
Under His Eye: Falling for Stepdaddy
Marley Quinn · Completed · 69.7k Words
Introduction
Chapter 1
I was up late studying when I got a call from my cousin Susan.
"Is everything all right?" I said when I answered.
"What? Sure, sure," said Susan. "Henry just went down for a nap, so I thought you might be up for a chat."
"It's just that it's after midnight, Suze," I told her. "And I'm facing down a brutal week of finals. I had no idea college was going to be this difficult."
"Oops!" said Susan. "Sometimes I forget about the time difference. Anyway, no big deal. We can talk later."
I sighed. I knew I should keep hitting the books, but even something as mundane as a conversation with my stay-at-home mom cousin was a welcome distraction at that point.
"Nah," I said, leaning back in my chair. "I could use a break. So, what's up?"
We proceeded to chat about the usual things, including how I was getting along at Crestwood and hearing about Henry making progress on things like learning to sit up and occasionally letting his poor mother get to sleep through the night. But then Susan dropped a bombshell on me.
"Hey, so what do you think about your mother's new friend?" said Susan. "Pretty exciting, right?"
"Huh?" I said. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh my goodness, I thought you knew," said Susan. "Your mom has apparently met a... how did she call it? Oh yeah, a gentleman caller. I hear he's really handsome, too."
I honestly couldn't believe my ears. Ever since my father died when I was six, my mother had remained stubbornly single. She'd always claimed that his love for her was all that she needed.
"Are you serious?" I said. "Maybe it's someone from her book club and people are misinterpreting things. You know how people love to gossip."
"Yeah, maybe," said Susan. "But I doubt there are many billionaire members of her book club."
"Billionaire?" I said, letting my chair slam back down on all four feet. "What are you talking about?"
"Yeah, his name is Malcolm. Malcolm Kent," said Susan. "He founded Global Synergy Solutions, although I'm not sure if he's still running the company anymore. Either way, he's loaded. You should Google him."
"Oh, I definitely will," I said. "But how did my mother meet him? And what is she doing with a guy like that?"
"I don't know," said Susan. "But I heard he took her off to Los Angeles last weekend on his private plane. And Uncle Bill said he's been sending loads of flowers to the house. I really can't believe your mother hasn't mentioned this."
"Well, she hasn't," I said. "I called her a couple of days ago, and all we talked about was how she was considering putting some tulips in the front garden. You know, the usual stuff. Are you sure people aren't just making things up? People in small towns like to make a mountain out of a molehill. You know that."
"That's true," said Susan with a chuckle. "But cousin Greg drove your mom to the airport. That's how I know about the private plane stuff. And, of course, Uncle Bill was delighted to be getting in so many orders for his flower shop. I was actually hoping you could fill me in on the details."
"All I can tell you is that I'm flabbergasted," I said, quite truthfully. "I didn't think my mother had her eye on anyone, much less this Malcolm guy or whatever. If it wasn't so late, I'd call her right now because I definitely have to get to the bottom of this!"
"Ooh, I can't wait," said Susan. "Promise to call me back and fill me in on all the juicy details once you know?"
"Sure," I said with a little laugh. "But I really doubt anything is going on. I mean, why would a rich business mogul even be in a town like ours, much less want to date my mother?"
"Hey! Your mother looks great for a woman her age," said Susan.
"Oh, of course. I definitely agree," I said, nodding. "But none of this makes any sense. You might as well have called me and told me my mom's an astronaut now or something."
"I just think it's exciting," said Susan. "I mean, of course I understand it was sad when your dad passed. That was a shock for all of us. But it's been more than a decade, you know? A woman has needs!"
"Suzie, you goose," I said with a little laugh. "I think you're doing a bit of projection, dear. You keep popping out those babies, so I know your needs are being met."
"Ain't that the truth," said Susan with a little chuckle. "Jason is as randy as a goat whenever he comes back from deployment."
"Ugh, too much information, girl. But yeah, I'm definitely gonna find out what's going on," I said. "I don't know. I guess I just never pictured my mom with anyone else. And all this talk of jetting off to Los Angeles? It's so unlike her."
"All right, Ally, I guess we'll find out," said Susan. "But you promise you'll let me know, yeah?"
"Of course, of course," I told her. "And give all my love to the boys. Talk to you soon. Bye."
After I hung up, I sat there for a long moment, stunned by everything I had just heard. My mother was only in her late 40s, so it wasn't like she was some senior citizen or anything, but I guess I'd always pictured her as a sweet old lady, puttering around in her garden and knitting by the fire, not plunging into a whirlwind romance the moment I went off to college.
For a minute there, despite the lateness of the hour, I considered calling her. But then, with a sigh, I set my phone aside and got back to my books.
Little did I know then just how much that phone call was going to drastically alter the course of my entire life.
Last Chapters
#62 Chapter 62 His Love
Last Updated: 3/11/2026#61 Chapter 61 Glory and Majesty
Last Updated: 3/11/2026#60 Chapter 60 The Perfect Symbol
Last Updated: 3/11/2026#59 Chapter 59 Harmless
Last Updated: 3/11/2026#58 Chapter 58 Mixed Cocktails
Last Updated: 3/11/2026#57 Chapter 57 Juice
Last Updated: 3/11/2026#56 Chapter 56 Committed
Last Updated: 3/11/2026#55 Chapter 55 Little Comfort
Last Updated: 3/11/2026#54 Chapter 54 A Taste of My Sugar
Last Updated: 3/11/2026#53 Chapter 53 Caliente
Last Updated: 3/11/2026
You Might Like 😍
The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates
"Let me go," I whimper, my body trembling with need. "I don't want you touching me."
I fall forward onto the bed then turn around to stare at him. The dark tattoos of Domonic's chiseled shoulders, quiver and and expand with the heave of his chest. His deep dimpled smile is full of arrogance as he reaches behind himself to lock the door.
Biting his lip, he stalks toward me, his hand going to the seam of his pants and the thickening bulge there.
"Are you sure you don't want me to touch you?" He whispers, untying the knot and slipping a hand inside. "Because I swear to God, that is all I have been wanting to do. Every single day from the moment you stepped in our bar and I smelled your perfect flavor from across the room."
New to the world of shifters, Draven is human on the run. A beautiful girl who no one could protect. Domonic is the cold Alpha of the Red Wolf Pack. A brotherhood of twelve wolves that live by twelve rules. Rules which they vowed could NEVER be broken.
Especially - Rule Number One - No Mates
When Draven meets Domonic, he knows that she is his mate, but Draven has no idea what a mate is, only that she has fallen in love with a shifter. An Alpha that will break her heart to make her leave. Promising herself, she will never forgive him, she disappears.
But she doesn’t know about the child she’s carrying or that the moment she left, Domonic decided rules were made to be broken - and now will he ever find her again? Will she forgive him?
Tango with the Alpha's Heart
“He met her at the Alpha training camp,” he said. “She is a perfect suitor for him. It snowed last night, indicating that his wolf is happy with his choice.”
My heart sank, and tears made their way down my cheeks.
Alexander took my innocence last night, and now he is taking that thing in his office as his Luna.
Emily became the laughingstock of the pack on her 18th birthday and never expected the Alpha's son to be her mate.
After a night of passionate love, Emily finds out that her mate has taken a chosen mate. Heartbroken and humiliated, she disappears from the pack.
Now, five years later, Emily is a respected high-ranking warrior in King Alpha’s army.
When her best friend invites her to a night of music and laughter, she never expects to run into her mate.
Will her mate figure out it is her?
Will he chase after her, and most of all, will Emily be able to keep her secrets safe?
The Billionaire's Mask (A Dark Steamy Romance)
After One Night with the Alpha
I thought I was waiting for love. Instead, I got fucked by a beast.
My world was supposed to bloom at the Moonshade Bay Full Moon Festival—champagne buzzing in my veins, a hotel room booked for Jason and me to finally cross that line after two years. I’d slipped into lacy lingerie, left the door unlocked, and lay on the bed, heart pounding with nervous excitement.
But the man who climbed into my bed wasn’t Jason.
In the pitch-black room, drowned in a heady, spicy scent that made my head spin, I felt hands—urgent, scorching—searing my skin. His thick, pulsing cock pressed against my dripping cunt, and before I could gasp, he thrust hard, tearing through my innocence with ruthless force. Pain burned, my walls clenching as I clawed at his iron shoulders, stifling sobs. Wet, slick sounds echoed with every brutal stroke, his body unrelenting until he shuddered, spilling hot and deep inside me.
"That was amazing, Jason," I managed to say.
"Who the fuck is Jason?"
My blood turned to ice. Light slashed across his face—Brad Rayne, Alpha of Moonshade Pack, a werewolf, not my boyfriend. Horror choked me as I realized what I’d done.
I ran away for my life!
But weeks later, I woke up pregnant with his heir!
They say my heterochromatic eyes mark me as a rare true mate. But I’m no wolf. I’m just Elle, a nobody from the human district, now trapped in Brad's world.
Brad’s cold gaze pins me: “You carry my blood. You’re mine.”
There is no other choice for me but to chose this cage. My body also betrays me, craving the beast who ruined me.
WARNING: Mature Readers Only
My Benchwarmer Boyfriend's Secret
As the team's benchwarmer, Marco practices harder than anyone, though few seems to notice. There's something about his quiet determination that draws me in, and I find myself falling for the underdog.
But when Marco's true story starts unraveling—about that first night, about who he really is, about the future he's destined for—I realize I might have gotten in way over my head.
And there's another problem: this was always meant to be temporary. His training program has an end date, and we're both fighting against a reality that seems determined to pull us apart.
When everything is on the line, how far are we willing to go for love?
Offside Temptation
Ethan Ryder was a disaster waiting to happen. Hot-headed, reckless, and constantly one bad decision away from ruining his career. I was supposed to hate him. Instead, I memorized him. I learned exactly how to push his buttons on the ice just to see the fire in his eyes.
When he grabbed my jersey in that locker room and kissed me in front of twenty cameras, it wasn't a mistake. It was the moment the line between hatred and obsession finally snapped. The media called it a scandal. They called us a divorced couple. But they didn't see the way Ethan trembled when I cornered him in the hallway afterward.
"You're staring again," he whispered, his back hitting the wall.
"You're still here," I replied calmly, stepping close enough to feel his erratic pulse.
He thought I was cold. He thought I was controlled. He didn't realize that every time he looked at me, I was fighting the urge to completely destroy the distance between us.
Now, the league is forcing us to live together, train together, and smile for the cameras to fix our public image. But the more time we spend alone in my apartment, the harder it is to pretend I just want to play hockey...
The Family Books 1-3 (A Mafia romance)
The saint to my sinner. with her innocent eyes and devilish curves.
A Madonna that was meant to be admired but never touched.
Until someone took that innocence from her.
She left.
The darkness in my heart was finally complete.
I avenged her, I killed for her, but she never came back.
Until I saw her again. An angel dancing around a pole for money.
She didn’t know I owned that club. She didn’t know I was watching.
This time I won’t let her escape.
I will make her back into the girl I knew.
Whether she likes it or not.
2/ Judge and Jury- I can’t stop watching her.
I’m not even sure I want to.
Taylor Lawson, blonde, beautiful, and totally oblivious to how much dangers she’s in.
She’s also the one juror in my upcoming murder trial that hasn’t been bought.
The one who can put me behind bars for a very long time.
I know I should execute her.
After all that’s what I do.
I am the Judge.
I eliminate threats to The Family.
And Taylor is a threat.
But I don’t want to kill her.
Possessing her, making her love me seems like a much better plan for this particular Juror.
3/ Rags and Ritches-
Where The Ice Gives Way
Blake Atlas scents his mate the moment Charlotte arrives. The bond hits hard and unmistakable, but Charlotte doesn’t recognise it. She doesn’t know why her chest keeps pulling toward the one boy she absolutely cannot afford to want. Blake is Charlie’s new hockey captain. Charlie’s chance at making something good. Charlie makes it clear; his sister is off-limits and Blake tries to do the right thing, but secrets don’t stay buried forever. Rogues prowl the edges of town. The ice cracks. The bond tightens. Then Charlotte’s rare white wolf awakens, the very thing that makes her powerful, also makes her a target.
Shanti needs Shakti. (Peace needs strength.)
Where the Ice Gives Way is a slow-burn YA paranormal romance filled with fated mates, protective alpha energy, fierce sibling loyalty, found family pack bonds, hurt/comfort, and quiet, aching tension. It’s a story about first belonging, learning to be cared for, and what happens when the girl who has always held everyone else up finally falls, and someone catches her.
Let Them Kneel
Cast out by her pack. Forgotten by the Lycans.
She lived among humans—quiet, invisible, tucked away in a town no one looked at twice.
But when her first heat comes without warning, everything changes.
Her body ignites. Her instincts scream. And something primal stirs beneath her skin—
summoning a big, bad Alpha who knows exactly how to quench her fire.
When he claims her, it’s ecstasy and ruin.
For the first time, she believes she’s been accepted.
Seen.
Chosen.
Until he leaves her the next morning—
like a secret never to be spoken.
But Kaelani is not what they thought.
Not wolfless. Not weak.
There is something ancient inside her. Something powerful. And it’s waking.
And when it does—
they’ll all remember the girl they tried to erase.
Especially him.
She’ll be the dream he keeps chasing… the one thing that ever made him feel alive.
Because secrets never stay buried.
And neither do dreams.
The Blackthorn Saga: The Heir (Book 1 & 2)
Pulled into a hidden world he never knew existed, Kruz is forced to face the truth—he isn’t just different.
He’s a vampire.
The transformation is only the beginning. Thrust from a life of survival into one of power, wealth, and expectation, Kruz is given a position no one his age should hold: District Elder.
With it comes authority. Responsibility. And enemies he doesn’t yet understand.
And then there’s the bond.
Forced into a connection he didn’t choose, Kruz is tied to a girl—whether he wants it or not. She’s a complication. A problem. A constant reminder that his life is no longer his own.
Because the one person he wants… is the one he can’t have.
As pressure builds and danger closes in, Kruz is forced to walk a line few survive—between duty and desire, control and instinct, the life he had and the one being forced upon him.
Because in this world, power isn’t earned slowly.
It’s given.
And if you’re not ready for it—
It will destroy you.
Cursed To Be His
At thirteen, everything changed.
After her parents were murdered, she was cursed by a powerful witch and used as a vessel for Elder magic. Saving her life came at an impossible cost; the curse was broken, but so was the wolf inside her, leaving her human.
Ten years later, Talia hides her grief behind sharp sarcasm and a smile she no longer believes. When a rogue attack proves she can no longer protect herself, or the people she loves, she leaves the only home she's ever known for the quiet human town of Ashbourne Hollow, determined to disappear.
Instead, she catches the attention of the town's most dangerous owner.
Alaric Lazarus is a vampire who rules from the black castle overlooking Ashbourne Hollow. He is cold, enigmatic, and impossible to read, but he awakens something in Talia she can't explain. She doesn't trust him. He trusts her even less.
Then vampires begin turning up dead.
Forced into an uneasy alliance, Talia and Alaric uncover a trail that leads back to the family she lost... and the curse she thought she'd escaped. As old enemies emerge from the shadows and buried secrets come to light, Talia discovers that everything she believed about her past was a lie.
Because the curse that stole her wolf was never meant to save her.
It was meant to lead her to him.
This is book 3 in the series, but it can be read as a standalone.
Book 1 - The Matchmaker
Book 2 - The Heir of Flame and Fang
Taste of Fate: The Vampire King's Human Mate
He reached for the back of my head and pulled me up just enough to reach my neck. When his fangs slid into me, the pain was instant, electric. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. My hands found his shoulders, clawing for something to hold. My legs kicked. Tears streamed down my cheeks.
He moaned against my throat as he drank, and the sound was devastating.












