by MJ Masucci
“Just give it a few more days.”
He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom, putting her down in front of the bed to pull back the sheets. When this was done, he helped her slide in and tucked the covers around her.
“Are you coming to bed?”
“In a minute.”
She watched as he left the room. He came back shortly with a glass of water that he placed by her bedside.
“I want you to drink more water. You don’t want to become dehydrated with all the throwing up you're doing.”
“I’m not thirsty.”
“Humor me, please.”
She sat up and drank half the glass of water under his watchful eye.
“Happy?”
“Very.”
He went to the other side of the bed and slid towards her, curling around her and as had been his way since he found out she was pregnant, splayed his hand across her belly. This is how their evenings went for the entire week. He watched over her like a hawk, making sure she was eating and drinking properly, sleeping enough and denying her sex.
By Friday night, she was crazy with desire. She wanted to jump on him and force him to make love to her. He had been chaste with her since she was injured. Never kissing her deeply, just soft kisses on her forehead, cheeks or lips. She knew that he wanted her from the heated looks he gave her, especially when she wore lingerie to bed.
She had gotten home at 2:00 PM and wondered aloud about the idea of resurrecting her vibrator. She hadn’t used it for a long time, but if he didn’t satisfy her urge, then she would need to find a release. Her hope was that he would take her to bed the minute he walked through the door. The exhaustion that was almost daily got the best of her and Xander found her asleep on the couch.
“Baby, wake up?”
Her eyes fluttered open, and he kissed her gently on the lips.
“It’s that late already? I was so tired when I got home.”
“What do you want for dinner?”
“You.”
“You’re like a sex starved teenager. Is that all you think about?”
“Well, let’s state facts. We haven’t had sex in weeks, my hormones are raging from being pregnant, and you’re sexy as hell. So yes, that is all that’s on my mind. It’s not my fault you’re that good in bed.”
“You’re incorrigible. Let’s go before I change my mind.”
“Go where?”
“To bed. I’ve taken your request under advisement.”
She jumped up with glee, and her core began to flood with anticipation even before he laid a finger on her.
In the bedroom, she practically ripped her clothes off while he slowly undressed. When she was naked, he kneeled in front of her and kissed her belly. She knew it was a gesture of love for their babies. Then he stood up and took her in his arms.
“Do you want it hard and fast or slow and sensual?”
“I need you inside me, so hard and fast.”
His fingers petted her to make sure she was ready. She was slick and soaked. He positioned himself over her, and she spread her legs wide waiting for him to fill her.
“I think I should be gentle.”
“Xander. Less talk, more action. I want you.”
Without words, he thrust into her slowly, and she bit her lower lip so hard he could see teeth impressions. This worried him, and his movement stopped.
“Sweetheart? Should I stop?”
“Oh, God no. I want you to fuck me.”
He propped himself on his elbows and gyrated his hips. She whimpered and moaned as he moved, wrapping her legs around his waist. He ground himself against her and her breathing became heavy as did his. Her nails dug into his shoulders, scratching his skin and all at once, he felt her ripple around him and shatter as her orgasm took hold.
She murmured his name over and over as her orgasm wound down until her legs slipped from his waist and her hands dropped from his shoulders. Her face and upper body had bloomed pink with her climax, and she lay motionless under him. He leaned in to kiss her and her eyes that had been squeezed shut, opened.
“Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you did I?”
She didn’t answer him, just intently stared into his eyes.
“Ava?”
“It was so good. I want more.”
“You’re very greedy tonight, but I think if I move once more I’m going to come.”
“Do it.”
He thrust three more times, and she felt him release into her, moving as he finished. Then he pulled out, and she winced.
“I did hurt you.”
“We’ve been through this. It’s been awhile; you’re big. End of story.”
“Would you tell me if I did?”
“You never have hurt me before in bed except emotionally.”
“When?”
“The last time we had sex.”
He thought back to the last time weeks ago. It was one of the only times he had used her for his pleasure. No foreplay and she didn’t come. The worst part was it was probably when she got pregnant. What a horrible memory.
“I’m sorry. I was a jerk. Why did you let me?”
“I needed to feel close to you.”
He pulled her against him, and she curled up in his arms. The next few hours they spent making up for lost time. Each time was slower and more erotic until they were both exhausted. Xander made sure to cater to her every desire to make up for the last time.
The next afternoon, they went to Rachel’s for her final fitting of her wedding dress. Xander grumbled about not being able to see it. She left him sitting in the living room playing blocks with Mateo.
“It’s beautiful, Rachel. You did a wonderful job. But…”
“But what?”
“Do you think that the waist is a little tight?”
“Ava, that dress fits you perfectly. Are you planning on gaining weight?”
“I need to gain a few pounds. At least five.”
Rachel went over to the dress and pulled at the waist.
“You have about an inch of play. I doubt five pounds is going to go all to your waist, do you?”
Ava chewed at her lip and began picking at her nails.
“What’s the problem?”
“You have to promise not to say anything.”
“Now you have me worried.”
“I’m pregnant.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m pregnant with twins. I’m afraid that I’m going to gain weight and the dress is going to get tight.”
“First, congratulations. Secondly, how are you pregnant? I thought you couldn’t get pregnant.”
She explained about the test and subsequently how she ended up pregnant in the doctor’s opinion.
“You went through all that shit with that asshole, pregnant?”
“Yes, and I need this to be kept a secret. I don’t want to tell anyone until my first trimester has passed. That will be in a couple of weeks.”
“I’ll keep it a secret, and I’m telling you I think you’re fine with the dress. Can I at least congratulate Xander?”
“Sure.”
Ava changed, and they headed to the living room. What they found made her heart melt. Xander was on the couch with Mateo on his chest, and both were asleep. She took out her phone to snap a picture.
“Do you have any doubts he will make a good father?” Rachel whispered.
“No, not one.”
Rachel went to take Mateo and put him in his crib, which woke Xander.
“Hey, ladies. Little man here was tired.”
“Thank you and congratulations. I hear that you’re going to be a daddy in a few months.”
“Thanks, Rachel. Not too many people know so please keep it a secret.”
“Who else knows?”
“Robert and Samantha.”
“Oh. Well, at least I know if I slip around them it won’t matter.”
“Rachel!”
The rest of the day was spent going ov
er last minute food items with the caterer and making the final payment to Eleven Twelve.
“I can’t believe in one month we will finally be able to tell everyone that I’m pregnant. We need to go over the RSVP cards. Do you know how many we received?”
“I’m not sure. I just brought a few in with the mail. Everyone who hasn’t still sent it has a week to do it. We can do the seating charts next weekend.”
“Did you notice if David RSVPed?”
“I didn’t. Why don’t you just call him? You haven’t resolved your issues completely. I know you miss him.”
“Wow, that’s a one-eighty from how you felt about him previously.”
“He’s your stepbrother. I won’t keep you from him. I also feel more comfortable now that we are married. You’re truly mine, and he can’t get in the way.”
“If he hasn’t sent his card, I’ll call him this week. Do you mind if I take a nap? I’m exhausted.”
Xander smirked, “I imagine after the night we had that you would be.”
“I hope you give me another night like that again.”
“It’s very possible, but if we keep that up, you’re going to wear me out.”
She smiled and kissed his lips which were almost healed.
Ava awoke in their darkened bedroom. The drapes were open, but the day had turned to night during her slumber. She had expected Xander to wake her, but he hadn’t. She got up and went down the hall to his office. He was sitting at his laptop, typing.
“I thought you would wake me?”
“You were tired. I wanted you to sleep. Are you feeling alright?”
“I’m nauseated.” She quickly turned and ran to the hall bath with Xander right behind her. He held her hair as she vomited in the toilet. He helped her up so she could wash out her mouth.
“Is that the first time today?”
“No, it’s the third.”
He pursed his lips and frowned.
“I can’t help it.”
He took her by the hand and led her to the kitchen, helping her to sit on the stool at the breakfast bar.
Opening the refrigerator, he took out a bottle of ginger ale (which now was part of the regular grocery list) and handed it to her.
She wrinkled her nose, “I’m not in the mood.”
“Sip it.”
She did as he asked and started to feel better, “Don’t think this means you’re getting out of making love to me tonight.”
“Oh, I plan on it.”
Later that night, they lay tangled in each other’s arms in post orgasmic bliss. Xander feathered kisses along her face while she dozed in his embrace. He kept repeating words of love, and she smiled against his chest. She felt the same way he did. Their life was finally coming together.
Chapter 39
As the days drew closer to her wedding, Ava started to feel overwhelmed. She had gone back to work full-time, a week ago. There were so many details to finalize. The only fortunate thing was that Victoria was back, even if it was only part-time. She took some of the burden off of her, Philip and the other attorneys in her department.
She felt sorry for Philip because he would have to shoulder her cases while she was on her honeymoon. He remained overly attentive, and she tried to avoid him, especially when she planned on having lunch with Xander. Though Xander was civil to Philip, she could feel the animosity bubbling below the surface.
The whole scenario almost made her laugh out loud. When she was a teenager, nary a boy would look her way. Now she was married, and there was an abundance of men that wanted her. But her heart belonged to one man; it probably always did, she just never knew it.
Ava sat at her desk pouring over a complicated case. Her eyebrows knitted together, and she was so deep in thought that she didn’t hear her husband come into the office and close the door. He quietly approached her desk with the one thing he knew she would appreciate (besides himself): a vanilla shake.
“Sweetheart, look what I have for you.”
She jumped, “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry. I thought you could use a snack.” He handed her the cup.
“You’re going to make me fat with these every day.”
“You need to gain weight, and you’re carrying our babies who need nourishment.”
A little over three months into her pregnancy and you would never know that Ava was carrying twins. Her stomach barely had a bump in it. She had only gained five pounds in that time. Xander watched her like a hawk. Luckily, the nausea had subsided with the advancement of her pregnancy. She felt better and less exhausted, which meant she would be able to gain healthy weight soon.
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” he said as he closed the door to her office.
“I assume from the tone of your voice that it’s not good.”
“It depends on how you look at it.”
She leaned back in her chair and looked at him.
“We need to speak about the lake house. What do you want to do with it?”
“You mean to sell it or give it back to your parents?”
“We can do either or just keep it. I’ve already instructed Oliver to tear down the shed, to sell the boats and anything else in there.”
“So you’ve already made your decision without me. Why ask?” She said, annoyed.
“It’s just a shed. We can replace it and buy new stuff. I didn’t think you would want the same shed with what happened.”
“How do you feel about it?”
“I love the house. I don’t want to get rid of it, but you’re my wife. You come first. We can sell it if you like.”
“No. Rebuild the shed and replace the boats.”
“Just like that?”
She fixed her eyes on his, “Just like that. I’m not going to let him destroy our memories. It’s where we first made love, and you gave me a promise ring.”
“Very well. I’ll tell Oliver to get started on a new shed this week.”
He kissed the top of her head and began to walk towards the door.
“Xander?”
He turned towards her.
“Are you okay with this decision? You can tell me the truth.”
“I’m perfect. It’s what I was hoping you would say.”
The weekend before their wedding, they decided to have a party at their apartment. Ava was much too busy at work to take time off for a four day weekend at a destination bachelor/bachelorette party. Besides, she couldn’t drink and the night life was not something that she could do any longer with her pregnancy.
Since most of their wedding party had children, it worked out much better to invite everyone to their home for dinner and drinks. They hired a catering staff to take care of the details so they could enjoy their guests.
On Saturday, May sixteenth, their apartment was a flurry of activity. The caterer was coming to their apartment at 2:00 PM to prepare appetizers and dinner. They had also hired a bartender who would be setting up at 4:00; guests were coming at 5:00.
Xander rushed around cleaning his office of papers and folders. Lately, he had been taking work home so he could spend time with Ava. His father had assigned him a large case at the worst time. Fortunately, his co-counsel was Jacob who would be handling things while he was away on their honeymoon.
Ava’s father and stepmother had graciously given them their honeymoon as a gift. They would be spending it on the shores of Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. Her father had rented a home where he and her mother had taken the family several times. She had always wanted to go back and was thrilled to spend time on the private beach.
At first, Xander was hesitant. He wanted to take her to an island where they could enjoy tropical drinks (even though hers would be virgin) and explore. But he saw how excited she was by her father’s offer that he couldn’t resist agreeing.
At 3:30, he was finished straightening his office when he went to find Ava. He thought he would find her in the kitchen, but instead, she was curled up on their bed, napping.
“Sweetheart,” he whispered as he gently shook her awake.
“Xander, I had the most wonderful dream.”
“What was it?”
“We had the babies. They were beautiful with your hair and eyes.”
He chuckled, “I’d much prefer them to have your looks.”
“I just want them to be healthy.”
He leaned down to kiss her, and she took his face in her hands, spearing her tongue into his mouth. When he pulled back, he saw fire in her eyes.
“Do we have time?”
“We don’t.”
With pregnancy came Ava’s hormonal rages. She often wanted to have sex three or four times a day, and he had no problem with that. There were times like these that he wanted to shut out the world to make love to her. She looked up at him sweetly and began to rub his crotch.
“It’s 3:30. Do you want the caterer to catch us in mid-fuck?”
“The caterer is busy in the kitchen. Take me into the bathroom.”
“You need to get dressed.”
“What I need is a quickie. Please?”
The seductive look on his face melted him, and he gave into her. He scooped her off the bed and carried her into the bathroom, quickly removing her pants and thong before he deposited her on the vanity. He was already rock hard, and she was slick with desire.
Her moans were so loud that he kept his mouth clamped onto hers while he thrust into her to stem them. It didn’t take long for her orgasm to tear through her as she clung to his neck. He followed shortly after.
“See,” she panted. “It took only a few minutes. I’m good to go.”
He laughed, “Yeah, but for how long? Let’s clean up before our guests find us in a compromising position.”
He helped her clean up, and she went to the closet to get dressed.
An hour later their guests started to arrive. The bartender had mixed a signature drink for them, of cranberry juice, pineapple juice, orange vodka and a pineapple slice for garnish. It looked good, and Ava sat near Samantha sipping ginger ale because she understood.
“I seriously could use a drink right now,” she said to Sam.
“Ava!”
“I said I could use one not that I was going to have one.”
“Are you all set for next week?”