Just Breathe Trilogy Box Set

by Martha Sweeney

  “Just that I needed you away for a while and to keep you distracted, yes,” I confirm.

  “Are we alone?”

  “I hope so,” I reply with a laugh. “I don’t think you’d want me in the kitchen like this with Anna or the bodyguards around.”

  “True,” Joe chuckles.

  “Mm hm,” I confirm, enjoying the use of his hands which are starting to be very distracting.

  “What’s for dinner?” Joe asks though I know he’s not interested in food at the moment by the way his hands are caressing my body and his erection is pressing into me.

  “Food,” I reply. “And . . . cupcakes.”

  “Cupcakes?” Joe repeats.

  “Mm hm,” I answer. “Do you want one?”

  “If I’m going to spoil dinner with dessert, I’d rather have you first,” Joe whispers into my neck.

  “They’re really good,” I coax, licking some icing off my fingers.

  “I bet you taste better,” he states.

  “I think I’d taste better with some on me,” I retort, offering my finger for him to lick.

  “Mmm,” Joe hums, kissing my neck.

  “I don’t know,” I say. “I think these are my best cupcakes yet.” I pick one up and peel off the wrapper. “Here. Try one.”

  Joe lets me spin to face him. “I just want to taste you.”

  I lift the cupcake up to my mouth. “Fine . . . more for me . . . and Joe Jr..” I moan satisfaction as I take the first bite as if I’m on the verge of an orgasm.

  Joe chuckles. “I can’t imagine that they’re that . . .” his voice falters when he looks down at the dessert that is still in front of my mouth as I chew my bite. He looks back up to me, then the cupcake and then peers around me to see the rest of the confections.

  Butterflies dance in my belly when I see the realization set in his eyes.

  “They’re blue,” Joe reveals.

  “Hmm?” I reply.

  “The icing . . . they’re all blue,” Joe expounds.

  “Mmm hmm,” I confirm, trying to swallow.

  “And, you just said more for you and Joe Jr.,” Joe reminds.

  I smile and nod.

  “You’ve never directly called the . . .” Joe says, stopping himself. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes,” I say smiling.

  “How do you know?”

  “Maggie and I did go shopping . . . but . . . .”

  “But?”

  “But, we visited Kim after lunch,” I confess. “I know you said you wanted to be there to find out the sex of the baby, but I really wanted to surprise you and every. . . .”

  Joe’s lips firmly take mine, interrupting me. He gently presses my body against the counter as he holds my face. “He’s a . . . ?”

  “Boy? Yes,” I confirm.

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes,” I giggle. “I wouldn’t lie about that.”

  Tears softly trickle down Joe’s face. He kisses me several more times before lowering to his knees. “Hey, little prince,” he greets my belly. “How are you doing in there?”

  “He’s hungry,” I say, finishing the cupcake and licking my fingers.

  “I promise that mommy and I will feed you, but . . .” Joe says, kissing my belly. “But, first, I need to do something.”

  “What?” I say with disbelief. “Dinner is rea. . . .”

  Joe’s suddenly standing in front of me, his hands firmly wrapped around my face as he kisses me passionately. “There’s something I need to do.” His mouth returns to mine as he uses his tongue more deliberately.

  “What do you need to do right now that is . . . .”

  Joe interrupts me again, diving his tongue further into my mouth. The coolness of the stainless steel fridge tingles my naked body when Joe spins and holds me against it, forcing me to whimper with excitement. Joe’s desperate need to be inside me is found by the way his mouth consumes mine, yet he tempers his desire, by the way his fingers clench my ass cheeks.

  “Joooooooooe,” I whine, wanting him inside me.

  “I want to celebrate,” he states when his tongue tastes my neck. “I don’t want to rush it.”

  “Fuck me now . . . then we can eat . . . then you can . . .” I gulp between breaths.

  “You sure?” Joe checks.

  My fingers tighten in his hair as I smile and nod. “Please, fuck me.”

  Within seconds, the metal buckle on Joe’s belt clangs to the marble floor and his cock is breeching the hole of my sex. He slides just the tip of his head in and I moan with eager anticipation. Joe pulls himself back, only to slip himself a little further inside me. “God, you’re so fucking wet,” he grunts on his third thrust, pressing himself all the way inside.

  “Yes,” I pant, shivering from the sensation of being filled.

  Joe rocks his hips back and forth with slow, long pulses, teasing us both.

  “Joooooooe,” I whine.

  He steadies my face with his left palm, placing his forehead against mine as he continues to pump inside me. Wanting to excite him more, I turn my head and capture his thumb between my lips, repeatedly curling my tongue around his finger and gently pressing my teeth to lock it in place.

  “Fuuuuuuuuck,” Joe grunts.

  The man gets just as turned on by me sucking on his finger as if it’s his cock lodged deep in my throat. With the fourth wrapping of my tongue, Joe is pulsing his hips faster and harder against mine.

  “Mmmmmmm,” I praise, not wanting to relinquish his finger.

  “Fuuuuuuuuck,” he moans. Joe’s tongue dances along my skin. His mouth seeks mine and after a few more flicks of my tongue, I release his finger and surrender my mouth to him.

  “Make me cum,” I request, feeling his penis stiffen as it strikes the spot that will undo me.

  “Emma,” Joe groans into my mouth, signaling that he’s close.

  “I’m gonna . . .” my announcement is cut off as the orgasm springs to life inside me. My arms tighten around his neck, pulling him further into me as my body shakes from the pleasure.

  As I’m finally able to sigh, releasing the breath I was holding while riding the wave of euphoria, Joe finishes, whimpering his release into my neck. We stay pressed against each other for a minute or two while we collect ourselves.

  Once Joe lowers me to the floor, he kneels before me, slopping up the moisture from between my legs. He offers me a kiss when I request it and my body instantly becomes more aroused at the flavor of us. Joe leaves his pants on the floor, only putting on his boxer briefs. He shrugs out of his dress shirt and tie as I check on dinner.

  Instead of eating at the dining room table as I had planned, Joe and I eat in the kitchen. The dishes sit on the island, as do I, with Joe standing between my legs. We take turns with the fork, feeding ourselves or the other, not wanting to separate. Joe and I don’t really say much as we devour our meal, smiling and laughing as we have a silent conversation of joy.

  “What?” I ask when I see Joe’s expression change.

  “So,” he begins. “You had the ultrasound done, then?”

  “Yes,” I verify, seeing how he’s trying to hide his disappointment from not being able to be there with me.

  “Are you mad that I did it without you?” I search.

  “No,” he shares, taking a bite of his second cupcake.

  “Then, what?” I explore.

  “I . . . I just wanted to be able to see it . . . you know?” Joe admits. “I wanted to hear his little heart beat and all.”

  “You’re upset,” I say.

  “No, no, beautiful,” Joe replies, getting choked up.

  “Would it make you feel better to know that I have a video and photos?” I ask sweetly.

  Joe’s eyes dart to mine, but he doesn’t say anything.

  “I knew you’d want to see it for yourself and that we want to minimize exposure for Joe Jr., so Kim made sure to copy the ultrasound.”

  “Really?” Joe beams, instantly perking up.

  �
�Yes,” I confirm. “Grab my purse, they’re in there.”

  Joe reaches across the counter, rather than walk around, clearly wanting to stay connected. He softly places my bag on my lap and I stuff the last bite of my cupcake in my mouth to retrieve the thumb drive and printed photo. As my hand lifts to the edge of my bag, Joe snatches them out of my hand. I can’t help but laugh at his excitement. Before I even get the purse off my lap, Joe is sweeping me into his arms and carries me out of the kitchen. Sadie follows us happily as Joe leads the way to his office, lowering us both into his chair behind the desk. Keeping me on his lap, Joe slides the thumb drive into the slot and opens the video. Realizing that there’s no sound, Joe quickly turns up the volume and the whooshing noise takes over the entire room. My attention bounces back and forth between the computer screen and Joe’s face, enjoying the myriad of emotions displaying on his face.

  Joe’s hands rub my belly as he smiles at the video. “That’s him?” he checks.

  “That’s him,” I agree.

  “What’s that sound?” Joe asks.

  “His heartbeat,” I confirm. Leaning forward a little, I point to a particular spot on the screen. “And, that . . . that is his penis.”

  “Looks like he takes after his daddy,” Joe boasts.

  “Seriously?” I laugh, surprised at his statement.

  “What?” Joe returns, not bothering to look at me as he stays fixated on the screen and plays the video again.

  I study him, watching each and every muscle on his face and every little eye twitch as he watches our son. “I love you,” I tell him.

  Joe turns and faces me. “I love you.” His lips tenderly take mine. “And, I love you,” Joe says, looking down at and rubbing my belly. “We love you.”

  “Yep,” I agree.

  Joe plays the video several more times and I just sit, basking in the glow of the moment.

  “Who else knows?” Joe asks suddenly.

  “Knows what?”

  “That he’s a boy?”

  “Just you, me and Kim,” I share.

  Joe studies me for a second. “Anna.”

  “No.”

  “Maggie?”

  “No.”

  “Jared?”

  “No.”

  “Nathan?”

  “No.

  “Henry?”

  “No,” I giggle. “I wouldn’t let Maggie in the room when I found out . . . though, she seemed really, really eager to know.”

  “Thank you,” Joe says tenderly.

  “You’re welcome,” I reply.

  “I love you,” he says, holding me closer.

  “I love you,” I return.

  Joe and I make our way to the bedroom. The rest of the night, after a long lovemaking session, Joe and I are curled up in our bed, watching the video and listening to the heartbeat of our son, talking about what it will be like with Joe Jr. here until we fall asleep from exhaustion.

  One Hundred Forty Five

  As Joe and I are on a tour of one of the houses located in the area called Millionaire Row in Pasadena, a calming settledness permeates all the way down to my bones. My hands gently rub across my belly as I stare out the floor-to-ceiling glass windows to the backyard. My eyes drape across the view from left to right as I relax into my little bubble. The feeling of home surrounds me as I take in the expansive green yard that is several acres with a natural pool, outdoor garden area off a sunroom, that I would love to turn into an atrium, and a patio that spreads across the whole length of the back of the house and down two levels to the pool.

  Little voices chatter in my ears as visions of my family gathering for dinners and parties tempt my eyes. A small open section off to the left catches my attention, sparking an idea for my parents.

  “So . . .” Joe says from behind me. He wraps his hands around my waist and cradles me. “What do you think?”

  A smile dances across my face as my hands cover his and my lips reach up to him.

  “I think this is the one,” Joe announces, breaking our kiss first.

  “How do you know?” I check, not doubting him, but wanting to see if he’s having the same thoughts.

  “I just do,” he says. “Watching you for the past few minutes . . . I don’t know . . . I just have the feeling of home.”

  I smile and nod confirmation.

  “Over there,” Joe says, pointing to the back left. “We’ll build a treehouse for Joe Jr..”

  “We?” I laugh.

  “And, there,” Joe continues, ignoring my teasing. “We’ll put in a water slide for the pool. I already know which room would be his . . . and the room just over there can be his playroom.”

  “Maybe,” I goad.

  “Why? Did you plan something else for that room?” Joe asks, concerned.

  “No,” I giggle.

  “I’ll spar you for it if I have to,” Joe says playfully.

  “You can’t,” I press. “I’m pregnant.”

  “We’ll work around that,” Joe challenges with a smile.

  “Yeah,” I reply. “You have to let me win from here on out.”

  “What?” Joe scoffs playfully.

  “Because I’m pregnant,” I remind, smirking as I rub my belly.

  “You’re pregnant, yes. But, that doesn’t mean that I’m going to just let you win,” Joe states.

  “So, you haven’t let me win all the other times we’ve sparred?” I check.

  Joe stays quiet for a moment like he’s debating on how to answer. “Maybe one or two.”

  I cock a brow.

  “I have other means to win,” he charges.

  “Mm hm,” I muse.

  On the drive back to the penthouse, Joe and I bask in the knowledge that the house is ours. It’s been on the market for a while, and before we left, he was able to talk the owners down by half a million since he offered to pay cash. I would have paid the asking price, not really caring either way. With the newly formed business Joe and I created with his father, we will move into the property once the contract is drawn up and signed which will be done in a day. We’ll officially have our new home in just a month since we plan on making a few, small renovations as well as have the interior walls redone with more eco-friendly paints.

  “Joe,” I call while we finish dinner.

  “Yes, beautiful,” he returns.

  “I think I know what I want to do with mom and dad,” I announce.

  “Mom and dad?” he says, perking a brow. “Oh, you mean your parents.”

  “Yes, sorry,” I confirm. “I know what I want to do with their ashes.”

  “I thought we’d keep them in the urn and put them over the fireplace of the new home,” Joe states.

  “No,” I disagree. “That doesn’t feel right.”

  “Then, what?”

  “I came across something on the internet earlier . . . I’m not quite sure how,” I begin. “But, I was thinking on doing a living urn.”

  “A living urn?”

  “Yeah,” I reply. “It’s a biodegradable urn that comes with a tree. You use the stuff they give you plus the ashes to plant and grow the tree . . . I was thinking we could plant it near where you want to do the treehouse for Joe Jr.”

  Joe smiles. “I like that idea.” His grin widens.

  “What?”

  “Nothing,” he dismisses.

  “What?” I press gently.

  “Nothing,” Joe repeats. “I’m just really happy.”

  “Me too,” I agree, smiling.

  An hour later, I’m hopping on the rebounder to loosen up before doing some yoga. I was pleased to hear that many of my workout routines wouldn’t really need to change much now that I’m pregnant, just altered to not aggravate my body. I don’t push myself near as hard on the trampoline, so I’ve been going an extra five or ten minutes. Since I can’t play music, because it gets me going too much, I’ve been putting on a movie while I jump, just to reduce the habit of speeding up. Once I’m on the floor stretching, Joe always joins me and
usually tries to sway me into another type of physical activity.

  Tonight, though, he doesn’t even attempt it. Joe still assists with the stretches, making sure I’m supported and won’t fall off balance. His hands glide over my arms and legs, gently coaxing my body to relax — if he only knew how un-relaxing it is since it always makes me hornier. As I finish up my last pose, Joe disappears into the bathroom. By the time I get to a standing position, he’s returned and scoops me up and carries me into the bathroom where he’s filled the tub with water and rose petals, and has the whole bathroom lit with candles.

  “What’s this?” I ask, eager to know if there’s a reason for the romance.

  “Nothing,” Joe answers calmly.

  “What’s with all the extra pampering?” I press.

  “I just wanted to do something nice. Is that wrong?” Joe replies almost nervously.

  “No,” I say quickly. “I just didn’t know what I did for the extra special treatment.”

  “I love you, that’s what,” Joe replies.

  “I love you,” I return, kissing him.

  “And, I thought that you and Joe Jr. could use a little extra attention,” Joe states casually.

  “Extra attention?”

  “Yes,” Joe answers, taking off my tank top and sports bra.

  “Anything else?” I check.

  “Just to say thank you,” Joe adds.

  “Thank you, for what?”

  “For today with the house, for you, for Joe Jr.,” Joe says bashfully.

  My heart pounds a little faster. Is he going to propose — tonight?

  Joe removes the rest of my clothes before taking off his. He then guides me into the tub, holding my left hand while placing his other on the small of my back. Before I sit, Joe’s standing behind me and lowers us into the warm, soothing water. He turns on some music and begins to hum the melody of the song as his fingers caress my arms.

  The sudden urge to cry consumes my chest, but I fight it, not wanting him to be worried. The tears are not of sadness or pain, but that of happiness and joy. Nothing else matters in this moment but us.

  We lounge, staying entwined for a while, kissing, holding, being with each other. Joe’s hands focus on my tummy and I can feel the love he’s pushing into me from the warmth of his hand under the even warmer water.