by Lewis, Anna
“Alright then, I’m sure Gio would love to be around kids his age. He must be so tired of spending all that time with Aunt Aida,” I laughed.
“You know, what Gio needs is a younger brother…and sister,” Josh smiled at me suggestively and I laughed.
“How many kids do you see yourself having?” I asked him, my heart rate picking up a little as I reached for my glass of water.
“Three or four. Four in case a little accident comes along,” he said and I nearly choked on the water I’d taken a sip of. “What? Don’t you want a big family?” he asked me curiously.
“Um…well, being an only child I do want a sibling for Gio because I know what it’s like. But…three? Four?” Josh laughed and then shrugged.
“Think of how much fun that would be!” he said exuberantly.
“Think of how much college tuition that would be,” I countered without thinking. Josh gave me a deadpan look and I realized, oh yeah…I was talking to a billionaire.
“Our four kids, including Gio, will want for nothing, and if we’re lucky so will theirs and so on and so forth.” Josh leaned over to give me a smacking kiss on the cheek. I giggled and looked at him with a hopeful smile. Talk about an attitude one-eighty. Hours ago I’d been worried he was possibly going to leave me. Now we were talking about having four kids.
“We’d have to move upstate or something by kid number three,” I said. Josh gave me a look of surprise and then almost pouted.
“Why not raise them in the city?” he asked, and there ensued our debate on the best place in New York to raise a family. Little did Josh know his four kid goal was closer to being reached than he thought. Just…for some inexplicable reason I felt I shouldn’t tell him yet.
* * *
The next couple of days flew by in uneventfulness, which was much needed and made me feel like we could be normal again. Like we were before Giovanni sent his guys to my job. Gio had started calling Josh dad and gotten used to it, though it was taking me a bit longer to get used to. On the other hand, Josh absolutely glowed every time the word left Gio’s lips. To see their bond was beyond heartwarming and thanks to the darn pregnancy hormones I wanted to cry every time I saw them together.
“I’m kind of nervous,” I told Josh, as we were getting into bed. Tomorrow was when we’d drive up to Long Island to spend the day with his family.
“Don’t be, my parents already love you. Mostly because you were an adorable ten-year-old and they knew how much I loved you even then,” he chuckled. As he got comfortable he pulled me against his chest, his hand slid down to rest against my belly. I wondered if on some level he knew, like maybe some subconscious instinct in him knew that I was carrying his child. Either way, give or take a couple of weeks and I’d be showing. I needed to move past this mental block I seemed to have. I stayed awake trying to figure it out, my mind kept circling back to Giovanni. Even though he’s been eerily silent, I felt that I needed to know he was a hundred percent taken care of before I told Josh.
Chapter 7
“…and your mom and dad have a big backyard?” Gio was practically drilling Josh as we neared his parents’ house.
“Yep, they even brought the old trampoline I used to play on back there too. Of course it’s been kept up with so no one dies when they jump on it,” he said, more for my benefit, but Gio laughed anyway.
“So we’re gonna have—there’s gonna be a barbecue?” he asked Josh again, his excitement mounting.
“Gio honey, how about we take a deep breath and calm down a little. You sound like you’re about to fly through the roof,” I said.
“Mommy I’m gonna be six tomorrow, that’s a big deal,” he said earnestly and with wide eyes. Making everyone in the car, including Jackson who was driving, crack up.
“Yes honey that is a big deal,” I said and kissed him on the cheek.
“Did I get taller than when I turned five?” he followed up, being as adorable as ever.
“You did get taller and you’ll continue to get taller until you’re twenty-five,” I said, making him smile.
“I wanna be as tall as dad is,” he said, pointing to Josh in the front seat so I knew exactly who he meant.
“And you will be as long as…”
“I eat my vegebles…” he sighed. I giggled at his mispronunciation of the word, he still couldn’t get it right.
“And we’ve arrived,” Josh announced as soon as the car stopped. Jackson was out in under two seconds to open the door for Gio and I to get out. I glanced up at Josh’s parents’ house. It was bigger than the one they lived in when we were kids. They did have a huge yard and the drive was full of cars.
“It seems like everyone’s here,” Josh said and took my hand while Gio hopped all the way to the front door. “Go ahead and ring the doorbell buddy,” Josh said. Gio jumped a couple of times before Josh picked him up so he could push the button. Literally seconds later the door swung wide open. The first thing that hit me was the noise from inside, there were a lot of voices as well as maybe a TV and music playing somewhere in the background.
“Hey you guys made it!” A man that looked a lot like Josh, but only younger and with a darker shade of blue eyes, hugged him tight.
“Hey Andy,” Josh chuckled, hugging his brother tight even while holding Gio still.
“How have you been? Is this who we’ve all been hearing so much about? Maddy and Gio?” Andy spoke at like a million words per minute, talk about an excitable younger brother.
“Yep, this is my family. Maddy, Gio this is my younger brother Andy. He’s always hyper even without coffee,” he said, both surprising me and making me laugh. Josh had really just introduced us as his family…as well as explained his brother’s inherent excitement.
“Nice to meet you,” Gio said, holding out his hand for Andy to shake.
“Wow, I’m impressed, all the other little ones running around here aren’t as mature as you,” Andy said as Josh put Gio back down.
“I’m gonna be six tomorrow,” he said by way of explanation.
“That explains it. Well come on in guys, mom and dad are in the kitchen. Mom hasn’t stopped talking about you Josh,” Andy said as he led us through the front room and around two curious Boston Terriers.
“Oh my goodness, your face Joshua!” was the first thing his mom said when she saw us. Andy cracked up and I bit my lip a little nervously. His bruises were still yellowing and clearing up, but they weren’t gone.
“That must have been some accident huh?” Josh’s dad came up behind his mom who paused her vegetable chopping. She was in the kitchen with two other women who also glanced back with welcoming smiles.
“Yeah the guy rolled up with a driver. I’m guessing your fancy SUV was totaled huh?” Andy asked him and Josh rolled his eyes, it was clear to tell the age difference between brothers, where Josh was nearing thirty-two Andy was only twenty-four.
“Andrew would you please, Joshua’s only been here two minutes and already you’re picking a fight? Not to mention painting a lovely picture of us to his new family,” she scolded.
“Mom, you remember Maddy, Maddy my mom, Marge and dad, Jo. Guys, this is Gio…” Josh made quick introductions and Marge hugged me tight.
“Oh it’s so good to see you! You’ve grown up beautifully, you look just like your mother,” she said in a motherly voice that made me miss my mom a lot in that moment. Jo surprised me with a hug as well as we greeted each other. Then they looked down at Gio who was smiling up at them.
“Hi, I’m Gio,” he said politely and I watched Marge’s face as she fell in love almost instantly.
“Aren’t you the most handsome little boy!” she gushed, giving him a hard hug.
“I’m going to be six tomorrow,” he informed her, making Jo laugh.
“Soon you won’t be a little boy anymore huh?” he chuckled and bumped fists with Gio. After that Josh introduced us to his two cousins-in-law, Tanya and Steph. Immediately after four little boys and one pouting little girl came r
unning into the kitchen. They all seemed to be five or six.
“Mom, Sophie keeps bothering us,” one of the little boys went up to Josh’s cousin Tanya. He was adorable, with chocolate brown skin just like her, but he had the family’s blue eyes and his hair was all puffed up in a curly afro. I could tell who his brother was, he had the same hair and eye color though his skin was a tad lighter. The other two boys resembled Steph with her golden colored skin and silver blonde hair. The little girl also looked like a younger Steph, with her clear blue eyes.
When both Tanya and Steph’s husbands came walking in from the patio out back I wondered how one family could be so attractive. All the men in Josh’s family were certainly not bad to look at.
“You must be Maddy, the girl Josh has been in love with for years!” Tanya’s husband, Greg, was a big guy with a booming voice and ready smile.
“Maddy from next door! I’ve met you a couple of times when we were younger. I’m Kevin,” his other cousin came to greet me as well and I had to study the leaner and sort of nerdy looking Kevin to remember him.
“You used to always want to play slap jack and collect baseball cards right?” I asked with a chuckle and he cracked up.
“Yep, that’s me,” he grinned. Kevin had definitely grown from then, though his hair was still curly, it framed his face in a way that would make Superman jealous and his old wire rimmed glasses were replaced with fashionable black frames that didn’t take away from his striking blue eyes.
“Mommy can I go play catch with them?” Gio tugged on my elbow and pointed to the boys waiting by the sliding door in the family room to head outside. Poor Sophie had given up and was sitting at the island bar watching her mom make potato salad.
“Yeah, sure honey, but don’t get your clothes too dirty,” I warned him.
“I won’t!” Three seconds later he and the other boys were racing to the huge backyard.
“So Maddy, come tell us about how you guys found each other after so long. It’s like a romance story or something,” Kevin said, steering me into the kitchen with everyone else. Tanya handed me a glass of wine and I tried to act normal as I wondered how I’d get away with not drinking at all throughout the day.
It was nice all in all, sort of like a big family gathering and it was. Josh’s family welcomed Gio and I in as their own. Though, by the time dessert came around and the sun was setting Marge was eying me more and more.
“Maddy, come help me put these glasses away please?” Marge was drying off the glasses from dinner. Everyone was getting ready to watch a movie in the family room. I was beginning to wonder if Josh and I would have to surgically remove Gio from his new found cousins in order to head home later.
“Sure Marge, let me…” I took a water glass to put on a shelf she couldn’t reach. Marge wasn’t the tallest woman in the world.
“So…I couldn’t help but notice all day how careful you were around alcohol…” she said and quirked an eyebrow at me knowingly.
“Yeah…I’m not much of a drinker,” I said quietly, glancing over at Josh who was glancing at Marge and I every so often. He was too far to hear our conversation though.
“For any reason in particular?” she pressed and I had to laugh.
“Joshua doesn’t know yet…well no one does,” I admitted. Marge gasped audibly, and everyone glanced back.
“I’m fine, everything is fine…” Marge waved her hand and they went back to the Captain America movie.
“How far along are you?” she asked excitedly, taking my hands in hers briefly. Her smile could honestly light up the room she was so happy. It made me want to cry a little bit, I felt as if I was telling my own mom that I was pregnant.
“Two months, I only found out at the beginning of the week though,” I said in a soft voice. Marge glanced at the family room again before getting back to putting the dishes away.
“Oh I’m so happy for you Maddy, I know Josh will just be the happiest guy on the planet. Though he’s told me over and over how he already is,” she said and gave me an impromptu hug. “I love you guys,” she said sincerely, choking me up yet again. After having it just be Gio and I with Aunt Aida I was glad we were getting a big loving family with Josh.
Chapter 8
“So what did my mom talk to you about in the kitchen? She really seems to love you,” Josh said as we were on the way back home. Gio was knocked out after a full day of playing. He really wouldn’t leave until we told him that his cousins were staying all the way until Thanksgiving, so he’d see them again.
“She just wanted to make sure I would marry you when you asked,” I lied. Josh chuckled softly. He was sitting in the back with us since Jackson had switched the sedan for an SUV.
“Well I guess she was just looking out for me, she knows I would lose my mind if you left me.” He said it as if it were a matter of fact. I leaned over and kissed him softly on the mouth.
“Same here bub.”
“So tomorrow…is going to be a lot of fun,” Josh said with an almost conspiratorial grin.
“What did you do?” I asked him.
“I’m just excited to see Gio’s reaction when he finally sees his room and how excited he’ll be to see his favorite animals up close…” Cue the slow unfurling Cheshire grin. I couldn’t help but giggle though.
“…and?” I asked, but of course he just shushed me and pointed to Gio’s sleeping head leaning against his arm.
“It’s a surprise,” was all he said after that, along with a sly grin.
“I hope you’re not doing too much,” I said, giving him a pointed stare. Which he ignored with a shrug, his grin still in place. When we got back home Josh took Gio up to his bed and I was eager to collapse into ours. I was pretty exhausted.
“Gio’s knocked out,” Josh said as he came into the room. I was in the closet lazily pulling on a shirt for bed.
“I’d imagine he’d be beat after literally running around all day,” I commented.
“You look tired too…is that my fault for keeping you up all night?” he smirked and I threw a nearby sock at him.
“Anyways I thought it was me keeping you up?” I replied, a small smile on my lips. Josh laughed out loud and scooped me up from the ottoman. He took me to the bed and then pursed his lips.
“Aren’t you getting bored of this…?”
My eyebrows drew together in confusion.
“Bored of what?” I asked him slowly.
“The same old scenery, you know there are a lot of surfaces in this house that can be utilized.”
“Oh…like what surfaces?” I said, my confusion clearing up as he explained himself.
“There’s this nice hallway table just outside the room…” he said suggestively and my eyes widened.
“Josh, there’s a camera out there in the hall,” I chuckled, not really taking him seriously. Until he picked me up again and moved towards the bedroom door. “You can’t be serious! What if—” he sealed his mouth over mine, his tongue sliding expertly against mine. I felt that we passed through the double doors and soon enough my butt was resting on the end table in the hallway. “Josh…” my ‘being serious’ voice came out all weak and pathetic. Especially as he began to knead my breasts, pulling and rolling my nipples in between his fingers in the process.
My breathing was already erratic and I was almost uncomfortably moist in between my legs. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was more sensitive than normal due to the pregnancy, or because Josh had us in a near exhibitionist situation. Maybe it was both, but I’d be lying if I said the rush didn’t heighten things.
Josh pulled back a fraction to push my panties to the side and rub my clit with his thumb. My head fell back with a moan and my eyes closed briefly. Before I knew it I felt his mouth at the lips of my sex and I gasped. My eyes flew open and of course they went immediately to the camera mounted where the ceiling meets the wall a few feet away from us. He gripped my hips, pulling me forward a bit and his tongue slid against my clit relentlessly. One of
my hands held me up while the other tangled in his hair. The orgasm came hard and fast, electrifying my entire body and wiping me out. By the time it passed, my heart was pounding and I was a bit light headed.
“See…I have to get you out of the bedroom more often,” he murmured. I opened one of my eyes to see him smirking at me. He was no longer crouched, but pulling his erection from his jeans. Before I could respond, he was sliding into me, we both groaned. I knew how swollen and slick I was and he felt as much. “Fuck Maddy,” he whispered hoarsely. All it took was two thrusts and I was flying into another orgasm. Josh was shocked, I’d never been so responsive before, but I couldn’t help it. I felt like a faulty trip wire.
The sex was hard and fast, I climbed with Josh to another orgasm that left us both breathless. My limbs felt like they were molten and Josh had to carry me back into the bedroom.
“I can’t believe…” I took a deep breath, “we did that…” I finished. Josh chuckled as he cleaned me up with a damp washcloth. Taking care in between my legs as he always does.
“Well…I think you should know that, since the hallway’s a dead end with only our room in one direction, the camera’s view doesn’t reach the hallway table,” he grinned at me boyishly and I had to punch him in the arm.
“You had me thinking we were freaking…giving the guys in the library a show or something,” I said and he laughed.
“Oh I know I had you thinking that,” he gave me a light kiss on the lips and disappeared into the bathroom. I sighed and stretched, settling into bed.
“So will you tell me what extra you have planned for Gio tomorrow?” Josh laughed as he walked back into the bedroom. Wearing absolutely nothing.
“You’ll just have to be surprised too,” he said with a grin.
“Hey…I love you,” I told him as he settled into bed behind me.
“I love you too,” he murmured into my ear and kissed my neck.
