Page 69 of One Baddie for Three Daddies

"I don’t want to lose you, Bianca," Ayanna adds, her voice strained.

Bia stiffens, staying composed as she takes in the weight of her mother's words. Finally, she nods, "I hope so, mom," and turns on her heel.

I give Ayanna a nod, acknowledging the small crack in her icy demeanor. It’s something, at least. Then James, Liam, and I follow Bianca to the door. I wrap my arms around her from behind and kiss her shoulder.

"Let's get out of here," I murmur against her skin.

We step outside, leaving Ayanna without another word. The cold night air is a welcome relief after the suffocating tension inside. Bia’s shoulders relax a bit as we walk to the car.

Liam is the first to break the silence. "You okay?" he asks, his voice soft but edged with concern.

Bia nods slowly. "Yeah, I think so. It went better than I expected."

James chuckles dryly. "Better? Your mom practically spat nails."

"She said she'd try," Bia counters. "That's more than I could have hoped for."

Bianca doesn’t sound so sure. Her voice trembles slightly as she continues, “But, I’m not getting my hopes up. I just want to spend Christmas Eve with you guys, where I’m accepted and happy.”

James nods, his eyes softening. “You’ll always have that with us, Bia.”

“Damn straight,” I chime in, pulling her closer. “Who needs Christmas carolers and mistletoe when you’ve got us?”

Liam chuckles, but there’s a seriousness in his eyes. “He’s right. We’re your family too.”

We all pile into my car, Liam sliding into the driver’s seat without a second thought. He declares, "I’m driving," with that no-nonsense tone he does so well.

I shrug, motioning for Bianca to get in the back with me. "Guess that makes me your backseat buddy."

She cracks a small smile, and some of the tension eases from her shoulders as she settles next to me. James hops in the front passenger seat, glancing back at us with a knowing smirk.

As we start heading back to the hotel, Bianca looks at me with a soft smile.

I lean closer, kissing her neck gently. Her skin is warm and soft under my lips. "Good times," I murmur against her ear.

James turns his head slightly, catching our reflection in the rearview mirror. "Hey now," he says, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Save some for when we get to the hotel. Sharing is caring, remember?"

Bianca turns in her seat and plants a kiss on my lips, her warmth a welcome contrast to the cold night air we left behind. I can’t help but grin into the kiss, feeling her familiar touch ignite a fire in my chest.

James rolls his eyes but smiles, leaning back in his seat. “Don’t worry, there’s plenty of me to go around,” Bianca teases, pulling away from me with a wink.

Liam lets out a low chuckle from the driver's seat. “Plenty, huh? I’ve got a few ideas on how to make sure we all get our fill.”

The dark edge to his voice sends a shiver down my spine. “Focus on the road, man,” I say, smirking. “Last thing we need is to end up in a ditch because you’re too busy fantasizing.”

Liam snorts but keeps his eyes forward, navigating through the winding streets with ease. “Trust me, I can multitask.”

Bianca laughs, her hand finding mine again. “Let’s not test that theory tonight, okay?”

As we pull into the hotel parking lot, we all pile out of the car and head inside, the cool breeze following us through the lobby doors.

Liam wraps a possessive arm around Bianca's waist on one side while I take the other. James follows closely behind us, his hand resting on the small of her back.

I step into the suite first, and flick on the lights, casting a warm glow over the room. It’s spacious, with a plush king-size bed and a sitting area complete with a mini bar. Liam makes a beeline for the wine bottles on the counter.

“Red or white?” he asks, holding up two bottles like they’re the Holy Grail.

“Red,” Bianca says without hesitation, slipping off her heels and sinking onto the couch. She looks up at me with those big, brown eyes that always make my chest tighten.

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