Lanie sighed, her heart happy. But not the rest of her. Nope, the rest of her was twitchy and sweaty. She shifted and fidgeted there at the table, fanning her overheated face, blowing out a long breath, which lifted some of the hair off her face—until it fell back into her eyes.

She was miserable and it was time to share some of that misery. Pulling out her phone, she texted Mark.

I’M HOT.

“Yeah, you are hot,” said a sexy familiar voice right behind her.

“Oh my God,” Mia complained. “Overshare.”

Lanie craned her neck to find Mark standing right behind her. He wore his uniform stretched taut over his broad shoulders, his impossibly long legs bringing him up against her, and her entire body gave a hungry little quiver.

“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!” the girls yelled in unison as Mark slid his arms around Lanie and rubbed his scruffy jaw to her face before claiming her mouth in a hungry kiss.

“Hey,” Mia complained. “Enough’s enough. I want to be the next person kissed!”

This didn’t stop Mark. He crouched at Lanie’s side and kissed her again, softly, languidly, his lips gentle against hers.

In the meantime, Sierra ran around the table and kissed her aunt Mia, who laughed and pulled Sierra onto her lap. “Thanks, munchkin, I can always count on you.”

Mark’s hands slid down Lanie’s arms to cup her eight-months-pregnant belly. “How are all of my girls?”

“We’re good, Daddy!” Sierra yelled.

Sam nodded.

Mark smiled and turned to Lanie. “And you two?”

“Baby’s good. But me . . .” Lanie stretched into his hands. “I’m feeling like an overinflated balloon, like I’m under a lot of pressure right now.”

He smiled. “Don’t worry. You’ve done some of your best work under pressure.”