A Shade Darker ✔️

{Chapter Forty Four}

What's The Gestation Period Of  A Half Breed?

July 31st, 2017

Ashley

"Have ye given any thought to when you'll plan to announce the news about the wee bairn?" Lucile asks as I move the food around on my plate.

I look up and shrug, knowing everything got messed up by Billie, how he ruined our plans. But I wasn't ready then, I doubted I was ready now. But I wouldn't be able to hide it for much longer. That, I knew for sure.

I watch Mike as he eats his breakfast. He catches my eyes, holds my gaze and licks his lips after chewing a mouthful of bacon. Heat rises up the back of my neck and I casually brush hair away from it.

Now his small gestures, movements, and purposeful actions were making me recall the events from this morning, the ones I had trouble forgetting about. The ones that wanted to make me daydream and sigh out loud.

Mike had still been asleep when I woke early to bathe. The hot water soothed my muscles, calmed my nerves, and made me feel better than what I had in nearly a week. I had laid in there until the water turned cold, and then gotten out, wrapped a towel around myself, and returned to the bedroom to pick out a dress for the day.

I missed my jeans, missed television and my phone, but I soon learned that all those things I could live without. And it seemed now, that I had been surviving pretty well. Minus the times Billie had tried to maul me to death.

I entered the room, closed the door and dropped the towel, only to find Mike surely awake with hands on the button of his pants.

He smiles at me and I grasp the towel back up quickly to wrap it around me.

A small breeze comes in through the doors to the garden and I wrap my arms around myself. To my surprise, goosebumps had already been present on my arms.

"If you keep it a secret for much longer, the colony will think they've been lied to" Mike nods slowly as if understanding.

"Yes. We should take that into consideration. Lucile, maybe you and the maids could host a dinner? Bring around the people of the colony once more so we can announce the pregnancy" I tuck stray hairs behind my left ear and when they look at me I nod, offer a smile.

Mike smiles back at me, comes to my side and rubs a hand up and down my back. I stare down at my plate and feel his silent chuckle as he presses a small affectionate kiss to the side of my head.

"I thought you were still sleeping" I admit shyly, smiling as he walked over to me and tore the towel, quite harshly I might add, from the grasp of my hands and body.

I swallowed, jumped slightly at the action, but the smile never left my face.

"I was. But then I woke up, without you next to me. For which you shall be punished terribly" I smirk in disbelief.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I stand with confidence, showing no shame in the body I bared or the attitude to go with it.

"You'd beat a pregnant woman? Have you no cooth at all?" An eyebrow of his raises, a look of mischief flashing in his eyes and face.

"Who said I was going to beat you? No, I believe in much easier punishments" He grasped me at the waist, pulled me into him and I felt the exciting tension slowly diminish as he held me to his chest in a hug that felt real.

He played with my hair over my shoulder, and sometimes a cold water droplet would land on my back and cause me to shiver.

It made me seek more warmth against his chest, but sadly I found none as he left space between our bodies once more but still kept his chin on my shoulder.