Dirty Sext (Accidental Stepbrother Book 3) Read online

  “I’m sorry, Sandra,” I said, turning back to her, my mind whirling as I searched for an excuse. “I forgot I was supposed to meet someone, and it was important. Can we try this some other time? I need to go.”

  Sandra was gaping at me, but I didn’t blame her. Just a moment ago, I’d been all up for this, but finding out who I’d been talking to was more important. She sputtered as I gently led her out of the room and closed the door behind her.

  Now, let’s find out who this mystery person is.

  Chapter Six

  Angela

  “Can you please set the table, Dad?”

  “Sure thing, honey. Dinner smells amazing.”

  I smiled proudly as I turned back to the stove. I was very confident in my cooking because I only liked to eat nice things, and I didn’t go out to each much, so everything I made had to be amazing.

  After Dad set two places on the table fit for five, I served and carried the food over. Dad sat at the head of the table, and I took the seat to his left. We both ignored the seat directly in front of me and to his right that had been empty for a while now.

  “Go ahead and serve,” I offered, waiting for him.

  He rubbed his hands, grinning as he eyed the dishes on the table.

  “It also looks amazing; I don’t know what to start with first.”

  I smiled as I watched him fill his plate. Ever since Mom died, Dad had been lonely. I tried to spend as much time with him as I could, especially since he was the only person that I still had contact with outside of the university. I hadn't made any new friends yet, and I didn’t have other relatives. The people at the university were friendly, but I didn’t think we were close enough to be hanging out outside of work yet.

  It was somewhat pathetic that the only chance I had to spend around someone else outside of work was dinner with my dad.

  I pushed those thoughts aside to worry about other problems.

  “Did you know?” Dad started. “I went to a function at my old college last month. It’s hard to think just how many years have passed since then, nearly three decades! I met this girl that used to be in the same class as me; she was so bright back then and she caught my eye.” He sighed. “She was such a beauty but had a boyfriend back then. She’s widowed now, I think I’ve fallen in love again.”

  I knew he was talking, but I wasn’t listening to what he was saying. Dad didn’t look at me, either, like he was just speaking out loud to himself, so I didn’t pay attention, either. Instead, I was busy thinking about what to do with Ben.

  Maybe it would bring unnecessary trouble onto myself, but I didn’t want to deal with his shit, so even if there were repercussions, I had to knock that kid down a peg. Ever since the last time that he walked out of my class, I couldn’t help but think about him at the oddest times, and I got irritated every time I did.

  Aside from Ben, I’d been thinking about the mystery man I’d been sexting with recently. He’d sent me a message that surprised me. He wanted to meet up, so I wondered if he’d finally figured out he’d been texting the wrong number. I was cautious about it, but I was also curious.

  Who could it possibly be?

  So far, all I knew was that they were someone in the same area. It might have even been a prank all along. I couldn’t even say for sure if it was a guy or not, or their age. I hadn’t asked for the details, because there wouldn’t be a way for me to confirm it unless I met them face to face, and what if they asked about my details, too? I didn’t want to tell some stranger all about my life. I wasn’t that lonely yet.

  He’d asked to meet, and I’d tentatively agreed. I hadn't received another text from him, since then, though.

  Then, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

  I startled, surprised. I was in casual clothes today, and I’d decided to wear jeans, so I could keep the phone in my pocket. I quickly pulled it out and checked under the table. The text was from my mystery man.

  “I’m going to be getting married again.”

  I blinked and looked up at Dad. My mind was preoccupied, but this statement caught my attention.

  “Getting married again?” I repeated in surprise, distractedly putting my phone away. “What do you mean?”

  Since Mom’s death, I’d wondered if he’d meet someone new, but Dad had never mentioned remarrying, so it was a shock for him to say it now. Not that he was too old, or anything. He and Mom were young when they had me, so while I was in my mid-thirties, Dad wasn’t too old at fifty-four.

  He chuckled. “Yes, married. It’s only been a month since we met again, but we both feel it’s the right thing for us. After all, neither of us is young anymore.”

  “Why so soon, though?” I asked. “You still have a lot of years in you, Dad. How can you know you’d want to be with this woman for the rest of your life after one month?”

  I dated Stuart for a couple of years before the actual wedding, and I regretted it in the end.

  “I know,” Dad said. “I didn’t pursue anything with her back then because I had your mom and she had a boyfriend. It was nothing more than a moment of interest that quickly disappeared. I don’t regret marrying your mother, nothing can replace the years I spent with her, but I’m not going to let this opportunity at happiness go again.”

  Finally, he looked at me, and the light in his eyes was something I hadn't seen in a long time. His gaze wandered away quickly, but I didn’t mind. Dad and I had always been awkward. It was fine when there was Mom between us, but now that she was gone, it was always there. There were times I didn’t know how to talk to him, and when I visited, we would spend the entire time in silence, besides a few words like ‘dinner is ready,’ or ‘please pass the salt’ at the table.

  “Fine, I guess,” I murmured.

  I wasn’t interested, not really, though I had been surprised for a moment. I’d spent my life trying to get my dad’s attention, but at thirty-five, I was far past that phase. I never really got it before. The whole reason I even became a business professor was to please him, and I hated the job. I did love my dad, he was my only remaining family, and I would worry if something happened to him, but we might as well live separate lives.

  “Listen, Angela,” he said, turning to me with a serious expression. “I know I wasn’t always there for you like I should have been as your dad. Especially after your mother died. But even though I’m remarrying now, I still want us to be close. I know… it’s what your mom would want, and you are my only daughter. If I ever made you feel like I didn’t care for you, I’m sorry.”

  I looked down, his intent gaze only made me feel more awkward.

  Of course, I knew he cared for me. He’d just always cared more for Mom. When she passed away, he practically closed himself off. He still contacted me to come home and spend time with him sometimes, and I’d been doing it more often after the divorce. I didn’t think it would be a simple thing to close the distance between us, but if he was willing to try, then I wasn’t going to say no.

  I’d always been closer to Mom, and it had caught us both completely off guard when she died. I didn’t want to have any regrets when Dad left me, too.

  “That’s fine, Dad,” I said, clearing my throat. I looked up and smiled. “So, when are you guys getting married?”

  His expression softened. “In about six weeks, we’re still working through some things, so I can't give you a specific date. Will you come?”

  “Sure, Dad.”

  He was holding an olive branch out to me for the first time in decades; I wasn’t going to say no. Besides, I was truly curious about who this woman was. Dad had only ever had such a soft expression when it came to Mom, even when it was me, he’d face me with a stern look no matter what.

  Chapter Seven

  Ben

  “Hey, Ben. What’s up with you, you look like you’re in a bad mood.”

  I looked up and scowled at Andy. He was one of the guys I usually hung out with. He wasn’t on the swimming team, though he did play a sport, so I didn’
t spend a lot of time around him.

  “It’s nothing,” I muttered, distracted.

  We weren’t close, so I wasn’t about to tell him the whole story. I was sure my friends would find it hilarious if I told them about this, so I wouldn’t be saying anything to them, either.

  Suddenly, I was very glad I decided not to when I thought about bragging to my friends about my girlfriend. I hadn't even talked to Sandra after I found out it wasn’t her I’d been texting, and I didn’t know what I was going to tell her, because I was more interested in this texter than I was in her.

  She’s not going to be happy when she finds out.

  To begin with, Sandra wasn’t the kind of girl that dated just anyone. I’d known her for all four years at school, though I’d only grown interested in her last year. The one thing I’d been looking forward to in my final year was getting to date her, and now, all I wanted was to avoid her. She’d even sent me a text with her number, so I wouldn’t get it wrong again, but I never bothered to text back.

  If I didn’t speak to her, she’d get the idea. Maybe she’d be angry, but I didn’t care. Besides, she had a lot of guys after her, so she could replace me easily enough.

  What I want is for this person to text me back already!

  I’d sent a text yesterday, and I waited all night for her to say when and where we could meet. I knew whoever it was, was at least an adult and lived in the same area, so meeting at night shouldn’t have been too much trouble.

  She never replied.

  “Does it have anything to do with Sandra?” Andy asked. “I thought you guys were good.”

  So did I.

  I frowned up at Andy. I’d almost forgotten he was there. We were both in the cafeteria; I’d been sitting alone with something in front of me I’d only half-eaten before I got bored with it. Andy must have seen me and walked over before noticing I was preoccupied.

  “Where did you hear that from? Did someone say something?”

  Sandra had a lot of friends, and a lot of them liked to gossip. Even if she’d told a few of them and not posted something on social media, it would spread, and it would be annoying to deal with.

  Not that I could blame her. We were about to fuck, and I practically shoved her out of my room because I was ‘busy’ with something. Maybe she’s been going around telling people I’m a kinky bastard.

  Rumors were the biggest annoyance there was. I knew a lot of people talked about me, but I paid zero attention to it. What did it matter to me, what people I didn’t even know were saying about me? I only cared if they said it to my face.

  “I did hear something,” Andy said with a shrug. “Just that something happened. Did you two break up?”

  “Not exactly,” I muttered. “It’s complicated. I got to go.”

  I didn’t want to talk, and he would probably keep asking, so I cleared out quickly. I checked my phone, but there was still nothing, and I hesitated before deciding not to send another text.

  When I went into class, I was quiet for once. I was late; other students were already seated and taking notes. My scores weren’t terrible, and as long as I went through the required reading, they wouldn’t fall too low, so I never worried much about my classes. Today of all days, there was no way I would pay attention, and after I sat down, I folded my arms on top of the desk. I didn’t even bother carrying any books with me, but it was just because I’d been too distracted.

  I looked up and noticed Angela, the professor, seemed a bit distracted.

  Did she even notice I walked in late?

  Normally, she would ask to see me after class. Usually, she was focused on lecturing, even though I only half paid attention most of the time, it was easy to tell something was off this time. She kept looking at her phone. When she finished speaking and waited for the students to finish copying down the notes on the slides, she started tapping on her phone. She was probably sending a text.

  My phone vibrated in my pocket. I ignored it, watching Angela. She frowned at her phone before glancing up and looking around. Her eyes fell on me for a second, and she scowled before switching the slide and continuing with the lecture.

  I wanted to check my phone, but thoughts were running through my mind. For the first time since the semester started, I paid attention to the professor throughout the rest of the lesson. An idea had started to grow, and it was crazy, but I didn’t think I was wrong.

  What… the fuck.

  I wasn’t sure how to feel about this. It felt like I was somewhere else because it was so damn crazy. The part that surprised me most was how it didn’t bother me.

  Shouldn’t it have bothered me?

  I looked Angela over. Since I’d walked in late, I was seated toward the back. I couldn’t see all of her, either, with all the other students blocking the way. As usual, she was in a blouse, tucked into a skirt that fell to just above her knees. She liked to move around as she lectured, and with only her voice and papers rustling breaking the silence in the room, I could hear the clacking of her heels as she paced around. She was even more agitated today than usual, still holding onto her phone. She didn’t look at it again, but she would fidget with it between her fingers.

  Finally, it was over.

  “That’s the end of the lecture for today,” Angela said. “I’ll see you all for next week’s class. If you require the slides for today’s class, they’ll be up on the class email.”

  As she busied herself closing down her laptop and putting her things away, the class started to clear. I stayed seated and let everyone else leave. A few guys in the row I was seated at hesitated, the closest ones to me not wanting to tell me to move out of the way. Some of them went over the seat and got out through the row behind us, while the others just waited and got out on the other side.

  She was so distracted that the students managed to leave the class before she was done with everything. There was a guy that stopped to have a chat with her, and I narrowed my eyes at him. She shot him a few slow smiles as they talked, but it was quick, and he left, too.

  When it was just the two of us left in the room, I finally stood up. I looked at the message on my phone. Like I’d guessed, it was the mystery texter, saying she was busy before but could meet me tonight. I walked slowly over to the teacher’s desk and stopped beside it.

  “Can I help you with something?” She asked absently, not bothering to look up. She was holding her phone up, in the middle of sending another text, and when she stopped, my phone vibrated.

  “Is it you?” I asked, even though I already knew.

  Her head shot up, and she frowned at me. She probably hadn't expected this. All those times she’d told me to stay behind, and the one time she forgot to, I waited.

  “Ben?”

  Her eyes fell to the phone in my hand. She’d heard it vibrate, too. Angela was smart. I didn’t have to explain anything for her to know what I meant.

  She laughed, sounding a little nervous. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but I think I should…”

  Not listening, I unlocked my screen. I ignored the new text and sent one, the exact question I’d just asked.

  “Is it you?”

  Angela cut herself off when her phone vibrated in her hand. She blinked, then slowly looked down. She didn’t look like she wanted to, but I wasn’t backing down on this. I had been looking like crazy since I found out it wasn’t Sandra, and if it was her, then I needed to know.

  She stared at the screen of her phone for a long moment. I didn’t allow myself to get impatient as I waited for her. Usually, I would have blown up at her already, but something besides impatience was starting to grow in my chest. The excitement I’d felt when I got those sexy texts was back. I didn’t know what I was going to do with it, but it grew steadily in my chest until I had to fist my hands to stop myself from reaching for her.

  Finally, finally, she looked up and said, “Yes.”

  Chapter Eight

  Angela

  Why is this happening to me?
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br />   I stared at Ben, complete stunned. He could only stand there in front of me, frozen with his own disbelief. His face didn’t have the usual bored, haughty expression that irked me to no end. Instead, there was something new there. He wasn’t smiling, but I could see his eyes bright with excitement, and it made something tremble inside me.

  While I’d been curious about who the mystery man was, I now wished I’d never found out. It just had to be one of my students, and of all people, it had to be Ben? This wasn’t even funny. This was a nightmare.

  “I’m sorry,” I murmured, not sure what I was apologizing for. “Um…”

  Dammit, Angela, think!

  This student didn’t like me, and I didn’t like him. While it wasn’t what I’d thought of before, I didn’t feel disgusted, and I didn’t do anything illegal, but it was horrifying because he was my student. The school had a policy against professors dating students, especially if they happened to be in your class. If anyone ever found out about those texts and connected them to the both of us, it would be damning.

  “You can’t tell the board,” I blurted out, the full scope of the trouble I was in started to sink in for me. A wave of panic washed through mind, and I could feel my body start to tremble.

  The worst part of all this was that I knew Ben didn’t like me. He also had a lot of influence within the school. If he brought this forward, the best I could hope for would be to simply lose my job. If this got out it would ruin my reputation, I would have no hope that another school would hire me. I’d be that teacher.

  He could ruin me, and all it would take would be a few words to the right people.

  Dammit! Jason was right; I shouldn’t have tried messing with this kid.

  My eyes focused back on him, and I tried not to cringe at the way he stared at me with arched eyebrows and a devious look like he knew he had my future in the palm of his hand. I had a feeling he was used to being above everyone else with his privileged background.