“What do you want from her?” I asked tentatively. “If she doesn’t wish to be married anymore. What will you do?”

“If Natalia truly wishes to be free of me, we will divorce. But I have a feeling that she hates what I did much more than the man I am. We have also had eight years apart. Eight long years is plenty of time to sort through your priorities. I want to build a life with Natalia, but I have a feeling she won’t make this easy.”

Mark barked out a laugh. “Women usually don’t.”

Elbowing Mark hard in the side, I felt a certain sense of satisfaction when he grunted in pain.

“Natalie is my friend. I can’t betray that. But I hope that somehow things can be resolved for the best between the two of you.”

Julio raised a brow. “Do you believe me?”

I sighed dramatically. “To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure. But there is something I like about you.”

Mark scowled, and I laughed at his expression. Leaning over, I kissed his cheeks and then kissed Evie as well.

“This isn’t likely to be easy,” Mark warned.

“I will need a game plan,” Julio said, handing Avery to me and then getting up to his feet. Mark and I followed suit, each holding a twin in our arms. Julio looked at us with open admiration.

“Someday, I hope to have a family. Thank you for allowing me to stay here. I will go finish unpacking my things.”

As he left, Mark and I took the girls upstairs for their naps. The nanny took each one and promised to check diapers and give them a bottle. After thanking Sadie for what was possibly the hundredth time, Mark and I were headed back to the stairs when out of nowhere, he scooped me up and into his arms.

I squealed, but Mark shushed me. “The babies are sleeping. Hell, woman, I think you're going to give Sadie a complex,” Mark teased, biting the fleshy part of my ear. “She’s been with us for quite a while now. I don’t know if you need to give her such detailed instructions every day.”

I blushed, knowing I needed to stop stressing. Sadie was excellent with the babies. Instead of focusing on that, I reached over and pinched Mark’s nipple beneath his dress shirt. “I can’t help it.”

He growled against my neck. “I know, and I find it utterly sexy.”

“You found pregnancy utterly sexy,” I said with a grin. “I’m not sure your sexy meter is functioning correctly.”

Mark tossed me on the bed and began to unbutton his shirt. My heart rate ratcheted up a notch or two with every piece of flesh he exposed. All the way down to those washboard abs.

“No,” Mark replied, shaking his head. “I said that seeingyoupregnant with my child was fucking sexy. And for the record, it was.”

Not wanting Mark to have an unfair advantage. I pulled my soft cotton shirt over my head and watched as Mark’s eyes narrowed in on my breasts.

“Now I find the mother of my children fucking sexy,” he said with a growl.

He unbuttoned his slacks and shoved them down along with his underwear. Once free of them, he grabbed my ankles and yanked me to the edge of the bed.

I threw my bra onto the floor and had moved to the button of my jeans when Mark was upon me. He brushed my hands aside and undid them for me. With a yank, he pulled my jeans off and then spread my legs. He seemed enthralled with the sight of me nearly naked, all except for the silky panties.

“You forgot something,” I said in a sing-song tone, grinning wickedly. I ran a hand down my body and slipped it underneath the elastic band of my panties.

His breath caught as I moaned, parting my folds and allowing my finger to slip over my clit. I then moved my fingers lower, gathering the slickness of my desire and rubbing circles on my clit. Mark let out a sound that wasn’t even human. Then he was yanking my panties down my thighs.

I gasped as he pulled my hand away and then lifted it to my mouth. “Suck them,” he commanded.

Keeping his eyes locked on mine, I allowed him to place my fingers in my mouth. The musky taste of arousal flooded my tongue. I sucked them good and watched as Mark's eyes darkened and became wild.

The next thing I knew, he was shoving my thighs apart as wide as they would go. His mouth came down, and he licked me, causing a muffled curse to escape my lips. I wanted more, needed more. I gasped as he moved in to kiss my core.

“Mark,” I panted his name, thrusting my hips against his face.

It was so good, too good. He knew just what to do to drive me batshit crazy. The pleasure coiled inside of me was building, climbing higher and higher. The tips of my breasts tightened, and I knew that my release was approaching.

He sucked my clit hard, flicking it with his tongue, and I shattered. The orgasm was so intense that black dots clouded my vision. My body convulsed, and he continued to ride me with his mouth. When he finally came up for air, we were both panting.