CHAPTER NINE

NO BOYS ALLOWED

moment replayed in Cindy's head over and over again like a broken record. One moment she was comforting the Duncan Shepherd and then the next moment he was kissing her.

"Earth to Cindy Lou Who." Thomas' voice broke the teen girl out of her trance. She had stared through her friends instead of at them for the past couple of minutes. Along with Thomas' voice came a fry from Alexandria's plate.

"Were you thinking about it again?" Alexandria asked, knowing very well her best friend's answer. In all honestly, who wouldn't be replaying a kiss with Duncan Shepherd in their mind on repeat?

"Oh, she was so thinking about it," Thomas replied for his friend, taking a sip of his Dr. Pepper, and looking at Cindy over the rim of the glass. "Weren't you?"

The subject of everyone's attention ate the fry that had been in her hand, trying to avoid her friend's questions. She honestly wished she had never opened her mouth about it. However, she trusted these people with her life and in a place like Washington D.C, finding someone you trusted was difficult by itself.

"So run me through it again," Alexandria took over the conversation, chin rested in the palm of her hand, "You went into his office with the intention of just talking, ended up with your head in his lap, then he just kissed you?"

Cindy reached for another french fry but her hand was smacked away by the owner of the plate. "Answer my question and you shall be rewarded."

"Yes, that's exactly what happened." Grabbing a fry, she quickly retracted her hand before Alexandria could hit it again.

"Well did you kiss back?"

"Maybe."

"Did you like it?"

"Yes."

There had been no hesitation to her answer, not a mere second to think about it. In that moment, Cindy had come to terms with the fact that she had kissed her stepfather and liked it.

Alexandria's smile stretched from ear to ear as she shook her head teasingly, "I always knew you were a slut for older men! That explains why you haven't gone on a date with Justin yet!"

"Oh, fuck off. I may love older men but at least I haven't fucked twenty inexperienced boys." The seventeen year old fired back, not missing a beat, "And I would never date Justin. That would be incredibly unprofessional as his father and my mother are the California Senators."

"What's unprofessional is you kissing your stepdaddy." Thomas interjected.

"Tea." Alexandria agreed.

Misty Blaine hardly interfered with her youngest daughters life, too busy with work, too infatuated with her new husband, or too preoccupied with Melanie. But when she saw Cindy walking towards the front door at 7:30 PM, she finally spoke up.

"And where do you think you're going this late?"

The blonde grabbed her keys off the kitchen counter, having been oblivious to the fact that her mother was even in the living room. Her mother was never home and when she was, she was in her bedroom or office.

"Out."

"Don't give your mother attitude, Cynthia."

Turning around, the teenager saw him. Next to her mother sat Duncan Shepherd in all his glory. Wearing his well fitting sweater and skinny jeans paired with one of his many pair of YSL boots, he was there.

It wouldn't have frustrated Cindy as much if he had only been playing the fake father role, the title of stepdad going to his head. However, he was next to Misty like he hadn't been kissing her youngest daughter only a few days prior. That's what really pissed the girl off. Obviously, she couldn't yell at him for that so yelled at him for the former.

"We've gone over this before, Duncan! You're not my daddy so stop acting like it!"

Before either adult could say anything else, the teenager was out the door. She knew she could possibly face punishment when she returned but she truly didn't care in the moment. She was too upset at Shepherd.

"So you just walked out?" Aaron asked, a mix of bewilderment and disbelief on his face.

"I told you I was going to meet up with you outside of an overrated event."

The boy chuckled, a smile present as always when he was with Cindy. Something about the girl amused him every time. Perhaps it was the fact that on the outside she was the stereotypical rich girl but on the inside she wasn't.

The two chatted for a few hours, having real conversations. They opened up about their fears, goals, passions, etc. The pair bonded over a few things like their love for black coffee. They disagreed over a couple things like the best flavor of ice cream.

After making plans to meet up again soon, the dimpled boy said goodnight to Cindy after walking her to her Jeep.

"I had a fun time, tonight." He told her as she started the ignition, her window rolled down.

"Me too." She gave him a genuine smile.

It was eleven when the seventeen year old pulled into the driveway. Quietly making her way into the house in order to try and avoid confrontation until the next day, her plan was quickly ruined. There stood Duncan in the middle of the living room, his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face.

"It's about time you showed up. Care to tell me where you were?"

"D, why are you still here?" She ignored his question, setting her keys on the counter and taking off her shoes.

"Answer my question." His voice was more assertive this time. He was no longer asking, he was commanding.

"You're not my father, Duncan! Stop acting like it!"

Before she could process what was happening, Cindy's back was against the front door and Duncan stood in front of her. He held her jaw firmly in his right hand, supporting himself on the door with his left.

"Cynthia Blaine, so help me God. If you don't answer my question, I swear I will bend you over my knee and spank the brattiness out of you." His eyes were a dark grey, a color she had never seen them before. "You know who gets spanked? Little girls. Last time I checked, you were seventeen years old so I shouldn't have to spank you. Act your age."

The last part made the girl laugh in disbelief. She was in utter shock of how hypocritical the man was being. "You're one to talk! A thirty year old man shouldn't be kissing a seventeen year old, especially one who's his stepdaughter. Why don't you act your age, Duncan?"

His grip on her jaw only tightened and there was sure to be some form of mark left as proof. "That was a mistake. A lapse in judgement."

"Stop lying to me, D. You don't think I haven't seen the way you've looked at me since day one? Since the moment I've met you, you've had your eyes on me."

Duncan knew she was right. There wasn't a single false part of her statement. Duncan Shepherd was undeniably attracted the the girl, she just happened to be seventeen and his stepdaughter.

"And you don't think I haven't noticed how you act around me, Cin? The way you'll find any excuse to be near me or how much you enjoy the word 'daddy' rolling off your tongue when you call me that."

Now Cindy was the one who knew Duncan was right. There was no denying the fact the girl had a slight crush on a man almost old enough to be her father.

"Don't turn this around on me!" She jabbed a ginger into his chest for emphasis. "You kissed me!"

"You kissed back!"

The blonde huffed in submission, giving up. She was throwing up a white flag and surrendering to the man. He was right. She had kissed back.

"What do you want me to say, D?" The lack of fight evident in her voice.

His grip on her had went slack. The man was practically just cradling her jaw at this point. "I want you to tell me where you were."

"I hung out with Aaron."

"Who's Aaron?"

"A boy I've ran into a couple times at your events. He works for the company who caters it."

"You're not allowed to see him again."

Her stepfather's declaration made Cindy push the man away from her, two feet at most. "What do you mean I can't see him again? You can't control my life, Duncan!"

"No boys." He stated simply, shrugging his shoulder as he did so. "Now go to bed."

"No boys," She mimicked, pushing past him with her shoulder.

"I heard that!"

"Good, fucker."

He just chuckled, knowing that the two were no longer on the cliff of disaster but a few yards away. For the night, that was good enough.