CHAPTER 17
"Matthew, do I really have to keep this blindfold on? I'm getting woozy." He had insisted that I wear it for the "full surprise effect", as he called it.
"Just a for a few more minutes, Maddy. We're almost there." I felt him squeeze my hand, then bring it up to his lips to kiss the back of it. We drove along a road that felt like it was full of potholes the size of the Grand Canyon. Even the smooth ride of the Cadillac wasn't enough to keep me from bouncing.
"Another bump like that and this baby will be rocketing out whether she's ready or not," I said, holding on to my stomach for leverage.
"You mean whether HE'S ready or not. Anyway, we're here." He got out of the car and came around to the passenger side. He opened the door, took my hand and helped me out of the car. With the blindfold still on, he awkwardly guided me on to what felt like a patch of grass. We were definitely outside of the Chicago city limits. I could hear the sounds of bees buzzing and cicadas singing their song. The air was warm and clean and smelled of new mown hay.
"Voila!" said Matt as he removed the blindfold. In front of me was a large overgrown patch of land with a scattering of oak trees. It had a faint familiarness to it, but I was completely unaware of where we were.
"This is your surprise? A field? Don't tell me you've bought cows..."
"No..and it's not just a field, Maddy. Don't you recognize it?"
"Not really, Matt."
"Don't you remember...the day after the Senior Formal, when we took a drive to look at places we wanted to build a house when we got married?" His eyes were wide and radiated a child-like eagerness, just waiting for me to show a hint of recognition.
"Oh my God! Is this the same place?!"
"Yes, baby...it is! And now we can buy it!" He hugged me close and kissed the top of my head.
"But how, Matt? We already have two mortgages."
"My old place on Richmond sold today! Once the balance of that old mortgage is paid off, we'll have about forty grand to purchase the land and start building our house! Surprise, baby!" He pulled me in close and kissed me softly. I held his face in my hands, feeling to movement of the muscles in his jaw as his mouth covered mine.
"Is there any chance that you still have the plans to the house you were gonna build for us here?" His grin suddenly widened.
"I do. They were in the attic on Richmond. I found them a few months ago when I was staying…" his voice trailed off before he finished. Our temporary separation seemed like ages ago, but it was still awkward for us whenever it came up, even in a roundabout way like this. He took my hand in his and led me back to the car.
"After all these years, I can't believe that piece of property wasn't sold. It's almost like it was waiting for us, Matt."
"I know...and here we are twenty years later, doing exactly what we planned when we were eighteen. Incredible, isn't it?" I smiled and nodded in agreement. It was our personal kismet coming to life and it felt damn good. We drove back to the house, talking about the details of the house Matt had designed for us back then, laughing about how we had wanted six bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. I remembered requesting a massive walk-in closet, almost as big as the master suite itself.
"I'm still gonna need that closet, Casey," I said.
"Yeah, I figured. Now, go upstairs and take a bath while I get dinner ready," he said. He gave me a quick slap on the ass to send me on my way. As I trudged myself and my puffy ankles up the stair, I could feel my energy waning. If I climbed into a bathtub full of bubbles now, I may be there for the night. I decided on a cool shower instead. The rhythmic sound of the central air conditioning sounded like a cooling little lullabye as I dried myself off and dressed in a short tank dress..
"Notice how cool the house is, little mama?" Matt was setting the dining room table as I rounded the corner into the dining room.
"Notice how I've stayed upright and conscious since I came home? Thank you, Matt...a million times, thank you," I said, giving him a quick peck and pulling off a few green grapes from the fruit basket at the center of the table. "Really? Did you just call me 'little mama'? He gave me another big grin. "I'll let that one slide, too...but only because I smell your sriracha glazed salmon cooking."
"Yep! Sit down, baby...it's ready." He disappeared into the kitchen for a few minutes only to come back with a platter of beautifully glazed fish, baked potatoes, fresh sauteed green beans and a basket of warm rolls...and my ever present gallon of chocolate milk. I had dispensed with the formality of using a glass and had begun simply drinking from the jug everytime I wanted a sip.
"Oh my God, Matt. This looks amazing!" Before he could answer, I picked up my fork and began tucking into the plateful of food. It tasted just as a delicious as it looked. I must have looked like a ravenous wildebeest while I ate, especially since I was slugging back a gallon of chocolate milk like it was moonshine. When I had finished, I got up from the table with my plate and headed out to the kitchen.
"Leave it, baby...I got this. Go put your feet up," said Matt, taking the dish from my hand.
"Have I mentioned lately that I love you?"
"You might have...maybe once...a long time ago," he smiled. I followed my Lieutenant's orders, walked straight to the couch, sat down and swung my feet around on to the cushion next to me. I plumped up one of the pillows and put it behind me. My tummy was full, my back wasn't aching and my fat feet were elevated, which all things considered, made me a very happy pregnant person and I quickly dozed off. I woke up to the feeling of Matt rubbing my feet.
"I'm sorry, baby...I didn't mean to wake you," he said as his strong hands worked their magic on my swollen tootsies.
"It's okay. I was beginning to feel a little like the fatted calf anyway," I yawned.
"Maddy...don't do that. You still look as beautiful as ever."
"The Chicago Fire Department lets you fight fires for them with such crappy eyesight?" I slowly pushed myself up into a sitting position, hoping to get the kink out of my back.
"My eyesight is perfect. You're beautiful. End of discussion."
"Yes, sir," I said, giving him a salute. I sat quietly with my eyes closed while Matt continued to massage my sore feet.
"Feel good, baby?" he asked. His strong hands were wrapped around my feet and his thumbs were rubbing the soles, pushing away the tension of carrying 20 extra pounds around all day.
"Mmmmm, oh yeah...more than you know," I said.
"I'd say the moaning you're making is giving you away." I opened one eye to look at him, only to see a cheeky grin on his face.
"Can I help it if your touch makes me moan?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way." He let go of my feet and shifted his position from sitting on the couch to in between my legs. He placed his hands on either side of me to hold himself up so that he was laying directly on top of me. I could feel the familiar hardness of his erection pressing through his jeans and against my crotch.
"Well, I see you've gotten over your fear of hurting me or the baby," I said with a grin. He gave me a soft smile before he leaned down to kissed me. The feel of his mouth on mine usually ignited my body instantly, but the fatigue I felt was not letting any passion take over.
"Matt...uh, baby...can we just…" I wanted to blurt out that I couldn't have been less in the mood for sex at this moment than if I had been jumping out of an airplane without a parachute.
"But I thought touching you made you moan?", he said, looking a little hurt.
"It does...and ordinarily this would have turned into...something...but I'm feeling a little achy and bloated tonight. OK?"
"OK, baby...I understand." He may have understood, but the look on his face gave away his disappointment.
"Matt, I'm sorry...I'm just…"
"You don't need to apologize, Maddy. It's just that I feel guilty now for…"
"For what?" He shook his head as if to get the thought out of his head. "Tell me, Matthew."
"It's just that the sight of you...carrying our baby...your growing belly...I find it all...very….sexy…" His face turned slightly red as the words stumbled out of his mouth. He rubbed his hand over his mouth, almost as if the words had left a dirty residue there. Now I was the one who felt guilty. I felt tears prick my eyes while I was trying to find the right thing to say to him, but the words wouldn't come. I picked up his hand and brought it up to my lips, kissing the back of it.
"Maddy, you know that I've always thought you were the most beautiful thing I have ever seen….but looking at you now, I not only see the most beautiful woman in the world...I see everything I have ever wanted...you and me together, raising a family...it gets to me and I just want you...need you. I'm sorry..." he said. His voice was soft and deep and I knew he was speaking from his heart.
"Don't apologize, Matt. Any woman would kill to hear her husband say those things to her," I said, wiping away a few tears.
"I just love you so much, Maddy…"
Without skipping a beat, I was straddling his lap, pulling at his t-shirt and kissing him fervently. The achy, bloated feeling dissipated with the last few sentences he spoke. My passion had found its way back to me.
"But I thought…"
"Shhhhhhhhh," I whispered into his mouth as my tongue wrestled with his, stopping him from saying anything more.
My hands found their way down to the buttons on his jeans. I clawed at it like a hungry lion on a freshly killed zebra, but still could not get them unbuttoned. I felt Matt's hands slide over mine and pop it open. I pulled at his zipper until his erection was exposed. He looked up at me, his eyes gleaming and his hand pulling down the top of my dress. His hands cupped my breasts as his mouth found one of my nipples. He sucked at it and nipped it with his teeth, making me squeal like a newborn kitten.
I raised my arms as he lifted my dress off of my shoulders and dropped it to the floor. I cradled his head as he placed a few soft kisses on my protruding belly. I lifted my body up, gripped him tightly in my hand and guided the head of his penis to my soft, wet opening.
"Baby, are you sure?" I leaned down and kissed him deeply before sliding him inside of me. He groaned into my mouth as I pushed myself down on him, taking him as deep as I could. He held my hips as I moved. His eyes were locked on mine, watching me slowly rise and fall over and over on him. I could feel him growing harder and bigger each time I moved up and down. I braced myself against the back of the couch, picking up the pace when his moans became louder. I was engrossed in watching his face as I pleasured him when my own orgasm hit out of nowhere. My entire body shuddered as I came, shooting out to my wrists and down my thighs, making me cry out and dig my nails into the skin on his shoulders. I could feel his body tense underneath me and I knew that he was close.
"Uuuhhh...uuuhhh, oh God...Maddy….I'm gonna…" His grunted and his face twisted as he found his release. I felt the warmth and wetness as he emptied himself inside me. As the last of our orgasms faded away, unexpected tears began to spill over onto my cheeks. The last of my breaths turned into soft sobs. We held onto each other until our bodies stopped shaking and our breathing calmed down, my arms around his neck and his around my waist.
"Are you alright, baby?"
"I'm perfect," I said, stroking his cheek with my thumb.
"Yes, baby...you are."