by Serena Janes
One evening, the two of them sat at the dining table, enjoying a cozy fire. Jo had served a slice of veal terrine studded with pieces of fois gras and a glass of Monbazillac before dinner. The succulent aroma of roast capon filled the house, causing Luc’s mouth to water. Joanna’s cooking was really coming along, he thought.
It seemed the right time to broach the subject of expensive real estate. He picked up the stack of listings and pretended to flip through them casually.
They were arranged in order of price, the least expensive on top, but he noticed that only a few fell into their price range. Anna was going to buy his share of their property, and Joanna had listed her condo, but even then there wasn’t going to be a huge amount to put towards the new house. He didn’t want to take on a big mortgage, considering they had only his salary, at the moment. Then there was Daniel, and the costs of raising another child or two, when the time came.
“Some of these places are much bigger than what we’ve discussed,” he said, getting right to the point. “And more expensive.” He took a drink and looked at Joanna carefully, not wanting to offend or disappoint her. They’d agreed that a small acreage, with a medium-sized house in good repair, would suit them perfectly.
To his surprise, she smiled, took the papers out of his hand and fanned them flat on the table in front of her. Then she said softly, “Yes. But there’s something I haven’t told you.”
He felt a sinking feeling in his gut. Where money was concerned, he didn’t like surprises. Already he’d seen Joanna spending a lot on non-essentials. A few days ago she’d come home from the supermarket with over a kilo of the priciest terrines and pâtés. He knew better than to ask what they cost.
Then there was her wedding dress. It was perfect for her, he had to admit. But when he saw the price tag he had to bite his lip.
True—she paid for these things with her own money, but still…
“What don’t I know, Cherie?” he asked tentatively, smearing another bit of meat onto his bread.
“I, um, I mentioned that when the condo sells I’m expecting about six hundred thousand US, right?”
“Right,” he answered, nodding. That would be more than he would get from Anna, but he was okay with that. He had a little extra put away for moving expenses and incidentals.
“And?” he asked.
“Well, I haven’t mentioned the other money.”
“What other money?” He swallowed his food with some difficulty, feeling his body tense.
“My inheritance.”
“Oh.”
From her father. Of course.
“I never said anything because it seemed kind of too soon, you know?”
He nodded again.
“I mean, he’s been dead only a few months. And it’ll take at least another few for the money to come through.”
He saw the tears in her eyes and decided to keep quiet.
“But as soon as I get it, I’ll start the process of getting it transferred to my account here. And then I want to put it all into the new place.”
Luc blinked in surprise. She wasn’t crying, but her face had grown serious. For a moment, he couldn’t think of anything to say. Then he shook his head, staring at the pile of listings on the table. “Are you going to tell me how much you’re expecting?”
“He left my sister and me exactly one million dollars. Each.” Joanna said softly, raising a hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. His own hand reached to rub his jaw line and he realized he’d been clenching it. Any minute now and he knew the grinding would start.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? This is important.”
He hadn’t realized he was marrying an heiress.
“But that’s your money,” he continued before she could answer. You can’t just spend it all on a house. What about your expenses while you’re not working? And savings for the future?”
“There’s more where that came from,” she said with a slight smile, taking a demure sip from her wineglass.
“More?” Now he was really shocked. True, he hadn’t met her family yet, but were they really that well off?
“My mother and sister and I share some joint investments. I get a small dividend every month, and one day down the road, when we decide to sell, I’ll get my third of the whole package.”
“I won’t ask you how much you’re talking about here,” he said, a little morosely. This was bordering on scary.
“I couldn’t tell you anyway,” she said, giving a little giggle. “I have no idea. And it doesn’t matter,” she said. “You just need to know that my inheritance and the money I get from the condo, are, as far as I’m concerned, available to help buy us buy the property we really want. Without a mortgage—even. Isn’t that great?”
She got up from her seat and walked around the table until she could put her arms around his shoulders. Then she leaned in and kissed his ear.
“And you don’t have to worry about my running out of cash before I go back to work. I have enough squirreled away to last for quite awhile.” She nuzzled his neck as he processed this new information.
He felt completely numb. It was one thing to expect that his new wife would sell her home and contribute to buying their home. But to want to throw in that much money!
That’s almost a million and a half Euros! That’s enormous!
He shifted in his seat, not meeting her eyes, and rubbed his tight jaw. It was obvious that she was waiting for him to share her happiness, but he couldn’t. Instead of excitement, he felt an overwhelming discomfort.
He had to get up. Taking her wrists in his hands he pulled her arms away. “I have to think about this. I’m going to take a walk.”
He stood up, noticing the hurt look on her face, and turned his back to her. Then he pulled on a jacket and went out into the damp November air.
* * * *
Jo felt dizzy with anxiety as she watched Luc walk out the door, Sammy trotting behind him. This wasn’t the response she’d expected.
She thought he’d be pleased. Happy to be able to buy a bigger place, with more land for his beloved grapevines. Or someplace that already had an established vineyard.
But instead of being happy, he was obviously upset by the news.
Why? How can the fact that his new wife comes with a wad of cash be a problem?
She got up and checked on the roast. Deciding it looked ready to eat—her only means of judging—she took it out and turned off the oven.
Then slowly, slowly it began to sink in.
How could I have been so thick?
His pride is hurt. Damn! I should have told him earlier. And dropped a few hints so it wouldn’t be such a shock.
Jo cursed at herself for being such a self-centered fool.
What a controlling idiot I am—every bit as controlling as James.
She felt a rush of heat flush her cheeks. Shame.
How am I going to fix this? I can’t undo it. The money’s real and it’s mine, and I want to put it to good use. But if he won’t have it, what can I do?
Thinking, she paced back and forth across the room for half an hour until she calmed down a little. Then she decided to take a bath. Luc was a stubborn man. She’d already seen that on more than one occasion. There was probably nothing she could do until he’d worked through his feelings and was ready to talk to her.
Just as she’d pinned up her hair and settled into a hot tub full of fragrant bubbles, she heard the front door close, then the sound of Sammy’s claws clicking on the stone floor in the hallway. A moment later she looked up and saw Luc standing in the bathroom doorway, his dark hair coated with tiny droplets of water. He looked every bit as desirable as he had the first time she fell…
“I’m sorry,” he said. “It was just kind of a shock, I guess.” He wasn’t smiling as he pulled his sweater over his head.
As always, Jo felt a little constriction in her chest when she looked at his naked body. She remembered when she’d first seen it, when they were
swimming in the Dordogne River on their walking tour. He’d been wearing shorts at the time, but, she still saw enough of him to practically have a heart seizure. Tall, tanned, broad across the shoulders and perfectly proportioned. His well-muscled chest and arms made her want to pant. The hair on his chest crept down his belly in a thin line to disappear under his belt, and she had to tear her eyes away from his wet crotch as he climbed out of the river, slowly—for her benefit. That was the first time she’d seen the Yin and Yang tattoo. And the first time she’d realized she would have to fuck this man or die.
And so here she was. Submerged in water, again. Lusting after him, again. But this time he was removing all of his clothes. This time he was climbing into the water to be with her. This time he was going to be her husband, and she could fuck him whenever and as often as she’d like.
Unless I piss him off again. I have to be more thoughtful. Less selfish.
The tub was barely big enough to hold the two of them, but they were getting good at fitting themselves together as tightly as possible. He spooned in behind her, wrapping his big arms around her shoulders, sighing as she settled back against him in the tight space.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked back her tears. “You came back.”
“Of course I came back. Did you think I wouldn’t?” He kissed her hair.
“I can never be too sure. I mean, I’m never sure whether what I do is a deal-breaker or not,” she said, smiling, although she knew he couldn’t see her face. “I thought my escapades in Spain would have been a deal-breaker. But you said it kind of turned you on when you thought about it.”
“Yeah. It does. Although I’m not keen on Brenda, I’d still like to see that video,” he said with a chuckle.
“I’m sorry about this money thing, Luc. After you left I realized how terribly insensitive it was for me to say what I wanted to do with it. I went about it all wrong.”
“It’s alright.”
“No. It isn’t alright for me to go ahead and make a decision about our future without discussing it with you first. I guess I’m going to have to get used to this thing called marriage.”
She felt his smile as his hand reached for the soap and he began to lather her breasts.
“We’ll get used to it together, Mon amour. We’ll learn each other as we go. Do you like this,” he asked as he rubbed the bar of soap along her belly.
“Mmm, I do.”
“And this?” He slipped a soapy finger between her tightly-closed legs. There was no space for her to open them any wider.
“Yes.”
He liberally soaped every part of her he could reach, sloshing water onto the floor.
“So do I. We’re going to have to get a really big tub installed in our new place,” he whispered into her ear. “And I guess I won’t have to care how much it costs.”
Jo laughed.
Was this a green flag?
“Come on. Let’s get out of here,” he said, pushing at her shoulders to help her up.
She held onto him as she stepped out of the tub. He was right behind her, enveloping her in a bath sheet before doing the same for himself.
“Let’s go out to the fireplace,” he said. “It’s warmer there.”
They spread a cotton blanket on the floor in front of the banked wood fire and lay down, arms and legs entwined. She was always surprised by his strength, the strength of his big arms and legs next to her slender limbs. The broadness of his chest. The sheer size of his hands.
And he was always paradoxically hard and soft at the same time. His muscles were as hard as polished wood, but his skin was as smooth and soft as her own. She ran her hands down the thick corded veins on his forearms, remembering how lasciviously she’d stared at them the night they first met. How she’d longed to touch them. Now she could kiss them whenever she wanted.
She bent her head to run her lips along the inside of his arm. “I am so in love with you,” she whispered. “I can’t believe how lucky I am.”
“You said that yesterday,” he said, rolling onto his back.
“Did I? Pardon me for repeating myself. I don’t want you to get bored.”
She raised her face to his and kissed him hungrily, eager that they put their differences behind them. It was impossible to imagine life without the exquisite pleasure of loving Luc. His mouth was hot and eager on hers, tasting faintly of the sweet wine they’d shared.
“I’m not about to get bored,” he said, between kisses. “Let down your hair.”
She complied, knowing he liked to wrap it around his hands when he fucked her. When she was done, her hand dropped to his belly, and she found his cock more than ready. She lifted a leg to straddle his body and leaned over him, hands on his shoulders so that her hair fell over his face like a waterfall. She placed her moist sex over his cock and rotated her hips, satisfied when she heard his groan of pleasure.
“Remember on our last day together in Martel? When you took me outside and fucked me until I said I’d do anything you want?”
He nodded, eyes closed and hips thrusting upwards to meet her movement.
“That was the first time in my life I knew what it felt like to want a baby.”
Abruptly, he stopped moving and his eyes shot open.
“What do you mean?”
“It should be pretty clear what I mean, silly. I never really thought I’d want kids, but something about you—the way I felt when you made love to me—made me feel that I was ready to go all the way.”
“All the way?” he asked, a truly perplexed look on his face. They’d both stopped moving now.
“Yes. If you consider conceiving and delivering a child the full extension of the sex act. For women, I mean.” She laughed. “You guys can just wander off and knock up other smitten females left and right. But I realized I wanted something more from you. I wanted us to mingle and merge and produce a tangible result of our love. A love child, in the truest sense of the word.”
She began to swivel her hips again, rubbing her slick labia over the engorged head of his cock.
“You’re very articulate for someone who’s about to get herself fucked silly,” he said between pants.
“I want your child, Luc. Nothing in my life has had any meaning until now. This desire you’ve awoken in me. It’s like I’ve become someone else. More mature, somehow.”
She bent her head and kissed him deeply. “Does that make sense?”
“If you want a baby we have to do it like this,” he said with a growl in his voice. He lifted his cock with one hand and guided it into her. She sat down hard, ramming it deeply up into her expectant body.
“Ah—I know, love.” She began to rotate her hips gain, but more slowly. “I know.”
Being on top gave her most of the control, and Jo thought briefly about the money issues they’d just discussed. She didn’t want Luc to feel he was in a position of lesser power. But here she was on top, calling the shots. And, she had to admit, it felt pretty damned good.
For a moment she wondered if she should roll off and let Luc take charge.
But it feels so-o-o good…
Then he grabbed her buttocks in his big hands and lifted her, dropped her, and lifted her again. He was so strong that his movements were fluid and easy. It didn’t seem like he was suffering from lack of power. She heard his breathing grow louder, more ragged, just like her own.
“You like it up there?” he asked, staring directly into her eyes.
“You know I do,” answered, a little anxiety overshadowing her pleasure.
“So do I, Joanna.” And with that he lifted her effortlessly until she was almost clear of his cock, hesitated a moment, then rammed her back down onto him so hard that she cried out in surprise. Then he did it again.
It didn’t hurt, but taking control away from her changed the way her body responded to him. Every time he dropped her she felt herself opening up, expanding inside, her pelvis widening and softening. He lifted her, then dropped her. Rhythm
ically, over and over.
Her vaginal muscles seemed to go numb, the pleasure center having moved somewhere higher up inside her, just at the edge of his reach. With every thrust she tried to open herself even wider, so he could touch that spot with the tip of his cock. If she could only let him in a little more he would be able to touch it, and she would shatter into a million fragments of ecstasy.
Time, space, hurt feelings—even love—ceased to exist for Jo as she strained to let Luc in further, deeper, higher. It was almost like climbing an unreachable peak, the forward movements almost imperceptible, they were so small. But he was getting closer, and closer, with every thrust, until, finally, she reached a plateau where her pleasure stopped its upward movement and began to spread sideways.
Her orgasm was a full body experience, originating from her expanding central core and radiating outwards to tingle the tips of her fingers and toes and the top of her head. She saw galaxies of stars behind her tightly-closed eyes, faintly aware that her throat hurt from screaming hoarsely.
Vaguely, she sensed Luc bucking and moaning beneath her, filling her with his seed. Then he released her hips and she collapsed onto his chest as if she didn’t have a bone in her body.
Their breathing slowed, their wits returned, and Luc said softly into her ear. “And that, I believe, is how you make a baby.”
She nodded against his neck, too overwhelmed with emotion to speak.
“But that was just a trial run. When do you want to start the real work?”
She raised her head and looked into his eyes. He was serious. “I’m ready when you are,” she said softly.
“Me, too.”
“I’ll stop the pills tomorrow,” she said. “I’m guessing it’ll probably take awhile because I’ve been using them for so long. But I don’t really know.”
“No matter. Whatever happens, happens,” he said, kissing her forehead. “Now let’s go eat that bird. I’m starving.”
