I woke up gently, careful not to wake Ace. Even in his sleep, he still looked exhausted, like someone who hadn’t slept properly in days. He was lying on his back, shirtless, his lips slightly parted as he breathed softly. I traced my fingers along his lips without thinking, and memories of last night rushed back.
Those lips were kissing and drinking me like I was the only thing that mattered, like he was starving and I was his last meal. When he sucked softly on my neck, right where my mark would have been, if I had a mate, if he had marked me, it sent shivers all over my body.
My eyes moved over his bare chest. I slowly traced my fingers down his stomach, along his arms. I had seen those painful marks so many times, yet they still made my chest ache every single time. Still, maybe he wouldn’t be carrying so much pain if he hadn’t rejected his mate.
He suddenly stirred and caught my hand, pulling me roughly against his rock hard chest. I gasped as the feel of his bare skin sent electricity racing through my body.
His eyes were still closed, but a small smile was playing on his lips.
“Take a picture,” he murmured lazily. “It’ll last longer.”
“I wasn’t looking at you,” I protested weakly, trying to push myself off his body. His arms only tightened around me, holding me in place like he had no intention of letting go.
“Liar!” he said, opening his eyes and I swear I almost got lost in those green forests. “But I kind of like it when you stare at me,” he added, his lips curving into a lazy smile. “You can’t deny that I’m attractive.”
Heat rushed to my face, my cheeks quickly turning pink. I laid my cheek against his chest, hiding my blush. His skin was warm beneath me. His chest vibrated as he laughed, the sound deep and rough, moving against my face.
“You’re cute when you blush,” he said, lifting my chin with his fingers, forcing me to meet his enticing gaze. There was still that teasing look in his eyes. “Don’t hide your face from me,” he murmured.
We stayed like that for a while, tangled together, then my stomach betrayed me with a loud growl.
He burst out laughing. “Let’s go feed your stomach before it decides to swallow me.”
I pulled back and gawked at him before throwing a weak punch his way. He dodged it easily, laughing even harder.
We did our morning routine together in his big bathroom, moving around each other. His room was much bigger than mine, like it wasn’t meant for just one person, judging also from the massive Jacuzzi. After that, we went downstairs for breakfast. Liam’s face lit up with excitement the moment he saw Ace. He talked through the entire meal, his little legs swinging. I warned him more than once to slow down so he wouldn’t choke. He would nod seriously, chew properly for a few seconds, then go right back to talking again.
Liam didn’t stop until Ace leaned closer and said, “Hey, buddy. Be a good boy and listen to mummy, yeah?”
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Liam straightened immediately. “Okay,” he said quickly, chewing properly this time.
I shook my head slightly. It was crazy how much influence Ace already had on him.
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“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to be living here?” I asked Ace, throwing him my hardest glare.
“You didn’t ask,” he replied.
Liam gasped like it was the best news in the world. “Wait, Uncle Ace is gonna live here with us?” he asked, his voice small and excited. “Like, every day?”
He walked over before Ace could answer. Ace lifted him easily into his arms.
“Does that mean I get to see you all the time?” Liam asked, wrapping his little arms around Ace’s neck.
Ace smiled, and I felt something warm twist in my chest.
“Yes, buddy,” Ace said. “I live here now. I still have to work from my pack, but I’ll be staying here most of the time.”
Liam’s smile widened. “Then you can take me to school every day, before you take mummy to work,” he said excitedly. “My friends at school think you’re my dad. I don’t want to correct them that you’re not. If they see you bringing me to school every day, they won’t laugh at me anymore.”
I could notice Ace visibly freeze at Liam’s words. He didn’t say anything right away.
Weeks ago, when Liam first asked Ace to be his dad in his bathroom, I had a very long talk with him about it. That was when he told me it started back in London, just before he turned four. One day, he had a verbal fight with a boy at school, and the boy laughed at him for having only a mum and no dad.
I remembered that day clearly. Liam cried so hard and kept asking me why he didn’t have a dad like the other kids. I held him and tried to comfort him, but I cried too that day after I went back to my room for not being able to give him what every other kid had. I thought it had stopped after that. I didn’t know they still continued to laugh at him.
So when I asked him about it, he told me he had seen me crying. He said he didn’t like it and never wanted to see me cry again, so he kept everything to himself. He never even told Ethan about it. But with Ace, he was letting everything out.
That made me feel like a horrible mother. I would give anything to find his father and hope that he was a good man. A man Liam would love as much as he loved Ace.
A small smile formed on my lips as I watched the two of them together.
My phone suddenly beeped. I checked it and saw a message from Gavin. He sent me the address of the place we are supposed to meet. It was in two days.
I didn’t know why, but a cold shiver ran through my spine. I had this strong feeling that whatever I was going to find out wouldn’t be nice. Like it would break me in ways I wasn’t ready for.
I also didn’t know if I should really trust Gavin. I barely knew him. But that name, Ugly Duckling. He had said
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B
it, and I had heard it in my dreams more than once. I also remembered his voice clearly in that dream. The way he held me, the way it felt like he truly cared about me in the past.
His long, curly hair and facial resemblance had made me wonder if he was Liam’s father. I had even wondered if he was my mate. He looked similar to Ace as well which was very confusing.
But no matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t make sense. I felt no connection to him at all. He was very attractive, yes, but there was no pull between us. If he truly was Liam’s father, then it meant I had slept with someone who wasn’t my mate, I doubted I had ever done that, but then again, I remembered nothing about my past.
“What are you thinking about?” Ace’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I quickly hid my phone behind
- me.
“Nothing,” I said. “Just work.” I lied. He didn’t push it, but the look on his face told me he didn’t fully believe me either.
“We were supposed to be in London in a few weeks for business,” I continued, trying to sound normal. “But yesterday my father called. He heard about what happened and got really worried. He wanted to come here, but I managed to convince him that I would come see him in two weeks. I also thought I could use that time to handle the automobile business. I don’t know if it’s going to inconvenience you, your schedule and all. I still have so much to catch up on at the hospital, so I was thinking…”
“Sssshhh.“He pressed a finger against my lips, stopping my rambling.
“For you, I’ll clear my schedule anytime,” he said. “I’ll go to London with you in two weeks.”
“Thank you,” I replied, smiling at him, truly grateful.
My phone beeped in my hand again. And for the second time, it was Gavin. Ace noticed the look on my face this time and gave me a strange look, like something didn’t sit right with him.
“Are you sure everything is fine?” he asked.
I forced a smile and gave him a tight nod. “I’m fine.”
That was a lie. Gavin’s message was telling me to look exceptionally beautiful for our meeting. I didn’t know why, but reading those words made me uneasy and curious.
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9:00 Wed, Feb 11
Chapter 54
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
