Page 8 of Stranded
“Ugh, it’s taking so long for all the feeling to come back. My arms are sore from all this rubbing. Can you give me a hand,Daddy? I’d really appreciate it.”
“Have you no decency?” The vein in his forehead throbbed harder, but he kept staring at my ass. What did he find so fascinating? Why did it leave me breathless? “And why’d you put a tattoo on your ass? Who’s going to see it there?”
Oh, the bird tattoo. That was what Jackson found interesting? I pulled up the waistband of my skirt, feeling the disappointment so hard that I couldn’t even fool myself about what it was.
“Not as many as I would’ve liked, but still plenty enough.”
He scowled. “You sleep around too much. How do you think that makes me feel?”
“What?” What did me having sex have to do with him?
“I mean, your mother and I, your parents. No parent wants to know their child fucks just about anyone.”
“But that’s not what you said and I’m not your son,” I teased. “You were talking about you. What are you? Jealous of me being with other men? You can be honest with me, Daddy. I won’t tell.”
“Aiden!” He strode toward me and grabbed me by the shoulders roughly. “Stop making these awful insinuations. It’s sick! I’m your stepfather.”
He released me abruptly and walked away. “You want to make yourself actually useful? Collect some wood for the fire.”
“Wood? There’s a hot plate in the RV.”
“And we’ll use it if we need to, but I’m camping the old-fashioned way. As much as I can with you tagging along.”
“I’m not collecting any damn wood. It’s a fucking desert, and I’m not your errand boy.”
“Don’t bother coming back until you’ve proven to me you can find at least some kindling.”
He had to be kidding, right? No way he was serious.
He stalked off back to the RV. To hell with him. I sat on a rock with my knees drawn up. Where did he expect me to find wood here? He was basically telling me not to return to him, wasn’t he?
Well, let him explain my starved, dehydrated body to our family and friends. It would serve him right if some wild animal ran off with my body.
Half an hour later, my stomach growled. He’d made a fire, and the delicious scent of meat roasting over an open flame wafted toward me. Was he seriously going to eat and not invite me to join him?
Pouting, I scrambled to my feet. Fine. I’d look for a piece of wood and fling it at his head.
I hope it’ll give him a damn concussion.
As I trudged through the fading light, my anger still simmering, I scanned the surrounding desert for any sign of wood. My frustration grew as I realized how vast and barren the landscape truly was. It seemed like an impossible task.
Just as I was about to give up and head back to the campsite, rustling sounded behind me. Startled, I spun around, and my heart skipped a beat. A pair of glowing eyes were fixed on me.
It was a coyote, growling and baring its teeth.
4
JACKSON
Stubborn boy.
Why couldn’t he admit defeat and return? I’d only sent him to find wood because I needed a few minutes away from him after that indecent display of his ass. He deserved to be out there searching. Maybe he would think twice about showing off his body like that to me again.
Did he expect me to go looking for him after his rudeness? He was a depraved little shit to offer his ass to his stepfather like he’d done so casually. Had he figured out the conflicting emotions I battled with? Was that the reason he teased me, almost flirted with me whenever we argued?
I have to keep my distance from him, or that boy will drag me straight to Hell.
I bit into the cut of beef I’d roasted, but it tasted like dirt. I couldn’t get the foul taste out of my mouth. My appetite was ruined by the image of my stepson’s perfect, peachy ass in that black thong.
