Page 33 of The CEO Alpha’s Substitute Mate

“Why?” Luca asks bluntly.

“Because he’s your father.”

“Does he want me to call him Dad?” There’s a pause. “What if he gets mad?”

“He won’t get mad. Just call him Dad.” She turns a pancake onto a plate. “Go offer him one.”

Luca does the syrup himself, generously, then rings the outside with cut banana. He gets down off the counter and crosses the kitchen with the plate out in front of him, watching the syrup instead of the floor.

“Do you want one?”

He holds it up. Then he stops, works up to it, and adds the word.

“Dad.”

I have the no half out of my mouth when I change it.

“Thank you.”

I take the plate. Over his head, Ariela gives me a quick smile, then turns back to the pan before I can answer it.

The pancake is much too sweet. My father would have thrown it in the trash. I eat the whole thing standing up in my own kitchen with a child watching every mouthful, then go back for the banana.

“If you two are finished, we’ll move this to the dining room so the staff can make breakfast.”

Ariela starts stacking the bowls. “Give me two minutes to clean up.”

“No. The staff will clean up.”

I cross the kitchen to her. She’s between me and the stove with her hands full of a bowl. I stop with about an inch of space between us, close enough that she has to tip her chin to look at me. Then I reach behind her and pull the tie of the apron loose. I hear her breath go in and stop halfway.

I shouldn’t be doing this. The problem is that every hour near this woman leaves me needing the next one closer. Standing here with my hands behind her back, with her scent coming off her throat, I want to put my face into the side of her neck and stay there.

The apron comes away in my hand. She takes a step back out of it and puts her arm straight down onto the edge of the stove. The short, sharp cry that leaves her lips has me grabbing her hand and pulling her away. Without a second thought, I force her hand into the sink, opening the cold water tap.

“That hurt.”

“Give it a minute.”

“Did you hurt yourself?” Luca is at my elbow with both hands knotted in his pajama shirt.

“I’m fine, Luca. Go to the table,” Ariela says. She looks at me. “Really, it’s fine. I’m not hurt.”

I check her hand, and it’s slightly red but nothing too bad. “Be more careful.”

“This was your fault.” She inspects her hand. “You shouldn’t have gotten so close to me.”

“Why does it bother you when I get close to you?”

She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. Her face is a bright red, though, and she pushes past me. “Forget it.”

As I watch her storm out of the kitchen, I wonder what I did wrong now.

Chapter 7

Ariela

Living at the estate is something that one needs time to get used to. Almost nine weeks have passed, and somewhere along the way, the place has stopped feeling quite so much like a hotel I’m afraid to touch anything in. I’ve also learned one thing: Callum is a very busy man, and he can’t always keep his appointments with Luca. Several weekends have come and gone, and he still hasn’t managed to take Luca to the office like he’d promised. I don’t necessarily see that as a bad thing. It’s given my son time to adjust to his new school, his tutors, the staff, and the fact that his father is suddenly part of his life. The staff has reluctantly begun to accept me too. Even Reid treats me with some level of respect, although I often catch him eyeing me with disapproval.