Page 44 of His to Love
“Not just any pizza, Patton. I want one with grilled honey-glazed chicken breast, fresh grilled pineapple, sprinkled with kale.” My mouth watered just thinking about it. “Chef Zorga makes it for me at the resort. Do you think you could tell him to make the Alexa special for me? He’ll know what I want.”
“I had no idea you were having a food affair with Zorga.” He came and scooped me up into his strong arms. “Are there any other work-husbands I should be made aware of, wife?”
“No.” I liked the hint of jealousy I’d seen in his blue eyes. “Are there any work-wives you have that I should know about?”
“I’m much too busy to be juggling two wives.” He kissed my cheek. “And why would I bother with any other woman when I have the most gorgeous and sweetest wife at home?”
“Yes, why would you?” I asked with a smile.
Except for the lack of sex, our marriage felt very real. And now that we’d be sharing a bed, I felt that it would begin to get even more real. I was thrilled about that.
After dinner and watching a movie on television, the time had come to go to bed. Butterflies swarmed my tummy as he climbed onto the bed, lying on top of the blanket. He grabbed the throw at the end of the bed to cover up with. “Night, Alexa. You make sure to wake me if you want anything.”
Turning to lay on my side, I faced him. “I want you to sleep under the blanket with me. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable either.”
For a moment, he just looked into my eyes. “Alexa, I’ll be fine. I don’t want you to think you have to do anything to accommodate me.”
“You are doingeverythingto accommodate me.” I didn’t like it being so one-sided. “I want you to be as comfortable as I am. And I want you to be able to feel this baby whenever you want to.” I took his hand, placing it on the spot I’d just felt the baby kick. “Here, see if he’ll kick for you. Talk to him.” I loved when he spoke to the baby through my stomach.
Leaning over, he pressed his lips to my swollen tummy. Only a cotton nightgown separated his lips from my flesh. Flesh that burned with desire for him. “Daddy loves you. Can you hear me in there, Patty?”
The baby kicked, making us both smile. “See, I told you. He likes it when you talk to him. And he likes it when you put your hand on my stomach.” And I liked it too. “Come on, get under the blanket with me.” I turned to my other side as he got underneath the covers. “Here, lay behind me and rest your hand on my stomach.”
Moving in behind me, his warm breath stirred my hair as he put his hands on me. “This isn’t too intimate for you?” he asked with concern. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable in any way.”
The truth was that I loved feeling his body wrapped around mine. “You make me feel safe.”And loved.
“Youaresafe with me.” A long sigh came out of his mouth. “I like this.”
“Me too.” My eyes closed as a sense of calm spread over me.I could do this every night—forever.“I’ve never felt so comfortable in my life.”
He snuggled up to me even closer. I could feel every part of his body against mine. It felt right. I felt whole in a way I never had before.
He is the right man for me. I just wish he and my brother could see that.
“Patton, I want you to know that I think you’re the best man in this whole world. You’ve done so much for the baby and me. No one would do what you’re doing. Not to the extent that you are. I just want you to know that I deeply appreciate you, and I will never stop. You aren’t just my angel and my hero; you are my rock.” I placed my hand over his as the baby kicked the spot just underneath his palm. “That’s Patty’s way of saying he feels the same way.”
Warm lips pressed against my neck and I melted inside. “Not only is it my pleasure to be doing this, but I feel that you’ve given me a gift no one else could. Not only the gift of this child, but the gift of knowing and understanding you in ways I’ve never done with anyone else. The gift of your trust. I wouldn’t change a thing about what we’ve done together.”
A knot formed in my throat. I found such beauty in this simple act of sharing words of affection and care with each other while being so close, physically. If Patton hadn’t had a dime, and we were lying on a mattress on the floor in some shack, I would still want to be with him, doing the same thing.
I’d never known much about love, but I knew this was it. There was no doubt in my mind. The only doubts I had were about my brother, and whether he would accept that this was what I wanted.
The way Patton held me, spoke to me, and the vibrations coming off him told me that he loved me the same way I loved him. It seemed that our mutual respect for my brother was all that was stopping us from taking that last step and confessing our feelings. But one day, one of us would have to find a way to let my brother know that we wanted to stay together and be a real husband and wife.
At least, I prayed that was how things would eventually work out. And after that, Patton and I could really begin. But for now, I had to accept that this was enough.
And this is pure bliss.
