name only. The royal family is still welcome there and performs ceremonial duties, but the country is run by their own constitutional government.”
“They have made quite the success of it,” I remarked. Ademar was now one of the most popular honeymoon destinations in the world for three decades running, primarily because of Auggie’s parents. They had honeymooned there in the 80s, which opened the resort market, resulting in a huge commercial boom for the small island, turning it into a major tourist destination.
Of course, I didn’t bring up his parents and he didn’t expound on it. As far as the book went, we weren’t getting a whole lot done.
I suspected our trip down to Atlanta by April’s end was going to change some of that. It marked my second appointment with Dr. Hamish, who would give us guidance on how to proceed with our physical relationship.
I traveled down there on Roan I, with my usual companions. But the minute we landed, Sean ushered me into a separate car, and we headed straight out of town. We headed south, out of Atlanta proper, into rural Georgia. I tapped on the privacy glass. Sean lowered it.
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise, miss,” was all he would say.
The car turned off onto a dusty road, with pastures on either side, heading toward a tangle of trees. Finally, a huge farmhouse came into view, the kind with the big wraparound porches to look out over the vast Georgia farmland.
It wasn’t the five-star accommodations I was used to, so needless to say I was a bit surprised that the car finally parked. Sean helped me out. “What’s going on?” I laughed as he popped the trunk to retrieve my luggage.
“Can’t say, miss,” he said with a shrug.
I didn’t know if that meant he didn’t know, or he knew but literally couldn’t say.
He led me up the broad steps to the porch, which a big swing for two right outside the front window. On the tables on either side were huge bowls of fresh peaches. I couldn’t help but laugh.
Dr. Hamish rose to meet me as I entered the farmhouse. I was surprised to see her in these more rugged surroundings.
“Peaches,” she greeted with a smile and a hug. “How are you feeling?”
“Stunned,” I answered honestly, as I was prone to do.
She laughed. “The Duke wanted somewhere private. I reckon he found it.” We sat together on the sofa. “How have things been going?”
“The morning sickness has been leveling off,” I told her. “Finally.”
She grinned. “You’ve entered the second trimester, so it stands to reason. Most women get through the nastiest parts by week 14.”
I nodded. I was in week 13, so I hoped that meant the worst was behind me, at least as far as that was concerned. “I had some breast tenderness,” I said. “And my bras aren’t fitting me like they used to.”
“That might explain the tenderness,” she joked. I laughed. “The breasts go through some pretty amazing changes through this process. I’d recommend getting some maternity bras After about week 15, your breasts are going to start preparing to make milk for your newborn. It’s time to treat your changing body with a lot of love and respect.”
I nodded.
We went over several items on my checklist, like what kind of exercising I need to be doing, what kinds of foods I need to be eating.
I hemmed and hawed around the biggest question on my list for as long as I could. Finally, “What are the rules for having sex while pregnant?”
She didn’t look surprised by my question. If anything, she might have been surprised it took so long to ask it. “Sex is perfectly normal during a pregnancy. In fact, you may see a spike in your libido due to the hormonal fluctuations. Your baby is protected by your body, so there aren’t any real concerns with it being affected by a rigorous shagging.”
I laughed. She was colorful and I loved it.
“That said, there are some things to look out for. Breast stimulation and orgasm can stimulate contractions, so be on the lookout for any bleeding or discharge, such as amniotic fluid. Also, you should still protect yourself from sexually transmitted diseases. I’d still recommend a condom if you are with a new partner.”
I nodded. She stood.
“Let’s find someplace comfortable and have a look at our little passenger, shall we?”
Once the exam was complete and the measurements were taken, I walked Dr. Hamish out to her rental car parked in the driveway.