Page 17 of Until Presley

“She overstepped today. Jealousy is dangerous, and I won’t have that touching us. Okay?”

“Okay.” She swallows and slowly nods.

“I’m making food. Do you like carbonara?”

“I love it. That’s what I was going to make, but I’ve never done it before. I’ll watch and learn.” She practically bounces with excitement. I lift her up to sit on the counter next to me as I finish the sauce.

“If we were at my place, I’d make you fresh pasta, sprite.”

“Ooh, don’t twist my arm.” She puts her arm behind her back and acts like it’s getting twisted.

I lean over and bite her shoulder. She’s in a pair of silky soft pajamas. The top is a soft pink camisole with a darker pink trim, and the shorts are loose around her legs and tie at her waist. I wonder if she has panties on underneath, but I don’t want to get distracted. I want to feed my girl.

She moans and leans toward me, but I gently push her back. “I don’t want this to pop and burn your skin.”

“Okay.” She leans back and watches me with her head tilted to the side. “Where did you learn to cook?”

“My mother. She was a line cook in a restaurant before she got sick.”

“Where is your dad?”

“He left when Win was ten.”

She shakes her head and drops her chin. “I’m so sorry. You didn’t have to tell me.”

I lift her chin to look in her eyes. “No more secrets. Now, tell me about your family.”

“I told you about my dad. He loves me, but he’s so focused. Unless you have a doctorate or are a whale, he doesn’t talk to you. When he couldn’t make it to my graduation for my master’s degree, he sent me the new car. Just like he did for each of my graduations. I try to turn them down, but he won’t take no for an answer. I show up at the dealership, and they upgrade me to the newer model.”

She sighs, and then a soft smile pulls at her lips.

“My stepmom is awesome. She’s just as focused as him, but she calls me to check on my schooling and to see how I’m doing. She sends care packages too.”

She pauses for a moment, the smile faltering as she continues. “Clara, my stepsister, is two years older than me and is currently at the University of Miami.” The look that crosses her face when she talks about Clara has me wanting to question her, but before I can, she smiles that beautiful smile that brings me to my knees.

“My little brother, Griff, is ten and is with our parents in Southern Australia. He’s attending a private school there. He’ll be coming to visit me in November, but I told you that already. I offered to take him for Thanksgiving break. He’s the best little brother.”

“Is your sister going for a doctorate too?” I look at her, but she won’t meet my eyes. I give her this because I sense there is something she isn’t telling me, and I don’t want to push her too much.

“She isn’t.” She shakes her head. “She hasn’t figured out what she wants to focus on. She’s still finding herself. She didn’t live with us when our parents first got together. It wasn’t until they got married that she moved to be with us. That’s when Thea, my stepmom, decided I should go to boarding school with Clara.” She shifts on the counter. “Clara struggles to get attention fromeither of her parents. Her father owns a couple of clubs in Miami, and her mom travels all the time.”

“Do you two get along?” I can tell they don’t, but I want her to share.

“Not really. She hates that her mom calls and talks to me a lot or comes to visit me more than her. I try not to allow it by saying I’m busy and such, but Thea still shows up. It’s because I’m in marine biology, just like her and my father. Thea wishes Clara would have followed in her footsteps, but she didn’t.”

“And?”

“Clara got in trouble when she was eighteen. I know she was mad that I was graduating early at sixteen. She had to do community service and pay fines. Her dad took care of the fines, and she grumbled so much at the community service that they lied to the court and let her out early. It’s just like every time I get a new car for graduation, she pushes her father to get her a new one. I think she’s on a convertible Mini Cooper now.”

“What did she do?” I shake my head. “Otto is young too and sometimes doesn’t always think.”

“She graffitied a building on campus.”

“Dang, she went big.” I chuckle and shake my head again.

“Yeah, but it was worse. She tried to frame me for doing it.” Presley shifts on the counter. “She didn’t think they would pull footage from the surrounding cameras. She’s a bit taller than me and has red hair. That’s what gave it away. Plus, she bragged to her crew of girlfriends, and one of them cooperated with the police.” She looks down and continues, so softly that I barely hear her, “It was just another thing she hated about me.”

“Baby, she doesn’t hate you.”

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