Sinful Games (Sinful #2) | 18+

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT (+18)

TRIGGER WARNING: SEXUAL SCENE

"One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory."

― Rita Mae Brown

Alexsei

I made sure my son was safely buckled up in his car seat in the back of my SUV before starting the engine.

Today was all about him.

We started at the park, where I pushed him gently on the swings and let him feel the texture of the grass beneath his fingers while he lay on a blanket.

Later, we took a leisurely stroll around the lake, dipping his tiny toes in the warm water as the sun shone overhead.

Afterwards, I treated him to some ice cream, and then we visited a mini farm. He was enthralled by the animals — the sheep, the baby cow, the ponies, donkeys, and geese.

His giggles and wide-eyed wonder filled me with overwhelming joy and love, and I couldn't help but be completely taken with him.

Since last night, I could barely muster a complete sentence to say to Caia.

I was still consumed by anger, too hurt to engage with her as if everything was normal.

Later, after spending an hour under the soothing spray of the shower, attempting to ease the tension in my body, I retreated to the living room.

There, I grabbed a bite to eat, cracked open a cold beer, and settled in to watch some trashy TV shows featuring women attempting to break up couples to test their faithfulness.

When I finally decided to go to bed, I pulled the covers over me and lay down, closing my eyes in an attempt to find sleep fast.

Suddenly, I felt the soft, warm touch of Caia's hand on my back.

Slowly, she drew closer and spooned me, planting a gentle kiss on the back of my neck while her knuckles trailed softly over my abs.

"I missed you so much," she whispered. "I'm so sorry, Alexsei."

I stayed still, my body tense and cold to her touch.

Despite her warmth, there was a wall between us.

Her apology hung in the air, but I couldn't bring myself to respond.

I felt conflicted, torn between the desire to forgive and the stubbornness of my hurt.

Minutes dragged on as we lay there in silence, the only sound the quiet breaths we took.

Eventually, Caia pulled away, retreating to her side of the bed.

The distance between us felt wider than ever.

"Good night," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper, struggling against the urge to turn around and pull her into my arms.

"Good night, Alexsei."

I then woke up a couple of hours later and decided that my son and I needed a little man-to-man moment, so I got him ready, packed three bottles of milk and baby food, and prepared him for the day.

Caia didn't ask any questions or say anything, apart from wishing Lukyan a good day when I mentioned that we were leaving. She kissed his chubby cheeks and then tiptoed to kiss my cheek before retreating to the bedroom.

I could sense her sadness just from the way she walked, but I believed that some time apart might do us both good, allowing us to clear our minds.

So, we left, and now, as the afternoon waned, I could tell that my son was missing his mama terribly; his calls for her echoed throughout the entire ride.