"I was wondering when you were going to get home," I place the bridal magazine I was reading on my chest and look over at Ben, "I've been dreaming about that massage that you owe me."

"Yeah, sorry," he heavily signs, "Marty ended up having to take his wife to the ER suddenly, so I picked up his duty."

"Oh no, I hope everything is okay."

He places his keys and wallet on the desk and walks over to me, placing a gentle kiss upon my forehead, then my cheek, "I'm sure it will be fine," he soothes, as he sits on top of the coffee table, "and you should be napping."

"I did, Ben. For almost 2 hours. I just started looking at this to get some ideas about what I like for wedding dresses."

He grabs a corner of the magazine, but I swat his hand away, "Uh – uh, no! This is for my eyes only, baby. I don't want you to see anything to do with my wedding dress. It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride's dress before the wedding."

A small laugh escapes him, "I thought the bride had to be wearing the dress for it to be bad luck."

"Well, I'm not taking any chances." He sighs once more, and I can tell that something is bothering him besides his worry over Marty and his wife.

"Ben, what else is going on? I can tell something is weighing on you."

I sit up from my spot on the couch and he takes my hands in his. He kisses the knuckles on both of my hands before he sets them to rest against my thighs, still rubbing the backs of them with his thumbs. I can tell that whatever it is he is about to share isn't good. He's already trying to soothe me, in preparation for what he's about to share.

"Ciara, the police asked for my statement and if wanted to file charges against Eve for wrongful arrest and unlawful imprisonment," he pauses and swallows before he further continues, "I – I didn't do it Ci. I couldn't file charges against her."

"But Ben, she…"

"No Ciara, I took her daughter from her. I ended Paige's life, and no amount of good deeds or time passing is going to erase that. My hope is that by me showing her some mercy she will leave us alone and allow us to live our lives without her interfering."

"Ben, she made our lives a living hell for weeks. First, you were thrown in jail, and we didn't know if you would ever get out, and then we had to pretend to be broken up and spend time away from one another."

I feel the tears forming in my eyes getting ready to fall, "Ben you didn't get to be there when I took the pregnancy test to find out if we were pregnant," the tears begin to trickle down my cheeks, "and you weren't there when my Aunt Kayla did the ultrasound, you didn't get to be there the first time to hear our babies heartbeats or to find out that it wasn't just one baby, but two," my chin is quivering I'm so pained to think about what he missed while being in jail, what we missed together.

He comes to sit next to me on the couch and pulls me against his chest, wrapping his arms around me, "Shhh…Ciara. It's going to be okay baby. I'm sad that I missed out on those things with you. I wish I could have been there, and maybe if we are lucky enough, to be blessed with more children, I can be."

I turn and crawl into his lap, laying my head upon his chest as I wrap my arms around his torso, "I'm just so angry that you missed out on it this time Ben," I mumble.

He wipes away some of the tears from my cheeks and kisses the top of my head, while he ever so gently rocks me back and forth.

"Ciara, this is something that I just need to do, and even this is never going to be enough to pay for what I did to her. I killed Paige, and Eve is never going to get to see her graduate from college or become a famous singer. She's never going to see her get married or start a family like we are. I'm hoping that by me not seeking punishment for her, she will see that I really have changed. That I'm better now, I'm healthy and I mean her no more harm than what I have already caused her. I just want to live my life with you and our babies."

One of his hands comes to rest on the slight mound of my abdomen which is our children. I will never be able to fully express how safe I feel in his arms. I feel at peace and with each passing breath, I feel my anger leaving me as he simply holds me.

"You already paid for your crimes Ben; truthfully, you continue to pay for them with the way the people treat you every day. But I get it, you feel like it will never be enough. I just hope that she does leave you alone now."

I place a hand on his cheek and stroke it with my thumb. He stares down at me with his beautiful brown eyes that I so easily get lost in. I lean up and brush my lips against his. His lips eagerly pull at mine as his tongue seeks access to my mouth. He swipes his tongue along mine and groans deeply before pulling back from me.

"So, what do you want for dinner, babe?"

"I'm not hungry, I want my massage, and I want it right now, Benny Boo," I say as I kiss his cheek and get up from his lap.

I offer my hand to pull him up and nod my head in the direction of our bed. He swallows as he looks up at me with an almost nervous smile and takes my hand.

"Ciara I should really make us some dinner. You need to keep your energy up for the babies," he argues as I pull him toward the bed.

"Mmmm," I purr at him, "you can make us our dinner after the massage you owe me," I wink at him.

I grab the almond and lavender scented oil that is sitting on the nightstand and toss it to him. He catches it with ease and bites his bottom lip. I've been waiting for this all damn afternoon. All damn day really. I wanted him already this morning, but he was off to work before I even woke up to go to my class. I strip down to my bra and boyshorts, then turn to him while I twist my hair up into a tight bun.

I lay down atop the bed on my tummy and wait for his magical hands to remove some of the knots from my body. I wait a few moments and when nothing is happening I gaze up over my shoulder. He's just standing there staring at the bottle of the massage oil in his hands.

I clear my throat, "Ben…"

"Oh sorry, babe."

He comes to the bed and straddles my waist. I hear the bottle pop open and the sound of him squirting some of the massage oil onto his hands. The moment his big warm hands make contact with the flesh at the middle of my back my entire body covers in goosebumps and a small moan escapes me.

Her moan pulls at my groin and I feel all of my blood heading south. I knew this is what would happen. I can't touch her without getting turned on and the fact that she's laying there in only a lacy bra and boyshorts is not helping matters. God, she is breathtaking.

My hands gently rub in the almond and lavender scented oil at the middle of her back then venture upward to knead the knots that have formed between her shoulders and in her neck. She lets out a long and pleasured sigh, arousing me further. I place a kiss at the base of her neck.

"Ohh Ben, that feels so good baby."

I can't help but smile. It feels great to know that my hands have the ability to make her feel so good. I massage the tops of her shoulders, then her arms, and back down her spine. I scoot my body down so that I can focus my attention on her lower back and hips, my fingertips brushing the lacy material she is wearing. My thumbs focus in on the base of her spine using pressure to get out the knots there. She lets out a long moan and I'm hard as a rock.

"You know Ben, I've been wanting you all day. When I woke up the morning, but you were already gone," she informs me.

For good reason I knew what she would want in the morning, hell I want it too, but I also don't want to hurt her or cause her to lose our babies. And that is why I am just going to have to put my needs aside. The last time we made love she thought she was losing the babies afterward and my heart sank. I heard the agony in her voice and felt the pain in my heart at the thought of losing them. I won't do that again.

"Yeah, sorry. One of the sensors on the grounds was going hinky so I had to go and take care of it."

She turns over beneath me, a wicked grin on her face, "Well there aren't any more sensors going off now so, that means you can make love to me right now, Ben. Baby, I've felt like this all day. I need you." She takes one of my hands and guides it to her center, where I find that her panties are soaked.

"Ciara, –no," I gently tell her, pulling my hand away from her sex as I go to sit on the edge of the bed.

She rapidly sits up tears forming in her eyes her chin quivering, "What do you mean, no, Ben?"

The look that flashes across her face is killing me, "I mean," I swallow, "that I can't Ci. I won't."

"Oh my God," the tears begin to trickle down her cheeks, "you're repulsed by me now, aren't you? I'm pregnant and starting to show and now you don't want me anymore."

Her words slice through me like a switchblade, "Repulsed by you? Never!" I get up from my spot on the bed and sit wrapping my arms around her from behind, "Just the thought of you pregnant with my babies makes me feel strong and manly, but seeing the changes it's doing to your body, it makes the feeling even more profound. You look so sexy. Ciara, you take my breath away."

"Well then if I'm so sexy and take your breath away, why won't you make love to me?" she questions, looking back at me over her shoulder.

"Because I don't want to be responsible for hurting you or causing you to lose the babies. I heard the pain in your voice when you thought that you were, and I don't want to be the cause of it really happening," I swipe my thumb across her cheek wiping away some of the tears she has shed.

"So, you think that if you were to make love to me, it's going to cause me to lose the babies, because of what happened last time?" she huffs.

"Yes, and I don't want to be responsible for causing you that pain," I sigh.

"Ben, Sarah said that the bleeding that happened was normal, and we were more…aggressive," she blushes, "we can still have sex."

"I don't know Ci, I—"

She turns in my arms so she can look me directly in the eyes, "Ben Weston, have you ever heard the phrase, 'happy wife, happy life?'" she cocks her eyebrow up while she stares me down.

Fuck! I know where this is going, and she's got me. She knows that I will stop at nothing to keep her happy.

"I may have heard that phrase referenced a time or two," I comment biting my bottom lip.

"Well, I'm going to be your wife in about a month Ben, so…"

"So, I should really just get used to making and keeping you happy right now," a small smile begins to form on my face.

"You're so smart! We'll just have to try to tone it down a little bit, or you'll have to get more creative," she giggles, and it warms my heart.

"I'll have to get more creative?!" I stare at her slack-jawed.

"That's what I said. So how about you start being creative right now and make love to me," her bottom lip juts out in a pout.

I pull at her bottom lip with my teeth, then slowly pull at her lips with my own. If I want to have any hope of keeping this toned down my best bet is to slow the pace. My hands go up to her hair and I pull at the elastic holding up her chocolate tresses.

"Ciara Alice, I love you and don't think for a second that there is a moment during the day that I don't want you."

"Oh, Ben."

I kiss her jaw, below her ear, and down her neck to her shoulder. Her fingers thread through my hair as she clutches my head to her neck. Her fingers then trail down my torso, finding the edge of my t-shirt.

"Off now," she demands as she begins to pull the shirt up and over my head.

Her nails skim down my torso and head for the belt at my waist, "You don't need these on either," she grins as unbuttons my pants then cups my dick. She pulls down my pants and boxer briefs and I toss them off to the side.

I cup her full breasts in my hands and rub my thumbs over her already hardened nipples. My hand trecks down her abdomen and my fingers creep under the lace of her boyshorts. Her folds are slick with desire for me, and I am eager to fulfill her needs.

"Lay down on your back babe."

She wastes no time, nor do I. My hands go to her hips while my mouth goes to suck on her clit through her panties.

"Ooh Ben, that's it. Ohh suck me harder please," she begs, and I listen.

I pull the lacy garment down her legs and when I return, I alternate between using my tongue to lap up her essence and my lips to suck on her overly sensitive nub. My left hand goes to play with her breasts, while my right travels down to her core. I bite her inner thigh as my fingers slide along her slit.

"You're so wet, Ci," I slowly sink two of my fingers inside of her and she moans. Her inner muscles tighten around my fingers as I slowly pull them out and push back in.

"Ben, I want you inside me," she whimpers, biting her lips.

"Do you baby?"

"Mmmhmm," she moans.

I lay down next to her and pull her hips toward mine so that we are spooning. I lift her top leg so her foot rests just below my hip and enter her from behind. She's warm and wet and tight and already her sex is tightly squeezing my dick. She grabs her thigh to pull it closer to her chest and I use the opportunity to reach around to toy with her clit.

She takes her hand and grabs my chin. Her eyes are glazed over with pleasure. "I love you, Ci," I whisper before I capture her lips with mine. I devour her mouth while I increase the speed and pressure of my hand at her clit. Her core tightens further around my cock, goosebumps break out over my entire body and it feels like electricity shoots down my spine when my release explodes inside of her, which in turn sends her body into spasms over the edge.

"Ohhhhhhh Ben…." She sighs.

She collapses onto her side and turns her head to look at me, "That was amazing. You're amazing," she pants trying to catch her breath.

I pull her closer too me, and brush my lips over hers, "All I want in life is to make you happy Ci."

"You do, Ben, so happy. I love you," she kisses my nose and that is when her stomach growls.

I chuckle, "Lemme guess…you're ready for dinner now?"

She giggles, "You're so smart, baby. And yes, it's time to feed me. Your children are hungry."