The only people who ever made a deal of who Alexander’s “real” father was were outsiders. To their son, Ben was Daddy and Todd was Pop and they were both his parents along with Erin.

Being a dad was about putting in the time and energy, the love. And Alexander had it from both men, who loved him powerfully.

Todd held Alexander upside down by his ankle. “Hey, pickle. Whatcha up to?”

Alexander laughed so hard he couldn’t talk, so Todd blew raspberries on his belly before turning him upright and setting him on his feet. He patted Todd’s knee before moving to a cabinet to peek inside.

Todd moved to them and hugged Erin and Ben at the same time, kissing each one. “Hi.”

Erin kissed Todd one more time. “Hi there, handsome. Spaghetti for dinner. Be ready in about ten minutes. I need to do the garlic bread. Got it at Three Girls when Alexander and I went to The Market earlier.”

Ben shooed her out of the way, grinning toward his son. “Alexander and I will do that. Garlic bread is my job.”

“Bread! Yes!” Alexander clapped his hands and Ben marveled, yet again, at how wonderfully vivacious and happy the boy was. He spoke in exclamation points and was always tipping his head back to laugh and laugh.

“Oh, alone at last.” Todd waggled his brows at Erin, who laughed.

“Hit me with whatever you can deliver in three minutes, ’cause that’s all we’ve got.”

Todd grabbed her by the waist, making Alexander laugh anew.

“Fine, fine. But come talk to me anyway. Tell me about your day.” Todd spoke to Alexander over Erin’s shoulder. “Pickle, put extra butter on my piece, all right?”

Alexander nodded solemnly and then took Ben’s hand, tugging. “Let’s go! Bread.”

Erin followed Todd down the hall to their bedroom, the sound of Ben and Alexander in the kitchen making Todd smile.

In the relative quiet of their bedroom he allowed himself to really take in the sight of her. So beautiful, his wife.

She paused a moment, preening just a little as he looked her over. “Let me.” She stepped to him and unbuttoned his shirt and cuffs. They didn’t always have the time for the more intense D/s stuff now that they had Alexander, but when she served him like this it still brought him to his knees.

Her hands brushed over his skin as she removed his shirt. She touched her lips to his chest, right above his heart. “I’m glad you’re home.”

All the stress of his day drained away as she handed him a shirt.

He pulled the shirt on over his head. “Seems like my entire day is about when I can leave to come home to you three.” He brushed his lips over hers a moment. “Love the new hair. Reminds me of Louise Brooks. My grandpa used to have pictures of her when I was a kid.”

She patted it and smiled, and love hit him hard. He drew her close. “I wish I could order you to your knees to suck my c**k and then f**k you until you begged.”

She shivered in his arms. “Oh that’s a good wish. Thank goodness bedtime isn’t so far away. Then I’m all yours to command.”

“Too far when my c**k is so hard I’m afraid it’s going to explode.”

She squeezed his ass and tiptoed up to kiss him. Soft at first, but with her it never stayed that way. Need crawled over his skin like a fever. Her taste, bold and sweet at the same time, wended through him as she sucked his tongue into her mouth. Her lips had been on his more times than he could count, but each time it was new. Each time it was a shock to him just how much he felt for this woman. Even as each time he touched her, everything in him calmed.

The sound of Alexander’s thundering run in their direction brought them both back to themselves as she licked her lips and stepped away with a smile.

“The sound of that run is like a cold shower.” He grinned at her.

“He’s going to be riding bikes and bringing his friends home after school before we know it.”

Panic flashed through him at the thought of their baby growing up. Such a bittersweet thing to be proud of a child getting older but knowing each year draws them a little closer to striking out on their own. “Selfish of me, I know, but sometimes I wish we could keep him this age.”

“You’re a powerfully magic man and all. But probably not that magic. Feels like just yesterday that he was still an infant, and now he’s running through the house like a mini tornado.”

“Ah well. As my father pointed out, Alexander is a big kid. He’ll be a big teenager too. Probably going to be sporty and arty. He’ll get more girls that way.”

She shook her head, smiling. “Good to know your priorities are straight. If he’s anything like his fathers we’ll be in trouble.”

She sashayed from the room, casting a knowing glance back over her shoulder before intercepting their son, catching him up in her arms and covering his face with kisses. Ben came from the other direction, his attention squarely on Erin and Alexander, a smile on his face that Todd was sure mirrored his own.

What a lucky f**ker he was.

Ben kissed her with a grin on his way past. “Be out in a sec. Check on the bread in a minute, please?”

“Bread! Ma, bread.” Alexander nodded seriously before laughing again.

“Let’s go, monkey.” She and Alexander rounded the corner, heading back to the kitchen as Ben approached him.

Their kiss wasn’t as soft. A mash-up of mouths and tongues as his fingers threaded through Ben’s hair, holding him in place.