31 Days of Summer (31 Days #2)

by C. J. Fallowfield

  I kissed her forehead and slowly got up, testing my sea legs before heading to the shower. Getting fresh felt good, I tilted my head back and forth in the mirror as I shaved, with three priorities running through my mind. Ellie, Oliver and food, in that order and I wasn’t taking no for an answer from her this time, I was the damn man of the house and it was time I took back control. Just the thought of being back in charge had me hard again, she had no idea what going without sex with her did to me. I felt like I was a drug addict experiencing withdrawals, not only did it get me tense, but irritable as well. No one had ever made me crave them the way I did her. I headed back to the bedroom, praying Oliver wouldn’t wake up early and interrupt us and stood next to the bed and drank her in. Even her naked shoulder, above the sheet wrapped around her chest, looked sexy. I groaned as I heard a cry on the baby monitor and her eyes shot open as she bolted upright.

  ‘You should be a Fire Officer, I’ve never seen anyone respond to anything as fast as you do to his cry.’

  ‘I’m sure all mothers do,’ she yawned as she reached over and turned the volume up. ‘I’d better go and check on him.’

  ‘Don’t. He’ll cry again if it’s serious, he’s probably just had a shock when he snored himself awake, he does it a lot.’

  ‘But what if he’s really awake and needs me?’ she protested. I smirked when I saw her pupils suddenly expand and her lips part as she took in a breath, when she realised I was standing there damp, with a small towel around my waist. Other than naked I suspected this was her favourite visual of me.

  ‘I really need you and I’m the one currently demanding immediate attention, not him.’

  ‘I ought to just run down and check on him.’

  ‘Ellie,’ I growled. Damn it, I was in competition with my own son for her. Well he hadn’t cried again, so he probably had gone straight back to sleep, but if I was going to keep her from leaving that bed I needed to pull out my secret weapon, the one thing she couldn’t resist. I whipped my towel off and heard her gasp as she eyed up my erection. Touchdown! Dan one, Oliver nil.

  ‘But you’re still weak, you need to be taking it easy,’ she moaned as she pulled the sheet tighter around her, like that was going to stop me. I grabbed it and pulled it straight out of her hands and off her seriously inviting naked body.

  ‘It’s been five days, both of us are desperate, it’s not going to take much exertion to make either of us come. So before he wakes up, are you going to lie back and spread your legs? Or would you rather risk it being another four hours until he has his next nap, before I can lie you down and make you come?’

  ‘You’re sure you’re up to this?’ she asked, as she quickly lay back down and parted her thighs making me groan to see that tempting soft pink flesh.

  ‘I think you can see that I’m more than up for this,’ I winked, as I quickly climbed on top of her.

  ‘No kissing, I haven’t checked your temperature,’ she warned.

  ‘If giving you this damn bug is the only way I get to keep you in bed with me, I’ll bloody kiss you all day,’ I warned her.

  ‘Please don’t, just in case, I miss you so much, but no kissing. Do me, fast.’

  ‘Yes ma’am,’ I grinned. ‘Need any foreplay?’

  ‘Hell no, just seeing you shower fresh in that tiny towel was good enough for me,’ she exclaimed, confirming my assessment of her vulnerability to my post showered state, just like that first time she’d seen me and turned into a stammering wreck in the boathouse. I felt a surge of pride tear through my body, if ever a man needed affirmation of his masculinity it was having his woman want him as badly as he wanted her. I sank into her quickly, me with a groan to feel her moist centre gripping me so tightly, her crying out as I stretched her. I felt her hands reach around to grip my backside and drag me further inside her, which had me groaning again. I loved that she couldn’t get enough of me, that she wanted all of me, and I had plenty to give. Not this morning though, I was already fighting coming, she completely wrecked me as she looked up at me with those big beautiful eyes, her breathing coming as erratically as mine was, and her heated cries of pleasure, which only ramped up my need to unload in her.

  ‘You’d better be ready,’ I warned with a grimace, as I held back for her.

  ‘Where’s … your … stamina?’ she teased, as she arched up to meet each downward thrust.

  ‘Hiding somewhere with my lack of appetite for the last few days, but I’m warning you I’m … shit … I’m feeling better and as soon as I … uhhhh,’ I groaned as the heat of her core and sighs nearly tipped me over the edge. ‘When I get some food in me and build up my damn strength we’re going all … O God, Ellie … all out dominant, hours of pleasure,’ I panted. I should fuck on lack of sustenance more often, I was light headed but it only added to the high.

  ‘Dan,’ she moaned in my ear, as her lips trailed across my neck. ‘I’m there, I’m … there. God I’ve missed you so much.’

  ‘You too, baby,’ I confirmed, as I pulled every ounce of strength left in me to power her to a violent climax, before reaching my own noisy one and collapsing down on top of her. She held me tightly and buried her face in my neck.

  ‘I love you so much,’ she whispered and I frowned to feel dampness trickling down to my throat.

  ‘Are you crying?’ I uttered, as I rolled off her and clasped her face.

  ‘No,’ she replied with a sniff and a smile, her cheeks flushed from her orgasm and embarrassment.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘I just feel a bit tired and emotional, that’s all.’

  ‘Then let me get Oliver up and ready this morning, I’ve really missed him. I promise other than feeling a bit lightheaded I’m fine. I’ve not been sick since yesterday morning, I’m over the worst of it. Maybe it’s just starting to hit you. I know you’ve been sick for the last few days.’

  ‘Can we just cuddle for a while?’ She asked, as tears filled her eyes again.

  ‘Sure, come here,’ I ordered, as I wrapped my arms around her, pressing her warm body against mine and kissed the top of her head. I hated seeing her cry. I felt like I was somehow failing her. ‘Are you upset about last night?’

  ‘Last night?’

  ‘The whole … we can’t get married thing.’

  ‘O, right,’ she replied and I felt her fingers stroking my chest, tracing patterns over my heart making it beat a little faster.

  ‘So?’ I pushed, wanting to get to the bottom of this.

  ‘I’m fine, I’ve known from the start, well from when I found out your secret, that it wasn’t on the cards for us and I chose to be with you anyway. I’d love to marry you one day, but I don’t think it’s ever going to happen, because … I don’t think you’re ever going to be ready to let go.’

  ‘Don’t say that,’ I sighed as I kissed her hair again. ‘I’m trying really hard, you just need to give me some time.’

  ‘I’m not pressuring you for me Dan, it’s for you. I worry about you so much, all this guilt you carry inside is no good for anyone. I hate the idea of you suffering anymore and missing Oliver’s progress because you’re not here and it scares me to death that you might have an accident trying to get there in the treacherous winter weather.’

  ‘I know baby, but I’m careful. I wish I could be here with you both all of the time, I wish I could give you everything you ever wanted, you have no idea how much it hurts me that I’m letting you down.’ I held her even tighter as I heard her take a deep breath.

  ‘You’re not letting me down, Dan, please don’t take that burden on yourself as well. I walked into this eyes wide open. You give Oliver and I so much, you’re an amazing father, lover, friend and partner. So I may never be your wife, but lots of married people don’t have what we do, I’m the luckiest girl in the world right now.’

  ‘God I love you so much, Ellie Baxter. Tell me you know that?’ I whispered, the emotion inside me affecting my voice.

  ‘Of course I do, and I love you back the sa
me and more,’ she sniffed, as she kissed my chest.

  ‘What can I do to make it up to you?’

  ‘Well there is this one thing I’d really like,’ she nodded, as she tipped her head back to look up at me, dazzling me with her raw beauty. She took my breath away each time I saw her.

  ‘Name it.’

  ‘Brooke and Molly are planning on getting married in the registry office at the end of the year, as they can’t afford a nice venue. I’d love to arrange a wedding for them at the hotel, in that lovely white cabin you took me to, the one hanging over the loch. Is there any way you can try and find a slot to squeeze them in? I’d pay for it all, but I’m sure it’s fully booked and I heard that you kind of have some pull with management,’ she smiled.

  ‘I do,’ I laughed. ‘You really think they’d be happy having it there?’

  ‘Who wouldn’t?’ she gasped, looking at me as if I were stupid. ‘It’s so romantic, cosy and pretty, with that amazing view. The photos would be stunning. We could invite their parents and John and Edward. I’m not sure if Molly has any other friends or family she wants to come, but I think that would pretty much be it for Brooke, so I’m sure it would be big enough. Could you try and get me a date? Please.’

  ‘If it means that much to you and makes you smile again, I’ll cancel someone else’s wedding to fit them in,’ I confirmed with a kiss to her forehead.

  ‘No,’ she exclaimed, with a bat of her hand on my chest. ‘That would be so mean, but even if you have an afternoon wedding, maybe we could squeeze in for the morning and lunch?’ Her whole face had lit up, she really was excited about this. If I couldn’t give her a wedding of her own, the least I could do was help her plan one for her best friends and make it a day for them to remember. Anything to make my woman happy.

  ‘You lie in bed, I’ll go get Oliver up and make some calls about it, while I do us some bacon and egg sandwiches. I could eat a whole pig I’m that damn hungry.’

  ‘I want to check your temperature before you go anywhere near him,’ she warned. I loved how protective she was of my boy, and me.

  ‘Fine,’ I sighed and dipped my head to kiss her and frowned when she turned her head so I got her cheek.

  ‘No kissing until I know you’re over it,’ she tutted.

  Once she was satisfied my temperature was back to normal, I pinned her to the bed and spent the next fifteen minutes kissing her into a blissed out stupor. I looked at her glazed over eyes, listened to her gentle sigh of contentment and smiled to myself. My work here was done. She was relaxed and happy again. As eager as I was to sink my new erection into her and just spend the whole morning in bed, I needed to see my boy and to have something to eat, before we went for round two of the day. I tucked her up in bed and headed down to see Oliver. He was asleep on his stomach, one little hand clutching the leg of one of his teddy bears. God I’d missed him, his smile, his giggles, the way he rested his head on my shoulder as I carried him, how he chortled when I tickled him or threw him in the air. Most of all I’d missed how he’d call me “Dada” and run to me with a big grin when I entered a room. I knew I should probably wait until he woke up on his own, but I needed to hold him. I gently picked him up and supported him against my chest, as I kissed the little roll of fat around his neck and he stirred and let out a little sigh.

  ‘Come on my boy, let’s go and make mummy some breakfast. She’s been so busy looking after us, we need to make her feel special today, ok?’

  ‘Mama,’ he sighed against my shoulder.

  ‘You’ll see her in a while, for now you have me.’

  Ellie

  I watched him head downstairs, and let out a sigh of relief. Thank God he was better, I’d been so worried about him, and about Oliver and myself catching this damn bug, but it seemed I didn’t have to worry anymore. Not about that at least. I felt my stomach churn and ran to the bathroom and threw up in the toilet, anchoring my long hair at the base of my neck, then sat back on my heels and put a hand over my stomach. It was time. I washed my face and swirled some icy cold tap water around my mouth to get rid of the taste of bile, before opening my bathroom cabinet and pulling out the pregnancy test kit I’d purchased yesterday. I didn’t really need confirmation. I’d missed my period and had been tired, emotional and nauseous for the last week or so, but I did it anyway and some tears of happiness rolled down my cheeks when the word pregnant flashed up in pink. Part of me was over the moon, then all of a sudden the happiness was replaced by absolute terror at how Dan was going to react.

  It wasn’t that he hadn’t finally relented and realised that it would be good for Oliver to have a sibling, or that he hadn’t agreed for me to come off the pill a few months ago, but we’d not been timing my cycles, we were just going to see how it went. I hadn’t expected to get caught so quickly, then again I got pregnant the first time while I was on the pill, just through a bout of overnight sickness. I was obviously fertile and he must have a seriously high sperm count. I was just worried whether the reality of me being pregnant, and having to live through it with me, would be too stressful on him. If it was, ultimately it was going to be stressful for me too, having to endure his coping mechanism of shutting down. I put my hands over my eyes and took some deep breaths. I knew I should tell him right away, but part of me just wanted to revel in the excitement for a while, to not be stressed over his potential reaction. I decided to leave it for a few days, to let him get back his strength, as lack of food and sex had left him irritable as it was. I shook myself down and had a quick shower before heading down to the inviting smell of bacon wafting through from the kitchen, thankful it wasn’t one of the smells that made me gag. I stood in the doorway and smiled as I watched them both. Oliver was in his high chair banging his beaker up and down, as he babbled away with the odd real word mixed up in his own little language. Dan was sexily dressed in just his jeans, his upper torso looking so inviting, chatting to Oliver as he cooked our breakfast and I felt my heart swell. Was it possible that I’d have enough love in my heart for another addition to my precious family?

  ‘It’s nearly ready, what are you waiting over there for?’ called Dan with a dazzling smile, making me snap out of my daydream.

  ‘Just enjoying watching you both together again,’ I replied. Oliver looked round and dropped his beaker as he called for me and held out his arms and I scooted over quickly to pick him up and give him a loving cuddle as he chanted “Mamamamamam” against my neck. Today was going to be a good day.

  Day Twenty Six

  Friday 1st July ~ Year Three

  Ellie

  ‘You’ve got to be joking right?’ I uttered, as Brooke circled me.

  ‘What’s wrong with it?’ she asked, looking offended.

  ‘What’s right with it?’ I retorted, as I looked down at the vivid purple bridesmaid dress she had me in. Not that I had anything against the colour, but it was teamed with a hot pink sash around the waist, tied in an oversized bow at the back, was so low cut my breasts were at risk of springing free and my oversized nipples taking someone’s eye out, and it had one of those black net petticoats underneath to puff it out. ‘I look like I’m either in a teenage eighties themed prom dress or I should be on Strictly Come Dancing doing the Jive or Lindy Hop. I thought you wanted to have a sophisticated and glamourous day for Molly? What sort of things did you have in your wedding scrapbook?’

  ‘Wedding scrapbook? What the hell’s one of those?’ she laughed. I looked at her in amazement. I’d had one since I was about seven. Cutting out pictures in magazines of all the pretty things I’d seen, princess tiaras, jewelled dresses, skyscraper heels, flower arrangements, top table lay outs. It had changed over the years as I got older and my tastes had changed. It had also been replaced now by a mood board on Pinterest. ‘Let me get this off and we’re going to sit on that chaise longue and I’ll show you mine,’ I sighed, shocked at her lack of pre-planning.

  ‘What would I do without you?’ she smiled. ‘I can’t believe you and Dan, hookin
g us up with that venue at the hotel. It’s just amazing.’

  ‘I’m so glad you love it and please don’t argue with me again about the cost, Dan’s paying for that and the food and drink, I’ll pay for all the decorative items. You only have to worry about your dress, which by the way we really need to sort today. You’re getting married in five weeks.’

  ‘Shit, don’t freak me out. I mean I knew we were talking dates, but when you told me last night there’d been a cancellation and we could have that date it sort of gave me a panic attack.’

  ‘Why?’ I asked, as she undid the zip and I pulled off the monstrosity of a dress and handed it to Trish, the assistant looking after me today. ‘I thought you wanted to get married?’

  ‘I did. I do. It’s just so fast and I have no idea how to plan something like this, I want Molly to love it and she’s just told me all she cares about is us saying our vows.’

  I pulled on my white shirt and buttoned it up so I was halfway decent and we sat down with my iPad, as I showed her my Pinterest wedding board. Everything was in pastel shades of white, pink and green, with a light fresh feel of summer or spring about it. I talked her through how the doors could be thrown back if it was a hot day to let in a lovely breeze, and how beautiful it would look at night with the sparkling lights on the ceiling and loads of candles lit in pink and green votives.

  ‘See there’s a theme to it, you need a co-ordinated theme.’

  ‘That’s all so pretty,’ she sighed. ‘I could never come up with something like that, you’re the creative one.’