humor.
“You made your bed, now lie in it.”
“It won’t be so bad,” he defends. “She’ll learn.”
“I hope so.” I sigh. “But if she chews up my shark slippers, I’m done.” I raise my hands to emphasize my doneness.
Xander presses his lips together to hold in his laughter. “Your slippers are already falling apart.
“They’re sacred ,” I defend.
“Do you even know the definition of sacred?” He smirks and strides forward. He’s so tall that he only has to take two steps before he’s right in front of me. He places his hands on my waist and bends down to kiss me. For a moment, my body seizes with fear at being caught, but then I remind myself that Cade’s at the gym and Rae’s grocery shopping.
“Yes, I know the definition,” I breathe, slightly light-headed from his proximity. His dark eyes flit over my face and I see so many things reflected there. Things that scare me with their intensity. “Why are you looking at me like that?” I whisper the question in the shared air between us.
His tongue slips out, wetting his lips. “Because I see you.”
A shiver runs down my spine. “That makes no sense.” Yes, it does .
His lips turn up slightly but he says no more as he steps back and breaks the moment. I’m growing used to these short and powerful moments between us. It’s like we’re a rubber band pulled back and we can only go so far before we snap together.
Xander picks up Prue and heads for the kitchen.
I watch him disappear from the room, and wonder to myself how I ever thought I could resist him.
That boy is my kryptonite.
It’s been two weeks since Vegas and my period is late.
I sit at the kitchen island, with my head in my hands, hating life. While Xander stands there oblivious with a spatula in one hand and a pan in the other. Under normal conditions, the sight of him about to make breakfast in only his sleep pants with the barest hint of his boxer-briefs peeking out the top would be enough to send me into cardiac arrest.
“How would you like your eggs?” he asks.
My face crumples. “Not fertilized.” Xander looks at me blankly and then when he notes the tears in my eyes it clicks into place for him. “My period’s late,” I confirm, and my chest tightens with the words. Is this what a panic attack feels like?
He sets the pan and spatula down and braces his hands on the counter. He looks at me from beneath his thick lashes and I see the worry there. “Aren’t periods late sometimes? It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re pregnant, right?”
I swallow past the lump in my throat. “My period hasn’t been late in nearly a year, so …” I hesitate and he clenches his jaw, looking away from me.
“Don’t freak out,” he tells me, leveling his dark gaze on me.
“Too late,” I whisper. “I’m not ready to be a mom.” My voice goes high with fright. “I may not know what I want to do with the rest of my life, but I do know I’m not ready for a baby. Poor Prue would probably starve to death without you.” I wave a hand at him before burying my face in my hands. A sob racks my body. “Xander, I’m scared .” I look up at him as a tear slides down my cheek.
He reaches out and swipes it away so fast that I’m not even sure he actually touched me. “Just breathe,” he whispers, taking my chin in his hand and holding me captive. “I’m going to run to the store and get a test. You just … sit here and try not to panic too much.”
A humorless laugh bubbles out of my throat. “Easier said than done.”
Xander swipes his car keys off the counter and uses them to point at me. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
Me? Do something stupid?
Never.
“What the fuck?” Xander pauses in the doorway, and I can feel his gaze on me. Prue sits beside me, licking ice cream out of the gallon container that sits on the floor beside me.
Me? I’m sprawled out on the floor in only my bra and underwear. I got so freaked out that I
“You made your bed, now lie in it.”
“It won’t be so bad,” he defends. “She’ll learn.”
“I hope so.” I sigh. “But if she chews up my shark slippers, I’m done.” I raise my hands to emphasize my doneness.
Xander presses his lips together to hold in his laughter. “Your slippers are already falling apart.
“They’re sacred ,” I defend.
“Do you even know the definition of sacred?” He smirks and strides forward. He’s so tall that he only has to take two steps before he’s right in front of me. He places his hands on my waist and bends down to kiss me. For a moment, my body seizes with fear at being caught, but then I remind myself that Cade’s at the gym and Rae’s grocery shopping.
“Yes, I know the definition,” I breathe, slightly light-headed from his proximity. His dark eyes flit over my face and I see so many things reflected there. Things that scare me with their intensity. “Why are you looking at me like that?” I whisper the question in the shared air between us.
His tongue slips out, wetting his lips. “Because I see you.”
A shiver runs down my spine. “That makes no sense.” Yes, it does .
His lips turn up slightly but he says no more as he steps back and breaks the moment. I’m growing used to these short and powerful moments between us. It’s like we’re a rubber band pulled back and we can only go so far before we snap together.
Xander picks up Prue and heads for the kitchen.
I watch him disappear from the room, and wonder to myself how I ever thought I could resist him.
That boy is my kryptonite.
It’s been two weeks since Vegas and my period is late.
I sit at the kitchen island, with my head in my hands, hating life. While Xander stands there oblivious with a spatula in one hand and a pan in the other. Under normal conditions, the sight of him about to make breakfast in only his sleep pants with the barest hint of his boxer-briefs peeking out the top would be enough to send me into cardiac arrest.
“How would you like your eggs?” he asks.
My face crumples. “Not fertilized.” Xander looks at me blankly and then when he notes the tears in my eyes it clicks into place for him. “My period’s late,” I confirm, and my chest tightens with the words. Is this what a panic attack feels like?
He sets the pan and spatula down and braces his hands on the counter. He looks at me from beneath his thick lashes and I see the worry there. “Aren’t periods late sometimes? It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re pregnant, right?”
I swallow past the lump in my throat. “My period hasn’t been late in nearly a year, so …” I hesitate and he clenches his jaw, looking away from me.
“Don’t freak out,” he tells me, leveling his dark gaze on me.
“Too late,” I whisper. “I’m not ready to be a mom.” My voice goes high with fright. “I may not know what I want to do with the rest of my life, but I do know I’m not ready for a baby. Poor Prue would probably starve to death without you.” I wave a hand at him before burying my face in my hands. A sob racks my body. “Xander, I’m scared .” I look up at him as a tear slides down my cheek.
He reaches out and swipes it away so fast that I’m not even sure he actually touched me. “Just breathe,” he whispers, taking my chin in his hand and holding me captive. “I’m going to run to the store and get a test. You just … sit here and try not to panic too much.”
A humorless laugh bubbles out of my throat. “Easier said than done.”
Xander swipes his car keys off the counter and uses them to point at me. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
Me? Do something stupid?
Never.
“What the fuck?” Xander pauses in the doorway, and I can feel his gaze on me. Prue sits beside me, licking ice cream out of the gallon container that sits on the floor beside me.
Me? I’m sprawled out on the floor in only my bra and underwear. I got so freaked out that I
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