Page 85 of Ruthless Secrets
I shrug. “He got in late last night.”
“I didn’t say anything…” She smiles as she takes a sip of her own coffee.
“Anyway, my friend Sam is coming over today. Do you and Holly want to join us? We’ll probably just hang out in the garden.”
“Oh, I would love to, but Andre and I are going to pick Rosa up from camp.”
“Right, I forgot that was today…”
That nervous feeling appears once more in my stomach. I don’t know why I’m so apprehensive about meeting Marco’slittle sister. From what Lila has told me about her, she sounds lovely. But family means a lot to Marco, which means that Rosa’s acceptance of me will be important.
I just have to hope that I’m able to earn it.
Once the coffee is brewed, I extricate Zoe from Lila’s arms and somehow manage to carry her as well as two cups of coffee upstairs to my room.
Marco is still fast asleep on his back, the sheets barely covering his torso. He looks so gorgeous with his disheveled hair and slight stubble that I wish I had left Zoe downstairs with Lila so I could wake him up in my own way.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” I whisper as I set the coffee down on the side table.
When he starts to stir, Zoe lets out a squeal as her arms wave around, and I groan as Marco’s eyes fly open.
“Sorry, she hasn’t learned the concept of whispering yet.”
Marco smiles lazily as he reaches out and wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me onto the bed.
“Morning, my beautiful girls.”
My stomach does a somersault whenever Marco refers to Zoe and me as his girls.
He’s taken to fatherhood like a natural, which is the opposite of what I thought would happen.
It seems Zoe is just as taken with him as she immediately tries to wiggle out of my arms as she reaches for him.
I hand her over to Marco, and he settles her on his chest as she yawns.
He gently strokes her back as she starts to close her eyes, even though it’s not even close to her naptime.
Normally, I would try to keep her awake, but I don’t have the heart to interrupt this moment.
I’m amazed at how quickly the two of them have bonded. In truth, I wasn’t worried about Zoe liking Marco but more the other way around.
I sit back against the pillows, my eyes stinging with tears as I watch the two of them together.
Marco’s eyes are closed, but he has a smile on his lips as he rests one hand on Zoe’s back and the other on my thigh.
This is what I pictured life would be like when I had kids. Lazy mornings in bed, cuddled up as a family. It makes me wonder if perhaps we could work together after all. Giving Zoe a complete family, something that I never had myself, would mean the world to me.
“I was wondering if I could take her today?” Marco continues to rub Zoe’s back.
She’s officially asleep, but I don’t have the heart to wake her up.
“Oh, yeah?”
“You know, to give you and Sam some proper time together.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. I want nothing more than to have a daddy and daughter day with my little princess.”
