Chapter Twelve

This chapter contains a sexual situation that is not intended for younger readers. You have been warned!

Michaela rocked Katie back and forth, as she sat in the bedroom of the new homestead. Sully had gathered Loren, Robert E. and even Jake Slicker to help move things into the new house. Michaela desperately wanted to help, but knowing that she was still pregnant made Sully cautious, and he wanted her to rest as much as possible. As soon as they'd found out they were still expecting, they'd decided to move into the new house and start living life the way they were supposed to.

Myra Logan tapped on the door, and Michaela looked up at her with a smile upon her face.

"Afternoon, Dr. Mike," Myra said warmly. "Thought I'd bring ya somethin' to eat. I heard the happy news." Michaela's eyes went wide.

"You heard?"

"Sully's practically beamin'," she laughed. "Don't be too hard on 'im. Ain't everyday a man learns he's gonna be a pa for the first time." She smiled down at her little girl. "Say hello, Samantha."

"Hi," the little girl replied. Michaela smiled at Samantha. The little girl had dark blonde hair and dark brown eyes. She was a beautiful child, though Michaela didn't see much of Myra in her.

"Hello, Samantha."

"She looks a lot like her pa," Myra said quietly, her voice choking. She cleared her throat. "She wanted to come see the baby. That all right?"

"Of course," Michaela replied. Samantha cautiously walked over toward the lady doctor and took a peek at the baby in her arms.

"She's little," she announced.

"Yes," Michaela replied. "She's only a few weeks old." Katie began to fuss, and Samantha stepped back.

"She's loud!"

"Yes," Michaela laughed. "When she wants something, she certainly is loud." Michaela glanced up at Myra. "I should feed her."

"We were just leavin'. We wanted to stop by and see how things were goin'. We got some gardenin' to do, right Sam?"

"Right, Mama," the little girl replied with a polite smile. "Bye, Dr. Mike!" Samantha left the room first, and Myra turned back to Michaela.

"Congratulations again, on the baby. You and Sully sure are gonna have your hands full. Sometimes I don't know how I can keep up with the one I got." She grinned and hurried after Samantha. Michaela sighed and looked at Katie.

"She's right. Mama and Papa are going to be very tired once your little brother or sister gets here." She couldn't believe it. Once the baby arrived, Katie would be around seven months old, and they would have two little ones to worry about. Katie wouldn't even be walking yet, which would make the entire situation a little more difficult.

Michaela grabbed Katie's bottle and began to feed her. She hummed a slow, soft tune as the baby ate, and she waited to pull the bottle away until after the baby was sleeping. She rocked her back and forth, hearing the baby's breath and feeling her moving ever so slightly in her arms. She was soft and tiny and so perfect.

"Charlotte would be so proud of her beautiful little girl," Michaela breathed. "She's an angel in Heaven now, and I'm sure she smiles down at you every single day." She heard footsteps coming down the hall, so she stood and placed Katie down in her bassinet, tucking the blanket around her snugly. "I'll be right back, sweetheart." She left the room and found Sully directing a few men to take a baby's crib into one of the rooms. She smiled and walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his torso, resting her head upon his back.

"Michaela?" he teased. "Is that you?" She gave him a squeeze and laughed.

"Who were you expecting?"

"Nobody but my beautiful bride," he replied, turning and taking her into his arms. He kissed her neck, and her face flushed.

"Sully! Someone will see!"

"So? We're married," he laughed.

"I know, but…" He shushed her with a soft kiss to her lips, and she sighed against him. When they pulled back, her lips curled into a smile.

"Baby's sleepin'?"

"Yes. She had her bottle and she's down for the next few hours."

"Good," Sully replied. "Maybe after I send these fellas home…" Michaela gave Sully a look.

"I do need to get back into town today."

"What for? The day's nearly over."

"It is not," Michaela laughed. "Besides, I want to clean up our room for patients."

"Can't ya do that another day?"

"I suppose I could," Michaela began, "but it'd be easier to get it taken care of now, just in case." She moved past him and down the stairs, and he watched her, his eyes staring at her intently, and Michaela could feel him watching. It excited her, and she glanced over her shoulder long enough to see the desire building in his eyes. She flushed red and hurried down the stairs.

It wasn't long before she felt two strong arms wrapping around her waist, and she spun around to face him. She smiled up at him, feeling his azure eyes connecting with hers. She wrapped her arms around his strong shoulders and let him devour her mouth with his own. Finally, she pushed him away and giggled, resting her forehead against his.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "but we have guests!"

"I told 'em they could go. We got all the stuff here for now." Michaela laughed.

"At least wait until they've gone," she whispered, giving him a soft kiss. Katie began to fuss upstairs again, and Michaela sighed. Sully let out a groan, and she kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry. I'll check on her, and as soon as they've gone, we can have our time together." She felt his frustration, and hers matched his, but she had a daughter to tend to, and she knew they were both going to have to get used to the interruptions.

"I can't believe you never told me," Lydia said softly as she sat in the front pew, staring across the aisle at Albert in disbelief. He sat in the row beside hers, and he was trying to break it to her gently. Well, he had, but she'd still taken it hard. "I suppose if you said you had just courted, it wouldn't have been so hard."

"You wouldn't have wanted me to lie, and I didn't want to lie either."

"So you kept something so…so important from me?" Albert sighed and ran his fingers through his slightly curled hair.

"Believe me, Lydia, I didn't want to keep it from you," he said quietly.

"Then why did you? While we were courting, did you ever think to mention, 'by the way, I used to be married,' to me?" She tapped her fingers on the swell of her belly, and her eyes had never been grayer. She was rightfully angry, and Albert didn't like to be on the receiving end of that anger.

"I…"

"You were married to that woman," she said quietly. "I thought I had been keeping a huge secret before I told you that I was pregnant with David's child. But I told you. I told you, Albert! You could have at least had the courtesy to tell me your secret too."

"I didn't even think, Lydia. I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you, and I've been wanting to tell you for weeks."

"Weeks? What about the past few months? What if you hadn't run into her again, Albert? Maybe I never would have found out."

"No! I would've told you," Albert promised. "I swear, Lydia. I was going to tell you." She looked into his eyes, and she saw the truth there, but she was so angry with him.

"If you had told me before we were married, I wouldn't have…I wouldn't have reacted like this. But to think that I thought…" She shook her head, tears spilling over.

"What?"

"Nothing," she breathed. "I can't see you right now."

"Lydia!" he exclaimed as she moved toward the door. "Please, don't do this! At least let me explain." Lydia turned toward him.

"Did you love her?" Albert looked away. "Did you?"

"Lydia…"

"Answer me."

"I…of course I loved her, Lydia. I wouldn't have married her if I hadn't. But, that's not important. What's important is that I found you, and I love you more than anything or anybody." Lydia nodded slowly.

"Why did you get divorced," she asked quietly. "You didn't look very unfriendly toward one another."

"It's the past, Lydia," Albert said quietly.

"Answer me. You owe me at that." Albert sighed heavily. "Tell me, Albert!" Her eyes were full of tears as she sat back down, and she was trembling with frustration. He knew he had to tell her. He couldn't let her fret like this, not while she was this pregnant.

"All right. I'll tell you everything," he breathed. He sucked in a sharp breath. "I moved to New York for a while, trying to get some new clients. I met Julianna, and from the beginning, we were good friends. She told me about her novels that she was trying to get published, and I told her about cases I hadn't worked on but I'd heard of. I think I fueled her desire to write some of the things she did. She once wrote a murder mystery based on what I had told her about some cases. I knew I shouldn't have been divulging any information, but I didn't release names, and I didn't tell her anything else. Once, I told her about a few clients who were psychiatric patients. I lost their cases, but she was intrigued by the idea of them. She began to jot down ideas for a novel. I was so awestruck that I was her inspiration, but I later realized she didn't need me. I fell in love, Lydia. I asked her to marry me, and we both thought it was a good idea. We weren't married long, Lydia. It was just five years ago that we divorced, and we…we…"

"Why did you divorce?" she asked again, almost fascinated by her husband's newest revelations.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked. That made Lydia's heart break just a little.

"I need to know," she said softly, looking down at her hands.

"I didn't want the divorce," he admitted. Her eyes grew wide and full of hurt and anger and sorrow.

"You…you didn't?"

"No. It was her idea, Lydia. She filed for the papers. I fought for our marriage, but…but it didn't last."

"Why? Why did she file?" Albert sighed heavily.

"She was involved with starting her book, and I was involved with my clients. I was an idiot, and a month into our marriage, I told her I wanted to start a family. I scared her, I know I did, because she hadn't wanted children from the start. She was busy, and she wanted to do things that I didn't think I could possibly do with my clients taking precedence. It put a strain on our marriage, and it dissolved quickly. She said she didn't want to make me wait for children. She wanted me to find somebody who wanted children as much as I did. I told her I'd wait for her, but she told me it was for the best. She filed shortly after, and…here we are today." Lydia stood quickly, when Albert moved toward her. "Lydia…"

"So, you…you didn't want to get a divorce. You loved her so much that you wanted to stay married to her."

"I did, but that's the past, Lydia. It doesn't matter anymore."

"Yes it does," she trembled. "Do you still love her?" Albert hung his head. "I suppose that answers my question." She started to move.

"Wait!"

"You expect me to sit here and…and…"

"You asked me!"

"I didn't think I'd…oh, Albert!"

"I don't love her the way I love you. I love her, because she was my first wife, and she was my best friend once. I'm not angry with her, because I know now that she did it for the right reasons, and I'm so grateful, because it gave me the chance to meet you." Lydia moved toward the back of the church, and she shook her head.

"If things had worked out, you would still be married to her." Albert moved toward her again.

"I suppose so. But, it didn't work out that way. I told you, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone."

"But you didn't love me enough to tell me from the start that you were married before."

"I was ashamed, Lydia! I didn't want you to think less of me, because I already had one failed marriage behind me. Just like you were afraid to tell me about what happened between you and David. You were ashamed." Lydia felt her skin stinging as if she'd been slapped in the face.

"Yes, I was, but I told you before we were married." She turned and stalked off, slamming the church door behind her and rushing away. Albert wanted to go after her, but he felt like he was in a nightmare where his feet were stuck to the floorboards and he couldn't go after her. He sat back down slowly and angrily slammed his fist into the seat of the pew. He held his tongue to stop himself from cursing in the house of God, but he was so upset. It wasn't her fault. It was his. Now he had to pay for his mistakes and hope he could convince her that she was all that mattered.

Julianna settled into the room above the clinic. She knew that there were occupants in the room across from hers, but she didn't know who they were. Obviously, they were out and about during the day. Dr. Quinn had explained how they would only be there temporarily. So would she, or so she thought.

She opened a few drawers and placed her belongings in them, being careful of her undergarments and corsets. She never wore those corsets, but she packed them anyway. They'd been something she'd carried with her all of her life, and they were more of a burden than anything. She looked at one particular corset, and she realized that it had been the one she wore on her wedding day to Albert. She sighed heavily, and she pushed it to the back, hiding it from view. She missed him, yes, but she wasn't in love with him. It had been five years sine she'd seen him, and she missed his friendship. She still had a heavy heart about the way things ended, and she remembered the look upon his face as he got on the train to go back to Boston. He'd been so lost, but she was grateful he'd found love again. She only hoped she hadn't put a wedge there with her arrival. How had she knows that she was going to run into her ex-husband in the most unlikely of places?

"She heard a commotion out in the hall, and she heard a woman sobbing. She moved to close her door, but she leaned against the wall, curious but not wanting to be obvious. She could hear Albert's voice pleading, full of worry and regret. It broke her heart.

"Please, please talk to me, Lydia," he said, trying to open the door. But, she'd locked him out. "Lydia, please open the door." Lydia's response was muffled, and Julianna sighed heavily, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. You know I am. I can't take back what I said…" Julianna heard the door open, and she figured that was Lydia. "What's that? Where're you going?"

"I'm going to stay in the spare room at Grace and Robert E.'s for a while."

"This is ridiculous," Albert said quietly. "Can't we just settle this now?"

"I'm too upset with you to settle it now. You can stay here."

"No, no. You stay," Albert said with a heavy sigh. "I'll sleep in another room."

"Don't do me any favors. I don't want to be under the same roof with you right now." She quickly stormed off, and Julianna could hear Albert's heaving breaths outside. She knew it wasn't her place to comfort him, but she couldn't exactly stay in the room across from his without letting him know. She couldn't let him stand out there and try to pick up the pieces of his shattered heart.

She slowly opened the door, and she stepped out into the hallway. Albert looked up with surprise.

"What are you doing here?"

"Dr. Quinn let me rent the room until I leave," she said quietly. "I can't help but think that I caused what…what just happened. I'm sorry about that. I had no idea you were here, Albert." He shook his head.

"No, it's not your fault. It's mine. I was an idiot."

"You should go after her," Julianna replied quickly. "She's going to be angry if you don't."

"You don't know Lydia," he said sadly. "She'd rather be alone. I'll try to see her tonight, but I'm not sure I'll have much luck."

"I can find another place, Albert," Lydia said, guilt filling her voice.

"No. Don't worry about it. That's the past, and we were friends once, right Jules?" Julianna nodded slowly, smiling a little. He still remembered the nickname he had for her.

"We were." She looked down the hall. "She must love you very much to be so upset with you about this."

"I love her more than life itself," Albert said quietly. "I've never felt that way about anyone before." He looked into her eyes, and she knew the truth. She smiled a little.

"I'm happy for you," she said softly. "Congratulations. I only hope I haven't ruined things."

"No," Albert said quietly. "She's upset. She has every right to be, but it'll work out. It always does." Julianna nodded as Albert walked away, and she retired back to her room. The Colorado sun was dimming, so she lit a lantern and pulled her journal out of her pack. She settled down on the bed and began to write.

Colorado Springs is beautiful, and it's a place full of life and a plethora of different people. I'm not complaining, because there are so many people to study. There is so much inspiration that I can fill it surging through my veins. But, so much shadows the peace I first felt when I set sight on Pike's Peak. Not only did I learn that Andrew Strauss is coming back into my life, unintentionally though, but I may have caused extensive damage to my ex-husband's marriage. That's not what I wanted for him or for me. I feel terrible. I want him to be happy, and I can see that this Lydia makes him that way. I hope they can work it out, because I don't think I have any right to try to fix it. I've done enough by merely being here.

She put her journal away and got off of the bed. She moved to the balcony doors and threw them open. She frowned when she saw the townsfolk leading their everyday lives. They had simple things and little money, but many of them looked so happy. Happiness was sometimes overrated. She enjoyed the drama that life brought, because she knew it made her a stronger person. Perhaps happiness was merely something to be cherished the few times it came along in her life. The first time she'd been truly happy was the night she started writing her first book. The second time was the day she married Albert. The third, well, she had to admit that she hadn't really had that third day. It was sad that she could count her truly happy days on less than half of a hand. She'd spent all of her time writing, and she had barely let herself enjoy it. She'd written for the moment, purging her thoughts and her feelings onto paper and twisting them around to fit the plot. But happiness had been something she'd tried to let herself feel at the end of a powerful chapter, but she hadn't felt that happiness, because her mind had been tugging at her, urging her to write more. She had been a slave to her craft for quite some time, and she had decided that after working on this book for so many years, she was going to take a break as soon as she was finished. She was nearly there, but she needed a decent ending for her main character. She didn't care if her publisher screamed at her for an hour or two, because a break was what she needed. She needed to live and experience some highly anticipated happiness. She wanted to be free.

"It ain't even lunchtime no more," Brian said tiredly, sitting on a tree log next to his sister. "More like dinnertime."

"Matthew will be here soon. Ya find any pennies yet?"

"No. You?"

"No," she replied sadly.

"I sure hope he gets here soon." Colleen sighed heavily.

"Don't worry," she replied quickly. "I'm gonna go check over there again." She pointed to a patch they'd searched a while ago. "Maybe somebody dropped somethin' since then."

"I'll stay here and wait for Matthew."

"No, you go on back to the wagon. That's where he'll be goin' when he's done."

"M'kay," Brian mumbled, chewing on his thumbnail.

"Stop doin' that," Colleen scolded. Brian quickly pulled his thumb away from his mouth, and he hurried back toward the wagon. It was as he was running that he spotted the shiny coppery coin in the dirt. He stopped and fell to his knees.

"Colleen! C'mere! I got one! I got a penny!" Colleen hurried over, and she patted her little brother on the back for having good eyesight.

"Good work, Brian. Let's go find a newspaper."

"Boy, you sure know how to play," Ed said, his words slurring together as the day wore on. Matthew was forcing himself not to choke on the overwhelming stench that seemed to cling to the creaky boards and the whisky-covered tables. "How old are ya, anyhow?"

"Don't matter, does it?" Matthew asked, pulling his winnings into his hands. He'd won about twenty dollars, which was more than enough to get himself and his brother and sister to Denver. They could take the train and still have plenty of money left over.

"Ya are gonna give the fellas a chance to win their money back, ain't ya?" Matthew looked at all of the eyes, dark eyes full of greed and liquor.

"I ain't got no time," Matthew replied. "I got a family to get back to." Matthew stood, and he moved toward the door with the money and his mother's ring in his hands.

"Wait just a second," Ed said, standing and pushing one of the girls off of his lap. "That ain't the way we play 'round here." Matthew turned back toward him, noticing the twitch in Ed's eye. Matthew turned toward the door again, and he heard a chair scoot across the floor. He didn't turn back, and he hurried out of the saloon. It wasn't ten seconds later that he felt himself being pushed, and he fell into the dirt. He felt his mother's ring dig into his side, and he was being pulled to the side and turned onto his back. A fist flew at his face, and he felt hands ripping at his pockets. He tried to fight them off, but it wasn't long before his body gave out, and he fell unconscious, as he was being beaten and robbed blindly.

Michaela stood in her nightgown, brushing out her long, chestnut hair as she waited for Sully to come up from locking up the house. It was their first night together in the homestead he'd built for her, and she had never felt so safe. A smile was tugging at her lips as she brushed, and she didn't notice Sully staring at her from the doorway, watching her smile and smiling back at her.

Her hand moved down her gown to rest on her still-flat stomach. She couldn't believe that in about six months, she was going to give birth to a child she hadn't been sure she'd ever be able to have. But this was happening. This was a life she and Sully had created out of their union and their love. This child was a blessing, and she only hoped that God wouldn't take this one away too.

"You feelin' okay?" he asked as he walked into the room, keeping the door open. They'd put Katie in one of the other bedrooms for this night, though Michaela didn't want that to be a permanent thing. She was willing to comply with Sully's wishes on this night, because it was certain to be quite an experience. They missed each other, and they needed to feel the closeness that only they could feel when they were together, joined as one and moving as one. They needed to thank one another for the blessing they shared that slept in Michaela's womb. They needed to hold each other and love and cherish the moments they had while they were still here. They'd been through more than most people had in a lifetime, and they wanted to make up for lost time.

"I feel wonderful," she replied, placing her brush on the bureau and watching as he crossed the room to add a few logs to the burning fire in the hearth. She watched as the flames licked at the fresh wood, sending white and black smoke up the chimney and into the night sky. She watched him remove his shirt and moccasins, and the initial jolt of desire sparked within her. Her skin was tingling under the fabric of her nightgown, and she could feel her most sensitive flesh reacting to the chill in the room and the sight of her husband's bare chest.

"Good he replied," moving to take his wife into his arms. Something was different in her eyes, but it wasn't something bad. He was trying to read her, but the desire he felt for her as she stood barefoot and in nothing but her gown, her nipples stiffening and showing through the white fabric and her hair falling loosely behind her made his mouth water and his own desire start to rise. "You ready?"

"I am," she replied, her hands taking his. "I want to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?"

"For everything," she breathed. "I feel like I know you better than I've ever known anyone. We know one another, body and soul." Her fingers slowly traced the outlines on his chiseled chest, and he thought his skin would melt under her touch. "You were patient with me after everything in Denver. You were…" Her cheeks blushed. "You were there for me when we couldn't…" She bit her bottom lip, and Sully grinned a little.

"Be together," Sully finished. She nodded.

"Yes. I never knew that…it…what you did…could be so beautiful."

"Ain't nothin' wrong with showin' the person ya love how much they mean to ya, even when ya can't fully show 'em yet." Michaela nodded, and she breathed a soft sigh, curiosity coating her breath. "Michaela? What is it?"

"I just…what you did for me was so selfless," she said quietly.

"I wouldn't say that," he said, his own face growing a little red. She choked back a giggle, but her face remained serious.

"I've heard that it…well, it's not…proper to do such…" Sully finally understood what she was getting at, when he felt her hand gently massaging his stomach.

"It ain't for everybody," he said quietly. "But when ya love somebody with everything ya have, there ain't nothin' improper 'bout it." She smiled, and he pulled her close. "Ya gotta feel good enough 'bout yourself." Michaela smiled, taking a deep breath through her nose.

"I love you," she breathed. "I've missed you." Without another word, Sully helped her out of her gown. He smiled at her form. Her breasts were slightly fuller, and her middle was starting to thicken. It was barely enough to notice, but after having worshipped every part of her body before, he noticed the slight changes, and he thought she looked incredible.

His buckskins were off in a matter of moments, and they walked hand-in-hand toward the bed he'd carved.

"Ya nervous?"

"A little," she replied. "It hasn't been so long, but it seems like it has. So much has happened." She took his hand in hers and placed it on her belly. "So much has changed."

"Not in our hearts," Sully replied. "We're still the same." This brought tears to her eyes, and he kissed her. His hand moved from her belly to caress her thigh, and she moaned as he lay her back on the sheets. "I love you."

"I love you," she breathed as his mouth moved from her lips to her neck. He made his way down her body, kissing every sensitive part of her. He wasted no time with her, loving her with his mouth and fingers. He wasn't greedy. He gave so much with only a few simple gestures. Her body cried out for release, and he found the spot that triggered the flood of desire that surged through her when he pleasured her in this way. She breathed his name, thanking him by the way she responded to his love.

He knew she was close, and he kissed his way up her body again, positioning himself between her legs. He saw that look in her eyes again. There was slight fear, apprehension, need and curiosity there. Her hands moved up his arms and onto his strong shoulders. She pushed him back a little, her bravery solidifying. She was breaking past the wall of propriety and shyness. She dared to do things she had never conceived of when she was with him. She crawled over him, worry in her eyes.

She was afraid she wouldn't please him, but as her thigh grazed him, and he shuddered under her, she knew she could please him. She felt completely in control. She knew she always pleased him, and that worried her. What if…what if? But it was more than that. She loved him more than words could ever express, and this was a part of it. He showed her love by the way he cared for her, kissed her, and she wanted to do the same. It wasn't so much as a need as it was a want.

"Michaela…" he breathed, as she kissed his chest, her breasts brushing against his muscles. He sucked in a breath as she kissed him lower, and he gently caressed her cheek. "Ya don't have to. I don't need…" She nodded.

"I know," she replied. "I…" She wanted to. She wasn't sure if she could say it, but she wanted to. "I love you. I want to be there for you too."

"Ya really don't…" His body and his mind were screaming at him to shut up and let her explore him. He wanted that with every part of his being, but he didn't want her doing something she wasn't ready for. But the look in her eyes told him this was another part of their intimacy that she was ready to accept. She wanted him to feel the way she felt when he pleased her. "You're sure?" he asked as she grazed against him again. She bit her bottom lip, a smile finally gracing her face. With a nod, she kissed him.

"Yes," she said, her hands shaking, her body trembling as she kissed him lower. He closed his eyes for only a moment, and they flew open again when he felt her hand like fire around him. He wanted to scream out, but he knew that if he did that, they'd wake the baby, and their evening would be over..

She trembled as she caressed him, held him, kissed him. The tender flesh on his lower belly jumped and tingled as her fingers massaged him. She was warm and silky around him, and his worries crumbled right then and there. She was still trembling, but she was under control, her body crying out for him, but she wanted to please him first. She felt empowered, and he could see the fire in her eyes. His pleasure heightened just knowing that she wanted him to feel what she felt.

"Michaela," he breathed, his hands reaching out, gripping at nothing, needing to latch on and hold on for dear life. He was quivering, and she could feel him, but she wanted him to feel the kind of intense pleasure she felt when he was there for her. Her heart pounded as she watched him and saw the way he reached to her. It made her entire being quiver. Loving him made her feel something she'd never experienced before, especially when she looked up to see his face glistening with sweat, his hands clenched into tight fists and his chest heaving in heavy pants. "Michaela. I can't hold on…" She nodded in understanding and pulled away from him. She sat up, staring into his eyes for a moment, her hazel and olive eyes filled with something new, perhaps more knowledge of her husband. But more than that, there was a sense of pride about her. She still felt so powerful. She felt right, and she felt appreciated, and it was one of the most erotic feelings she'd ever encountered. That power had completely aroused her senses, making her feel something more than just love. She felt closer and more connected to him than ever before. It wasn't improper. It was nothing of the sort. It was…beautiful. Tears formed in her eyes, and he caressed her cheek. "I told ya…"

"No," she breathed, lying back on the bed. "No regrets. How could I regret loving you?" He gathered enough strength to pull himself on top of her, his mouth tasting the flesh on her neck, his hands finding her most sensitive spots as he positioned himself. God, it had been way too long.

She arched her back, running her hands up his back, feeling the muscles rippling and the sweat gliding off of him. She closed her eyes, raising her hips as he filled her. She gasped, her body shattering against his as their inhibitions scattered to the wind in millions of tiny slivers. His hands supported his weight. He didn't want to hurt her or the baby, and he knew he had to be careful from now on, but she pulled him close, needing to feel his skin against hers. He moaned into her mouth when she kissed him fully. He moved in her, with her…for her.

They rolled to the side, and Michaela found herself in control again, feeling slightly shocked, but wonderful at the same time. He rolled to his back, bringing her up, holding onto her hips. She cried out and her hands found his chest and his shoulders. She leaned down, kissing him fully and passionately. She gasped into his mouth, whimpered and moaned, driving him further. He turned her onto her back, and he began his final thrusts, sending them both over the edge, their bodies threatening to release the tension that had built up over time.

The sweet sounds of their love making, their passion, their need for one another filled the room, and when they reached the end of their journey, they cried out, their bodies giving out and surrendering to completion.