Eric stopped along the way to buy alcohol so they wouldn’t arrive empty handed. Maggie had insisted that they bring nothing, but Natasha wasn’t comfortable with that given they had Erica and Nathaniel staying with them.
When they arrived at Maggie and Thomas’s house Natasha looked around with interest. She’d never been to their home before even though they actually lived on a small parcel of land that had once been part of Eric’s property. He’d given it to them and had their home built as a gift for all the years that Maggie had taken care of him as a child and for the work they did even now, looking after the country home when he was on the mainland.
Everyone greeted them with hugs and kisses all round. Natasha was pleased to see the twins were doing well and didn’t seem at all upset over being left with Maggie, Thomas and Beverly. Still it didn’t stop her showering them with kisses until they were both giggling at her.
Maggie instructed Thomas through the whole cooking of the BBQ which made Natasha smile to herself. When it came to those two, Maggie definitely wore the pants, but Thomas seemed quite happy to take his orders from his wife. They’d been happily married a long time and Natasha could only hope that her and Eric continued to be as happy as long as the older couple had been.
Once they’d all eaten, Natasha tried to help clean up but was ordered out of the kitchen by Maggie so after another hour of sitting around chatting, her and Eric said their goodbyes and headed back to their home.
They spent the rest of the evening making love until finally falling asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.
The next few days were spent doing the tourist thing. Eric drove Natasha to Hobart so she could look around and do some shopping. They went to the Botanical Gardens which were stunningly beautiful and on their way home, he took the coastal route so they could see the Blowhole and several other beautiful examples of Mother Nature along the way.
Their time in Tasmania had given Natasha and Eric some much needed time alone together and by the time they headed back to the mainland they were feeling well rested and ready to resume their normal daily lives.
Four Years Later.
“Daddy, daddy, Nathan’s trying to put a frog on me.” Erica screamed running towards Natasha and Eric with her brother hot on her heels. Her long auburn hair streaming out behind her.
“Nathan leave your sister alone.” Natasha warned as Erica made it to them, wrapping her arms around Eric’s leg and sticking her head out from behind her Father as Nathan skidded to a halt, a large green tree frog in his hand.
“It’s just a frog Mummy.” Nathan tried to reason looking up at his Mother. Erica peered up at her parents too and Natasha smiled at them.
“Your sister doesn’t like frogs though Nathan so don’t chase her with one please.” Her voice was firm.
“But Mummy…” Nathan started to argue, shoving the frog towards Erica who squealed, trying to climb up the front of her Father in a desperate bid to get away from the object of her terror.
Eric swung his daughter into his arms and kissed her soft cheek, reassuring her that she was safely removed from the frog. All three of them turned to Natasha and her breath caught as it always did when they were looking at her. Three sets of stunning, intense blue eyes gazed back at her. Eric’s held amusement, Erica’s still showed her fear over the frog and Nathan was looking distinctly annoyed that his sister didn’t share his love of frogs and his Mother wasn’t letting him continue trying to force his love of them on his sister.
The twins had grown so much. They were only a few days off their 5 birthday and arrangements had been made for their party with a jumping castle, petting zoo and everything that a pair of 5 year olds could possibly want for their birthday.
Natasha put her hand out to push Erica’s long auburn hair back off her face. She had her Mother’s colouring, except for the eyes and Nathan was like his Father, except his hair was more a strawberry blonde, with strands of red that glinted in the sunlight.
“Nathan, how about you go and find a nice safe place to let the frog go. You can’t carry it around all the time, you might make it sick honey.” She told him. “You don’t want to make it sick now do you?”
Nathan looked down at the frog in his hand and his eyes were serious when he looked back up at her. “Do you really think he could get sick Mummy?” He asked.
“He could Nathan. How about we go and find a nice place fit for a frog to live? I think the pond would be perfect. He can swim and sun himself and there’s food. I know I’d love it there if I was a frog.” Natasha told her son.
With a wide smile on his face, Nathan ran off towards the pond that was under the trees down one side of the property with Eric and Natasha following. Now that Erica didn’t feel threatened by the frog anymore, she was walking with them, holding tightly to her Father’s hand.
Natasha smiled. Erica was such a Daddy’s girl and would shadow Eric when he was home. He was putty in her hands too, indulging her to the point where Natasha didn’t know whether to laugh or lecture him about letting their daughter have her own way too often.
Nathan was more in need of his Mother for reassurance although he still loved to do things with Eric but despite the odd incident like with the frog, he and his sister shared a close bond. It never ceased to amaze Natasha how Erica was growing into the more outgoing, loud one whereas Nathan was quieter, calmer and he tended to think things through a bit more than his sister.
They found a nice spot by the pond for the frog’s release and once it was done to Nathan’s satisfaction, he ran off with his sister to go and see if the latest edition to their family, Charlie, a dalmatian puppy they had bought for them a couple of months ago, wanted to play.
Eric came up behind Natasha wrapping his arms around her, dropping a kiss to the side of her neck, which caused the usual shiver of awareness to chorus through her body.
“Can you believe we’re going to be going through all this again soon baby?” Eric asked. “Are you ready for that?”
Natasha laughed softly. “Of course Eric. We’re going to be parents again soon. What I never expected was that we’d be having twins again. You know, we really are over achievers when it comes to the whole baby making thing.” She laughed.
“I’m not sure my blood pressure is going to be able to cope trying to keep oversexed teenage boys away from our three daughters down the track baby. I think a shot gun might be a good investment.” He joked and Natasha grinned.
“Just give them your best CEO face and you’ll scare them off.” She touched her palm to Eric’s cheek.
It had certainly been a surprise when the doctor told them they were expecting twins and that they were both girls this time. Natasha had worried that Eric might be disappointed he didn’t have another son, so potentially two to take over his business one day, but he’d told her not to be silly.
“If our daughters want to run the company, they can baby. If our son does, great, but I won’t be pushing them to do anything other than what they want. I got to live my dream and I want them to have the same opportunity one day. That’s important. I refuse to be like some parents who push their children to be something they don’t want to be. Don’t think for one moment that I’m upset over the prospect of us having three daughters baby. Look at Erica. You know it, she knows it and I do too, she has me right under the thumb.” He grinned. “If she’s got that kind of power at almost 5, then she’s going to make a great CEO one day.”
“Yeah well the other female in your life suggests that you get the snip after these two are born because our family will be big enough. How do you feel about letting the doctor near the Family Jewels Mr CEO?”
Natasha felt Eric tense and cross his legs where he stood pressed up against the back of her. “Well, I’m not exactly thrilled baby about having a man even if he is a doctor handling the goods and just to add insult to injury, he’s going to be wielding a knife. Still, I know that in the end, it’s the best thing for both of us because I’m not sure I could cope i
f we got the news that we were expecting a third set of twins. Who the hell’s responsible for all these twins anyway?” Eric gruffed, but Natasha could hear the hint of humour in his voice.
“Don’t look at me Mr CEO. There’s no history of twins on my side, so I’m laying the blame fair and square in your court. If your Mother or Father didn’t have twin siblings, then it has to go further back.”
Eric sighed. “I don’t know baby and there’s no one else I can ask. Neither Mum or my Father were twins so beyond them, I don’t know.”
Natasha turned in his arms to kiss him. “Does it matter anyway? Lets keep telling ourselves it’s just because we’re that good.” She grinned at him.
Eric chuckled, catching her lips in a slow sensual kiss. “We are that good baby and don’t you forget it.”
Two Months Later.
On January 22 Natasha gave birth to Brooklyn Isabella weighing in at 5 pounds, 6 ounces and her sister Charlotte Rose Rothman, slightly smaller at 5 pounds 2 ounces. Brooklyn had a covering of pale blonde hair and her sister was showing early signs of having her Mother’s auburn locks.
This time everything had gone according to plan with Natasha giving birth in hospital with Eric and her Mother there for support although it didn’t take long and it was Kathryn supporting Eric as he went completely to pieces again, despite everything being as it should have been this time. Kathryn had gone out to the waiting room to tell everyone about the babies and to leave Eric and Natasha to have some time alone with their daughters.
He looked down at Natasha as she lay with their daughters lying in her arms and there were tears brimming in his eyes as he watched them. She couldn’t help the tiny smile that curved her lips up when she saw the complete disarray of her husband’s hair from all the constant, frustrated movements of his hands through it when he’d been struggling to keep it together as she’d pushed their girls into the world.
“We sure do know how to make beautiful babies, don’t you think?” Eric touched Brooklyn’s head gently as she snuggled against her Mother’s breast.
“That we do Mr Rothman. We have you out numbered now. You’re surrounded by the fairer sex, think you can handle it?” Natasha gave him a cheeky grin and Eric laughed.
“Of course baby. I’m the luckiest man alive.” His expression turned serious. “I really am the luckiest man alive. I’ve done five, no make that six really clever things in my life.”
“Four of them would be your part in helping to produce these four I presume?” Natasha raised her eyebrow at Eric and he nodded.
“The fifth was employing you as my PA all those years ago baby, but the most important one which would never have got us to where we are today without it, was I was smart enough to give you my heart and I really have given you my heart sweetheart, so always treat it with care, because it’s yours until we’re old and grey, until I need Viagra to make love to you, until I leave this world. I love you more than life itself. I never want to find out what it’s like to live a single day without you. You and our children are the most precious things to me. I hope you realise that.”
Tears were streaming down her face by the time Eric had finished and she reached up to her husband. He lowered his head and kissed her, all the love in his heart for her, evident in the gentle caress of his lips over hers.
“I love you too Eric. You own my heart, you will until I die and even after death, I will always be yours. You are my gorgeous, sexy, incredible husband who drives me a little crazy sometimes, but I know I can trust you with my heart as you can trust me with yours. I know you will always be here for me and our children. You excite me, you make my heart race when you smile at me, you make me tremble when you touch me and I know that even when we’re old and grey you’ll still make my heart race.” Natasha gave him a smile from lips that quivered with the emotions pouring through her body. “Oh and for the record, you’ll never need Viagra.”
Eric grinned. “Yeah I know.” His smile was smug and Natasha groaned, playfully hitting his arm.
“You men and your egos when it comes to your sexual prowess.” She shook her head at him.
Natasha reached up to cup Eric’s jaw. “You’re the sexiest man I’ve ever met. You make me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world and every day I pinch myself for being so fortunate to have your love.”
Tears sprang to his eyes at her words. “No baby, I’m the one who pinches myself. I can’t believe that a beautiful, sexy, gorgeous woman both on the inside and outside could love a man like me. You can guarantee that I will spend the rest of my life proving that to you.”
“You are such a sap Mr CEO. Do your employees know what a soft touch you are?” Natasha smiled lovingly at her husband.
Eric gave a look of mock horror. “Don’t you go telling my staff what I’m really like baby. I prefer to keep them terrified of me.” He grinned at her and Natasha burst out laughing which made Brooklyn and Charlotte jump slightly.
“You’re staff work hard for you because they respect you and because you respect them Eric, not out of fear of you.”
Eric bent down to kiss Natasha again, his hand holding hers and suddenly the door opened and Kathryn stuck her head in. “Everyone’s waiting and the natives are getting restless.” She said. “Can they come in and meet the new additions now?”
Natasha and Eric grinned. “Of course Mum. Tell them to come in.”
Kathryn turned away and they could hear her say, “Ok everyone, get your butts in the room now. They’re ready for you.”
Alice with Erica and Nathan walked in, followed by Beverly, Maggie and Thomas with Kathryn bringing up the rear.
Natasha watched them all, listening to them all oohing and ahhing over the babies and as she looked at them all, she couldn’t believe how much her life had changed. She had so many wonderful friends in her life now. She had a gorgeous, loving husband and four beautiful children. Could life get any better?
As she looked over everyone’s heads, her eyes met Eric’s. He mouthed, “I love you,” to her and Natasha mouthed back, “I love you too.” They both smiled at one another, all the love they felt for each other shining in their eyes. Oh yes, life was just perfect.
© Copyright J. A Melville. 2013.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements.
About the Author.
Copyright
Chapter 1.
Chapter 2
Chapter 3.
Chapter 4.
Chapter 5.
Chapter 6.
Chapter Seven.
Chapter 8.
Chapter 9.
Chapter 10.
Chapter 11.
Chapter 12.
Chapter 13.
Chapter 14.
Chapter 15.
Chapter 16.
Chapter 17.
Chapter 18.
Chapter 19.
Chapter 20.
Chapter 21.
Chapter 22.
Chapter 23.
Chapter 24
Chapter 25.
Chapter 26.
Chapter 27.
Chapter 28.
Chapter 29.
Chapter 30
Chapter 31.
Chapter 32.
Chapter 33.
Natasha's Awakening Page 64