Puck Me Harder: A Stepbrother Romance [BL]

Micah’s POV

This wasn’t even the first time I’ve been mistaken for a girl. It used to happen occasionally back in middle school, and even a few times during high school whenever my hair grew out a bit too long.

A stray, bitter thought crossed my mind... maybe even Noah would have mistaken me for a girl if my father hadn’t explicitly introduced me as his son the day he arrived.

I violently shook my head to drive the dark, intrusive thought away. Bending down slightly, I placed my hands on my knees so I was closer to eye level with the two identical boys.

"I’m a boy," I clarified, offering them a gentle smile.

The twins let out a synchronized, dramatic gasp, their wide eyes blinking in utter disbelief.

"So... are you Damon’s boyfriend then?" the second twin blurted out.

My spine instantly straightened, a hot blush rushing back to my cheeks.

’Is that really the next logical question for kids their age?!’

"Damon never brings strangers to the house," the first twin piped up thoughtfully, tapping his chin. "Except when it’s nanny’s day off and he throws those massive estate parties..."

He suddenly gasped violently, slapping both hands flat over his mouth as if he had just accidentally blabbed a classified state secret.

The older nanny launched herself toward Damon again, her eyes flashing with renewed fury. Damon squeaked, instantly turning on his heel and bolting deeper into the house with the housekeeper marching right after him like an angry warden.

A breathless laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. The atmosphere in this house was so wildly energetic, so alive and genuinely warm. It was light-years better than the cold, suffocating graveyard I called home. The twins each grabbed one of my hands, excitedly pulling me into the spacious living room.

As they babbled on, I quickly pieced together what had actually happened earlier. They had a costume showcase event at their academy next weem, and Damon was supposed to be helping them rehearse their routine. But the exact second my desperate call came through, he dropped everything, and rushed out to rescue me... abandoning his brothers in the process.

A sudden, heavy pang of guilt settled in my chest. He had dropped his entire family responsibility just to come pull me out of my own mess.

I looked toward the main couch, where the nanny was now sitting down to catch her breath. Damon was standing behind her, gently massaging her shoulders in what was clearly a shamelessly transparent attempt to sweet-talk his way out of trouble.

"So, it seems our guest is going to be staying with us for a while, isn’t he?" the nanny asked, her sharp tone softening.

"Yes, old woman," Damon replied smoothly. "He’ll be using the guest suite right close to my room."

"Good. See to it that you take extra special care of him," she warned, lightly slapping Damon’s hands off her shoulders as she stood up.

She walked over to me, her stern posture melting away as her soft, calloused hands gently clasped mine. "I hope you enjoy your time with us, child. We’ll be having a full family dinner together this evening since the master of the house will be returning."

"What?" one of the twins cheered.

"Father is coming home tonight?" Damon asked, his hands dropping to his sides.

A flicker of confusion hit me. Why did Damon sound so caught off guard? Weren’t he and his father close? Or had he simply forgotten the schedule?

Either way, panic instantly clawed at my throat. How was Damon’s powerful, elite father going to react to a surprise guest sleeping in his mansion? What if he instantly kicked me out the moment he realized I was a Miller? After all, the Silver and Miller families maintained a bitter rivalry. I was the only anomaly who didn’t care about the feud.

"Is he coming back specifically because of the burial ceremony tomorrow?" Damon asked quietly.

The nanny gave a somber nod. "So every single one of us must get completely ready tomorrow morning," she said, her gentle eyes resting on me with a warm smile that carried an unmistakable message: ’That includes you, too.’

My stomach churned. Fuck. Even though I had literally run away from home to escape my father, I was still going to be forced to face him at the church tomorrow.

"I’ll... I’ll also be there, ma’am," I mumbled politely.

She clapped her hands together in satisfaction. "Damon, take him upstairs to settle in, and then get back down here to help your brothers finish their practice."

"Yes, old woman," Damon grumbled playfully. He walked over, picked up my heavy bag, and motioned for me to follow him up the grand staircase.

I glanced back down at the twins, who were still bouncing on their toes, genuinely thrilled about their father coming home.

A dull ache throbbed in my chest. Must be nice. I had never felt a single drop of excitement when my father came home. After all, to him, I was just the unwanted boy who killed his wife.

We reached the second floor, and Damon pushed open a heavy mahogany door. My jaw literally dropped the second I stepped across the threshold. The guest suite was massive... easily twice, if not three times, the size of my bedroom back at my father’s house.

The room featured three distinct doors and a grand set of glass doors leading out to a private balcony. Damon walked over and tossed my bag onto a plush armchair by the window.

"That white door leads to your private bathroom," he said, pointing. "The second brown door is a walk-in closet." He paused, a dangerous, lazy smirk spreading across his face as he pointed to the final brown door. "And that door connects straight into my bedroom."

My eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why on earth would you put me in a room that connects directly to yours?"

"So I can easily sneak in and touch you whenever I want," he stated nonchalantly, stepping closer to me.

"What?!" My heart did a violent flip, my eyes widening as I instinctively took a step back.

"I mean," Damon corrected effortlessly, his dark eyes sparkling with wicked amusement as he continued to advance, "so I can sneak in and check on you."

"That is definitely not what you said the first time!" I frowned, backing up another quick step.

My heel caught against the wooden frame of the massive bed, and I tumbled backward, sinking helplessly into the ultra-soft mattress.

"Oh?" Damon purred. The sound was pure silk and mockery.

Before I could scramble back, his knee sank into the mattress right between my legs. He leaned down, his broad, bare shoulders blocking out the ambient light as his handsome face hovered merely inches above mine. The intense, heat-radiating proximity of his naked chest made my throat go completely dry.

"What are you doing, Damon?" I whispered, my voice trembling despite my best efforts.

"I’m just hoping to get caught in the act," he murmured softly.

He leaned down the remaining fraction of an inch, pressing a slow, warm kiss directly against my cheek. The soft brush of his lips sent an intense, electric shiver cascading all the way down my spine.

He lifted his head, his dark eyes shifting away from mine to lock onto a subtle, glowing lens mounted high on the wall. A small CCTV security camera.

Damon flashed a sharp, arrogant grin straight at the lens.

"What act?" I asked, completely bewildered by his sudden shift in attention.

"Don’t worry," Damon said lightly, still staring at the glass lens. "I’ll make sure to tell the security team to turn off the room’s camera feed while you’re staying here."

"Oh, I actually don’t mind it," I admitted, swallowing hard as my mind flashed back to the death list and Noah’s dark shadow. "It’s for security, right? What if... what if Noah somehow manages to figure out where I am and comes here while I’m asleep?"

Damon’s posture stiffened slightly. He pulled back, his smirk faltering as he broke eye contact with the camera, looking away as if considering a terrifying possibility.

"Sure," Damon said smoothly, his tone turning surprisingly quiet. "I’ll tell them to leave it running." He folded his arms across his bare chest, shot one last unreadable glance at the camera, and added, "I’m sure he’ll be thoroughly enjoying the view anyway."

My brow furrowed in instant confusion. "Who will be happy watching me?"

"No one, darling," Damon smiled effortlessly, the arrogant charm sliding back into place like a mask. "Get some proper rest. I’m heading downstairs before the old woman comes up here with a broom to finish me off. See you at dinner."

He turned and slipped out through the connecting door, the heavy latch clicking securely into place.

Left alone in the massive, quiet room, I slowly sat up on the bed and stared directly at the tiny, blinking camera lens on the wall.

’There’s no way Noah is actually watching me through this... right?’ I tried to reassure myself, shaking the ridiculous thought away. ’Of course not. This is the Silver estate. That’s entirely impossible.’