Page 160 of Seal the Deal

Alex watches, his lips pressing into a straight line. “Meadow,” he calls, forcing a smile. “How about coming back to New Zealand with me? Wanna see Granny and Grandpa again?”

Meadow’s eyes brighten at the mention of her grandparents. “Granny!” she squeals. “Yes!” But then she shifts to Jake, and her little brow furrows. “Jake… are you coming too?”

Jake holds her a bit tighter, glaring at Alex. “No, Princess. But you’re staying right here with me and Mama.”

Noah, overhearing, appears in the hallway, his expression cautious. “You mean… like for a holiday?”

Alex, smug and unbothered, shrugs. “Not just for a holiday, for good! Wouldn’t you like to come back home?”

Noah’s face falls, glancing between Jake and Alex. “No. I like it here. I wanna stay with Mum and Jake.”

Meadow’s small hands cling tighter to Jake’s shirt. “I don’t wanna go,” she whimpers, her bottom lip trembling. “I wanna stay with Jake!” Tears spill over, and my heart shatters for her.

Jake’s face darkens, and he holds her close, rubbing her back soothingly. “You’re not leaving, Princess. I promise,” he murmurs, his voice a protective rumble.

Alex takes a step forward, but I’ve had enough.

“No.” The word is sharp and final as it snaps from my throat. “You don’t get to mess with my kids’ heads. You can’t just throw out the idea of taking them to New Zealand and walk away like there are no consequences. You haveno ideahow to be a real parent.”

He has the audacity to shrug, still trying to play it cool.

“I’m just giving them options, Lott—"

“If you call me Lottie one more time,” I cut him off, “I will rip your balls off and shove them down your throat.”

Jake lets out a low chuckle beside me, pride flashing in his eyes. “Listen to her,” he adds, his voice dark. “She’s not joking.”

He places Meadow down, kissing her forehead and gently sending her back toward the living room. I nod, encouraging both kids to go back. They don’t need to see this.

“Well, isn’t this a cute little family,” Alex sneers, flicking his eyes to Jake. “How’s playing house treating you?”

Jake doesn’t take the bait, but I can see the tension, feel the restraint barely holding him together. I take a slow breath, keeping myself calm for the kids’ sake, now oblivious back in the living room.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Alex continues, smirk growing. “They’remykids, not yours.”

Before I can respond, he turns to me like a snake ready to strike. “And you really think this guy’s going to stick around,Charlie?” He twists my name, making it sound like an insult. “You’re just a convenient distraction between games. Once the novelty wears off, you’ll be back to square one—with two kids and no help.”

The words slice through me, but Jake steps forward, his voice lethal.

“You think this is aboutconvenience, Alex? I’m not going anywhere. And it kills you, doesn’t it? That someone’sactuallyhere for them. Because you never were.”

Alex scoffs, rolling his eyes, but Jake doesn’t stop.

“And as for Charlie being somedistraction?” Jake’s lips twitch, though there’s no humor. “We’re great together. Ineveryway. But it’s so much more than that, and you know it.”

Mask slipping, Alex's voice drops into something uglier. “Well, I’m sure we can both agree she’s a good lay, but—”

CRACK

Jake’s fist slams into the doorframe beside Alex’s head sohard the wood splinters. I jump, but it’s Alex who flinches, his smirk wiped clean off his face.

“You don’t talk about her like that.Ever.”

Alex tries to sneer, but the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes betrays him. He’s scrambling for control, but Jake’s already stepped closer.

“Here’s the thing, Alex—you lost your shot. I’m with her now.Everypart of her, and none of it has to do with you. It’s about how she lights up whenIwalk in the door. The way she melts into me whenIhold her. You wanna talk about what happens between us? How about the fact that she feelssafewith me.”

Jake’s gaze doesn’t waver as Alex tries to scoff again.

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