Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Axel smirked. “That’s my baby.”
“Come on.” Scarlett led me from the study. “We’ve got work to do.”
When we stepped out of the room, an older woman came down the stairs holding the child I’d heard crying earlier. She continued to wail in her arms, fists bunched together for battle. “I’m sorry, Scarlett. I can’t get her to stop crying. She won’t take the bottle. I’ve already changed her diaper—”
“I know what she wants.” Axel came out of the study and took his daughter from her arms like he knew exactly what he was doing. He tucked her in the crook of a single arm then started to rock her from side to side. And like magic, she stopped crying. “There you go, little one.”
Scarlett smiled with her eyes, looking at her husband the same way she looked at her daughter. “You’re her favorite.”
“I’m not her favorite, baby. I think it’s because I’m warm.”
“I think it’s because you’re her father.”
I felt awkward standing there, watching this tender moment between them.
“I can take her,” she said. “Since Theo is here—”
“Baby, I’ve got her. Now get that ass in the kitchen and get cooking.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before he carried their daughter into the study. He dropped back into the armchair he occupied before, his daughter already asleep in the crook of his arm.
Scarlett watched him for a second before she headed to the kitchen.
I walked beside her. “He’s a good dad.”
“Yeah, he is.” She stepped into the kitchen, the counter covered with different doughs. “He’s always been a natural. Me, not so much.”
“Really?” I asked in slight surprise.
“Axel has that…charisma. He makes everyone happy.” She washed her hands in the sink and patted them dry before she grabbed all the produce from the fridge and placed everything on the counter. Tomatoes, basil, artichokes, onions, olives, garlic, and eggplant. “The kids are attracted to it. I just don’t have…whatever that is.”
“I’m sure you’re a great mother, Scarlett.”
“Yeah, but he’ll be the favorite. It’s inevitable.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”
She turned on the faucet and began washing the produce. “Pat these dry, and we’ll slice ’em up. I’ll check on the sauce.” She turned to the stove and stirred the sauce she’d made from scratch then grated the cheese she’d picked up at the market.
I continued to slice all the veggies and dice the garlic. I didn’t have restaurant experience, but I felt like I was working in a real kitchen.
“What kind of pizza do you like?” Scarlett asked.
“I’ll eat anything, honestly. Margherita is always good.”
“Good choice. I’ll make a couple of each. I know Axel isn’t picky either. Do you know what Theo likes?”
“Um…I don’t know. I’ve never seen him eat pizza.”
She chuckled. “He seems like a steak and greens kind of guy.”
“Axel isn’t?” I could tell how ripped he was. His cords popped out of his forearms too.
“He used to be, but after I came into the picture, he fell in love with food.”
“Doesn’t look like it.”
She chuckled. “I know, right? That shit ain’t fair.”
“Theo told me he eats four thousand calories a day.”
“Now I really want to punch him in the face.”
I laughed. “I couldn’t believe it when he told me, but I’ve seen him do it.” He’d have a big breakfast then come by the gallery and eat an entire sandwich by himself. Then a couple hours later, he would eat again before dinner.
She ladled the red sauce onto a few of the doughs, leaving some plain for Margherita, but for the remaining ones, she grabbed a different pan that contained a white sauce.
“You made two different sauces from scratch?”
“Yep.”
“Wow, I couldn’t even make two different sandwiches.”
“You’ve never cooked?”
“Well, I used to make things for Bolton. But it was mostly casseroles and easy stuff.”
She didn’t flinch at my ex’s name, just returned the pan to the stove then joined me at the counter. “How’s all of that going?”
I released a sigh. “He called me the other day. That was fun.”
“Why did you answer?”
“Blocked number. Thought it was a client.”
She gave a slow nod in understanding. “Sounds like that asshole can’t take a hint.”
“A hint? It could be posted on a billboard, and he still wouldn’t read it.”
She smirked as she grabbed the produce and assembled it on the pizzas before she added a sprinkling of different cheeses. “What did he say?”
“Threatened me to leave Theo. Said it would be worse if I didn’t. You know, a bunch of bullshit.”
“Don’t stress about it,” she said. “Theo will handle it.”
“I know. I just wish he didn’t have to.” It was my problem. I’d fallen in love with a psychopath. His good looks and the sex masked the truth. When I’d signed our marriage certificate, I didn’t realize I’d signed a deal with the devil.
“Did you hang up on him?”