Chapter 33

Brady smiled to himself sheepishly as he waited for Chloe to get home. He had stayed home from work, claiming that he felt sick. After convincing Chloe she didn't need to stay with him and that he could manage on his own, he set out to put his plan into action. It was a simple plan. Go to the department store, hardware store, paint store, bring back the supplies and get to work. He didn't factor in the fact that Chloe would phone every half hour. The sound of her voice when she had finally reached him was unforgettable. He just hoped she would understand his little white lie once she had seen what he'd been up too.

Surveying the loft, everything seemed to be in order. He gathered the recliner from the living room and propped it in front of the door. Sitting down, he watched the door handle twist, and Chloe walk through.

Chloe looked at him, puzzled. "Brady, what the heck are you doing?"

"Just waiting for my lovely lady to return home from a hard day''s work." He winked at her, but she did not appear to be amused.

"I thought you were sick. I even stopped at the deli on the corner and got you some soup." Chloe held up the brown paper bag as proof.

"I lied," he said matter-of-factly. Brady stood and pulled the gift bag from beside the chair and presented it to her. "For you."

"What's this?" Chloe asked, forgetting her anger for a moment and smiling at his present.

"Open it," he told her with enthusiasm.

Chloe peeled away the brightly coloured tissue paper and held up the small white sleeper.

"It's for the baby," he told her softly. "I got white since we don't know whether it's a boy or a girl."

"It's so tiny," Chloe laughed softly, her eyes glistening.

"There's more," he told her and held the sleeper while she searched the bag.

She pulled out a medium-sized, brown, stuffed bear. "Aww, Brady, it's adorable and so soft." She held the bear to her face. "Did you pick it out yourself?" <>Brady nodded and wrapped his arms around her, touching her tummy. "Come with me." He took her hand and led her to his workout room, towards the back of the house adjacent to what had become their bedroom. "Open the door."

Chloe did and turned to face him.

"It needs some more work and some paint. I didn't have time to do that today, but I thought we could do it together. I know it's not the best, but the baby will need somewhere to sleep, right?"

"Brady, I love it. But what happened to all your stuff? Your weights and equipment?"

"They're gone. I sold them."

"You didn't have to."

"Chloe, you and this baby are the most important things in the world to me, and if that means giving up some dumb weights and getting a membership to a gym instead, then it is a small sacrifice I'm more than willing to make."

"Thank you, Brady," she whispered, giving him a small kiss on the cheek. She walked into the room and looked at the change table, the tiny dresser with animal prints, the rocking chair in the corner and the crib, and suddenly, it all felt too real. She took a deep breath and sat down in the chair.

"What's wrong?" Brady asked, rubbing her shoulders.

"Nothing. It just...it makes everything real. We're really doing this, you know? We're really having a baby."

Brady nodded and kneeled down, placing a large hand on her stomach. "When I was getting all this stuff, going into stores and picking out things that we'll need, I just had this sense of pride. Like I was finally doing something right in my life." Brady rested his head against Chloe's stomach, and she ran her fingers softly through his hair. "I suppose I should start painting," Brady sighed.

"It can wait until after dinner," Chloe laughed. "Besides, we have a hell of a lot of chicken soup to eat."

Brady joined in on her laughter and followed her into the kitchen.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chloe, decked out in a tiny t-shirt, work-out shorts and a sweatband, stretched as she waited for the instructor. Her hair was pulled up high in a ponytail, and she wore little make-up. It had been two weeks since she joined this yoga class, and she was really enjoying it. She was becoming more limber and both she and Brady benefited from that. The class was only for pregnant mommies-to-be and their partners. Chloe loved that she and Brady got to do something together. When she looked around the room though, sometimes she felt inadequate, since many of the women were pretty far along and she was just in the beginning stages of her pregnancy. She turned around and waved to Brady. He winked at her from across the room and put down the weights he was lifting when he saw the instructor walk in. The class was definitely good for them and was even helping with Chloe's stress. She had not had any more frightening dreams and wanted to keep it that way.

Brady watched Chloe from across the room. He could already feel himself get aroused. There was just something so sexy, so erotic about her since he found out she was carrying their child. Even with her present appearance, he knew he would need a miracle to get through the class without getting a massively painful erection. Walking up behind Chloe, Brady could barely make out the teacher's words as he gripped Chloe's hips. She turned around and smiled at him, and he unconsciously licked his lips.

"Now, help your partner sit down, and we'll work on those tight back muscles," the instructor----who was neither pregnant, nor very limber----announced.

Brady smiled to himself as he helped lower Chloe to the small blue mat. He sat behind her and pressed against her back as instructed. Brady drew his hands to her shoulders and sucked in a deep breath at her intoxicating smell. Her hair was swept up, and her neck was so tempting he couldn't resist placing a small kiss. Nor could he help running his fingers through her ponytail, reeling at the exquisite softness. He tried to focus. He really did. But she was gorgeous and wonderful and so very close to him. Brady took Chloe's hand and helped her touch her toes as she stretched. He massaged her tail bone as instructed and felt her respond with soft moans and groans that had him physically excited.

"Now, help your partner to stand as we work on stretching."

Brady shook his head. They were already in the last five minutes of the yoga session, commonly referred to as the cool down. Where had the half an hour gone? Helping Chloe to her feet, Brady pulled her close to him, burying his head in her neck.

"Brady!" Chloe laughed, shooing him away. "I'm trying to pay attention."

"So am I!" he told her innocently and then whispered into her ear seductively, "But how am I supposed to pay attention when all I want to do is lay you down right here and make love to you?"

"Brady!" Chloe gasped. "Look at me. I'm a wreck."

"Now, move your partner so they can stretch their legs. Men, get right behind and help support them."

"Not to me!" he whispered. Chloe moved forward, and Brady pressed himself against her. "Chloe, I know this is really inappropriate, but I am so hard right now if I don't have you soon, I think I'm going to explode."

Backing up further into him, Chloe felt the proof of his statement. He was hard against her behind, and she closed her eyes at his touch. They were surrounded by other couples doing the exact same thing, and it had Brady wondering if anyone else found it as exhilarating as he did. Brady's hands were still on Chloe's hips when she was finally upright, and his enthusiasm had not waned. "I'm seriously considering taking you right here," he groaned against her, purposefully bucking his hips slightly.

The class dispersed, and they remained standing there. Turning to Brady, Chloe told him outright, "We can't do anything here, Brady. There's another class in a few minutes." Chloe smiled at the look of defeat on his face. "We'll just have to find somewhere a little more secluded."

Brady's features perked up. He kissed her softly and took her hand, leading her down the hallway.

"You seem to have a destination," she joked.

"You said secluded, and there never seems to be anyone in the steam room."

"Unless you count the naked old men," she laughed teasingly.

"Aha! But today is your lucky day, because I just happen to know that at this moment no one is in there," he told her seriously.

"And just how do you know that?" she asked, trying to ignore the way his hand kept grazing her butt.

"Because, my lady, I have stolen the key," he laughed, showing her the silver key.

"Brady!"

"Relax. They have more than one of these things, and not many people use this one." They stopped short of the door, and he handed her the key, pressing his body into her, showing just how much he wanted her. "I feel like I can never get enough of you," he rasped against his ear while she struggled to open the door.

Chloe turned to face him, curling her fingers through his hair and then pulling him towards her. Her breath washed over his neck like a soft mist of rain in the summer: hot, wet, soothing. He felt shivers run down his spine, as his eyes closed in on her lips. They were plump, rosy and surely tasted of honey. "Just wait, Brady. The things I'll do to you..." She left it at that, getting the door open and stepping through.

Brady followed eagerly, stepping into the heated room. Together, they shifted a large wooden bench in front of the door, preventing anyone else from entering. Brady reached for Chloe, but she backed away. Her eyes were large and mischievous. They smiled and taunted him. She circled him once, letting her hand drop to his butt and give a light squeeze. He jumped slightly at her aggressiveness and turned his head to look down at her. She moved her hands to his shoulder and stood on her tip toes to place a small kiss just below his earlobe.

"Chloe!?"

"Shhh..." Chloe backed away again, motioning for him to follow. "We need more steam." She pointed to the hot rocks and the bucket of water beside them.

Brady took the initiative and poured some of the water on the rocks, sending a splash of steam into the atmosphere. Brady was already sweating, some from the heat, but mostly from the scintillating feeling of being alone with her, her calling the shots and him at her every mercy.

"So you're hot for me. Is that right, Brady?"

With the steam basting their senses and the heat rising, the pair stood before each other, encompassed in an ever-rising tide of desire. His fluid yet centered, hers wild and uncontrollable. They were primal, beasts yearning to let loose against the roar of civilization. They were diluted in fantasy and incoherent to the outside world.

Chloe came to him, and try as he might, she would not let him touch her. "Be careful, Black. You might get burned," she chided him, pointing to the hot rocks.

"I'm burning all right, but it isn't because of some stupid rocks." He smiled and cocked his eyebrows.

Standing before him, she smiled gracefully, smoothing her hand over his covered skin then moving under the hem of his blue t-shirt. "You sure are." She touched his tight abs and pert nipple. "My, my, my! This will have to go." She laughed and pulled his t-shirt up and over his head. "Very nice." Circling a finger over his skin, she studied his body once more. "Very nice, indeed."

"I'm glad you approve," he said, rolling his eyes sarcastically.

Chloe let her hand wander over his flesh as she moved around him. At his back, she dipped her tongue between his shoulder blades. Brady breathed sharply, trying to catch a glimpse of what she was doing. Again, Chloe stood on her tippy toes, grasping his shoulders to keep her up. She nuzzled her face against his neck, licking and nipping her way to his ear. Softly, she licked the curve of his ear, noting as his breathing became heavy. "I'm going to have my way with you, Black, and when I'm done, you'll forget you had any other woman but me." She kissed him again just below his ear. "Oh and Brady, that is a promise."

He was speechless. No witty comeback came to mind, and even if it had, his brain was so focussed on the pulsating member between his thighs he wouldn't be able to get out a single word.

Chloe settled back to the ground, relaxing on her heels while she gently massaged his tight shoulders and back muscles. She knew she wasn't the only one that had been under stress lately. Brady had been so good to her she just wanted to give back to him, make him realize how much his support meant to her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and skimmed over the front of his bulging pants. "Looks like someone wants to come out and play," she laughed throatily.

Brady was a hundred other things but amused. Aroused. Yes. Horny. Yes. Shocked. Yes. Amused. No, definitely not. Her actions were slow and deliberate as she moved her hands down his legs, between his thighs and over the front of his pants once again. She undid the ties of his workout pants at a painful, leisurely rate. Slipping the knot from them finally, the pants fell from his hips and pooled at his feet. Chloe ran a tempting finger inside the waistband of his boxers, finding exactly where the thin line of hair from his navel went.

Brady's choked response was enough to tell Chloe just what kind of seductress she was; good, maybe even great. If she had asked Brady, he would definitely agree that great would be one word to describe her techniques. She was a siren of a woman, and it amazed Brady that he had never noticed before how much of Eve ran through her blood. He was in Eden, and she was the most supple fruit he had ever laid eyes on. God help him if he wanted to taste her.

Brady reached for her, but she would have none of it as she continued to work her magic on his humming body. Her hand coiled around his length, tightening her grasp when he exhaled softly. She let him go and took hold of those menacing boxers that she was quickly growing tired of. With two hands on either side of his hips, she eased them down his legs. When she moved back up, her hands were on the inside of his legs, caressing his thighs in a way that had him begging to die from the torture of it all. His clenched cheeks felt wonderful against her stomach, and she could only imagine the look on his face. She stroked her way up between his legs, so softly, with so much control and expertise that he shuddered. When her hand found him once again, she knew he was close. She worked her way on the underside until he thought she was trying to kill him. Then she touched the tip of his erection and found it pulsing with life. Chloe pressed herself against his strong back and continued to mold him in her hand.

"I'm close," he managed between his clenched jaw.

"I know, baby. Let go. There will be more. I'll make sure of it." She kissed his back and shoulders, while keeping the pressure steady and even on his precious member.

Brady's hands came behind him, gripping her hips as he let go. The warmth bathed her hand as he pulsed around her. "Oh God," he said, letting her go and reaching down for a towel. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't hold it any longer."

Chloe hadn't seen his face yet but knew his cheeks would be flushed and he would be embarrassed. Throwing down the towel Brady handed her, Chloe spun him around to face her. "Don't be sorry. Like I said, there will be more."

He looked back at her and smiled crookedly. "It's just that you were touching me and kissing me all over and...you don't know what you do to me."

Chloe pushed herself against him and kissed him softly. "That was round one. Round two starts now."

By this point, they were both sticky. Her shirt clung to her body, and her erect nipples could be clearly seen, even through her bra. Brady''s hands went to her sides, and this time, she let him touch her. Her shirt was on the ground, accompanied by her bra, faster than she had time to catch her breath. His mouth was on hers a moment later, and it was tongue to tongue, lips battling lips and heat swelling over. Chloe removed her shorts and panties while they kissed into a heated frenzy. Pushing against his chest, she backed him up until his knees met the back of one of the large benches, and he was forced to sit.

"Hold on, Diva!" he breathed, pulling himself from her. "I think we missed a step." He trailed his hand down her back, cupping her ass. Brady sank to his knees and eased Chloe's legs apart. He touched the moist heat of her inner thighs with his lips, a brief kiss here, a brief kiss there. He teased the swollen depths of her womanly form, until she bucked her hips and begged for him to make contact.

The first caress with his finger was light and unpleasantly quick. She begged with a soft whimper for him to cut the torture and begin the thrill. The second touch was a long stroke, pulsating with life and ending as he doused his finger into her core. She was hot and wet and so very ready for him. A wicked grin came to his face as he experimentally moved within her. "That's it Chloe," he cooed, speeding up his actions.

As he kissed the most female part of her body, she shivered. His tongue flicked out, tracing the shape of her, savouring her taste, and when combined with the action of his fingers, Chloe jerked. She rode his fingers hard and fast, eliciting moans from herself and deep guttural noises she didn't know she was capable of. Holding her trembling legs, Brady caught her as a very strong orgasm hit her body with such force she could not stand. He held her in his arms as she came down from the high that consumed her.

She stood on legs that appeared to be made of jelly, still holding onto Brady's strong forearm, but she needed to take back control. She had a moment of weakness, but there would be no mistaking who was running the show. She released herself from his grasp and stood before him, naked and unforgiving. "Lay down," she commanded, and he did. She took a long leg and hoisted herself onto the bench, straddling his lean body. Brady sat up, caressing her back and bringing her down to him.

"Oh no," Chloe told him and pushed him back down against the soft wood. "We're going to do this my way," she purred gently against his stomach, nipping his abs with a low growl. Her hair cascaded around his chest and tickled. She leaned over him, a sight to behold. Her small belly protruded from her stomach, proud and beautiful. Chloe smiled down at him and softly brought her lips back to his. He ran his fingers through her hair, savouring the very softness that made her so enticing. He mouthed sacred words to her that only their hearts truly understood.

She felt him grow hard once again. Her own wetness was mounting, and as she pressed herself against him, she knew he knew it too. The fact was touching him before, getting that kind of reaction from him, had her yearning for him now more than ever. She was ravishing and confident, and it took his breath away. Eagerly, she took his hand and placed it against her chest that heaved for him.

A steady drone of excitement filled the air as Brady showed her how well he knew her body. He sat up and suckled at her nipples so that her body rattled and sang from his tongue. He stroked her like a violin, his finger a bow, playing notes so rich and divine they could only be a love song. He touched her like an artist, her body his canvas, his tongue the brush. She was his greatest work of art, yet was still unfinished. Sweeping the soft peak of her feminine body with his finger, he could feel the deep burn that was making her come undone.

She shifted in his arms, pushing her body against his, taking the tip of his erection against her throbbing nerves. He kissed the hollow in her throat as she guided him into her. Closing her eyes, she sank onto him fully and was on her way to a journey so powerful she didn't know if she would ever make it back. Her first movement was slow as she drew his length out and back inside again. She bit her lip as she continued to move, feeling the explosive heat surround her.

Brady held her hips, helping guide her onto him. She wavered and swayed, running her fingers through her hair, a sight so appealing to Brady that he grunted and bucked into her, unable to control himself. Looking down at him, Chloe smiled, trailing her hands over her breasts for him. She licked her lips, making them shine to match the thin sheen of sweat that coated their bodies.

Brady sat up. This time she didn't restrain him, and he pulled her close, savouring the salty taste of her skin and the smell of her. They worked so well together, bouncing and grinding into one other until the inevitable was about to occur. The dark haze of lust came over Chloe, and her eyes were darkened as she moved over Brady, letting her breasts jiggle against his strong chest.

They were both there at that crest where the ultimate pleasure was the goal. But that seemed so hard to attain, the moment was so tempting to stay in, where it could go one way or the other. Option A is to choose release and have it be done, and option B is to slow down and let the experience last until you reach the peak again and the decision still remains. Your loins burn, and your heart races, and it is so damn hard to slow down, but so worth the exhausting torture, when you reach that apex again. They chose B.

Chloe slowed her hips, looking into Brady's ice blue eyes that were just as dangerously dark as her own. "I'm going to love you forever," she whispered and kissed his lips tenderly.

Brady smiled into the kiss. "Only if I can love you the same way." She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder as his hips grinded up into her. "We're not being too rough, are we? I mean, the baby...?" Brady asked, concerned.

"No, it's fine."

He relaxed against her, as she pushed him back deep inside her. He felt so good inside of her, filling her, bringing her to heights she never knew existed. She couldn't wait, not any longer, and she began to ride him faster and harder than before. He gripped his hands on her shoulders and braced himself as she descended and ascended, bringing them both closer to fulfilment. His tongue dipped into the hollow of her throat, sweeping downward onto her breastbone. She was sticky and sweet and all that was real in the world. He held his breath and clenched his teeth as he waited for her.

Her movements were fast, and she strained to find that beautiful passageway to unleash her most exotic reward. It came on a flood of sensory overload, and then her head was spinning and fuzzy, her body weak and trembling and her heart quick and joyous. Her inner muscles clamped around his erection, dragging him with her as she came. Warm, drowsing heat impaled them, and their breathing began to slow as the flush of completeness covered their skin, and they glowed with delight. She lay on top of him, too tired and too content to move a muscle, not even to release him from her body. They stayed connected, and he hugged her to him, kissing the top of her soaked hair.

He brushed some of the long strands from her temple and continued to kiss her there. "You okay?" he asked gently, still at some level worried about the baby.

"Never better," she replied, kissing his chest when she finally looked up at him, regaining some of her strength. "Let's stay like this forever," she said in a sing song voice.

"I wish we could," he sighed, running his fingers over her bare back.

Chloe closed her eyes and rested her head back on Brady but didn't get the pleasure of sleep when they heard a loud pounding on the door. "Is someone in there?"

Chloe looked down at Brady, who in turn looked back, grinning wickedly. "Looks like we're about to be caught, Diva."

Chloe sat up and eased Brady out of her, groaning at the loss. Stepping off the bench, she threw his clothes at him. "Get dressed!"

Brady laughed softly and put on his clothes quickly while Chloe dressed next to him. They quietly removed the bench from in front of the door and sat down, listening to the key turn in the lock.

"Oh thank God you came when you did! My wife and I have been stuck in here for hours and never thought anyone would come to our rescue," Brady lied, winking to Chloe over his shoulder.

Chloe decided to play along. "Oh and I was so scared. I felt like I couldn't even breathe."

"It's okay, honey," Brady sighed, pulling her against him.

"Oh, you poor dear!" the woman said, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry about all of this. I just don't know what happened," the middle-aged woman told them with sympathy.

"It's okay," Brady offered. "No real harm done. Come on, Chloe. We ought to be going."

Chloe took his hand, and out the door, they went, down the hall and towards the car before they let the fit of laughter take them over.