I didn’t share my childhood loosely. In fact, Wesley was about the only one who knew the details.
She froze, her eyes darting to mine. “That’s…”
“Fucked up,” I scoffed under my breath.
“Well, yes, but I was going to say horrible.” She swallowed. “I’m really sorry that happened to you.”
“Most of my cooking was self-taught, but Cecile, mymom,had me watching Martha Stewart before I went off to college. She wanted me to be prepared.” I let a smile slide over my lips at her memory. My grip on the counter eased a fraction. “What about you?”
“My mom wasn’t exactly the best caretaker. And she was a vegan.” She glanced into the pantry. “If I wanted anything besides soy and lettuce, I had to make it myself.”
Her legs flexed as she rose up on her tiptoes. “I can’t tell you how many times I had to make food in secret because she made a big show of how I was going to ruin my body.”
I scoffed again. “Your body is perfect.”
She slowly lowered from her toes, her hands coming down to her chest, clutching two bags of sugar.
A blush stained her cheeks, but she didn’t address the comment that I should have kept to myself. Turned out, I had zero self-control around this woman.
“I saw you had company,” I added into the silence.
Exhibit A.
I held my breath as her expression changed, then she moved toward the island. “You watching my house, Coach?”
My knuckles knocked on the granite in a quick rhythm. “Your dad wanted me to keep an eye on you.”
“Hmm.” She hummed as she placed the sugar on the counter. “Yes. I had a visitor.”
She watched for my reaction, and it took all of my strength not to give her one.
It was silent before she decided to put me out of my misery. “Somehow Jagger’s and my debit cards got mixed up at Laces Out last night. He was just returning mine.”
Relief crashed through me and I cursed at how good it felt to know he hadn’t touched her. BecauseIwanted to touch her.
“You should be careful with him,” I warned.
I saw the way he moved into her space last night. Put on his typical playboy charm. I knew a player when I saw one. Hell, I was one for a time in my life and I had to leave that bar before I did something stupid. Like tell him to move the fuck on and that Trinity wasmine.
“You don’t have to worry. He’s not my type.” She shook her head, causing a strand of hair to fall over her pretty eyes. “Athletes.”
“What about them?” I pressed.
“I don’t date athletes,” she stated.
I wasn’t an athlete. Not technically. Not anymore. Not that it mattered.
“There you go, judging again.” I crossed my arms, but I added a lightness to my tone.
She rolled her eyes. “I learned from firsthand experience.”
I had a sudden urge to change her mind. To show her not every man was set out to break her heart. But I couldn’t. We weren’t just separated by this kitchen island. The reasons keeping me from devouring her lips were more like the Grand Canyon. Too many things keeping that gaping hole between us. The main one being that she was a student.
And your boss’s daughter.
“Does your mom live around here?” I asked.
It was an attempt to keep me in her kitchen. Not back at my house, where all I did was try to pretend she didn’t exist.
