by Katie Dowe
Deidre got to her feet knowing that this had been a mistake from the start. Deena had a burr up her butt about everything, especially when it came to her, and no matter what she said it will never make a difference.
“You know what Deena? You are right. I have always had everything handed to me on a silver platter! But you need to ask yourself this question: What do you want? You are not happy in your marriage and you refuse to do anything about it. You got a solid education and you allow the same husband who treats you like crap to dictate whether or not you put that degree to work while he is out there bettering himself. It has to start with you and no one else, so I suggest as your sister to get up off your butt and do something about your life. Because you know what honey? No one will!” she took up her jacket and left her sitting right there.
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He came with two bags of groceries at her door. She had gone home and taken a shower and made herself some plain soup to settle her stomach. She was feeling tired and weak, and the argument with her sister had made it worse!
“You went into a supermarket and picked up stuff?” Deidre asked him as she followed him into the kitchen. He placed the bags onto the counter and took off his suit jacket and hung it over one of the stools and started to unpack.
“You don’t see me going into a supermarket and picking up things?” he asked her mildly as he took out cartons of milk and fruits and fresh vegetables along with cereals and yoghurts.
“Frankly, no.” she told him in amusement as she watched him putting away things inside the refrigerator.
“There is always a first time for everything.” He told her as he handed her some grapes he had washed at the sink.
“So you went into a supermarket for the first time?” she teased biting into the delicious fruit.
He poured a glass of milk and handed it to her as well before sitting on a stool beside her. He unbuttoned his shirt sleeves and rolled them up his forearms before responding. “I did and it was quite a novel experience.”
“Right,” she eyed him quizzically actually liking this side of him. He was no longer the stiff unyielding Jeremy, and she wondered what had changed. “Did you ask for help?”
“Every step of the way,” he admitted sheepishly as he turned to her. “So how are you?”
“I brought up my meal this morning, but I am fine now.” She told him with a grimace.
“I am sorry,” he murmured softly using his hand to cup her face. She had changed into an old T-shirt and nothing else and her nipples were very visible beneath the material.
“It’s not your fault,” she murmured as she looked into his eyes. “Well, actually it is.” Her breath hitched as he ran the pad of his thumb over her full bottom lip.
“I will make it up to you.” He whispered. Before she could ask him how he bent his head and took her lips with his in a kiss so potent that she trembled. Deidre sighed inside his mouth and put her arms around his neck. He pulled her off the stool and between his legs as he deepened the kiss.
She dragged her mouth from his and breathed hard. “I don’t want to ruin another shirt,” she said as she unbuttoned the pale grey shirt that somehow matched his eyes now.
“I don’t mind,” he murmured as he shrugged out of the shirt and pulled the white t-shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor. He took off her shirt and passed his hands over her unfettered breasts which had grown fuller. He bent his head and took a nipple inside his mouth. Deidre gasped sharply and dug her fingers into his dark brown hair, digging into his scalp as she felt the incredible pull of desire deep within her. He used his teeth to graze her and she shuddered against him.
“Jeremy,” she moaned, not able to stand still. He lifted his head to look down at her, his eyes stormy.
“I missed you” he said hoarsely framing her face. “So much.”
“I missed you too,” she admitted.
“Don’t ever do that to me again,” he said raggedly.
She shook her head not captured by the look of torture on his handsome face.
With a groan, he lifted her and took her straight to the bedroom where he made love to her in such a desperate manner that rung several cries from her as she called his name over and over again!
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He spent the night. He did not ask, but it was assumed that he had no intention of leaving. They ordered Chinese take-out and the sauce upset her and sent her to the bathroom. He followed her and held her hair as she vomited and proceeded to wipe her off, a look of concern on his face. “It comes with the territory,” she assured him as he lifted her and took her back to bed. He stayed away from the discussion of anything concerning the pregnancy in case she got upset. He held her close while she slept and listened to her steady breathing. She could not deny that she felt something but he was not going to push it. He intended to be here for her every step of the way, and eventually she would come to love him and want to marry him!
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Deena did not bother going to the function. She went to bed and curled up onto her side and cried herself to sleep. She pretended to be asleep when her husband sneaked in at some minutes to twelve and watched furtively as he went straight to the bathroom to take a shower before coming into the bed. He did not even check if she was sleeping but lifted the sheet and turned his back and within minutes he was fast asleep and snoring. She had smelled the perfume on him when he came in and felt the tears tickling her eyes at the thought that he had no regard for her at all. She had sat there thinking about what Deidre had said to her and realized that what she had said was right. Her happiness lies in her own two hands, and she needed to do something about it. She had spent so many years being bitter and discontented, moaning over what she did not have and how she was not as beautiful and fortunate as her sister and how her mother never loved her! The years had flown past without her realizing it. She had the power to change things in her life and not let a pompous ass like her husband treat her like dirt! She blinked the tears from her eyes and got off the bed not wanting to sleep beside him another night. She had no idea what she was going to do but she knew she could not bear to live like this anymore!
She went into one of the other bedrooms and sat at the desk with her hands clasped in front of her. Her sister had always been strong and knew exactly what she wanted, not allowing anyone to take that away from her. But unlike her, she had spent her time in negative thinking and allowing it to shape her life. She took out a notepad and a pen and started writing the positives in her life. She had her health and she had a very good education. She had money in her account that she had inherited from her stepfather and she did not look half bad. She looked down at the paper and considered for a moment. She also had a family, she admitted reluctantly. No matter how much she gave them grief, they never gave up on her, so that was a plus. She also had her whole life ahead of her. She could travel for a little bit before deciding what she wanted to do and that was exactly what she was going to do! She sat up straight as if invigorated! She was going to fly to Europe and cool out for a little bit and take in the sights. She had been to Paris and Italy and also Spain several times and she had loved it! With a smile on her face, she dashed the tears from her cheeks and started making plans. She was going to start over!
Chapter 7
“Our lives are changing. Your sister has left her husband and has gone off to Europe to find herself and what she wants to do and you are pregnant with my first grandchild.” Deborah said with a pleased smile. “She said that it was something you said to her that made her realize that life was too short for her to be wasting it.”
“Mom, I never wanted it to be me that contributed to her making the decision to leave her husband,” Deidre said with a shake off her head as she rubbed the small of her back. She was five months pregnant and showing and was feeling every bit of the pregnancy. She was no longer throwing up, but she was hungry every few minutes. Jeremy had
been true to his word and was with her every step of the way. She had told herself that she could do this by herself but she was glad he was around. She had finally gone to the manor to do the redecorating and Rosalind had told her how happy she was that she was having a child with her son. She had spent several nights there as well.
“Honey, I don’t care how it happened but your sister seems to be happier and more cheerful. She called me the other day from Paris and told me just drank wine and ate cheese at a wine-tasting party with a group of other people. When she was here she never called, and now she is calling me all the time and telling me about her experiences.” Deborah said in approval. She handed a glass of milk to her daughter as they sat in the living room of Deidre’s apartment. It was late afternoon and Jeremy would be coming over when he left the office. He had asked if she wanted to go out to dinner, but she had told him that her feet were slightly swollen so it was better that she stayed home. “Now have you given any thoughts about what you are going to do when the baby is born?”
Deidre looked at her mother for a moment and then shrugged. “Get a sitter as soon as possible and go back to work.”
“Honey, it is not that simple” Deborah told her dryly. “What about marriage?”
“Mom you are aware that we are not living in the stone age, aren’t you?”
“I know honey, but the child is going to need both his parents and marriage would solve that.”
“I am not getting married so the child can see both parents. Jeremy and I will be there for him or her and that’s final.” She said stubbornly.
“Honey, I thought you had feelings for him?”
“I do.” She put away her half-empty glass of milk onto the table and curled her feet beneath her on the sofa. “But I am not getting married because I happen to be pregnant. That is ridiculous.”
“What does Jeremy want or does it matter?”
“It does. He never said anything to me about marriage–” she stopped suddenly as she realized that the first time she had gone to his office and told him, he had suggested that they got married but she was sure it was spur of the moment.
“He asked you to marry him?”
“That was just something he said because of the shock of knowing he was going to be a father, but I am sure he has thought about it now and realized that we are okay with things the way they are.” She said with a shrug.
“Where did I go wrong?” her mother said to no one in particular. “One daughter thought that the answer to her problems was to hook with any man and get married and the other one thinks that marriage belongs in the stone age.”
“Mom, stop being so melodramatic!” Deidre said with a laugh. “We are quite fine with things like this, I am sure.”
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“Could you wait off a few more weeks before making the announcement?” Jeremy asked his grandfather quietly as they sat in the conference room before the board meeting began.
“Why? I thought that was what you wanted?” Robert looked at him, his shaggy brows lifted. He had been about to make the announcement to the board; after all, the boy had come through with his end of the deal even though he suspected he had stopped thinking about that a long time ago.
“Yes, I know,” he moved his shoulders restlessly and got to his feet. He made an impressive CEO with his tall stately build and commanding appearance, but Robert noticed that his heart was suddenly not into it. “I want to concentrate on her and my child right now. I want to be there for her whenever she wants me to and not be tied down to be the main person making decisions around here. I need some time.” He turned back to look at the older man.
“You are trying to get her to see that you belong together.” He said shrewdly.
“The last time I told her that, I did not see her for two weeks,” he said with a brief laugh. “I have to tread carefully and make her think that it is her idea. I want to marry her so badly that I am afraid of pushing her and having her disappear on me.”
Robert looked at his grandson in amazement. He was far from being the man who had behaved as if iced water ran through his veins and he felt like rejoicing, but he maintained his equilibrium pretty sure that Jeremy would not appreciate him rejoicing over something like that. “Okay son, as you wish.”
“Thank you.”
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“If I am not careful I am going to get used to this kind of treatment.” Deidre murmured as he ran the sponge gently over her belly. He had come by her apartment at some minutes to seven saying that the meeting had ran over and he had been chafing with impatience and kept looking at his watch.
“I want you to,” his blue-grey eyes met hers and held. She was the one who looked away first.
“I thought you would join me in the water.” She murmured as she stroked the hairs lying against his hand. He had taken off his shirt and was in his grey undershirt which exposed his arms.
“In a minute.” He was sitting on the area surrounding the bath as he bathed her. “If I come in, there is going to be other things involved.”
“So?” without warning she reached up and pulled him fully clothed into the soapy water causing the water to splash all over the place. His head went under and he surfaced, a frown on his brow.
“You are going to pay big for that,” he growled.
“I can hardly wait,” she said with a laugh as he pulled her under. “Please remember that I am pregnant.” She screamed.
“That is not going to work,” he responded dumping water on her head as soon as she came back up.
“Jeremy Langley, I had no intention of washing my hair tonight.” She protested as she blinked the water from her eyes.
“And I had no intention of taking a shower in my clothes.” He pushed the heavy curls from her face tenderly, and lifting her he put her onto his lap. “You are beautiful,” he whispered bringing her head down to meet his. He touched her tongue with his and stroked the inside of her mouth slowly. Deidre felt her heart melting as she clung to him. He eased back and pulled the wet T-shirt from his body and gave her access to his flesh. Deidre dragged her mouth from his and went down slowly using her mouth to taste his flesh. Her tongue licked his nipples and he groaned clenching his fists. He helped her as she fought with his belt and took it off. Next came his soggy dress pants and then his soaking wet underwear and hen his socks. She clasped a fist around his erection moving her hand up and down the length of it, her nail grazing the tip of him. His eyes clouded over, and the air escaped his lips. He arched his body as she bent her head to take him inside her mouth. She concentrated on the tip of him that was above the water. “Deidre,” his voice was low and tortured. She had never done that to him before and his was the first time he had allowed a woman to go down on him. Sex had always been a little impersonal to him, but with her he had bared his soul. He was tethering on the edge and could feel his control slipping away from him. With her, he abandoned everything without even knowing it! With a raspy sigh, he pulled her up against him and placed her on his penis. “You destroy me,” he said hoarsely as he pushed up into her. “Deidre,” his breath fanned her lips as he took her mouth with his in a kiss that had her sobbing against him!
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He pulled the comforter over their naked bodies as they got ready to go to sleep. “What should we name him or her?” she asked him drowsily as she settled on his chest. He had his fingers fisted in her hair, which was still damp. His heart picked up speed when he heard her question. “I had not thought about it really,” he lied. “But what do you think about Jeremy Junior if it’s a boy?”
She lifted her head to look down at him. “I kind of want him to have his own name, honey.” She said wrinkling her small nose at him.
His heart swelled at the endearment coming from her.
“Any ideas?” he asked her softly loving the way her hazel eyes lit up when she was excited or even interested.
“Jared Anthony
comes to mind.”
“Anthony is my middle name.” he murmured staring at her.
“I know,” she told him impishly, resting her pointed chin on his chest. “Dominique Alexia if it’s a girl.”
“Sounds good,” he trailed his finger down one cheek. “You obviously put some thought into it.”
“I would hate to have our child being teased at school,” she told him.
“So would I,” he shifted so that she was lying beneath him. “I cannot seem to get enough of you.” He murmured as he lowered his head to take her lips with his. With a sigh, Deidre wrapped her hands around his neck, moaning as he entered her!
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” My dear, you look lovely!” Rosalind exclaimed as she embraced her. Deidre was on the finishing touches of the suite with a few minor details to see to. It was now nearing March and the weather had taken a turn for the worse dumping snow all over the grounds. Deidre refused to wear the traditional maternity wear but was wearing a thick wool dress that wrapped around her baby bump and knee-length boots.
“You have just lifted my ego,” she returned the woman’s hug. “I was starting to feel like an elephant.”
“Not at all.” She said with a smile as she took her hand. “I want to show you something first before you get started.”
Deidre allowed her to lead her up the curving staircase and along the long hallway until they came to a suite of rooms that was not far from Jeremy’s suite.
Rosalind pushed the door open to a delicately painted pale pink room with elegant furnishings. “When Jeremy was a child, he had his nursery here, but when he grew up he wanted to be somewhere else, so I went ahead and repainted it and changed the furnishings.” She went over and pulled the heavy drapes letting in the pale sunshine. The carpet was thick and white and the ceiling was high. “There is a bathroom and a sitting room that could be transformed into a playroom for when the baby gets older.”