"I haven't got anything to wear!"
Zoe exclaimed, sitting back down on the side of the bed, defeated by the task at hand.
"Zoe...really?!"
Max paused in the buttoning of his shirt and looked pointedly to the wardrobe full of designer outfits.
"Nothing fits!"
She huffed, standing up again and gesturing to her stomach, which over the past few days was beginning to swell and harden.
"I look like a sausage!"
She scowled at the clothes in the wardrobe and Max smiled, making his way around the bed to her, where she stood in her underwear.
He bit his lip against a laugh.
"You don't look like a sausage."
He whispered, resting his forehead against the top of her head and pulling her against him, her skin was cold and she cuddled against the warmth of him.
"What about that one?"
He asked, nodding in the direction of gold coloured dress that she had hung on the edge of the full length mirror opposite them.
She shook her head against him.
"That one makes me look like a potato."
She said, her voice muffled against his chest. She felt his body twitch with stifled laughter and she looked up at him, eyes narrowed.
"It's not funny!"
She pouted, trying to pull away but he held on to her tighter and kissed her hair.
"Sorry."
He whispered, and he cleared his throat.
"Put it on and I'll tell you what I think."
He added, squeezing her gently and letting one hand fall to her hip where it strayed across the soft curve of her stomach, a smile twitching the corners of his mouth.
"I can't wear it!"
She felt the urge to stamp her foot but resisted, plumping instead for another scowl in the direction of the mirror.
He smiled back at her, leaning his head against hers as they looked at their own reflections.
"Well, much as I wouldn't mind, you're not going to go like this."
He whispered, running a hand up and down her bare back making her shiver again. She turned her head to look up at him, sucking in another breath and exhaling against him.
"Fine."
She huffed, rolling her eyes and stepping away from him.
He watched her unhook the dress and study it, her back to him. He tilted his head, admiring the curve of her body and the smoothness of her skin in the warm glow of the bedside lamp.
She stepped into the dress, wobbling ever so slightly on one leg before she pulled it up, slipping her arms into it and twisting to try to reach the zip that ran the length of the back.
He moved in behind her, catching her eye in the mirror as he leant against her, shooing her own hands away and pulling up the zip to her shoulder blades, dipping his head, still maintaining eye contact as he gently pushed back her hair from her neck and kissed the soft skin behind her ear.
She bit the skin of her bottom lip, relaxing into him, and feeling, for the first time that evening, as though she may be able to relax, and perhaps, just perhaps, enjoy the Christmas party.
"You look beautiful."
He whispered against her, pulling away slightly to admire her reflection. She rolled her eyes again and twisted her body around in his grasp, slipping her arms up over his shoulders to where they rested about his neck and she stood up on tip toes to place a soft kiss against his lips.
"I love you."
She said through the flutter of a sigh. She let a hand slip and fall across his chest to where the three buttons were still left undone. She did each one up slowly, slipping her fingers across the skin of his chest after each one.
"Are you going to wear a tie?"
She asked absently, smoothing down the front of his shirt once she had finished, letting her hand linger at it's hem where it met the belt of his trousers.
"A tie?!"
He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You've got me in a suit...that's enough for now."
He smirked, peering at himself in the mirror. She followed his gaze. He looked taller, smarter, and the look of him standing there in a black suit trousers and white shirt made her stomach wince with lust.
"Enough for now?"
She repeated as he unhooked his suit jacket from the back of the bedroom door and pulled it on with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Yep."
He said, adjusting the collar of his shirt.
"What does that mean?"
She asked, moving back to the wardrobe and fishing out a pair of shoes.
"It means..."
He said, as she pushed her feet into the heels.
"That I will only wear a tie if it's a really...really important occasion..."
Zoe exclaimed, sitting back down on the side of the bed, defeated by the task at hand.
"Zoe...really?!"
Max paused in the buttoning of his shirt and looked pointedly to the wardrobe full of designer outfits.
"Nothing fits!"
She huffed, standing up again and gesturing to her stomach, which over the past few days was beginning to swell and harden.
"I look like a sausage!"
She scowled at the clothes in the wardrobe and Max smiled, making his way around the bed to her, where she stood in her underwear.
He bit his lip against a laugh.
"You don't look like a sausage."
He whispered, resting his forehead against the top of her head and pulling her against him, her skin was cold and she cuddled against the warmth of him.
"What about that one?"
He asked, nodding in the direction of gold coloured dress that she had hung on the edge of the full length mirror opposite them.
She shook her head against him.
"That one makes me look like a potato."
She said, her voice muffled against his chest. She felt his body twitch with stifled laughter and she looked up at him, eyes narrowed.
"It's not funny!"
She pouted, trying to pull away but he held on to her tighter and kissed her hair.
"Sorry."
He whispered, and he cleared his throat.
"Put it on and I'll tell you what I think."
He added, squeezing her gently and letting one hand fall to her hip where it strayed across the soft curve of her stomach, a smile twitching the corners of his mouth.
"I can't wear it!"
She felt the urge to stamp her foot but resisted, plumping instead for another scowl in the direction of the mirror.
He smiled back at her, leaning his head against hers as they looked at their own reflections.
"Well, much as I wouldn't mind, you're not going to go like this."
He whispered, running a hand up and down her bare back making her shiver again. She turned her head to look up at him, sucking in another breath and exhaling against him.
"Fine."
She huffed, rolling her eyes and stepping away from him.
He watched her unhook the dress and study it, her back to him. He tilted his head, admiring the curve of her body and the smoothness of her skin in the warm glow of the bedside lamp.
She stepped into the dress, wobbling ever so slightly on one leg before she pulled it up, slipping her arms into it and twisting to try to reach the zip that ran the length of the back.
He moved in behind her, catching her eye in the mirror as he leant against her, shooing her own hands away and pulling up the zip to her shoulder blades, dipping his head, still maintaining eye contact as he gently pushed back her hair from her neck and kissed the soft skin behind her ear.
She bit the skin of her bottom lip, relaxing into him, and feeling, for the first time that evening, as though she may be able to relax, and perhaps, just perhaps, enjoy the Christmas party.
"You look beautiful."
He whispered against her, pulling away slightly to admire her reflection. She rolled her eyes again and twisted her body around in his grasp, slipping her arms up over his shoulders to where they rested about his neck and she stood up on tip toes to place a soft kiss against his lips.
"I love you."
She said through the flutter of a sigh. She let a hand slip and fall across his chest to where the three buttons were still left undone. She did each one up slowly, slipping her fingers across the skin of his chest after each one.
"Are you going to wear a tie?"
She asked absently, smoothing down the front of his shirt once she had finished, letting her hand linger at it's hem where it met the belt of his trousers.
"A tie?!"
He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You've got me in a suit...that's enough for now."
He smirked, peering at himself in the mirror. She followed his gaze. He looked taller, smarter, and the look of him standing there in a black suit trousers and white shirt made her stomach wince with lust.
"Enough for now?"
She repeated as he unhooked his suit jacket from the back of the bedroom door and pulled it on with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Yep."
He said, adjusting the collar of his shirt.
"What does that mean?"
She asked, moving back to the wardrobe and fishing out a pair of shoes.
"It means..."
He said, as she pushed her feet into the heels.
"That I will only wear a tie if it's a really...really important occasion..."
Last chapter tomorrow! However I WILL be carrying this story on in it's sequel if everyone would still like that? xxx