Page 43 of Mark

“Not at all. I’ve got this,” I assure him, reaching for the sandwich Mum is picking apart in a container.

“There will be no one for you, one for me with this sandwich,” she warns.

“I did it once, Mum.Once.”

“And your bites are ten times as big as hers,” she points out.

I thought it was a thing everyone did with their kids to get them to eat. The whole one bite for me, one bite for you, worked.

“On that note, I’m going back to the casino,” Madison declares.

I glance at Sunday when they leave. “What do you think? Want to give your favourite uncle a bite of your sandwich?”

“No!”

“Just one tiny bite?” I plead.

“Mine!” she growls, scoffing it down.

I can’t help but smile at how adorable she is. She’s always been an easy child, but recently she has begun to love her food like a true Carter.

I can’t wait until the day I have a child of my own. Kids never factored into my mind, but seeing Maddox, Aiden and Lily with their kids, it’s made me open to the possibility.

I just need to find someone to have them with.

CHAPTER TEN

Freya

My guilty pleasure has always been reading romantic fantasy novels. They take me out of reality and away from the shit storm this real world can be at times. When I picked up this book, I thought it was going to be about Fae and prophecies. Instead, it’s a whole lot of steamy sex scenes, which is making me feel uncomfortable since I’m surrounded by dozens of people.

Water splashes over my legs and it’s a welcome delight since I was beginning to feel a little too hot, and not from the sun.

I lower the book onto my lap, noticing the little girl my neighbour was throwing about in the pool earlier, and who he had with him last night. She’s so pretty, and can’t be much older than two or three. Her dark hair is pulled up high in a ponytail, and water drips off her thick lashes.

She scrunches her button nose up as she giggles. “Sowie.”

“Where is your uncle?”

She moves closer until she’s right next to me. “I’m hiding,” she whispers.

I scan the pool, spotting him searching under the sun lounger with a panicked look. “I think you should tell him where you are.”

I move when she comes to sit down next to me. “Read me book!” she softly demands.

I snap it closed in case she’s a genius and can read the words. “I tell you what, why don’t you read…” I go to hand her my phone, but then realise the Anime I have on there will be enough to scare her. Then I remember the children’s book I wrote and got illustrated is also on there. “Want to read this book about a little girl and her best friend?”

She takes my phone and tucks herself under my shoulder. I smile, but then remember I might get accused of kidnapping, so I glance over to where her uncle is.

And once again, I’m struck by the sight of him. I choked on air earlier when he got out of the swimming pool. All those ripped muscles with water dripping down his chest was every woman’s fantasy. If I didn’t hate him so much, I would have snapped a picture to send it to Summer.

I wave him over when he meets my gaze, then point down to the little girl snuggled into me.

“She approached me,” I state when he’s close enough to hear.

“And you thought it was fun to watch me lose my shit thinking I had lost her?” he scolds.

I narrow my gaze. “She’s been here less than a minute.”

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