by Claire Kent
And there wasn’t much erotic potential to begin with.
Pushing back her anxiety, Erin talked herself into determination. She was pregnant. It was perfectly natural and normal. Seth probably didn’t think her body was as awkward as she did. And if he did, well, he was the one who had suggested sex to begin with.
She pushed herself up and then rolled over onto her side, facing away from him, assuming he’d realize she wasn’t trying to pull away.
Evidently, he did. Because he moved over until he was behind her, pressing into her back.
He still had his pants on, and he didn’t seem to be in a hurry. Which was a good thing, since Erin wasn’t even close to ready yet.
Seth draped an arm over her, stroking up from her hip to her breasts. He brushed against her nipples again, and she felt the corresponding tug between her legs.
Her breath hitched, and she pushed forward very slightly into his hand.
He twirled her nipple—his touch still delicate and careful—but the stimulation was starting to have an effect.
In more than one way.
Erin whimpered a little, but it wasn’t from the pleasure. She was looking down at Seth’s fingers moving over the full swell of her breast, and so she saw a few drops of liquid leak out.
Seth moved his hand at her helpless noise. “Erin?”
She hoped he wasn’t freaked out by it. It was normal. Happened with stimulation.
It just felt like her body was out of her control.
Maybe, if she’d been with someone else, someone who loved her and with whom she had a committed relationship, all this wouldn’t make her feel so self-conscious.
But this was Seth, and he could be thinking absolutely anything.
And she felt as unsexy as she’d ever felt in her life.
“It’s fine,” she said, her voice breaking on the last word. “You can keep going.”
He slid his hand back up to her breasts, kept gently twirling one nipple and then the other. She felt a very slow arousal beginning to build, but it didn’t feel exactly normal because of all the pressure from the baby.
Her nipples dripped a little more, but she tried to ignore it. Didn’t look down. And Seth’s hand didn’t hesitate or pull away—so at least that was something.
He was breathing right behind her, his breath blowing against her hair. He felt hot and solid and strong, and she was pretty sure he smelled a lot better than she did.
She breathed erratically, and it was from nerves as much as anything else. But she tried to relax. Tried to get into this.
Who wouldn’t want to fuck Seth Thomas? Under any circumstances.
His hand had drifted down to the top of her stomach, but just then the baby changed positions inside her.
Pushed out against her belly.
Seth tensed and jerked his hand away.
Erin was almost trembling from nerves and uncertainty. She wasn’t exactly sure why Seth had jerked away. “She’s just moving around.”
“I know,” he murmured, brushing her hair away from the side of her neck. “It just surprised me.”
She didn’t know if this was the truth or not, and when his hand returned to caressing her, it was more tentative than ever.
At this rate, it would take them all night for her to get aroused enough for penetration. She racked her mind, trying to remember if she still had any lubricant in the apartment they could use.
She was so nervous that she jumped when Seth’s hand slipped down to touch between her legs, over her panties.
He released a deep breath—which sounded like frustration—and pulled his hand away.
Erin groaned and closed her eyes. Felt like big, fat failure.
“Oh, forget it,” she said in defeat. “I’m a mess. I’m never going to get in the mood.”
He was silent for a moment.
“I’m sorry,” she added. “Hopefully, since things weren’t accelerated as quickly as we’d hoped, you won’t be too disappointed.”
“It’s fine. I think we’re both a little on edge.”
“I’m a little more than that.” Erin wished she could curl up into the fetal position. Settled for drawing her knees up some, easing more of the pressure on her lower back. “I feel like a balloon that’s blown up way too far, and that keeps stretching and stretching, but never quite popping.”
Seth chuckled appreciatively at the metaphor.
“Sorry,” she said again, sighing glumly. “I’ve always thought I was quite a sexually adept person, but I believe I’ve met my match in having sex forty-two weeks pregnant.”
“Don’t worry about it. As impossible as it sounds, you should just try to relax. Our stressing about this for the last week probably hasn’t helped.”
“I know, but we wanted for you to be here when she’s born.”
He didn’t answer for a long time. Then said, “Since she’s clearly not in a hurry, it’s likely we’ll still be waiting when I get back.”
“Yeah.”
She felt him pull away from her some, leaving her bare back a little chilly. But before she could ask for a blanket, Seth suggested, “Why don’t I just give you a backrub instead?”
He hadn’t given her a backrub since that first time. Occasionally, Erin really would have liked one, but she’d felt strange about requesting it and Seth hadn’t volunteered again until now.
“That sounds good.”
He moved his hands to her shoulders, and Erin closed her eyes and did her best to relax. She wished she wasn’t practically naked, but she wasn’t going to let self-consciousness get in the way again.
He massaged her neck and shoulders, and Erin breathed deeply, loosening her muscles. As his strong, skillful hands moved lower, down the length of her back, she began to relax for real, inhaling slowly and occasionally releasing low, textured sighs of pleasure.
She tried not to be as vocal as she’d been last time, but she couldn’t help but groan a little as he gently rubbed the small of her back.
As soon as she groaned, something changed in the air between them. It wasn’t anything definable, but she recognized it just the same.
The touch of Seth’s hands on her lower back didn’t alter at all, but the feel of them transformed somehow.
She could feel him breathing heavily behind her, and the heat from his body suddenly intensified, washing over her in waves.
Erin sucked in a breath. And then did again as she felt his hands slip down to her ass. He massaged the muscles there, and Erin’s relaxed body started to tense up again.
But this time for a different reason.
She didn’t react. Just lay on her side, breathing deeply, focusing only on the feel of his hands on her body.
He reached lower, to the top of her thighs, stroking more than massaging now.
Her skin was sensitive there, and she shivered again. And then moaned as he brushed his hand back up to her butt.
He must have changed positions because it felt like his face moved closer to the back of her head. Then she could feel his breath—ruffling the hair at her neck—so she knew for sure he’d moved closer and lowered his body back down to the mattress.
His hand slid forward, returning to the dip below her belly. Erin held her breath. If he went lower, his fingers would find the waistband of her panties. Maybe dip inside.
But he didn’t move his hand lower. He moved it higher. Stroked up over the huge curve of her abdomen. Then down again. Then back up.
His fingers on her tight skin were delicate and tantalizing. She was almost panting now, in quick, shuddering breaths. She kept her eyes closed, trying not to think about anything but his caresses and the warm pulsing that was building inside her.
His hand moved up to her breasts. Then he paused, as if waiting to see if she’d object.
When she didn’t, he started to move his hand again. He didn’t fondle her nipples, just brushed over the soft flesh and tight peaks lightly with his palm.
The sensations were mild—but eve
n more effective than intense stimulation since every nerve ending in her body was vibrantly sensitized.
She moaned a little and shifted on the bed.
He pulled his hand away from her breasts. Caressed her bare arm, sliding the tips of his fingers down to stroke her hand. Tangled his fingers with hers.
She was whimpering now—softly and involuntarily.
Erin knew that Seth was aroused too. His breathing had accelerated into hot, little pants at her neck. His chest pressed into her back, and his body felt tense and coiled behind her.
Keeping her eyes closed, she rocked her hips back slightly, until her ass connected with his groin.
He was hard. She could feel the tight bulge in his pants. He grunted and gave a little push into her bottom in return.
“Erin?” he asked thickly.
“Yeah.” She reached her arm behind her, pushing his pelvis into her more firmly, something deeply reassuring about the feel of his arousal against her. “Let’s try it now.”
He didn’t speak any further, but she felt him pull away enough to unfasten his trousers and free his cock.
Then he moved back, spooning her again. Her knees were still bent, and she didn’t straighten her legs.
Seth pushed off her dress, which had been bunched up around her pelvis, and then his hands moved to her panties. He slid them down over her hips and then all the way down her legs.
She was very wet, and she hoped it mostly looked normal. Seth didn’t waste any time checking it out. Once he’d dipped a finger in to make sure she was ready, he bent his knees so they were lined up with hers.
She could feel his hard cock, nudging between her legs.
Bending forward as much as she could, she parted her legs enough for him to find her entrance.
He used his hand to position himself, and then he thrust forward.
Erin had already felt a lot of pelvic pressure, so the penetration made her gasp.
Seth froze, halfway in. “All right?”
“Yeah.” She breathed deeply to relax again.
He sank in a little deeper. Then held himself still inside her.
The position didn’t allow for very deep penetration, so when she straightened up again, pressing backward against Seth’s chest, her body adjusted until she felt both aroused and mostly comfortable.
Seth was still breathing rapidly. He spoke against the skin just beside her ear. “Erin, how is it?”
“It’s good.” She squirmed a little, making him grunt. “It’s good. You can get going.”
He pulled back slightly and then pushed forward, sliding easily inside her.
She focused on breathing deeply, so she wouldn’t tense up or get nervous. Tried to concentrate only on the feel of him moving.
He wasn’t thrusting quickly or roughly. Just tight little pumps that generated lush shivers, spiraling out from the friction.
Then his hand slid forward, fumbling below her belly until he could reach her clit. He rubbed it gently, and Erin gasped in response.
She rocked back into him, meeting the press of his next thrust.
He huffed out a strange sound, his fingers losing the location of her clit.
She slid her own hand down past her belly. Found Seth’s hand. Covered it with her own. Pressed into his fingers, guiding the pressure and speed of his massage.
“Erin, how is it?”
“Good.” Her body felt strangely tight and full and tense and sensitive, from so many things happening to it at once. The weight of her belly rested on the mattress, and she tucked her knees up even closer to it, instinctively giving Seth better access. “God, it’s so good.”
He grunted in response, his fingers trapped between her clit and her hand, his pelvis rocking into hers.
Her eyes were still closed, but she could feel his face very close to hers. Suddenly she got a little worried.
“Seth,” she gasped, pumping her hips as much as she could to match his thrusts. “Seth, is it good for you too?”
“Yes,” he hissed, ducking his head to mouth her shoulder. “It’s good.”
“Good. Good.” She pressed down on his hand a little harder, feeling the pressure of an orgasm coalesce.
“Erin, baby, can you come?” Seth’s voice was thick and guttural, and he’d started to pant more loudly as he thrust forward in rhythm.
“Uh huh,” she mumbled, the rocking of her hips beginning to accelerate, intensify, as the deep, familiar pleasure built up between her legs. “Uh huh.”
He hissed again—wordlessly this time, and he was so tense behind her that he seemed to be shaking with it. He bit down gently on her shoulder. Murmured over her skin, “Yes, baby, come. Come for me.”
She was definitely going to come. The muscles of her thighs and pelvis had clenched, and she almost writhed with anticipation it approached.
The tension became so deep that her free hand flew out to clutch at whatever of the bedding she could reach. Her other hand pressed into Seth’s, not so much to guide his caress as to feel him even more completely in the connection of their hands.
He was grunting now, just behind her line of sight. The noises he made were soft, helpless, primal. Suddenly she wanted to see him too. Wanted to look into his eyes. Wanted to feel that this wasn’t just an obligation for him.
Wanted to know they were truly together in this.
Her body was tensing up in preparation for climax, but she turned her head as far back as she could. “Seth. Seth...” She tried to put into words what she wanted. Couldn’t. Couldn’t possibly.
She was feeling too much. Too deep, too tight, too full, too stretched. Too much.
“Erin.” Seth pulled up his shoulders until his weight rested on his bent elbow. From this position, he leaned over to where she was trying to look over her shoulder at him.
He was able to capture her lips in a kiss.
It wasn’t a skillful or a controlled kiss. Erin was far beyond concentrating, and she couldn’t do more than press her lips against his and gasp into his mouth.
His lips clung to hers hungrily, though, when her pleasure finally peaked. And he was still kissing her when she shook through her orgasm.
She shuddered so much with pleasure that their lips broke apart, and her head fell back to the pillow.
“Fuck,” Seth rasped, his hips suddenly starting to jerk against her ass. “Fuck.”
Then she heard him hiss out, “Yes.” And then she felt his cock pulsing inside her.
He froze as he came, his hot gasping on her neck the only audible sign of his release.
She was still rocking slightly against him, and after a moment, he rocked with her again. They moved together rhythmically, almost imperceptibly.
Erin’s body was relaxing, and she could feel that Seth’s was too. He felt warm and pliant against her, and their gentle, sustained rocking gave Erin an entirely different kind of pleasure.
He didn’t pull away, even as his cock started to soften inside her. His hand had moved away from her clit, and was once more stroking up and down, from her breasts to the curve of her belly.
Looking down, Erin realized that her nipples had leaked a little more. But not very much. She couldn’t bring herself to care as much as she had before.
They both waited silently, and Erin focused on the sensations in her pelvis, searching for any sign of contraction, other than the contractions from her orgasm.
Finally, she asked, “Is it supposed to happen right away?”
Her question had been vague, but Seth knew exactly what she meant. “I don’t know. I think so. But maybe it takes a little while.”
She exhaled deeply. “And maybe it won’t work at all.”
“But maybe it will.”
Erin didn’t respond. Just lay with him, tucked into his body. Their skin was hot and damp where it was pressed together, but Erin kind of liked how it felt. Her back was hurting a little, but for the most part she was comfortable.
Seth’s hand had stopped caressing and had e
nded up on the crest of her stomach. He kept it there, cupping the highest part of the curve. And, even when their daughter shifted inside her again, he didn’t pull his hand away.
She tried to catch her breath and snuggled back against him, enjoying the feel of his embrace.
It felt almost like he was treasuring her.
She knew he’d connected emotionally with his daughter. Knew he would want to treasure her. But this didn’t feel like it was only about their baby.
Seth must care about Erin too. He must. She didn’t know how to understand his behavior, his touch, his presence, in any other way.
She’d known that he liked her—just as she liked him. They enjoyed each other’s company and complimented each other in a lot of ways.
But Erin had been feeling even more than that lately, and Seth must be too. She could sense it in the way he pressed into her from behind, the way his hand curved over her belly, the way his lips occasionally brushed against her skin.
It wasn’t anything romantic. Erin knew they weren’t in love. That wasn't what they'd ever been about, and they weren’t going to live happily ever after in some cozy little love story.
He had his strongholds too, and she knew she wasn’t the most important thing in his life. She’d never thought she would be. But he cared about his daughter, and he must care about Erin too.
She felt the same way. Couldn’t really define the feeling between them but recognized its nameless presence.
For the first time, Erin didn’t try to fight it. Didn’t try to convince herself it didn’t matter or didn’t exist.
She was allowed to care for Seth because he cared for her too. He cared for both her and their daughter. And maybe she didn’t always have to fear that at any moment he would snatch that care away.
“Was there something you wanted to say?” Seth asked softly, obviously recognizing that she’d come to some sort of revelation.
She released a sigh. Felt almost happy. “No. Not really. But I don’t think it worked.”
“It’s still early in the evening. Let’s just wait and see. I’ll stay here tonight, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind. Wait. What time is it?”
Seth lifted his head to look at the bedside clock. “Going on seven-thirty.”