As was promised, when Daniel arrived home that night they were sitting in their bed while Andrea dialed her mother's international mobile number and put the house-line on speaker phone so they could both hear her. She picked up after a few rings, sounding calm and sober.

'Hello, this is Agnes.'

'Hi, Mom.'

'Andrea! Oh, I'm so glad you called back, sweetheart!'

The exhilarated relief in the woman's voice had Andrea on alert; this was not the woman she was used to dealing with whenever she thought of dealing with her mother. 'Daniel said you called this morning, that you and I have some things to discuss.'

'Yes, I've just been feeling so awful about how we left things when I was in New York in March, and I know it's been over a month, but I've...I haven't wanted to call until I had something to show for it.'

'Daniel said you've gone into rehab, Mom?' Andrea took Daniel's hand in hers. 'Is that true?'

'Yes. It was part of the reason I didn't call, I wanted to get through my first thirty days before getting in touch with you. Andrea, I've said and done some things with you that...well, that I have no excuse for other than my own selfishness.'

'I think it's more what you haven't done that's hurt more, Mom. You never intervened once on my behalf with Cora and Gerry.'

'I know, and I don't ask you to forgive me for that either. There's no reason you should. I crossed a line in March with you, one-on-one trying to tell you how you should look for your husband. And when you stood up to me like that, it made me realize that you...'

Daniel and Andrea heard Agnes trail off, take a few breaths to compose herself. 'That you were happier than anything I'd seen since your father died, and it scared me, that you'd done all of these things without me. Again, I know there's no one to blame but myself for this. I've led a very wasteful life in ignoring you, not giving you what you needed, sweetheart.'

'Agnes, before this goes any further, I have to ask.' Daniel hesitated only a moment; he was fairly certain his question would earn him a night sleeping on the couch but it needed to be asked. 'Is this for real? Because Andrea's been through a lot the last couple of moths, we both have, and if you're not dead set on keeping this resolution, then we want no part of it.'

'It is for real. I want to be welcome when the baby's born in August,' Agnes replied earnestly, and Daniel watched Andrea's eyes fill up, though they didn't spill over yet. 'I'm going to buy a small place in Manhattan, I think. There's no reason for me to waste all my time down here in the Bahamas when I can be there for you both.'

'When are you coming to New York?'

'I'm going to be flying in the first weekend of June to house hunt, and once I find something, I'll be returning to the Bahamas to get my things packed and shipped up. I'll be here for good hopefully in July.'

Andrea looked at Daniel. 'Should we make a plan that weekend then, to go and see a few places with her?'

'I think so. I think we should have some input or ideas if our child is going to spend time with her at this apartment.'

'Mom, what does your husband have to say about this?'

'He's perfectly content to be screwing the stewards on his yacht and abusing his liver. I doubt he'll even notice I'm gone until I serve him divorce papers. So, what do you think?'

'I think it's a big change to take in all at once,' Andrea replied honestly, squeezing Daniel's hand in support, 'but you sound like you're very determined, so I'm willing to give you a chance. It's not going to be midnight ice cream and long talks on the phone right away, Mom, you'll have to earn your way back.'

'I understand that, sweetheart, but I'm just...I'm so grateful that you're giving me the chance at all.'

'Well, a wise man told me that Dad's gone, but you're still here and that it's worth giving it a shot for that reason alone.'

'Thank you, sweetheart. I have to go, I have an early meeting with my therapist tomorrow and I will call you with the details of my flights and appointments when I make them, okay?'

'Or sooner,' Daniel suggested. 'Let us know how things are going, maybe in a week or so.'

'Yes. Yes I can do that. Take care, darlings. Love you.'

'Love you too Mom.'

Andrea hung up the phone, and Daniel watched her sigh out a heavy breath. He brushed his hand over her arm. 'I know how hard that must have been for you, Andr-'

He couldn't even finish his sentence before his wife was launching herself into his arms, her mouth crushing down on his. Her lips were hot and grateful, almost thankful, as she kissed him ferociously.

'Thank you, Daniel,' she murmured, 'thank you for pushing em into that.'

'I-'

'No. There's nothing you can say.'

Andrea scooted off the bed, began to undress, which had Daniel getting to his feet as well. 'Hey, slow down, killer. What?'

'Just because you're pregnant doesn't mean we can't have a little bit of romance. Here.'

Daniel dimmed their bedroom lights, got out the tea lights from his bedside table and lit them in their mirrored-glass holders before getting out the plastic toy-box they kept; it contained a variety of sultry odds and ends like a worn-out copy of Dear Diary, their collection of l'Amour des Femmes discs, and what he was looking for - the little box of massage oil jars. Andrea always favoured citrus scents so he chose the delicate lime-coconut oil, shook the bottle up.

When he stood at the edge of the bed with her, Daniel's hands moved gently up her arms and over her shoulders until he was cupping her face in his palms. 'You mean the world to me, Andrea. I love you so much.'

'I love you too, Daniel.'

Andrea stroked her fingertips over his arms, his stomach, his broad chest. 'God you're sexy. I just wanna eat you up.'

'That sounds promising.'

She chuckled, nipped at his lower lip. It was harder to do that with her bump in the way these days but she still managed it. Inching the cotton up his back, she felt the soft skin there, firm muscles riding underneath it. He was so gorgeous, there were still times when Andrea wondered how she'd gotten so lucky that of all the people in the universe, he was the one who loved and wanted and needed her. When the shirt was over his head, she didn't hold back looking at his body, nor his arousal. As she'd once said, Daniel surname suited him all over.

Daniel saw her eyes go bright and wide in appreciation for his body, just as his did for her. He lifted her blouse over her head and licked his lips at the sight he saw - Andrea's breasts had gotten even bigger thanks to the hormones, so much so they were nearly spilling over the top of her bra. With gently but swift moves he unhooked the bra to slide the fabric away then taking her hand, he turned her so she spooned against his chest and he cupped those beautiful breasts against his palms. When he scraped his thumbs over her already heated nipples, she groaned in satisfaction.

'Oh, yeah baby. But I thought I was seducing you?'

'You are, trust me.'

Daniel reached around her body with his long arms, and unfastened the maternity pants she was wearing, slid them down her hips before ditching his own so they were both in just their underwear. He tugged her onto the bed, so they were kneeling together in the centre and Andrea reached for the little jar of massage oil. She drizzled a little of it on her husband's back, began to rub it in.

The feel of her hands on his back made the blood pool in Daniel's lap, and he felt himself harden as those clever hands worked over his skin. Her hands had been the first thing he'd fallen for, and his love for them had only grown since their first intimate time together. He heard her instruction for him to roll to his back and wasn't surprised to see her eyes glaze again at the sight of his arousal, flying high and proud under the silk of his boxers.

'Here,' she said in a low, throaty voice, 'let me help you with that.'

She slid his boxers over his hips so he was naked and adjusting herself to accommodate the bump, Andrea nestled her head against the curve of his shoulder and traced her hand down over his body until she closed her hand over him. 'So big baby,' she murmured to him, 'you really are the Incredible Daniel.'

'Daniel love, Daniel kiss,' he replied in a growl, making her giggle; his brain evaporated a little bit as she started to work him. His big arm came around her shoulders to keep her close. 'God you're good at that.'

'Yeah?'

'Yeah.'

Andrea kissed his cheek, then murmured in his ear, 'you sure you don't want a kiss for it?'

'That'd be fun.'

'Here.' She let go of him, rolled to her back. 'This is the easiest way.'

Understanding what she meant, Daniel straddled her, moved up so that she could take him into her mouth. The feel of her tongue laving over him had him hissing out a breath between his teeth and sighing her name. She could do this to him, make him feel so vulnerable and god-like at the same time, it was truly a beautiful thing. That she had to do it like this because she was pregnant with his child made him love her all the more.

Then there was no thought going through his mind, only the sensations she gave to him; Daniel felt the pull his his chest as those wonderful hands stroked the outsides of his thighs while she pleasured him. He begged her, pleaded with her not to stop, and she kept her magical mouth on him as he began to shudder from the orgasm that pounded through his body. Hips rocking in urgency, Daniel reached down to stroke his hand through her fiery hair as she took him in, all of him, and only released him when he was drained and sated. Falling to the side, Daniel stared at the ceiling, then at Andrea as she sat up, wiping her hand over the back of her mouth. He saw the sweetly smug look on her face.

'Best thank you ever.'

'Even better than a million dollars?'

'We have the million dollars as a wedding gift. Nothing beats getting sexed up by your hot pregnant wife. Or sexing her up, either,' he added, sitting up to kiss her lips lightly. 'Lie back.'

'Hmm?'

'Lie back,' Daniel repeated, 'it's my turn to thank you.'


R&R&Enjoy