Not taking my eyes off of her, I replied, “Since the Vegas race.”
Mom laughed. “Why is everything measured by which race it was?”
I looked at her with a stupefied look. “Isn’t it?”
She rolled her eyes and let out a huff. “Are you dating?”
Were we dating? I just had my face all over her * in my damn laundry room. I wanted her and only her. Every waking moment she filled my thoughts, and even in my sleep she controlled my thoughts. I’d never in my life wanted anyone like I wanted Paislie.
“We’re taking things slowly, but yes. I think we’re dating.”
“You think?” she asked as we both looked at each other. “You either are or you’re not, Malcolm.”
My eyes drifted back to Paislie. I hadn’t dated anyone in a very long time. Did I want to open up my heart to the possibility of it being hurt again?
Pushing my fingers through my hair, I shook my head. “It’s complicated, Ma.”
“Really? The last time I checked it was pretty easy. Is it because of Casey?”
The mention of her name caused my heart to drop. “I don’t want to talk about Casey.”
“Why not? She was a huge part of your world before you started pretending like you never wanted to open your heart again.”
My head snapped over toward my mother as she continued to look at Paislie. “I don’t want to talk about her. She’s gone and there is no use bringing her up.”
My mother looked me straight in the eyes. “She’s not Casey.”
I pulled my head back and gave my mother a stunned expression. “No fucking kidding, Ma. I know that.” Casey and Paislie had total opposite personalities. Casey was more quiet and much more reserved than Paislie was. Paislie wasn’t afraid to laugh at herself, whereas Casey took everything seriously.
She narrowed her eye at me. “Don’t use that language in front of me, Malcolm. I’m just saying you’ll never be able to replace her.” She looked back out at Paislie and said, “You don’t find it a coincidence that Paislie resembles Casey?”
I practically broke my neck looking back at Paislie. She didn’t look anything like Casey. “She looks nothing like her.”
She stood and looked back down at me as she lifted her eyebrows. “Really? I find the resemblance very striking.”
I swallowed hard as she turned and headed over to where Autumn was standing.
My chest tightened as I watched Paislie carefully. The brown curls framing her beautiful face caught my eye as I took her in. Casey had brown hair, green eyes and a personality that could make an entire room light up when she walked in.
Paislie had brown hair and green eyes, and was so much more independent and strong than Casey was. She knew who she was and what she wanted. The only things she had in common with Casey were the same hair and eye color and that was it. Their personalities were total opposites.
Her smile pulled me in like nothing I’d ever experienced before. There was something about her that made me long to be near her. The things I felt for Paislie were so much stronger than what I had felt for Casey.
She grabbed onto Sophie’s hands as they played Ring Around the Rosie. My heart broke that she never got to experience a childhood like Sophie’s. I wanted to make up for the shit her father did to her.
When her eyes lifted and met mine, I felt a jolt of electricity whip through my body. My mother’s words played over and over in my head. I’d been with plenty of girls with brown hair and green eyes. I slowly shook my head. No . . . Paislie was her own person and she held me captive the moment she opened her mouth and spoke. I’d never felt that way about anyone before . . . or had I, and I just buried it deep down in my memory?
AS MUCH AS I LOVED playing with Sophie, I was so worked up sexually I was about to burst into flames. It didn’t help having Malcolm eye fuck the hell out of me since our little escapade in the laundry room.
As the night went on, I was introduced to more people, got to know Shirley and Paul, Malcolm’s parents, better and had the distinct feeling Malcolm was wanted by more than just me attending this party. The amount of women trying to give him their attention turned my stomach.
“Paislie! The next part of the party is about to start. You need to get into your party pajamas.”
I stared at Sophie like she had grown two heads. “Huh?” Really, Paislie? That was the best you could do?
My body knew he was there before he uttered a word. “Paislie has her pj’s in her room and she’ll be up soon, princess. You go with the rest of the girls and get ready.”
Sophie’s big blue eyes darted between Malcolm and me. “Are you going to help Paislie get ready?”
Oh how I hope so.
“Oh no, Sophie! I’m a big girl and can get ready on my own,” I practically spit out as I felt both Autumn and Shirley staring at me. When my eyes lifted, Autumn was smiling, but Shirley was staring at Malcolm.