CHAPTER 1 Almost Father In Law

Joanne POV

"How exactly should I go about seducing him?" I asked, slipping on my heels. Anya's intense glare burned into the back of my neck.

"Are you asking me for advice on seducing your father in law?"

A heavy silence filled the room as I stood up from the bed. "Almost father in law," I corrected.

"You're insane!" she exclaimed.

I knew this was madness, but strangely, I felt calm. I took a few tentative steps to test the heels. It was the first time I'd worn six-inch heels, and I wasn't confident I could pull it off. After a few more steps, I turned to face Anya. "Not bad, huh?"

"Are you going through with this?" Her tone was laced with pity.

But I didn't need it.

The last thing I needed right now was her pity. Some advice would be better. I'd done some online research, which I truly do not recommend. The results were heavy on porn and light on answers. In the end, I would have to come up with a way myself.

It was a thirty-minute ride to his mansion. But that wasn't what I was worried about. I was standing on his front porch in a short silver dress in the middle of January. Should I mention it was past a decent time to visit? A shiver ran down my spine as I knocked on the door, obviously because the icy wind made my clothing feel even more like a joke.

I bit my lip as the door cracked open. I was about to seduce a man who, up until a few days ago, was supposed to be my father-in-law. A frown furrowed his eyebrows as recognition dawned on his handsome face.

"Joanne?" he called as if trying to confirm my identity. We weren't very close, and I was sure he was probably taken aback by how I'd bypassed his security gate. This was my first time here, visiting him. It's funny how quickly things change when you least expect it. Or not so funny at all, since I don't feel like laughing.

"Is that you?" he asked, and a laugh nearly slipped past my lips.

I beamed.

"Yes," I replied, clenching my jaw to stop my teeth from chattering.

Fortunately, he didn't make me wait. He stepped aside, holding the door wide open for me. I walked in and the sudden warmth made me shiver again.

"Would you like some tea?"

I blinked, my arms still wrapped around my body. "Excuse me?"

"Tea?" he repeated, gesturing towards the kitchen counter.

I nodded.

I sat on the closest couch I could reach and sank into it. I was exhausted, and you can't blame me. I've spent the last four days crying and raging with my girlfriends, but that's not what I want to talk about.

That's not why I'm here.

I'm here for revenge- and maybe a little pleasure, too, though the pleasure rates a distant second in priorities.

"Joanne," his voice cut through my daze. I opened my eyes to see a cup of tea being offered to me.

"Thanks," I said, taking it from him. I took a sip and winced as the tea burned the top of my lip. It was too hot.

"What did he do?"

I looked up at him, my fingers wrapped around the cup. "What?"

"My jerk of a son. What has he done now?" He pulled my left hand and held it between us. My ring finger was bare. He traced his thumb across the space, still frowning. My shivers now had little to do with the temperature and everything to do with desire. "What did he do?"

I wonder if I should tell him that the pain I'm going through right now is also his fault.

"Tell me what happened," he asked again.

I pulled some strands of hair behind my ear. "We're over," My voice cracked, and I hated that it did.

He nodded slowly and squeezed my hand. "Sounds like you could use a drink."

I nodded. At least he wasn't kicking me out. That was a good sign, right? I followed him to the counter and watched as he opened the liquor cabinet and picked through the bottles.

He barely glanced at me. "What would you like?"

"Anything would do," I said as he turned back to the cabinet. I stared at my dress, which was barely long enough to cover the tops of my thigh-highs. I was dressed provocatively, and yet he hadn't looked at me since I walked in.

That wouldn't do. That wouldn't do at all.

He finished with the drinks, and I gathered what was left of my courage. Closing the distance between us, I took the drink from his hands while brushing my fingers against his. "Thank you," I said.

"What are you doing, Joanne?" His voice was a low growl, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. He wasn't impressed. It was clear in his voice.

There was an intense silence between us before he broke it with another question. "What did he do?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I finally spoke, my voice barely a whisper.

He shook his head, his frustration evident on his face. "You came here with a purpose, Joanne. It's written all over your face. But you don't get to throw yourself at me without sharing the truth. Tell me what Rylan did." His tone was hard… demanding.

Maybe the reason I felt so calm about all this was because I knew I wouldn't succeed. It was probably because deep down I knew I wouldn't be able to seduce Mr. Thorne.

He exhaled sharply. "Joanne?"

I didn't want to talk about it.

I took a sip from my drink. "He slept with my stepsister," I blurted out, "and I think he wanted me to catch him. Either that, or he's just really bad at hiding it." That was what I told him. Except that was not the whole truth, but admitting that he hadn't been physical with me all through our relationship and that he had been cheating on me for months felt like admitting that I was a fool.