“I know, and I’m not looking forward to it.” He placed his hand in the small of Michelle’s back. “This is Michelle. The birthday girl.”
Michelle exchanged a smile with the kindly man who immediately reached behind the counter and handed Erik a small gift-wrapped box.
Erik handed the box to Precious.
Precious handed it to Michelle, a dazzling smile lighting up her perfect little face. “Happy birthday, Michelle.”
“Come on, guys.”
“You don’t want my present?” Precious asked, pouting.
“Of course, honey.” She glanced at Erik, knowing that he knew she would never say no to Precious. She reluctantly took the box.
“Open it,” Precious chirped excitedly.
“Okay.” She pulled off the wrapper and flipped the lid on the black velvet box. A pair of platinum, heart-shaped earrings, with two huge diamonds nestled in the base of the hearts, dazzled her. Michelle gasped. They must have cost a small fortune. “Erik, I can’t accept these,” she said adamantly, holding the box out to him. Wife or not, this was too much.
His eyes twinkled, mischievously. “You can’t refuse a present from Precious.”
“Please, Michelle. I picked them out myself on the computer,” Precious wailed.
So that’s what they were doing on the laptop while she was getting dressed after breakfast. She’d come downstairs just as they were putting it away. They looked like they’d been caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar.
“But these?” She eyed the jewelry skeptically.
“You don’t like?” Joel asked.
Michelle glanced around to find that they were the main attention of the few other patrons in the small store. She was causing a scene. She gathered Precious to her. “Thank you. This is the best gift I’ve ever received. I’ll wear them always, starting now.” She pulled a pair of zirconias studs from her earlobes and dropped them in her purse.
“I’ll help,” Erik offered, moving closer to her. “You are a LaCrosse woman and you should be spoiled like one,” he whispered for her ears only.
The warm touch of his hands made Michelle tremble. Even after making love with him all night, her body still craved to dance beneath his fingers. She couldn’t wait for night to fall again.#p#分页标题#e#
They had a light seafood lunch then spend the other half of the day on the Children’s Beach on Harbor View Way next to the Steamship Wharf. Precious met up with some of the kids from the beach yesterday and played softball and other games into the early afternoon.
They went back to the cottage to shower and dress for dinner at a local restaurant, not as posh as Andreas’, but elegant, nonetheless. Michelle wore one of the dresses Erik had bought her that day. Erik surprised her with a cake, and the staff and other patrons sang happy birthday to her. They were worn out and dragging by the time they returned to the cottage, and it didn’t take long before an exhausted Precious fell soundly asleep.
Michelle was waiting in bed when Erik finally emerged from the bathroom with a towel hitched around his hips. Judging from the subtle tent in front of him, Michelle knew he was ready—ever ready—for her.
She pulled back the covers with a smile. Erik dropped the towel to the floor and climbed into bed next to her. He bent over and kissed her lips. Words were unnecessary between them. He kissed her deeply and thoroughly while his hands played with her breasts. The smooth length of his penis grazed her thighs, sending pleasure shocks through her. And just as she was about to melt with desire, he released her mouth and said, “Precious thinks we’re having a baby.”
Michelle’s eyes flew open. “What? Why?”
“She saw us kissing last night.”
“Oh, no.” Michelle pounded her fist into the mattress. “Erik, suppose we’d made love on the sofa.”
“It would have scarred her for sure. We have to be careful. I don’t want her confused.”
Michelle stiffened at his words. Well, she was the child’s nanny, not her mother. It wasn’t like she and Erik had made their marriage known to her, or anyone else. This, right here, was the reason he’d married her.
“I’m sorry. That came out wrong.” He kissed the corners of her mouth.
Michelle shrugged. “I understand. It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay.” He rolled off of her and turned on his back, staring up at the ceiling. “You’re my wife. I shouldn’t be worrying about our relationship confusing my daughter.”
Michelle turned on her side, propped her elbow on the pillow and cradled her head in her hand. “Erik, you married me for this, and I went along with my mind, heart, and soul wide open. You’re still confused about your feelings for me, so it’s—”