After dinner, I insist on cleaning up the dinner dishes while Julia stays off her feet. But when I finish, she hops off her bar stool, grabs my hand, and looks at me with an intensity that makes the fur on the back of my neck prickle.
“Ian.” She sounds so serious that I start to worry about what’s going to come out of her mouth next.
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
My heart slams against my ribs. “I love you, too.”
“Are you surprised? You look surprised.”
I shake my head. Deep down, I know she loves me. “I didn’t realize you were quite ready to say it, though.”
“I’ve been wanting to for a while, but I also didn’t want it to be mixed up with everything else.” She meets my eyes, her gaze steady and sure. “I don’t love you because I’m carrying your pups or because you’re better than Richard or because you helped me when I was in a tough spot. It’s not that complicated. I just love you because you’re you. I’d want to be with you even if circumstances were different. I wanted to wait until it was just me and you, no complications, and tonight is as close as it gets. Am I making sense?”
She is making a lot of sense. And I don’t need to be told twice.
I scoop her up, one arm under her knees and one around her back, and carry her down the hall toward the bedroom. She laughs and squeals, arms looped around my shoulders.
“I’m not going to drop you,” I assure her.
“I’m heavier than last time,” she giggles. I scoff at her and she laughs again. “It’s true! Ask Dr. MacDougal at our next appointment.”
“You feel the same to me.” I nudge the bedroom door open with my shoulder and set her down gently on the edge of the bed.
“It looks different in here.” She takes in the room, her eyes widening when she notices the empty closet, door open. “Where’s all your stuff?”
“I moved it to the other bedroom so this one can be yours until you’re ready to share. No pressure, though.”
Her eyes are shiny when she turns back to me. “You gave up your room for me?”
I shrug, trying play it cool even though my tail is wagging again. “It’s not a big deal. I just want you to feel like this is your house.”
“That’s very thoughtful.” She cups my face in her hands. “You’re incredible, you know that?”
Then she kisses me, and all my considerate restraint evaporates.
My hands find her hips, pulling her closer even as her belly creates space between us. She’s rounder than she was the last time we did this, fuller everywhere. I trace the new curves with reverent fingers while she works the buttons of my shirt.
“You’re gorgeous,” I breathe against her mouth. “Every time I see you, you’re more beautiful than the last time.”
“Pregnancy glow?”
“I think it’s just you.” I palm one of her breasts through her shirt, marveling at the weight of it. They’ve grown along with her belly. “These are pretty magnificent, though, and we can definitely thank pregnancy for them.”
She laughs, breathless. “They’re sore.”
“I’ll be gentle.”
I take off her glasses and set them on the nightstand so they don’t get broken or lost. Then I peel off her cardigan, shirt, and bra with careful hands, revealing the changes the pregnancy has wrought.
Her nipples are darker and larger now. Her belly is taut and round, the skin stretched over our growing pups. A dark line has appeared on her lower belly, and red streaks radiate out from her navel, marking the rapid growth. I drop to my knees and press my lips to that belly, feeling movement beneath the surface.
“Hi, pups,” I murmur against her skin as her fingers card through my mane. “Your mama and I can’t wait to meet you. We love you so much already.”
I hook my fingers into her waistband and tug. Her skirt lands in a pile on the floor with her other clothes, and so do her lacy, purple panties. I standand guide Julia back toward the bed, helping her sit and then lie back against the pillows. She’s so beautiful spread out before me, a fantasy of soft curves and flushed skin. I strip off my own clothes quickly, too eager to take my time.
Her eyes drop to my cock, already hard and leaking. I expect her to be shy like last time, to need coaxing and reassurance. But she surprises me by reaching for me boldly, wrapping her fingers around my shaft and stroking with confident pressure.
