“Agreed,” said Julie, Danny, and Allan.

###

THE WEEKS PASSED with dizzying speed as Danny and Julie prepared for the inevitable changes coming to their lives. Chester’s move had gone off without a hitch, leaving Maryland a little less…merry. That said, it seemed as if Julie spoke with him more after his relocation than she had when he lived just a few towns away.

An introduction had been arranged between Julie and Danny and Ivy, the birthmother of their future child. The meeting felt awkward, stilted, strange, but as Danny reminded her after the fact, how was something of that nature supposed to have gone? The three of them met a second time, and as Julie and Ivy chatted, a connection blossomed. Because Ivy was a minor, she was covered by her parents’ health insurance, but that didn’t stop Danny and Julie from offering financial support during Ivy’s pregnancy. All of Ivy’s maternity clothing, stretch mark prevention creams, and bi-weekly pedicures were on the Marcuses’ tab, and they relished every second of it.

But that wasn’t all. Julie wanted to give their future baby her full attention. Whether due to maturity, priority adjustments, or plain old guilt, she was ready to step back from her career and focus on being a stay-at-home mom.

“Honey, are you sure this is what you want?” Danny carefully removed the coffee pot from her grip, placed it on the breakfast table, and in one fluid movement, had her facing him on his pajama-clad lap.

“Yes,” Julie answered softly as she stared into understanding eyes that forever stole her breath. “I’m completely certain. I want to be home with our baby. I know I felt differently last time.” She cleared her throat, as well as the emotion that still came to the surface when she thought about the loss of their child. “But last time, I thought it was just the beginning. This time…it’s most likely the only.” Her hand met the perpetual scruff that lined Danny’s jaw but never masked his face. Its feel brought instant comfort to her soul and pleasure to her body. “I want to savor every minute of the mommy time”—she wiggled her ass against his crotch, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth as he hardened beneath her—“and still have energy to savor you.”

A shiver ran up her spine as Danny meticulously swept her long hair around his fist, exposing the sensitive flesh where her neck and shoulder met. “Honey, any child we have will be loved the world over, but you will always be my reason.”

His large hands spread her knees as his palms worked up to her panty-covered core. The pad of his middle finger stroked tenderly over the satin panel. The contact with her clit made a soft moan escape her lips before she could think to hold it back.

“Don’t you worry about energy, baby, I got enough for both of us.” Husky authority laced his tone. “Only one thing you need to do.”

She peered up at him through hooded lids.

“When you’re home, the underwear is gone. Any opportunity I can find to sink into my pussy, I’m gonna take it, and you’re gonna love it. Just. Skin.”

The warmth of his breath mixed with the unique force of his words had goose bumps multiplying over Julie’s skin before his first kiss ever made contact.

“Take ‘em off now.” His command made her nipples tighten, and the fire in his hazel gaze had her peeling off her panties. “Good girl, now sit back down on my lap. Gonna make you come, honey.” With her back to his front, and her bare legs draped over his, he widened his feet, baring her sex to the empty room. “Mmm, can smell you, Jules,” he whispered in her ear, making the fine hairs on her neck wakeup while he rubbed her clit with gentle circles. “Waiting for me to touch you, stroke you, fuck you with my fingers. Yeah?”

“Danny…” She writhed into his hand. His touch wasn’t enough, and he knew it. It was his brand of foreplay, and she loathed it and loved it. “I need…more.”

“More?” He flicked her earlobe with his tongue, sending chills through her body as he continued light play to the sensitive nerves above her entrance. “Got more to give, baby. Tell me what you want.”

“Make me come.” She panted, her nails pressed against his thighs. “Please, Danny, I need to come.” Her request was barely out when his fingers plunged into her wetness. “Oh… oh… fuck, Danny.” She moaned, thrusting into his touch.

“Goddamn, yes, fuck my fingers baby. Your pussy’s so greedy. Fuck, Jules…”

She rocked onto his fingers as his thumb worked her clit. Sparks began to light in her belly.

“Don’t stop,” she mewled shamelessly, the climax building, climbing, ready to crest.

Danny leaned in and swept his tongue up the column of her neck, sending ecstasy careening through her. Breathless, she shifted on his lap, torquing her torso in an awkward position. Danny lifted his brow.

“I want to see your face, handsome,” Julie answered his unasked question. In less than a second, she sat face to face, straddling the man who’d brought her unbelievable pleasure and unconditional love.

“Mmm, watching you fall apart may be my favorite pastime,” Danny rasped before licking his glistening fingers. “Close second is tasting your sweet cream.”

The way his tongue seductively swiped Julie’s arousal from his finger mimicked the oral pleasures he often bestowed, revving her just-sated body up for another round. God, the way she wanted her man couldn’t possibly be normal. She craved him.

With her legs still shaking and dangling off the sides of the kitchen chair, she lowered her small hands from his shoulders to his biceps, leaning in to press her lips to the tattoo scribed across his chest.

Julie’s Main

She’d thought he was crazy when he opened his shirt on their wedding night and presented her with what many referred to as the vow vaporizer. People swore that inking your lover’s name on your body was as good as setting your relationship up for failure. She’d frantically reminded her new husband of that very fact while openly admiring the beautiful script.

But as always, passion licked his eyes as he pulled her close and unzipped her simple wedding dress. “I’ll always be yours, Jules,” he said in a hoarse whisper, “no matter what.”

Taut skin over hard muscle rippled under her tongue as she traced each letter of her name.

“While I’d love to play some more…” Danny groaned, reaching behind him and unhooking her ankles before standing them both up. “I need to get to work if I’m gonna meet you and Ivy at the ultrasound appointment today at five o’clock.”

Desire was evident on his face and below his waist, the unmistakable evidence tenting his pajama bottoms. However, as always, he focused on the tasks that needed his attention first, knowing his needs would get tended to when time allowed.

Going to be an amazing father, she thought as she trailed him to their bedroom. “We won’t start without you, babe.”

She and Ivy had spoken the day before. The teen was as anxious as they were to make certain the baby was healthy, and she was grateful that Julie and Danny would be at the ultrasound appointment with her.

“Good,” Danny called from the bathroom, “because I wanna be there when the tech tells us we’re having a boy.”

The sound of water beating on tile muted but didn’t erase Danny’s chuckle. They had been battling over the baby’s gender since the first time they met Ivy. While Julie didn’t agree with Danny’s assessment, truth be told, she couldn’t care less if it was a boy or girl as long as it was a Marcus.

Julie’s full smile reflected in the mirror as she stripped off her T-shirt and walked naked into the shower stall.

***