Forty

"I think you need a little bit of rest, baby. Let's get you upstairs. I'll get you once dinner is ready."

What?

Joel shifted to pick me up again, but I refused, standing to my feet. My head was still ringing, but I didn't want to bring it up. Something was wrong.

"You're not telling me something." I pressed.

He cleared his throat.

"Let's talk in the room." He insisted. I huffed, but reluctantly agreed, taking longer steps to the bedroom. Once inside, I turned with arms crossed, waiting for an explanation, but he ignored me, moving on to the bed to prep my side.

"Joel, you're scaring me." I admitted, making him sigh and hang his head, his hands pressed firmly on the mattress. What the hell was going on?

"Baby, I won't be back at work on Monday." Huh?

"Did you fail your test?" The thought horrified me, considering all he'd already done, but he shook his head.

"No. Remember when I told your dad that I was working with the school?" I nodded, stepping closer to him. "Well, the department head put me on disciplinary leave until my hearing with the board." What? I finished crossing to him, gripping onto his t-shirt. He turned so that he could hold me comfortably. This wasn't supposed to happen this way. We should have just continued to hide, but no. I was selfish and my feelings got hurt.

"I'm sorry. It's all my fault."

"No, Jennifer. It's mine. You offered to drop my class, and it was my decision to hide it. You can't blame yourself." I leaned back to look at him.

"Do they know about the baby?" He nodded, lifting a hand to run through my hair.

"But they're working with me." I glanced down to where my hands fisted his shirt, preparing myself to voice the fear that I'd been housing since the beginning.

"And if it doesn't work?" He took a deep breath, meeting my eyes directly.

"If I lose my job, I have other ideas. Once you graduate, we can sell the house, move cities… I can put on another show to increase our savings and find someone who will hire me. Maybe a museum or something. We'll make it. I promise."

He sounded so damn sure, but I still hated it. I couldn't fight the little voice in my head telling me that I'd ruined his life. He was content before I came along. A well paying career and a good reputation... but that was about to disappear. He would have no stability and a child to worry about. Damn it. Why was I so pessimistic? At least I could try to find a job to help us out. It's not like we needed all this fancy stuff. A two bedroom apartment somewhere would be enough, as long as we had eachother.

I climbed beneath the pulled covers and curled up. My cheek stung against the cool pillow, but I did my best to ignore it while I looked at my love and he tucked me in.

"Should we be preparing for something like that? I mean, that's a lot to plan." He kneeled beside me and pressed his lips to my forehead.

"We have time, baby. I'm still waiting for the official report to be filed before I can even begin to plan for something like that. Try not to worry. We are in this together, right?" I yawned, snuggling deeper into the downy throw, not realizing just how tired I really was.

"Together. Always."

.

.

.

"Jen." No. Too early. "Baby. Wake up." Go away. "Okay. I guess I'll shower alone." What?

I peeked through my heavy lids, my eyes focusing on the satisfied grin on Joel's gorgeous face.

"You're evil." I grumbled, but he just laughed, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it on the floor, just to annoy me. "How was your run?" I asked, groggy, but still enjoying the view of my sexy and sweaty boyfriend only wearing shorts.

"Great. It frosted last night, so I used the treadmill. It's cold as fuck outside." He crossed to the dresser, picking out his clothes for the day. I sat up, glancing out the window to confirm his claims. It was dreary and the glass had a slight fog to it.

"But it's still September." I thought aloud. The end of September, but still.

"Yea, I know. Guess winter is coming early." I smiled.

I loved winter. I had never been much for heat and bugs, but snow was another story. I couldn't wait for the ground to be blanketed in white. Hot chocolate and a fireplace, the wood crackling and filling the room with that soothing smell. Joel's house didn't have one, but my parents' did. Maybe when we went over for Christmases...

We. It was so easy to imagine being with him forever. I could blame it on the baby, but I knew better. Because I had been thinking this way since the beginning. He was my end, I knew that.

The image of us in twenty years, seeing our baby off to college, crossed my mind and I almost cried.

"What's wrong?" Joel asked, coming over to sit on the bed beside me. I shook my head, pulling off my covers.

"Nothing. Just thinking about stuff. Sappy, sentimental stuff." His dimples popped and he leaned in for a kiss.

"Sappy, sentimental stuff is my favorite." He purred, and suddenly, a hot shower with him sounded like the perfect way to start a Monday. But I wanted to brush my teeth, so I stopped him shy of his target, my hands splayed on his chest. He raised a brow.

"I'd like to freshen up first." His eyes flitted down to my lips, then down to his half-dressed body.

"I'm worse off than you right now. Plus, you look adorable with your hair all tangled and your cheeks red. How can I not kiss you?" He poked at my belly, his teeth going to my collarbone as he pushed me back down on the bed. My laughter filled the room, and soon, he was wrestling my nightshirt over my head, his fingers brushing my sensitive skin making my fits worse. "Mm, much better." He decreed, his hungry eyes raking over my naked body.

"Yea? You know what I think?" I raised a challenging brow and his gaze darkened.

"What?"

"I think that you've earned yourself a punishment, mister." I growled out, my eyes shining in mischief. I could see his Adam's apple bob with his deep swallow, but he pretended to be unaffected.

"Do your worst."

I was mostly joking, but now that he called me out, it was on. I reached down, sliding a hand just enough inside his waistband to tug him onto the bed. He assisted me, following my lead to the center of the mattress with lustful curiosity. Honestly, even post run he still just smelled like his deodorant and body spray, so all it did was add a nice sheen of moisture to his skin, and a bit of a salty taste as well. Which I had absolutely no qualms over. Shit. He was even hotter like this than he normally was, which was a feat in and of itself.

As soon as he was positioned, his greedy hands reached up to pull me over him, but I dodged them, sitting back on my heels.

"Bad boy." I chided, and the look of excitement in his eyes made me soar with confidence. Is this what he felt like when I let him take control? His eyes narrowed at my obvious satisfaction.

"What's your punishment, then? Withholding sex?" I smirked, my eyes wandering to his erection straining against his shorts. I could, but really that would just be punishing both of us. I had something else in mind.

"Take off your shorts." I commanded, trying my best to sound assertive. He ran his tongue over his lips, his eyes never breaking contact with mine as he obeyed, tossing them over the edge of the bed. I spared his newly exposed skin a quick glance, instantly regretting it when the sight of him had me blushing hard. His deep and smooth chuckle rang out, making me glare back at him. Smug bastard.

I turned to my discarded shirt, which was technically his, taking it into my hands and shaking it out. Without looking up, I methodically folded it into two inch strips, until finally reaching the hem. This should work fine.

By the time I lifted my gaze, he was watching me curiously, genuinely confused with what I was doing. That was until I lifted the folded t-shirt to his eyes. He let out a disbelieving laugh, his hands gripping onto the comforter.

"God, Jen. You kinky little thing." He growled playfully, his hands blindly searching for me again, but coming up empty. I used my reach to tie the back in a simple knot. I had barely enough fabric, but it worked. Then, figuring I might as well follow through with the fantasy, I slipped from the bed. Sensing the displacement, Joel stirred. "Where-?"

"Hush." I snapped, and he clamped his mouth, fighting a grin. I would make him regret teasing me. I would show him how fierce I could be.

Sex kitten, come on out.

I padded to the closet, snagging one of his worn leather belts from the hook, folding it in a way that I knew I could make it snap, just to get his attention. Then, I crossed back to him. As soon as the loud noise rang out, he jumped, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Shit, Jen." His hands traveled up to his blindfold, but I reached over in time to stop him.

"Trust me." I cooed, and he pulled his bottom lip in, nodding in agreement as his hands fell back to his sides. He was a man who was not used to surrendering control, which made me all the more thankful that he was doing this for me. Not that his body was complaining. He was still rock hard and throbbing, the anticipation thick.

I finished my ascent, swinging a leg over Joel's abdomen, my bare pussy pressed against his hot skin. He groaned in appreciation, his fingers immediately landing on my thighs, but I couldn't have that. I looped the leather around one of his wrist, pulling it snug. When he realized what I was doing, his lips quirked.

"So that's it. You're going to tie me up and fuck me?" My thighs clenched at his blatancy, but I had to act tough. I leaned down, running my tongue along his protruding collarbone, where I knew he would fall apart. He shivered, letting out an unintentional moan. Then, I bit. "Fuck." He grounded, his fingers digging into my flesh.

It was so fucking hot seeing him this way. He responded so well to the simplest touches, and to be honest, his sensual noises drove me absolutely wild. I could probably get off to just the sounds he made. And he made a lot. I always thought it was a statement of pride for men to hide their pleasure, but I was so fucking thankful that he didn't.

I jerked the belt up, prying his left hand from my leg.

"Behave." I commanded, my voice dripping just as much as my core. He was panting now, a slow and devious smile forming on his lips.

"Make me."