“What do you mean?”

“Well, we were best friends first right. That means when we’re older we’ll still always have that. Our friendship. I think it’s what keeps couples together more than anything else.”

Marco frowned. “What does that mean?”

Sensing he was irritated by the comment I hurried to explain. “Well people get older, passion...,” I searched for the right word, “Dilutes.”

He made a face. “I hate to tell you this, baby, but when we’re old and gray my horny ass will still want yours.”

I laughed at the image I now had in my hand. “I take it that means you don’t intend to give me any peace in that department?”

He grunted and gave me a pointed look. “I think it’ll be mutual.”

Chuckling I nodded as I reached for the sparkling water in the hamper. It was true. I woke him up for sex during the night probably more times than he did me. He always fell asleep before me because I liked to read before going to sleep. “I read a lot of sexy books.” I shrugged.

“And I thank God for that every day.”

***

Sophia and Jarrod were both sleeping when we picked them up from Joss and Braden’s later that night. Although Sophia stirred and whimpered and cried a little as we took them out to the car, Jarrod slept right through. Thankfully, Sophia fell asleep with the movement of the car, and Marco carried her into the house while I carried the soft, warm, pliant bundle of baby joy that was my son.

Once we had them down for the night, we made our way to our own room and got ready for bed. Crawling in beside my husband, I curled up next to him and lay my head down on his chest.

I sighed, content, when his arm came around me, his hand resting on my hip.

“Thank you for the best Valentine’s Day ever.”

He was silent.

I lifted my head to find him frowning. “What?”

“Best ever?” he grimaced.

“Um… yes,” I answered, confused by his response.

“Well how the fuck am I supposed to top that?”

I threw my head back in laughter and found myself rolled onto my back as he braced over me, grinning. I slid my hands around the warm, hard muscles of back. “You don’t need to worry about that for another two years. Next year is my turn.”

“Oh.” He nudged my legs apart as he began peeling the strap of my nighty down. “What do you have in mind?”

“It’s a surprise.” My breath caught as cool air whispered over my breasts as he tugged my nighty down to my waist. My nipples peaked and Marco took it as an invitation. His warm, hot mouth wrapped around my left nipple and I automatically wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer.

He lifted his head and gave me a slow wicked grin. “Next year. You and me. Alone. In this bed. You naked. Best fucking present you could give me.”

I shook with laughter. “Men are so easy.”

“You know it.”

My laughter was quickly swallowed up in his kiss and we were just getting to the good stuff when Jarrod’s cry lit up our baby monitor.

We froze for a second, our heated, aroused bodies needing a minute to come out of the lust stupor. Marco untangled himself from me and got out of bed, shucking on a pair of pajama bottoms. “Don’t move,” he said to me. “Not one inch.”

“I’m lying like a wanton,” I grumbled.

“I don’t know what that is but it’s sexy as fuck so stay there, exactly as you are.”

“Or what?”

“Just do it.” He disappeared quickly out of the room and a couple of seconds later I heard his deep crooning through the baby monitor as he saw to our son.

My belly melted as I heard him whisper soothingly to Jarrod and I decided I would stay as I was just because he was such a good dad.

A little while later he wandered back into the room and stopped in the doorway. His eyes flared at the sight of me sprawled across our bed, half-naked. “Fuck,” he bit out and I had to bite my lip to stop from grinning.

He saw it anyway and it made him move.

Before I knew it he was naked and in the bed and I was wrapped around him again and he was inside of me, thrusting into me with urgency and need that took me toward climax.

Twice.

Afterward, I curled into him, my body and mind so filled with contentment, sleep came for me easily.

I was almost out when another cry lit the air, this time louder and more feminine.

I moved to slip out from Marco’s arms and he tightened his hold. “I’ll go,” he said.

“My turn,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to his shoulder before I left.

I pulled on my discarded nighty and tugged a robe on around it and padded down the carpeted hallway to my daughter’s room at the other side of the house.

She was sitting up in her bed, clutching at her duvet, the nightlight in the room showing tears in her eyes.

An ache moved through me at the sight and I hurried over to her, pulling her into my arms. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

“Mummy,” she hiccupped and clutched me tight.

I could only assume it was the disruption to her sleep tonight that set her off, so I lay back against the headboard and murmured the story of Cinderella to her until I finally felt her warm little body go limp against me. Carefully as possible, I settled her comfortably and tip toed back out.

Not wanting to wake Marco, I slid back into bed and curled up on my side.

Not two seconds later the mattress dipped and I felt his heat along the length of me as he put his arm around me and pulled me into him.

“Angel okay?” he said sleepily.

“She’s okay.”

“Good.” He kissed my neck. “Love you.” His soft snores followed quickly on the heels of those two words.

I smiled, my eyelids drooping with exhaustion. “Love you, too.”

Shannon and Cole

My eyes were boring holes into the wall.

The buzz of a needle had not sounded for the last few minutes and still Cole hadn’t appeared out of his room with the stunning brunette whose eyes had lit up at the sight of him like a kid’s on a present-surrounded Christmas tree.

I grumbled under my breath and propped my elbow on the reception desk and my chin in the cup of my palm. I continued to glare at the wall, the glare turning into a full on glower at the sound of a feminine giggle.

I huffed and pushed back on my chair restlessly, flailing my arms out to balance myself when the chair threatened to topple backwards with the power of my aggressive restlessness.