❦Kate❦

Rolling to my side, I reached out an arm expecting to find Jason asleep next to me, but my hands met cool sheets. Still groggy with sleep, I opened my eyes and glanced at the bedside alarm clock. It was seven in the morning. The heavy drapes drawn across the glass walls of the bedroom blocked the sunlight from streaming in.

Sitting up, I reached for the digital keyboard that was on the bedside stand. A quick press of a button and the drapes silently drew back, flooding the room in sunlight. From my spot on the bed, I had a breathtaking view of Los Angeles skyline through the glass walls.

Soon after we returned from our honeymoon in The Maldives, Jason had bought the sprawling mansion we were living in now. It was located in an ultra-exclusive part of Bel Air and consisted of fifteen bedrooms, a 50- seat movie theatre, bowling alley, fully stocked wine cellar, a spa and a fitness center.

Stifling a yawn, I pulled back the covers off my body and got out of the bed. After freshening up in the marble bathroom, I put on a pair of boy shorts and an oversized cashmere sweater and took the elevator downstairs.

I found Annie in the gourmet kitchen making breakfast. She informed me Jason was in the garden so I went outside. Our backyard consisted of a large swimming pool that came with slides, rock waterfall, and a swim up bar. There were also pool side cabanas, two large Jacuzzis under a gazebo, a fully stocked outdoor kitchen and dining area, and a sunken gas fire pit with seating.

The mansion came with two gardens; one formal and the other informal. The formal garden had sweeping lawns, rose topiaries, symmetrical hedges, ornamental ponds and water fountains.

I headed to the informal garden which consisted of a jogging track, a basketball court and a tennis court that doubled up as a helipad. The sweet, summery scent of roses, jasmine, and Bougainvillea filled the air and I inhaled deeply, enjoying the early morning breeze.

I found Jason at the back of the garden, his attention focused on the punching bag hung from a tree as he pummeled it with his gloved fists. He was shirtless and barefoot, clad only in a pair of black gym shorts that sat low on his hips. The sharp lines of his jaw were roughened with stubble and with his hair mussed up sexily and those delicious abs on display, he looked good enough to eat.

My eyes went to the toddler sitting cross-legged on the grass a few feet away from him. Our three-year-old daughter, Vivienne Perez. We had adopted her from Kenya seven months ago.

She was clad in yellow pajamas that contrasted beautifully with her ebony complexion. There was a small easel in front of her with a canvas. Her face, framed by natural afro curls, was scrunched up in concentration as she dipped a brush into her color palette and raised it to the canvas.

The section of the garden we were in had been transformed into a play area for Vivienne. There was a swing set, slides, see-saws and a tree house. There was also a custom-built go-kart track so that she could drive her ride on battery cars. We wanted her to spend as much time playing outdoors instead of being indoors.

Vivienne glanced up, seeing me walking towards her, and immediately got up and raced towards me. "Mommy. Guess what?"

With a laugh, I scooped her up in my arms. "What?"

"No, you have to guess."

"Hmm, let's see. You're making a painting for me?"

"Yes." She nodded excitedly.

"Can I see it now?"

"No, mommy. You have to wait until I finish." She glanced at Jason, who was pulling his gloves off as he walked up to us. "Right, daddy?"

"That's right." He kissed her nose, making her giggle then took her from my arms before giving me a quick peck on the lips. "Morning, baby. Sleep well?"

"Like the dead."

"Good." He set Vivi on her feet and ruffled her curls. "Why don't you go and finish your painting, sweetheart?"

When she ran off towards her easel, Jason slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me against him gently. "And now to kiss you good morning properly." He murmured against my lips before kissing me. Delicious shivers ran down my spine, erupting every inch of my skin in goosebumps. Even after all this time, his touch had the power to melt me every time. I could never get enough of him.

When he lifted his head his breathing was as ragged as mine. "That's more like it." He grinned nuzzling my cheek. His hand went to my abdomen, gently stroking my four-month pregnant belly. "How's our little man this morning?"

"Active." Even as I said it, I felt a small flutter. It was as if he knew we were talking about him and decided to join the conversation. Lifting my sweater up, I guided Jason's hand to the side of my stomach. "Feel that?"

"Yeah." He looked as awed as he did the first time he felt the baby move. I still remembered the moment he found out I was pregnant. We were in Prague to celebrate his birthday and for his birthday dinner, I had dressed Vivienne in a cute custom made Gucci dress that had the words 'big sister' embroidered on the front. At first, he hadn't understood but when he did, he was over the moon with happiness.

Jason crouched down and I threaded my fingers through his soft hair and watched as he kissed my belly. "I love you very much already." He said softly, talking to the baby and after pressing another gentle kiss to my belly, he straightened up. "And I love you more with each passing day."

He brushed his lips over mine tenderly before deepening the kiss, his hands tangling in my hair. My pulse quickened instantly and I melted into him, wrapping my arms around his neck. His kisses always had the power to electrify my every nerve and reduce me into a quivering puddle of need.

He dragged his mouth away from mine, to press light, teasing open mouth kisses along the curve of my jaw. "You smell so good." He murmured nuzzling my neck. "I want to eat you up. Bite by bite." His teeth closed over the sensitive spot on the side of my neck, making me let out a breathless gasp.

Another gentle bite and then he was lifting his head up. "But that would have to wait." He grinned when I sighed in protest. "Breakfast first, baby. You need to eat on time."

We had breakfast by the pool. I had muesli with raspberries and strawberries, a Mediterranean breakfast sandwich and zucchini frittata. Jason had a full Italian breakfast and for Vivi, Annie had prepared pancakes with chocolate chips, a bunny shaped omelet and strawberries sliced to make a butterfly.

After breakfast, I lay on one of the daybeds in the garden while I watched Jason strap Vivi into the seat of the custom-built ride on battery Lamborghini Aventador and fastened her helmet. He blew me a kiss before getting into his own Ferrari go-kart and followed Vivi on the go-kart track.

I felt contentment wash over me as I watched the two of them. I was once again struck by how perfect my life was. I had a wonderful husband. The most precious daughter and another precious one on the way. I had never thought it possible to be so happy.

❦ ❦ ❦

"I have something to show you." Jason said later that evening as we sat on the terrace enjoying the sunset. He pressed a kiss to my temple and got up from the daybed. "Be right back."

His parents were in town for the weekend and they had come to pick up Vivi earlier that day. She would be spending the night with them in their Beverly Hills mansion.

Jason came back with a magazine and handed it to me. "Check page 5." It was the latest copy of Architectural Digest, a leading magazine that featured the best interior and architectural designs.

I did as he said and read the caption of the article out loud. "The best new design hotels in the world: Hot list 2016." I scanned the list and my eyes widened. The number one on the list was Perez Hotel & Resort Bali. "Is this real?" I gave a look of disbelief to Jason.

He nodded with a grin. "You did it, baby."

I had never thought my work would be featured on the biggest interior design magazine in the country. The Bali hotel was opened three months ago. The grand opening was covered by several other magazines and received a lot of positive comments and reviews for the interior of it.

"I couldn't have done this if not for you." I smiled, running my fingertips gently on his jaw. "Thank you for believing in me even when I didn't believe in myself."

"Always, baby. I know you can do whatever you set your mind to. And I'll always be there to support and encourage you."

He had arranged everything for me to start my own interior firm and four months ago, the business was officially launched. The team who had worked with me on the Bali hotel were now my full-time employees along with some new additional employees. Our current project was Jason's new ski resort in India.

When we found out I was pregnant, he wanted to halt the resort project saying it could wait until after I gave birth and recovered. It took a lot of convincing from me to change his mind. I didn't want him to treat me like an invalid just because I was pregnant. He finally gave in, but on the condition that I was not going to overwork myself.

Jason took the magazine from me and put it beside him on the daybed before pulling out his phone. "What do you think?" He showed me several pictures of a large five-bedroom house in Chicago. It was located in a gated community and came with a beautiful garden and swimming pool.

"It's beautiful. Are you planning on buying it?"

"I already did." He flashed me his dimples, making my heart skip several beats. Even after all this time, his smile still had the same effect on me as always. "Do you think your mom will like it?"

It took a moment for me to understand what he was implying. "You bought it for her?" I wasn't surprised by it. He was really generous to my family. In fact, just a few months ago, he had bought a sports car for Paige.

"Yeah, I thought we could surprise her with this for her birthday. It's this weekend, right?"

I nodded, leaning forward to kiss him. "I'm sure mom would love it. Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, baby. You know I'd do anything for her and Paige. They are my family too." He tweaked my nose with a smile, then bent his head down to nuzzle my neck. "You must be tired. How about I run you a bath and after that you take a nap?"

I sighed in pleasure as his lips moved over my skin. "I'd rather have you right now."

I felt him grin against the crook of my neck. "Then how about you, me and a bubble bath?"

"I can't think of anything better."

He straightened up, that wickedly sexy smile playing on his lips, and scooped me up in his arms.

❦❦❦

❦Jason❦

Clutching my surfboard under my arm, I walked out of the turquoise blue water, feeling energized after a couple of hours of surfing. Nathan followed behind me, balancing his surfboard on his head. Both of us were deeply tanned from being out in the afternoon sun.

Cheryl was lying on a beach chair soaking up some sun. "Had fun?" She asked sitting up.

I ran a hand through my wet hair, pushing it off my forehead and nodded. "You should have joined us, Cher."

"Yeah." Nathan added. "We caught some huge waves."

"I'll go with you guys tomorrow."

I glanced around the white sandy beach and spotted Vivienne under the shade of an umbrella. Hal, Nick and Paige were with her and they were building a sandcastle. "Where's Kate?"

"She went inside to lie down."

I put the surfboard away and jogged to where Vivienne and the others were. After spending a couple of minutes with them, I headed towards the huge beach house intending to check on Kate.

We were on a private island in The Bahamas, which I gifted to Kate as a wedding gift. Our one year anniversary was the next day, so we decided to bring all our friends here on a week-long celebration. The island had a huge beach mansion and a dozen separate beach villas.

Before going inside, I stopped at the outdoor shower and washed away the sea water from my body. Grabbing a huge terry towel, I started toweling myself as I walked up the steps leading to the mansion.

I found Kate standing in front of the full-length mirror in our room. Wearing an aqua blue two-piece bikini, she looked sensational. She had put on weight over the past few months and I absolutely loved it. The pregnancy made her look even more beautiful.

She saw me through the mirror and a breathtaking smile touched her face. "Are you just going to stand there staring?"

I let my gaze roam over her back side and grinned. "I'm just admiring the beautiful view." Walking up to her, I wrapped my arms around her from behind. "You look so damn sexy."

"I look huge. And I'm beginning to get stretch marks. The last thing I feel is sexy."

"What stretch marks?" I asked distractedly as I kissed the curve of her neck. She smelled like cocoa butter and need kicked through me at a staggering force. It was always like that with her.

She pointed to a couple of tiny white marks near her navel. "See? This is just the beginning." The insecurity in her eyes gave away what she was thinking.

"Baby, I wouldn't think you were any less beautiful even if you were covered in stretch marks all over." I said gently. "And if you think I should be turned off because your body is changing, then you're wrong." Spanning my hands on her hips, I pulled her snug against me, letting her feel how hard I was for her. "This is what you do to me every time I'm near you. I can never get enough of you."

"I know." She turned around to face me, her arms going around my neck. She brushed her lips against mine lightly. "It's just that my hormones are making a mess of my emotions today and I can't help feeling insecure even though I know there's no reason to be."

"Tell me what I can do to make you feel better."

A mischievous look came on her face. She trailed her hand down my bare chest, raking her fingernails over my abs. That simple touch alone had the power to send a shudder racking through my body. "Well, you can start by taking me to bed." She whispered against my lips, right before she kissed me.

❦❦❦

Later that evening, we decided to have a barbecue on the beach. While Nick and Nathan worked the grill, the rest of us sat by the camp fire that was lit. Hal had his guitar out and Paige was singing along to his strumming.

Kate was sitting between my legs, her back resting against my chest as I rubbed her stomach in gentle circles. Vivienne was snuggled up in Cheryl's arms and my heart constricted with love, just as it always did, when I looked at my daughter.

When Hal started playing a slow and romantic song, Kate tilted her head sideways to look at me. "Want to dance?"

Helping her up, I led her a few feet away from everyone, and then held her in my arms as we danced barefoot on the sand. Her hair danced in the sea breeze and her tanned skin glowed under the flickering light from the fire.

She caressed my jaw and flashed me a smile. "Have I told you today just how much I love you?"

"A few times," Smiling, I bent my head down to press a kiss to the sensitive spot behind her ear, "But feel free to tell me again."

Her voice was breathless when she spoke. "I love you. So very much."

Every time she said those three words, my heart fluttered. Her love was the greatest gift I had ever received. "And I love you." I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being the best wife anyone could ever hope for." I brushed my lips on her forehead. "For being such a wonderful mother to our daughter." Then I kissed the tip of her nose. "And for carrying my baby inside you. Our baby boy." I stroked her stomach over the yellow dress she was wearing. "I know it hasn't been easy with the morning sickness and all the other changes that came with the pregnancy. But through all that you've been so patient and strong. I couldn't be more proud of you, baby."

To my surprise, her eyes welled up with unshed tears. "You're going to make me cry."

"That's the last thing I want." I smiled running the pad of my thumb across her bottom lip. "I only want to see you smiling with happiness."

"You make me the happiest. You're the greatest thing that ever happened to me." She kissed me then, her lips moving sensually against mine, before drawing back a bit to gaze into my eyes. "And you are all mine." Her lips curved into a smile and I felt a jolt straight to my heart, just like it always did when she smiled at me like that. "Only mine."

"I've always been yours, baby. Only yours." Then we were kissing again. It was the kind ofkiss that made me forget everything but her. A kiss that promised forever.

❦The End ❦

Hey guys, Thanks so much for reading, voting, and commenting. It really means a lot to me. And a special s/o to all of you who've stuck with the story from the very beginning. ❦