped forward and shook, Lucas's hand. I could see him eyeing her up and down, his dick clearly not carrying that this woman was about to become his step-sister. I gritted my teeth, wanting to shout that she was mine. Then she dropped Lucas's hand and turned to me. I braced myself, for what, I wasn't sure. She simply stepped forward and held her hand out. I stared at it for some time, before taking it and holding it longer than necessary.

"I've made a roast." Sheila announced and hustled us all into the dinning room.

Once we were all seated, I found myself across the table from Stacy, whom avoided eye contact with me.  I only put up with her silent treatment for a couple minutes, before I tapped her foot with my foot.  Her head jerked up and her eyes met mine.  She glanced around, nervously.  What was her problem?  It wasn't as if we'd committed incest.  Even though my aunt was marrying her dad, we weren't blood relatives.  Besides, we had no way of knowing the predicament we would find ourselves in, so nobody could really blame us.

"So, Stacy, what do you do?"  Sheila asked, politely.

"She goes to school."  Hal spoke for his daughter.

Stacy rolled her eyes, "Dad, I dropped out, remember?"

School?  She was talking about college, right?  I mean, we never discussed personal details about each other, but what if she was still in high school?  What if I'd had sex with a minor last night?  She wasn't built like a minor.  In fact, she had more luscious curves than should be legal, but that didn't necessarily prove anything.  I began to panic, breathing heavily.

"Kurt, are you alright?"  Sheila asked, concerned.

"I'm fine.  Where did you say you went to school, Stacy?"  I asked, frantic.

"I didn't say."  Stacy said with narrowed eyes.

"Stacy is attending Vantec Community College and is only a few short credits away from getting her teaching degree."  Hal provided and I began to breathe again.  College.  Stacy was in college.  That meant that she was at least eighteen, right?

"How old did you say that you were?"  I asked her.  I was just being ridiculous, at this point.  Of course someone who almost had a degree would be at least eighteen years old.  Right?

Her eyes narrowed further, until they widened and she smirked, "I didn't say."

The minx.  She'd obviously caught onto the reason I was panicking and thought it was hilarious.  Hal glared at his daughter before saying, "She's a pain-in-the-ass twenty-one year old."

"Hey!"  Stacy protested at the same time Shelia scolded, "Language, Hal."

I laughed.  I couldn't help it.  I liked Hal.  Aunt Shelia had done well for herself.  She might have her work cut out for her with her new step-daughter, but she chose her soon-to-be-husband well.  Lucas hadn't said anything throughout this exchange, seemingly more interested in texting on his phone, than anything else.  That worked for me.  I hadn't liked how he looked at Stacy before.  The more Lucas remained distracted, the more he wouldn't realize the gem that sat before us, glaring at me.  I lifted my water glass in a silent salute to her and grinned when she huffed in irritation.  I wasn't sure why she'd seemed so fake upon arriving, but the more pissed off she got, the more real she became.  I couldn't wait to peel back even more of her layers.  She had me, hook, line, and sinker.