“Do you want to find out the gender of the baby?” she asked.
“I dunno…” he scratched his head, “… I think I want it to be a surprise.”
“Oh…” She felt a little deflated.
“You don’t want it to be a surprise?”
“No, I don’t. I want to find out.” She was determined to stick to her resolve on this one. To her, it made a lot of practical sense to find out. It determined how she’d decorate the baby’s room, and it would mean they would only have to debate over the name for one gender and not two. They could do with fewer arguments.
“I thought it was too soon to find out?”
“I have a doctor’s appointment next week at Burra.” They had, at least, discussed the fact that closer to the due date Zoe would return to Adelaide so the baby was born in a hospital there, not at Burra where the resources were minimal.
“And you’ll find out then?”
“I can. I want to. And, you’re coming with me?”
“Of course.”
She could tell he’d forgotten about the appointment. It annoyed her. It was easier for him she guessed because his body wasn’t rapidly changing. Even she had moments when she forgot she was pregnant.
He sighed heavily. “Let’s talk about this later, I need to get these water troughs checked before it gets too hot.”
Max got out, not giving Zoe a chance to respond. She clenched her jaw. Maybe this was a conversation to have later, but she didn’t like how he avoided it now. There was so much they needed to sort out, and with the approach of Christmas adding to things, she wasn’t sure that this was going to happen. She still wasn’t sure what they were going to be doing on Christmas Day. She assumed it would be with his family, the threat of a fire meant that Max was reluctant to go far from the farm. Her chest tightened. This would be the first Christmas without her parents, and the last before she became a mom.
Wanting to be part of the farming experience with Max, she got out of the ute. Her feet crunched on dried grass as she walked up to him. A breeze teased her summer skirt around her legs, making her feel cooler. She watched Max check over the water trough. To her, it looked like there was plenty of water. She walked up to the fence, rested her hand on the old wooden post and looked out. This land was all Max’s, and it was hard to believe that his family owned so much. Yet, they were hard done by financially.Would this be what their unborn child would inherit?
There was so much she still needed to get her head around. The wind lifted, blowing warm air over her, tanging her blonde hair, as she let it take away her thoughts. A sense of peace washed over her. She felt a connection to the earth rise up through her feet, grounding her to the land. There was freedom, space, and life here that she’d never experienced before from living in the city.
Shades of browns with hints of green from salt bushes scattered the landscape. She could hear the cattle off in the distance. The call of a crow was closer, and she spied a cluster of trees nearby assuming it was perched there. A lizard scattered away along the fence line, and another had climbed the next post, looked at her, before deciding to find another spot to bask in the sun. For land that looked like it was dying and was hot and dry, it was full of life.
“All good,” said Max.
Zoe turned to face him, not wanting to leave. This was as far as she’d come on the farm with Max. Up until now it had only been very short trips, and she was guessing that was orchestrated out of his concern for her and the baby.We don’t need to be wrapped in cotton wool just yet.
He smiled at her. The difference they’d had before in the ute was now gone, baked away by the heat of the sun, and then absorbed by the earth they stood on.
“You’re hot, you know.”
Zoe giggled, tilted her head at him suggestively. “How hot?”
His grin broadened as he strode up to her, wrapped his arms around her from behind and pulled her into his front. “Too hot for me to resist.”
She rested her head back on his shoulder as he kissed along her neckline. The sun was hot on her face as she closed her eyes, enjoying Max’s lips on her skin, his arms tight around her waist. They might be outside, but it wasn’t as if there was any chance of anyone coming along. She relaxed into his embrace, letting him coax the desire from her.
His hands moved over her hips, she could feel the heat of his touch despite her skirt adding a barrier she wished wasn’t there. Soft sounds of pleasure came from her, encouraging him to slip his hands over her body, feeling her curves with need.
Gathering up the material of her skirt, her legs bare and exposed to the wind and heat, prickled with anticipation. She leaned back further into him, arching her back, tilting her hips forward, giving him the access he really wanted. His hands brushed up her thigh, leaving a trail of heat that melted into her skin, which caused her pulse to increase. His fingers softly touched the top of her panties, dancing over her mound with such a light touch.
She quivered, a bolt of pleasure moved through her. She could sense his desire for more building with hers, fueling the passion between them.
He traced the pantie line over her thigh, slipped his fingers under the delicate lace, and dipped into her juices. She gasped. Her body convulsed, wanting this to go for longer, she managed to find her resolve, and ride with the building pleasure.
His fingers glided the length of her pussy, between her moist folds, before circling at the top of her slit.
She felt a spike in the pleasure, and reached up behind his head, trying to hold on and ride the wave that was fast, hot, and taking her way too quickly toward her peak. It was as if he could sense her struggle, and he increased his pressure on her intimate folds, building the tension, filling her body with pleasure until it flooded with bliss, and she tipped over into an orgasm with a sharp moan as her body shuddered.
Her mind spun with the desire he’d elicited from her, and she let him take the weight of her body as she slowly absorbed the energy of the orgasm. She could feel his hardness pushing into her, reminding that he was still yet to find a release.
