TENSION

was beyond upset. The audacity her mother had sometimes truly surprised her. She couldn't fathom what went through her mother's head when making the decision that she did.

Duncan had informed her during lunch that Misty had to make an impromptu business trip back to California to correct a policy that had been royally screwed up because someone couldn't do their one job correctly. Misty didn't know how long she was going to be gone so she had asked Duncan to "babysit" Cindy for lack of better words.

The seventeen year old wanted to call her mother and give her an earful about how she felt about the decision. However, she couldn't as her mother was currently flying first class back to Cindy's home state.

When Duncan had told his stepdaughter of the last minute plans, her mind automatically jumped to Melanie being her chance of escaping an unknown amount of time with her arrogant stepfather. Unfortunately, Melanie had also departed on an airplane earlier that morning, headed for Paris for a Spring Break abroad.

Cindy currently stood in the middle of her living room, arms crossed over her chest, and one hip jutted out. "It's bad enough that you're already my babysitter!" She complained, starting her fifth argument with Duncan that evening. "But why can't I just stay here? I'd be out of your way!"

The older man closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, a headache starting to form because of the girl's childish behavior. "I already told you. If you stay here, it defeats the whole purpose of me watching you. Your mother asked me to your guardian until she comes back and that's what I'm going to do."

The blonde wanted to yell a colorful array of words at the top of her lungs. She felt that she was old enough to stay home by herself. It wasn't like she hadn't before.

"Fine! But can we stay here tonight? I have some homework to finish and I don't feel like dragging more bags than necessary into this shitty experience."

Duncan's eyes opened and his jaw clenched as he tried not to lose his temper. The man was used to getting his way with anything and anyone. However, he couldn't get a simple seventeen year old girl under control. "If you stop acting like a fucking brat! I'm sick and tired of it. You want to be treated like you're seventeen so act like it."

Cindy's arms fell to her side as he raised his voice at her. The young girl had never really been disciplined as their had been no one in her life to really do it. Her father wasn't around and her mother was too busy. She wasn't used to someone raising their voice at her either.

Turning on her heel, the girl quickly made her way upstairs, and into the comforts of her bedroom. Slamming the door and locking it, she leaned her forehead against the white wood. Why do I even care what he thinks?

Pushing Duncan's words to the back of her mind, the teenager changed from her fashionable outfit into something more relaxing: a cropped tank top and a pair of cotton shorts.

Deciding to finish her journalism article, the girl sat down at her desk and logged onto her desktop. Two hours later, she was satisfied with the piece and emailed it to her teacher. Smiling happily, she leaned back in her chair, a wave of accomplishment washing over her. The girl felt that it had been her best piece of the year.

Cindy watched the digital time on her screen, the numbers changing multiple times before she decided that it was time to face Duncan. Taking a deep breath, she finally unlocked her door, and left her sanctuary behind.

Descending down the stairs, she immediately heard his voice and drew the conclusion that he was on a business call. That was all Shepherd cared about. Business.

Her assumption was proven true as she entered the living room and stood in the door way. Her footsteps drew his attention and he noticed her standing there. His cold eyes looked her up and down, quickly noticing and appreciating the short pair of shorts she wore and the thin crop top that covered her chest.

Duncan snapped himself out of it. That's your fucking stepdaughter. Clearing his head, he soon ended his conversation with his secretary and looked back over at Cindy. "Yes?"

The seventeen year old sighed, getting ready to apologize. "Duncan, I'm sorry that I was such a brat. My father has never been around and it's completely new territory for me to have any kind of father figure."

Duncan nodded understandingly, his harsh exterior slightly softening for the girl. He could relate to her. His father had also never been in the picture. Using his hand to wave her over, he waited until she stood in front of him.

He was about to accept her apology but didn't get the chance to before he noticed a detail he wasn't able to pick up on when she was across the room. The seventeen year old wasn't wearing a bra as shown by the outlines of her nipples through the white polka-dotted material that covered her chest.

"Cindy," Duncan started, his voice going an octave lower as his mind unwillingly ran wild, images of what could be under her shirt racing through his head. The girl looked at the older man, eyebrow quirked up and head tilted to the side. "You're not wearing a bra."

The girl smiled softly, basking in the attention of the older man. Her reasoning for enjoying the moment was odd to say the least. Cindy has truthfully never cared for boys her own age. She found them immature and none of them knew what to do. Perhaps that was the reason she was still a virgin, let alone had never been sexually touched.

She became caught up in the moment, completely disregarding the fact that it was her stepfather whom she was becoming sexually aroused by in the moment. Maybe it was the way his usually bright eyes were now dark pools of lust the way his pink bottom lip was stuck between his teeth as he harshly chewed on it. In reality, it was most likely the fact that his large hands had found their way onto her bare skin, his thumbs rubbing small circles into her sides.

Before either of them could say another word, Duncan's phone cut the sexual tension in the air by ringing obnoxiously. Cindy let out a breath of air she didn't know she had been holding once Duncan's hands were vacant from her sides. The older man grabbed his phone and answered it, "Hi darling."

Cindy heard the voice on the other side, it was her mother. For some reason unknown to Cindy, it was as if someone had popped the balloon that had been expanding in her heart. For some reason that she couldn't name or logically explain, she was disappointed that Duncan had answered the phone as of nothin had happened.

Without uttering a word to him, the blonde turned on her heel and made her way back up the stairs and into the safety of her room. Locking the door, she crawled into her bed and screwed her eyes shut, refusing to think about what had just happened or what feelings she was experiencing. Finally, she fell into a restless sleep.

Duncan on the other hand soon hung up with Misty and was left alone in his wife's living room with a bulge in his pants that had been created by her seventeen year old daughter. Sighing, the man pinched the bridge of his nose. What had he done?