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Page 124
Tessa laughed. “I had noticed that on occasion, yes. And who knows - that might end up being Lily’s favorite outfit one of these days.”
Julia’s eyes widened in horror. “Don’t even joke about that, Tessa,” she whispered urgently. “My greatest fear is that Lily grows up to be a tomboy like her Auntie Lauren. Please say a prayer every night that she lets me keep dressing her up when she gets older. I would be heartbroken if she left for her first day of school wearing jeans and a T-shirt.”
Tessa touched a fingertip to the baby’s tiny button nose. At four months, Lily had delicately formed little features, her skin dewy soft, her eyes that particular shade of blue that most babies had initially. She had a little tuft of light brown hair, and was wearing a cute pink and white polka dot sundress and tiny white sandals.
“She looks like a girly girl to me,” assured Tessa. “Just like her mommy. Before too long, you’re going to have to lock up your closet so Lily doesn’t try borrowing your stuff.”
That pleased Julia tremendously, and she cuddled the daughter she’d always longed for closer against her. “I’d love that,” beamed Julia. “That is, as long as I can get these last ten pounds off and squeeze my ass into those tight dresses and skirts. At least my feet didn’t get bigger, so all my shoes still fit. And I’m not even going to ask, Tessa, because I already know that all of your stuff fits perfectly. Have I mentioned lately that I hate you?”
Tessa grinned. “At least you didn’t call me a skanky bitch.”
Julia hooked an arm around her friend’s neck and gave her a fierce hug. “Never,” she assured her. “And you know I really love you, right? You and Ian have become like family to Nathan and me. And I’m thrilled that you’re going to stick around the Bay Area instead of moving to England. This way our kids can grow up together. Gilly and the twin terrors are barely a year apart, and the babies less than a month. Though I’m afraid Lily is going to be it for me. Nathan’s pretty insistent that he only wants three children. Of course, that’s mostly because having Noah and Justin around is really like having six kids in the house.”
Tessa nodded in understanding. “I think Ian would prefer to stop at two children,” she admitted reluctantly. “And while I love both of them to pieces, I really would like to have four children in all. After growing up without any siblings, or even any friends, my fondest dream is to fill the house with the sound of children laughing.”
Julia jabbed her playfully in the ribs. “I’ll bet you can talk him into it,” she teased. “Ian’s a big softie underneath all those proper British manners of his. And he’s crazy about you, Tessa.”
“Just like Nathan is about you,” assured Tessa.
Julia scowled. “Yeah, except that he’s onto me now. He knows every single little trick I pull out of the hat to try and coerce him into doing something. Unless I can think up some new ones, it’s not going to work any longer.”
They were sitting under the shaded back deck of the Atwood’s waterfront home in Tiburon on this gorgeous, sunny summer afternoon. Julia hadn’t been up for doing much entertaining after Lily’s birth, but now that the baby was four months old and very nearly sleeping through the night, things had begun to get back to normal. And since it had been a particularly cool, often foggy summer thus far back across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Tessa and Ian had welcomed the opportunity to visit their friends and enjoy the sun. Nathan planned to grill some steaks and chicken for their dinner, while Tessa had brought an assortment of salads and side dishes, and Julia had promised to make something decadent for dessert.
Both babies - five month old Liam and four month old Lily - had just finished nursing a few minutes ago, and were now content to be held in their mothers’ arms. Tessa smiled down at her son as he yawned, his hazel eyes beginning to droop. She rocked him gently, knowing he loved that, and thought for perhaps the hundredth time since his birth how much he already resembled his handsome father. Liam’s hair was dark and thick, his eyelashes enviably long, and he was already big for his age. He was a good eater, an even better sleeper, and every bit as calm and placid as his older sister had been as an infant.
Tessa was grateful that both of her children were so easygoing, and that taking care of them had proven to be much easier than she had initially feared. Having her in-laws stay with them for a full month after Liam’s birth had been a godsend, with Joanna and Edward paying Gilly lots of attention so that Tessa could tend to a newborn. By the time the elder Gregsons had flown home to England, Liam was already sleeping for a good four hours during the night, enough to convince Ian that they didn’t need to hire a nanny. And now, at five months, the baby was sleeping a full eight hours each night, meaning Tessa was well rested.
It also meant that she and her lusty husband could freely engage in the sort of passionate, very physical lovemaking that he’d insisted on abstaining from during her pregnancy. Just last night, in fact, he’d been almost insatiable, and Tessa had to stifle a groan as image after image of their wild, frantic fucking flitted through her mind.
Ian, who was splashing around in the pool with Gilly, looked over at her then, their gazes locked together, and from the way he smiled at her - slowly, knowingly, carnally - it was obvious that he, too, was thinking about what had occurred in their bed last night, as well as very early this morning. He winked at her flirtatiously before returning his attention to their daughter, who could already swim like a little fish.
“I know that look,” commented Julia lazily. “And, honey, with a hunk like Ian in your bed, it’s a wonder that particular look isn’t frozen on your face.”
Tessa grinned, still rocking Liam gently as he began to doze off. “I’d say something like ‘you have no idea’, but I have a feeling you do.”
Julia nodded. “Nathan and I are really just starting to get our groove back, though. It was a rough couple of months after Lily was born, getting her to sleep more than an hour or two, plus dealing with the boys. Thank God both sets of our parents set up camp here for a few weeks at a time to help out. And I’m pretty sure we’re going to hire a part-time nanny or au pair, especially since I want to start working on some design projects again.”
“Don’t let Ian hear you say that,” cautioned Tessa. “He’s relented some on the idea, has agreed for the moment to let me take care of the children myself, but that doesn’t mean he’s forgotten about it completely. If he learns you and Nathan are getting a nanny, he’s bound to revisit the idea.”
Julia’s eyes widened in horror. “Don’t even joke about that, Tessa,” she whispered urgently. “My greatest fear is that Lily grows up to be a tomboy like her Auntie Lauren. Please say a prayer every night that she lets me keep dressing her up when she gets older. I would be heartbroken if she left for her first day of school wearing jeans and a T-shirt.”
Tessa touched a fingertip to the baby’s tiny button nose. At four months, Lily had delicately formed little features, her skin dewy soft, her eyes that particular shade of blue that most babies had initially. She had a little tuft of light brown hair, and was wearing a cute pink and white polka dot sundress and tiny white sandals.
“She looks like a girly girl to me,” assured Tessa. “Just like her mommy. Before too long, you’re going to have to lock up your closet so Lily doesn’t try borrowing your stuff.”
That pleased Julia tremendously, and she cuddled the daughter she’d always longed for closer against her. “I’d love that,” beamed Julia. “That is, as long as I can get these last ten pounds off and squeeze my ass into those tight dresses and skirts. At least my feet didn’t get bigger, so all my shoes still fit. And I’m not even going to ask, Tessa, because I already know that all of your stuff fits perfectly. Have I mentioned lately that I hate you?”
Tessa grinned. “At least you didn’t call me a skanky bitch.”
Julia hooked an arm around her friend’s neck and gave her a fierce hug. “Never,” she assured her. “And you know I really love you, right? You and Ian have become like family to Nathan and me. And I’m thrilled that you’re going to stick around the Bay Area instead of moving to England. This way our kids can grow up together. Gilly and the twin terrors are barely a year apart, and the babies less than a month. Though I’m afraid Lily is going to be it for me. Nathan’s pretty insistent that he only wants three children. Of course, that’s mostly because having Noah and Justin around is really like having six kids in the house.”
Tessa nodded in understanding. “I think Ian would prefer to stop at two children,” she admitted reluctantly. “And while I love both of them to pieces, I really would like to have four children in all. After growing up without any siblings, or even any friends, my fondest dream is to fill the house with the sound of children laughing.”
Julia jabbed her playfully in the ribs. “I’ll bet you can talk him into it,” she teased. “Ian’s a big softie underneath all those proper British manners of his. And he’s crazy about you, Tessa.”
“Just like Nathan is about you,” assured Tessa.
Julia scowled. “Yeah, except that he’s onto me now. He knows every single little trick I pull out of the hat to try and coerce him into doing something. Unless I can think up some new ones, it’s not going to work any longer.”
They were sitting under the shaded back deck of the Atwood’s waterfront home in Tiburon on this gorgeous, sunny summer afternoon. Julia hadn’t been up for doing much entertaining after Lily’s birth, but now that the baby was four months old and very nearly sleeping through the night, things had begun to get back to normal. And since it had been a particularly cool, often foggy summer thus far back across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Tessa and Ian had welcomed the opportunity to visit their friends and enjoy the sun. Nathan planned to grill some steaks and chicken for their dinner, while Tessa had brought an assortment of salads and side dishes, and Julia had promised to make something decadent for dessert.
Both babies - five month old Liam and four month old Lily - had just finished nursing a few minutes ago, and were now content to be held in their mothers’ arms. Tessa smiled down at her son as he yawned, his hazel eyes beginning to droop. She rocked him gently, knowing he loved that, and thought for perhaps the hundredth time since his birth how much he already resembled his handsome father. Liam’s hair was dark and thick, his eyelashes enviably long, and he was already big for his age. He was a good eater, an even better sleeper, and every bit as calm and placid as his older sister had been as an infant.
Tessa was grateful that both of her children were so easygoing, and that taking care of them had proven to be much easier than she had initially feared. Having her in-laws stay with them for a full month after Liam’s birth had been a godsend, with Joanna and Edward paying Gilly lots of attention so that Tessa could tend to a newborn. By the time the elder Gregsons had flown home to England, Liam was already sleeping for a good four hours during the night, enough to convince Ian that they didn’t need to hire a nanny. And now, at five months, the baby was sleeping a full eight hours each night, meaning Tessa was well rested.
It also meant that she and her lusty husband could freely engage in the sort of passionate, very physical lovemaking that he’d insisted on abstaining from during her pregnancy. Just last night, in fact, he’d been almost insatiable, and Tessa had to stifle a groan as image after image of their wild, frantic fucking flitted through her mind.
Ian, who was splashing around in the pool with Gilly, looked over at her then, their gazes locked together, and from the way he smiled at her - slowly, knowingly, carnally - it was obvious that he, too, was thinking about what had occurred in their bed last night, as well as very early this morning. He winked at her flirtatiously before returning his attention to their daughter, who could already swim like a little fish.
“I know that look,” commented Julia lazily. “And, honey, with a hunk like Ian in your bed, it’s a wonder that particular look isn’t frozen on your face.”
Tessa grinned, still rocking Liam gently as he began to doze off. “I’d say something like ‘you have no idea’, but I have a feeling you do.”
Julia nodded. “Nathan and I are really just starting to get our groove back, though. It was a rough couple of months after Lily was born, getting her to sleep more than an hour or two, plus dealing with the boys. Thank God both sets of our parents set up camp here for a few weeks at a time to help out. And I’m pretty sure we’re going to hire a part-time nanny or au pair, especially since I want to start working on some design projects again.”
“Don’t let Ian hear you say that,” cautioned Tessa. “He’s relented some on the idea, has agreed for the moment to let me take care of the children myself, but that doesn’t mean he’s forgotten about it completely. If he learns you and Nathan are getting a nanny, he’s bound to revisit the idea.”
