Chapter 19

When I woke up, I could feel Joe's eyes on me. He had covered me up with an afghan and was lying in front of me, so we were face to face. He just had the sweetest most loving expression. He was propped on one elbow, with his head on his hand and he was twirling my hair around his index finger. I stretched and scooted into his waiting arms. He drew me in close. He was so warm and he smelled heavenly.

"You hungry? Your stomach was growling so loud it woke me up." He smirked.

"As a matter of fact, I am hungry." I leaned in and kissed him. I drew his lower lip into my mouth for a sexy slurp and then kissed him again. I pulled my lips away from his about a half inch. "There's a list of places to eat and places that deliver over there." I indicated the direction with my head and swooped back in for another kiss.

"What are you hungry for?" He said, as he was pushing me onto my back and moving his lips down to address my neck. I arched my back and tilted my head to give him better access.

"Oh, nothing in particular." He was making his way to the other side of my neck and I again turned my head to give him maximum exposure. "You know, just hungry." I realized about then that I was digging my nails into his back. I was still so aroused there was no way he was getting me out of this bed to go eat anything.

"I'm hungry, too," he mumbled to one of my breasts. "I'm really, really hungry." He rolled me onto my side so that my back was to him. He continued to kiss and caress my breasts, my waist, my hip, my back and my neck. I discovered his intentions when he entered me from behind. I was so aroused that he slid in very easily.

"Oh, Joe!" I gasped. It took me by surprise. A pleasant surprise, I must admit. He snaked a hand around my waist and dipped it between my legs. He massaged me until he found that spot. "Omigod," I purred, turning my head toward him. He propped up on his elbow and began to kiss my lips and face and whisper in my ear about how he loved me and how sexy he thought I was. Now, this is more like it!

He was definitely getting into the swing of things again. Oh, wow. What a swing. I had two screaming orgasms before I felt him clench and shudder with his own. He relaxed his head into my neck and gasped for air a few times. He swallowed big and said with a husky voice, "How about burgers? Do burgers sound good?" I giggled and disentangled from him. I rolled to face him and pressed my hands into both sides of his face.

"Burgers sound great." I had to be beaming. I was so happy. My three favorite things – explosive orgasms, Joe, and food. Who could ask for more?

It was snowing lightly outside and Joe had little tiny snowflakes in his hair when he came back into the cottage with the food. I'd taken a quick shower and put on some little flannel PJs that were pretty cute but warm, too. Joe tossed another couple of logs on the fire while I got the burgers out of the bag. He'd also brought fries and a shake for me and some beer for himself.

We settled in to eat. "Tell me everything, Cupcake." He was smiling his best smile at me and I felt connected to him and happy.

"Let's see. I saw the Doctor again earlier this week. He says everything is perfect. Everything is still on schedule for February 26th. I also read an article that said that, statistically speaking, most first time mothers deliver their child between 5 and 6 days after the due date, so I hope we will make it to March 1 or 2 before I domino."

"Why?"

"What if you aren't home yet? I don't want to have this baby until you are home." Uh oh. Big tears. Not fake ones this time. Real ones. I couldn't help it. I hadn't really said it out loud before but I was really afraid Joe was going to miss the delivery. He was on his knees in front of my chair at the table in a flash. He pulled me into him and quietly soothed me.

"Honey, I'll be there. I don't know how, but, even if I have to ditch this stupid assignment, I'll be there. I can't believe I did this. It was so foolish. I should have known it wouldn't wrap up as quickly as I'd hoped. Please don't cry, Baby. I love you and I promise we'll work it out. Okay?" He was kissing the tears off of my face and hugging me tightly.

I took a deep breath, relaxing in his scent, and blew it out. "Okay. I'm okay. Really. Go back and eat. I'm fine." He was trying to see if I really was fine or if I was just telling him that. I smiled a weak smile and said, "Really." He warily moved back to his chair.

I continued catching him up, describing the baby furniture in detail, telling him that my friends and his mother's friends and my mother's friends were planning the baby shower of the century. He joked, "We may need a bigger house." The shower is set for February 12.

I told him that I was worried about Bob being jealous of the baby. "Only if the baby eats food that Bob thinks should be his, which is everything." Joe laughed. I had read an article and explained that after the baby is born Joe should take a blanket or something that smells like Muffin home so that Bob can smell it until we bring the baby home and then Bob will have a familiar scent to go with the baby. "Why don't we just smear marinara sauce on the baby and then Bob will already be familiar with the scent?" Joe was in a good mood.

As far as work was concerned, I'd filled in for Lula the previous week and had gotten a lot of filing done. Additionally, it was weird, but it seemed that every sex worker in the city had gone FTA recently. The 'ho's, the pimps, the working boys, everyone. I didn't know what Vinnie was going to do. Most of them were usually not dangerous, but they can't make any money on the street if they are sitting in lockup, so they really, really don't want to go in. I was usually due for at least a foot race if I needed to take one of them in, and I was certainly not in any shape for that now.

Joe had finished eating and was kicked back in the chair, with his long legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankles. He was nursing a beer and he seemed happy just listening to me talk.

I told him that I had gone through all the paperwork that was scattered about during the break-in at our house and I confirmed that I didn't think anything at all was missing. It was just puzzling to me. He agreed.

I remembered that I had the newest sonogram pictures so I jumped up and went to my purse to get them. Joe was speechless, just like he had been every other time he had seen a sonogram picture. "Oh, wow." His face was just glowing. As he leafed through them, he got more excited with each one. Then he was on his feet and was dragging his fingers through his hair. He pulled me up from the chair and said, "When were you going to tell me?" Those whiskey colored eyes were sparkling like I'd never seen before and he had a big grin on his face.

"Huh, tell you what?" I was clueless.

"It's a boy! We're having a son. Oh, Stephanie. I can't believe it." He was really excited but I still didn't know what he was talking about.

"Joe, what do you see? I don't see anything."

"Right there. It's right there. This is amazing!" His hands were shaking and I couldn't even tell what he was pointing to. I grabbed my cell phone and called his cousin, Tiffany, who worked at Dr. Hands office. It was late, but she said she knew the sex and if I changed my mind and wanted to know, she'd tell me.

I guess it takes one to know one. He was right. Our baby isn't named Muffin anymore. Tonight we found out we are expecting Joseph Anthony Morelli, Jr. Joe is right. This is amazing.

After another energetic round of lovemaking that was playful and absolutely mind-blowing we both slept like the dead. We woke up refreshed and happy, feeling carefree and like the newlyweds we still are. I kept wanting to pinch myself to see if I was really here. A whirlwind of words was swirling in my head. I love my life. With Joe. My handsome husband. The father of my child. Our son. Joseph Anthony Morelli, Jr. Amazing.

It was early on the West Coast and the breakfast hadn't even been delivered yet when we stumbled to the shower together. It is a really luxurious shower. It was about 4 foot square and had a showerhead that makes you feel like you are in a pouring rainstorm, plus smaller shower heads on the sides that were adjustable and really cool. I was loving it. So was Joe. He looked so terrific. That sexy body was all wet and warm and wonderful. His every muscle was accentuated by the gorgeous golden tone of his skin.

I'd finally gotten past the thought that Joe had been here before with someone else, probably Terri. They had been in this cottage, in this bed, in this shower, in front of this fireplace. Stop it, Stephanie. So, he has a past. So do you. Yeah. You were married before. You had sex with Dickie in the Holiday Inn in Downtown Trenton on your honeymoon. If you ever take Joe there for a wild, sexy weekend, he can just eat his heart out.

Joe derailed my train of thought with his fast fingers. I was sincerely grateful and relaxed enough to slide under the closed door by the time we got out of the shower. Breakfast was here and Joe loaded it onto a tray and served it to me in bed. He fed me quiche and fresh fruit with yogurt and kissed me between bites. Once again, he was magic. Without me even asking, he began telling me all about his two cases.

"Jeri Stevenson was obviously murdered because she knew too much. I have a short list of suspects now. Maybe 5 but none of them really fit perfectly. Apparently, she was dating Tommy Takata, and she was ready to break it off, but she threatened to tell what she knew. I don't think Tommy killed her. During our 'stoned' heart to heart talks, he's been pretty open about telling me that he really loved her. He's still pretty shaken up about her death, and I'm inclined to believe him. Sara Genieve could have done it, I guess, because she moved into Tommy's life really shortly thereafter but I don't think she has much of a motive, other than keeping him out of jail, but I don't think she'd kill someone for him. Hell, after almost 10 years of common law marriage, I still don't think she'd kill anyone for him. I think it's all about convenience at this point. They have 2 kids, but they just sort of stay together because it's easier than starting over. Tommy said that his mother hated Jeri, but I can't see Mrs. Takata killing her, either."

"Joe," I said, "when I was looking through the desk at the things that were disturbed during the breakin, I found a big wad of women's business cards at the back of the bottom drawer." He was grinning.

"My little black bundle." He crooned.

"That's what I thought, Handsome." I snuggled up and gave him a big kiss. "There was a card in the bundle for Terri."

"Yeah, I'm sure there were several cards for her in that stack. She has worked for her dad in a lot of different capacities." He laughed aloud and took another bite of quiche.

"This one was for an auto repair shop. I can't remember the name. It was sort of weird." Damn those dying brain cells.

He laughed again with a big belly laugh. "Yeah, I can't remember the real name of that place, either. I always called it the 'G-Spot' – It was really something like G-Force or something."

I said, "It was almost right next door to the Genieve Auto Importers. Did you realize that?"

"Um – no. I hadn't thought about it." He said, his brow furrowed. "Do you think there's a connection?"

"I'm not sure, but isn't it worth consideration?" I had my mouth full of fruit that Joe had just shoveled in and was trying to talk to him around chewing.

"Cupcake, all I know is that you are worthy of my full attention and consideration today." As he said this, he was leaning across me, naked, and placing the breakfast tray on the floor. As he sort of kicked his feet to regain his balance, I caught my first glimpse of 'the scar' on his ass. Apparently, me and his proctologist will be the only ones to ever see it. The 'Kung-Fu' move must have given the bullet the opportunity to enter his ass in sort of a 'not so obvious' spot between the cheeks, so to speak, and in an upward angle. Oh, well. No harm, no foul, I always say. He seems to have fully recovered. Especially the important parts. He was busy demonstrating that important part to me once again.

He had been laying opposite me, so that we could see each other better during breakfast, but it also gave me excellent access to his crotch. I had been making plans, so I took the opportunity to grasp him with my left hand and lower my mouth to him. He curled his body around Muffin and began to employ his own tongue in an artful way. It seemed a bit bizarre to call the baby by his real name when we were being sexy, so at those times I was still calling him 'Muffin'. The rest of the time, the baby was Joe Jr. or Joey, or JJ or whatever else I could think of to try out since we found out the sex. Or since Joe did, anyway.

Of course I couldn't see his face in this position. I just concentrated on the vibrations I could feel rising from his body in the form of moans and sighs. I was highly distracted at least once or twice but felt a tremendous victory when I heard his characteristic groan signaling his orgasm. He collapsed back against the bed, breathing hard and gasping. The next moment found him clutching me and rolling me onto my back so he could cradle me in his arms and rest his sweaty forehead on my feverish neck.

Joe has always been, and I guess, always will be energized by sex, so he said, "Let's take a little quick shower again, and go for a walk down by the lake out back. It's really nice out there and it's supposed to be warmer today."

My eyes fluttered, and I acquiesced. "Joe, I love you so much." He carried me to the shower. Afterwards, we dressed in a hurry.

Joe was in a long-sleeved black t-shirt and jeans that hugged his thigh muscles and his ass. They made my mouth water. He finished dressing when he pulled on some black leather boots. I put on a sexy blue maternity top that Joe said made my eyes shine and some maternity jeans with tennis shoes.

I was feeling as sexy as you could feel when you were 7 months pregnant. Joe is a master at making me feel sexy. He knows just how to push my buttons. He would periodically stop doing whatever he was doing to embrace my body, arms around my waist, and kiss my forehead or my hairline. He loves me and he was good at proving it. I was afraid I'd overdone it, because I was definitely feeling crampy. After no sex for two months, I'd had like 15 orgasms in the last 12 hours, so we'd have to cool it for a while. The walk would do me good.

"So," I said, as we were on our walk down the wooded path, "how does the guy in prison for killing the cop fit into the whole story?"

"Well, Honey, I'm not really sure. That's sort of why we're here instead of in Detroit or in Trenton or anywhere else." Joe was holding my hand and walking down the sloped path a step or two ahead of me to make sure I didn't fall. He stopped and folded me into his arms and helped me down a rough patch of terrain. "I'm going to meet with him tomorrow."

"What's his name?" I asked.

"Jeffrey Green. I'm really sure I've met him, but his mug shot doesn't ring any bells. I can't figure out who he is or why I think I know him. He didn't go to high school in Trenton."

He sort of sighed and leaned into me. His arm was around my waist. He was looking into my eyes. "I love you, Stephanie. I'd rather think about that right now, okay?" He still had that sort of tired look. I realized that he had been thinking about the case in almost his every waking moment for 4 months and he needed a break.

"Okay," I responded. "I love you, Joe. You are all I ever wanted and I just want you home with me soon, okay?"

His smile was sort of slanted, like he almost didn't expect it. "Yeah, okay, Cupcake." He pressed his lips against my own. I remembered, once again, that I loved this man. We'd each called our mothers and told them the sex and the name of the baby this morning. I felt closer to Joe than I had in a long time – maybe ever. I just loved him. He's the guy whose soul melted in with mine and filled in all the gaps, so that I felt whole.

"Since we know that the baby is a boy, we need to decide how we want to decorate his room," I said, "I don't like baby colors and baby themes. I want to do something that can last for a while. I'm thinking….Superheros. What do you think?"

Joe grinned at me and sat me down on a big boulder overlooking the lake. He leaned against another one nearby. "Superheros. That could be fun. I can see that." He got an evil grin. "Cupcake, we have to agree on what constitutes a Superhero. Superman has super strength, X Ray vision and can fly. Spiderman can cast webs and swing from them and all that."

I knew exactly where he was heading. He leaned over me, brought my eyes to his and said, "Batman's not a Superhero. He has no super powers. He's just a guy with a lot of money. There should definitely be no Batman in Joe Jr.'s Superhero room."

"No Batman. Got it." I said just before I kissed him.