Page 117 of The Secrets We Built Together

We fell back onto the bed together, his weight pressing me into the mattress in the most delicious way. His mouth moved down my neck to my breast, teeth grazing my nipple through the thin lace of my bra. I arched into the touch, a soft moan escaping me.

"I've been thinking about this all week," he admitted, reaching beneath me to unhook my bra. "About having you all to myself."

"Me too," I gasped as his mouth closed around my bare nipple, his tongue swirling in a way that sent heat straight to my core. "God, Xander."

His hand slid down my stomach to the waistband of my leggings, fingers dipping just beneath the elastic. "Tell me what you want, Blake."

"You," I said simply, "Just you."

His eyes met mine, dark with desire but so full of love it made my heart stutter. "You have me. Always."

And then his mouth was on mine again, kissing me like I was essential, like he needed me to breathe. I lost myself in the sensation, in the taste of him, the feel of his skin against mine as we moved together in the soft glow of the bedside lamp.

His skin felt like fire beneath my fingertips as the desire took us over. Every touch, every caress in the darkness was like we were discovering each other for the first time, even though we'd been together for months. The world outside ceased to exist—there was only us, only this moment where everything else fell away.

"I love you," he whispered against my lips, his voice rough with emotion and want.

"I love you too," I breathed back, pulling him closer as the lamplight cast golden shadows across our intertwined bodies.

And then there were no more words, only the soft sounds of our breathing, and the gentle rustle of sheets as we lost ourselves completely in each other. The rest of the night dissolving into tender touches and whispered promises that would carry us into dawn.

#

I woke to the sound of Amelia's babbling through the baby monitor. The bedroom was filled with early morning light, soft and golden. Xander's arm was draped over my waist, his breathing still deep and even against my neck.

For a moment, I just lay there, savoring the warmth of him against me, the rightness of this moment. Then Amelia's babbling turned to more insistent sounds, and I carefully extracted myself from Xander's embrace.

"Where you going?" he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep as he reached for me.

"Amelia's awake," I whispered, dropping a kiss on his forehead. "Go back to sleep."

He made a noncommittal sound, burying his face in the pillow as I slipped from the bed. I pulled on his discarded henley and a pair of shorts before padding down the hall to the nursery.

Amelia was standing in her crib, holding onto the rails, her face lighting up when she saw me. She was babbling her usual sounds, but then—

"Ma-ma... ma-ma!"

I froze in the doorway, my heart stopping. "Oh my God," I whispered, rushing to the crib. "Did you just—? Say it again, baby girl!"

"Mama!" she said more clearly this time, reaching her little arms up to me.

Tears sprang to my eyes as I scooped her up, my hands shaking with excitement. "You said mama! Your first word!" I kissed her chubby cheeks over and over. "I can't believe it!"

The sound of running footsteps echoed down the hall, and suddenly Xander burst through the nursery door, his hair sticking up at odd angles, still in just his boxers.

"Did she—? I heard over the monitor—did she really say—?"

"Mama!" Amelia announced proudly, as if she knew exactly what all the fuss was about.

Xander's face broke into the biggest grin I'd ever seen. "Holy shit, Blake! Her first word! Oh shit, don’t say shit!" He crossed the room to us in two strides, wrapping both of us in his arms, a deliriously happy smile on his face. "I can't believe I almost missed it."

"Say it again, sweet girl," I encouraged, bouncing her gently. "Say mama."

"Mama! Mama!" she repeated, clapping her hands together like she knew she'd done something wonderful.

I was full-on crying now, happy tears streaming down my face. "I can't believe her first word was mama," I said, looking at Xander through my tears.

"Are you kidding?" he said, his own eyes suspiciously bright. "Of course it was. You're her whole world." He pressed a kiss to my temple, then to Amelia's head. "We need to call everyone. Get the camera. This is huge!"

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