Page 16 of Ruin Me Sweetly

She walked around to Zach and set his food down. I stepped behind Amber and placed her plate in front of her.

“How did you sleep?” she asked, brushing his hair away from his forehead.

Zach’s eyes met mine.

Yes. I’m watching you watch me.

“Wonderful,” he said, with a tight smile that made him look constipated.

I rested a hand on Amber’s shoulder, and his eyes widened to critical level, shoulders twitching like he might actually stand. But no. He stayed seated. We both knew he couldn’t do or say a thing in front of Bella.

I smiled at him.

This was fucking delicious.

“Put your book away for now, poppet,” I murmured.

Her curls bounced as she turned to smile at me before closing her book.

Such a sweet child.

I went to fetch our food while Bella gathered the drinks. Amber had set the table—it was only Zach who’d contributed absolutely nothing. Even Gollum had brought Christmas gifts.

I kept my attention on my girls, but watching Zach rage-eat his breakfast was highly entertaining. He might make a good sport one day.

Bella’s foot rubbed against my leg.

My attention instantly shifted to her.

I loaded some buttered toast with protein and fed it to her. When a few crumbs lingered on her lower lip, she licked them away herself. I needed to move the next seeding session up, as soon as breakfast was over.

Zach, the freeloading prodigal child, could clean up after.

Chapter 9

Isabella

“Shut the front door,” Rhea gasped, before continuing to have a whole conversation with herself. “He did that? And you—no, don’t answer that. You’re my best friend, and I don’t like this jealous feeling burning in my chest.”

I waited. Because she wasn’t done yet. She was still processing.

She sighed.

“I thought squirting was fake. You know, for pornos. Aim, squat and fire,” she said, before pausing again.

I checked my phone screen to make sure she hadn’t hung up on me.

“I think I need to set some new New Year’s resolutions. Is there anything else you need to confess?”

“Nope, that’s it,” I said cheerfully.

“God. You sound so happy. You lucky cow.”

“If it helps, his ex sent some hate-filled texts,” I said lightly, resting my feet on the couch. “The kids are getting along. There’s this weird kind of energy between Zach and Luke, though. I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

“Whoa. Back up. His ex? The skinny skank that stalked you?”

“Would you give up a cock that makes you gush like Trafalgar Square’s fountain?” I asked, shaking my head at her.