Can I Give You A Lift?
Stephen arrived home from work. Betty sat on the settee, holding Stephanie who was wailing loudly and inconsolably. He kicked off his shoes and wiggled his toes.
"Oh, that feels good!" he sighed.
"Hello, dear! How was your day?" she greeted.
"Busy, but that makes the day go faster! Oh, I'm glad to be home. Sounds like you've had a busy day yourself!" he smiled, eyebrows raised.
The baby paused in her caterwauling, her breath hitching and hiccupping.
"Is there anything I can do to help, darling?" Stephen asked sympathetically.
"Please take her for a moment; she's been hollering for an hour and a half solid," Betty said exasperatedly. It was Betty's eighth month of pregnancy and she was miserable. Her swollen feet, her back ached, and Stephanie would have her moments where she would go into fits of colic.
"I've tried walking and rocking her, but I am right puffed! She's quite heavy."
Stephen glided over to the settee and sat down next to his wife, "Oh, you poor thing! C'mere, Steffie," he crooned to his daughter, taking her into his arms and standing.
"Who's Daddy's little girl?" he cooed, "I've missed you while I was at work!"
Betty smiled admiringly at her family, breathing a sigh of relief, freed of her screaming baby.
Stephanie settled immediately into her father's embrace. He laid her across his chest and slowly swung back and forth, cradling her. Stephen gazed at his beautiful baby daughter and began to hum softly to her. He reveled in delight at his daughter: her scent; the way she softly breathed; her sandy-brown curls the same color as his; her grey eyes and cleft chin. His mouth curved up in a besotted smile. The baby's eyes fluttered closed and she went limp. He strode across the lounge and gently placed her in her bassinet, lingering a moment to watch her sleep.
Returning to the settee, he resumed his place next to Betty. Leaning in, he pressed his lips lightly against her cheek.
"Mmm," he murmured, nuzzling her neck and shoulder, "You smell delicious!" His finger traced along her arm.
"I'm not wearing any scent," she insisted.
"It's you. You have a distinctive fragrance about you when you're pregnant! I noticed it at once when you were pregnant with Steffie. That was why I couldn't keep my hands off of you!" he admitted, blushing.
"What do I smell like? Is it B.O.?" she asked, concerned. She knew she had not had a bath yet and was oversensitive to his remark.
"No. It's quite lovely...and alluring," he drawled in his low sexy voice, "I don't know if it's pregnancy hormones or what, but it drives me mad!" He began to place little love bites on her neck, sniffing and nuzzling her.
"Have you noticed the smell on other pregnant women?" she asked apprehensively.
"No. Only you. Maybe it's exclusive. That's my baby and the scent is specific to you and me. Might be some Mother Nature homing device that keeps the man around his family, so we can identify our mates. I'm sure Richard Attenborough could explain it!"
She laughed, her eyes squinting almost shut.
He reached behind her and began to knead her lower back. Betty let out a low moan and hunched over slightly.
"That feels so good!" she shuddered and exhaled.
Standing up, he proffered his hand to her, "Here, stand up."
She stood and he positioned himself behind her. Wrapping his arms round her, he reached down under her round belly and lifted, easing the weight of the baby. Betty leaned into his embrace, resting her hands on top of his.
"Can I give you a lift?" he quipped.
"Ohhhh," she murmured, "That is wonderful! Thank you, Stephen."
He nuzzled the crook of her neck, inhaling her essence, feeling her relax in his arms.
"I'm sorry, Stephen," she sighed apologetically, "I didn't make your tea."
"It's alright. You were busy!" he smiled against her skin, "I'll go in and make it in a minute. I'm just savoring the moment."
The baby inside Betty's belly began to kick furiously and Stephen chuckled. He followed the movements with his hands, spreading his long fingers and tracing circles along her roundness.
"He's quite rambunctious this evening! Might have a future footballer in the family!" Stephen tittered.
"Alright, in there! Settle down!" Betty playfully admonished.
"It won't be much longer!" he said excitedly. Betty reached up and cupped his cheek. Stephen turned his head and kissed the palm of her hand. He slowly rocked her, feeling the fullness of her pregnancy and traced soft kisses along her neck.
Betty softly moaned as Stephen's kisses became more ardent. Realizing that if he didn't go into the kitchen at once and prepare their tea, things were going to get quite heated, Stephen pulled back from her. Betty sighed dejectedly.
"There'll be more of that later!" Stephen promised,"I'm going to make tea. You sit down and relax and put your feet up."
He held her hands as she eased back down on the settee. He bent over, kissed her belly, and was rewarded with a sharp kick. He laughed heartily and exited the lounge; she could hear him in the kitchen clanking the teakettle and opening cupboards.
