Page 95 of Salacious Park Avenue Prince

“Something that was necessary. We explained that. And anyway, you two haven’t killed each other yet, so I think we’re onto something. Travis?” Dad turned in his and Vera’s direction. “I hope you’ve welcomed Caleb and not made the move too hard on him.”

“I’ve been nothing but…welcoming.”

Was it my imagination, or did he emphasizecoming? I chanced a look at our parents, who didn’t seem bothered at all. But one look in Travis’s direction told me he’d definitely added that for my benefit.

“Trust me,” he continued, “I didn’t make things any harder for him than he did me.”

A strangled kind of cough left me.The sexy fucker was paying me back for the elevator.

“Oh no.” Vera frowned. “Are you coming down with something?”

“No, just, um… Got a tickle in my throat,” I replied.

Travis eyed me with a devious twinkle. “That’s what’s down your throat?”

“Travis, don’t start.” His mom admonished him. “What else would it be?”

Travis shrugged, trying for the innocent act. Though I wasn’t even sure he knew what that was. “I don’t know. Maybe he put something in his mouth that he shouldn’t.”

“He’s not five.”

“Okay.” Dad finally stepped in, likely thinking he was preventing some kind of blow-up. But what he was really stopping was an explosion of a different variety. One that happened whenever I thought about Travis’s dick down my thro?—

“Why don’t I get us all a drink?” he asked.

“Perfect,” Vera said, and moved toward the bar, my dad following.

Travis lingered behind, so I made my way over to him, wanting to get as close as I could without touching.

“You’re an asshole,” I muttered, and he chuckled.

“I’m just paying you back. You shouldn’t start something if you aren’t prepared to see it through.”

“You don’t think I can keep up with you?”

“Oh, I know you can keep it upwithme. I’ve seen the proof. But can you sit through a whole family meal that way?” Travis leaned over and put his lips by my ear. “Little secret? I’ve been doing it for years now, so I’m a pro.”

Fuck, that was hot. The idea he would sit across from me, wanting me that way.Jesus.

“Come on, stepbrother. Dinner’s about to be served.”

I CUT INTO the chicken parmesan and brought it up to my lips, only to hesitate when I remembered Vera was into saving the chickens now.

Travis smirked at the forkful hovering in front of my mouth. “Still on the plant-based kick, Mom?”

“It’s not a kick, it’s a way of life,” she said, before taking a sip of her wine. “But since you two seem to have an aversion to something better for you, yours are the real thing.”

I narrowed my eyes, not sure I believed that. Travis shrugged, took a bite, and then gave me a quick nod to go ahead.

I still didn’t trust it, since that shit tasted real last time, but fuck it.

“I’ve gotta say, I’m pleasantly surprised not to get any phone calls from Astor or the Towers recently,” Dad said to Travis, and then he gestured toward me with his knife. “See? Good influence.”

Oh, I was a fucking great one. And thinking of Travis’s words about giving me a little payback only made me want to make sure he knew I could more than hold my own when it came to him. I moved my foot up the inside of Travis’s calf, rubbing it up and down, and his head shot up.

He lifted his napkin to his mouth and cleared his throat. “Yes, he’s definitely been rubbing off on me.”

I kicked him in the shin for that, but Dad and Vera seemed only too pleased that we were getting along.

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