Emma's POV James, completely oblivious, clung to the edge of the blanket, his excitement bubbling over. “Dad, what was the scariest thing you’ve ever seen?”Ryan shifted closer to me, his leg brushing against mine, sending a shudder through my body that I tried to ignore. “Hmm,” Ryan mused, pretending to think while his fingers traced small, lazy circles on my knee. I bit the inside of my cheek, willing myself not to react. Not in front of James.“The scariest thing?” Ryan repeated, his hand inching higher towards my core creating havoc in me. “I think it’s when your mummy tries to drive on the motorway.” he winked at me. Idiot!! James burst out laughing, his giggles filling the small space, while I elbowed Ryan sharply in the ribs. “Very funny, I drive perfectly. I was worried about James. ” I muttered, shifting slightly to move his hand away.But Ryan, the persistent devil that he was, simply smirked and let his hand slide right back, resting it lightly on my waist this time. Th
Emma's POV " We should be comfortable and yet should sit as close as possible to be more cosy and safe, in case some ghost comes here. " He said already shifting behind me." Dad!!! A ghost can come here??" He looked scared " Maybe... Ghosts are naughty. " Ryan said smirking at me. " Momm!!!" James caught my hand tightly. " Don't worry, honey, I will kill the ghost if it tries to be naughty," I said, glaring at him over my shoulder, and he burst out laughing. " What is so funny? " I asked. "Isn't your Mom very cute and funny, James? She can't kill the ghost; they are too stubborn and naughty. Do what they like; you can't stop him. " " Mom, a ghost is already dead, how will you kill it?" He also started laughing. " I can kill a few stubborn, notorious ghosts." I glared at Ryan. He whispered against my ear, 'Kill me with your lips, Love. Kiss me, every inch of me. I will die out of pleasure." I hit him in his ribs with my elbow. He just chuckled. Idiot!!!My back was plastered
Emma's POV " Yey!! Let me get the snacks. " James got out of the tent. " You are so soft... I want to bury myself in you..." He said as soon as James went away." Shut up! And get away from me." I tried to get out of his arms but he tightened his arms around me." Why don't you accept that your body is melting against mine." He said. " Ryan! Back off! " " No! I am having fun with my family." Just then James brought the snacks in. They both started enjoying the snacks and made me eat too. While Ryan's left hand was still on my belly, holding me against him. While James was busy telling his story. I was just aware that he was saying something while Ryan's reactions seemed to be normal as if he was not holding me. James was still very happy and excited.God! Please put him to sleep. " Let's go out and have dinner as well. I prepared your favorite, baked pasta." I tried to tempt James with his favorite dish as I wanted to go out of there. " No! Wait! I will get that too. " He wen
Emma's POV Stepping into the kitchen, I leaned against the counter, the tension of the evening finally catching up with me. This wasn’t just about James’s happiness. This was about us. About the unresolved past, the hurt, the betrayal.Ryan might be trying to play the hero now, but I couldn’t forget how we had ended up here. And no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t let myself fall for his charm again.As much as I had enjoyed seeing James so happy tonight, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Ryan was playing a game. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to play along anymore." Hey! Let me help you. " " No thanks! I don't need your help. And what the hell do you think you were doing there? " " Where? What did I do now?" He asked, feigning an innocence and he looked exactly like a mature version of James when he did that." Oh, you have no idea, what you were doing there in that damn tent? Don't you dare to touch me again? I don't like to be touched like that." I yelled. And my eyes got mo
Emma stepped into the office, her skin still tingling from the Mediterranean sun, her mind struggling to switch from holiday mode. The ten days she had spent backpacking through Europe with her five-year-old son had been a much-needed escape from the humdrum of her daily life, a break Henry and Hazel had practically forced upon her as she had not met her son since she had put him in a boarding school. Now, she was back, carrying a large bag filled with souvenirs for her colleagues, ready to settle into her usual routine. She had lots of gifts in her car for Henery and Hazel, the couple who were the only couple she cared for now. And who helped her when she was most vulnerable. They gave her a job and helped her raise her son till now. She was extremely lucky to have them and missed them a lot on the vacation But as she walked through the familiar corridors of HW Financial Consultancy, something felt amiss. The office, typically abuzz with activity, was eerily quiet. Her colleagues,
"You ran away without giving me a chance to explain," he countered, his voice hardening again. "Do you think that was fair?" He asked looking into her eyes. Fair? The word echoed in her mind, the memories too painful to revisit. "This isn’t about fairness. It’s about survival. And right now, I don’t want to work here anymore.""I had my reasons," Ryan said, his eyes narrowing. "But we’re not here to relive the past. We’re here to discuss the future of this company."She was going to say that she was not interested in him or his company when her phone started buzzing. She looked at the screen and was stunned to see James calling her. Oh, no! He can't call me at this time. She thought. She could not talk to her son in front of Ryan. She was even scared to think what he might do if he came to know that they had a child together. He would probably kill her... She disconnected the call. She was very tense but could not let him see that. So she took a deep breath, trying to calm the st
Emma's POV Once I got into my small car, I sat for a whole minute, just breathing deeply, What was Ryan doing here? And how on earth did he find out where I was? Does he know about James? No, of course not, or he would have asked me. He must not come to know about him. I shook my head and called James. " Hey, honey! " " Mom, why were you not picking up the call? " " I am sorry, I was in a meeting. " " I am missing you, Mom. I do not want to stay here, please keep me with you. I can study there. " " I am too busy to take care of, my son. But soon, I will do something about it. " I lied to him. I might have thought of getting him back here, but now that Ryan was here and I quit the job, I would have to find a job, or I would not be able to pay his fees. Under no situation could I bring him back here as Ryan would not leave me alone for some time. Trying to steady my trembling hands enough to start the engine. My entire world had just been upended, and the shockwaves were stil
Emma's POV I would have to move to another city and change my profession again. I was still earning a lot from fashion designing, working from here with the help of my reliable and talented assistant, my team, and my PA. I was sending them designs, and they were making and marketing them under my brand, but I wasn’t there. So, financial issues didn’t worry me.Only five minutes had passed when the doorbell rang.Who could it be?I dragged myself out of bed and went to open the door. But as soon as I did, I was shocked to the core.Ryan??“Hey, beautiful,” he greeted me with that familiar, infuriating smirk.“What are you doing here? How did you get my address?” I demanded.“Oh, come on, do I need to answer that?”“From office records?” I answered my question. He simply smirked.“What are you here for?” I asked, though I already knew.He looked me over from head to toe, making me acutely aware of the very short crop top and shorts I was wearing. His eyes darkened when they met mine ag
Emma's POV Stepping into the kitchen, I leaned against the counter, the tension of the evening finally catching up with me. This wasn’t just about James’s happiness. This was about us. About the unresolved past, the hurt, the betrayal.Ryan might be trying to play the hero now, but I couldn’t forget how we had ended up here. And no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t let myself fall for his charm again.As much as I had enjoyed seeing James so happy tonight, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Ryan was playing a game. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to play along anymore." Hey! Let me help you. " " No thanks! I don't need your help. And what the hell do you think you were doing there? " " Where? What did I do now?" He asked, feigning an innocence and he looked exactly like a mature version of James when he did that." Oh, you have no idea, what you were doing there in that damn tent? Don't you dare to touch me again? I don't like to be touched like that." I yelled. And my eyes got mo
Emma's POV " Yey!! Let me get the snacks. " James got out of the tent. " You are so soft... I want to bury myself in you..." He said as soon as James went away." Shut up! And get away from me." I tried to get out of his arms but he tightened his arms around me." Why don't you accept that your body is melting against mine." He said. " Ryan! Back off! " " No! I am having fun with my family." Just then James brought the snacks in. They both started enjoying the snacks and made me eat too. While Ryan's left hand was still on my belly, holding me against him. While James was busy telling his story. I was just aware that he was saying something while Ryan's reactions seemed to be normal as if he was not holding me. James was still very happy and excited.God! Please put him to sleep. " Let's go out and have dinner as well. I prepared your favorite, baked pasta." I tried to tempt James with his favorite dish as I wanted to go out of there. " No! Wait! I will get that too. " He wen
Emma's POV " We should be comfortable and yet should sit as close as possible to be more cosy and safe, in case some ghost comes here. " He said already shifting behind me." Dad!!! A ghost can come here??" He looked scared " Maybe... Ghosts are naughty. " Ryan said smirking at me. " Momm!!!" James caught my hand tightly. " Don't worry, honey, I will kill the ghost if it tries to be naughty," I said, glaring at him over my shoulder, and he burst out laughing. " What is so funny? " I asked. "Isn't your Mom very cute and funny, James? She can't kill the ghost; they are too stubborn and naughty. Do what they like; you can't stop him. " " Mom, a ghost is already dead, how will you kill it?" He also started laughing. " I can kill a few stubborn, notorious ghosts." I glared at Ryan. He whispered against my ear, 'Kill me with your lips, Love. Kiss me, every inch of me. I will die out of pleasure." I hit him in his ribs with my elbow. He just chuckled. Idiot!!!My back was plastered
Emma's POV James, completely oblivious, clung to the edge of the blanket, his excitement bubbling over. “Dad, what was the scariest thing you’ve ever seen?”Ryan shifted closer to me, his leg brushing against mine, sending a shudder through my body that I tried to ignore. “Hmm,” Ryan mused, pretending to think while his fingers traced small, lazy circles on my knee. I bit the inside of my cheek, willing myself not to react. Not in front of James.“The scariest thing?” Ryan repeated, his hand inching higher towards my core creating havoc in me. “I think it’s when your mummy tries to drive on the motorway.” he winked at me. Idiot!! James burst out laughing, his giggles filling the small space, while I elbowed Ryan sharply in the ribs. “Very funny, I drive perfectly. I was worried about James. ” I muttered, shifting slightly to move his hand away.But Ryan, the persistent devil that he was, simply smirked and let his hand slide right back, resting it lightly on my waist this time. Th
Emma's POV As I searched through the cupboards, pulling out bags of crisps, marshmallows, and some leftover biscuits, I couldn’t help but listen to the laughter coming from the living room. James was full of giggles, and Ryan—he had this way of making everything seem like an adventure. I heard furniture scraping against the floor and Ryan giving exaggerated instructions as if they were on a grand expedition.For dinner, I prepared, Pasta bake (cheesy, family-friendly, simple but comforting, perfect for their mood of a cozy night in the camp.I peered around the kitchen doorway to see them dragging chairs into the middle of the room, draping blankets over the top to create their makeshift tent. Ryan was completely in his element, crouched on the floor with James, carefully placing cushions inside their new “camp.” I had to admit, it was adorable watching the two of them.“Careful with that blanket,” Ryan said in an overly dramatic tone. “This is no ordinary blanket, James. This is our
Emma's POV " Would not it have been better if we had gone to my hotel room? " He asked and I glared. He raised his hands in surrender, still smiling. “Alright, alright. Just offering. But you know, with the three of us in that one little bedroom tonight, it’s going to get cozy.”I nearly choked on the water, I was drinking, my face flushing. “Excuse me?”James, completely oblivious to the innuendo, laughed. “It’ll be like camping, Mummy!”Ryan grinned at me, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “Yeah, like camping. Just us three… all snug and close. Cozy.” he winked. Idiot! As if...But I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. “You’ll be on the sofa, Ryan. Don’t even think otherwise.”He chuckled, leaning in slightly, his voice dropping so only I could hear. “Oh, c'mon, Emma, we both know, you will enjoy having me in bed. Don't bother to deny it.”I glared at him, ignoring the way his nearness sent an unexpected shiver down my spine. This wasn’t happening. I was not going to let him
Emma's POV Suddenly, James tugged at my sleeve, pulling me from my thoughts. “Mummy, are you okay?”I forced a smile, nodding. “I’m fine, sweetheart.”Ryan’s eyes flickered toward me, his expression softening for just a moment before he turned back to James. “Right, let’s finish up and get home. We’ve got a living room to camp in, remember?”As we left the diner, James happily chatted about all the “camping” supplies they’d need; I couldn’t shake the growing unease in my chest. Ryan was laughing and planning with James as if we were a normal family, but things were far from normal. I wasn’t sure if I could let my guard down.One thing was clear, though: James was thrilled. And as long as he was happy, I would go along with their ridiculous plans… even if it meant letting Ryan be a little too close for comfort.We reached my home, and he stopped the car; before he could say Anything, I got out of the car, turned on my heel, and headed for the door. He followed behind me, his footsteps
Emma's POV Ryan raised an eyebrow but didn’t press it. Instead, he turned back to James. “So, mate, I’ve been thinking. Once we finish this monstrous milkshake, we should plan something fun. You know, a real adventure. How about we build a fort when we get home? Or…” His eyes twinkled mischievously. “We could camp in the living room tonight. I’ll bring my torch, and we’ll tell scary stories. What do you say?”James gasped, bouncing in his seat. “Can we, Mummy? Please? Can we camp in the living room?”I blinked at them, half-expecting Ryan to burst out laughing at the absurdity of his suggestion. But he was dead serious—and so was James. “I don’t think we have space for that…”Ryan cut in, shaking his head. “Emma, where’s your sense of adventure? We don’t need space. We’ll make it work. Move some furniture, throw down some blankets. It’ll be like we’re out in the wild!”“Camping… in my flat?” I asked, incredulous.“Exactly,” Ryan said, giving me a grin that I both hated and… found a l
Ryan's POV Great! Simply great!! Now you see, my love, how I won you back; no matter what happened in the past, I am going to resolve it and have you in my home, in my bed, and my arms, soon, very soon. You are mine!! Emma's POV “Fine,” Ryan said, finally relenting, though his tone was still far too smug for my liking. “If you insist on your flat, we’ll go there. But don’t think this is over, Emma. We’ll talk more about what’s best for James.”I glared at him but said nothing; he drove back toward my flat. I was looking out of the window. Just then James asked from the back seat, “Mummy! Can we stop for lunch? I’m starving!”“Starving?” Ryan scoffed dramatically, quickening his pace to catch up with James. “Didn't you eat breakfast, son?”James giggled. “But that was 3 hours ago! I’m a growing boy.”Ryan smiled at him through the rearview mirror. “Alright, alright. You’re right. A growing boy needs fuel. How about we stop at that diner just up the street? The one with those massive