She jokingly accused Phailin of talking to Karen. She and Chaz weren’t going to make any plans for the wedding or for having children until after they were settled into their new home. As Chaz had predicted, everything was on schedule for them to move in a few days after their trip to visit her parents for Christmas.
“Maybe destiny has other plans, my dear friend.” Phailin smiled and poured more hot tea into Stephanie’s mug. “You ought to drink two large mugs of this every day. It can be either warm or cold, but it has to be made at least four hours ahead so the minerals can release.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
Phailin nodded. Her eyes never left Stephanie’s as she said, “I think our babies will be born only a few months apart.”
The entire time Stephanie was driving home, her mind was reviewing her private calendar and her sex life. Karen had warned her to be careful. Although she’d stopped drinking alcohol and taken the purifying teas, she had only halfway believed what her best friend said. Now her new friend was saying the same thing: either she was, or soon would be, pregnant. Interesting.
She thought of her dream—the one she’d had soon after arriving in Cincinnati. She’d had it again: twice last week. Initially, she hadn’t known all of the details. But last week, everything was clear.
When it started, she had just finished taking a shower and was sitting on the bed. She and Chaz were talking about her being pregnant. He had needed a couple of days to adjust to the idea of having a baby so soon, but he was definitely happy about it. In the dream, he gave her a warm kiss and said they’d talk later. That was when she’d looked in the drawer and found the book of baby names.
As soon as she got into the townhouse, she checked the bookcase where she had placed Phailin’s package. It was gone. Not sure what to think, she immediately went back out to her car and drove away. It was definitely time to buy a pregnancy test.
Chaz was home from work by the time she returned. Phailin had said in her note that he would need time to come to his own acceptance of what the gift meant. From her dream, Stephanie knew what it was and wanted to give her fiancé whatever time he might need. She’d wait until he wasn’t around before taking the test. She stuffed it into the bottom of her purse and went inside. As she stepped into the front hallway, she was hit with the aroma of Chinese food and the depth of how much she loved Chaz. She would always be happy as long as they were together. The thought instantly consumed her that all she wanted was the connection they shared. That made her want to kiss him and hold him and absorb the love he always showed her.
Chaz was in the kitchen. He was filling two glasses with lots of ice. As she entered the room, he turned to give her a smile before reaching in the refrigerator for the bottle of Pepsi.
“I thought we could go to a movie tonight,” he said as he handed her a glass and gave a deep, lingering kiss.
“I thought we could stay home.” Stephanie took a long swallow of the cold drink before setting the glass on the counter and moving to her fiancé so that she could unbutton his shirt. “We’re going to watch the game with your friends tomorrow. Tonight, I want you to myself.” She finished with the buttons and pulled on his tie until it completely loosened. Chaz’s hands slid to her hips and pulled her against him.
“What’s on your mind?” he laughed. Stephanie was too busy dropping kisses all over his chest to answer. He sucked in a breath when she gently bit a nipple. “Dinner’s going to get cold,” he warned when she bit the other nipple.
“We have a microwave.” She looked up at him and grinned. “Besides, the only thing I’m hungry for right now is you.” Her hands pushed the shirt off his shoulders. “I’m going to undress you right here and I might even cover you with caramel syrup and lick every drop off.” She giggled devilishly. “That would be having dessert first, wouldn’t it?”
Chaz could only laugh as he unbuttoned the shirt sleeves and pulled the fabric over his wrists before letting the garment fall to the floor. Then, he reached for the bottom of Stephanie’s sweater and pulled it over her head.
“If I’m going to be naked, so are you—and you won’t be the only person doing the licking.”
“Mmm. I like that idea.”
She slid her hands behind his neck and pulled his face to hers. Just as she had done with his chest, she covered it with kisses. When he couldn’t stand it any longer, his mouth seized hers in deep, demanding, exchanges that left them both breathless.
He took a step backwards and studied her face. He always loved the way she could look dead into his eyes and seem to bare her soul. It made him happy that this beautiful free spirit was his and loved him as much as he loved her. A half smile crossed his lips as she reached down to undo the belt on his slacks, unzip them, and help them fall to the floor. While he was kicking off his shoes and stepping out of the pants, Stephanie was doing the same with her loafers and jeans.
“I’m serious about the caramel syrup,” she assured him as she shimmied out of her panties and reached back to unhook her bra.
“Really?” His shaft didn’t need any further encouragement to stand at full attention and grow thicker.
“Yep.” She used her foot to push the clothes under the counter and walked over to the refrigerator. With the jar in hand, she moved to the microwave and selected a low setting. “We don’t want to put anything cold on that,” she teased with a slight nod at his erection.
“You’re really serious?” He came behind her as she stuck the jar into the machine and closed the door. His lips grazed the top of the dream catcher tattoo on her shoulder and brushed along the feathers of the design that flowed down her side. He loved that tattoo because it symbolized her gift that had brought them together. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her naked back against his front while she stirred the sweet sauce to distribute the heat. “I get to lick you first,” he announced.
“Why is that?” She turned slightly to see him.
“Because, if you have your way, I’ll be done before you get started. Ladies first.” He dipped a finger in the syrup and dabbed it on her neck. Lips followed while the syrup was still warm. “Mmm,” he moaned and sucked harder. Stephanie swayed. Without taking his mouth off her, he smeared more stickiness along her shoulder in a path down her chest to those breasts he could barely wait to taste.
“Déjà vu,” she whispered as his tongue glided across a nipple. It was the last thing she would be able to say for a while.
Chaz treated first one breast and then the other to ravaging attention that brought her so much pleasure that she couldn’t think straight. In addition to that, while his mouth was busy with the top part of her body, his fingers were caressing her hot channel into a frenzy. Her orgasm hit hard. He had to catch her to keep her from losing her balance.
When she’d recovered enough to stand on her own, she pushed him away and told him to have a seat.
“Oh no,” he protested and lifted the bowl off the counter. “We’re going to finish this upstairs.” An arm wrapped around her shoulders and started moving her toward their bedroom.
Stephanie could only laugh when Chaz dove onto the bed and stretched spread-eagle on top of the sheets. She studied him for a moment before deciding where to strategically place the syrup. She started with a drop on each of his nipples, cautioning him to lie still while she created her masterpiece on his beautifully toned body. A line connected the two dots before heading straight toward his navel. Then, she hungrily got busy sucking and nibbling her way down his torso. When she got to the hairline beneath his belly button, she smiled up at him knowingly. The anticipation was driving him crazy—he was hard as a rock.
She put a drop on the inside of one thigh and took her time lapping it up. He groaned and she laughed. A repeat performance on the other thigh was next. Finally she drew a thin line from the underside of his shaft to the tip and sucked her way from the bottom to the top.
“Enough!” Chaz roared and grabbed her body, pulling her up and rolling her on
to her back. In an instant, he was deep inside of her and they were both laughing. “That was wonderful baby, but the only place I want to be right now is right here, feeling you match me thrust for thrust and having those hot juices all over me.”
His mouth was merciless in its possession of her lips and neck as he crushed her to him and his strong hands pulled her thighs high on his waist. She followed his rhythm stroke for stroke and bit his chest when the pressure inside made everything tingle to the point she thought she couldn’t handle the ecstasy.
“That’s it, sweetheart. Give it to me. Belong to me, baby.”
Stephanie looked up into his eyes and was happy that he was drowning as deeply as she was. She managed a smile as she ran a finger along the edge of his jaw just before the passion consumed them both and they exploded together.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
That next morning, while Chaz was at the shooting range, Stephanie retrieved the pregnancy test and followed the instructions. The results were positive.
Her life changed instantly.
She stared at the plastic rod and wondered how Chaz would react. How long ago had he found Phailin’s gift? One day? One week? He hadn’t made any comments, so did that mean he wasn’t yet ready to hear what she’d just discovered? Stephanie stepped into the shower and let the steam relax her. Both hands moved lightly across her belly and she smiled. There was no way she would delay telling Chaz.
The minute she dried herself off and stepped into the bedroom, she knew that she was living the dream she’d had repeatedly since arriving in Cincinnati. It was odd acting out a scene that had played in her mind. She had almost a feeling of déjà vu but more surreal.
She felt Chaz’s presence in the doorway before she stopped applying lotion to her ankles and turned to see him watching her. Their eyes met and he sighed.
“You’re beautiful,” he said softly.
“That’s because I’m in love.” She patted the bed as an invitation for him to join her. “I’ve been thinking about our life and how quickly it’s changing.” Her eyes studied his for any indication that she should wait to tell him about the baby; she didn’t find any. “A few days ago, Phailin said she thinks I’m either pregnant or will be soon.”
“Really?” He slid a hand beneath the loosely tied towel and ran it across her flat stomach. “How do you feel about that?”
“Excited. Scared.”
“That’s how I feel, too,” he admitted. He told her how he’d been looking for a cheesecake recipe when the dark blue wrapping paper on Phailin’s gift had caught his attention. He’d opened the book and read the note the Asian woman had written on the inside cover.
“Phailin is an interesting person. Do you know she bought the book more than a month ago?”
“I didn’t even know the gift was a book at first. She simply sent me the wrapped package with a note telling me to put it someplace out of the way and destiny would determine when you would find it.” Those words gave her confidence.
“Destiny.” He shook his head. “I used to live by timetables and checklists. But not much about our life has been planned, has it?” He watched her head shake. “Do you think you’re pregnant, Stephanie?”
“Yeah, I do.” She watched his reaction as she explained about the pregnancy test.
“Really,” he sighed. “I’ve had a few days to get used to the idea, and it still blows my mind to think of us as parents.” He kissed her very tenderly. Then, he squeezed her tightly. Happy laughter blended with kisses that he dropped all over her face. With a final lingering kiss on her lips, he said they’d talk later and went to fix breakfast.
As in her dream, Stephanie looked in the nightstand drawer and found the blue, yellow, and pink book of baby names. She pulled out the book and flipped through it. For some reason, she was partial to names that began with the letter J. She wondered what her future husband and father of her child would think. That made her smile.
Chaz made omelets and freshly squeezed orange juice. He brought that and a pot of coffee to the bedroom and they lounged on the bed eating and talking. After reassuring each other that they were ready for the changes the pregnancy would bring to their relationship, they moved on to other topics.
Thanksgiving was less than a week away. They would leave early enough on Thursday to arrive at Chaz’s parents’ home around noon. His mother was planning to serve dinner at 5:00, so there would be plenty of time to look at horrible vacation pictures and hear tales of his errant childhood. Chaz warned that his elementary school principal was great friends with his mother, and there was no way she would be told not to come when he was in town on a holiday. And there were a few cousins who would pop through because they always checked on his parents, but they probably wouldn’t stay long. Other than those few people, Mrs. Lawson had promised to have a quiet meal.
But the trip Stephanie was most excited about was the one they would take to Erie that first week in December. They would arrive on Sunday afternoon and go out to dinner with Karen and Victor. Then Stephanie would stay with her friends while Chaz was in a safe house during the trial. As soon as his duties were over, they’d spend a day with the other couple before returning to Cincinnati.
The trial against Evan Moseley was scheduled to start on a Tuesday. The only troubling part of their life was about to come to an end.
“You’ll be safe once you testify, right?”
Chaz explained that the federal prosecutors were very determined about protecting the identities of undercover agents. Most of his testimony was being submitted via affidavits. Only a small portion would happen behind closed doors with just the judge and the attorneys. His participation should only last a couple of days and no one would see him going in and out of the courthouse.
“Plus, as far as Evan Moseley is concerned, I’m Chaz Winters and I’ve already been convicted and sentenced to three years in a state prison out west. Moseley is expected to get a 10-year sentence in a maximum security federal prison; the case against him is very strong.”
“What if he isn’t convicted?”
“He will be. Regardless, he only met me a few times, didn’t know me very well, and won’t expect to see me or any of the other undercover cops. It’ll be easy for him to forget about us.” His smile was confident and reassuring. There was no point in telling her about the efforts to find him, especially since Steve McDaniels didn’t think they would amount to anything. “I’ve done this for a lot of years, sweetheart. Everything will be fine.”
Stephanie wanted to believe him so she pushed aside the memory of that dream where she’d felt an overwhelming protectiveness and sense of dread. She wasn’t going to worry without more details about what was happening in the scene. Part of her believed that the dream had already happened, but since she hadn’t mentioned it to Chaz, there was no reason for him to reassure her. Instead of asking him about it, she would look forward to relaxing when they visited Erie. Karen would know how to calm her.
That trip was still a couple of weeks away. In the meantime, Stephanie was anxious about the other trip—the one where Chaz’s parents would get a chance to evaluate whether or not she was suitable for their son.
~ ~ ~
A few days later, they drove to Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving. It was Chaz’s suggestion that they not tell their families about the pregnancy until then. Everyone heard the news at the same time once Stephanie had her parents and brother on a three-way phone call and put them on the speaker. Of course, she and Chaz didn’t have answers to the most immediate questions: when was the baby due and when were they getting married.
Stephanie was pretty sure that she knew when the baby had been conceived, but confirming her calculations would have to wait until she found a doctor.
As for the wedding, the couple had only decided that they wanted to be married before the baby was born. They would need a lot more time to address all of the issues presented by having the family spread over multiple states and differing opinions on what type of cer
emony to plan.
“We’re a moderately religious family,” Marilyn explained to Stephanie as she moved the vase of dried flowers from the center of the dining room table and replaced it with ceramic praying hands. “I’m sure Chaz doesn’t go to church unless he’s here, but I hope he still considers himself a Christian and will want the ceremony presided over by a minister.”
Stephanie set a fork on a napkin and thought about how to respond. Would her future mother-in-law faint if she knew Stephanie was learning how to see auras, believed strongly in the power of intuition, and accepted holistic practices that were undeniably centered in non-Christian philosophies? Stephanie believed in God and in Christ, just not in the same strict way that Chaz’s mother did. She looked at the other woman and thought that, for the first time, she could actually see auras. Mrs. Lawson was a deep, dull brown mixed with a thin band of purple. Yes, she was spiritual, but she was also too practical for Stephanie’s type of gifts to make sense.
“We haven’t discussed any of that, yet,” Chaz injected into the conversation. Stephanie hadn’t heard him reenter the room. “Where do you want these platters?” Following his mother’s instructions, he took them to the kitchen, and put them into the soapy dishwater she’d already prepared. Then he grabbed a cloth and started washing.
“What are you doing?” Marilyn Lawson asked her son. “Stephanie and I can take care of all the kitchen stuff.”
“I know.” He ignored his mother’s attempt to shoo him away and rinsed the platters while she retrieved other serving dishes from the china cabinet. Stephanie finished setting the table and returned to the kitchen. She kissed Chaz on the cheek, reminded him that the football game was on, and lifted a dish towel to begin drying a plate. He whispered for her to not feel pressured to answer anything she didn’t want to.
Premonitions: Dream Catcher Series ~ Book 1 Page 14
