His Mini Bear

CHAPTER- 85

Iris POV:

"Hello... No, hi!... No... No... Hakuna Matata," I mumbled to myself, my voice tinged with nervous excitement. A giggle slipped out despite my best efforts to stay serious.

"It's okay, kid. She won't think badly of you. It's just a family dinner," Liam said, sighing heavily from his spot across the room.

"But what if she does? What if she thinks we're abnormal... or weird? What if she doesn't want to be friends with me anymore?" My voice came out in a whine, betraying the anxiety bubbling up inside me.

Come on, Iris. Be a big girl. No whining.

"Well, it's just a friendly dinner. What could go wrong or be abnormal?" Aiden murmured, lazily toying with a milkshake bottle like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Shu-shu...Let's practice one more time," I insisted, my tone pleading as I clasped my hands together in front of my chest.

A chorus of groans erupted from everyone, except for Ace, who remained the only one fully cooperating.

"My beautiful little Mini, it's just dinner, not a presentation," Ace said with a gentle smile that made my heart skip a beat.

"Yeah... but... please," I mumbled, hanging my head low, hoping that a bit of puppy-dog eyes would sway the group.

Everyone exchanged weary looks before sighing in unison. Hudson rubbed his forehead in defeat, while Ace, of course, remained my steadfast supporter.

He's my hot daddy, after all— always on my side.

"Okay," Hudson grumbled, clearly resigned to his fate.

Everyone was gathered in the living room, awkwardly participating in my rehearsal for how we would all behave when my friend Ray came over for dinner.

I couldn't help but flash back to the countless times my mom drilled me on proper behavior before a guest arrived.

She always said that it's better to be over-prepared than to embarrass yourself or mess something up.

I still believe in that, even if it feels a little silly to be doing it now.

My main concern, though, was Liam and Aiden.

Liam was a bit tipsy, his eyes a little too glassy for my liking, and Aiden... well, Aiden was a pig.

No, seriously, he had this uncanny ability to ruin perfectly good moments with his sloppy, carefree attitude.

       "Wah~ it's not hiding!" I slapped my neck in frustration, feeling my cheeks heat up as I realized the foundation wasn't doing its job.

Ace's laughter echoed through the room, making me whip around to glare at him.

He had this infuriating habit of finding my little outbursts amusing, which only made me more flustered.

I scowled and gave him a half-hearted shove, but he didn't budge an inch. This old man didn't budge a little.

We were sitting on the bed, me with a small mirror in hand, trying desperately to cover up the telltale love shots Ace had so generously left on my neck.

I loved those marks—they made me feel... like a big woman, someone desired and adored. But tonight, they were nothing but a source of frustration.

He picked me up effortlessly and made me straddle his lap. His hands were firm on my hips, grounding me as I threw a minor fit over the stubborn marks.

He leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear as he murmured soothingly, "Calm down, bambi. It's okay."

I pouted, tilting my head to the side as he started leaving soft, wet kisses along the curve of my neck.