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)
He took the glass and helped himself to a drink.
When Scarlett’s back was turned, Axel walked over to the pizzas on the counter and grabbed a slice. He took a bite, closed his eyes, and savored it. “Shit’s so good.”
Scarlett turned around and shot him dead with her eyes. “Can you wait two seconds?”
“Nope.” He took another bite and finished it off.
“And stop cussing around the kids.”
“She can barely lift her head, baby. You think she’s gonna know I said shit?”
“Theo.” Scarlett turned to him beside me. “You have my blessing to punch my husband in the face.”
Theo smirked and took another drink of the wine.
“I’m gonna put the little one down,” Axel said. “I think she’s out.” He carried his daughter out of the room and left the three of us alone together.
Scarlett sliced up the pizzas on the stove.
Theo turned his gaze back to me and stared.
It felt like we were alone together, not in the presence of Scarlett as she finished making dinner. “Why did you come?”
“Does it bother you that I’m here?”
“No, of course not,” I said quickly. “I love it when you’re around.” It was another case of word vomit, when I spoke my mind a little too freely.
It didn’t seem to bother him. “I think it’s best if I keep you close.”
I wanted to ask if he’d spoken to Bolton again, but I didn’t want the answer. I’d rather bury my head in the sand—at least for the moment.
Scarlett returned with the rest of the pizzas. “Want to help me set the table?”
“Of course.” I stepped away from Theo and carried the pizzas to the dining table, along with the wine and the glasses.
Axel returned a moment later, and when he saw the table laid out with all the different pizzas, he rubbed his palms together. “That’s what I’m talking about right there.” He took a seat and pulled out the chair beside him so Scarlett could sit down.
Once she was in the seat next to him, he moved his arm to the back of her chair, leaned in, and kissed her. Words were said, but he spoke in a whisper so no one else could hear. It must have been welcome because she smirked before she gave him a kiss.
Theo pulled out a chair for me.
I took a seat and let him push in the chair to catch my ass.
When he took the seat beside me, he helped himself to the bottle of wine and poured two glasses. Then he reached for my thigh under the table and left his hand there, just as he did when he drove me to dinner. His fingers made a home underneath my dress, just below my panty line.
With one hand, he grabbed a couple slices of pizza and dropped them on his plate.
“I’ve never seen you eat pizza before,” I said.
He grabbed a slice and took a bite. “I’m not going to pass up anything Scarlett makes.”
“Fuck yeah.” Axel reached across the table and fist-bumped Theo.
If Theo’s hand wasn’t on my thigh, then it was over the back of my chair, showing me the same affection Axel showed Scarlett, his fingertips sometimes touching my hair. We talked about the kids for a while then talked about the restaurant and summer travel plans. A few months ago, I didn’t know any of these people, but now it felt like Axel and Scarlett were old friends.
And Theo was…the man I had married instead of Bolton.
Chapter 8
Theo
It was almost three in the morning when I came home.
Dead tired and buzzed on too much scotch, I walked into my bedroom and rubbed the corner of my eye, feeling the fatigue deep in the muscles of my face. My sleep schedule was all over the place. Sometimes I slept a couple hours during the day, and sometimes I slept the whole night with Astrid beside me. I was young enough to tolerate it, but in a couple years, that might not be true anymore.
I usually showered before bed, but I was too fucking tired tonight. I turned on the lamp on my nightstand and pulled my phone out of my pocket.
She shifted in the bed, the sound stirring her.
I watched her, not expecting her to be there, let alone in lingerie. The sheets were pulled up to her chest, showing the push-up bra that left little to the imagination. She probably tried to stay awake to surprise me when I came home, but once midnight rolled around, she was out like a light.
I took off my watch then undressed, leaving the clothes on the floor for my butler to deal with later. I pulled back the sheets to get into bed, and once my weight disturbed the pressure across the mattress, she woke up.
She blinked a couple times before she looked at me in bed beside her. Once the recognition hit, she gazed at me like I was her favorite person in the world. With affection that lit up every corner of the room. With an enthusiasm that didn’t need to be expressed in words. Astrid didn’t play games like most people. Couldn’t tell a lie to save her life. Wore her heart on her sleeve, when most people didn’t even have a heart. All qualities I loved about her. She had all the qualities of a woman…but the innocence of a child. “What—what time is it?”