Free Hunger (A Stepbrother Romance Novel) by Arabella Abbing Page B

he planned.
    Clara told my dad who called me out of my room and demanded to speak to my date when he arrived. I waited at the kitchen table—all dolled up in one of my new outfits—while purposely avoiding the dark glare Luke was shooting at me.
    When the doorbell rang, I ran for it. I was surprised by how attractive the man behind the door was, but I didn’t have time to gawk.
    “Hi, I’m Jenna. My dad wants to talk to you. Please play along,” I whispered as I heard footsteps approaching behind me.
    “I got this,” he whispered back before turning to address my father. “Good evening, Mr. Drayton. I’m Greg.”
    They shook hands and I watched as my dad narrowed his eyes. “Nice to meet you, Greg. I’m sure you can understand why I’m a little surprised that my daughter has a date with some guy I’ve never heard mentioned before.”
    “Well, it’s kind of a blind date. Daniel set us up.”
    “Huh,” Dad said dryly as he looked him up and down. “Exactly how old are you, son?”
    “Twenty-two.”
    “You go to school?”
    “Yeah. Engineering major.”
    My dad looked impressed and finally, he offered a smile. It was a little reluctant, but it was there nonetheless. I mentally sighed with relief as he reached up to give him one more handshake.
    “Alright, you two have fun. Have her back by eleven.”
    I was shocked at the extension of my normal curfew, but I was now eighteen and out of high school. Maybe this was the new normal for me. I did a mental happy dance that got cut to an abrupt halt when I noticed Luke from the corner of my eye.
    He was lingering in the doorway of the kitchen, glaring hatefully at Greg. At the same time, Greg noticed Luke and he subtlety reached over to rest his palm on the small of my back.
    “Ready to go?” he sweetly asked.
    “Sure,” I replied, forcing a smile for the show.
    We said a brief good-bye then exited the house, Greg guiding me all the way to the passenger seat of his car by my back. He opened the door for me and I thanked him, sliding into the seat and letting out a heavy sigh.
    An actress, I was not.
    When Greg got in and turned the key over, he turned to me and said, “Daniel’s meeting us at the diner.”
    “Oh, thank god,” I breathed out, then remembered my manners. “I mean, no offense or anything. It just would’ve been awkward spending the next five hours together alone.”
    Greg chuckled. “I hear that.”
    “Thanks for doing this, by the way.”
    “No problem at all. I take it the really pissed off looking guy is the one we’re trying to make jealous?”
    “How much did Daniel tell you?”
    “Pretty much only that.”
    “Yeah. He’s the one.”
    Greg nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. “I can see why. He’s fucking hot.”
    “Isn’t he?” I asked, already liking Greg enough to confide in him a little. “Daniel seems to think going on a date with you is somehow going to push him over the deep end. I just worry that it’s not going to be that simple.”
    “Oh, the date isn’t what’s going to do it.”
    I furrowed my eyebrows together, totally confused. “It’s not?”
    “Hell no. It’s when I drop you off. That’s what’ll really set him off.”
    “What exactly about that is going to set him off?”
    Greg glanced at me and gave me a dry look. “Just trust me. Or trust Daniel. This was his idea, after all.”
    I didn’t know whether to be relieved or terrified by that.
    ~*~*~
    After bullshitting at the diner for two hours, then the three of us going to catch a movie together, it was nearing my curfew and time for Greg to take me home.
    Daniel gave me a hug before we parted and whispered, “Just play along with Greg. He knows what to do.”
    I nodded as I pulled away from him and got back into the car, waving at Daniel as we pulled away from the theater. It was a twenty minute ride home and we were really pushing it. I just hoped my dad trusted me enough not to wait up for me.
    We were counting on someone else waiting