Page 8 of Until Presley (Happily Ever Alpha World)

CHAPTER

FIVE

PRESLEY

I stretch, feeling the cool sheets glide over my naked body. I bolt upright and look around the room.

“Ham,” I call out.

I don’t hear anything, and my heart starts to ache. He didn’t even make love to me. Oh, he did a lot, but we didn’t have sex at all. I flop back in bed and get a whiff of his cologne. I pull the pillow to my face and take a deep sniff. I’m not washing this pillow for a while.

Sliding out of bed, I head to the bathroom and clean myself up. I notice the love bites all over my body. I don’t remember him biting and sucking on me like that, but I smile as I think of what he did do. It was amazing.

I grab a soft pair of gray jammies with black stars and slip them on before heading to the kitchen to make myself some tea.

After picking up my clothes from last night, I grab my cell phone and send a quick text to Leah.

When she doesn’t respond, I figure she’s still sleeping.

I click on my speaker and put on some music.

One of my favorite songs from Wednesday comes on, and I do the dance she does in the show.

I had to watch the scene over and over to nail the routine.

“What kind of dance is that?”

“Ahh!” I scream and spin around to find Ham standing in the doorway. He’s holding a takeout bag in one hand and two drinks in a carrier in the other. “How the hell did you get into my house?” I didn’t check to see if the house was armed, but I knew it was locked.

He kicks the door closed, then walks over to the coffee table to set everything down before making his way toward me. I take a step back.

“I asked you a question,” I say.

“I memorized the codes when you put them in last night.” He pulls me into him, and I push a hand against his chest.

“You didn’t want to have sex with me, so why are you back?”

He chuckles as his hands slide into my hair and tip my head back, making me look up at him. His palms are warm against my cheeks.

“Presley, don’t ignore what I’m going to tell you. I wanted to fuck you so hard and deep that you couldn’t walk today, but the first time I slide into your body, you’re going to remember it all. You’re not going to be drunk. Get it?”

I can’t say anything as my mind is overcome by the image of him deep inside me. My body practically convulses with need. My core spasms, and my breath hitches. I lick my lips to moisten them before nodding my head in understanding.

“Now kiss me,” he demands and leans down.

I arch up into him, and the next thing I know, I’m in his arms, wrapping around him, as he sits me on the counter.

His kiss makes me forget everything but him.

All the reasons why I shouldn’t be with him float out of my head.

I trust him, and I hope he never breaks that trust. When he pulls away, his soft T-shirt is gripped in my hands.

“Tell me what kind of dance that was?” he asks again. I shake my head to focus on his words.

“I watch the Netflix show Wednesday . It’s her dance.”

“ Wednesday . We’ll have to Netflix and chill with that one.

” He looks me up and down. “But you might need to wear more clothes, or we might be pausing it a lot.” He chuckles softly, and the sound is like a direct link to my clit.

He lifts me off the counter and swats my ass.

“Breakfast and tea are in the bag for you. Now go get dressed.”

“Where are we going?” I look at him over my shoulder.

“Snorkeling.”

“Woohoo!” I rush to my room.

I slip on my white bikini with little pink flowers all over it.

I don’t wear this one for research trips because it’s a tie-style bikini, and that doesn’t work very well under my wetsuit.

I pull on a pair of worn-out bibs and grab my pink Converse before braiding my long hair.

I head back out to the living room, where Ham is on the phone.

“We’ll be there in about twenty minutes. See you then,” he tells the person and hangs up.

“Are we meeting people?” I glance down at what I’m wearing, wondering if I need to change.

“Just Walker and his family. Don’t worry.”

I take the offered cup and sip, realizing it’s a perfect blend of lavender and rose iced tea. The memories of my mother drinking this when I was a little girl almost stagger me. “How d-did you know?” I turn to look at him.

“I spent some time in Paris and other places around France. I know it’s a popular tea, and when I went to make you coffee, I noticed you didn’t have any, but you had plenty of tea. I thought you’d like it. Is it okay?”

I hold the cup in my hands as I take a big whiff and close my eyes. For a moment, I let the memories wash over me. When I open my eyes, he’s standing in front of me.

“My mother loved rose and lavender tea. She drank it all the time. I know it’s become popular because of that television show, but I haven’t had it in years. Thank you.” I reach up and pull his face down to mine. Kissing his cheek, I let him feel how much this moment means to me.

We walk out to his Jeep, and he helps me up into it as I take a bite of the flaky croissant he got me. It dawns on me he’s changed clothes since last night.

“Did you run home before you came back?”

“Nope. Showered at your place. I have a bag in the back,” he says nonchalantly as he continues to drive into the core of Key West.

“Oh, okay.” He must do this often if he keeps a packed overnight bag. Pain hits my chest, and I look out the window.

Ham

W e pull up to the warehouse where Walker, Otto, and I opened the dive school two years ago.

Walker’s truck is already parked outside.

Presley has been quiet ever since I mentioned the bag in the back of my Jeep.

I can imagine what’s going through her head, but I’m not ready to tell her the truth just yet.

As I come around the Jeep to let her out, she’s already jumping down. I move toward her, trying to keep my anger in check. I press her body against the side of the vehicle and lift her up with one hand around her hip. My fingers almost graze her core.

“Sprite, I keep a change of clothes in my Jeep because I like to be prepared for anything. Sometimes shit happens, and I stay here, or I’m out on charters where my clothes get wet.

I love the water but hate the feel of the salt on my skin all the time.

Spent too many years with that feeling when I was in the Navy.

I don’t do one-night stands, and I haven’t been with a woman in a while. Got it?”

“Yes,” she says as she looks up at me.

Her trust is so fractured and broken, telling me it’s going to take a lot to get her to trust me more than she already does. I kiss her, and her full lips open. Our tongues duel until she gives into my dominance.

“Hey, you guys coming in?” Walker’s voice booms across the space. “By the way, brother, there’s some of my revenge.” He laughs, and I remember interrupting him and Hanna a couple of times.

I take Presley’s hand, and I can feel the excitement coming off her. Leading her into the interior of the warehouse, with the large pool in the center and equipment all around, I can’t help but smile at the surprise in her eyes. It makes my chest swell with pride to share what I’ve achieved.

“Unc Ham!” Axton toddles over, and I scoop him up as his little brother, Landon, follows, asking to be held too. I turn, hearing Presley giggling as she watches me with my nephews.

“Here let me help.” Hanna walks over and takes Landon from my arms. “Nice to see you again, Presley.” Hanna smirks at her as she moves over to where Walker is getting our equipment ready to go out.

Axton starts pushing at me, and I let him down too.

“They are cute,” Presley says.

“Yeah. Axton is two, and Landon is one. They’ve been swimming since they were tiny little monsters.”

“I bet.”

We’ve got everything ready and are about to load it into the vehicles when my phone rings. I glance down and see the facility’s number flash on my screen.

“Shit,” I mutter.

My mom is not feeling too good today, so I told her I would help.

“Hello,” I answer, expecting to hear Win in the background causing issues, but it’s quiet.

“Ham, Win is having a bad day and needs someone.”

“Julia, I’m kind of busy right now. It doesn’t sound like Win is having issues.

“Ham, you promised to be here for him. You can’t just forget about him because you’re dating now.”

Her words hit me, and I glance at Presley, who’s watching me closely. The moment I mentioned Julia’s name, Presley’s body tightened, and she stopped helping. I can see the worry in her eyes over who Julia is, and it’s all because I haven’t been honest with her.

“I know I promised, Julia.” I try to move away and get Hanna’s attention to distract Presley. “How bad is it?”

“He’s throwing things and acting out,” she says, and I look back to see everyone watching me.

“I’ll be there shortly.” I hang up without saying anything else and watch as Presley’s face falls.

My long legs eat up the distance between us, and I watch as she straightens, pushing her shoulders back and lifting her head.

But it’s her eyes that change the most. The blue-green of them becomes still, like calm waters, devoid of emotion or recognition as I move closer.

She’s closing herself off, and I’m not sure how I’m going to get her back.

But I have responsibilities, and she needs to understand that if she’s going to be with me.

“Why don’t you go snorkeling, and I’ll catch up later?” I run my hand down her soft cheek, and she nods at me. “I have to go.”

“Okay,” she says so softly that if I hadn’t seen her lips move, I wouldn’t have known she spoke. “Julia and Win need you.”

Something pulls in my chest when she says their names. I don’t understand what it is. I lean down to kiss her, but she turns her head, and I kiss her cheek.

“Not in front of the kids.” She plays it off, and I know she doesn’t want me to kiss her.

I glance over at Walker and nod before turning to Hanna, whose eyes are spitting fire at me. As I start to walk out, I hear an exchange of voices, and then Walker is beside me.

He waits until we are outside before he starts in on me. “Brother, you don’t want to walk away from her like that. Explain what’s going on. Fucking explain that Julia means nothing to you and that Win is your brother. I can imagine, from the way that phone call went, she thinks Win is a kid.”

“He is a fucking kid, for all intents and purposes.” I throw my hands up. “She needs to understand I have responsibilities.”

“Responsibilities that will take you from her?”

“Well…” I pause, weighing his words and considering where she stands in my priorities. Will I ever be able to put her first? “I don’t know.” Shaking my head, I jump into my Jeep and head to the hospital.

When I arrive, Win is lying in his bed, just like usual, watching an animal show on Disney+. I turn as Julia walks into the room.

“What the fuck?” I try to keep my voice down, but when I turn to the bed, Win is looking at me.

My heart breaks every time I see him like this.

He’s trapped in his own mind, unable to break free.

His eyes scan around, and when he can’t express himself, he usually acts out, throwing things and causing chaos.

But he isn’t doing that now. He’s just watching Julia and me.

When we aren’t entertaining enough, he turns back to the television.

“You said he was throwing a fit.”

“He needs company. You need to figure out your priorities,” she hisses.

I look at Win, and it hits me. I know what I want my priorities to be.