“What on earth is all this?” I ask, laughing, as I open the door to Xander. He grins, winking at me, and dammit, but it sends my heart to fluttering wildly in my chest. He steps inside, leaning down to kiss me quickly.
“I’m cooking us dinner, to celebrate your new job starting tomorrow.”
“You’re cooking dinner? Here?”
He nods as he straightens, though he drags his mouth along my cheek. The rasp of his beard tickles, sending shivers down my entire body. “Mmhmm.”
Stepping into the kitchen, he sets the two paper grocery sacks on the counter and reaches into one, and then pulls out a bottle of wine. He digs into his pocket, producing a wine key, and proceeds to open the bottle. “I’m on food, dishes, and kid duty. Pour a glass of wine and go take a bath while I get dinner ready, okay?”
“Xander, this is too much,” I breathe as he starts pulling groceries out of the bags. He nods to the cupboard, and I dutifully pull down a wine glass. He takes it, our fingers grazing, then pours out a small amount of wine before handing it back tome. I’m staring at the back of his dark head like he’s some kind of mythical being.
“I should have asked first, do Dalton and Penny like spaghetti?” he asks, turning to me as I stare at him. His eyes soften, like he can see the awe on my face, but continues like this isn’t out of the ordinary for us. “If not, I can make something else.”
“We love s’ketti!” Penny exclaims from the other side of the couch, where she’d been laying on the floor playing. She jumps over the back of the couch, ignoring my warning scowl, and launches herself at Xander’s legs as she barrels into the kitchen. He scoops her up into his arms, placing her on his hip. Her little face scrunches up then, pointing to a produce container sitting on the counter.. “Idon’ like muh’rooms though.”
Xander laughs, bouncing her in his arms to get a better hold on her. “That’s okay. These are for me and Mom.”
“Do you have garlic bread, too?” Dalton asks, climbing into one of the barstools on the opposite side of the counter. He leans on his forearms across the space, peering into the bags and at the items Xander has already fished out of them.
Xander reaches into the bag and pulls out a loaf of French bread. “Homemade is the only way to go. Do you want to help me mash the garlic and mix it into the butter?”
“Yeah!” Dalton says, bobbing his head.
Xander turns to me then, grimacing slightly. “You do have a garlic press, right? My dad wasn’t big on home cooking, so he didn’t leave me with much in the way of homewares.”
“Yes, I have a garlic press,” I laugh, skirting around him and Penny to fetch it out of one of the drawers. “Xander. This is a lot.”
Spreading his hand wide across my lower back, he urges me closer, so that I’m tucked against his other side. “I’ll be the judge of that. Come on, take that wine and go take a bath. Has Bea eaten?”
I blush and nod. “Yes, but she’ll be hungry again before bed.”
“So just one small glass,” he whispers and winks. “Gotta keep my little one fed, too.”
“Xander…”
“You keep saying my name like it’s going to change the outcome of this evening,” he laughs, dropping a kiss to my lips. Penny snickers behind her hand. He twists his head to look at her. “What’s so funny?”
“You kissed Mommy,” she giggles behind her hand.
“I did,” he says, nodding. Looking at her and then over to Dalton, he asks gently, “Is that okay with you guys?”
Dalton shrugs his shoulders from where he’s still leaning on the counter, watching us. “Yeah, I think so. You make Mom smile, so it makes me happy.”
My heart squeezes in my chest, and my nose stings with unshed tears.
Xander’s arm tightens around my waist and he turns his head to look at me. “She makes me happy, too, champ.”
I blink rapidly to dispel the tears lining my eyes, and I avoid looking directly at Xander. His lips press into my temple and I sigh. I’m so screwed.
“Go on, Mama. I’ve got things handled out here,” he whispers against my temple, and I nod.
“Okay,” I whisper hesitantly. Picking up the glass of wine, I head down the hall.
Shutting the bathroom door, I turn the taps on to start filling the bathtub and even squeeze in a little bubble bath I find under the sink.
I don’t remember the last time I indulged in an actual bubble bath or even had time to consider one.
I strip out of my shorts but hesitate before I pull my shirt off over my head. Padding out of the bathroom, I grab up a couple candles and bring them back with me. Lighting them, I turn theoverhead light off, and the candle flames flicker across the walls and cast just enough light to see. It’s quiet and cozy. God, what a luxury this is.
