Part 514
Softly, he said, "You’d never admit you were freezing out there, would you?"
Giving a soft laugh, she said, "Why admit something you already know? You know what would make this even better?"
Howie knew the answer. "Hop up and let me change."
Minutes later, the couple got settled back into the chaise once more; the gas logs going and the door open to let the cold night air in. The blanket wrapped around the couple and the two wrapped around each other.
Sarah nuzzled Howie’s neck, placing soft kisses on his skin as he caressed her stomach. Her fingers drew tiny designs on his chest. She whispered, "Do you ever get so mad at me that you want to just hit something?"
"Not hit something but you have made me pretty mad."
"Like when?"
"Baton Rouge, when you changed the set. Nick’s bachelor party when you told him about the fan fic stuff. Tonight, when you wouldn’t come in out of the cold."
"Why do you put up with it?"
"Because I love you. Most of the time, you have good reasons for being so frustrating, even if I don’t think so. What about you?"
Sarah laughed, "You know when I’m mad. Howie, I don’t regret anything about my life with you. I love the bond we have…it’s like this chain that is so strong, NOTHING can break it apart. We can talk about anything…including our deepest desires."
"Me either, ‘Angel’. My only regret about ANYTHING in my life is that we didn’t meet sooner, that I couldn’t protect you from Russell."
"But you have, ‘D’. You held me and made the nightmares go away. You helped me get my divorce from him and you made sure he didn’t take everything from me. You brought me my daughter back. You kissed all my troubles away."
Howie laughed, "You are so bad."
"What?" questioned Sarah innocently. "You’re just as guilty of using lyrics!"
"Who? Me? I would NEVER do something like that," teased Howie.
"Oh no? Let me see. I seem to recall your EXACT words when you proposed and I quote, ‘I want to say this right, and it has to be tonight’…."
"Well, it had to be that night!" protested Howie. "I was working on a time schedule. Besides, you’re a sucker for romantic lines like that. Why do you think I wrote them in the first place?"
"What I’m a sucker for," said Sarah as she ran her fingers through his hair, "is a gorgeous Latino guy with big brown eyes, long, soft eyelashes, soft, pouty lips, and scruffy beard."
"Mmmm…now who could THAT be?"
"Some guy in a boy band. I can’t remember the name but I hear he’s taken."
"I think I know the band and yeah, I hear he’s taken too…by this incredibly sexy lady with big blue eyes, long, golden brown hair, sexy curves…"
"One curve," smirked Sarah. "All out in the front. Howie, get serious please."
"Okay."
"I’ve read the old interviews where you describe your perfect girl. I don’t fit that description."
"Why not? You’ve got a fun personality, you respect my career, you know what you want and you go after it, and we talk. The biggest thing though, you have something that I never mentioned in those interviews."
"What’s that?"
"My heart."
Sarah let out a dreamy sigh, "Why do you do this to me?"
Howie laughed, "Do what, ‘Angel’?"
"Turn me to mush."
"Don’t know. Why don’t we go to bed?"
"Please, ‘D’. We were gonna spend all night out, like we use to when we were dating. I want to watch the sun come up."
"But we’ve both changed for bed."
"Yeah, but we could stay here, order breakfast from room service, and watch the sun come up, and fall asleep after making love."
Howie smiled as he traced a line down her nose to her lips. "I can’t say no to you and the thought of holding you in my arms is too hard to resist."
"How about some hot chocolate?"
"Should you have the caffeine in the chocolate?"
"One cup won’t hurt me."
"Want me to get it?"
"No, I can do it. I’m pregnant, not helpless," answered Sarah rolling her eyes.
Howie grinned as he rubbed her stomach. "A very SEXY pregnant too. Close the doors while you’re up?"
"Uh, huh, I don’t know why you opened them in the first place," smirked Sarah.
"I opened them for my insane wife who has this need to freeze her cute little ass off and mine too."
"Don’t blame it on me, Florida boy," teased Sarah as he pushed her off his lap. "You were just looking for any excuse to get me in your lap."
"I admit it," said Howie tucking his head in mock remorsefulness as she shut the doors. "I can’t help myself. I see a sexy pregnant woman and I just gotta have her in my lap."
Pulling on her robe, Sarah said, "You just be careful which pregnant woman you go pulling into your lap, Mr. Dorough. My hormones just might cause me to hurt someone. Come on. Why don’t we fix the hot chocolate together?"
"Sounds like a plan, ‘Angel’," answered Howie as he joined her.
Things were quiet out in the common area of the suite. To an outside observer, things would have appeared normal never knowing what turmoil and mayhem had taken place just an hour earlier but the couple knew and they knew the potential for it to get worse was great.
They moved quietly through the room to the small kitchen where they found the stuff to make hot chocolate.
"Did you find the miniature marshmallows?" asked Howie as he continued looking through the cabinets.
"No, I didn’t," answered Sarah as she moved the bag to where he couldn’t see it. Then she took the teakettle to put water in it.
"I can’t have hot chocolate without my little marshmallows," whined Howie.
"You big baby," teased Sarah as she handed Howie the bag. "Here."
"You had them all the time, didn’t you?"
Sarah laughed, "Uh huh."
Howie took Sarah by the belt of her bathrobe and pulled her to him. "You need a spankin’!"
"You gonna give it to me?"
"Uh huh," growled Howie as he untied the belt. Opening the robe, he ran his hands across her stomach to her waist. "Only problem is, I think you’d enjoy it."
Sarah ran her hands across his bare chest. "Mmmm, probably. This is so nice. Just you and me…talking and spending time together."
"It is nice," whispered Howie as he moved a hand to cup her face. Leaning to her, their lips met in a sweet kiss. Her hands instinctively slid across his chest to the back of his neck playing with the curls as their bodies pressed together. Howie moved his other hand to her hair as he slipped his tongue between her lips coaxing her into submission.
The whistling of the teakettle startled the couple and they broke apart laughing.
"I feel like a teenager getting caught doing something I shouldn’t," giggled Sarah grabbing a potholder.
Howie laughed, "I know. Me too."
The couple fixed their hot chocolate and headed back to their bedroom where they settled onto the bed. Howie grabbed the remote control turning on the TV. As he surfed the channels, he found the ‘Roswell’ episode he’d appeared in and Sarah made him stop there. She’d never seen it before so he willingly consented.
Sipping his hot chocolate, Howie watched Sarah as she became engrossed in the show. Glowing…that was the only word to describe her. With each passing day, she became more and more beautiful, even when she was fighting the urge to get sick or losing the battle. Gently, he reached to brush a strand of hair that had escaped from her braid.
Sarah’s attention shifted from the TV with his touch and she smiled. "You aren’t watching, are you?"
"The show…no. I’m watching something more interesting. You are so incredibly beautiful. Pregnancy definitely suits you."
Sarah leaned into the palm of his hand. "Thank you," she whispered.
"I know sometimes you feel like you don’t do anything for me, but Sarah, seeing the changes you’re going through…watching the babies grow inside you…" he moved his touch to her stomach…"you’re doing this all for me and you haven’t complained once. That to me is more than any man should EVER hope to have. The love you give me in this gift, the support for my career, the desire to protect me….EVERYTHING you do, Sarah…I can’t do enough for you to show you how much it means to me."
Howie had tears running down his cheeks as Sarah reached to brush them away. "I’d do it all again just to see you smile, Howie."
He took her left hand in his and kissed the rings there. "A circle of love never to be broken. Thank you for loving me, having me, having my children…for completing me."
"Thank you for making my dreams come true, for ending the nightmares…for being my knight in shining armor."
Howie set his cup of hot chocolate next to hers then pulled her to him. "Come here, ‘Angel’. Your knight needs to hold you."