PINNED BY MY STEPFATHER

Lena’s Sharp Eyes

Chapter 13

Derek’s POV

The small engagement gathering was held at Mom’s favorite Italian restaurant downtown,intimate, with dim lighting and soft jazz playing in the background.

Only close friends and a few colleagues had been invited.

I sat squeezed between Lena and Mark at a long table, the scent of garlic bread and marinara sauce thick in the air.

Marcus and Mom sat at the head, glowing with happiness as they announced their official engagement.

“Finally making it legal!” Mom laughed, holding up her glass. The table erupted in cheers and congratulations.

Marcus smiled modestly, his arm draped casually around her shoulders. He looked perfect,charming, stable, the ideal partner.

I forced a smile and raised my water glass, stomach in knots.

Lena leaned in close, her sharp eyes glinting with mischief. “You look like you haven’t slept in days, Derek.

Still playing the mysterious virgin, or is there actually something interesting happening in that quiet life of yours?”

Her teasing hit too close. I shifted uncomfortably. “Just busy with classes and the research project.”

“Uh-huh.” She poked my arm. “You’ve been weird ever since the party. Distracted. Flushed. Like you’re hiding a juicy secret. Spill. Is it Sophie? Or someone else?”

I nearly choked on my water. Across the table, Marcus’s gaze flicked toward us, dark and unreadable.

He had been playing the perfect fiancé all evening,attentive to Mom, polite to guests, but I felt his attention on me like a physical touch.

“Nothing to spill,” I muttered. “Focus on the happy couple.”

Lena wasn’t convinced. She studied me with that piercing look she’d perfected over years of friendship. “You know I can tell when you’re lying. Your ears go red. Just like right now.”

I touched my ear self-consciously. The research project, last night with Marcus, the risky touch under the dinner table yesterday, it was all piling up. I felt raw, exposed.

The waiter brought more wine and appetizers. Conversation flowed around the table, toasts to love and new beginnings.

Mom beamed, happier than I’d seen her in years. Guilt twisted deeper in my chest. I was a traitor sitting among them.

Under the table, Marcus’s leg brushed mine deliberately. I was tense.

His hand followed a moment later, resting on my thigh just out of sight.

The touch was light at first, then firmer, fingers tracing small circles dangerously high. My breath hitched.

Lena noticed my sudden stiffness. “You okay? You look tense.”

“Fine,” I said tightly. Marcus’s hand didn’t stop.

His thumb stroked the inner seam of my jeans, sending unwanted heat straight to my groin.

I was getting hard again, right here in public, surrounded by people celebrating his engagement to my mother.

I tried to shift away. He followed, squeezing once in warning. The risk was insane. One wrong move and someone would notice. The danger only made my body react stronger.

Marcus continued chatting normally with Mom’s colleague across the table, voice smooth and warm. No one suspected a thing.

His composure while secretly touching me under the table was both terrifying and intoxicating.

Lena leaned closer again. “Seriously, Derek. You’ve been spacing out all night. And every time Marcus speaks, you get this weird look.

What’s going on with you two? You’ve been acting strange around him since the announcement.”

Her words sent ice down my spine. “Nothing. Just adjusting to the change.”

Marcus’s hand slid higher, palm pressing against the growing bulge in my pants.

I bit the inside of my cheek to stay quiet. Pleasure and panic warred inside me.

I was painfully hard now, trapped by his teasing touch while my mother laughed a few seats away.

The gathering continued for another hour. Toasts, stories, plans for the wedding.

Every time I tried to focus on something else, Marcus reminded me of his presence with another stroke or squeeze.

By the time dessert arrived, I was a mess, aching, guilty, and dangerously close to losing control.

Lena watched me the entire time, her teasing smile fading into genuine concern mixed with curiosity. “Whatever it is, you can talk to me. I’m not just here to mess with you.”

“I know,” I whispered. But I couldn’t tell her. Not ever.

When the evening finally ended, Marcus removed his hand as smoothly as he had placed it.

I stood on shaky legs, hiding my arousal as best I could. Mom hugged me tightly. “Thank you for coming, honey. It means everything to have you here supporting us.”

Her words were another dagger. I hugged her back, swallowing hard.

In the parking lot, as we said goodbyes, Marcus caught my eye for a brief second.

The look he gave me was full of dark promise,and a hint of the same jealousy I’d seen when Alex texted.

Lena pulled me aside before I could escape to the car. “I’m serious, Derek. Something’s off with you. And I swear I saw Marcus looking at you strangely tonight. If there’s drama, tell me.”

“There’s no drama,” I lied, ears burning again.

She didn’t believe me. I could see it in her sharp eyes.

On the drive home, Mom chatted excitedly in the front seat while Marcus drove.

I sat in the back, staring out the window, body still humming from his secret touches.

The research project waited on my laptop at home, its themes of hidden family tensions mocking me. Alex’s friendly invitation for tomorrow felt like a lifeline to normalcy.

But Marcus’s hand on my thigh lingered in my memory like a brand.

Lena was noticing. The secret was growing bigger, more fragile. One wrong glance, one slip, and everything would come crashing down.

And the worst part? Some dark corner of me was starting to crave the danger.