Chapter 120 Like Father, Like Son
"Ambrose, stop," Scarlett whispered urgently, pushing against his chest as Yara's voice echoed from the doorway. "The kids are calling for us."
This was getting dangerously close to a full-blown daytime romp, and that was a line she wasn't ready to cross. Not with kids in the house.
Ambrose's expression darkened, his gaze locking onto hers with raw frustration. "My pants are practically off, and you want me to stop now?"
He gritted his teeth. Hayden was a one-boy wrecking crew for his romantic life. He'd just managed to coax Scarlett into this vulnerable, willing state, and there was no way he was letting the opportunity slip away.
Scarlett knew stopping him at this point was borderline cruel. She softened her voice, trying to placate him. "Just be patient. I'll make it up to you tonight."
The promise of "tonight" was a potent lure. Ambrose's resolve wavered, but he decided to press his advantage. "And we'll do it my way?"
Scarlett knew exactly what that meant. He had a taste for variety in the bedroom, a level of exploration that still made her blush. But to get him to stop now, she was willing to concede. She gave a small, hesitant nod.
"Nothing too crazy," she stipulated.
A triumphant grin spread across Ambrose's face. He leaned down and brushed a quick, searing kiss against the corner of her mouth. "Don't worry. You're in good hands."
With him placated for the moment, Scarlett quickly straightened her clothes and went to open the door. Standing there were two little figures, their eyes wide and faces beaming with pride.
But Hayden's pride was accompanied by a flurry of activity. He clutched a gift bag in one hand while dragging a much larger sack with the other. He looked up at her, his voice a sweet, childish lilt.
"Scarlett, I brought you lots of good stuff! It's all super healthy. It's for you."
The sheer volume of his haul was staggering. "Hayden, what is all this? It looks so heavy!"
"It's all the best stuff. And it's not heavy," he insisted, dragging the sack into the room and letting it fall to the floor with a soft thud. "The driver helped me carry it in. I just pulled it over here."
He immediately got to work, pulling out a box. "This is royal jelly. I heard it makes a girl's skin really good."
Next, he rummaged around and produced another ornate box. "And this is truffle extract! It's super useful. If you feel tired, you just take some, and you get your energy right back. My great-grandpa takes it, and he perks up instantly."
Yara, ever the helpful sidekick, joined in, and together they upended the entire sack onto the floor. Hayden picked up item after item, launching into a detailed explanation for each one.
"And this one..."
He went through his treasures like a seasoned salesman, and Scarlett was utterly floored. He hadn't just brought things; he'd researched their effects. It was the most heartwarming gesture.
She knelt, wrapping her arms around his small frame and planting a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Hayden. You are the sweetest, most thoughtful boy."
Then, her expression turned serious, though her voice remained gentle. "I love this so much. But you can't take things like this anymore. This is for your great-grandpa. He's older and needs it more than I do. I can't take things from an elderly person."
Hayden waved a dismissive hand, his tone matter-of-fact. "It's fine. Great-grandpa has tons more. He'll never finish it all."
Scarlett was suddenly at a loss for words. How was she supposed to convince him to take it all back?
Yara, though clearly intrigued by the bounty, chimed in with a touch of propriety. "Hayden, maybe it's not a good idea to take so much stuff."
"It's okay," Hayden said, shaking his head firmly. "I told them I wanted it for myself. So it's fine."
Leaning against the doorframe, Ambrose watched the scene unfold with a smirk. The kid was learning from the master, and even one-upping him in terms of sheer volume. Good, he thought. Bring her more. Make it that much harder for her to ever think about leaving.
Scarlett was torn. She was touched by Hayden's affection, but also deeply worried.
What would the Boleyn family think of her? Would they assume she was putting the kid up to this, manipulating him into raiding their pantry?
After settling the two kids in the living room, she pulled Ambrose back into the bedroom. "You have to take all of this back," she insisted. "And you need to have a quiet word with Hayden. Tell him he can't bring things over anymore."
Ambrose was completely unconcerned. "What are you worried about? It's a few supplements. No one in my family is going to bat an eye."
"These things are expensive! Besides, I'm young, I don't need all these anti-aging remedies. You're taking them back to the Boleyn estate later," Scarlett commanded, her lips pursed.
Seeing the stubborn set of her jaw, Ambrose played his trump card. "He brought them. If I return them, he'll throw a fit. If you don't want them, you're the one who has to tell him."
If Scarlett could have refused Hayden, she would have done it already. She couldn't bring herself to crush his earnest, well-intentioned spirit.
She glared at Ambrose, who simply wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. "It's not like you haven't had things from the Boleyn estate before. What's the difference between once and twice?"
Scarlett frowned, confused. "When have I ever—?"
Ambrose then revealed the origin of the royal jelly she'd had before. Her eyes went wide with realization. It had come from the Boleyns. She started thumping his chest in frustration.
"That doesn't count! You tricked me into taking it!"
Ambrose caught her hands, pressing her back onto the bed. He kissed her, his words muffled against her lips.
"You're right, it doesn't count. Because I'm the one in charge of the Boleyn family now. I'm the one who earned the money that buys all this stuff. Which means, indirectly, it's all mine. And what's mine is yours. So stop overthinking it. If it's here, just enjoy it."
Hearing his twisted logic, Scarlett knew it was a losing battle. She decided not to be difficult, but added one final warning.
"This is the last time. No more. If your family finds out, what will they think of me?"
"Alright," he conceded. "But you don't need to worry about what anyone else thinks. You only need to care about what I think."
Before she could argue, his hands were already working at the buttons of her shirt. She quickly clamped her hand over his.
"It's the middle of the day. We can wait until tonight."
"If you make me wait another second, I'm going to actually explode," Ambrose said, his voice low and strained. He looked down at her, his expression a mask of agonizing restraint. "Scarlett, do you really want me to spontaneously combust?"
Her own resolve melted under his intense gaze. Her big, watery eyes held a flicker of sympathy, but she made one last token protest. "What if the kids come back?"
"I don't care who comes back," he growled, sealing her mouth with a kiss that left no room for argument or escape. "This time, you're not stopping me."
Scarlett surrendered, letting him take over. At his touch, a fire she'd been trying to ignore ignited within her, hot and demanding.
Soon, they were skin to skin. Ambrose, starved for her after so long, moved with a fierce urgency. Scarlett bit down hard on her lip, terrified of making a sound that might draw the children's attention.
"Why are you biting your lip?" Ambrose murmured, kissing it free.
"The kids will hear," she gasped.
"They won't hear anything. Let go," he coaxed. She didn't believe him, but he didn't press the issue. A moment later, when he thrust deeper, any control she had shattered into a thousand pieces.
Scarlett soon lost all awareness of anything beyond the room, beyond his body. When she finally cried out, it was from a mixture of exhaustion and release. She fell asleep almost instantly. Ambrose, still catching up on his own lost sleep from the night before, wrapped his arms around her and joined her in a deep, restorative slumber.
Out in the living room, the two kids were completely absorbed in the new toys Hayden had brought, their laughter filling the space. It wasn't until lunchtime that they remembered the adults, only to find the bedroom door was locked and wouldn't budge.