Bea cradled in one arm, I wander around the dining space, picking up plates and bringing them to the sink. Xander rinses them before putting them in the dishwasher, and then dries his hands. Turning, he leans his hips against the counter, legs crossed at the ankles. Crossing his arms over his chest, he drags one hand down his lower face, staring raptly as I shift Bea from one breast to the other with practiced ease, righting my dress single handedly.
“You amaze me, you know that?” he asks, raising his eyes to mine. The awe, the wonder, the pure adoration on his face as he watches me steals my breath entirely.
I blush again and lower my eyes, letting my fingers trail over Bea’s soft cheek to avoid the intensity in his gaze.
“Thank you for tonight.” My words are quiet and earnest. I don’t have the courage to look him in the eyes as I say it, so I keep my eyes trained on Bea’s face. “This was…I really liked having you here with us like this, Xander.”
“I’d like to spend all of my nights with you like this, Teddy. When I’m home. I want to be with you and the kids,” he says quietly, and I can sense that he’s still staring at me. “If that’s what you want.”
I nod slowly, raising my eyes to his. A tentative, hesitant smile tugs at my lips, and they wobble just the slightest. “Yeah, I think I do.”
“Good,” he whispers, one corner of his mouth tilting up in that adorable grin that I’ve come to love so much.
Shit. Do I love Xander? Could it be possible that I’ve fallen for him this quickly?
Later, after we’ve tucked all three kids into bed—together—he draws me into his arms in the darkness of the kitchen and slow dances with me to the quiet stillness of the house around us. And I admit that yes, it’s very possible that I’ve already fallen for Xander.
“How is the new job going?”
I puff out a long exhale, trying to blow the strand of hair out of my face as I finish piping the frosting letters onto the sheet cake in front of me. Well, I’m not a professional, that’s for damn sure.
I sigh, glaring down at the D of Dalton’s name that I’ve scraped off and redone three times already.
“It’s good. It’s been an adjustment,” I say, shrugging as I glance over at Violette and Scottie. “I’m only doing two shifts a week for now. Colleen is staying with us two days a week to watch the kids for me. I don’t know if I’d be able to do these hours without her help. This was way easier with Logan on opposite shifts.”
“I can imagine it was,” Scottie says over her shoulder.
She is currently slicing cucumbers and bell peppers for the veggie tray, and Vi is mixing together a dip. The guys are on kid duty again, keeping them all entertained out in the front yard, along with Colleen and Kent, who came for the day to celebrate Dalton’s birthday.
Turning, Scottie waves the knife around a little wildly,making me laugh nervously, as she says, “But you should know, everyone really likes you. I can’t tell you how many times the other paramedics have said they love when you’re on the line. You really know what you’re doing, sis.”
“Thanks,” I mutter, still laughing and eyeballing that knife she’s wielding. “Let’s not have to call for any chopped off fingers tonight, though, yeah?”
She chuckles and turns back to the veggies in front of her. “You never let me have any fun.”
Xander comes in through the front door and stops beside me, dropping a kiss to my temple. “Birthday boy is asking when he can open presents. I told him I’d ask the boss lady.”
Rolling my eyes, I smile up at him. “The birthday boy knows he can’t open presents until after we eat. He’s trying to con you, sir.”
His chest rumbles with a deep laugh and he shakes his head. “Makes sense why he’d ask me and not Cal. Bet he knows the rules.”
The two women behind me laugh at the same time I do. I nod, grinning up at him. He drops a kiss to my lips and I sigh happily. “That he does. Food is just about ready. How’s Bea?”
“Getting hungry.”
I drop my voice and breathe, “And how are you?”
His eyes sparkle as he rakes his gaze over my face, then down my body. Heat rushes up between my legs. Heaven above, will I never get enough of this man?
“Getting hungry,” he repeats, barely making a sound, his gaze returning to mine.
“Groossss,” Scottie whines, then looks over her shoulder and winks. “Get a room, you two horndogs.”
Grinning over at her, he grabs me around the waist, making me squeak in surprise as he lifts me. The frosting bag falls from my hands onto the counter, and then his thick, muscular arms wrap around me. He forces my legs to wrap around his waist andI open my mouth to protest, but he just grins at me wolfishly, making me laugh again instead. “That is a great idea, Scottie.”
“Xander!” I shriek, laughing, as he carries me down the hall.
His chest is shaking with laughter as he sets me down at the door, but the laughter ends abruptly when his hands capture my face between his palms and he kisses the daylights out of me. Pressing my body up against the doorframe, he leans into the kiss, effectively turning me into an absolute puddle in my panties.
