Page 65 of Home: Posy 5

More giants, I muttered to myself and heard Lark snicker at me before all my attention went to the small boy Leyly held in her arms.

"Pleased to meet you, Posy." She smiled broadly, showing strong, white teeth, and turned the baby to face me. "And this ismi bebé (my baby). His name is Gage."

"Oh, I've heard a lot about him already!" I beamed and looked over at Camille, who grinned back. "He's the star of the family, isn't he?"

"Si(yes), and he knows it, too," she laughed. "Do you want to hold him? He likes to meet people, so he won't cry."

"Yes, please!" With a big grin, I nodded furiously.

"It's good he's a chill little dude," Ash piped up, "because he has a lot of people here who want to hold him, including me!"

As everyone chuckled at him, Leyly handed over the little squish, who babbled and waved his hands until he realized his mommy wasn't holding him anymore. He went still and looked up at me with enormous eyes. They were the same color as Ash's - so dark brown they appeared black - and his thick eyelashes only added to his adorableness.

I might have to rethink our decision to wait to have pups, I told Lark.

No fall victim to baby fever!she cautioned me with a snort. Listen to head, not ovaries!

"Hi, baby," I whispered as I cuddled him. "Aren't you so cute?"

He began to wave his arms and jabber again, making "ah-ah-ah" noises with such a serious face that it made me giggle.

"Oh, really?" I pretended to understand him. "Then what happened?"

He blinked a couple times, as if he were surprised I'd answered him, then gave me a toothless grin, complete with saliva running out of his mouth like a faucet.

"Sorry." Leyly rushed to blot his face and neck with a soft cloth. "He's teething, which means no one's outfit is complete without drool."

"It's fine," I told her as I kissed his dimpled cheek, making him giggle and squirm.

"Oh-oh-oh!" he babbled, flailing his fists at his mom.

"Yes, I know. You don't like having your conversation interrupted," she chuckled and finished wiping him up.

I kissed the top of his head to hide my wince as the muscles in my arms began to burn. The boys had me swimming and doing strengthening exercises every day, as well as eating nutritious and frequent meals, but my progress was slow. I knew I was much, much stronger than I'd ever been in my life, but holding this pudgy bowling ball was starting to tell on me.

"Okay, princess, it's my turn! You're hogging him!" Ash held out his hands, and I wondered if he noticed my discomfort or just wanted to hold the baby.

Probably both, Lark grinned,although Siddyingto hold him.

"Yes, yes, my impatient waffle." I rolled my eyes and handed Gage over to him.

And if I thought I had baby fever before, it became babyinfluenzawhen I saw my mate holding the little one against his wide chest and cooing at him.

"Oh, you're so precious! Yes, you are!" Ash grinned at the baby. "So soft and sweet! How does your mommy and daddy get anything done? You'd be all I could focus on if you were mine."

And the thought of Ash as a daddy melted me into a puddle.

I needed a fan.

Or a cup of ice.

More like an ice bath, Lark laughed.

Stop, wolfie!I whined, but she only laughed harder.

"We don't even bother turning the TV on anymore," Liam replied as he looked at his son with pride and love shining in his eyes. "We just watch him and play with him. He's getting ready to crawl, so he'll rock back and forth on his hands and knees, like he's revving up his engine before the checkered flag drops."

That description amused my motor-head mates, and they grinned as they crowded around Ash to see the baby.

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