Mr. Boss Man

I was aware that my dad had a girlfriend, but I was clueless about the fact that he had already tied the knot with her.

You can imagine my shock when I returned home for the summer from college, went to the kitchen to grab a snack, and found a strange person rummaging in the cupboard.

“Who the fuck are you?”

She jumped, spinning around, clutching a box of crackers to her chest. “Excuse me?”

I took a step closer. “I asked, who the fuck are you?”

“Skylar.”

“Why are you in my house?”

“I live here now.”

Don’t get me wrong, she was attractive. But the idea of her with my dad was nauseating, and I shuddered at the thought.

“Eww, no.” She scrunched up her face. “I’ve only just graduated from college! I’m Amelia’s daughter.”

A wave of relief washed over me. “Thank God.”

“And you’re the famous Jenson.”

I heard the front door shut. I grabbed an apple, closed the fridge, and looked around to see she was gone, the cracker box left on the counter.

“Certainly wasn’t expecting that,” I muttered to myself. I returned to the foyer, grabbed my bag, and hauled it to my room.

After a shower, I returned downstairs to chill and watch some TV. Just as I reached the lounge entryway, the front door opened.

“I thought you were coming home tomorrow, son.”

I looked up to see my dad and, presumably, Amelia entering the house. The resemblance between mother and daughter was striking.

“Caught an earlier flight.” I got up and put my hand out for Amelia to shake. “Jenson. Nice to meet you. Welcome to the family, I guess.”

My new stepmother smiled back at me. “So lovely to meet you, Jenson. Sorry if this all seems so sudden. Must be quite the shock.”

I shrugged.

“Have you met your sister yet?” Dad asked, putting the bags down in the hall.

Dad smirked. “Suppose I should have mentioned her before you arrived.”

“You think?”

He waved his hand at my raised eyebrow. “Knew you’d meet sooner or later. The two of you will have plenty of time to get to know each other.”

Dad draped his arm over Amelia’s shoulder. “Oh, before I forget, we’re merging with her father’s company. The two of you will be running it together.”

As far as I knew, Dad had only known Amelia for a short time. He’d had a string of girlfriends since Mom died when I was two, but never marriage.

“Wait, what? Dad, what the hell are you talking about? I thought I was going to take over?”

Dad looked at me like I’d said something stupid. “And you still are. Just…with your sister as well.”

He started toward the kitchen, looking like he was avoiding the conversation, but I wasn’t done yet.

“What the…? Dad, you can’t be serious. I’ve been working there for two years now. The girl I met told me she’s just out of college.”

Dad shrugged. “What do you want me to do? The merger makes sense, and she’s Levi Ragner’s granddaughter. Besides, Skylar is bright. She finished both high school and college a year ahead of her peers.”

I didn’t see the relevance. “So, what? The company is called Ryder Development.”

He clicked from the side of his mouth. “Yeah, about that, it’s all going to come under Wagner Corporation now.”

I ran my hand down my face. “Wagner… What, so now Ryder isn’t even in the name?

“Did she even study architecture? Does she know anything about property development and design? Markets and sales?”

Dad turned to me, put a hand on my shoulder, and winked. “Look, son, I get that you’re upset, but this merger is happening. You’re still going to inherit the company. But you’ll have a partner.

“And Skylar’s a bright girl. She’ll figure it out. And if not, well, you’ll show her the ropes, I’ve no doubt.”

I threw my hair over the back of the lounger and lifted my chin up as the sunshine bounced off the crystal-clear water, casting sparks of golden beams in every direction.

I knew exactly who Jenson Ryder was long before I found out that my mom was marrying his dad.

He was a few years ahead of me in school, a notorious playboy, the football team captain, and had a body that looked like it had been chiseled by God himself. And his dad was loaded.

It was no surprise that the girls at our high school had practically thrown themselves at him for four years straight, eager to have sex with him behind the bleachers.

Still, as much as I’d been planning to avoid him now we were suddenly living under the same roof for the summer, it stung a little that he had no idea who I was when we saw each other in the kitchen.

The sky went dark, and my skin cooled quickly. I shielded my eyes before opening them to see my mother standing over me.

“Hi, sweetheart,” she said, sitting on the lounger next to mine. “How was it being here while we were away?”

I shrugged. “Big.”

“I hear you’ve met Jenson. He disappeared before I could get to know him, but he seems like a nice young man.”

I peered at Mom over the top of my sunglasses. She already knew exactly what I thought of him. I’d shared all the stories about him with her when she’d first told me about her and his dad.

“I’m just saying that you two should spend some time together. You’re going to be working together.”

“I still have to graduate from college first, Mom,” I replied. Of all the companies to merge with, it had to be the one his father owned.

She sighed. “I still can’t believe you’ve already graduated from college.”

I’d graduated early, getting my degree in three years instead of four.

Yes, I know I’m a nerd, thank you very much.

Mom picked up the binder I’d placed on the floor next to my lounger and flicked through the pages.

“It’s great you’re already reading up on the company and industry, but try to get your nose out of the books once in a while and have some fun this summer, yeah? You push yourself too hard.”

“I’m not taking any classes this vacation. I’m just going to hang out and relax.”

“Well, that’s a first.” She winked at me. “There’s nothing wrong with having some fun.”

Mom got to her feet and made her way back inside the house, and the warm sunshine washed over my bronzed skin once more.

When I heard the door slide open again, I figured she’d forgotten to tell me something.

“That’s my lounger, by the way.”

I opened one eye to find Jenson standing a few feet away and pointing in my direction.

My gaze moved along his exposed round shoulders, down the curves of his arms and chest, and over the deep cuts around his abs and waist.

Thank God I was wearing my sunglasses.

I shrugged. “Hey, dude, I got here first. Splash down somewhere else.” I closed my eyes again and rested my head back on the lounger.

But even as I tried to recall the stories about him from high school—some of them just rumors, but most of them definitely not—I found myself imagining what I’d just been looking at…

The strength in his biceps and triceps…

…the V-shape just above his swimming shorts…

Did I see the outline of something beneath them, or did I imagine it?

“Cannonball!”

Suddenly, a wall of water came crashing down over me, soaking me from head to toe. I jumped to my feet, squealing as cold water wormed its way down my neck and back.

“What the f—?!” I shouted.

In the pool, Jenson was grinning at me as he waved at the water around him to keep himself afloat. “What? You told me to splash down somewhere else. Just trying to be a good brother. Right…sis?”