The next couple of hours were spent tangled in bed, where he made love to me, slow and unhurried…

“WHAT do you want to do about dinner? Shall I cook?”

“Nope,” he answered.

“I really don’t mind, Ethan. It’s a lovely set up in the kitchen and everything’s stocked.”

Ethan played with my hair, dragging his fingers through the strands over and over. He liked to do it. It seemed to be a mindless task, something he did when we were awake in bed together, but I sensed it meant more to him. Soothing. It seemed to sooth him, and was a way to touch me without being sexual. Ethan liked to touch me all the time, sexual or not.

“You’re hungry.”

I nodded against his hand at my scalp. “My appetite is back. I need food to grow this child we made. And dessert.” I ticked him in the ribs to get him moving.

“So feisty you are…and impatient,” he teased. “Far be it from me to be stupid enough to deny food to a pregnant woman—”

“—don’t forget the dessert,” I reminded, with another go at his ribs, which he blocked easily.

“I’m taking you out tonight. I don’t want you to cook. And…without a doubt, there should be a decadent dessert for my girl.”

“Aww, thank you, baby, you are too good to me.” I offered my lips to his for a kiss.

He didn’t kiss me though, instead, his eyes lit up with a gleam that could only be described as wicked, when I felt his palm smack me on the ass with a playful clap. “You’d better move that divine fanny of yours into the shower before I decide to have it again.”

I scrambled off the bed, but before I left him there, I leaned over my very loving, but controlling husband, in all his bared male magnificence, and placed one fingertip at the middle of his chest to keep him down. I gave him the sultriest look I could summon up, cupped my br**sts and drew on the ni**les slowly, with little twists to the tips. I licked my lips exaggeratedly, using my tongue to curl along the edge of my mouth.

He was mesmerized by it all, and so still, he didn’t even look to be breathing as he watched my little sex-show, slash, lap-dance. I put my finger back on one of his ni**les before dragging with my nail all the way down, ever so slowly, over his six pack of muscles, his belly, between his V, and finally, right to the base of his cock.

His torso tightened and flexed as I scratched him, teasing him without mercy. Ethan was my sexual minion in that moment and he and I both knew it. I couldn’t resist what I did next.

I winked at him. “I win,” I whispered, before dashing for the showers.

He chased me down, of course, tickling me, making me laugh as we washed up for our dinner date—but not before paying me back for what I’d done to him on the bed.

In orgasms.

“SOMEBODY is enjoying their dinner tonight.” Ethan watched me eating with a huge grin plastered on his handsome face.

I moaned at the flavor of the rich pasta in my mouth. “Oh me, oh my, this is the most delicious baked ziti I’ve ever tasted in my life. I wish I could make it like this.”

“Maybe you can. Take a picture with your mobile to help you remember some of how they prepared it.”

“That’s a great idea. Why didn’t I think of it?” I reached for my purse.

The gleam in his eyes turned to teasing. “Probably because you’re too busy cramming it in.”

I kicked him in the foot under the table. “Jackass.”

“Only kidding,” he grunted. “I’m just grateful that you’re able to finally eat. I was concerned about you wasting away before, so now it’s just one less thing worrying me.”

I blew him an air kiss. “Number one, you wore me out earlier today, and number two, I think my body is making up for lost time when I couldn’t keep much down. If I allow myself to get over-hungry, then you’ll find you have one very cranky gorgon of a wife on your hands.” I made a face. “Trust me, you don’t want that to happen.”

The ziti did agree with me, but mostly it was the fact I could now eat and not feel ill afterward. Our baby was definitely making his or her presence known despite being so tiny, and food is what was required to make everything work.

He put down his knife and fork and feasted his eyes on me. “Well, first, I loved wearing you out earlier today, and second, I love seeing you enjoying your food again. I’m not stupid. When my girl says she needs to eat, then she damn well better eat.” He topped his wine glass off. “And third, you’re one hell of a beautiful gorgon, even when you’re scaring the crap out of me.”

“Am I that scary now, Ethan? You can be honest.” I know some of my emotional highs and lows freaked him out, but pregnancy was hard on me too, and I did worry about the change in me. I couldn’t control any of it, and yet, I didn’t want to be the crazy hormonal wife that made him long for the good ole bachelor days either.

“Never.” He picked up my free hand and kissed the palm, his eyes smiling up at me lovingly. “What would be really scary is not being with my beautiful gorgon and our little peach.”

“I love you.” I managed to say the words without getting teary, but it wouldn’t take much. Ethan could pull emotion out of me by just looking at me.

“I love you more,” he said softly, reaching for his wine and taking a healthy swig. “And I think that was evidenced by the fact I let you drive us here tonight.” He emptied the rest of his glass in one drink. “I’m still leveling down from the white-knuckle ride.”

“Are you trying to wind me up, as you Brits say, by all the comments and flaunting the wine because you know I can’t have it?”

He opened his mouth in surprise first and then turned it into a million dollar smile to dazzle me. “You think I’m winding you up on purpose, baby?”

I didn’t say anything, just sat back in my seat and studied him thoroughly; the casual blue shirt highlighting his eyes, the simple linen slacks that suggested the powerful legs beneath, his Rolex and his wedding ring, the only adornments he wore. Ethan didn’t need adornments because his face and body were more than sufficient. Such a beautiful man was my husband. I wasn’t stupid enough to believe this very remarkable trait wouldn’t cause me much concern over the course of our lives together. Other women would try to catch him and it would drive me insane when they tried.