Eventually, Rylee didn’t want him to leave at all.
His hands caressed her belly, eyes moving up to Rylee before he leaned down to press a kiss to her stomach.
She was six months pregnant, very much showing, and Xander was obsessed.
They’d learned two months prior they were having a boy, and Xander was beside himself excited. The room showed that, with baby items piling high in one corner of Rylee’s bedroom.
“Daddy gotta bounce,” he spoke to her stomach. Xander pressed a kiss there, then leaned his cheek against it, smiling when his baby boy kicked.
Xander peeked up at Rylee and saw a frown on her lips.
“Oh, don’t be jealous.” He smiled, climbing up to kiss her lips. “I got some of that for you, too.”
She laughed lowly, pressing her hands to either side of his face. “It’s not that.”
Xander leaned into her touch, warmth blooming everywhere she touched.
“What’s that face all about then?”
She was quiet for a moment, her thumb caressing his cheek.
“Can’t you just… stay?”
He arched a brow. “Stay?”
“Yeah… I mean…” she said, sitting up, Xander moving out of the way and helping her press her back to the headboard. “You’re here all the time when you’re off anyway, so…”
Xander dipped his chin to meet her eyes as she focused on the bed, playing with a fold in the sheets.
“Snoop?”
She lifted her gaze to him.
“Are you asking me to move in?”
“We’re about to have a baby.” She shrugged. “Life’s better when you’re around. I miss you when you go… so, maybe I am?”
He blinked in response, a smile slowly pulling at his lips.
She smiled back, her smile tugging at his heartstrings. Beyond what she was saying, seeing her pull him more and more close after life threw them this curveball had been the best part of the experience.
“Yes.” She nodded, inhaled a deep breath and let it go slowly. “I’m asking you to move in.”
And here Xander had been.
Tonight, he’d made dinner, the kids’ choice of burgers and fries.
They were asleep in their rooms, and Xander was headed down to the basement to get their mother so she could do the same.
Plus, he had some news he was both excited and anxious to share with her.
“Snoop, let’s go,” Xander said the moment he reached the bottom of the basement stairs.
His woman sat in front of four computer monitors. One screen was full of scrolling numbers. Just glancing at it made his head hurt. And if she started explaining what they meant, like she always did? His brain would spin in circles, again.
The other screens were crowded with spreadsheets and news articles, all centered on stock data and stock market news.
Rylee turned in her seat, crumbs from the blueberry muffin he’d baked for her earlier stuck to the corner of her mouth.
