loved. The sound of his body slamming into hers filled the small room as the smell of sex drifted through the space.
She closed her eyes, reveling in the full feeling of her husband reclaiming her. The sex was great, but it was the intimacy she'd missed the most. It was like coming home as she felt his length filling her.
"Open your eyes, baby. I love to watch you come. I've missed it so much," he said.
His rhythmic thrusts became erratic as he got close to his own orgasm. Just as she was about to come, she pinched her nipples. She arched her back as best she could in the flexible swing, letting the ecstasy wash over her. Derek's long grunt as he emptied his seed deep inside her body made her heart flutter with love.
Several minutes later, he was finally able to recover enough to help untangle her from her bonds. He didn't stop to pick up his clothes or her blanket. He merely lifted her into his arms and carried her upstairs to their king-sized bed. He lay her down on her side, knowing it was her most comfortable position in her advanced pregnancy. She was happy when he crawled in behind her, spooning her while pulling the blankets up for them to snuggle under together.
The weeks of growing tension were seemingly gone, restoring them to the solid couple they had always been. His arm draped over her to gently fondle her baby-bump. Many nights he took the time to kiss her belly, telling their young son goodnight. As if the baby missed their routine, he kicked, shifting position inside her womb. Derek's hand was pressed over the spot where a small foot connected with his mommy's tummy.
"Whoa there, kid. Don't kick your mom so hard." He leaned up to talk softly against the shell of Rachel's ear. "I'll never get tired of the miracle, you know? Our baby is inside you." He made it sound as though it was the most wondrous thing in the world.
Rachel giggled. "Yes, well that's how these things usually work."
Derek was quiet for a minute. "I understand how he got in there. It's the getting him out that worries me. I dread it."
They hadn't really talked about it yet, and she was too tired to talk about it now. "Don't dread it. I haven't mentioned it to you yet, but I think we should sign up for a childbirth class at the hospital. The doctor recommends that all new parents go before the delivery."
Derek was quiet. Only his firm grip on her, pulling her tight against him, gave away his growing tension. "I think that's a good idea. I think it will help to know what to expect."
Rachel was fading fast. She relaxed into her husband's arms, letting sleep take her.
Chapter Three
Derek
"Very good, class. We'll take a fifteen-minute break and then meet back here to watch a video of a Cesarean delivery together. If a couple of you fathers would help, we need to set up some chairs. The mothers will be more comfortable with real seats."
Derek Parker sat stock still on the padded floor of the hospital conference room they'd been holed up in since nine that morning. Rachel was lying in front of him, her back leaning against his chest.
They'd just gone through the 'what to expect at the time of delivery' portion of their childbirth class. Derek was far from squeamish, but even he wasn't feeling the best after spending the day immersed in childbirth preparations. With less than two weeks until Rachel's due date, he was feeling the noose of fatherhood closing in.
It wasn't that Derek didn't like kids, because he adored his many nieces and nephews. It wasn't even that he didn't want to be a dad, because he couldn't wait to see his son.
But he did have two problems.
First, he was terrified of something going wrong with the delivery that might end up putting Rachel in danger. She was literally his life. The thought of something happening to her petrified him.
Second, he was frightened of being responsible for an innocent infant. Rachel was his idea of the perfect baby. He loved taking care of her; having her depend on him for everything. An infant, on the other hand, was truly helpless, and Derek was worried he was going to screw the kid up royally.
"Daddy, I need help getting up. I really need to pee again." His wife whispered her plea for help, not wanting the other couples