Page 118 of Sinful Mates

“Threats will get you everywhere, Mr. Redding.” She placed her hand on the back of my neck and dragged me down for a languid, hot kiss that melted my heart.

Soon, her circle of mates would be complete. I just had to get my ass into the equation. One step at a time. Sharing finances was the first step in many I was willing to take. Getting a dog for Mia and sharing responsibility, another.

We stayed outside together for another few minutes, my woman cocooned in my arms, watching the sunset.

“Hungry, Mrs. Redding?” I asked her.

She rubbed my forearm. “Starving, Mr. Redding.”

Fuck, I loved the sound of my surname on her lips, even more if she referred to herself as my wife.

Inside, Slade gave me a murderous glare, and I chuckled, flicking him the bird. Asshole had the best hearing of the lot of us. Alaric the best sight. Zethan the best predator senses. Me the keenest mind.

Aaliyah weaved he fingers through Slade’s hair. “It’s just some fun, Mr. Vincent.”

“Fun, my ass,” he grunted.

Mia sucked in a gasp. “You swore, Slade. Put a dollar in the swear jar.”

Hah. The swear jar. Slade it’s biggest contributor.

Slade fished out a ten-dollar bill and slammed it on the coffee table. “I can swear another nine times.”

Mia thrust herself off the couch onto his lap, covering his mouth. “No, you can’t.”

We all shared a long laugh.

The Italian food didn’t last long, getting wolfed down within fifteen minutes, and we all relaxed, letting Mia finish the movie and our food digest.

At the end of the film, I got up, ready to do my part. “C’mon, Sot Nesu. Time for bed.”

“Nooo,” she grumbled, snuggling harder to Zethan, who she had miraculously switched seats to be with.

“Okay.” I shrugged. “I guess you don’t want to find out what happens to Cleopatra then...”

Last week I commenced ancient Egyptian history lessons with her disguised as stories. She ate them up like they were her last meal. Asked me a thousand questions. Curious little thing was as clever and voracious for knowledge as her mother.

Next week, I planned on tackling some ancient Egyptian language and writing lessons. All in good time.

Mia huffed at my suggestion. “She died.”

“Did she?” I gave her equal sass back.

“She’s alive?” Her eyes lit up like I confessed the world’s most well-guarded secret.

“You have to come to bed to find out.” A little bribery worked well getting kids to cooperate when they didn’t want to.

She leaped off the sofa and crashed into my leg, tugging my jeans. “Tell me what happened.”

I loved her thirst for knowledge when it mirrored my own. Having her as my stepkid made me proud to be her daddy.

Daddy.

The word that used to make me twitch with discomfort. Now I only felt an amber glow in my ribcage with her name on it.

She tugged on my hand as we walked to the bathroom. “Tell me!”

Alaric came to stand guard at the doorway with a strict frown.

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